Um dos modelos experimentais mais utilizados para estudar a epilepsia do lobo temporal (ELT) é o abrasamento (kindling) por estimulação elétrica diária da amígdala, o abrasamento elétrico convencional. Uma alternativa rápida e eficaz a esse modelo é o abrasamento elétrico rápido, também capaz de gerar crises límbicas, porém com 10 estímulos elétricos aplicados ao dia, por 2 dias. No 3º dia é aplicado um estímulo elétrico adicional, o 21º estímulo, quando podem ser testadas drogas antiepilépticas ou estudados mecanismos de plasticidade ou memória. Entre as principais áreas ativadas nas crises límbicas encontram-se o complexo amigdalóide, a formação hipocampal, o córtex piriforme e neocórtices adjacentes. O envolvimento de estruturas olfatórias na ELT é antigo e estudos indicam que a exposição a um estímulo olfatório é capaz de suprimir, inibir ou induzir a ocorrência de crises. Todas as evidências clínicas e experimentais dão suporte científico para a hipótese de que a estimulação olfatória com o 2,5-Dihydro-2,4,5-trimethylthiazoline (TMT), uma potente substância química, derivada das fezes de raposa e que biologicamente representa o cheiro de predador pode influenciar no processo de crises evocadas por estimulação elétrica da amígdala. O objetivo geral do presente estudo foi avaliar a influência da apresentação do estímulo olfatório com TMT nas crises epilépticas de ratos Wistar, submetidos ao abrasamento elétrico rápido da amígdala. Para tanto, os parâmetros químicos do TMT foram avaliados, bem como as respostas comportamentais de ratos Wistar machos naives submetidos ao estímulo olfatório com diferentes doses de TMT. Na sequência, um novo grupo de ratos Wistar machos naives foi submetido ao protocolo de abrasamento elétrico rápido da amígdala com a aquisição dos registros eletrencefalográficos (EEGráficos) do córtex piriforme, formação hipocampal além do complexo amigdalóide. Após abrasados os animais foram expostos ao TMT ou água destilada, previamente ao 21º estímulo elétrico. Posteriormente o tecido cerebral foi processado (perfundido, crioprotegido, congelado e cortado) e então foram feitas as técnicas histoquímicas de: Nissl e Fluoro-Jade C (FJC, marcador de neurodegeneração). As respostas comportamentais foram analisadas mediante o uso do Índice de Gravidade para Crises Límbicas e da neuroetologia. Adicionalmente foi avaliada a expressão EEGráfica do 1º, 20º e 21º estímulos e verificada a presença/ausência de neurodegeneração em regiões do sistema límbico. Os resultados da análise comportamental obtidos nesse estudo foram comparados com os obtidos no protocolo de estimulação olfatória com TMT nas crises audiogênicas agudas de ratos da cepa WAR. O TMT desencadeou reações de medo e modificou as sequências comportamentais, reduziu a atividade motora e os comportamentos de autolimpeza. Dados qualitativos da cromatografia gasosa e algoritmos matemáticos possibilitaram estabelecer as concentrações na câmara para as diferentes doses de TMT. Além disso, a cromatografia gasosa identificou que 30 minutos é o tempo necessário para saturação e dessaturação da câmara ao TMT, e indicou uma saturação homogênea do interior dessa câmara. O TMT puro no abrasamento elétrico rápido em ratos Wistar foi capaz de reduzir significativamente o Índice de Gravidade para Crises Límbicas comparado à água, corroborando os dados neuroetológicos que indicam o efeito supressor do TMT nas crises, tanto para o modelo de abrasamento elétrico rápido quanto para as crises audiogênicas agudas. Os resultados da duração da pós-descarga EEGráfica primária no 21º estímulo foram inconclusivos, sendo necessárias outras análises empregando diferentes métodos analíticos. Com a técnica de FJC não foi possível verificar morte celular por necrose em qualquer região cerebral avaliada. / One of the most widely used experimental models to study temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is the kindling by electrical daily stimulation of the amygdala, the conventional kindling. A rapid and effective alternative to this model is rapid electrical kindling, also capable of generating limbic seizures, but with 10 electrical stimuli applied per day for 2 days. On the 3rd day an additional electrical stimulus is applied, the 21st stimulus, when antiepileptic drugs can be tested or mechanisms of plasticity and memory can be studied. Among the main areas activated in limbic seizures are the amygdaloid complex, the hippocampal formation, piriform cortex and adjacent neocortices. The involvement of the olfactory structures in TLE is old and studies indicate that exposure to an olfactory stimulus is capable to suppress or inhibit or induce the occurrence of seizures. All the clinical and experimental evidences provide scientific support for the hypothesis that the olfactory stimulation with 2,5-Dihydro-2,4,5-trimethylthiazoline (TMT), a powerful chemical substance derived from fox feces which biologically represents the \"predator smell can influence the seizures process evoked by electrical stimulation of the amygdala. The overall objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of olfactory stimulation with TMT in seizures of Wistar rats subjected to rapid electrical kindling of the amygdala. Therefore, the chemical parameters of TMT were evaluated, as well as behavioral responses of naive male Wistar rats exposed to the olfactory stimulus with different concentrations of TMT. Other group of rats was electrically stimulated in the amygdaloid complex, following the protocol of rapid electrical kindling and the electroencephalographic recordings (EEGraphic) obtained from the piriform cortex, hippocampal formation in addition to the amygdaloid complex. After scorched the animals were exposed to TMT or distilled water, prior to the 21st electrical stimulation. Subsequently the cerebral tissue was processed (perfused, cryoprotected, frozen and sliced) and then processed for Nissl and Fluoro-Jade C histochemistry (FJC, a marker of neurodegeneration). The behavioral responses were analyzed by using the Severity Index for Limbic Seizures and neuroethology. In addition to EEG, reviewed after the 1st, 20th and 21th stimuli we also examined the presence/absence of neurodegeneration in regions of the limbic system. The results obtained in this study were compared with those obtained in the protocol of olfactory stimulation with TMT on acute audiogenic seizures of rats from the WAR strain. The TMT triggered fear reactions and modified the behavioral sequences, reduced motor activity and grooming behavior. Qualitative data from gas chromatography and mathematical algorithms made possible to establish the concentrations in the camera for the different doses of TMT. In addition, the gas chromatography helped to identify that 30 minutes is the time required for saturation and desaturation of the camera to TMT and indicated a homogeneous saturation of the interior of such camera. The pure TMT in rapid electrical kindling in Wistar rats was able to significantly reduce the Severity Index for Limbic Seizures, compared to water, corroborating the data of the neuroethology method indicating the suppressive effect of TMT in seizures, in both, the model of rapid electrical kindling as well as the acute audiogenic seizures. However, the results of the duration of the EEGraphic primary after-discharge at the 21th stimulus were inconclusive, requiring further analysis using different analytical methods. With the technique of FJC it was not observed necrotic cell death in any studied brain region.

Um dos modelos experimentais mais utilizados para estudar a epilepsia do lobo temporal (ELT) é o abrasamento (kindling) por estimulação elétrica diária da amígdala, o abrasamento elétrico convencional. Uma alternativa rápida e eficaz a esse modelo é o abrasamento elétrico rápido, também capaz de gerar crises límbicas, porém com 10 estímulos elétricos aplicados ao dia, por 2 dias. No 3º dia é aplicado um estímulo elétrico adicional, o 21º estímulo, quando podem ser testadas drogas antiepilépticas ou estudados mecanismos de plasticidade ou memória. Entre as principais áreas ativadas nas crises límbicas encontram-se o complexo amigdalóide, a formação hipocampal, o córtex piriforme e neocórtices adjacentes. O envolvimento de estruturas olfatórias na ELT é antigo e estudos indicam que a exposição a um estímulo olfatório é capaz de suprimir, inibir ou induzir a ocorrência de crises. Todas as evidências clínicas e experimentais dão suporte científico para a hipótese de que a estimulação olfatória com o 2,5-Dihydro-2,4,5-trimethylthiazoline (TMT), uma potente substância química, derivada das fezes de raposa e que biologicamente representa o cheiro de predador pode influenciar no processo de crises evocadas por estimulação elétrica da amígdala. O objetivo geral do presente estudo foi avaliar a influência da apresentação do estímulo olfatório com TMT nas crises epilépticas de ratos Wistar, submetidos ao abrasamento elétrico rápido da amígdala. Para tanto, os parâmetros químicos do TMT foram avaliados, bem como as respostas comportamentais de ratos Wistar machos naives submetidos ao estímulo olfatório com diferentes doses de TMT. Na sequência, um novo grupo de ratos Wistar machos naives foi submetido ao protocolo de abrasamento elétrico rápido da amígdala com a aquisição dos registros eletrencefalográficos (EEGráficos) do córtex piriforme, formação hipocampal além do complexo amigdalóide. Após abrasados os animais foram expostos ao TMT ou água destilada, previamente ao 21º estímulo elétrico. Posteriormente o tecido cerebral foi processado (perfundido, crioprotegido, congelado e cortado) e então foram feitas as técnicas histoquímicas de: Nissl e Fluoro-Jade C (FJC, marcador de neurodegeneração). As respostas comportamentais foram analisadas mediante o uso do Índice de Gravidade para Crises Límbicas e da neuroetologia. Adicionalmente foi avaliada a expressão EEGráfica do 1º, 20º e 21º estímulos e verificada a presença/ausência de neurodegeneração em regiões do sistema límbico. Os resultados da análise comportamental obtidos nesse estudo foram comparados com os obtidos no protocolo de estimulação olfatória com TMT nas crises audiogênicas agudas de ratos da cepa WAR. O TMT desencadeou reações de medo e modificou as sequências comportamentais, reduziu a atividade motora e os comportamentos de autolimpeza. Dados qualitativos da cromatografia gasosa e algoritmos matemáticos possibilitaram estabelecer as concentrações na câmara para as diferentes doses de TMT. Além disso, a cromatografia gasosa identificou que 30 minutos é o tempo necessário para saturação e dessaturação da câmara ao TMT, e indicou uma saturação homogênea do interior dessa câmara. O TMT puro no abrasamento elétrico rápido em ratos Wistar foi capaz de reduzir significativamente o Índice de Gravidade para Crises Límbicas comparado à água, corroborando os dados neuroetológicos que indicam o efeito supressor do TMT nas crises, tanto para o modelo de abrasamento elétrico rápido quanto para as crises audiogênicas agudas. Os resultados da duração da pós-descarga EEGráfica primária no 21º estímulo foram inconclusivos, sendo necessárias outras análises empregando diferentes métodos analíticos. Com a técnica de FJC não foi possível verificar morte celular por necrose em qualquer região cerebral avaliada. / One of the most widely used experimental models to study temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is the kindling by electrical daily stimulation of the amygdala, the conventional kindling. A rapid and effective alternative to this model is rapid electrical kindling, also capable of generating limbic seizures, but with 10 electrical stimuli applied per day for 2 days. On the 3rd day an additional electrical stimulus is applied, the 21st stimulus, when antiepileptic drugs can be tested or mechanisms of plasticity and memory can be studied. Among the main areas activated in limbic seizures are the amygdaloid complex, the hippocampal formation, piriform cortex and adjacent neocortices. The involvement of the olfactory structures in TLE is old and studies indicate that exposure to an olfactory stimulus is capable to suppress or inhibit or induce the occurrence of seizures. All the clinical and experimental evidences provide scientific support for the hypothesis that the olfactory stimulation with 2,5-Dihydro-2,4,5-trimethylthiazoline (TMT), a powerful chemical substance derived from fox feces which biologically represents the \"predator smell can influence the seizures process evoked by electrical stimulation of the amygdala. The overall objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of olfactory stimulation with TMT in seizures of Wistar rats subjected to rapid electrical kindling of the amygdala. Therefore, the chemical parameters of TMT were evaluated, as well as behavioral responses of naive male Wistar rats exposed to the olfactory stimulus with different concentrations of TMT. Other group of rats was electrically stimulated in the amygdaloid complex, following the protocol of rapid electrical kindling and the electroencephalographic recordings (EEGraphic) obtained from the piriform cortex, hippocampal formation in addition to the amygdaloid complex. After scorched the animals were exposed to TMT or distilled water, prior to the 21st electrical stimulation. Subsequently the cerebral tissue was processed (perfused, cryoprotected, frozen and sliced) and then processed for Nissl and Fluoro-Jade C histochemistry (FJC, a marker of neurodegeneration). The behavioral responses were analyzed by using the Severity Index for Limbic Seizures and neuroethology. In addition to EEG, reviewed after the 1st, 20th and 21th stimuli we also examined the presence/absence of neurodegeneration in regions of the limbic system. The results obtained in this study were compared with those obtained in the protocol of olfactory stimulation with TMT on acute audiogenic seizures of rats from the WAR strain. The TMT triggered fear reactions and modified the behavioral sequences, reduced motor activity and grooming behavior. Qualitative data from gas chromatography and mathematical algorithms made possible to establish the concentrations in the camera for the different doses of TMT. In addition, the gas chromatography helped to identify that 30 minutes is the time required for saturation and desaturation of the camera to TMT and indicated a homogeneous saturation of the interior of such camera. The pure TMT in rapid electrical kindling in Wistar rats was able to significantly reduce the Severity Index for Limbic Seizures, compared to water, corroborating the data of the neuroethology method indicating the suppressive effect of TMT in seizures, in both, the model of rapid electrical kindling as well as the acute audiogenic seizures. However, the results of the duration of the EEGraphic primary after-discharge at the 21th stimulus were inconclusive, requiring further analysis using different analytical methods. With the technique of FJC it was not observed necrotic cell death in any studied brain region.

IT utgör en stor del av majoriteten av folks vardagliga liv. Smartphones och surfplattor har om möjligt ytterligare ökat vår användning av tekniska enheter och prylar på en daglig basis. Arbetet tas med hem i en större grad med hjälp av laptops, VPN och molnmöjligheter. Mail kan tas emot i princip var och närsomhelst på dygnet. Men hur bra är säkerheten? På arbetsplatsen hanteras mycket av IT-säkerheten och ansvaret för den ofta av erfarna och dedikerade anställda, men hur ser det ut hemma där användaren själv har ansvaret för sin IT-säkerhet? I denna studie analyseras och identifieras risker och problem vid hantering av olika aktiviteter relaterade till IT-säkerhet i hemmet. Motivationsteorin TMT och en konceptuell modell av aktiviteter relaterade till IT-säkerhet användes för att ta fram frågorna till intervjuerna och för att analysera svaren. Information har samlats in genom intervjuer med personer i olika åldrar och med varierande erfarenhetsbakgrund. Risker har identifierats relaterat till brister i hemanvändares motivation att utföra aktiviteterna lösenordshantering och säkerhetskopiering samt bristande värderingar för aktiviteten utbildning.

With the ongoing globalization and changes in the economic environment, organizations need to be flexible and adaptable towards new situations and opportunities. In a context where firms strategically reach across national borders, firms are encountering differing cultural backgrounds. Multinational corporations (MNCs) are confronted with the question of how to fill executive positions. The need for employees with international expertise arises to reap the advantage of nationality diversity by matching the complexity of the global environment with the right level of board capital. Such firm managers must work in increasingly international contexts and cross-cultural environments. Scholars have regarded diversity as an essential element that helps organizations and their executives to deal with uncertainties arising from globalization. (Koles 2014). The top executives of an organization are regarded as an essential criterion for firm´s success. Top managers have considerable influence over the fate of the organizations they lead. These trends have led to increasing instability in classic employment relationships and show greater diversity and mobility within organizational and occupational boundaries (Dokko/Wilk/Rothbard 2009; Greenhaus/Callanan 2012; Biemann/Zacher/Feldman 2012; Koch et al. 2017). This dissertation further aims at advancing our empirical understanding of top managers diversity, internationalisation and their careers. The three research manuscripts that form the core of this thesis advance research on top managers in several ways and extend knowledge in the area of executive characteristics. All three manuscripts are anchored in the European context and address topics that are relevant yet underexplored in extant, mostly centred in the US and Western economies top management literature (Tosi/Greckhamer 2004; Carter et al. 2009; Boyd et al. 2012; Dauth 2012).

Thèse numérisée par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

The manager's personal wealth is one of the central building blocks of agency theory, which considers wealth to be an especially important source of individual utility. The managers' financial position, or the portion of their financial well-being that is not dependent on the firm, is also introduced in the original formulation of upper echelons theory. However, despite the importance of executive personal wealth to both theories, it is rarely mentioned, and even more scarcely studied. My research builds on and extends agency and upper echelons theories by focusing on executive personal wealth, defined here as the portion of executive net worth that is not attached to current employment at the firm (i.e., not contingent on current or future earnings). As such, this research provides an initial answer to the following research question: how does the average personal wealth of the top management team as well as within-team differences in wealth influence firm strategic choices with respect to risk? Specifically, I argue that external wealth alters how managers view firm decisions regarding risk; thus, I hypothesize that average top management team (TMT) wealth is negatively related to firm unrelated diversification, positively related to R&D investments, and positively related to firm risk. Next, I propose that two types of within-group diversity ? TMT wealth diversity and TMT pay dispersion ? attenuate the effect of average TMT wealth on these firm outcomes. I test my hypotheses on a panel dataset of over 700 firms/TMTs from the S&P1500 over 2002?2008 using panel tobit and fixed effect models, and conduct multiple robustness checks. Empirical results strongly and consistently support the hypothesized main effects of wealth. However, the results regarding the moderating effect of within-group diversity are weak, as the majority of the moderation hypotheses are not supported. The main conclusion is that wealthier TMTs are less risk averse with respect to firm strategic decisions, which manifests in greater R&D spending, lower unrelated diversification, and higher overall firm risk. Theoretical and empirical implications as well as suggestions for future research are discussed.

Contemporary studies in international management field conceptualize subsidiaries as semi-autonomous entities. By involving in entrepreneurial undertakings and strategic activities, subsidiaries could contribute strategic value to parent multinational corporation (MNC). Distinguishing from previous researches derived from entrepreneurship theory and done by Birkinshaw and his colleagues, this study incorporated human capital theory and knowledge-based view (KBV) to fulfill the existing research gap and enlarged our understanding of subsidiary entrepreneurship. This research proposed two models to unlock and testify the underexplored phenomenon of subsidiary entrepreneurship. In the first model, this research incorporated human capital management in MNCs context and testified that not merely top management team (TMT) entrepreneurial leadership and subsidiary entrepreneurial culture were critical antecedents of subsidiary¡¦s strategic initiative, but the human resource management (HRM) practices of subsidiary talent management played an important mediator to generate the entrepreneurial system. In the second model, this study demonstrated the cross-field integration and synthesis of entrepreneurial literatures, human capital theory and knowledge-based view and expressed a more comprehensive illustration of strategic entrepreneurship. This study certified that absorptive capacity could facilitate subsidiary¡¦s entrepreneurial culture and further enhance subsidiary¡¦s strategic initiative. Moreover, subsidiary¡¦s practices of talent management could facilitate its absorptive capacity and further contribute to subsidiary¡¦s strategic outputs. By analyzing the empirical data collected from 202 MNCs¡¦ foreign subsidiaries in Asian area, this study testified that the subsidiaries which could contribute strategic value creation for parent MNCs should equip multilayer of initiative-takings: the local distinctive capability, market initiative and knowledge outflow. Furthermore, the HRM practices of talent management in subsidiary played critical mediating role on both the development of organizational capability, improvement of absorptive capacity and the enhancement of subsidiary strategic initiative. TMT entrepreneurial leadership was the core engine which could activate subsidiary¡¦s mechanisms to facilitate the activities of strategic value creations.

This thesis focuses on exploring the problems and difficulties that Taiwanese-owned enterprises confront when they enter China market. Past studies on Taiwan companies entering China market lays great emphasis on the discussion of successful experiences and models. However, many actual illustrations of Taiwanese-owned enterprises suffering a setback have cautioned the follow-up Taiwan companies that the potential uncertainty and risk of China market are major factors of many strategic failing. Moreover, many individual relative factors affect the strategic responses of decision maker that can accommodate the inside and outside organizational environment well or not. Accordingly, through the gathering of a large number of secondary information and personal interviews, this study expects to provide a clearer macro-framework of how previous Taiwan companies¡¦ make incorrect and failing decisions with a practical method and help clarify the relationship among the errors. Additionally, this study tends to draw a valuable and meaningful conclusion from the process of data collecting and analysis. In accordance with the first research objective ¡V attributing and categorizing the factors that caused many complicated illustrations of Taiwan companies¡¦ failing, this study uses the decision-making framework to clarify the context. The decision-making framework can be divided into three parts, including decision makers, decision-making context, and decision-making process. The major influential factors of error derive from the decision maker and decision-making context. The third part, the errors of the decision-making process, are engendered and influenced by the former two parts, and thus will not be discussed much here. After classifying and grouping the factors of decision-making errors, this study further combines two parts, the error classification and the different types of enterprises, illustrate with a two-axes frame to clearly explain how a Taiwan enterprise with different conditions can relative seriously to the possibility of making mistakes and obstacle in China market. Major types of Taiwan enterprises include four parts: the entry timing¡Bthe investment orientation t¡Bthe composition of ownership and the business scale. The research findings are summarized as following, 1. The entry timing: As the time changes, government¡¦s attitude, investment environment and tendency, all are the very important thing affect to the bargaining power of any enterprises. What Taiwan enterprises that entry China market in different timing have concerned are quite different, even the possibility of making serious errors. 2. Investment orientation¡GThe enterprises are classified into two types ¡V orientation of China market selling and orientation of manufacture for export. Apparently, the two types of decision makers are quite different in risk-taking and risk- evaluating. As to the whole, the enterprises that focus on China market selling are more likely to engender several problems, such as consuming culture accommodation, distribution, and employee management problems. Compared with the other type, problem in capital uncertainty are apt to occur. 3. Composition of ownership: Compared with decision makers in joint venture, decision makers in ventures exclusively with his own investment have more right to act on their own. Because many difficulties are such serious that enterprises should not make, most Taiwanese-owned enterprises are more likely to enter China market in 100% ownership. 4. Business scale¡GCompared with the large scale of Taiwanese enterprises¡¦ decision makers, the medium and small companies¡¦ decision makers are more likely to make decisions quickly, adapt themselves to the changes, and prefer risks. Relatively, with the support of more resources, the large Taiwanese enterprises¡¦ decision makers could draw up their strategic planning of China step by step with rational ways. Compared with the medium and small enterprises, large enterprises have more bargaining power, and are likely to establish long-term relationship with the government. However, the medium and small enterprises still have their advantage in local government relationship and much closer to local consumer preference. All enterprises with different scale may have their own advantages and disadvantages. Despite that they both are confronted with the problem of joint venture and competition, the actual problems occurred are not the same. In the issue of the capital uncertainty, most large enterprises face more serious problems because many strategic blueprint of large enterprises need the support of a large amount of capital. If the enterprise has inappropriate arrangement or incorrect estimation, some capital issue may emerge.

As the rise of tourism industry, and the rapid development of hotel industry in China, we are eager to learn how different hotel brands operate there. This research focus on the study of top management team leaders and service brand value in hotels, where we also discuss the issues such as institutional context, human resource practices, service culture, and employee service behaviour. The research was conducted using a qualitative approach, and samples are selected from international brands, regional brands, and local brands. The purpose of this research is to investigate how different hotel service branding will be influential on top management team leadership and how it eventually leads to employee service behaviour. Results reveal that different service brand value has huge impact on top management team leadership, human resource practices, service culture, and promoting employee service behaviour, and moreover, institutional context also act as an important role in this research.

Many higher plants can synthesize methyl chloride gas via a common metabolic route, also known as the biological chloride methylation. The reaction is catalyzed by an S-adenosyl-L- methionine (AdoMet) dependent halide/thiol methyltransferase (H/TMT). It is speculated that plants use chloride methylation to remove excess chloride via volatilization and hence maintain homeostatic levels of cytoplasmic chloride ion, suggesting a role of H/TMT in salt tolerance. In this project, the effect of engineering a Brassica oleracea thiol methyltransferase (BoTMT) into tomato was studied to determine the physiological relevance of this enzyme in conferring salt tolerance. Transgenic tomato plants acquired the ability to release methyl chloride in response to NaCl treatment, but exhibited no greater tolerance to NaCl, based on several morphological and physiological measurements, as compared to the wild-type plants. The results indicate that AdoMet dependent chloride methylation is unlikely to contribute to an increase in salt tolerance in higher plants.