The thesis describes and reflects on a middle-manager’s experience of a market-led economic based restructuring project in a New Zealand public sector organisation. The thesis takes the form of an autoethnography, a reflexive account of the writer’s personal experience while acting in a professional capacity. The use of autoethnography as a research social science methodology has been subject to criticisms relating validity and relevance. However, the value of this methodology is the potential to ‘situate’ the reader inside the events, providing a rich understanding of the lived experience of the emergence of a restructured organisation. The thesis shows how a hierarchical organisation, celebrating the primacy of management and the financialization of all transactions, required middle-managers to put aside their professional / vocational commitments to work and enter into and endorse fealty / loyalty relationships with senior executives. It shows how both the language and silences of organisational change served to rationalise a new ‘ordering’ of the ‘moral mazes’ of the organisation that not only demanded commitment be demonstrated through loyalty, but also positioned middle-managers, who were rendered as insecure as their colleagues / team members, as the mediators / controllers of the restructure project. The thesis argues that the negative affect exhibited by team members involved in the restructuring project was a direct consequence of the intervention methodology and communication style deployed by senior management.

The dissertation is divided into two separate experiments that explore the effects of visual-spatial learning on PSD-95 dorsal hippocampal expression. Specifically, the aim of these studies was to explore the effect of learning an assay, the Hebb-Williams mazes, on the protein expression of PSD-95 in Fmr1 KO mice. PSD-95 is an important scaffolding protein hypothesized to be involved in learning and memory. In cellular models of Fragile X Syndrome it has been shown to be dysregulated but it has never been measured following behavioural learning. Establishment of a deficit using an ecologically valid behavioural assay could lead to the development of novel interventions. Study one employed a subset of the Hebb-Williams mazes of various levels of difficulty to evaluate PSD-95 protein expression in Fmrp intact and Fmr1 KO mice following learning. The results revealed significant increases in PSD-95 protein expression in control runners when compared to Fmr1 KO mice. There was a negative correlation between PSD-95 protein levels and mean total errors on the mazes meaning that as expression was increased, errors were decreased. The goals of study two were to reverse the molecular and behavioural deficits using pharmacological antagonist treatment shown to be effective in cellular models of Fragile X Syndrome. Fmr1 KO mice were treated with either saline or 20 mg/kg of a metabotropic glutamate receptor antagonist, 2-Methyl-6-(phenylethynyl) pyridine (MPEP). Relative to saline treated controls, drug treated Fmr1 KO mice made fewer errors on the same subset of Hebb-Williams mazes used in study one. Latency to complete these mazes did not differ between groups, indicating that MPEP treatment does not adversely affect motor functioning. Protein assessment revealed that PSD-95 was selectively rescued in MPEP treated mice and not saline controls. Similar to study one, a negative correlation between PSD-95 protein levels and mean total errors was observed. When taken together, these studies indicate that protein deficits are associated with a deficit of learning that can be reversed with a selective glutamate receptor antagonist. One of the strengths of the Hebb-Williams mazes is that performance is measurable without floor or ceiling effects, which plague other common behavioural assays. These data further suggest that pharmacological antagonist treatments may be promising in correcting the learning deficits in human Fragile X Syndrome patients.

This dissertation describes separate but related studies that explore visual spatial learning and memory in Fragile X Syndrome. Across all studies, either the performance of individuals affected by FXS and/or fmr1 KO mice was compared to comparison controls on seven H-W mazes of increasing difficulty levels. Study one employed the traditional configuration of the H-W mazes to evaluate performance variables that include latency to complete the maze and number of the errors. The results of study 1 revealed significant differences in performance for both FXS groups as compared to mental age-matched comparison individuals and wild type mice, respectively. In contrast to the FXS group, performance of the comparison group improved as indicated by significantly fewer errors across trials. A similar pattern of results was observed when latency across trials was analyzed. Taken together, the results of study one support the hypothesis that a selective deficit in spatial learning and memory characteristic of the FXS phenotype can be observed in the murine model of FXS, if equivalent tasks are employed in testing humans and mice. Study two expanded on these findings by adding landmarks to the maze environment to evaluate how these may impact spatial learning and memory in fmr1 KO mice. Contrary to our hypotheses, landmarks significantly impaired wild type control performance. In addition, results revealed that the performance of the fmr1 KO mice generally did not differ between landmark and non-landmark tasks, indicating that the presence of landmarks neither enhanced nor hindered mouse performance. Lastly, study three entailed a more in-depth behavior analysis of maze navigation performance for FXS individuals from study 1. Consistent with the hypotheses and findings from study 1, results revealed significant differences in performance variables between individuals, with FXS participants generally performing worse than the comparison group participants. Taken together, the results of study 3 generally supported the hypothesis that there was greater impairment in performance for individuals affected by FXS as compared to controls. This impairment was evident in the pattern of pathways taken to solve H-W mazes, consistent with the notion that affected individuals employed different behavioral strategies.

No description available.

Um modelo de indução de estresse/ansiedade é a separação materna. Sabe-se, a este respeito, que o desenvolvimento do comportamento emocional normal em mamíferos jovens depende da interação entre a mãe e o filhote. Além disso, eventos estressantes na infância e interrupções no cuidado materno podem levar a efeitos deletérios na resposta imune e na resistência a doenças ao longo da vida. Buscamos neste trabalho estudar os efeitos da separação materna sobre o comportamento, imunidade inata e crescimento tumoral de uma prole de camundongos machos adultos. Nossos resultados mostraram que a separação materna, em camundongos A/J, (1) não produziu alterações robustas no comportamento e em parâmetros hematológicos (antes e após o crescimento tumoral), (2) aumentou a atividade de neutrófilos sanguíneos e macrófagos alveolares (antes e após o crescimento tumoral), (3) aumentou os níveis estriatais de serotonina, seu metabólito 5-HIAA e o turnover de dopamina, (4) diminuiu os níveis séricos de corticosterona e (5) não influenciou a incidência tumoral. Em camundongos C57BL/6, a separação materna produziu um comportamento ansioso e um aumento na atividade de neutrófilos sanguíneos. Tomados em seu conjunto, parece-nos possível afirmar que a separação materna tenha produzido alterações na atividade neuroimune dos animais, modificando, nos mesmos a atividade do eixo HPA e essas alterações foram influenciadas pelas características individuais das linhagens. / Maternal separation is one model of stress/anxiety induction. We know about it that the mammals normal emotional behavior development depends on the interaction between mother and younglet. Beside this, early life stressed events can induce deletery effects in immune response and to illness resistance for all life long. In this work we searched for the maternal separation effects on the behavior, innate immunity and tumor growth in an adult male mice offspring. Our results showed that the maternal separation, in A/J mice (1) had no big effects in the behavior and in the hematological parameters (before and after the tumor growth), (2) increased the neutrophil and alveolar macrophages activity (before and after the tumor growth), (3) increased the serotonin striatum levels, the 5-HIAA metabolite and the dopamine turnover (4) decreased the corticosterone serum levels and (5) had no effects on tumor incidence. In the C57BL/6 mice, the maternal separation induced an anxiety behavior and increased the neutrophil activity. These results suggest that the maternal separation could have produced alterations in neuroimmune activity, modifying the HPA axis activity and these alterations could be influenced by individual strains characteristics.

Um modelo de indução de estresse/ansiedade é a separação materna. Sabe-se, a este respeito, que o desenvolvimento do comportamento emocional normal em mamíferos jovens depende da interação entre a mãe e o filhote. Além disso, eventos estressantes na infância e interrupções no cuidado materno podem levar a efeitos deletérios na resposta imune e na resistência a doenças ao longo da vida. Buscamos neste trabalho estudar os efeitos da separação materna sobre o comportamento, imunidade inata e crescimento tumoral de uma prole de camundongos machos adultos. Nossos resultados mostraram que a separação materna, em camundongos A/J, (1) não produziu alterações robustas no comportamento e em parâmetros hematológicos (antes e após o crescimento tumoral), (2) aumentou a atividade de neutrófilos sanguíneos e macrófagos alveolares (antes e após o crescimento tumoral), (3) aumentou os níveis estriatais de serotonina, seu metabólito 5-HIAA e o turnover de dopamina, (4) diminuiu os níveis séricos de corticosterona e (5) não influenciou a incidência tumoral. Em camundongos C57BL/6, a separação materna produziu um comportamento ansioso e um aumento na atividade de neutrófilos sanguíneos. Tomados em seu conjunto, parece-nos possível afirmar que a separação materna tenha produzido alterações na atividade neuroimune dos animais, modificando, nos mesmos a atividade do eixo HPA e essas alterações foram influenciadas pelas características individuais das linhagens. / Maternal separation is one model of stress/anxiety induction. We know about it that the mammals normal emotional behavior development depends on the interaction between mother and younglet. Beside this, early life stressed events can induce deletery effects in immune response and to illness resistance for all life long. In this work we searched for the maternal separation effects on the behavior, innate immunity and tumor growth in an adult male mice offspring. Our results showed that the maternal separation, in A/J mice (1) had no big effects in the behavior and in the hematological parameters (before and after the tumor growth), (2) increased the neutrophil and alveolar macrophages activity (before and after the tumor growth), (3) increased the serotonin striatum levels, the 5-HIAA metabolite and the dopamine turnover (4) decreased the corticosterone serum levels and (5) had no effects on tumor incidence. In the C57BL/6 mice, the maternal separation induced an anxiety behavior and increased the neutrophil activity. These results suggest that the maternal separation could have produced alterations in neuroimmune activity, modifying the HPA axis activity and these alterations could be influenced by individual strains characteristics.

This paper broods over a subject of automated generation of game levels in the Unity engine, namely the generation of mazes and generation of environment using L-systems. It also describes some of the major components and principles of the Unity engine. On the basis of these data have been created and described two automated generators of game levels as well as a 3D computer game that uses these generators.

Introdução: A depressão é um transtorno psiquiátrico cujas causas parecem envolver a exposição crônica a estressores. Sabe-se que o hipocampo dorsal (HD) tem participação no mecanismo de adaptação a estímulos aversivos contínuos, pois a facilitação da neurotransmissão serotonérgica nessa estrutura diminui o efeito de um estressor prévio. A principal fonte de inervação serotonérgica para o HD é o núcleo mediano da rafe (NMnR). Objetivo: O objetivo geral deste trabalho foi verificar se a integridade da via NMnR-HD é essencial para os efeitos antidepressivos do tratamento crônico com Imipramina em animas com lesão dos neurônios serotonérgicos do NMnR e submetidos ao estresse crônico repetido. Materias e Métodos: Foram utilizados ratos Wistar, machos, com sete semanas de vida. Estes animais foram submetidos à cirurgia estereotáxica para lesão (ou não - grupo controle) dos neurônios seronotérgicos do NMnR. Novamente foram subdivididos em grupos de acordo com o tratamento farmacológico que iriam receber cronicamente (Imipramina ou Salina). Todos os animais foram submetidos ao estresse de restrição crônico (7dias/duas horas por dia) ou agudo (episódio único de restrição. No oitavo dia os animais foram testados no Labirinto em cruz Elevado (LCE). Resultados: Quando submetidos ao estresse agudo, animais com o NMnR íntegro e tratados com Imipramina apresentaram uma maior porcentagem de tempo despendido nos braços abertos (%TA) e no número de entradas nos braços abertos (%FA), quando comparados com o controle. Ainda, quando submetidos ao estresse agudo e com NMnR lesionados quimicamente, observou-se uma maior exploração dos braços abertos (%TA e %FA) quando comparados com o grupo sem lesão. Em relação aos animais submetidos ao estresse crônico, tanto os animais com NMnR íntegro, quanto os com este núcleo lesionados, a Imipramina foi capaz de atenuar os efeitos do estresse, pois foi observado uma maior %TA e %FA quando comparados com os animais que receberam salina. A lesão do NMnR em animais submetidos ao estresse crônico e tratados com salina apresentaram uma diminuição tanto da %TA quanto da %FA, quando comparados com as animais tratados com salina e com NMnR íntegro. Discussão: Nossos resultados mostraram que a lesão dos neurônios serotonérgicos do NMnR não interferiu no comportamento dos animais no LCE quando submetidos a um episódio único de estresse, mas diminui a exploração dos braços abertos em animais submetidos ao estresse crônico. Este efeito, contudo, foi atenuado pela administração crônica de Imipramina. Conclusão: Estes resultados sugerem que a integridade da via NMnR-HD não é essencial para os efeitos antidepressivos da Imipramina no desenvolvimento da tolerância ao estresse repetido. / Introduction: Depression is a psychiatric disorder whose causes seem to involve chronic exposure to stressors. It is known that the dorsal hippocampus (DH) participates in the adaptation mechanism to aversive stimuli, once the facilitation of serotonergic neurotransmission in this structure reduces the effect of a stressor. The main source of serotonergic innervation to the HD is the median raphe nucleus (MRN). Aim: The aim of this study was to verify if the integrity of the MRN-HD pathway is essential for the antidepressant effects of chronic treatment with imipramine in animals with lesion on serotonergic neurons of MRN submitted to chronic and repeated stress. Materials and Methods: We used male Wistar rats, seven weeks old. The animals were submitted to stereotactic surgery for lesion (or not - control group) on MRN serotonergic neurons. Later, they were divided in groups according to the chronic drug treatment they would receive (Imipramine or Saline). All animals were subjected to chronic (7days/Two hours a day) or acute restraint stress (a single episode of restraint). On the eighth day the animals were tested in the Elevated Plus Maze (EPM). Results: When subjected to acute stress, animals with intact MRN and treated with imipramine showed a higher percentage of time spent in open arms (% TO) and the number of entries in open arms (% FO) when compared to control. Moreover, rats subjected to acute stress and chemically injured showed a greater exploration of open arms (% TO and % FO) when compared with the group without lesion. Imipramine was able to attenuate the effects of stress on animals subjected to chronic stress from both groups, with intact MRN and those with lesion. That was observed on a increase of % TO and % FO when compared with rats treated with saline. The injury on MNR in animals submitted to chronic stress decreased both %TO and % FO. Discussion: Our results showed that the lesion on serotonergic neurons of MNR dont interfere in the behavior of animals in the EPM when subjected to a single stress episode, but decreases the open arm exploration in rats exposed to chronic stress. This effect, however, was attenuated by chronic administration of imipramine. Conclusion: These results suggest that the integrity of the NMnR-HD pathway is not essential for the antidepressant effects Imipramine in the development of tolerance to repeated stress.

Background. Procedural Content Generation (PCG) in Video Games can be used as a tool for efficiently producing large varieties of new content using less manpower, making it ideal for smaller teams of developers who wants to compete with games made by larger teams. One particular facet of PCG is the generation of mazes. Designers that want their game to feature mazes also need to know how to evaluate their maze-complexity, in order to know which maze fits the difficulty curve best. Objectives. This project aims to investigate the difference in complexity between the maze generation algorithms recursive backtracker (RecBack), Prim’s algorithm (Prims), and recursive division (RecDiv), in terms completion time, when solved using a depth-first-search (DFS) algorithm. In order to understand which parameters affect completion time/complexity, investigate possible connections between completion time, and the distribution of branching paths, distribution of corridors, and length of the path traversed by DFS. Methods. The main methodology was an implementation in the form of a C# application, which randomly generated 100 mazes for each algorithm for five different maze grid resolutions (16x16, 32x32, 64x64, 128x128, 256x256). Each one of the generated mazes was solved using a DFS algorithm, whose traversed nodes, solving path, and completion time was recorded. Additionally, branch distribution and corridor distribution data was gathered for each generated maze. Results. The initial results showed that mazes generated by Prims algorithm had the lowest complexity (shortest completion time), the shortest solving path, the lowest amount of traversed nodes, and the lowest proportion of 2-branches, but the highest proportion of all other branch types. Additionally Prims had the highest proportion of 4-6 length paths, but the lowest proportion of 2 and 3 length paths. Later mazes generated by RecDiv had intermediate complexity, intermediate solving path, intermediate traversed nodes, intermediate proportion of all branch types, and the highest proportion of 2-length paths, but the lowest proportion of 4-6 length paths. Finally mazes generated by RecBack had opposite statistics from Prims: the highest complexity, the longest solving path, the highest amount of traversed nodes, the highest proportion of 2-branches, but lowest proportion of all other branch types, and the highest proportion of 3-length paths, but the lowest of 2-length paths. Conclusions. Prims algorithm had the lowest complexity, RecDiv intermediate complexity, and RecBack the highest complexity. Increased solving path length, traversed nodes, and increased proportions of 2-branches, seem to correlate with increased complexity. However the corridor distribution results are too small and diverse to identify a pattern affecting completion time. However the corridor distribution results are too diverse to make it possible to discern a pattern affecting completion time by just observing the data.

Introdução: A depressão é um transtorno psiquiátrico cujas causas parecem envolver a exposição crônica a estressores. Sabe-se que o hipocampo dorsal (HD) tem participação no mecanismo de adaptação a estímulos aversivos contínuos, pois a facilitação da neurotransmissão serotonérgica nessa estrutura diminui o efeito de um estressor prévio. A principal fonte de inervação serotonérgica para o HD é o núcleo mediano da rafe (NMnR). Objetivo: O objetivo geral deste trabalho foi verificar se a integridade da via NMnR-HD é essencial para os efeitos antidepressivos do tratamento crônico com Imipramina em animas com lesão dos neurônios serotonérgicos do NMnR e submetidos ao estresse crônico repetido. Materias e Métodos: Foram utilizados ratos Wistar, machos, com sete semanas de vida. Estes animais foram submetidos à cirurgia estereotáxica para lesão (ou não - grupo controle) dos neurônios seronotérgicos do NMnR. Novamente foram subdivididos em grupos de acordo com o tratamento farmacológico que iriam receber cronicamente (Imipramina ou Salina). Todos os animais foram submetidos ao estresse de restrição crônico (7dias/duas horas por dia) ou agudo (episódio único de restrição. No oitavo dia os animais foram testados no Labirinto em cruz Elevado (LCE). Resultados: Quando submetidos ao estresse agudo, animais com o NMnR íntegro e tratados com Imipramina apresentaram uma maior porcentagem de tempo despendido nos braços abertos (%TA) e no número de entradas nos braços abertos (%FA), quando comparados com o controle. Ainda, quando submetidos ao estresse agudo e com NMnR lesionados quimicamente, observou-se uma maior exploração dos braços abertos (%TA e %FA) quando comparados com o grupo sem lesão. Em relação aos animais submetidos ao estresse crônico, tanto os animais com NMnR íntegro, quanto os com este núcleo lesionados, a Imipramina foi capaz de atenuar os efeitos do estresse, pois foi observado uma maior %TA e %FA quando comparados com os animais que receberam salina. A lesão do NMnR em animais submetidos ao estresse crônico e tratados com salina apresentaram uma diminuição tanto da %TA quanto da %FA, quando comparados com as animais tratados com salina e com NMnR íntegro. Discussão: Nossos resultados mostraram que a lesão dos neurônios serotonérgicos do NMnR não interferiu no comportamento dos animais no LCE quando submetidos a um episódio único de estresse, mas diminui a exploração dos braços abertos em animais submetidos ao estresse crônico. Este efeito, contudo, foi atenuado pela administração crônica de Imipramina. Conclusão: Estes resultados sugerem que a integridade da via NMnR-HD não é essencial para os efeitos antidepressivos da Imipramina no desenvolvimento da tolerância ao estresse repetido. / Introduction: Depression is a psychiatric disorder whose causes seem to involve chronic exposure to stressors. It is known that the dorsal hippocampus (DH) participates in the adaptation mechanism to aversive stimuli, once the facilitation of serotonergic neurotransmission in this structure reduces the effect of a stressor. The main source of serotonergic innervation to the HD is the median raphe nucleus (MRN). Aim: The aim of this study was to verify if the integrity of the MRN-HD pathway is essential for the antidepressant effects of chronic treatment with imipramine in animals with lesion on serotonergic neurons of MRN submitted to chronic and repeated stress. Materials and Methods: We used male Wistar rats, seven weeks old. The animals were submitted to stereotactic surgery for lesion (or not - control group) on MRN serotonergic neurons. Later, they were divided in groups according to the chronic drug treatment they would receive (Imipramine or Saline). All animals were subjected to chronic (7days/Two hours a day) or acute restraint stress (a single episode of restraint). On the eighth day the animals were tested in the Elevated Plus Maze (EPM). Results: When subjected to acute stress, animals with intact MRN and treated with imipramine showed a higher percentage of time spent in open arms (% TO) and the number of entries in open arms (% FO) when compared to control. Moreover, rats subjected to acute stress and chemically injured showed a greater exploration of open arms (% TO and % FO) when compared with the group without lesion. Imipramine was able to attenuate the effects of stress on animals subjected to chronic stress from both groups, with intact MRN and those with lesion. That was observed on a increase of % TO and % FO when compared with rats treated with saline. The injury on MNR in animals submitted to chronic stress decreased both %TO and % FO. Discussion: Our results showed that the lesion on serotonergic neurons of MNR dont interfere in the behavior of animals in the EPM when subjected to a single stress episode, but decreases the open arm exploration in rats exposed to chronic stress. This effect, however, was attenuated by chronic administration of imipramine. Conclusion: These results suggest that the integrity of the NMnR-HD pathway is not essential for the antidepressant effects Imipramine in the development of tolerance to repeated stress.