The auditory thalamus or medial geniculate body (MGB) is the final brain structure for acoustic information processing prior to, and functioning in reciprocity with, auditory cortex. MGB neurons process and gate aspects of acoustic stimuli, functions which depend partly on GABAergic inhibition. To characterize these properties, the inhibitory neurotransmitters involved and how they may be altered in the aged MGB, specific aims sought to: 1) determine the presence of functional high affinity GABAA receptors (GABAARs) in the MGB, 2) determine whether GABAAR function is altered with age and 3) determine to what degree MGB neurons of awake young and aged rats display stimulus-specific adaptation (SSA). Inhibitory neurotransmission is essential for accurate coding of acoustic information in the central auditory system, but appears disrupted in the aged. The present study required the development of a slice preparation that permitted whole cell recordings from juvenile, young adult and aged rat MGB neurons. The presence of high affinity GABAARs and the impact of aging on synaptic and high affinity GABAAR function were examined. Low concentrations of gaboxadol (GABAAR agonist) activated a gabazine-sensitive (GABAAR antagonist) tonic current, providing support for the expression of functional high affinity GABAARs in the MGB. Activation of high affinity GABAARs expressed by MGB neurons decreased input resistance, hyperpolarized resting membrane potential, reduced evoked firing rates and induced a transition from tonic to burst firing mode. In aged MGB neurons there was a significant 50.4% reduction in GABAAR-mediated tonic Cl- current. Synaptic GABAAR inhibition appeared differentially affected by age in lemniscal and non-lemniscal auditory thalamus although gramicidin perforated patch-clamp recordings indicated neuronal Cl- homeostasis was unaltered with age. Anesthetized rodent MGB single units show SSA, during which the firing rate in response to repetitive stimuli decreases/adapts over time but low probability stimuli (i.e. novel) continue to elicit robust responses. To examine the presence of SSA in the MGB of awake rats, a multichannel single unit recording preparation was implemented. This approach involved implanting young and aged rats with an array of four individually-advanceable tetrodes in order to evaluate SSA by recording responses to a frequency oddball paradigm and a random/non-random frequency range paradigm. Single units in the MGB of awake FBN rats were found to display SSA, which was stronger in the non-lemniscal than lemniscal regions of the MGB. SSA was most dramatic at lower intensities where 27 of 57 (47%) young adult single units and 28 of 54 (52%) aged single units displayed SSA. However, there were no significant age-related differences in average magnitude or time course of SSA of MGB single units studied. Data from aims 1 and 2 provide the initial description of functional high affinity GABAARs in the rodent MGB and the plasticity of these receptors with age. These data suggest that GABAAR subtype-selective agonists or modulators could be used to augment MGB inhibitory neurotransmission, possibly improving speech understanding for a subset of elderly individuals. Findings from aim 3 were the first to show that SSA by MGB neurons is not dependent on arousal level nor on the anesthetized state, but is a common response in the MGB of awake rats. SSA did not appear to be overtly altered in the aged auditory thalamus of awake rats.

The present study utilized Microsoft Visual Basic 2008 to investigate the role of comparing high and low preferred education-based stimulus equivalence protocols for adults with developmental disabilities outside the educational system. First, participants were exposed to all educational categories and completed a paired choice preference assessment to identify high and low preferred protocols. Next, participants completed high and low preferred protocols following an alternating treatments design, with an initial pretest, training, posttest, and a test for an emergent topography (typing skills). Results showed evidence of higher preference through duration and errors per min measures for two of three participants, with results unclear for a third participant. Furthermore, one participant displayed all equivalence classes expected of the training protocol, while another demonstrated all emergent relations for the high preferred protocol but only one of six for the low preferred protocol, and the last participant exceeded criterion for four of six posttests for the high preferred protocol, and two of six for the low preferred protocol. The results are discussed in terms of measures for preferences, habilitation, modifications to training protocols, the study's limitations, and directions for future research.

Stimulus Pairing Observational Procedure (SPOP) is an incidental teaching type procedure that has shown success in teaching typically developing children to name, independent tacting in the absence of the verbal community following a history of listener and echoic responses. The purpose of the current study was to compare SPOP and matching to sample procedures to determine the rate of acquisition for correct tact and listener responding , the rate of off task be avior, and the rate of generalization to different settings, stimuli, and instructors. Results of the study indicate that correct responding occurred at higher rates during MTS procedures than SPOP. The average rate of off task behavior was higher during SPOP sessions than during pre test, MTS sessions, or generalization probes for each participant. The results of the generalization probe may indicate that SPOP produces correct responding that increases or maintains during generalization, while MTS procedures produced more variable results.

Due to changing age demographics in the United States, by 2050, an estimated 62.1 Americans will be over the age of 65 and the number of Americans with cognitive impairment, such as Alzheimer’s disease, will increase drastically as well (Alzheimer’s Association, 2014; Ortman, Velkoff, & Hogan, 2014). Once a diagnosis or behavioral indicators of cognitive impairment are present, it would be beneficial to apply a treatment package that promotes the maintenance or re-establishment of stimulus control in the environment. From a behavioral perspective, stimulus control aids in learning and memory through both respondent and operant conditioning. In the current study, stimulus equivalence training was completed and compared to cognitive and functional assessments scores with older adult participants with and without cognitive impairment as a systematic replication of Gallagher and Keenan (2009). Formation of equivalence relations after exposure to linear series (LS) training with 2 3-member stimulus classes across arbitrary, familiar, and stimuli from Gallagher and Keenan (2009) was compared via trials to criterion, accuracy per relation, and session length to scores on the Mini-Mental Status Exam (MMSE), Saint Louis University State Exam (SLUMS), and Barthel ADL Index. Several methodological changes were applied to a second study to examine the impact of increased programmed stimuli, training changes, and the use of one-to-many (OTM) and many-to-one (MTO) training structures with 3 3-member stimulus classes on equivalence formation. Composite performance scores were created for accuracy during LS, OTM, and MTO training. Non-parametric analyses were conducted between assessment and composite scores. The SLUMS and Barthel ADL Index were not correlated with any composite scores. However, MMSE scores and LS composite scores were correlated. The SLUMS was more sensitive to the detection of cognitive impairment as judged by classification and diagnoses. OTM and MTO composite scores also had a strong, positive correlation. Overall, more participants demonstrated higher levels of accurate responding during LS training than during OTM and MTO training. In contrast to previous research, only 25% of the sample demonstrated equivalence formation. Limitations and future research directions are discussed.

There currently exists limited published literature on methods for teaching complex verbal operants to individuals with autism. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the PEAK – E curriculum in teaching receptive metonymical tacts using stimulus equivalence training procedures to children with autism. The procedures described in the PEAK – E program 10P – Equivalence: Metonymical Tacts were replicated across three children diagnosed with autism using a multiple baseline experimental design. The results of the suggest that the procedures were effective in teaching receptive metonymical tacts, with all three participants achieving mastery criteria. The results support and extend on previous studies by providing an empirical demonstration of effective procedures to teach receptive metonymical tacts to children with autism. The current study adds to progress behavior analysis in the direction of a behavior analytic understanding of complex verbal behavior.

The present study evaluated the effectiveness of stimulus equivalence procedures using the instructional protocols from the PEAK-E curriculum to develop the emergence of cause and effect relational responding in two children with autism. The procedures were taken from the PEAK-E program Transitivity: Multiple Actions & Outcomes-9p to aid in clinical replication. This study utilized a multiple baseline design across participants to evaluate the functional relationship between cause and effect relations. The results suggested that direct training of an action (A) to an outcome (B) (A-B) and direct training of an outcome (B) with an action that is produced by the outcome (C) (B-C) was effective for both participants. Following A-B and B-C training, the participants demonstrated emergent relations and untrained action (A) to action (C) relations which are consistent with transitivity. The results demonstrate efficacy of stimulus equivalence procedures for training cause and effect skills as well as the PEAK-E curriculum

The present study investigates the language phenomenon of stimulus equivalence in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Stimulus equivalence is comprised of 3 main concepts: reflexivity, symmetry, and transitivity. Specifically, the researcher evaluated the ability to teach, test, and transfer sequential reflexivity across two participants. Two 4-year-old children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder participated in the study. Methods were derived from the program: Reflexivity: Pictures – 2A, along with a yes/no response modification to suite both of the participant’s current level of developmental skills. The results suggest that the PEAK-E curriculum was effective in training and testing both children to establish reflexivity across stimulus set one. In addition, both participants demonstrated a transfer of stimulus function to an untrained stimulus set two once the trained stimulus set one was mastered.

This study sought to evaluate the efficiency of the methods outlined in the Promoting the Emergence of Advanced Knowledge Relational Training System Equivalence Module (PEAK-E) utilizing a single-subject design. Three participants from a Midwest town were recruited to participate in the study and were assessed and validity, reliability, and efficacy were evaluated to determine the assessments ability to identify three language skills that weren’t currently present in their repertoire. Baseline levels determined that the 3 skills for each participant (a total of 9 skills across the 3 participants) were not currently present in their repertoire prior to implementation of PEAK-E programs, as the participants demonstrated low levels of correct responding. Upon completion of program implementation across all three participants with autism, mastery criteria was obtained for all directly trained skills, and relations were derived for 9 out of 9 programs.

abstract: Testing and calibration constitute a significant part of the overall manufacturing cost of microelectromechanical system (MEMS) devices. Developing a low-cost testing and calibration scheme applicable at the user side that ensures the continuous reliability and accuracy is a crucial need. The main purpose of testing is to eliminate defective devices and to verify the qualifications of a product is met. The calibration process for capacitive MEMS devices, for the most part, entails the determination of the mechanical sensitivity. In this work, a physical-stimulus-free built-in-self-test (BIST) integrated circuit (IC) design characterizing the sensitivity of capacitive MEMS accelerometers is presented. The BIST circuity can extract the amplitude and phase response of the acceleration sensor's mechanics under electrical excitation within 0.55% of error with respect to its mechanical sensitivity under the physical stimulus. Sensitivity characterization is performed using a low computation complexity multivariate linear regression model. The BIST circuitry maximizes the use of existing analog and mixed-signal readout signal chain and the host processor core, without the need for computationally expensive Fast Fourier Transform (FFT)-based approaches. The BIST IC is designed and fabricated using the 0.18-µm CMOS technology. The sensor analog front-end and BIST circuitry are integrated with a three-axis, low-g capacitive MEMS accelerometer in a single hermetically sealed package. The BIST circuitry occupies 0.3 mm2 with a total readout IC area of 1.0 mm2 and consumes 8.9 mW during self-test operation. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Electrical Engineering 2017

In this thesis were charted information and methodology about reaction time of horses on optical stimulus. As an optical stimulus was used vehement and unforseen movement by white board (500 x 500 mm) on which horses reacted very well. Reaction scanning was made by high-speed video camera MotionScope 9400, which was connected to a computer. In total was evaluated group of 35 horses. The average age was 5.8 years, the average reaction time on optical stimulus was 152 ms. In experiment was group of 14 thoroughbreds and 21 warmbloods. Group contained 4 stallions, 17 geldings and 14 mares. The largest group was represented by 5 years old (10 representatives). By the thoroughbreds was found out reaction time 154 ms, by the warmblood group 150 ms. Differences between breeds were not statistically significant. The lowest average reaction time was measured out by stallions (139 ms), then mares (149 ms) and the highest rate was by geldings (157 ms). The difference between reaction time of geldings and mares was not statistically significant. The lowest rate was measured out by the age group from 2 to 4 years old (142 ms), then group of 6 to 13 years old (156 ms). The highest rate had group of 5 years old (159 ms). The differences between age groups were not upholded as statistically significant. The correlation coefficient expressing relation between age of horses and reaction time on the optical stimulus was found out very low, that means that it is not statistically significant. In this thesis was proved, that as well as humans, horses react more quickly on acoustic stimulus than on optical stimulus.