title: Comparing Wrong/Right with Right/Right Exemplars in Video Modelling to Teach Social Skills to Children with Autism

authors: Dekker, Anna Margaretha

subjects: autism

abstract: Research has shown that video modelling can improve social behaviours in children with ASD.  In addition, research in behaviour modelling training from the field of organisational psychology has shown that using a mix of positive and negative exemplars can assist in acquisition and generalisation of a skill.  The current study compared the use of one negative and one positive exemplar, with the use of two positive exemplars to determine which combination would result in faster acquisition and/or superior generalisation of a skill. No other studies have examined this with children diagnosed with ASD. Seven children, aged between 5 and 15 years, and diagnosed with ASD participated in a multiple baseline design across children; within child across two modelling conditions; and within each modelling condition across two tasks. In one condition, a participant watched a video containing one exemplar of a model (same sex and of similar age but with normal development) perform a task the wrong way, and one exemplar of the same model perform the same task the right way (wrong/right).  In another condition, the participant watched a video containing two different exemplars of the model perform a matched task the right way (right/right). During the intervention, 1 participant refused to watch the videos.  For 13 of the 16 tasks, where training was completed, participants either reached criterion or made some gains in acquisition of the social skills.  However, for seven of the tasks criterion was not reached.  Generally, neither modelling condition was superior in acquisition or generalisation of the targeted social skills.  Confounds occurring during the course of the study may have contributed to the equivocal results.  For some children with ASD, video modelling in combination with the delivery of preferred reinforcers may be required for successful skill acquisition.  Further implications, particularly the potential negative effects of vicarious reinforcement when an observer does not gain reinforcement for imitation are discussed, as are recommendations for future research.

text: Comparing Wrong/Right with Right/Right Exemplars in Video Modelling to Teach Social Skills to Children with Autism Research has shown that video modelling can improve social behaviours in children with ASD.  In addition, research in behaviour modelling training from the field of organisational psychology has shown that using a mix of positive and negative exemplars can assist in acquisition and generalisation of a skill.  The current study compared the use of one negative and one positive exemplar, with the use of two positive exemplars to determine which combination would result in faster acquisition and/or superior generalisation of a skill. No other studies have examined this with children diagnosed with ASD. Seven children, aged between 5 and 15 years, and diagnosed with ASD participated in a multiple baseline design across children; within child across two modelling conditions; and within each modelling condition across two tasks. In one condition, a participant watched a video containing one exemplar of a model (same sex and of similar age but with normal development) perform a task the wrong way, and one exemplar of the same model perform the same task the right way (wrong/right).  In another condition, the participant watched a video containing two different exemplars of the model perform a matched task the right way (right/right). During the intervention, 1 participant refused to watch the videos.  For 13 of the 16 tasks, where training was completed, participants either reached criterion or made some gains in acquisition of the social skills.  However, for seven of the tasks criterion was not reached.  Generally, neither modelling condition was superior in acquisition or generalisation of the targeted social skills.  Confounds occurring during the course of the study may have contributed to the equivocal results.  For some children with ASD, video modelling in combination with the delivery of preferred reinforcers may be required for successful skill acquisition.  Further implications, particularly the potential negative effects of vicarious reinforcement when an observer does not gain reinforcement for imitation are discussed, as are recommendations for future research.

year: 2008

title: Non-linear time domain model of electropermeabilization: Effect of extracellular conductivity and applied electric field parameters

authors: Talele, Sadhana

subjects: electroporation

abstract: This paper describes simulation results obtained from a previously reported numerical model for a single cell exposed to an arbitrary waveform electric field pulse. This paper concentrates on how the efficiency of electroporation related applications can be significantly improved by appropriately adjusting the parameters of applied electric field and conductivity of the external medium, σe. Emphasis is given here on the normalization of the degree of electroporation for a range of cell radii.
The simulated results indicate that it may be difficult for cells of substantially different sizes to be close to uniformly electroporated if surrounded by media with a conductivity higher than around 5*10⁻³ S/m for 100 kHz bipolar pulses, or 0.2 S/m for 1 MHz bipolar pulses. To achieve as normalized as possible electroporation for the radii/size variation required in any particular application, using a lower σe would be preferable. There is, however, a limit to how low the external conductivity can be made, as the applied electric field amplitude must stay within practical limits. Considering 3*10¹³ pores/m² as a nominal pore density N for approximately optimum electroporation, σe could be as low as 0.08 S/m for a 7.5 µm cell radius with a peak electric field of 1.2*10⁵V/m (depending on the pulse shape and frequency). For a 15 µm cell radius, σe could be as low as 0.05 S/m (depending on the pulse shape and frequency). It is seen that the relative difference of N between the two cell sizes investigated is consistently lower for a bipolar sine wave electric field compared to a bipolar square wave electric field, even though the square wave electric field peak amplitude is always lower for an equivalent N.

text: Non-linear time domain model of electropermeabilization: Effect of extracellular conductivity and applied electric field parameters This paper describes simulation results obtained from a previously reported numerical model for a single cell exposed to an arbitrary waveform electric field pulse. This paper concentrates on how the efficiency of electroporation related applications can be significantly improved by appropriately adjusting the parameters of applied electric field and conductivity of the external medium, σe. Emphasis is given here on the normalization of the degree of electroporation for a range of cell radii.
The simulated results indicate that it may be difficult for cells of substantially different sizes to be close to uniformly electroporated if surrounded by media with a conductivity higher than around 5*10⁻³ S/m for 100 kHz bipolar pulses, or 0.2 S/m for 1 MHz bipolar pulses. To achieve as normalized as possible electroporation for the radii/size variation required in any particular application, using a lower σe would be preferable. There is, however, a limit to how low the external conductivity can be made, as the applied electric field amplitude must stay within practical limits. Considering 3*10¹³ pores/m² as a nominal pore density N for approximately optimum electroporation, σe could be as low as 0.08 S/m for a 7.5 µm cell radius with a peak electric field of 1.2*10⁵V/m (depending on the pulse shape and frequency). For a 15 µm cell radius, σe could be as low as 0.05 S/m (depending on the pulse shape and frequency). It is seen that the relative difference of N between the two cell sizes investigated is consistently lower for a bipolar sine wave electric field compared to a bipolar square wave electric field, even though the square wave electric field peak amplitude is always lower for an equivalent N.

year: 2008

title: Huikau

authors: Maxwell, Te Kahautu

abstract: Huikau is dedicated to my life long mentor and educator Mrs Ema Rogers who imparted her knowledge of Te Haahi Ringatū and things Māori to me. She housed me for months while I reseearched my MA Thesis Te Kōpura. Mrs Rogers passed away in December 2012. This new composition was performed by Ōpōtiki Mai Tawhiti Kapa Haka at the Mātaatua Regional Kapa Haka Competition. This composition placed first in the Waiata Tira category.

text: Huikau Huikau is dedicated to my life long mentor and educator Mrs Ema Rogers who imparted her knowledge of Te Haahi Ringatū and things Māori to me. She housed me for months while I reseearched my MA Thesis Te Kōpura. Mrs Rogers passed away in December 2012. This new composition was performed by Ōpōtiki Mai Tawhiti Kapa Haka at the Mātaatua Regional Kapa Haka Competition. This composition placed first in the Waiata Tira category.

year: 2012