Metacognition, which involves monitoring and controlling of one’s thoughts and actions, is essential for guiding behavior and organization of information. Deficits in self-monitoring have been suggested to lead to psychosis and poor functional outcome. Abnormalities in eventrelated potentials originating from the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), a brain region associated with error detection, have been consistently reported in individuals with schizophrenia during error monitoring tasks. This study sought to examine whether these abnormalities are present in individuals with a history of psychosis across diagnostic categories and whether they are associated with subjective appraisal of self-performance and personality traits related to psychosis. The error-related negativity (ERN), the correct response negativity (CRN), and the error positivity (Pe) were recorded in 15 individuals with a history of psychosis (PSY) and 12 individuals without a history of psychosis (CTR) during performance on a flanker task. Participants also continuously rated their performance on the task and completed the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire – Brief Revised (SPQ-BR). Compared with the CTR group, the PSY group exhibited reduced ERN and Pe amplitudes during error trials, but normal CRN and Pe amplitudes during correct trials. The PSY group also was less accurate at identifying their errors than the CTR group but just as accurate at identifying correct responses. Across all participants, smaller ERN amplitudes were associated with greater scores on the Disorganized factor of the SPQ-BR and smaller Pe amplitudes were associated with greater scores on the Cognitive Perceptual factor of the SPQ-BR. Individuals with a history of psychosis regardless of diagnosis demonstrated abnormal neural activity during error monitoring. Error monitoring deficits may be associated with vulnerability for psychosis across disorders.

No description available.

Schizophrenia (SZ) is a complex and chronic psychotic disorder that affects approximately 1% of the world's population and is associated with positive, negative, and cognitive symptoms. Auditory verbal hallucinations (AVHs) are a key symptom of SZ that cause functional impairments and distress. Despite antipsychotic medication treatments, 25% of patients experience medication resistant AVHs. Additional research into the underlying neuronal mechanisms of AVHs is needed to develop alternative treatments. The mismatch negativity (MMN) is an auditory event-related potential that represents pre-attentive detection of stimulus deviance. MMN deficits are prominent in SZ and are associated with greater AVH frequency. MMN deficits may also be related to qualitative features of AVHs, which have yet to be extensively assessed. The primary aim of this work was to assess differences in MMN features (amplitude and latency) between SZ patients and healthy controls (HCs) using two different versions of the MMN five deviant multi-feature task (pure tone and speech-based sounds). The second aim was to examine relationships between MMN features, clinical ratings of AVH severity (The Psychotic Symptom Rating Scale [PSYRATS] total score, Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale [PANSS] item 3 ["hallucinatory behaviour"]) and self-report measures of AVH features in SZ patients (i.e., the Beliefs About Voices Questionnaire-Revised [BAVQ-R], Voice Acceptance and Action Scale [VAAS] and the Voice Power Differential Scale [VPDS]), the latter has yet to be assessed. The secondary aim was to directly compare differences in the MMN responses between SZ and HC groups across the two tasks. Finally, exploratory aims included examining differences in MMN responses to low and high frequency and intensity deviants in the tone task and assessing differences in the MMN response between groups at the mastoid sites (TP9/TP10), where the polarity reversal of the MMN occurs. These more methodological aims have not been previously assessed, to our knowledge. The SZ group (n = 16) had significantly smaller MMN amplitudes to the frequency, gap and intensity deviants compared to the HC group (n = 17) in the MMN tone task. In the MMN speech task, the SZ group had significantly smaller MMN amplitudes to the frequency, intensity, vowel duration and consonant deviants compared to the HC group. The correlation analysis revealed that the most pronounced relation was a positive association between MMN amplitudes to the intensity deviant (tone task) and total scores on the VPDS (i.e., smaller/less negative MMN amplitudes were associated with higher VPDS scores). For the secondary analyses, the SZ group had smaller MMN amplitudes to the frequency deviant in both the tone and speech MMN tasks. Finally, the exploratory mastoid analysis in the tone task revealed that the SZ group had smaller MMN amplitudes to the frequency deviant at both mastoid sites. In the speech task, MMN amplitudes were larger at the left mastoid site (TP9) compared to the right mastoid site (TP10) across all deviant types. The HC group also had larger MMN amplitudes at the left mastoid site (TP9) compared to the SZ group. This study revealed MMN deficits in SZ patients across a variety of deviant types, including both pure tone deviants and speech-based deviants. MMN deficits were most pronounced for the frequency and intensity deviants across both tasks, suggesting that SZ patients with persistent AVHs may have more generalized deficits in the automatic processing of basic units of speech and pure tones, rather than impaired processing of specific acoustic features. Associations between MMN features and subjective measures of AVHs revealed that impaired processing of pure tone intensity deviants is related with a greater perceived "power" of the voice, impaired processing of speech-based frequency deviants is related to greater clinical AVH severity, and that impaired and less efficient processing of both vowel and pure tone deviants are related to a higher perceived hostility of the voice. This study adds valuable information to the literature regarding relationships between MMN features and subjective aspects of the AVH experience in SZ patients. Importantly, this work is novel as it is the first to directly compare MMN responses across two tasks (speech and sound) in SZ patients with persistent AVHs. This thesis emphasizes the importance of examining subjective aspects of the AVH experience in the context of the MMN to gather a more complete understanding of how AVHs are impacting brain responses.

As Arabidopsis thaliana ages it becomes more resistant to virulent Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (Pst) bacteria. This is known as age-related resistance (ARR). ARR is associated with flowering and intercellular accumulation of salicylic acid (SA). A microarray experiment identified a number of jasmonic acid/ethylene (JA/ET)-associated genes whose expression was up-regulated during ARR. This thesis explores the role of JA/ET signaling during ARR by characterizing the role of two JA/ET-associated No Apical Meristem Cup-shaped Cotyledons (NAC) transcription factors: ANAC055 and ANAC092. Analysis of nae single and double mutants suggests that the NACs play nonredundant roles during ARR. The partial ARR defect of anac092 is followed one week later by an enhanced ARR response, and this is associated with a delay in flowering. Furthermore, mature 35S:ANAC092 exhibits increased susceptibility to Pst. Collectively, this data suggests that ANAC092 is a negative regulator of ARR and it contributes to positive regulation of flowering and the onset of ARR. The late flowering mutant luminidependens1 also exhibits a partial ARR defect, suggesting that the autonomous flowering pathway contributes to ARR. Gene expression data suggests that ANAC055 and ANAC092 regulate expression of some JA/ET-associated genes during ARR. The JA/ET signaling mutant ethylene insensitive2 (ein2) exhibits a partial ARR defect and reduced expression of ANAC055 and ANAC092, suggesting that EIN2 is a positive regulator of expression of ANAC055 and ANAC092 during ARR. Phytohormone analyses reveal that JA accumulates to similar levels in young and mature wild-type plants after inoculation with Pst, suggesting that increased expression of some JA/ET-associated genes in mature compared to young plants after inoculation with Pst is not associated with elevated levels of JA. This thesis contributes to our understanding of ARR by identifying some components of the NAC pathway, exploring the relationship between flowering and ARR, and conducting some phytohormone analysis. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

No description available.

In this systematic review and meta-analysis, the relationship between error awareness and the amplitude of Error-Related Negativity (ERN), a neural response to errors associated with cognitive control and error monitoring processes, was examined. Five studies published between 2010 and 2020, involving a total of 302 participants, were analyzed. Findings revealed a more pronounced negative amplitude of the ERN for aware errors compared to unaware errors, supporting the Error Detection Theory and Reinforcement Learning Theory. The results did not directly support or contradict the Conflict-Monitoring Theory. These findings underscore the critical role of conscious error detection in modulating ERN responses and adaptive behavioral modifications. However, due to the limited number of included studies and variability in their methodologies, caution is needed in interpreting the results. Future research should aim to validate these findings with larger samples and standardized study designs, while also exploring a more nuanced understanding of error awareness.

The overarching purposes of this research were to (a) explore an under-acknowledged and under-emphasized aspect of the sport-related concussion experience: psychosocial factors of the injury experience and (b) identify possible intervention opportunities to support the associated psychological and social needs. A collaborative inquiry (Bray et al., 2000) was employed to generate data on the psychosocial experience of concussions in elite sport and to co-develop support strategies from a sport psychology lens. This qualitative research project involved three phases during which psychological and social needs, as well as psychosocial factors that facilitated and/or hindered the concussion recovery process, were discussed through two lenses. The first lens was an experiential one, whereby elite athletes who became concussed as a result of their sport engagement shared their experiences (Phase A). The second lens was that of professional expertise, whereby mental performance consultants who work in elite sport and deliver psychosocial support to concussed elite athletes shared their perspectives and clients’ experiences (Phase B). Following the sharing of these perspectives, a community of practice (Wenger et al., 2002) of mental performance consultants was formed to collaboratively discuss how mental performance consultants might be able to support the aforementioned psychological and social needs, and ultimately, concussion recovery (Phase C). Phase A. Ten elite athletes (as defined by Swann et al., 2015) participated in semi-structured focus groups (Smith & Sparkes, 2016). Athletes discussed their experiences of injury, challenges, facilitators and barriers to recovery, support mechanisms, support that was lacking but desired, and what they would do to help someone else with a concussion. The transcripts from these focus groups (n = 5, M = 58.1 min, Range: 46-88 min), follow-up questions, and informal conversations were analyzed using thematic narrative analysis (Smith, 2016), contributing to an understanding of the athletes’ lived experiences. Phase B. Nine mental performance consultants from the Canadian Sport Psychology Association and/or Association for Applied Sport Psychology who were working in high-performance sport participated in three focus groups (M = 79 min, Range = 66-98 min). Mental performance consultants were asked about their time in the field and other aspects of their consulting experience (e.g., sports, integrated within teams or not), the types of interventions they have done with concussed athletes, their perceptions of psychosocial support during the phases of concussion management, and challenges to effective service delivery. Verbatim transcripts of these focus groups were sent to the consultants and member reflections were requested (Smith & McGannon, 2018). The generated data were thematically analyzed using a six-phase cyclical and iterative approach (Braun et al., 2016). Phase C. Eight mental performance consultants from various sport contexts formed a community of practice (Wenger et al., 2002; E. Wenger-Trayner & Wenger-Trayner, 2021). The group met over a period of four months (n = 8 meetings, M = 80 min, Range = 60-90 min). These meetings were intended to address the identified interests of the members of the community regarding support for concussed elite athletes. Concussion symptomatology, management efforts, and research were discussed; and professional scope of practice and intervention opportunities were explored through best practice discussions, client case studies, and engagements with two external experts. Mental performance consultants completed individual reflections (i.e., weekly reflective questions, value creation stories, personal value narratives; Wenger et al., 2011; E. Wenger-Trayner & Wenger-Trayner, 2015) resulting in 34 single-spaced pages of generated data, which were analyzed using the Value Creation Framework (E. Wenger-Trayner & Wenger-Trayner, 2015; 2021). The results of this multi-phase collaborative inquiry are presented in four articles. The first article offers a multi-systems perspective (Bronfenbrenner, 1977; 1979; 1992) on athletes’ concussion experiences by exploring two collaboratively created narratives (Wertz, 2011; Willis, 2019) from the engagements with athletes in Phase A. Five themes (i.e., athletic identity, (dis)trust in relationships, concussion protocols, sport culture, and timing related to major events and recovery) are discussed. The second article combines the perspectives of athletes from Phase A and mental performance consultants in Phase B to identify psychological and social needs across the concussion recovery process. Four psychological needs (i.e., acceptance, normality, confidence, self-efficacy) and two social needs (i.e., trust in relationships, social support) were identified by both populations. The third article was collaboratively written to practically present how and where mental performance consultants can support concussed athletes across the phases of the injury based on the discussions in Phase C. Scope of practice, collaboration opportunities, and intervention strategies are discussed across four phases of injury (i.e., pre-injury, injury onset, rehabilitation, return to sport). The fourth article reflects the mental performance consultants’ participatory experiences in Phase C by exploring the value of the community of practice as a professional development and knowledge translation tool. Positive value was experienced across all eight cycles of the Value Creation Framework. Through the general discussion and practical implications sections of this dissertation, these results are situated within the landscapes of concussion research and practice to highlight opportunities for transforming concussion protocols and broadening the overall lens through which the concussion experience can be examined.

Little attention has been paid to tailings from skarn ore deposits and their environmental impact, even though they can contain elevated content of elements of potential concern. Historical skarn tailings from a former scheelite mine at Yxsjöberg, Sweden, containing e.g. Be, Bi, Cu, F, Sn, S, W, and Zn were geochemically characterized as a first step to evaluate the potential environmental impact and if re-mining of the tailings can be a remediation option. Beryllium, Bi, F, and W are considered as elements of potential concern, and are at the same time listed by the European Commission (2017) as critical raw materials. Scheelite is considered as a relatively stable mineral but most research has been focused on extraction processes. A few laboratory studies have shown weathering of scheelite by artificial groundwater, where the release of WO42-was hypothesized to be due to anion exchange by CO32-. Thus, the release of W from scheelite should be favorable in skarn tailings due to the presence of carbonates. The tailings at Yxsjöberg were deposited between 1897 and 1963 in the Smaltjärnen Repository without dams or a complete cover, and have been in contact with the atmosphere for more than 30 years. Four vertical cores (P2, P4, P5, and P7) throughout the tailings were taken and divided into 134 subsamples, and analyzed for their total chemical composition and paste pH. Selected samples from different depths were mineralogically characterized using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), Raman vibrational spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Minerals, hand-picked from drilled rock cores, were analyzed for the element content, and a modified Element to Mineral Conversion (EMC) in combination with a 7-step sequential extraction of the tailings was used to pinpoint the quantitative distribution of elements between the minerals in the tailings. Scheelite weathering and secondary sequestration of W was studied in detail in one representative core. The release of elements to groundwater in the tailings and downstream surface water was measured monthly during 2018 to especially examine the mobility of W. The average concentrations of Be, Bi, Cu, Sn, Zn, W, F and S in the tailings were 280, 490, 950, 560, 300, and 960 ppm, and 1.9 and 1.2 wt.%, respectively. The uppermost tailings have been exposed to the atmosphere for more 30 years, with intensive pyrrhotite oxidation and carbonate dissolution, resulting in low pH (<4) condition, release of elements, and subsequent formations of secondary minerals such as gypsum and hydrous ferric oxides (HFO). Two different deposition periods were identified in one vertical profile. The later period of deposition extended from the ground surface down to 3.5 m, and the older from 3.6 to 6 m. Both periods had unoxidized tailings in the bottom and oxidized sulfides, depletion of calcite and HFO formations upwards. Tungsten was primarily found in scheelite and the abundance was 0.1 wt.% in the tailings at Yxsjöberg. Accumulation peaks of W were found with depth in P2, P4 and P7. In the upper peak of P4, 30% of the total W was associated with secondary HFO. This indicates that weathering of scheelite and secondary capturing of W had occurred in the tailings. At present time, a peak of W in water soluble phases where coinciding with accumulated C in the solid phase at 2.5m depth. Carbonate ions were released when calcite was neutralizing the acid produced in the upper oxidized tailings and the released CO32-was transported downwards to conditions with pH >7. There, it mainly had precipitated as secondary calcite, but small parts are hypothesized to have exchanged WO42-on the surface of scheelite,releasing WO42-to the pore water. In the oxidized tailings of the older and deeper tailing,goethite was found as rims around scheelite grains. This is probably due to Fe ions attracted to the negative surface of scheelite. This is suggested to decrease further weathering of scheelite, and also to some extent decrease the release of WO42-to the groundwater from above lying layers through adsorption. The changes in geochemical conditions in the tailings have decreased the water quality in receiving waters of Smaltjärnens Repository with increased concentrations of Ca, F, Fe,Mn, and SO42-. pH was on average 6.3 in the groundwater in the tailings and 5.7 in the surface water 300 m downstream. EC was on average 2.6 mS/cm in the groundwater and 131 μS/cm in the surface water. Low concentrations of dissolved W was found in the groundwater (max: 20 μg/l) in the tailings and in the downstream surface water the W concentration (max: 0.2 μg/l) was 20 times larger than the reference sample. These results show that scheelite is releasing W to a limited degree to downstream waters and are therefore a potential resource to re-mine to support the supply of critical raw materials in the EU. Beryllium, F, and Zn were released to the downstream surface water from the Smaltjärnen Repository, and to a higher degree than W. The rare and easily-weathered mineral danalite (Fe4Be3(SiO4)3S) contained approximately 40% of the total Be and Zn concentrations in the tailings and is suggested to be the major source to the release of Be and Zn. Fluorine was mainly found in fluorite which showed signs of weathering in the acidic condition in the uppermost oxidized tailings, subsequent with decreased content in the tailings. The mobility of these elements will be further studied.

Bakgrund Substansbrukssyndrom är ett globalt hälsorelaterat problem. Det är en neuropsykiatrisk sjukdom som medför ett kraftigt behov av intag av droger trots skadliga konsekvenser. Behovet drivs av de belönade effekterna som drogerna har på hjärnan. År 2019 miste närmare en halv miljon människor livet på grund av droger och då patientgruppen tenderar att leva med ohälsa korsar de vägar med vården kontinuerligt. Mötet med patientgruppen sker i alla delar av vårdkedjan och därmed behöver vårdpersonalen kunskap och förståelse kring deras upplevelser med hälso- och sjukvården.  Syfte  Syftet var att belysa erfarenheter av vården hos personer där ett substansbrukssyndrom finns i bakgrunden. Metod  En icke-systematisk litteraturöversikt har genomförts baserat på 15 vetenskapliga publikationer. De vetenskapliga publikationerna hämtades i databaserna PubMed, CINAHL och Psycinfo. Noggrann kvalitetsgranskning gjordes av de vetenskapliga artiklar som användes till litteraturöversikten. Vid analys av datan användes en integrerad analysmetod. Resultat Litteraturöversikten kom fram till två kategorier och fem subkategorier. Den första kategorin var upplevelsen av stigma med underkategorierna; bemötande och attityder, vårdpersonalens misstänkliggörande och strategier för att hantera stigma. Den andra kategorin var upplevelsen av otillräcklig vård med underkategorierna; ojämlik vård och smärtlindring. Slutsats Sammanfattningsvis upplever personer som lider av ett substansbrukssyndrom att de erhåller vård med lägre kvalitet. De upplever ett stigmatiserat bemötande som präglas av kränkande attityder och brist på tillit. Strategier som patientgruppen använts sig av för att undvika stigmatiseringen har många gånger lett till en destruktiv relation med vården genom undanhållande av information och att de dragit sig från att söka vård. / Background Drug use disorder is a global health-related issue. It is a neuropsychiatric disease that entails a strong need for drug intake despite harmful consequences. The need is driven by the rewarding effects that drugs have on the brain. In 2019, close to half a million people lost their lives due to drugs, and as the patient group tends to live with illness, their paths intersect with healthcare continuously. The encounter with the patient group occurs in all parts of the healthcare chain, and thus, healthcare personnel need knowledge and understanding of their experiences with health care.  Aim The aim was to illustrate healthcare experiences for people when a substance use disorder is present. Method A non-systematic literature overview based on 15 scientific publications. The scientific publications are retrieved from the databases PubMed, CINAHL and Psycinfo. A thorough quality review has been conducted of the 15 scientific publications that were used in the literature overview. The data were analyzed with an integrated analysis method. Results This literature overview came up with two categories and five subcategories. The first category was the experience of stigma with the subcategories; interactions and attitudes, healthcare staff suspicions and strategies to avoid stigma. The second category was experiences of quality of care with the subcategories; unequal care and pain management. Conclusions In summary people that suffer from a drug use disorder experience that they receive care with lower quality. They experience stigmatizing treatment characterized by abusive attitudes and lack of trust. Strategies used by the patient group to avoid stigma has often led to a destructive relationship with healthcare through withholding of information and by hesitation to seek care.

Predicting the prognosis of patients with prostate cancer is a clinically important problem. Previous studies have indicated that the expression of haptoglobin-related protein epitopes in samples of breast cancer in early stages was associated with earlier relapses and higher risk for tumor recurrence. Oncogenic antigen 519 (OA-519) is the new marker designation for molecules expressing haptoglobin-related protein epitopes. The objective of this immunohistochemical study was to examine OA-519 expression in prostate cancer samples and its relationship to the established prognostic indicators of tumor grade, tumor volume, and clinical stage. Forty-two consecutive tissue samples of prostate adenocarcinoma were examined using an affinity- purified anti-OA-519 antibody. Twenty specimens (48%) tested positive, whereas 22 (52%) tested negative. No staining was observed in normal or hyperplastic prostate tissue. Staining occurred in 6 of 9 (67%) grade III, 14 of 23 (61%) grade II, and in none of 10 (0%) grade I cases (I vs. II and/or III: Fisher exact test, P < 0.006). Twenty-three of the 42 samples were transurethral resection specimens with cancer; 11 (48%) of these tested positive. The mean percentage of tissue chips with tumor, a measure of tumor volume, was significantly higher in the positive group (57%) than in the negative group (15%) (P = 0.004). The proportion of positively stained cases increased with advancing clinical stage, with 25% of Stage A cases expressing OA-519, and 46%, 67%, and 64% of Stages B, C, and D, respectively, expressing OA-519. OA-519 expression correlates with higher tumor grades, larger tumors, and possibly with advanced stage, and thus, it is potentially of prognostic value in prostate cancer.