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open access

An Entangled Pathology

Description: Thesis written by a student in the UNT Honors College discussing the history of healthcare in the Gaza Strip from 1940 to 2008, the role of healthcare in the development of Hamas, the current state of health systems in the Gaza Strip, and how the relationship between Hamas with the citizens of Gaza, Israel, and other countries have an effect on the healthcare of Gaza.
Date: Spring 2012
Creator: Vargas, Annalisa L.
Partner: UNT Honors College
open access

Fearful to Friendly (F2F): a Constructional Fear Treatment for Domestic Cats Using a Negative Reinforcement Shaping Procedure in a Home Setting

Description: Feral and fearful cats and kittens in animal shelters are not likely to be adopted as companion animals because they emit fearful or aggressive behaviors in the presence of humans. The purpose of the fearful to friendly (F2F) research was to investigate a shaping procedure to increase friendly behaviors of feral and fearful domestic cats and kittens with the goal of achieving animal shelters’ adoptability criteria. The results showed the F2F procedure was a safe and very effective procedure t… more
Date: August 2012
Creator: Rentfro, Angela Drake
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Untangling the Effects of Scheduled Exercise on Child Engagement, Stereotypy, and Challenging Behavior

Description: There is limited research pertaining to the effects of exercise on the behavior of children with autism. Previous researchers focused on exploring the dimensions of the exercise itself, leaving a functional account of the effects of exercise undetermined. There is recent evidence that exercise suppresses responses maintained by automatic reinforcement. The purpose of the present study was to better identify the relevant independent variable in such research and to assess if there were different… more
Date: August 2012
Creator: Currier, Thomas D. R.
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

What Are They Learning: a Study of Errors Produced During Behavior Acquisition Utilizing Two Prompting Procedures with a Cat

Description: Prompting methods are common amongst animal trainers, both novice and experts. However, there is little empirical evidence to demonstrate the strengths or weaknesses of common prompting procedures. The current study assessed the strengths and weaknesses during behavior acquisition of two prompting methods, luring and targeting. Luring placed an edible directly in front of the animal which guided the animal through the desired behavior. Targeting, however used a target, an arbitrary object t… more
Date: August 2012
Creator: Beasley, Robin Lynn
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Misinformation About the Misinformation Effect

Description: This study partially replicated the research of Cook, Kwak, Hoffman, & Loftus where they examined post-event activities that induces subjects to pick a wrong person in a forced choice identification procedure. The goal was to investigate if providing a neither option to a match to sample task increases the accuracy of responding. Subjects were asked to study three faces for 10 seconds, after which they were asked to pick out the faces in a forced choice setting where two other faces were presen… more
Date: August 2012
Creator: Halvorsen, Lars I.
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

The Effects of Increasing Rates of Reinforcement Through an Alternative Fluent Behavior on the Acquisition and Extinction of Behavior in Dogs

Description: The purpose of the present study was to experimentally investigate the effects of interspersing the opportunity to perform a fluent behavior during the acquisition of a new behavior. The experimenter trained left and right paw movements in domestic canines using a multiple treatment design. One paw movement was trained with a typical shaping procedure while the other was trained with an opportunity to perform a fluent behavior, touching the dog’s nose to a plastic disc, following each successi… more
Date: August 2012
Creator: Coulter, Laura E.
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Reducing Undesirable Behavior with Stimulus Control

Description: The present experiment investigated the application of Green and Swets (1966) signal-detection theory to undesirable behavior as a method of reducing unwanted behaviors using reinforcement and extinction. This experiment investigated the use of this stimulus control technique to reduce undesirable behaviors using a multiple-baseline design. Once the cue for a target behavior was established and maintained, the use of the verbal cue was reduced in frequency and the rate of unprompted undesirabl… more
Date: May 2012
Creator: Davison, Matthew Alan
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Monitoring and Increasing Goal Related Instruction and Engagement in Groups of Children with Autism

Description: A high rate of instructional engagement is important to maximize progress in early intensive behavioral interventions (EIBI). Teachers responsible for eliciting instructional engagement may need additional support to maintain high rates of engagement. Literature suggests that goal setting and feedback is effective in increasing performance. the purpose of this study was to evaluate whether goal setting and group feedback would increase engagement in instructional activities related to the child… more
Date: May 2012
Creator: Rossi, Kathleen Anne
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

An Analysis of the Correspondence Between the Measures Collected by an Autism Treatment Center and its Stated Mission Goals

Description: This study was a program evaluation for an autism treatment center for the period of April 2008 through August 2011. the study extended previous evaluations of the autism treatment center. the purpose of this evaluation was to determine the degree to which the center’s measures corresponded with its stated mission goals. a number of data sources were reviewed including client records of demographic and outcome information. Findings suggest the center maintained records that allow for the evalu… more
Date: May 2012
Creator: Kowalchuk, Holly M.
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

The Effects of Textual Fluency on the Rate of Acquisition and Application of Intraverbal Relations

Description: Intraverbal behavior governs core elements of academic and intellectual behavior. These intraverbal relations can be explicitly taught when an individual is prompted to provide an appropriate response with pictures, text, or other stimuli following a verbal stimulus. It is possible that a focus on fluency of the target repertoires may lead to more conclusive data. the current study assessed the effects of precision teaching based instruction for component textual repertoires on the acquisition … more
Date: May 2012
Creator: Shrontz, Rachael E.
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Improving Family-provider Relationships Through Cultural Training and Open-ended Client Interviews

Description: Behavior analysts form parent-professional relationships with families of many different backgrounds. the study evaluated the effectiveness of a training program to teach behavior analysts to utilize an open family interview format. the study was conducted at an autism treatment program. a pre-post treatment design with in vivo simulation probes before and after training was used to assess the effects of the workshop on the participants and parents’ verbal behavior. Results showed that rate … more
Date: May 2012
Creator: Thompson, Megan Jennifer
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

The Use of Conjugate Reinforcement in Autism Treatment Programs: a Demonstration and Discussion

Description: The effect of a reinforcer on behavior is largely determined by the schedule in which it is implemented. One type of reinforcement schedule that has not been explored extensively is conjugate reinforcement. Previous researchers have used conjugate schedules to evaluate a reinforcer's effects on behavior and as an assessment tool. However, none have explored how to effectively engineer conjugate schedules in applied settings. The current study explores the effectiveness of conjugate reinforcemen… more
Date: December 2012
Creator: Reetz, Stephany Kristina
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

A Schoolwide Tiered Intervention for Increasing Fruit and Vegetable Consumption

Description: Childhood obesity rates in the U.S. are increasing. Increasing intake of fruits and vegetables is one method to combat obesity. The purpose of this study was to examine a tiered approach to fruit and vegetable consumption with 26 children in an inclusive preschool. The first tier included ongoing availability and opportunity to eat fruits and vegetables (exposure). The second tier included programmed consequences (a reward system). A multiple baseline across children and classrooms was use… more
Date: December 2012
Creator: Mendoza, Blanca L.
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Does Family Quality of Life Change? Evaluation of a Group Parent-coaching Package

Description: Improving family quality of life is an important goal when working with families of children with autism. Researchers have attempted to measure changes by developing indices of quality such as affect, stress, and confidence. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a group parent-coaching program on measures aimed at addressing quality: a) parent confidence, stress and affect ratings; b) child affect ratings; c) the frequency of coordinated joint attention (CJA); and d) parent re… more
Date: December 2012
Creator: Wiles, Amber Marie
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Evaluating the Effects of Video Modeling on the Frequency of Staff Use of Socially Embedded Consequences

Description: Previous research reports that individuals working with children with autism can positively affect social behavior through the use of socially embedded consequences. There is no research on training teachers to use socially embedded consequences. The current study had three purposes: to evaluate the effects of video modeling on teachers' embedded consequences, to evaluate the addition of feedback to increase effectiveness, and to evaluate the effects of the teacher's use of socially embedded co… more
Date: August 2012
Creator: Yauger, Amy Elizabeth
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

The Effects of a Group Parent-coaching Package on the Behavior of Children with Autism and Their Parents

Description: Support for parents is an important part of treatment programs for children diagnosed with autism. Parent training programs have generally focused on prescribed goals in one-on-one training settings with measures directly related to the goals. Of interest here are the few studies that included collaborative goals, expanded measures, and group training. Benefits of such approaches include the establishment of natural communities of reinforcement and better understanding of the breadth of effects… more
Date: December 2012
Creator: Vaughn, Brittany M. L.
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Deciphering the details of RNA aminoglycoside interactions: from atomistic models to biotechnological applications

Description: A detailed study was done of the neomycin-B RNA aptamer for determining its selectivity and binding ability to both neomycin– and kanamycin-class aminoglycosides. A novel method to increase drug concentrations in cells for more efficiently killing is described. To test the method, a bacterial model system was adopted and several small RNA molecules interacting with aminoglycosides were cloned downstream of T7 RNA polymerase promoter in an expression vector. Then, the growth analysis of E. coli … more
Date: July 23, 2012
Creator: Ilgu, Muslum
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Cellulose and cellobiose: adventures of a wandering organic chemist in theoretical chemistry

Description: The energies arising from the rotation of free hydroxyl groups in the central glucose residue of a cellulose crystalline assembly, calculated using RHF, DFT, and FMO2/MP2 methods, will be presented. In addition, interactions of this central glucose residue with some of the surrounding residues (selected on the basis of the interaction strengths) are analyzed. The mechanism of acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of cellobiose, which is the repeating unit of cellulose. Energies corresponding to the differe… more
Date: April 3, 2012
Creator: Baluyut, John
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Feet on the potential energy surface, head in the pie clouds

Description: This work presents explorations of the potential energy surface of clusters of atoms and of the interactions between molecules. First, structures of small aluminum clusters are examined and classified as ground states, transition states, or higher-order saddle points. Subsequently, the focus shifts to dispersion-dominated π-π interactions when the potential energy surfaces of benzene, substituted benzene, and pyridine dimers are explored. Because DNA nucleotide bases can be thought of as substi… more
Date: July 12, 2012
Creator: Smith, Quentin
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Virtual tool mark generation for efficient striation analysis in forensic science

Description: In 2009, a National Academy of Sciences report called for investigation into the scienti#12;c basis behind tool mark comparisons (National Academy of Sciences, 2009). Answering this call, Chumbley et al. (2010) attempted to prove or disprove the hypothesis that tool marks are unique to a single tool. They developed a statistical algorithm that could, in most cases, discern matching and non-matching tool marks made at di#11;erent angles by sequentially numbered screwdriver tips. Moreover, in the… more
Date: November 16, 2012
Creator: Ekstrand, Laura
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Surfaces of Intermetallics: Quasicrystals and Beyond

Description: The goal of this work is to characterize surfaces of intermetallics, including quasicrystals. In this work, surface characterization is primarily focused on composition and structure using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) performed under ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) conditions.
Date: October 26, 2012
Creator: Yuen, Chad
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

An investigation of exploitation versus exploration in GBEA optimization of PORS 15 and 16 Problems

Description: It was hypothesized that the variations in time to solution are driven by the competing mechanisms of exploration and exploitation.This thesis explores this hypothesis by examining two contrasting problems that embody the hypothesized tradeoff between exploration and exploitation. Plus one recall store (PORS) is an optimization problem based on the idea of a simple calculator with four buttons: plus, one, store, and recall. Integer addition and store are classified as operations, and one and me… more
Date: May 8, 2012
Creator: Koch, Kaelynn
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Polarized {sup 3}He(e,e'n) Asymmetries in Three Orthogonal Measurements

Description: Asymmetry measurements were conducted in Jefferson Lab's experimental Hall A through electron scattering from a polarized {sup 3}He target in the quasi-elastic polarized-{sup 3}He(e,e'n) reaction. Measurements were made with the target polarized in the longitudinal direction with respect to the incoming electrons A_L, in a transverse direction that was orthogonal to the beam-line and parallel to the q-vector A_T, and in a vertical direction that was orthogonal to both the beam-line and the q-ve… more
Date: September 1, 2012
Creator: Long, Elena
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Increasing the efficiency of organic solar cells by photonic and electrostatic-field enhancements

Description: Organic photovoltaic (OPV) technology is an attractive solar-electric conversion paradigm due to the promise of low cost roll-to-roll production and amenability to flexible substrates. Power conversion efficiency (PCE) exceeding 7% has recently been achieved. OPV cells suffer from low charge carrier mobilities of polymers, leading to recombination losses, higher series resistances and lower fill-factors. Thus, it is imperative to develop fabrication methodologies that can enable efficient optic… more
Date: November 3, 2012
Creator: Nalwa, Kanwar
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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