Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) have social-communication deficits and are often targets of bullying or ostracism. However, in the past, little has been done to examine these children’s response to negative social interactions. This study investigated how children with Autism Spectrum Disorder detect and respond to ostracism. Thirty 4-6 years old children with Autism Spectrum Disorder were either included or excluded via an online ball-tossing game. Participant’s detection, feelings, imitative behavior, joint attention, social initiations and reciprocal play were then measured. Relative to those in the inclusion condition, children in the exclusion condition reported higher levels of exclusion, more negative feelings, and showed more increase in motor imitation. Implications of these findings on early interventions were discussed. / published_or_final_version / Educational Psychology / Master / Master of Social Sciences

L'objectif de cette thèse consiste en l'étude d'une stratégie de contrôle actif à faible autorité avec comme application le contrôle actif du rayonnement acoustique d'une plaque. Depuis l'essor du contrôle actif, son application aux problèmes acoustiques et vibracoustiques a été investiguée par de nombreux chercheurs, exploitant soit la théorie du contrôle optimal, soit des approches originales basées plus particulièrement sur la physique. Des notions spécifiques au contrôle vibroacoustique ont été développées comme, par exemple, les modes radiatifs pouvant caractériser le rayonnement acoustique d'une plaque d'une manière adaptée au contrôle. Le contrôle actif à faible autorité, pour lequel le Laboratoire de Structures Actives a développé une expertise dans le domaine de l'amortissement et du contrôle actif des vibrations, est une solution attractive par sa simplicité de mise en oeuvre. Le plus souvent implémenté sous la forme d'un contrôle décentralisé constitué de boucles indépendantes, le contrôle à faible autorité bénéficie de certaines garanties de stabilité et de robustesse. Bien que notre stratégie de contrôle puisse s'appliquer à n'importe quel type de plaque, l'application considérée dans ce travail a été motivée par le contexte socio-économique actuel en rapport avec les nuisances acoustiques. Il était en effet intéressant d'évaluer la stratégie de contrôle pour le problème de la transmission acoustique d'un vitrage. La stratégie de contrôle se divise en deux étapes. Tout d'abord le développement d'un capteur unique destiné à fournir une mesure représentative du bruit rayonné par une plaque en basse fréquence. Deux capteurs de vitesse volumétrique (l'un discret, l'autre distribué) ont ainsi été développés et évalués expérimentalement. Ensuite, une procédure d'optimisation de l'emplacement d'un ensemble d'actionneurs pilotés en parallèle est proposée. L'objectif de cette phase d'optimisation est de forcer la réponse fréquentielle du système à posséder les propriétés d'un système colocalisé. La stratégie de contrôle est ensuite évaluée sur deux structures expérimentales. / This thesis is concerned with a low authority active control strategy applied to the sound radiation control of a baffled plate. Since the development of active control , numerous researchers have studied its application to acoustical or vibroacoustical problems using either the modern control theory or other methods based rather on the understanding of the physics of the problem. Vibroacoustical active control has lead to the definition of radiation modes allowing to describe the radiated sound of a plate in an appropriate manner for active control purposes. Low autorithy control (LAC), for which the Active Structures Laboratory has gained an expertise for active vibration control applications is an interesting solution for its implementation simplicity. Most of the time it consists of several decentralized control loops, and benefits from guaranteed stability and robustness properties. Although our control strategy can be applied to any kind of plates, the application considered here has been motivated by the present socio-economical context related to noise annoyances. The active control strategy has been applied the problem of the sound transmission loss of glass plates (windows). This strategy is in two steps : first a volume velocity sensor is developed as to give a measure representative of the radiated sound at low frequencies. Two sensors have been developed (one discrete and one distributed) and experimentally tested. Next, an optimisation strategy is proposed which allow to locate on the plate a set of several actuators driven in parallel. The goal of this optimisation task is to obtain an open-loop frequency response which behave like a collocated system. The control strategy is finally evaluated on two plate structures.

The tropospheric reactions of toluene, acting as a model VOC, are investigated using an electron bombardment-matrix isolation system coupled with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Initial experiments to produce the hydroxyl radicals used to initiate the toluene reactions via electron bombardment of water-argon mixtures are performed. The effects of electron current, water concentration, and gas flow rate are investigated. A more efficient method of initiating the toluene reactions, by directly creating benzyl radicals through electron bombardment of toluene is then investigated, and the effects of toluene concentration and electron current on the production of the benzyl radicals is quantified. Benzyl radicals are successfully produced, and identified via FT-IR. The next step is the formation of benzylperoxy radicals, via electron bombardment of toluene-oxygen-argon gas mixtures. Experiments are performed using increasing concentrations of toluene and oxygen, in an attempt to observe the benzylperoxy radical. Two new absorptions are observed in the infrared spectra and are tentatively identified as due to the peroxy group on the benzylperoxy radical. Computational work is also performed to confirm that benzylperoxy radicals can in fact be produced from benzyl radicals and oxygen. The vibrational frequencies of the benzylperoxy radical are also calculated, and used to confirm the possibility that the new absorptions seen in the infrared spectra could in fact be due to benzylperoxy radicals. The overall results from this work demonstrate that it is likely to be possible to use electron bombardment-matrix isolation systems to investigate tropospheric reactions of volatile organics, and that further experiments could be enhanced by structural modifications to the system. / Thesis (Master, Chemistry) -- Queen's University, 2013-11-26 15:57:59.4

Despite over seven decades of speciation research and 25 years of phylogeographic studies, a comprehensive understanding of mechanisms that generate biological species remains elusive. In temperate zones, the pervasiveness of range fragmentation and subsequent range expansions suggests that secondary contact between diverging lineages may be important in the evolution of species. Thus, such contact zones provide compelling opportunities to investigate evolutionary processes, particularly the roles of geographical isolation in initiating, and indirect selection against hybrids in completing (reinforcement), the evolution of reproductive isolation and speciation. The spring peeper (Pseudacris crucifer) has six well-supported mitochondrial lineages many of which are now in secondary contact. Here I investigate the evolutionary consequences of secondary contact of two such lineages (Eastern and Interior) in Southwestern Ontario using genetic, morphological, acoustical, experimental, and behavioural evidence to show accentuated divergence of the mate recognition system in sympatry. Mitochondrial and microsatellite data distinguish these two lineages but also show ongoing hybridization. Bayesian assignment tests and cline analysis imply asymmetrical introgression of Eastern lineage nuclear markers into Interior populations. Male calls are divergent between Eastern and Interior allopatric populations and show asymmetrical reproductive character displacement in sympatry. Female preference of pure lineage individuals is also exaggerated in sympatry, with hybrids showing intermediate traits and preference. I suggest that these patterns are most consistent with secondary reinforcement. I assessed levels of post-zygotic isolation between the Eastern and Interior lineages using a laboratory hybridization experiment. Hybrid tadpoles showed equal to or greater fitness than their pure lineage counterparts, but this may be countered through competition. More deformities and developmental anomalies in hybrid tadpoles further suggest post-zygotic isolation. Despite evidence for pre-mating isolation between the two lineages, isolation appears incomplete (i.e. hybridization is ongoing). I hypothesize that potentially less attractive hybrids may circumvent female choice by adopting satellite behaviour. Although mating tactics are related to body size, genetic status may play a role. I show that pure Eastern males almost always engage in calling, while hybrids adopt a satellite tactic. An absence of assortative mating, despite evidence of female preference, suggests successful satellite interception possibly facilitating introgression. / Thesis (Ph.D, Biology) -- Queen's University, 2013-03-04 16:01:33.892

Barriers to interbreeding limit gene flow between sister taxa, leading to reproductive isolation and the maintenance of distinct species. These barriers come in many forms, and can act at different stages in the reproductive process. Pre-copulatory barriers may be due to individuals discriminating against heterospecifics in mate choice decisions. These decisions may be informed through a range of sensory modalities. If a female is mated and inseminated, then there may be multiple postmating-prezygotic barriers that affect the success of heterospecific sperm in attaining fertilisations. Post-zygotic barriers can be very early acting, resulting in embryonic fatality, or may be later acting, affecting the fitness of hybrid offspring. In this thesis I investigate potential reproductive barriers between the interbreeding field crickets Gryllus bimaculatus and G. campestris. I find that females of both species show only weak preference for conspecific calling song, and may even respond phonotactically to songs typical of heterospecific males. Female G. bimaculatus are repeatable in their preferences and strength of response. G. bimaculatus females presented with synthetic songs prefer those with longer inter-pulse intervals, whereas G. campestris show no discrimination between these songs. Upon meeting, G. campestris females strongly discriminate against heterospecific males, behaving aggressively towards them. This is likely driven by females responding to close range species recognition cues, including chemoreception. The species differ in their cuticular hydrocarbon profiles, and females that are no longer able to use their antennae to receive chemosensory information reduced their aggressive behaviour towards heterospecific males. G. bimaculatus females will mate with heterospecific males, though less readily than to conspecifics. When sequentially mated to both conspecific and heterospecific males, these females will preferentially take up and store sperm from the conspecific male, and sperm from conspecific males is more likely to sire offspring than would be predicted from the proportion of sperm in storage. Eggs from inter-species mating pairs are less likely to begin embryogenesis, and are more likely to suffer developmental arrest during the early stages of embryogenesis. However hybrid embryos that survive to later stages of development have hatching success similar to that of pure-bred embryos. After mating, phonotaxis of G. bimaculatus females towards male songs follows a pattern of suppression and subsequent recovery, likely triggered through detection of seminal proteins transferred in the male ejaculate, or detection of mechanical filling of the spermatheca. This pattern of suppression and recovery of phonotaxis does not differ between females mated to conspecific or heterospecific males. Females that lay few or no eggs do not experience a refractory period.

"Distance" and Other Stories is a collection of four short stories and a novella that explore the themes of isolation and personal revelation. The dissertation opens with a preface which describes my background as a writer and the forces that shape my work, including science fiction, technology and the internet, cultural marginalization, and Joseph Campbell's hero's motif.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 26-29, 1992 / Town and Country Hotel and Convention Center, San Diego, California / This paper addresses a method to provide both secure and non-secure voice communications to a DS-1 network from a common keyset. In order to comply with both the electrical isolation requirements and the operational security issues regarding voice communications, an all-digital approach to the keyset was developed based upon the AD2101 DSP. Protocols that are handled by the keyset include: Multiple PTT modes, hot mike, telephone access, priority override, direct access, indirect access, paging, and monitor only. Special features that are addressed include: independent channel by channel assignment of access protocols, headset assignment, speaker assignment, and PTT assignment. Multiple microprocessors are used to implement the foregoing as well as down-loadable configurations, remote keyset control and monitoring, and composite audio outputs. Partitioning of the digital design provides RED to BLACK channel isolation and RED channel to AC power isolation of greater than 107 dB.

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Social isolation har på senare år ökat i Europa samtidigt som tilliten till statliga institutioner har sjunkit. Denna studie ämnar att undersöka om det finns ett samband mellan dessa två fenomen samt huruvida ett sådant potentiellt samband skiljer sig åt mellan tre olika välfärdsregimer. Fem europeiska länder ligger till grund för analyserna i detta arbete. Dessa länder är Sverige, Danmark, Tyskland, Frankrike samt Storbritannien vilka kategoriseras inom olika välfärdsstatsregimer beroende på hur den statliga välfärden är organiserad. Välfärdsregimerna utgörs av den konservativa, den liberala samt den socialdemokratiska välfärdsstatsregimen, vilka alla skiljer sig åt vad gäller välfärdens organisation och bredd. Det undersöks även om det finns skillnader i social isolation samt institutionell tillit dessa välfärdsregimer emellan. Detta undersöks med hjälp av det teoretiska ramverket som utgörs av Robert Putnams teori om socialt kapital samt Gösta Esping-Andersens teori om välfärdsstatsregimer. Utifrån dessa teorier, tidigare forskning och de resultat vilka presenteras i arbetets analysdel diskuteras välfärdens roll i att skapa skyddsnät för individer och så ge denne förutsättningar att inte hamna i social isolation. Studiens slutsatser är att social isolation har en påverkan på institutionell tillit men att den socialdemokratiska regimsfären verkar besitta karaktärsdrag vilket trubbar denna effekt.

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal.