The Check in/Check out (CICO) strategy is a secondary tier intervention designed to address those students who are not responsive to universal tier, school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports (SW-PBIS), and require more targeted support. The present study extended the implementation of the CICO strategy to a residential facility. In addition, the study sought to determine the relationship between the maintaining function of behavior and responsiveness to CICO when a functional behavior assessment was conducted prior to the implementation of CICO. Six students with emotional and behavioral disorders (E/BD) in a residential setting participated in the study; three with attention-maintained behavior and three with escape-maintained behavior. Results of a nonconcurrent multiple baseline across participants design indicate that the mean total composite percentage of problem behavior improved for all three students with attention-maintained behavior, and the effect of the intervention generalized to the second most problematic classroom for two out of three. Further support of effectiveness of the intervention for attention maintained behavior is percentage of all non-overlapping data (PAND) of 90% or higher for two of three students. The mean total composite percentage of problem behavior for students with escape-maintained behavior improved for all three students, with a moderate change noted for Kevin. Only one student demonstrated generalization of effect in the second most problematic classroom and PAND above 90%. Future directions and limitations of the research also are addressed.

Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have documented sensory processing difficulties across the lifespan; however there is limited empirical support for the sensory-based interventions that have become ubiquitous with the population. This study was conducted to address this need and examine the effect of sensory-based interventions on skill acquisition for five elementary-age students with ASD. Proponents suggest that sensory-based interventions can be used to facilitate optimal levels of arousal so that children are available for learning. A single-case alternating treatments design was used to evaluate functional relations between the two sensory-based antecedent interventions and correct responding on expressive identification tasks. Upon visual analysis of the graphed data, functional relations were apparent for two participants. A positive relation between one sensory activity and correct responses was evident for a third student, but his rate of skill acquisition was too slow to verify a functional relation during the study. Results were undifferentiated for two students; one reached mastery criteria with both sensory-based interventions, while one made only modest improvement in expressive identification. Hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) was used to identify predictors of growth. Scrutiny of the results of the level-1 analysis revealed that there were significant differences among the participants at the start of the study (00 = 388.46, ²(4) = 45.97, p < .001) and that all of the students made significant gains during the study (10 = 2.35, t(4) = 3.43, p < .05). Using treatment as a predictor in Model 2 resulted in the finding of no significance for the sensory-based interventions in predicting growth. The two biggest level-2 predictors of student growth were age (11 = 0.055, t(2) = 6.403, p < .001) and IQ (22 = 0.21, t(2) = 13.41, p < .001). Although not clinically significant, Childhood Autism Rating Scale scores as a level-2 predictor of growth may have practical significance. Implications for mixed-modality research and applied practice are discussed.

Modern image-guided surgery aids minimally-invasive, high-precision procedures that increase efficacy of treatment. This thesis investigates two research aims to improve precision and integration of intraoperative cone-beam CT (CBCT) imaging in guidance of head and neck (H&N) surgery. First, marker configurations were examined to identify arrangements that minimize target registration error (TRE). Best arrangements minimized the distance between the configuration centroid and surgical target while maximizing marker separation. Configurations of few markers could minimized TRE with more markers providing improved uniformity. Second, an algorithm for automatic registration of image and world reference frames was pursued to streamline integration of CBCT with real-time tracking and provide automatic updates per scan. Markers visible to the tracking and imaging systems are automatically co-localized and registered with equivalent accuracy and superior reproducibility compared to conventional registration. Such work helps the implementation of CBCT in H&N surgery to maximize surgical precision and exploit intraoperative image guidance.

This thesis presents the first work, to our knowledge, to evaluate the potential of Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) as an intravascular imaging modality to characterize and guide interventions on chronic total occlusions (CTOs) in arteries. An ex vivo imaging study using OCT is presented that characterizes various pathologies associated with peripheral CTOs and illustrates the ability to differentiate between the vessel wall and the occluded lumen. We also found that, while OCT could image approximately 1mm through tissue, it was effective for imaging deeper through clarified microchannels seen within the occluded lumen. While others had reported observing such microchannels within the lumen before, little was known about the global architecture of these channels. This motivated a study of the global morphology of microchannels in occlusions using micro computed tomography (microCT). In this microCT study, we found that microchannels within the occluded lumen of the artery appeared to be continuous over several millimeters. However, these channels also exited the artery frequently, suggesting the need for some form of imaging guidance. As a potential intravascular imaging set-up, a forward-viewing OCT catheter was built. This catheter uses a novel scanning mechanism that combines high voltage and a dissipative polymer to achieve fast compact actuation. Doppler OCT results are presented using this catheter to image flow in the forward direction. Doppler OCT imaging of microchannels in vivo is also shown in a surgically exposed occluded artery in situ.

This thesis presents the first work, to our knowledge, to evaluate the potential of Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) as an intravascular imaging modality to characterize and guide interventions on chronic total occlusions (CTOs) in arteries. An ex vivo imaging study using OCT is presented that characterizes various pathologies associated with peripheral CTOs and illustrates the ability to differentiate between the vessel wall and the occluded lumen. We also found that, while OCT could image approximately 1mm through tissue, it was effective for imaging deeper through clarified microchannels seen within the occluded lumen. While others had reported observing such microchannels within the lumen before, little was known about the global architecture of these channels. This motivated a study of the global morphology of microchannels in occlusions using micro computed tomography (microCT). In this microCT study, we found that microchannels within the occluded lumen of the artery appeared to be continuous over several millimeters. However, these channels also exited the artery frequently, suggesting the need for some form of imaging guidance. As a potential intravascular imaging set-up, a forward-viewing OCT catheter was built. This catheter uses a novel scanning mechanism that combines high voltage and a dissipative polymer to achieve fast compact actuation. Doppler OCT results are presented using this catheter to image flow in the forward direction. Doppler OCT imaging of microchannels in vivo is also shown in a surgically exposed occluded artery in situ.

Modern image-guided surgery aids minimally-invasive, high-precision procedures that increase efficacy of treatment. This thesis investigates two research aims to improve precision and integration of intraoperative cone-beam CT (CBCT) imaging in guidance of head and neck (H&N) surgery. First, marker configurations were examined to identify arrangements that minimize target registration error (TRE). Best arrangements minimized the distance between the configuration centroid and surgical target while maximizing marker separation. Configurations of few markers could minimized TRE with more markers providing improved uniformity. Second, an algorithm for automatic registration of image and world reference frames was pursued to streamline integration of CBCT with real-time tracking and provide automatic updates per scan. Markers visible to the tracking and imaging systems are automatically co-localized and registered with equivalent accuracy and superior reproducibility compared to conventional registration. Such work helps the implementation of CBCT in H&N surgery to maximize surgical precision and exploit intraoperative image guidance.

The concept of Humanitarian Military Interventions has become a core issue within the international community since the 1990s. Human rights violations carried out on a massive scale are no longer perceived as purely domestic concerns but are now recognized as a central concern of the international community. This study of four cases of HMI -Somalia, Rwanda, Haiti and East Timor- is intended to shed the light on two political factors that play a determining role in HMI: the national interests of the interveners and the level of neutrality of the operations. I argue that the level of success of HMI is highly dependent on the presence of national interests in the region for the interveners and a low level of neutrality. This thesis also reflects on the ongoing challenges facing the international community regarding the most efficient ways to address massive human rights violations and presents suggestions towards addressing them.

Inledning: Depression är ett av de vanligaste psykiatriska symtom hos svenska ungdomar och unga vuxna. Anknytningsbaserad familjeterapi (ABFT), är särskilt inriktad på depression och suicidnära ungdomar. Uppsatsen har fokus på arbetet med känslor i familjeterapi/ABFT. Frågeställning: Syfte att undersöka hur psykoterapeuter som följer ABFT-manualen kan arbeta med att fördjupa den emotionella nivån hos familjemedlemmarna. Går det att urskilja samband mellan terapeutens interventioner och känslomässig fördjupning hos familjen, hur ser i så fall dessa samband ut? Metod: Kvalitativ fallstudie på en hel filmad psykoterapi, totalt 18 sessioner. Familjen består av en ungdom och dennes föräldrar. Ett antal episoder har valts ut där psykoterapeutens interventioner och vad som hänt i respektive episod har studerats med tematisk analys. Resultat: Att rikta familjemedlemmar till varandra är det som väcker mest känslor i familjen. Möten uppstår som tolkas vara helande och ha långsiktiga effekter på familjemedlemmarnas relationer. Diskussion: Uppsatsens resultat kopplas till Daniel Sterns teori om ”mötesögonblick” (moments of meeting), intersubjektivitet inom familjen och familjeterapins unika möjlighet att arbeta med känslor i närvaro av de objekt som det faktiskt gäller. / Introduction: Depression is one of the most common psychiatric symptoms among Swedish adolescents and young adults. Attachment Based Family Therapy ( ABFT ) focuses specifically on depression and suicidal young people. This paper will focus on the work with emotions in family therapy/ABFT. Question: In order to explore how psychotherapists that follow ABFT manual can work to deepen the emotional level of the family members. Is it possible to see conections between therapist’s interventions and the emotional deepening in the family? Method: Qualitative case study on a filmed psychotherapy, a total of 18 sessions. The family consists of a youth and his or her parents. A number of episodes have been selected where the psychotherapist's interventions and what happened in each episode have been studied with thematic analysis. Result: To connect familymembers to each other awokes most emotions within the family. Meetings occur that are interpreted to be healing and to have long term effects at the family members' relationships. Discussion: The studys result are linked to Daniel Stern's theory of "moments of meeting", intersubjectivity in the family and family therapy unique opportunity to work with emotions in the presence of the objects that it actually applies to.

<p>In the era of AIDS, food and nutrition are becoming more of a priority for many households and communities. This is more so now that treatment is available for people infected with HIV and AIDS. Food and nutrition are fundamentally intertwined with HIV transmission and the impacts of AIDS. Evidence of the ways in which food insecurity and malnutrition may interfere with the effectiveness of antiretroviral therapy is well documented. Aim: The purpose of the study was to inform improvements in food security interventions for PLWHA through an investigation of existing food security interventions in the Khomas Region, Namibia.</p>

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