Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impairments in social interaction and the presence of stereotypic behaviors or restricted interests. To explore possible consequences of an excitatory/inhibitory (E/I) imbalance on the visual system in ASD, we investigated spatial suppression in 16 children with ASD and 16 neurotypical comparison children from 6 - 12 years of age using a visual motion processing task during high-density electroencephalography (EEG) recording in order to derive the N1 event related potential (ERP). Consistent with prior behavioral research, neurotypical participants displayed spatial suppression in conditions of large, high-contrast sinusoidal gratings as indexed by delayed N1 response latency. As predicted, children with ASD displayed weakened surround suppression, i.e. shorter N1 response latency to large, high-contrast sinusoidal gratings. However, this study also unexpectedly revealed that children with ASD showed longer N1 latencies in response to small, high-contrast sinusoidal gratings as compared to neurotypical control children. Although there were no statistically significant differences between children with ASD and NT children for N1 peak amplitude, there was a strong negative correlation between N1 amplitude represented in absolute values for large, high-contrast sinusoidal gratings and hyper-responsiveness item mean scores on the Sensory Experiences Questionnaire for children with ASD, but not for NT children. As predicted, no significant differences were found within or between groups in the low-contrast experiment. Our results are indicative of weakened spatial suppression and deficits in contrast gain in children with ASD, suggestive of an underlying E/I imbalance in ASD.

No description available.

Li, Kin Fai. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 95-99). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i / Acknowledgement --- p.iv / Chapter 1 --- Introduction / Motivation --- p.1 / Chapter 2 --- Literature Review --- p.7 / Chapter 2.1 --- Introduction --- p.7 / Chapter 2.2 --- Dynamic Spectrum Access Networks --- p.8 / Chapter 2.3 --- Reliability --- p.10 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- Reliability in Wireless Networks --- p.10 / Chapter 2.3.2 --- Reliability in Wireline Networks --- p.11 / Chapter 2.4 --- Capacity Planning in Wireless Mesh Networks --- p.14 / Chapter 2.4.1 --- Interference Model --- p.14 / Chapter 2.4.2 --- Link Capacity Constraint --- p.15 / Chapter 2.4.3 --- Feasible Path --- p.16 / Chapter 2.4.4 --- Optimal Capacity Allocation in DSA Net- works and Wireless Mesh Networks --- p.16 / Chapter 2.5 --- Chapter Summary --- p.18 / Chapter 3 --- Lifetime Aware Routing without Backup --- p.19 / Chapter 3.1 --- Introduction --- p.19 / Chapter 3.2 --- System Model --- p.20 / Chapter 3.3 --- Lifetime Distribution of a Path without Backup Protection --- p.22 / Chapter 3.3.1 --- Exact Lifetime Distribution --- p.23 / Chapter 3.3.2 --- The Chain Approximation --- p.24 / Chapter 3.4 --- Route Selection without Backup Protection --- p.26 / Chapter 3.4.1 --- NP-Hardness of Finding Maximum Lifetime Path --- p.26 / Chapter 3.4.2 --- The Minimum Weight Algorithm --- p.28 / Chapter 3.4.3 --- Greedy Algorithm --- p.28 / Chapter 3.4.4 --- GACA - The Greedy Algorithm using the Chain Approximation --- p.32 / Chapter 3.5 --- Simulation Results --- p.33 / Chapter 3.5.1 --- Tightness of the Chain Approximation Bound for Vulnerable Area --- p.33 / Chapter 3.5.2 --- Comparison between Greedy and GACA using Guaranteed Lifetime --- p.36 / Chapter 3.5.3 --- Factors impacting the performance of GACA --- p.37 / Chapter 3.6 --- Chapter Summary --- p.43 / Chapter 4 --- Prolonging Path Lifetime with Backup Channel --- p.44 / Chapter 4.1 --- Introduction --- p.44 / Chapter 4.2 --- Non-Shared Backup Protection --- p.45 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- Lifetime of a Path with Non-Shared Backup --- p.45 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- Route Selection for paths with Non-Shared Backup --- p.46 / Chapter 4.3 --- Shared Backup Protection --- p.47 / Chapter 4.3.1 --- Sharing of Backup Capacity --- p.48 / Chapter 4.3.2 --- Lifetime of a Path with Shared Backup --- p.48 / Chapter 4.3.3 --- Route Selection for paths with Shared Backup --- p.50 / Chapter 4.4 --- Simulation Results --- p.50 / Chapter 4.4.1 --- Tightness of Failure Probability Upper Bound for Backup Protection --- p.51 / Chapter 4.4.2 --- Comparison between the Shared Backup and Non Shared Backup schemes --- p.53 / Chapter 4.5 --- Chapter Summary --- p.54 / Chapter 5 --- Finding Capacity-Feasible Routes --- p.55 / Chapter 5.1 --- Introduction --- p.55 / Chapter 5.2 --- Constructing an Edge graph --- p.56 / Chapter 5.3 --- Checking Capacity Feasibility under each Protec- tion Scheme --- p.58 / Chapter 5.3.1 --- No Backup Protection --- p.59 / Chapter 5.3.2 --- Non-Shared Backup Protection --- p.59 / Chapter 5.3.3 --- Shared Backup Protection --- p.60 / Chapter 5.4 --- Chapter Summary --- p.62 / Chapter 6 --- Performance Evaluations and Adaptive Protec- tion --- p.63 / Chapter 6.1 --- Introduction --- p.63 / Chapter 6.2 --- Tradeoffs between Route Selection Algorithms --- p.64 / Chapter 6.3 --- Adaptive Protection --- p.66 / Chapter 6.3.1 --- Route Selection for Adaptive Protection --- p.67 / Chapter 6.3.2 --- Finding a Capacity-Feasible Path for Adaptive Protection --- p.68 / Chapter 6.4 --- Comparison between No Protection and Adaptive Protection --- p.69 / Chapter 6.5 --- Chapter Summary --- p.71 / Chapter 7 --- Restoration Capacity Planning and Channel Assignment --- p.72 / Chapter 7.1 --- Introduction --- p.72 / Chapter 7.2 --- System Model --- p.74 / Chapter 7.2.1 --- Channel Assignment Model --- p.74 / Chapter 7.2.2 --- Presence of Primary Users --- p.75 / Chapter 7.2.3 --- Link Flow Rates --- p.76 / Chapter 7.2.4 --- Problem Formulation --- p.77 / Chapter 7.3 --- Simulation Results --- p.79 / Chapter 7.3.1 --- "Comparison between ""Shared Backup"" and “No Restore Plan"" using Guarantee Percentage and Reduced Capacity" --- p.80 / Chapter 7.3.2 --- Comparison using Traffic Demand Scaling Factor g and Guarantee Fraction p --- p.81 / Chapter 7.3.3 --- Comparison between Optimal Channel Assignment and Random Channel Assignment --- p.84 / Chapter 7.4 --- Chapter Summary --- p.86 / Chapter 8 --- Conclusion and Future Works --- p.87 / Chapter A --- Proof of Theorem (3.1) in Chapter3 --- p.90 / Chapter B --- Proof of Theorem (4.1) in Chapter4 --- p.92 / Bibliography --- p.95

Un changement de pH peut induire une modification des propriétés chimiques et physiques des molécules, par exemple leur interaction avec la lumière. La modélisation de tels phénomènes est complexe en raison de l’ensemble statistique des états de protonation microscopiques et de la nature quantique de la propriété étudiée. Dans cette thèse, nous présentons un protocole de calcul qui associe une méthode capable d'échantillonner à la fois ces micro-états et les changements structuraux à un pH donné, et un cadre traitant la partie pertinente de la macromolécule avec des traitements avancés de mécanique quantique et le reste du système avec la mécanique moléculaire classique. Nous rapportons également la validation de ce protocole sur le relativement petit peptide M et son application à la rhodopsine sensorielle d'Anabaena, une protéine microbienne. Nous avons pu révéler quels sont les acides aminés titrables responsables du spectre d'absorption dépendant du pH de cette biomolécule / A change in the pH can modify the chemical and physical properties of molecules such as the way they interact with light. Modeling such phenomena is complex, because of the statistical ensemble of microscopic protonation states and of the very quantum nature of the property of interest. In this thesis, we present a computational protocol which merges a method capable of sampling at the same time these microstates and the structural changes at a given pH, and a framework treating the relevant portion of the macromolecule with advanced quantum mechanics treatments and the rest of the system with classical molecular mechanics. We also report the validation of this protocol on the relatively small peptide M and its application to the anabaena sensory rhodopsin, a microbial protein. We have revealed which are the titratable amino-acids responsible for the pH-dependent absorption spectrum of this biomolecule

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) are characterized by difficulties in social interaction and communication. Recent studies within the social sciences have espoused a need to reconceptualize autism out of the domain of the intrapersonal and into the realm of the sociocultural. Semi-structured in-depth interviewing was used to examine the selfperceptions and experiences of twelve people who identified as on the autism spectrum. Social scientists have tended to grant the topic of autism to the domain of psychology; as a result autistic perception has been stigmatized resulting in the exclusion of autistic perspectives in knowledge production on the lived experiences of autistic actors. The first-hand accounts examined in this study lend support to the idea that symbolic interactionism provides a more nuanced framework for studying how autistic perception influences autistic experience in contrast to the functionalist-reductionist approach of cognitive psychology. From this perspective we can position autistic differences in disposition and interaction as socioculturally situated rather than as solely a result of individual cognitive impairment. The application of microsociological concepts to autistic perception and interaction has the potential to expand knowledge on both autistic experience and the social construction of normative order.

The purpose of this study was to investigate how special education teachers implement evidence-based practices for non-verbal communication skills of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study interviewed six early childhood special education teachers from preschools in the Southern California. According to the teacher interviews, joint attention deficits in children with ASD were overcome using visual aids, toys, and basic sign gestures. Peer tutoring, functional communication training and drawing were found to improve nonverbal communication skills. In addition, children with ASD regularly played with their typically developing peers. In conclusion, a co-teaching model can benefit children with ASD and also reduce the stigma typically developing children may have of their peers in special education classes. However, a larger sample size is needed so that findings from this research can be generalized to a larger population of special education teachers and children with ASD.

Nathan Phillip Stout

Approaches to the preparation of echinodithianic acid (5) from 2, 5-dicarbomethoxy-1, 4-dithiane (1) were not successful, due to the inability to carboxylate or carboalkoxylate 1 at carbons 2 and 5. Studies toward the synthesis of 5 utilizing methyl 2-acetamidoacrylate (8) have been investigated. The electrophilic addition of sulfur dichloride to 8 yielded bis-( 2-acetamido-2-carbo-methoxyvin- 1-yl) sulfide, while the addition of thiocyanogen chloride to 8 produced methyl 2-acetamido-J-thiocyanato-acrylate. As electrophilic additions of unsymmetrical dipolar reagents to methyl 2-acetamidoacrylate (8) are not reported in the literature, the addition of hydrogen bromide to 8 was studied to determine the orientation effect of the acetamido group. Methyl 2-acetamido-2-bromopropionate (69) was found to be the kinetically favored adduct, while under equilibrium conditions the Michael addition product, methyl 2-acetamido-3- bromopropionate (68), was favored. The rates of exchange of the acetyl (a) and the N-methyl (b) protons from the cis to the trans form of methyl N-acetylsarcosinate (72) were measured by a total NMR lineshape method and found to be the same within the limits of the experimental method. Thermodynamic activation parameters are reported, From these data it was concluded that the exchanges of each of the four types of protons (a, b, c, d) in 72 depend solely on hindered rotation about the amide C-N bond.

No description available.

Currently, very little information is available for an in-depth understanding of the molecular binding interactions with molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs). To address this issue MIPs that have high binding affinities for their template compounds were made so that the nature of these interactions could be elucidated using spectroscopic techniques. 12 functional MIPs were prepared using a series of azobenzene and anthracenyl derivatives as the templates. Affinities of these MIPs for the corresponding templates and analogues were determined by performing batch and competitive binding tests. It was found that extensively conjugated compounds that contain at least two OH groups, an electron-withdrawing substituent and have limited conformational freedom were effective templates. The most efficient MIP, M34, was prepared with 4-[(4-nitrophenyl)azo]-1,2-benzenediol (12). M34 exhibited high affinities for azobenzene derivatives of catechol, and bound those that did not contain non electron-withdrawing substituents more specifically. M34 did not lose affinity for 12 in the presence of analogues, and vice versa, in competitive binding tests. These observations suggested a distribution of different binding sites on M34. M34 bound substrates rapidly, which was attributed to its highly porous polymer matrix giving ready access to binding sites. Formation of the porous matrix was facilitated by the use of DMF as the porogen in the preparation of M34. DMF is not a conventional choice of porogen because use of such highly polar H-bonding solvents is thought to disrupt complexation between template and polymer precursors, which is required for the formation of binding sites. Significant changes in the wavenumbers and the intensities of absorption bands assigned to the catechol substructure of 12 were observed in the FT-Raman spectra of 12 bound to M34. These findings suggested that the catechol substructure was responsible for interactions of 12 with M34 that are critical to rebinding and imprinting. In-situ analyses of dithranol (8) being removed from and bound to its MIP, M23, were performed using ATR-IR spectroscopy. Only one band, assigned to the aromatic substructure of 8, was not obstructed by solvent bands in the spectra of unwashed M23 and washed M23 that was treated with the rebinding solution. The wavenumbers of the corresponding bands in the two spectra were significantly different. This observation suggested that there were differences in the vibrational characteristics of 8 bound to M23 under the two conditions. Evidence was found for H-bonding between OH groups of 8 and C=O group of methacrylic acid using transmission FT-IR spectroscopy. However, no evidence was found that showed significant interactions between 12 and 2-vinylpyridine. Methacrylic acid and 2-vinylpyridine were used as the functional monomers in the preparations of M23 and M34. The FT-IR spectra of mixtures of 12 and 4-vinylpyridine showed three new bands assigned to H-bonded OH stretches. These observations indicated that 4-vinylpyridine H-bonds with 12, and would be a more effective functional monomer than 2-vinylpyridine in the preparation of the MIPs for 12. Titration of 12 with 2-vinylpyridine was analysed by �H NMR spectroscopy. Only small changes to the signals of the corresponding compounds were observed. This lack of change was attributed to the use of d₇DMF, which would compete against 2-vinylpyridine for H-bonding interactions. The findings made using ATR-IR spectroscopy and FT-Raman were novel because previously reported data on bound templates obtained using the corresponding techniques did not show changes in the vibrational characteristics of templates as they bind to MIPs. This investigation has shown that rebinding and spectroscopic studies can provide information about the nature of the binding interactions in MIPs.