This research programme had three principal objectives. First, to assess the stability of the exercise heart rate-music tempo preference relationship and its relevance to a range of psychological outcomes. Second, to explore the influence of two personal factors (motivational orientation and dominant attentional style) in a naturalistic exercise-to-music setting. Third, to examine means by which to enhance the exercise experience above and below the ventilatory threshold. In Study 1, a mixed-methods approach was employed to capture responses to differing music tempo conditions across a range of exercise intensities. Results in Study 1 did not support a cubic relationship (Karageorghis et al., 2011) but rather a quadratic one, and there was a weak association between the optimal choice of music tempo and positive psychological outcomes. Music conditions reduced the number of associative thoughts by ~10% across all exercise intensities. Study 2 employed questionnaires with a large sample of female participants (n = 417) attending exercise-to-music classes. Results indicate that motivational orientation and attentional style (Association vs. Dissociation) influence responses to an exercise-to-music class. Study 3 examined the effects of external stimuli (music and video) on psychological variables at moderate and high exercise intensities. Findings served to demonstrate that manipulations of attentional focus can have a salient influence on affect and enjoyment even during high-intensity exercise. The contributions of the research programme include providing empirical evidence that attention can be manipulated during high-intensity exercise using theoretically-guided music selections, and music in combination with video footage, which enhance the exercise experience. Further, the research programme advances understanding of how motivational orientation and attentional style influence responses to music during exercise.

Illegal political activity has always been part of a democratic society. Despite this, not much is known about young people’s involvement in these political activities. Research portrays political influence attempts of this kind in different terms; as troublesome for the democratic political system, as expressions of conscious decisions vital for humanity’s future, and yet other times as illustrations of a coming-of-age rebellion. Overall there is a lack of collective knowledge on illegal political activity, and especially in adolescence – the age period when these political activities seem to peak. The aim of this dissertation is therefore to enhance knowledge of involvement in illegal political activity in adolescence. This dissertation addresses this task in four empirical studies. Results show that mostly boys engage politically with illegal political means. Adolescents involved are also interested in politics, believe in their own abilities to take part in political activities, have long-term political goals, and approve of violent political tactics. In addition, these activities also seem to associate with a challenge of authority. This could be seen in how political dissatisfaction was translated into illegal political activity, and in the way these activities seemed to be reactions to a non legitimized parental authority. Besides authority challenges, these activities are likely the result of important peer relations; influences from peers with experiences of illegal political activity seem to be a most probable answer to why adolescents adopt these political means. Taken together, the results of this dissertation show that adolescents involved in illegal political activity are well-equipped for political involvement, challenge authorities in most contexts of their lives, and are likely to adopt these political means from already involved peers.

Patterns of physiological electrical activity in the central nervous system (CNS) cause longlasting changes in gene expression that promote neuronal survival. These changes can be mediated by signalling pathways activated by Ca2+ influx through synaptic N-methyl DAspartate receptors (NMDARs). Identification and study of these, and other neuroprotective signalling pathways of the CNS, is invaluable; as this may one day lead to therapeutic strategies against the deleterious effects of CNS injury or degeneration. The data presented in this thesis focuses on activity-dependent neuroprotection and how it interacts with other signalling pathways to protect against apoptotic and oxidative insults. A previously unobserved role of activity-dependent neuroprotection in mediating the effects of the neuropeptide PACAP is demonstrated. By promoting cAMP/PKA signalling PACAP triggers neuronal firing activity, which is essential for the neuroprotective effects mediated by PACAP. This firing activity cooperates with direct signalling by PKA in promoting longlasting CREB-mediated gene expression. The molecular events associated with PACAP mediated stimulation of CRE-dependent gene expression are presented. Investigation of the control of neuronal antioxidant defences by neuronal activity, both on its own and in cooperation with astrocyte-derived support, was also investigated. Neuronal activity is demonstrated to strongly increase the capacity of the antioxidant glutathione (GSH) system, through a program of coordinated transcriptional events. The utilisation, biosynthesis and recycling of GSH is enhanced in neurons, leading to increased resistance against oxidative insults. Since several GSH pathway enzyme genes are regulated by the transcription factor Nrf2, the ability of CDDO-F3, a small molecule activator of Nrf2, to mimic the effect of firing activity on neuronal GSH levels was examined. CDDO-F3 sustains neuronal GSH levels and confers neuroprotection against oxidative insult. These actions are dependent on the presence of astrocytes; whereas Nrf2 mediated regulation of GSH pathway genes is essentially inactive in neurons. Neuronal activity and activation of the astrocytic Nrf2 pathway can cooperate, maintaining neuronal GSH levels and protecting neurons against strong oxidative insults. Collectively this work expands our knowledge as to the molecular mechanisms of activity-dependent neuroprotection, and how such signals may synergise with other protective pathways to promote neuronal health.

No description available.

Fysisk aktivitet, stress och psykosocial arbetsmiljö är viktiga faktorer på och utanför arbetsplatsen. Tidigare forskning har visat att fysisk aktivitet kan påverka den subjektiva stressupplevelsen. En arbetsmiljö präglad av höga krav, för lite kontroll och socialt stöd kan leda till negativa känslor och stress. Syftet med uppsatsen var att undersöka deltagarnas träningsgrad och dess betydelse för upplevelse av allmän stress och fysisk aktivitet. Psykosocial miljö undersöks och sätts i relation till stressupplevelse, anställningstid, ålder och träningsgrad genom multipla regressionsanalyser. Deltagare i undersökningen var 82 anställda, varav 54 kvinnor. Resultaten visade bland annat att träningsgrad har betydelse för den allmänna upplevelsen av stress och fysisk aktivitet. Slutsatsen att psykosocial arbetsmiljö, stress och fysisk aktivitet kan interagera med varandra är av värde att lyfta fram. Detta kan bidra till ökad medvetenhet för organisationer och vara ett hälsofrämjande verktyg för att minska negativt upplevd stress på och utanför arbetsplatsen.

Master of Science / Division of Biology / Rollie J. Clem / Caspases are a conserved family of cysteine proteases that play important roles in apoptosis and innate immunity as well as other cellular processes. Eleven caspase genes have been annotated in the mosquito Aedes aegypti. Amongst these, previous studies have demonstrated functional roles for AeDronc, CASPS7 and CASPS8 in the Ae. aegypti apoptosis pathway, while CASPS18 and CASPS19 have also been functionally characterized. A previous study from our research group showed that AeIAP1 has preferential binding for CASPS7 compared to CASPS8. In this study, it was confirmed that AeIAP1 has a higher capacity to inhibit CASPS7 than CASPS8. Furthermore, five of the remaining Ae. aegypti caspases, namely CASPS15, CASPS16, CASPS17, CASPS20 and CASPS21, were characterized. An attempt was made to classify these caspases as initiator or effector caspases, based on factors such as the length of their prodomain, sequence similarity to known Drosophila initiator and effector caspases, and their substrate specificity. The functions of these caspases in apoptosis was examined in the Ae. aegypti cell line Aag2, by using RNA interference to reduce their expression and test the effect on apoptosis. Recombinant CASPS16, 17, 20 and 21 were produced in bacteria and the abilities of these recombinant proteins to cleave different caspase substrates were examined. From the resulting data, it was concluded that CASPS17 and CASPS21 are likely to be effector caspases since they preferred a effector caspase substrate. When considering the prodomain length, CASPS17 has a short prodomain, but CASPS21 has a long prodomain, which is normally associated with initiator caspases. CASPS20 did not show preference for any specific substrate and has a short prodomain. Since it did not have a specific preference of substrate, it is likely to be an effector caspase based on prodomain length. CASPS16 showed a slightly higher preference for the initiator caspase substrate WEHD, and has a long prodomain. Based on these results, CASPS16 is likely an initiator caspase. To examine the potential roles of CASPS15, 16, 17, 20 and 21 in apoptosis, their expression in Aag2 cells was knocked down using RNA interference. Successful knockdown was verified by qRT-PCR. After silencing specific caspases, the cells were exposed to two different apoptotic stimuli, ultraviolet radiation (UV) or the RNA synthesis inhibitor actinomycin D (ActD). Following apoptotic treatment, apoptosis was measured by two methods; caspase activity was measured using an effector caspase substrate, and phosphatidyl serine exposure on the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane, which occurs in apoptotic cells, was measured by Annexin V staining and flow cytometry. In cells where CASPS15, 16, 17, 20 or 21 had been knocked down and the cells were then treated with UV or ActD, it was observed that effector caspase activity and Annexin V staining were both significantly lower than in UV- or ActD-treated cells that had received control double-stranded RNA. Together these results suggest that all of these caspases are involved in apoptosis in Aag2 cells. This study serves as a starting point for further research on Ae. aegypti caspases and their roles in specific cellular processes.

Gilles Deleuze once famously stated that Spinoza’s remark that ”we do not know beforehand what a body can do” should be read as a cri de guerre against a philosophical tradition that ever since antiquity has devalued the role of the body in the formation of knowledge. This paper further investigates the role of the body in Spinoza’s Ethics by examining what I shall call the becoming-active of the body. Commentators often interpret activity as pertaining to the formation of rational thought through the so-called ”common notions” in the Ethics. However, in doing so, they often neglect the central role played by the body in the process of becoming active. Thinking, for Spinoza, is always ”in the midst of things”, and as such it must be interpreted according to the basic affective relationality of the body. The act of thought; the activity of thinking, must be understood as an expression of a more fundamental activity of the body if we are to remain true to the implications of Spinoza’s monistic ontology. The goal of this paper, then, is to show how the becoming-active of the body is a necessary correlate to the activity of the soul in the Ethics. By demonstrating this, I will show in the concluding sections of my investigation, how the role played by the body and affectivity in Spinoza’s philosophy forces us to reconsider not only ethics, but the activity of thinking in general.

The aim of the thesis is to study the role of instruction in the interconnection of instruction-learning-development. The thesis consists of six empirical papers and a summing-up and perspectivizing introductory paper. Five of the empirical studies concern so called heart conferences, clinical diagnostic meetings, which at the time of my study, 1995-1996, were arranged as telemediated conferences between a sub-team of surgeons and radiologists in a university clinic, and a sub-team of cardiologists and radiologists in a regional hospital. The outcome of the coronary diagnostic work in the heart conferences was patient diagnoses and decided-upon treatment (surgery, balloon dilatation, or conservative treatment). The sixth empirical study, conducted in the autumn 2000, investigates the design and redesign of a central artifact used in the heart conference, ?the angio film,? produced in the angio lab. A recurrent theme in the empirical papers is whether artifacts might be instructive and, if so, in what ways. The introductory paper is a hybrid between an ordinary summing-up paper of the findings in the empirical studies, and a perspectivizing presentation of activity-theoretical approaches to instruction, learning and development, elaborating on three basic aspects (learning as a collaborative phenomenon, the instructiveness of artifacts, and the relation between learning and development on an individual level, but primarily on an activity level). In conclusion, my study outlines an approach to learning based on new perspectives on instruction. / Studier av läkares co-coaching av varandra som ett led i deras samarbete rörande kranskärlsdiagnostiskt arbete. Artefaktanvändning, lärande och versamhetsutveckling.

This thesis makes use of activity theory as a lens to explore how professionals learn. The study focuses initially on my professional understandings arising from the application of Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) to the eChina-UK project funded by HEFCE in the UK, an attempt to develop collaborative elearning projects in British and Chinese universities, and secondly on purposeful interviews with project staff about their professional learning in the project. The thesis begins by setting the scene for the project showing how it came about. The literature review explores CHAT and allied issues of Adult Education considering how adults may learn in both formal and informal contexts. It also contextualises the project by giving background on Higher Education, China and distance/e-learning. The research questions that it addresses are: 1. What roles do artefacts have in mediating collaborative working on elearning materials? 2. How do boundary crossers/brokers impact on a project of this type? 3. How do different cultural histories have an impact on the disposition that the ‘developers’ have to artefacts and materials? 4. What and how do the subjects of the activity systems learn? What role, if any, do artefacts play? What role, if any, do the brokers play in the learning? This practitioner case study makes use of a variety of data. The initial data consisted of field notes which were part of the project process. Theoretically driven hunches that surfaced from these data led to further purposeful data collection via interviews investigating the following: Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs), a materials design template and pilots; and boundary crossers. Also considered is the nature of the professional learning that occurred for eight core participants in the project. The thesis in addition explores the constructs of transfer, transformation and expansive learning. The study proposes a refinement of our understanding of these constructs. It also demonstrates how important and significant boundary objects are to successful international project work along with the boundary crossers who support the development of the artefacts. In addition, it shows how an engagement with transfer, transformation and expansive learning contributes to the professional development of the subjects in their respective activity systems.

Project briefing presented at the CNI Spring 2015 Membership Meeting, April 13-14, 2015, Seattle, WA / The University of Arizona (UA) Libraries has an evolving strategy to steward the scholarly record of the institution. As a key component of this strategy the Libraries have a leadership role in implementing UA Vitae, a mandated online faculty activity reporting system with initial focus on supporting the faculty evaluation process. In partnership with the Office of the Provost and Campus Computing, the Libraries contribute expertise in support of this campus initiative. Leveraging the data from this effort to capture a more holistic view of the scholarly record provides opportunities for the Libraries to partner on approaches to utilizing, stewarding, and exposing the scholarly record. This presentation will describe the University and the Library’s evolving strategies in regard to defining and stewarding the scholarly record, our experiences with the build-out of the faculty activity reporting system, and next steps in bringing together information and systems that are transforming our University.