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No / Recent research addressing the use of music to support the needs of people receiving treatment for drug addiction has led to the development and implementation of music-assisted therapeutic interventions. We hypothesized that two different music modalities combined with systematic desensitization can counter-condition drug-related cues and significantly reduce the associated craving responses. We further examined the effect of the two treatments on cognitive and psychopathological components of addiction. Twenty-four individuals experiencing drug addiction were randomly assigned to one of the three study groups, namely systematic desensitization (SD) combined with listening to New Age meditation music improvised live on Tibetan bowls (IMT), systematic desensitization combined with listening to relaxing New Age music recorded in individual MP3 devices (NIMT), or a control group that received no additional therapeutic intervention (CTR). Participants in the two treatment groups received six sessions in addition to their standard treatment during a period of three weeks. Evaluation took place at baseline, post-treatment and one month after the end of treatment. Results showed that IMT and NIMT combined with SD significantly reduced craving in response to external drug-conditioned cues, while IMT appeared to be slightly more effective than NIMT in altering permissive thoughts on drug and alcohol use, depression symptoms and everyday life craving reactivity. Further investigation as to the role of music-assisted systematic desensitization as a therapeutic intervention for drug addiction treatment is warranted. / Grant from Grundtvig Education and Culture Lifelong Learning Program (agreement contract number 2013-1-FR1-GRU11-50690).

This thesis investigates the cognitive processes and representations underlying human judgment in a multiple-cue judgment task. Several recent models as-sume that people have several qualitatively distinct and competing levels of knowledge representations (Ashby, Alfonso-Reese, Turken, & Waldron, 1998; Erickson & Kruschke, 1998; Nosofsky, Palmeri, & McKinley, 1994; Sloman, 1996). The most successful cognitive models in categorization and multiple-cue judgment are, respectively, exemplar-based models and cue abstraction models. The models are different in the computations and processes implied, but the structure of the task is similar. Study 1 investigated if the different theoretical conclusions in categorization and multiple-cue judgment derive from genuine differences in the processes, or are accidental to the different research methods. In Study 2, we expected learning in dyads to promote explicit cue abstraction as a consequence of verbalization (a social abstraction effect) and performance to improve due to the larger joint exemplar knowledge base (an exemplar pooling effect). In Study 3 we used the generalized model Sigma to illustrate how change in task environments (linear vs. nonlinear) can shape the knowledge representation that is used. We expected that people are not able to use cue ab-straction when judging objects with a non-linear structure between the visual cues (features) of the objects and the criterion, and therefore they are forced to use exemplar-based processes. Taken together, the results of these studies indicate that differences that characterize typical categorization and multiple-cue judgment tasks are conducive of qualitatively different cognitive processes, and that the task environment plays an important role for which cognitive processes are used in multiple cue judgments.

When designing websites or applications, being able to allocate visual attention to specific parts of an interface is important. One powerful tool that can be used for this is Gaze Cues, which is a social cue that makes use of gaze direction to allocate visual attention in the same direction. Gaze mechanisms such as gaze cues have been tested on virtual characters, also known as avatars, and show potential. This study aims to compare how gaze cues with avatars allocate visual attention compared to gaze cues with humans. An eye tracking case study with 30 participants was conducted, with gaze cues presented from either avatars or humans, measuring time to first fixations on a certain object. In combination with post-session interviews, results showed that there was no significant difference if the stimulus that presented the gaze cue was human or avatar. These results imply that avatars can make use of gaze cues as effectively as humans, to allocate visual attention in settings where they appear such as video games, animated series and/or animated movies. / Vid design av hemsidor och applikationer, är det viktigt att kunna dra visuell uppmärksamhet till specifika delar av ett gränssnitt. Blickar är ett kraftfullt verktyg som kan användas för att skapa en social signal som använder riktningen av blickar för att leda visuell uppmärksamhet i samma riktning. Olika blickmekanismer har testats på virtuella karaktärer, eller avatarer, och påvisar potential. Denna studie fokuserar på att jämföra hur blickar med avatarer drar visuell uppmärksamhet i jämförelse med mänskliga blickar. En eye tracking studie med 30 deltagare hölls, med blickar som presenterades av antingen avatarer eller människor, med tiden till första fixering på ett visst objekt som mått. I kombination med efterföljande intervjuer, visade resultaten att det inte fanns någon signifikant skillnad ifall stimulen som presenterade blickarna var människa eller avatar. Utifrån dessa resultat kan man se att avatarer kan utnyttja blickar lika effektivt som människor kan för att leda visuell uppmärksamhet i miljöer där de förekommer, såsom datorspel, animerade serier och/eller animerade filmer.

Theoretical background: Considerable progress has been made in illuminating the neural basis of the compulsive use patterns characterizing substance use disorders. It has been suggested to utilize these findings to alleviate the health burden associated with substance use. Objective: We address how neuroimaging research can provide these benefits. Methods: Based on neurobiological models of addiction, we highlight neuroimaging research elucidating neural predictors of relapse and how treatments modify these markers. Results: With the focus on cue reactivity, brain activity related to the motivational salience of drugs and automatized use behaviors can predict relapse. Cue reactivity changes with abstinence, and it remains to be determined whether such changes confer periods of critical relapse susceptibility. Conclusions: Several established and emerging interventions modulate brain activity associated with drug value. However, executive deficits in addiction may compromise interventions targeting control-related prefrontal brain areas. Lastly, it remains more difficult to change the brain responses mediating habitual behaviors. / Theoretischer Hintergrund: Es wurden beträchtliche Fortschritte im Verständnis der neuronalen Grundlagen der für Substanzkonsumstörungen charakteristischen kompulsiven Konsummuster erzielt. Diese Erkenntnisse könnten genutzt werden, um die mit dem Substanzkonsum verbundene gesundheitliche Belastung zu mindern. Fragestellung: Wir untersuchen, wie neurobiologische Forschung zu diesem Ziel beitragen kann. Methoden: Basierend auf neurobiologischen Modellen der Sucht beleuchten wir Arbeiten, die neuronale Prädiktoren von Rückfallen identifizieren und zeigen, wie Interventionen diese Marker verändern. Ergebnisse: Es zeigt sich, dass Cue Reactivität im Zusammenhang mit der motivationalen Bedeutung von Drogen und automatisiertem Konsumverhalten Rückfalle vorhersagen kann. Cue Reactivität verändert sich mit Abstinenz, und es bleibt zu klären, ob solche Veränderungen die Rückfallanfälligkeit beeinflussen. Schlussfolgerungen: Mehrere etablierte und neuere Interventionen modulieren Gehirnaktivität, die mit dem Anreizwert von Drogen assoziiert ist. Exekutivdefizite könnten die Wirkung von Interventionen beeinträchtigen, welche die Nutzung kontrollrelevanter präfrontaler Hirnareale erfordern. Schließlich ist es nach wie vor schwieriger Gehirnaktivität zu verändern, die habituelle Verhaltensweisen mediiert.

Cultured meat offers a sustainable alternative to traditional meat production, addressing critical environmental and ethical issues. A key aspect of this process is the large-scale proliferation of muscle satellite cells, which can further proliferate and form the primary component of cultured meat. However, ensuring efficient cell proliferation within bioreactors is a significant challenge. Without effective and robust cell proliferation, it would be impossible to meet the production demands of cultured meat. Moreover, 3D cell spheroids tend to form tightly packed structures. As these spheroids grow larger, the limited penetration of oxygen and nutrients can lead to the formation of necrotic cores or cause cells in the central layers to experience cell cycle arrest, resulting in either irreversible senescence or reversible quiescence. This adds complexity to maintaining stable cell growth. To address these challenges, different ECM components, specifically Matrigel and Collagen I, were introduced to alter matrix stiffness and growth factor concentrations. The goal was to address issues of reduced cell proliferation and cell cycle arrest. Results demonstrated that in the absence of ECM, 3D-cultured bovine muscle satellite cells spontaneously formed myospheres but exhibited cell cycle arrest and inhibited proliferation. These issues were reversed with the addition of ECM. Increasing ECM stiffness, particularly through higher concentrations of Matrigel and Collagen I, significantly enhanced cell spreading but had a complex effect on cell proliferation. While Matrigel promoted both cell spreading and proliferation, higher stiffness and growth factor levels were associated with reduced proliferation rates, indicating a trade-off between these processes. Notably, a stiffness of 1.5 Pa with 1.56 mg/ml Matrigel yielded the highest proliferation rate, suggesting this condition might be optimal for use in bioreactor systems. Additionally, increasing matrix stiffness using Collagen I also enhanced cell spreading, indicating that cell spreading is strongly influenced by ECM stiffness. Furthermore, Matrigel reduced the expression of quiescence and senescence markers, helping to maintain cells in a proliferative state. These findings underscore the importance of optimizing ECM properties to balance cell proliferation and structural organization in 3D cultures, providing a foundation for scaling up 3D culture systems in bioreactor settings—a critical step toward large-scale cultured meat production. / Thesis / Master of Applied Science (MASc)

Unsere Fähigkeit Erwartungen auszubilden über zukünftige Ereignisse oder die Ergebnisse unserer eigenen Handlungen ist von entscheidender Bedeutung für zielgerichtetes Verhalten. Obgleich diese Ansicht einer Reihe von einflussreichen theoretischen Strömungen in der kognitiven Psychologie zugrunde liegt, bleiben bislang wichtige Fragen dazu offen. Jüngere Ergebnisse aus neurophysiologischen und Bildgebungsstudien legen nahe, dass bewusste Ziele – ähnlich expliziter Erwartung – nicht mehr sind als ein Nebenprodukt von automatischen und unbewussten Aktivierungsmustern und keinen echten Einfluss auf Verhalten haben. Explizite subjektive Erwartung wird vielmals abgetan, weil sie kein zuverlässiges Maß „wahrer“ mentaler Prozesse darstelle, oder weil sie nicht notwendig sei, um Verhalten zu erklären. In der vorliegenden Arbeit beschäftige ich mich mit der Rolle expliziter subjektiver Erwartung und untersuche die folgenden Fragen: (1) Sind verbalisierte Vorhersagen ein valider Indikator für intern generierte Erwartungen? (2) Haben solche Erwartungen tatsächlich einen Einfluss auf Handlungsvorbereitung? (3) Worin besteht der Unterschied zwischen Erwartungen, die auf äußeren oder inneren Quellen beruhen? Die Ergebnisse aus drei Studien, die ich im Rahmen dieser Dissertation durchgeführt habe, belegen, dass verbalisierte Vorhersagen ein valider Indikator von subjektiver Erwartung sind. Subjektive Erwartung kann nicht als ein Nebenprodukt von Handlungsvorbereitung verstanden werden, sondern trägt zu dieser bei und spielt daher eine wichtige Rolle in der Handlungskontrolle. Selbstgenerierte Erwartung beeinflusst gegenüber Cue-induzierter Erwartung verstärkt frühe Aufmerksamkeits- und zentrale Entscheidungsprozesse. Selbstgenerierte Vorhersagen führen zu verstärkten Verhaltenseffekten, und zwar sowohl bei Stimuluserwartungen als auch bei Erwartungen bezüglich einer Aufgabe. Subjektive Erwartung ist demnach auch entscheidend für kognitive Kontrolle. / Our ability to form expectations about future events or the results of our own actions is crucial for efficient behavior. While this notion underlies a range of influential theoretical approaches in cognitive psychology, from reinforcement learning to ideo-motor theory, a number of open questions remain. Recent results from neurophysiological and brain imaging studies suggest that conscious intention – or explicit expectation – is nothing more than a by-product of automatic and unconscious activation patterns, without any real impact on behavior. Explicit subjective expectation has been dismissed by many researchers who regard it either an unreliable measure of “true” mental processes, or question its necessity in explaining behavior in general. In the current work, I focus on the role of explicit subjective expectation and attempt to answer the following questions: (1) Are verbalized predictions a valid indicator of internally generated expectations? (2) Do such expectations really affect action preparation? (3) What are the differences between expectations arising from external or internal sources? Results from the three studies conducted within the scope of this dissertation demonstrate that verbalized predictions are in fact a valid indicator of subjective expectation and are suitable for use in experimental paradigms. Also, subjective expectation cannot be described as a mere by-product of preparation, but instead feeds into preparation and therefore plays a role in action control. Self-generated expectation was shown to involve early attentional and central decision processes to a greater degree than cue-induced expectation. Consequently, self-generated predictions entailed greater behavioral effects not only for stimulus expectations, but also for expectations regarding a task set. Subjective expectation is therefore also elemental in cognitive control.

The evolution of nonreproductive castes is a defining characteristic of eusociality. The function and developmental regulation of the altruistic worker and soldier caste is the central element contributing to major advantages of eusociality over solitary animals. The soldier caste is the first evolved sterile caste in termites. Their primary function is believed to be colony defense. However, the function and development of termite soldiers remains largely unknown. Because of their apparent morphological adaptation for fighting and their limited behavior repertoire, our understanding of colony defense by termite soldiers is limited to their physical defense. In addition, we know little about the molecular mechanisms mediating soldier development. In Chapters 2 and 3 I discuss the role of the soldier caste under competition risk. By exposing the Eastern subterranean termite Reticulitermes flavipes to cues of a competitor termite species, I found that exposure to competitor cues reduced feeding, compromised growth and survival of R. flavipes workers. The presence of R. flavipes soldiers largely ameliorated these negative impacts. At the transcriptional level, R. flavipes soldiers can counteract the effects of competitor cues on worker head gene expression. This counteracting effect seems to be associated with genes in metabolism and immunity. These studies demonstrate that competition can affect a termite colony’s fitness by either competitors physically invading the colony and causing damage or cues from competitors inducing a stress response in termite colony members. More importantly, soldiers can contribute to colony fitness by physically engaging in combat, but also by enhancing colony members’ survival under competitor-cue exposure. In Chapter 4, I describe the molecular mechanism mediating soldier-caste differentiation. I cloned the full length cDNA sequence of the R. flavipes Methoprene-tolerance (Met) gene, a gene encoding a putative receptor for juvenile hormones. Using RNA interference, I studied the function of Met and found that this gene essentially mediates the JH-dependent soldier-caste differentiation in termites.