The environmental uncertainty of federal politics and acquisition outsourcing in competitive markets requires an adaptive decision-analysis structure. Practitioners oriented toward exclusively static methods face severe challenges in understanding qualitative aspects of organizational governance. The purpose of this grounded theory study was to examine and understand behavioral relationship attributes within intuitive, choice, judgment, or preference decision-making processes. The problem addressed in this study was the detrimental effects of organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), compulsory citizenship behavior (CCB), and social exchange theory (SET) on the acquisition management relationship The OCB, CCB, SET dictates that sound business development, relationship acumen, emotional intelligence and perceptiveness transcend pure numerical quantification. Exhibition of relationship-based attributes influence and drive long-term contractual relationships and the sustainability of business organizations. The data collected included historical data and survey responses. Approximately 34,000 acquisition professionals comprised the population-sampling frame. The study sample consisted of 378 survey responses that yielded 294 qualifying respondents with 94 disqualifications that produced a 78% response rate. The Carnegie-Mellon behavioral survey guidelines underpinned questionnaire construction and affirmation of themes. Strauss and Corbin grounded theory and theme generation addressed behavioral decision making under the additive model that inform the development of an organizational social operations and business framework that accounts for intuitive judgment. The study may contribute to positive social change by orienting managers toward behavioral decision making, ensuring responsiveness to the public and federal governance

Preference for one stimulus context over another and resistance to disruption within those contexts are a function of the conditions of reinforcement arranged within those contexts. According to behavioral momentum theory, these measures are converging expressions of the concept of response strength. Most studies have found that preference in concurrent chains and resistance to change are greater in contexts presenting higher rates or larger magnitudes of reinforcement. The present series of experiments attempted to extend behavioral momentum theory by examining whether differences in reinforcer type affect relative response strength with rats lever pressing for different types of food. In Experiment 1 of Chapter 2, several nonuniform disrupter types were examined that provided free access to a food type that was the same as one reinforcer type. Responding decreased more in the context presenting the same type of reinforcer as the disrupter, suggesting that many traditional disrupters (e.g., satiation) are inappropriate for examining how reinforcer type impacts response strength. Therefore, extinction was used throughout the remainder of the experiments to more uniformly disrupt responding across contexts. In Experiment 2 of Chapter 2, resistance to extinction was assessed when food pellets and a sucrose solution maintained responding across contexts. Moreover, relative reinforcer type was manipulated by changing the sucrose concentration across conditions. Relative response rates were systematically affected by changing sucrose concentration, but relative resistance to extinction was not. In Experiment 3 of Chapter 2, qualitative difference between reinforcers was enhanced and preference also was assessed to provide a converging measure of response strength. Preference and relative response rates were systematically affected, but relative resistance to extinction again was not. Finally, in Chapter 3, relative reinforcer rate and type were manipulated while assessing preference and resistance to extinction using the matching law. Preference, but not resistance to extinction, consistently was affected by changes in reinforcer rate and type. Systematic deviations in sensitivity and bias, however, suggested that different reinforcer types interacted with reinforcer rate. Overall, these findings suggest that the overall context of reinforcement, including interactions between different reinforcer types, should be considered when assessing preference and relative resistance to change.

Inbreeding can have profound negative effects on individuals by reducing fertility and viability. In populations, inbreeding depression can reduce growth rates and increases extinction risk. The aims of this thesis are to investigate inbreeding depression in male guppies (Poecilia reticulata) and to study the evolution of mechanisms for inbreeding avoidance in females, using guppies from a feral population in Queensland, Australia. Male guppies are highly polymorphic in their sexual ornamentation, indeed they show one of the most extreme polymorphisms observed in nature. Female guppies exhibit complex mate choice based on preferences for ornamentation, as well as social context. I aim is to examine how these factors of inbreeding avoidance alter sexual selection. In male guppies I found strong inbreeding depression in male sperm numbers, which is amplified under semi-natural compared to laboratory conditions (Chapter 2). Moreover, inbreeding depression results in low fertility under sperm competition: an experiment using artificial insemination techniques reveals that highly inbred males are heavily disadvantaged in gaining paternity (Chapter 3). On population level, inbreeding depression is manifest in reduced growth rates, predominantly in the early stages of inbreeding (Chapter 4). Population growth at inbreeding coefficients f=0.375-0.59 did not seem to lead to inbreeding depression, whereas lower levels of inbreeding reduced population growth. Although the growth rates in inbred populations appear normal, severe inbreeding depression is uncovered after outbred immigrants are added. Specifically, male immigrants are most efficient in short-term genetic rescue, probably due to insemination of large numbers of females whereas females are limited in the number of eggs they can produce (Chapter 4). Male ornamental traits show significant inbreeding depression in semi-natural conditions only (Chapters 2 & 3). Inbreeding avoidance mechanisms seem to have evolved in females: they prefer courtship displays of non-inbred males (Chapter 2), unfamiliar males (Chapter 5) and males with rare patterns (Chapter 6). This preference might increase the mating success of immigrants, and may have evolved to facilitate the avoidance of inbreeding. Together with context-independent preferences for ornament combinations (Chapter 6), it also offers an explanation for the maintenance of polymorphism in this species.

金融自由化，係不可抗拒的時代潮流，是一個無法避免的過程，也是政府多年來追求的政策目標，其主要的動機，是藉著市場機能代替政府的管制，加速改善金融機構之經營體質，提高經營效率，發揮銀行業應有之仲介功能，進而增進資金有效分配與經濟的穩定成長。 銀行部門的風險， 對日後金融檢查構成重要的挑戰。 由 S-C-P的分析中，確實在銀行產業，存著相互的關係。尤其是金融自由化、國際化，銀行主管者有更大的 權衡行為，這種行為可以透過組織中的制度設計，消除經理人的費用偏好與風險規避的誘因，以成立「費用中心」對於各部門的費用進行考核，再利用分紅持股方式，消除經理人支出偏好的行為。其次，本國銀行的利潤明顯受到「利率變動」的影響，本國銀行應設法降低利率的風險，其途徑： (1) 業務多元化：以減輕對中小企業或消費性放款的依賴，應另闢財源， 如：增加證券、金融商品的創新，開發低利資金來源（如 NOW 帳戶，公債存款），以減低成本。 (2) 建立風險檢控制度，成立「利率預測」及「資產負債管理」等專責組織的機構，以掌握未來金融環境的脈動與擬定因應策略。 銀行管理者在決策「市場佔有率」的多寡與分行家數有顯著之關係而與利潤率無明顯相關，本研究重點在於銀行間的差異，而非銀行內的差異，可以推論：急於擴張新分行據點或海外分支機構，其結果與獲利性無關。管理者經營目標非以短期利潤最大為考量。可能因為公營銀行很少關心其競爭者的存在，不太考慮其競爭者究將採取何種相對的行動。有時雖知悉其競爭者所採取的行動與決策，除非是有重大事件，不然公營銀行不會考慮猜測適當的反應行動以採取應付或抵制的方式。 由 於公營銀行 (1): 規模、資產都很大，組織頗為複雜， 參與決策者人員很多，花費相當的時間，因此，除非市場競爭者之行為，確實會嚴重影響到市場，（包括市場佔有率及利率價格），銀行不會有什麼猜測反應。(2): 業務管理上， 已形成一定規程， 都不願因競爭者行動而反應，破壞其管理程序。 (3): 最高決策與管理者，希望過安定而恬適生活，不願多事， 蓋恐風險太大，得不償失。 所以從 S-P （結構－績效假說）， 市場結構會影響銀行長期獲利能力，具有獨占力之銀行，會以損失風險最小作代價，有系統降低風險。在承貸放款時，其大多持有風險性資產較小，只針對安全性高，有充足抵押品放款貸放。

台灣證券交易所每季會挑選並公告可為權證標的的股票，證券商再從中選取想要發行的股票標的，這些被選為標的的股票被發行權證的次數存在明顯的差異。證券商在發行時掌握了許多優勢，除了可以挑選標的之外，權證契約的內容大多也都由證券商決定，這些權證的契約內容勢必會依據標的股票特性的不同而有所差異。在本文中我們將找出會影響證券商選擇標的的因素。另外，我們也試圖找出權證契約與標的股票的特性的關聯性並且討論避險成本課稅問題解決後，對證券商發行權證的影響。 我們發現證券商偏好以近期受到較多市場關注、具有投資人市場偏好、有較高波動度以及有較好流動性的股票作為權證的標的。我們也發現不同標的特性的股票權證契約特性也會不同，受到市場較多關注、流動性較高的標的股票以及重設型、歐式的權證的溢價比例會較高，也發現標的股票的波動性越高，權證的存續期間會較低、標的股票的市值比例越高，權證的行使比例會越低、標的股票的波動性越高，證券商則傾向以重設型以及美式的形式發行權證。近幾年權證檔數的激增與避險成本課稅問題的解決也存在著緊密的關係。 最後，以避險成本課稅問題的時間點來觀察權證市場前後期的改變，則發現下列幾種現象的差異。第一、單一股票於一季之內被發行的次數增加，第二、權證的溢價比例上升，第三、權證的行使比例與存續期間下降，第四、單一權證的發行量降低。這些現象則顯示證券商發行權證模式的改變，在避險成本課稅問題解決後，證券商發行權證的模式類似於石油輸出國家組織控制石油供給量，透過降低每檔權證的發行量來增加議價的籌碼。 / Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE) selects and announces the stocks for issuing warrants quarterly. Brokers can pick up suitable underlying assets for issue warrants. We observed, however, that the frequency for underlying stocks for issuing warrants were different. We know that the broker has many advantages on issuing warrants likes selecting underlying stocks and setting covenants as well. The covenants will be set base on the stock’s characters. We tried to find key factors for brokers for issuing warrants. Besides, after the deregulation on hedge cost, we elaborate the relationship between warrants and underlying assets. We found brokers prefer to issue the warrant whose underlying asset with good liquidity, market frenzy and high volatility. Besides, we also noticed that the warrant’s characters will be different base on their underlying assets. The premium is higher for stocks with market frenzy, high liquidity and European warrant. Underlying assets with high volatility will attribute low duration. Stock with high market capitalization will make exercise ratio lower. Brokers intend to issue Reset and American warrants for underlying asset with high volatility. The surge of warrant issuing attributed to relax on hedging tax. Last, we showed the warrant market different after the relaxing restrictions of hedge cost as follows. First, the frequency of issuing warrant with same underlying asset increases. Secondly, the premium for issuing warrant rises. Thirdly, exercise ratio and duration declines. Fourthly, the volume for single issue is lower. These phenomenon shows that brokers try to increase their bargain power by controlling the warrant volume. This model likes Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to control the petrol price by depressing the supply.

Inbreeding can have profound negative effects on individuals by reducing fertility and viability. In populations, inbreeding depression can reduce growth rates and increases extinction risk. The aims of this thesis are to investigate inbreeding depression in male guppies (Poecilia reticulata) and to study the evolution of mechanisms for inbreeding avoidance in females, using guppies from a feral population in Queensland, Australia. Male guppies are highly polymorphic in their sexual ornamentation, indeed they show one of the most extreme polymorphisms observed in nature. Female guppies exhibit complex mate choice based on preferences for ornamentation, as well as social context. I aim is to examine how these factors of inbreeding avoidance alter sexual selection. In male guppies I found strong inbreeding depression in male sperm numbers, which is amplified under semi-natural compared to laboratory conditions (Chapter 2). Moreover, inbreeding depression results in low fertility under sperm competition: an experiment using artificial insemination techniques reveals that highly inbred males are heavily disadvantaged in gaining paternity (Chapter 3). On population level, inbreeding depression is manifest in reduced growth rates, predominantly in the early stages of inbreeding (Chapter 4). Population growth at inbreeding coefficients f=0.375-0.59 did not seem to lead to inbreeding depression, whereas lower levels of inbreeding reduced population growth. Although the growth rates in inbred populations appear normal, severe inbreeding depression is uncovered after outbred immigrants are added. Specifically, male immigrants are most efficient in short-term genetic rescue, probably due to insemination of large numbers of females whereas females are limited in the number of eggs they can produce (Chapter 4). Male ornamental traits show significant inbreeding depression in semi-natural conditions only (Chapters 2 & 3). Inbreeding avoidance mechanisms seem to have evolved in females: they prefer courtship displays of non-inbred males (Chapter 2), unfamiliar males (Chapter 5) and males with rare patterns (Chapter 6). This preference might increase the mating success of immigrants, and may have evolved to facilitate the avoidance of inbreeding. Together with context-independent preferences for ornament combinations (Chapter 6), it also offers an explanation for the maintenance of polymorphism in this species.

<p>The thesis consists of a summary and four papers, concerned with food consumption, behavior associated with overconsumption of food and analysis of the economic policy reforms designed to improve health.</p><p>Paper [I] estimates a hedonic price model on breakfast cereal, crisp bread and potato product data. The purpose is to examine the marginal implicit prices for food characteristics associated with health. A trade-off exists between health and taste. For instance, sugar, salt and fat are tasty but can be unhealthy if overconsumed; whereas fiber is unhealthy if underconsumed. If the marginal implicit price for sugar is negative, consumers value health over its taste. Our results are the marginal implicit price for sugar is negative for breakfast cereals and crisp bread—consumers value health over the taste of sugar. For salt, we find the opposite—a positive marginal implicit price, suggesting people value its taste over health. For fat, we find a negative marginal implicit price of fat in breakfast cereals and potato products containing salt, whereas we find a positive marginal implicit price of fat in hard bread and potato products that contain no salt. For the one healthy characteristic, fiber, we find a negative marginal implicit price in breakfast cereals and a positive implicit price in hard bread.</p><p>Paper [II] uses a general equilibrium model to derive the optimal policy if people overconsume unhealthy food due to self-control problems. Individuals lacking self-control have a preference for immediate gratification, at the expense of future health. We show the optimal policy to help individuals with self-control problems to behave rationally is a combination of subsidies for the health capital stock and the physical capital stock.</p><p>Paper [III] estimates a demand system for grain consumption based on household panel data and detailed product characteristics, and simulate the effect on grain consumption of economic policy reforms designed to encourage a healthier grain diet. Our results imply it is more cost-efficient to subsidize the fiber content than to subsidize products rich in fiber given the goal to increase the fiber intake of the average Swedish household. Our results also imply subsidies alone give rise to an increase in fiber, and to other unhealthy nutrients. Also, subsidies alone have negative effects on the budget. We therefore simulate the effect of policy reforms in which the subsidies are funded either by taxes on the content of unhealthy nutrients or by taxes on products that are overconsumed. Our results suggest that price instruments need to be substantial to change consumption. For instance, removing the VAT on products rich in fiber has little effect on consumption.</p><p>Paper [IV] explores habit persistence in breakfast cereal purchases. To perform the analysis, we use a mixed multinomial logit model, on household panel data on breakfast cereal purchases. If habit persistence in consumption is strong, short and long-run responses to policy reforms will differ. Our results are breakfast cereal purchases are strongly associated with habit persistence. Our results also imply preferences for breakfast cereals are heterogeneous over households and the strength of habit persistence is similar over educational and income groups.</p>

<p>The overall aim of the thesis was to study clinical decision making in nursing. This was performed by evaluation of the quality of nurses’ diagnostic statements and comparison of the concordance between nurses and patients’ perceptions of the patients’ nursing needs, as well as patient preferences for participation in clinical decision making. Further, predictors regarding patients’ active participation were investigated.</p><p>Quasi-experimental, comparative and cross-sectional descriptive study designs were used to collect data in acute care settings from randomly selected patient records (n = 140), nurse-patient dyads (n = 80), and patients discharged from hospital care (n = 428). Data were gathered using questionnaires and review of patient records.</p><p>The quality of nurses’ diagnostic statements improved by the means of education directed to nurses and implementation of new forms for recording supporting nursing care planning (I). Discrepancies were found concerning patients and nurses’ perceptions about what constitutes a problem for the patient as well as the severity and importance of acting on the problem (II). Further, nurses perceived that their patients preferred to be more active in clinical decision making compared with the patients’ own preferences for participation (III). Gender, education, living situation, and occupation were identified as predictors for preferring an active role in clinical decision making (IV).</p><p>The conclusions are that the accuracy of diagnostic statements needs to be addressed and validated further through systematic assessment of the patients’ perceptions and preferences concerning the health situation and preferences for participation in clinical decision making. Clinical implications are that nurses need to involve patients in identifying patient problems of relevance for nursing. Further, nurses also need to be aware of patients’ preferences for participation in clinical decision making in order that they can plan care in accordance with patient preferences and allow participation to the degree preferred by the patient.</p> / <p>Patientens delaktighet i kliniskt beslutsfattande i omvårdnad – ett gemensamt ansvar för patienter och sjuksköterskor</p><p>Bakgrund</p><p>Patienten har, med bas i lagstiftning och förordningar, en stark ställning inom svensk hälso- och sjukvård. Det grundas delvis på en samhällelig uppfattning om betydelsen av patientens delaktighet i såväl planering som genomförande av sin egen vård. I ett etiskt perspektiv har delaktigheten ett värde i sig själv, som en förutsättning för individens autonomi och integritet. Sjuksköterskan identifierar patientens behov och problem i syfte att kunna ge en individuellt anpassad omvårdnad. Sjuksköterskan har ofta djupgående professionell kunskap om patientens omvårdnadsproblem, medan patienten har preferenser och värderingar om vårdens genomförande. Om planeringen av omvårdnaden inte utgår från patientens preferenser så finns det stor risk att patientens perspektiv inte kommer med som bedömningsgrund. En samsyn mellan patient och sjuksköterska om patientens behov av omvårdnad och roll i beslutsfattandet kan öka möjligheten att optimera omvårdnadsinsatserna och främja en hög kvalitet på omvårdnaden. Kunskapen om kliniskt beslutsfattande inom omvårdnad är bristfällig, framförallt med fokus på patientens delaktighet och graden av samsyn mellan patienternas och sjuksköterskornas subjektiva perspektiv.</p><p>Syfte</p><p>Avhandlingens övergripande syfte var att undersöka kliniskt beslutsfattande inom omvårdnad med speciellt fokus på omvårdnadsdiagnosers kvalitet, patientens delaktighet i beslutsprocessen och överensstämmelsen mellan patienters och sjuksköterskors uppfattningar om behov och problem inom omvårdnad.</p><p>Specifika syften för respektive delarbeten var att I) undersöka effekten av utbildning i omvårdnadsdiagnostik riktad till sjuksköterskor och utveckling av journaldokument på omvårdnadsdiagnosers kvalitet; II) beskriva överensstämmelse i patienters och sjuksköterskors bedömningar av förekomst, svårighetsgrad och betydelse av problem inom omvårdnaden; III) beskriva samstämmighet mellan patienters och sjuksköterskors uppfattning om patientens preferenser för delaktighet i kliniskt beslutsfattande i omvårdnaden, samt samstämmighet mellan patienters preferenser och faktiska erfarenhet av delaktighet; och IV) identifiera prediktorer för patienters preferenser att delta i kliniskt beslutsfattande om den egna omvårdnaden.</p><p>Material och metod</p><p>Studier har genomförts med beskrivande, jämförande och kvasi-experimentell design på avdelningar inom somatisk sjukhusvård. Urvalet består av 140 patientjournaler (studie I), 80 patient-sjuksköterskepar (studie II och III), samt 428 patienter som nyligen blivit utskrivna från somatisk sjukhusvård (studie IV). Data har insamlats genom granskning av innehåll i patientjournaler samt genom enkäter till patienter och sjuksköterskor. Instrumenten CAT-CH-ING och Control Preference Scale har använts tillsammans med frågeformulär som utvecklats specifikt för studien.</p><p>Resultat</p><p>Delarbete I</p><p>Kvaliteten på omvårdnadsdiagnoserna förbättrades signifikant efter att sjuksköterskorna på experimentavdelningen genomgått en utbildning och nya journaldokument hade introducerats. Störst kvarvarande svårigheter var förknippade med hur etiologin i omvårdnadsdiagnosen formulerades. Omvårdnadsdiagnosernas kvalitet förbättrades inte på motsvarande sätt på kontrollavdelningarna.</p><p>Delarbete II</p><p>Sjuksköterskorna identifierade de omvårdnadsbehov och problem som patienterna uppfattade sig ha med en sensitivitet på 0.53 och ett prediktivt värde på 0.50. Det innebär att patienterna delvis identifierade andra problem än sjuksköterskorna, framför allt var det vanligt inom områdena nutrition, sömn, smärta och känslor/andlighet. Sjuksköterskorna underskattade problemens svårighetsgrad för 47 % av de behov och problem som hade identifierats gemensamt av patienter och sjuksköterskor. En gemensam uppfattning om betydelsen av att få stöd och hjälp med att lösa omvårdnadsproblemet fanns i knappt hälften av fallen.</p><p>Delarbete III</p><p>En majoritet av sjuksköterskorna uppfattade att patienterna föredrog att vara mer aktiva i det kliniska beslutsfattandet om omvårdnad än vad patienterna själv uppgav. Sammanlagt 61 % av patienterna föredrog en passiv roll i beslutsfattandet medan sjuksköterskorna angav att 24 % ville vara passiva. Preferenser om en aktiv roll i beslutsfattande angavs av 9 % av patienterna medan sjuksköterskorna hade uppfattat att 45 % av patienterna föredrog en aktiv roll. Totalt 71 % av patienterna upplevde att de inte hade varit delaktiga i den utsträckning de själva hade föredragit, 37 % hade varit mer passiva och 34 % mer aktiva. Patienterna uppgav att de intagit en mer passiv roll än vad de hade önskat i samband med behov och problem inom områdena kommunikation, andning och smärta, medan en mer aktiv roll än önskat förekom i samband med behov och problem inom områdena aktivitet och känslor/roller.</p><p>Delarbete IV</p><p>En majoritet av patienterna i sluten somatisk vård föredrog att inledningsvis under vårdperioden inta en passiv roll i kliniskt beslutsfattande om omvårdnad. Sammanlagt 22 % av patienterna föredrog en aktiv roll. Faktorer som predicerade preferenser för att inta en aktiv roll var kön (Odds ratio [OR] = 1.8), utbildning (OR = 2.2), levnadsförhållanden (OR = 1.8) och sysselsättning, d.v.s. om personen var yrkesarbetande eller pensionär (OR = 2.0). Sannolikheten var 53 % att en pensionerad högutbildad kvinna som levde ensam föredrog att vara aktiv i beslutsfattandet om sin egen omvårdnad. Sannolikheten för att en yrkesarbetande lågutbildad man som levde tillsammans med någon annan föredrog att vara aktiv var 8 %.</p><p>Slutsats</p><p>Kvaliteten på de omvårdnadsdiagnoser som sjuksköterskan ställer kan förbättras genom utbildning men orsakerna till omvårdnadsproblemet behöver identifieras på ett tydligare sätt. Det fanns en skillnad i hur patienter och sjuksköterskor uppfattade vad som utgjorde ett omvårdnadsbehov eller problem samt problemets svårighetsgrad och betydelse. Sjuksköterskan identifierade 53 % av de omvårdnadsproblem som patienten själv identifierade, samtidigt som sjuksköterskan identifierade andra omvårdnadsproblem som inte patienten uppfattade. Uppfattningarna skiljde sig också åt om vilken roll patienten föredrog att ha i det kliniska beslutsfattande om omvårdnad. Faktorer som kunde predicera patientens preferenser att ha en aktiv roll i kliniskt beslutsfattande var kön, utbildningsnivå, boendesituation och om personen yrkesarbetade eller var pensionär.</p><p>En slutsats av den påvisade diskrepansen i uppfattningar är att sjuksköterskor i högre grad behöver involvera patienterna i en diskussion om hälsotillståndet, behovet av omvårdnad och patientens önskan att delta i beslut om sin omvårdnad. Det är nödvändigt för att så långt det är möjligt kunna uppnå en samsyn som grund för planering och genomförande av omvårdnaden. Om sjuksköterskan validerar sina egna bedömningar om behovet av omvårdnad med patienten kan kvaliteten på bedömningarna förbättras. Patientens perspektiv blir en explicit del av beslutsunderlaget vid planering av omvårdnad vilket sannolikt också påverkar omvårdnadens innehåll och därmed även omvårdnadens kvalitet. Det bästa sättet att identifiera det individuella perspektivet är genom en systematisk bedömning i dialog mellan sjuksköterskan och den enskilde patienten. Mötet och dialogen mellan patienten och sjuksköterskan är en förutsättning för en god omvårdnad men är också en central del av själva omvårdnaden.</p>

<p>The purpose of this study is, on one hand, to obtain an understanding of how children in municipal music- and culture schools choose instruments and what forms of recruitment methods they are subjected to, and on the other hand, how you can make them continue to play once they have begun.</p><p>To acquire this information, I have interviewed five music teachers and two principals at municipal music- and culture schools in Värmland. The questions treated, among other things, what affects children’s instrument preferences, recruitment methods and what you can do to keep interest for the chosen instrument alive.</p><p>The result of the study shows some apparent tendencies. Even though some of the instruments have trouble recruiting students and other instruments have trouble keeping them, the old methods, which obviously do not work in a satisfactory manner, are still being used. Instead, increased commitment at the occasion of recruitment, more group teaching which strengthens the social bonds through role models and a will to have the courage to change the organization when it does not work, is required.</p>

Multiple interactions between dopamine (DA), glutamate, and nitric oxide (NO) in mesolimbic and corticostriatal circuits suggest that NO may play a critical role in cocaine-induced behavioral and neural plasticity. Clinical and preclinical studies have revealed that females and adolescents display unique vulnerabilities to the behavioral and neurochemical effects of cocaine as a result of sex-dependent and ontogeny-dependent differences in dopaminergic systems. Thus, my research objectives were to investigate the contributions of the neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) gene, ontogeny, and gender on the rewarding and sensitizing effects of cocaine. I found that nNOS significantly influences the rewarding aspects of cocaine in adolescent mice and adult male mice (i.e., major deficits in several phases of cocaine conditioned place preference (CPP) were detected in nNOS knockout (KO) adolescent mice and nNOS KO adult male mice). However, the contribution of nNOS was sex-dependent as CPP phases were normal in KO adult females. In contrast to CPP, I found a major ontogeny-dependent contribution of nNOS to the sensitizing effects of cocaine. Namely, while nNOS is essential for the development of behavioral sensitization in adult males, this type of behavioral plasticity develops independently of nNOS during adolescence. The contribution of nNOS was once again sex-dependent as behavioral sensitization was normal in adult KO females. Together, this line of investigation has revealed that the NO-signaling pathway has a) a sex-dependent role in the neuroplasticity underlying cocaine CPP and b) a sex-dependent and ontogeny-dependent influence on cocaine-induced behavioral sensitization. Stereological and western blot analysis revealed that a sensitizing regimen of cocaine resulted in an increase in nNOS and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunoreactivity in the dorsal striatum (dST) of adult, but not adolescent, wild-type (WT) male mice. In the absence of nNOS, dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) were severely reduced and cocaine caused a downregulation of dST TH suggesting that nitrergic levels modulate TH. Thus, the finding that nNOS is essential for the development of sensitization in adulthood, but not adolescence, together with the fact that cocaine upregulated nNOS and TH in the dST in adult, but not adolescent mice, strongly suggest that the nitrergic system underlies behavioral sensitization through modulation of the dopaminergic system in adulthood. These findings suggest different approaches in the clinical treatment of drug craving and drug-seeking behavior in adolescent and adult patients.