Le somnambulisme est une parasomnie commune, caractérisée par des éveils incomplets lors des stades de sommeil lent, au cours desquels les individus atteints présentent des comportements moteurs d’une complexité variable accompagnés de confusion et d’un jugement altéré. La littérature actuelle suggère que ce trouble serait associé à des particularités de l’activité en ondes lentes et des oscillations lentes, deux indices de l’intégrité du processus homéostatique et de la profondeur du sommeil. Toutefois, en raison de certaines lacunes méthodologiques dans les études existantes, le rôle de ces marqueurs électroencéphalographiques dans la pathophysiologie du somnambulisme reste à éclaircir. Notre premier article a donc investigué d’éventuelles anomalies de l’activité en ondes lentes et des oscillations lentes chez les somnambules, en comparant leur sommeil au cours de la nuit entière à celui de participants contrôles. De plus, comme les somnambules semblent réagir différemment (en termes de fragmentation du sommeil notamment) des dormeurs normaux à une pression homéostatique accrue, nous avons comparé l’activité en ondes lentes et les oscillations lentes en nuit de base et suite à une privation de sommeil de 38 heures. Les résultats de nos enregistrements électroencéphalographiques chez 10 somnambules adultes et neuf participants contrôles montrent une élévation de la puissance spectrale de l’activité en ondes lentes et de la densité des oscillations lentes en nuit de récupération par rapport à la nuit de base pour nos deux groupes. Toutefois, contrairement à plusieurs études précédentes, nous ne n’observons pas de différence entre somnambules et dormeurs normaux quant à l’activité en ondes lentes et aux oscillations lentes pour aucune des deux nuits. Au-delà ce certaines considérations méthodologiques ayant pu contribuer à ce résultat inattendu, nous croyons qu’il justifie un questionnement sur l’hétérogénéité des somnambules comme population. Notre deuxième article s’est penché sur les facteurs électroencéphalographiques transitoires susceptibles d’être associés au déclenchement des épisodes de somnambulisme. Nous avons comparé les fluctuations d’activité en ondes lentes et des oscillations lentes dans les minutes avant des épisodes de somnambulisme spontanés (c.a.d.: non associés à un stimulus identifiable) à celles survenant avant des éveils normaux comparables chez 12 somnambules adultes. Nous montrons que, comparativement aux éveils normaux, les épisodes de somnambulisme sont précédés d’un sommeil plus profond, tel qu’indiqué par une plus grande densité spectrale de l’activité en ondes lentes et une plus grande densité des oscillations lentes. Cet approfondissement du sommeil, spécifique aux épisodes de somnambulisme, semble survenir sur un laps de temps relativement long (>3 minutes), et non abruptement au cours des secondes précédant l’épisode. Ces données ouvrent un questionnement quant aux mécanismes en jeu dans la survenue des épisodes de somnambulisme spontanés. Globalement, cette thèse suggère que des phénomènes liés à l’activité en ondes lentes et aux oscillations lentes seraient liés au déclenchement des épisodes de somnambulisme, mais que des études supplémentaires devront être menées afin de délimiter le rôle précis que ces marqueurs jouent dans la pathophysiologie du somnambulisme. / Sleepwalking is a common parasomnia characterized by sudden but incomplete arousals out of non-rapid eye movement sleep during which predisposed individuals display motor behaviours of various complexity, accompanied by mental confusion and altered judgement. A growing body of evidence suggests that this condition could be associated with atypical patterns in slow wave activity and slow oscillations, both markers of the integrity of the homeostasis process and of sleep intensity. However, due to methodological limitations in past studies, the role of these electroencephalographic markers in the pathophysiology of sleepwalking remains unclear. Our first article aimed at describing slow wave activity and slow oscillations abnormalities in sleepwalkers by comparing whole night sleep in 10 adult sleepwalkers and 9 control participants. In addition, since past studies have shown that increased homeostatic pressure has differential effects on sleepwalkers versus normal controls (e.g., in terms of sleep fragmentation), we compared slow wave activity and slow oscillations during baseline sleep and recovery sleep after 38 hours of sleep deprivation in patients and controls. Results show that sleep deprivation increases slow wave activity power density and slow oscillations density in both groups. However, contrary to our predictions, no group differences were noted on any of the two nights on slow wave activity or slow oscillations. Beyond methodological considerations which may partially account for this unexpected result, this study opens questions as to the homogeneity of sleepwalkers as a clinical population. Our second study focused on transient electroencephalographic fluctuations that may be associated with the onset of sleepwalking episodes. We compared slow wave activity and slow oscillations fluctuations in the moments leading up to spontaneous (that is, occurring without an identifiable internal or external stimuli) somnambulistic episodes recorded in the sleep laboratory in 12 adult sleepwalkers and comparing these patterns to those observed prior to non-behavioural awakenings observed in the same patients. We showed that when compared to non-behavioural awakenings from the same sleep stage and sleep period, somnambulistic episodes were preceded by deeper sleep, as indicated by higher slow wave activity power density and slow oscillations density. This deepening of sleepwalkers’ sleep occurs over a relatively long period of time (>3 minutes) before the episode, rather than abruptly in the seconds preceding episode onset. These findings raise key questions about fundamental mechanisms involved in the occurrence of spontaneously recorded somnambulistic episodes. Taken as a whole, the results from the work presented in this thesis show that electrophysiological processes related to slow wave activity and slow oscillations play a role in the occurrence of somnambulistic episodes. However, the functional significance of these electroencephalographic markers in the pathophysiology of sleepwalking remains to be clarified.

France/tour/détour/deux/enfants é uma série produzida em 1979 por Jean-Luc Godard e Anne-Marie Miéville para a televisão francesa que foi ao ar em abril de 1980 pelo canal Antenne 2. Esta dissertação tem como objetivo contextualizar essa fase da obra godardiana em parceria com Miéville, indicando procedimentos internos à produção dessa série que cristalizaram o processo de experimentação iniciado por Godard em trabalhos antecedentes (sobretudo nas produções com o Grupo Dziga Vertov, assim como na série Six fois deux: sur et sous la communication, de 1976) e que desaguaram na sua produção posterior em vídeo, particularmente Histoire(s) du Cinéma (1989). Este trabalho é dividido em dois capítulos: Tour e Détour. O primeiro situa historicamente a produção da série, contextualizando o diálogo que ela estabelece com videoartistas contemporâneos a Godard e Miéville que, desde o final da década de 1960, viam a televisão como um lugar passível de ser povoado pela arte. O segundo capítulo, Détour, parte da noção de desvio e busca investigar como ela se materializa na construção formal da série. Nesse sentido, o texto incorpora a própria noção de desvio a fim de propor uma análise da obra que privilegia alguns de seus elementos: o quadro, a margem, a manifestação do feminino, o uso do slow motion, os gestos e o rosto. A conclusão aponta para o esquecimento ao qual France/tour/détour/deux/enfants foi submetida como um exemplo da tendência televisiva em anular toda e qualquer tentativa de criação de caráter experimental e crítico realizada em seu seio, seja fadando-as à desaparição, seja relegando-as a um estado de exceção. / France/tour/détour/deux/enfants is a TV show in 12 episodes produced by Jean-Luc Godard and Anne-Marie Miéville for the French television in 1979. The series was broadcast in April 1980, by the channel Antenne 2. This dissertation is aimed at contextualizing this period of Godards work in partnership with Miéville, and indicating internal procedures of this series which crystallized the experimental process initiated by Godard in his early works (especially with the Dziga Vertov Group, as well as in the previous TV series Six fois deux, sur et sous la communication, 1976), and which would lead to his later video production, particularly Histoire(s) du Cinéma (1989). This work is divided into two chapters: Tour and Détour. The first chapter historically situates the production years of the series and contextualizes the dialogue it establishes with video-artists from those years, who started to see television as a place that could be occupied by art. The second chapter takes the concept of detour as its starting point and proposes an analysis on how one can see this notion in the formal construction of the series. In this sense, I incorporated the very notion of detour in order to propose an analysis that would favor some of the works elements: the frame, the margin, the manifestation of the feminine, the use of slow motion, the gestures and the face. The conclusion indicates how France/tour/detour/deux/enfants was forsaken as an example of the television trend to override any attempt of experimental and critical creation conducted from within, whether condemning it to disappearance, or relegating it to a state of exception.

by Hon Hau-sut. / Thesis (M.A.Ed.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1990. / Bibliography: leaves 106-118. / LIST OF TABLES --- p.iv / LIST OF FIGURES --- p.v / ACKNOWLEDGMENTS --- p.vi / ABSTRACT --- p.vii / Chapter CHAPTER ONE --- INTRODUCTION / Chapter 1.1 --- The Problem and its Background --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Purposes of the Study --- p.2 / Chapter CHAPTER TWO --- LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK / Chapter 2.1 --- Research on Teaching Educationally Disadvantaged Students --- p.5 / Chapter 2.1.1 --- Definition and Characteristics of the Educationally Disadvantaged / Chapter 2.1.2 --- Consequences of Inaction to Educational Disadvantage / Chapter 2.1.3 --- Measures Commonly Used to Help the Educationally Disadvantaged / Chapter 2.1.4 --- General Principles of Effective Programs / Chapter 2.2 --- The Theory and Strategy of Mastery Learning --- p.12 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- The Carroll Model of School Learning / Chapter 2.2.2 --- The Theory of Mastery Learning / Chapter 2.2.3 --- The Instructional strategy of Mastery Learning / Chapter 2.2.4 --- The Bloom Model of School Learning / Chapter 2.3 --- Defining Features of Mastery Learning --- p.25 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- The Philosophy / Chapter 2.3.2 --- The Curriculum / Chapter 2.3.3 --- The Instruction / Chapter 2.3.4 --- The Assessments / Chapter 2.3.5 --- The Teaching / Chapter 2.4 --- Review of Research on Mastery Learning Programs --- p.36 / Chapter 2.4.1 --- General Achievement / Chapter 2.4.2 --- Specific Achievement / Chapter 2.4.3 --- Knowledge Retention / Chapter 2.4.4 --- Variability in Achievement / Chapter 2.4.5 --- Time-on-Task and Learning Rate / Chapter 2.4.6 --- Student Affects / Chapter 2.5 --- Effectiveness of Mastery Learning on the Education of Disadvantaged Students --- p.50 / Chapter 2.6 --- Mastery Learning Studies Conducted in Hong Kong --- p.53 / Chapter 2.7 --- Problems Requiring Further Research --- p.55 / Chapter 2.7.1 --- The Problems / Chapter 2.7.2 --- Summary / Chapter CHAPTER THREE --- METHOD OF STUDY / Chapter 3.1 --- The Conceptual Framework --- p.62 / Chapter 3.2 --- Research Questions and Hypotheses --- p.64 / Chapter 3.3 --- Variables --- p.66 / Chapter 3.3.1 --- Independent Variables / Chapter 3.3.2 --- Dependent Variables / Chapter 3.4 --- Design of the Study --- p.72 / Chapter 3.4.1 --- Characteristics of Educationally Disadvantaged Students in Hong Kong and Selection of Subjects / Chapter 3.4.2 --- Assignment of Teachers / Chapter 3.4.3 --- Academic Content / Chapter 3.4.4 --- Experimental Procedure / Chapter 3.4.5 --- Experimental Design and Data Analysis / Chapter CHAPTER FOUR --- RESULTS AND INTERPRETATION / Chapter 4.1 --- Reliability of the Instruments --- p.85 / Chapter 4.2 --- Initial Comparability of the Experimental and Control Groups --- p.87 / Chapter 4.3 --- Cognitive and Affective Outcomes --- p.89 / Chapter 4.3.1 --- Cognitive Outcomes / Chapter 4.3.2 --- Affective Outcomes / Chapter CHAPTER FIVE --- CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS / Chapter 5.1 --- Conclusions --- p.96 / Chapter 5.2 --- Discussion --- p.100 / Chapter 5.3 --- Limitations --- p.103 / Chapter 5.4 --- Implications --- p.104 / REFERENCES / APPENDIXES / Chapter 1 --- Mastery Orientation Sheet / Chapter 2 --- Science Mastery Chart / Chapter 3 --- Mastery Certificate / Chapter 4 --- Table of Specifications / Chapter 5 --- Formative Tests / Chapter 6 --- Summative Tests / Chapter 7 --- Long-Term Retention Test / Chapter 8 --- Corrective Exercises / Chapter 9 --- Attitudes Towards Science Inventory / Chapter 10 --- General Self-Concept Inventory / Chapter 11 --- Academic Self-Concept Inventory

Submitted by Celso Magalhaes (celsomagalhaes@ufrrj.br) on 2018-08-23T14:07:16Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2017 - Barbara Brandt Moura.pdf: 2285485 bytes, checksum: 9eae3c35e652afad0a110dc64eafec10 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-23T14:07:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2017 - Barbara Brandt Moura.pdf: 2285485 bytes, checksum: 9eae3c35e652afad0a110dc64eafec10 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-04-28 / Summary chapter 1 Lysine is an essential amino acid used as a reference in diet formulations based on the ideal protein concept and is also the main nutrient involved in the muscular development of broilers. Research related to the requirement of lysine for broilers with lower genetic potential for growth are scarce and sometimes quite divergent. The objective of this study is to determine digestible lysine requirements for male broilers with lower genetic potential for growth. A total of 520 male broilers of the RedBro-plum? commercial strain from 42 to 72 days of age and slaughtered at 73 days of age were used. The experimental design was completely randomized (DIC), with five treatments with four replicates with 26 broilers each. The treatments were constituted with the values 0.689, 0.842, 0.995, 1.148 and 1.301% of digestible lysine obtained from the addition of L-Lysine HCl to the basal diet, replacing the corn starch. In parameter of negative linear recess performance for feed conversion and linear and line use efficiency positive for lysine consumption. In carcass traits, there was a negative linear regression in absolute carcass, breast, wing, thigh + overcook and heart and quadratic effects for absolute fat weight, back yield and relative fat weight. The lowest digestible lysine in the feed, 0.689%, determining adequate performance and carcass characteristics. However, lower abdominal fat deposition would be obtained with 1.05% digestible lysine in the diet, it can be considered the requirement value for slow-growing male broilers in the evaluated phase. The qualitative food restriction consists in the dilution of the diets, through the inclusion of ingredients with low nutritional value, in order to reduce the amount of nutrients absorbed. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the rates with different inclusion levels of ground Tifton 85 hay in the proportions of 0, 5, 10 and 15%. A total of 288 male broilers of the RedBro-plum? lineage were used, in a completely randomized design, in 4 treatments and 4 replicates of 18 broilers each. As broilers received as experimental feeds from 42 to 72 days of age. At 73 days the chickens were slaughtered for carcass analysis and intestine collections were performed in 8 broilers per replicate for morphological and morphometric analysis. A studied hay inclusion influenced linearly negative for weight gain and, in a positive way, feed consumption and feed conversion. Linear reductions without absolute carcass and breast weight, carcass yield and our liver and gizzard weights were also observed. Quadratic effect was observed for absolute weight of dorsum, liver and fat, yield of dorsum and villus height. The inclusion of Tifton 85 hay in the broiler ration of lower potential for growth from 42 to 72 days of age resulted in worsening performance and carcass yield. The use of hay was effective as a measure of qualitative restriction Summary chapter 2 The qualitative food restriction consists in the dilution of the diets, by means of the inclusion of ingredients with low nutritional value, usually, rich in fibers to reduce the amount of nutrients absorbed. The aim of this study was to evaluate rations with different inclusion levels of ground Tifton 85 hay in rations at the proportions of 0%, 5%, 10% and 15%. A total of 288 male Red Bro-plum? commercial broilers were distributed in a completely randomized design in 4 treatments and 4 replicates of 18 broilers per treatment. The broilers received the experimental rations from 42 to 72 days of age. At 73 days all broilers were slaughtered for carcass analysis, and intestine samples from 8 broilers were collected per replicate for morphological and intestinal morphometric analysis. Increasing the inclusion values of dietary hay influenced linearly performance of broilers, with the decrease in weight gain, increase in feed consumption and impacting negatively in feed conversion values. Likewise, elevating the addition of hay in the ration showed linear reductions in absolute weight, carcass yield, and linear increases in the relative weights of liver and gizzard. The inclusion of Tifton 85 hay in broiler ration of lower potential for growth from 42 to 72 days of age affected negatively performance and carcass yield. The use of hay was effective as a measure of qualitative restriction of the ration if there is intention to control the growth of broilers according to a certain slaughter age / Resumo Cap?tulo 1 A lisina ? um amino?cido essencial utilizado como refer?ncia nas formula??es de dietas com base no conceito de prote?na ideal, sendo a lisina um dos principais nutrientes envolvidos no desenvolvimento das aves. A maioria das pesquisas relacionadas a exig?ncia de lisina para frangos de corte s?o realizadas com frangos de linhagens convencionais, no entanto para frangos de corte de menor potencial gen?tico para crescimento as refer?ncias s?o escassas e por vezes bastante divergentes. Assim, o objetivo deste estudo foi determinar as exig?ncias em lisina digest?vel para frangos de corte machos de menor potencial gen?tico para crescimento. Foram utilizados 520 frangos de corte, machos, da linhagem comercial RedBro-plum? (Caipira Franc?s Vermelho Escuro), de 42 a 72 dias de idade e abatidos aos 73 dias de idade. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o inteiramente casualizado (DIC), sendo cinco tratamentos e quatro repeti??es por tratamento, totalizando 20 unidades experimentais de 26 aves cada. Os tratamentos foram constitu?dos com valores crescentes de lisina digest?vel obtidos a partir da adi??o de L-Lisina HCl ? dieta basal, em substitui??o ao ingrediente amido de milho, sendo 0,689, 0,842, 0,995, 1,148 e 1,301% de lisina digest?vel. Em par?metros de desempenho foi observada regress?o linear negativa para convers?o alimentar e efici?ncia da utiliza??o de lisina e linear positiva para consumo de lisina, de acordo com o aumento nos valores de lisina digest?vel na ra??o. Tal efeito pode ter sido influenciado pela necessidade dos frangos em aumentar o consumo de ra??o nos tratamentos iniciais, para suprir o aporte limitante de lisina na ra??o. Para as caracter?sticas de carca?a foi verificado regress?o linear negativa nos pesos absolutos de carca?a, peito, asa, coxa + sobrecoxa e cora??o e efeito quadr?tico para peso absoluto de gordura, rendimento de dorso e peso relativo de gordura com o aumento nos valores de lisina digest?vel. O menor valor em lisina digest?vel na ra??o, 0,689%, foi suficiente para determinar resultados adequados de desempenho e caracter?sticas de carca?a. Entretanto, para propiciar menor deposi??o de gordura abdominal o valor de 1,05 % de lisina digest?vel na ra??o pode ser considerado o valor de exig?ncia para os frangos machos de crescimento lento na fase de 42 a 72 dias de idade. Resumo cap?tulo 2 A restri??o alimentar qualitativa consiste na dilui??o das dietas, por meio da inclus?o de ingredientes com baixo valor nutricional, normalmente ricos em fibras, a fim de reduzir a quantidade de nutrientes absorvidos. O objetivo deste experimento foi avaliar ra??es com diferentes n?veis de inclus?o de feno de Tifton 85 mo?do na ra??o, nas propor??es de 0, 5, 10 e 15 %. Foram utilizados 288 frangos de corte de crescimento lento, machos, da linhagem comercial RedBro-plum? (Caipira Franc?s Vermelho Escuro), distribu?das em um delineamento inteiramente casualizado, em 4 tratamentos e 4 repeti??es de 18 aves por tratamento. As aves receberam as ra??es experimentais dos 42 aos 72 dias de idade. Aos 73 dias foram abatidos todos os frangos para analise de carca?a e foram realizadas coletas de intestino em 8 frangos por repeti??o para a an?lise morfol?gica e morfom?trica intestinal. Os aumentos nos valores de inclus?o de feno estudados na dieta influenciaram de forma linear o desempenho dos frangos, com diminui??o no ganho de peso, aumento no consumo de ra??o, no consumo de fibra bruta e piora nos valores de convers?o alimentar e aumento. Foram observadas ainda, com o aumento de adi??o de feno na ra??o, redu??es lineares no peso absoluto e no rendimento de carca?a e aumentos lineares nos pesos relativos do f?gado e da moela. A avalia??o da morfometria intestinal demonstrou que houve efeito quadr?tico na altura de vilosidade. A an?lise econ?mica demonstrou efeito linear decrescente para o ?ndice de rentabilidade. A inclus?o de feno de Tifton 85 na ra??o de frangos de corte de menor potencial de crescimento no per?odo de 42 a 72 dias de idade resultou na piora dos resultados de desempenho, rendimento de carca?a e analise econ?mica. A utiliza??o do feno foi eficaz como medida de restri??o qualitativa da ra??o se houver inten??o de controle do crescimento do frango em fun??o de uma determinada idade de abate

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France/tour/détour/deux/enfants é uma série produzida em 1979 por Jean-Luc Godard e Anne-Marie Miéville para a televisão francesa que foi ao ar em abril de 1980 pelo canal Antenne 2. Esta dissertação tem como objetivo contextualizar essa fase da obra godardiana em parceria com Miéville, indicando procedimentos internos à produção dessa série que cristalizaram o processo de experimentação iniciado por Godard em trabalhos antecedentes (sobretudo nas produções com o Grupo Dziga Vertov, assim como na série Six fois deux: sur et sous la communication, de 1976) e que desaguaram na sua produção posterior em vídeo, particularmente Histoire(s) du Cinéma (1989). Este trabalho é dividido em dois capítulos: Tour e Détour. O primeiro situa historicamente a produção da série, contextualizando o diálogo que ela estabelece com videoartistas contemporâneos a Godard e Miéville que, desde o final da década de 1960, viam a televisão como um lugar passível de ser povoado pela arte. O segundo capítulo, Détour, parte da noção de desvio e busca investigar como ela se materializa na construção formal da série. Nesse sentido, o texto incorpora a própria noção de desvio a fim de propor uma análise da obra que privilegia alguns de seus elementos: o quadro, a margem, a manifestação do feminino, o uso do slow motion, os gestos e o rosto. A conclusão aponta para o esquecimento ao qual France/tour/détour/deux/enfants foi submetida como um exemplo da tendência televisiva em anular toda e qualquer tentativa de criação de caráter experimental e crítico realizada em seu seio, seja fadando-as à desaparição, seja relegando-as a um estado de exceção. / France/tour/détour/deux/enfants is a TV show in 12 episodes produced by Jean-Luc Godard and Anne-Marie Miéville for the French television in 1979. The series was broadcast in April 1980, by the channel Antenne 2. This dissertation is aimed at contextualizing this period of Godards work in partnership with Miéville, and indicating internal procedures of this series which crystallized the experimental process initiated by Godard in his early works (especially with the Dziga Vertov Group, as well as in the previous TV series Six fois deux, sur et sous la communication, 1976), and which would lead to his later video production, particularly Histoire(s) du Cinéma (1989). This work is divided into two chapters: Tour and Détour. The first chapter historically situates the production years of the series and contextualizes the dialogue it establishes with video-artists from those years, who started to see television as a place that could be occupied by art. The second chapter takes the concept of detour as its starting point and proposes an analysis on how one can see this notion in the formal construction of the series. In this sense, I incorporated the very notion of detour in order to propose an analysis that would favor some of the works elements: the frame, the margin, the manifestation of the feminine, the use of slow motion, the gestures and the face. The conclusion indicates how France/tour/detour/deux/enfants was forsaken as an example of the television trend to override any attempt of experimental and critical creation conducted from within, whether condemning it to disappearance, or relegating it to a state of exception.

This thesis is focused on developing a tool that is capable of generating cyber attacks. In the opening there are introduced some attacks using the ISO/OSI application layer protocols. Specifically, these are attacks known as Slowloris, RUDY, Slow Read, HTTP flood, and dictionary attack on the SSH. These attacks are implemented into an existing DoSgen Linux tool that already contains several famous network attacks. The main part of the thesis is devoted to the description of the tool and to the implementation of its own extension. The created tool is practically tested in an experimental enviroment against the Apache web server. Part of the thesis is the documentation for the improved DoSgen tool.

(in English): The diploma thesis deals with the issue of local foods and analyses factors influencing the purchasing behavior of Czech consumers. The theoretical part focuses on the problems related to the definition of local food, relying on the three domains of proximity taxonomy as proposed by Eriksen (2013). It further examines the reasons of increased interest in local production, which include anti-globalization trends, environmental issues and other value changes in society. Significant foreign and Czech research of local production and Czech consumer behavior is presented. At the end of the theoretical part, selected theories suitable for explaining the purchasing behavior of local foods as well giving insight into the theoretical foundation and research of this thesis are described. This is primarily the Alphabet Theory (Zepeda & Deal, 2009), which is based on earlier theories of Value-Belief-Norm Theory (Stern et al., 1999) and Attitude-Behavior-Context Theory (Guagnano et al., 1995). The empirical part builds on the theoretical basis and provides an analysis of the Czech consumer based on qualitative semi-structured interviews as well as a quantitative survey representative of Czech population aged 18 to 65 years in terms of selected sociodemographic characteristics. They give insight...

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to explore how consumers of slow fashion experience value of apparel in relation to price, quality, appearance and style, awareness, and trust.Research questions: How do the extrinsic cues in relation to slow fashion influence the value journey of slow fashion consumers? What is the experienced value journey of slow fashion consumers from pre-purchase to post-purchase of apparel?Methodology: data was collected through semi-structured interviewing with eight participantsFindings: The research identified that slow fashion consumers undergo a value journey based on five components: their knowledge, altruistic concerns, personal investment, expectations, and their emotional connection. Their knowledge is formed by how much the slow fashion consumers know about the production process of the apparel, the material quality of the apparel, and themselves in terms of their personal preferences. Their altruistic concerns involve influences how they consume and use clothes based on their ethics. Their personal investment is determined by how much time, effort, and resources they are willing to spend on pieces of apparel. The slow fashion consumer then set an expectation on how well the piece of apparel satisfies these three components through its usage in a post-purchase context. If the piece of apparel exceeds their expectations, they form an emotional connection. This emotional connection again determines their next line of consumption of apparel in a pre-purchase context. These five components determine therefore the process of slow fashion consumers’ perceived value pre-purchase to the perceived value-in-use post-purchase.

Aging and Alzheimer’s disease (AD), are associated with disabling sleep and cognitive deficits. Specifically, aging and Alzheimer’s disease is associated with reduced quantity and quality of the deepest stage of sleep, called slow-wave-sleep (SWS). Interestingly, SWS has been implicated in hippocampus-dependent memory in mice. More importantly, sleep deprivation, aging, and AD are all associated with deficits in memory. Therefore, I hypothesize that, in aging and AD, the sleep deficits are, at least in part, responsible for memory impairments and increasing the quantity and quality of SWS will reverse these memory deficits. I first developed mouse models of SWS enhancement in aging and AD. Chemogenetic activation of the parafacial zone GABAergic neurons enhances SWS in aged mice as previously described in adult mice. Similarly, in AD mice, SWS enhancement is as effective as in littermate wild-type controls. Then, I used these mouse models to characterize the role of SWS in memory using novel gain-of-sleep experiments. I found that acute SWS enhancement: 1) reduce spatial memory in adult mice and 2) failed to improve spatial memory in aged mice. In a preliminary study, acute SWS enhancement seems to improve contextual memory in AD mice. Collectively, my work provides a novel mouse model of SWS enhancement in aging and AD, offering a pivotal tool to study the role of SWS in physiological functions and neurodegenerative diseases. Furthermore, my results suggest that acute SWS enhancement does not benefit the behavioral manifestation of memory consolidation in adult mice and aged mice.