Motor-Vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teens and young adults. Research and public interventions have primarily examined the impact of external factors related to driving; however, less work has examined internal factors. Limited research has shown a negative association between trait forgiveness of others and both driving anger and driving aggression. The current study replicates previous findings and expands to include multiple dimensions of forgiveness and adverse driving outcomes as a dependent variable. It was predicted that multiple dimensions of forgiveness would be directly and indirectly related to adverse driving outcomes through the mediators of anger rumination, stress, and dangerous driving. Undergraduate students (N=759) at a regional university completed a series of self-report questionnaires online examining driving anger, driving aggression, multiple dimensions of forgiveness, adverse driving outcomes, anger rumination, stress, and dangerous driving behaviors. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were used to replicate previous findings (analysis 1) and multiple serial mediations as expansion (analysis 2). In replication, trait forgiveness of others was shown to have a negative bivariate correlation with driving anger and driving aggression and to be a significant predictor of driving aggression above that of driving anger (analysis 1). Multiple serial mediation demonstrated an indirect only effect of multiple dimensions of forgiveness on adverse driving outcomes through the various mediators (analysis 2); however, varied relationships were observed. As a result, forgiveness of self and of uncontrollable situations demonstrated a significant negative effect on adverse driving outcomes through the various mediators. However, although, forgiveness of others was found to have a significant negative effect through anger rumination and dangerous driving behaviors in serial, it demonstrated a positive effect with stress as a mediator. The results support and replicate previous research and demonstrate a significant indirect only effect of multiple dimensions of forgiveness on adverse driving outcomes through the current mediators. The relationships were varied, however. Therefore, multiple dimensions of forgiveness continue to be meaningful variables related to driving anger, driving aggression, and adverse driving outcomes.

Aggressive fibromatosis is a fibroproliferative tumour that can occur as a sporadic lesion or a manifestation in FAP patients. Tumours are characterized by the stabilization of beta-catenin. Current therapies have yet to offer complete success for primary and recurrent tumours, and there remains a need for more effective therapeutic strategies. In this work, we demonstrate the anti-neoplastic and beta-catenin modulating capacities of Nefopam, a currently approved analgesic agent. We found that Nefopam was able to decrease cell viability and proliferation as well as total beta-catenin levels in human aggressive fibromatosis tumour cells in vitro. Furthermore, Nefopam reduced the number of tumours formed in the Apc+/Apc1638N aggressive fibromatosis mouse model. We also demonstrated that androgens contribute to the development of tumours and could also modulate beta-catenin levels as indicated in Testosterone-treated orchidectomized Apc+/Apc1638N mice. Together, this work suggests that Nefopam and androgen signaling-blocking agents are potential candidates to effectively manage aggressive fibromatosis.

Aggressive fibromatosis is a fibroproliferative tumour that can occur as a sporadic lesion or a manifestation in FAP patients. Tumours are characterized by the stabilization of beta-catenin. Current therapies have yet to offer complete success for primary and recurrent tumours, and there remains a need for more effective therapeutic strategies. In this work, we demonstrate the anti-neoplastic and beta-catenin modulating capacities of Nefopam, a currently approved analgesic agent. We found that Nefopam was able to decrease cell viability and proliferation as well as total beta-catenin levels in human aggressive fibromatosis tumour cells in vitro. Furthermore, Nefopam reduced the number of tumours formed in the Apc+/Apc1638N aggressive fibromatosis mouse model. We also demonstrated that androgens contribute to the development of tumours and could also modulate beta-catenin levels as indicated in Testosterone-treated orchidectomized Apc+/Apc1638N mice. Together, this work suggests that Nefopam and androgen signaling-blocking agents are potential candidates to effectively manage aggressive fibromatosis.

Obesity is a growing public health issue with few effective treatments. Many of the human genes involved in weight regulation have homologues in other species. In Drosophila melanogaster, 11-cis-vaccenyl acetate (cVA) is a pheromone shown to affect both aggression and feeding behaviour. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of cVA exposure on gene expression in wild type flies and to confirm crosses with genetic knockouts in the cVA pathway. The genes studied in the wild type flies were Akh (homologue of glucagon), Dilp2,-3 and -5 (homologues of insulin), Dsk (homologue of cholecystokinin), sNPF (homologue of neuropeptide Y) and TβH. The knockout genes studied were Or65a, Or67d and TβH. RNA was extracted from whole heads, cDNA synthesis was performed and the cDNA was then used in SYBR Green RT-qPCR. The knockout genes were not confirmed, due to methodological problems. The expression of Dilp3, Dilp5 and Dsk were significantly lower in the experimental flies, the expression of the other genes where not affected. The results indicate that exposure to cVA affects the expression of some of the neuropeptides involved in weight regulation. Due to the methodological problems experienced, a recommendation is to confirm the data using different reagents.

Syftet med föreliggande uppsats var att undersöka huruvida det är samma ungdomar som blir utsatta för aggressiva beteenden i sina hem, i skolan och på fritiden, som samtidigt utsätter andra för aggressiva beteenden i dessa miljöer. Uppsatsen gjorde en ansats till att skifta fokus från att tillskriva orsaker till problembeteenden på inneboende egenskaper hos ungdomarna till en transaktionell process där den enskilda individen är en del i ett samspel med andra. Vi undersökte om det är detta samspel i hemmet som ungdomarna tar med sig till skolmiljön och fritidsmiljöer. Undersökningsgruppen bestod av 1485 personer i årskurserna 7 till 9 i grundskolan, varav 756 pojkar och 729 flickor. Data var hämtad från en longitudinell enkätundersökning utförd inom ramen för det Örebrobaserade projektet "7-skolor". De statistiska metoderna som användes var hierarkisk klusteranalys, korstabeller i Exacon samt envägs-Anova med post-hoc test. Resultaten visade att det fanns en distinkt grupp ungdomar som både utsätter andra för aggressiva beteenden och samtidigt blir utsatta av andra för aggressiva beteenden inom de olika miljöerna hemmet, skola och fritiden. Vi fann stöd för att de ungdomar som hade ömsesidigt aggressiva interaktioner med sina föräldrar tenderade vara samma ungdomar som hade ömsesidigt aggressiva interaktioner med kamrater, lärare och människor i fritidsmiljön. En orsakshypotes för ovanstående resultat var att gruppen hade en bristande förmåga till emotionell reglering. Detta undersöktes och blev belyst i uppsatsen.

1. Institute of Marine Biology, National Sun Yat-sen University 2. Department of Biology, National Changhua University of Education Abstract Brain serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) generally serves an inhibitory role in aggressive behavior. But little is known about how 5-HT works during agonistic interaction and where the related works take place in the brain. Paradise fish has regular and ritual process of agonistic interaction which can be separated into three phases, namely, initial phase, threatening phase, and fighting phase. In initial phase, two fish encounter and swim close to each other. In threatening phase, two fish display shaking, head-tail swimming to threat their opponent. In fighting phase, two fish bite each other. With its stereotyped pattern of agonistic behaviors and amenability for pharmacological manipulation, paradise fish represents an excellent model for studies on neurochemical basis of aggressive behaviors. The results suggested that proper visual stimulus stemming from the interacting opponents elicits a socially stressful state that activates the telencephalic serotonergic system of the receipting paradise fish. The elevated serotonergic activity appears to inhibit the interacting individuals from entering fighting phase by constraining them to threatening phase. Presumably, diminishing activity of the telencephalic serotonergic system ushers in physical fighting behaviors.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2001. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 98-119).

Laboratory experiments examined now aggressive behavior, use of space, activity and breathing frequency were affected by the number of fish competing for a concentrated, renewing, intermittent food source. Total aggression rate per fish and the proportion of long chases decreased in larger groups and increased during short periods in which food was unavailable. The proportional use of the area near the food source was maximal at intermediate group sizes suggesting that use of the feeding area was reduced by aggressive defense at low densities and by passive interference at high densities. Air-breathing frequency tended to be lower when food was available than when it was not, suggesting that gouramis reduce their use of atmospheric oxygen when it may result in loss of food to competitors. Group size affects the pattern of food competition more through economic resource defense than through passive interference.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Tufts University, 2003. / Advisers: Klaus Miczek; Joe DeBold. Submitted to the Dept. of Psychology. In title, GABAA is spelled GABA with a subscript A. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 146-183). Access restricted to members of the Tufts University community. Also available via the World Wide Web;

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2006. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.