Lesões na parte ventral do núcleo anteromedial do tálamo (AMv) interferem no processamento da memória aversiva predatória sem no entanto influenciar as respostas de defesa inatas do animal frente a um predador. O escopo deste trabalho foi entender melhor o papel do AMv e investigar se seus alvos de projeção corticais também interferem no processamento da memória aversiva. No primeiro experimento detectamos que o AMv participa da aquisição da memória aversiva. As áreas corticais pré-límbica, cingulada anterior, visual anteromedial e retroesplenial ventral, recebem e integram entre si projeções oriundas do AMv, além de enviar projeções para a amígdala e hipocampo. Estas áreas corticais estão seletivamente recrutadas durante a exposição ao predador, e observamos que lesões neuroquímicas afetaram severamente a formação da memória aversiva. Nossos dados sugerem que há um circuito de áreas corticais que está criticamente envolvido no processo mnemônico aqui abordado, e fornece as primeiras evidências para a hipótese de módulos corticais a partir do conectoma do rato. / Neurochemical lesions placed into ventral part of anteromedial thalamic nucleus (AMv) disrupt contextual, but not innate, fear responses to predatory threats. In the present investigation, we determined whether the AMv is involved in the acquisition and/or retrieval of the conditioned responses, and if its cortical targets are involved in the fear memory processing. In the first assay, we found that AMv has a critical role in the acquisition of conditioned responses. The cortical areas prelimbic (PL), anterior cingulate area (ACA), anteromedial visual area (VISam) and the ventral part of retrosplenial area (RSPv), receive projections from AMv and are recruited during predator exposure. The integrity of these cortical areas is required for the processing of the mnemonic processes here addressed. Our data corroborate current ideas on functional cortical modules, and help to elucidate how they are involved in the acquisition of fear memories related to life threatening situations.

In response to the growing rates of antibiotic resistance in human bacterial pathogens, this study explores the natural products involved in the defensive symbiosis between actinobacteria and fungus-growing ants to uncover new potential antibiotics. This study also seeks to understand the function of natural antibiotics in their ecological contexts, especially those involved in defensive symbioses. Defensive symbiosis can be a beneficial platform for discovering useful antibiotics, because antibiotics in these relationships must be able to selectively inhibit enemies without harming hosts, and are therefore likely more specific and less toxic. Pseudonocardia sp. associated with Trachymyrmex septentrionalis ants demonstrated antibiotic activity against several gram-positive bacteria. Therefore, the natural products from this strain were extracted and purified through activity-guided fractionation. Using mass spectrometry, the structure of the active compound was elucidated as GE37468A, an antibiotic that has been previously identified from Streptomyces sp. ATCC 55365 from Italy. This compound had never before been characterized in a defensive symbiosis, which demonstrates the use of the molecule in a new context. Antibiotic GE37468A is a thiopeptide, which is a group of antibiotics that has previously demonstrated strong activity against many gram-positive bacteria, including bacterial human pathogens. Due to its potency against dangerous bacteria and its likely low toxicity, this antibiotic could therefore hold potential pharmacological uses.

<p>A new group of anabolic androgenic steroid (AAS) users has developed during the last two decades. This group consists primarily of young men interested in improving their physical appearance. Within this group, AAS are sometimes used together with other illicit drugs, alcohol and nicotine. Brutal and violent crimes have been committed under the influence of AAS, possibly because of AAS psychiatric side effects, ranging from increased aggression and psychosis to depression. Unfortunately, the biochemical mechanisms behind these effects are poorly understood.</p><p>In this thesis we used an animal model to study biochemical and behavioural effects of chronic AAS treatment (15 mg/kg/day of nandrolone decanoate for 14 days). The effect on the endogenous opioid peptides and the expression of immediate-early gene protein Fos in various brain regions were studied using radioimmunoassay and immunohistochemistry, respectively. In addition, we studied AAS effect on voluntary alcohol consumption and defensive behaviours, including aggression. The results show that AAS enhance endogenous opioid activity and Fos expression in brain regions regulating reward, aggression and disinhibitory behaviours. An imbalance between two opioid systems with generally opposing effects, the enkephalins with euphoric and the dynorphins with dysphoric effects, was also found. This implies that AAS alter the ability to maintain a stable state of mind and the response to other drugs of abuse. The AAS pre-treated animals enhanced their alcohol intake, were more aggressive and showed lower fleeing and freezing reaction than the controls. In addition, AAS enhanced amphetamine-induced aggression when the amphetamine was given three weeks after the last AAS injection.</p><p>The behavioural and biochemical results found in this thesis, support the hypothesis that use of AAS might lead to the development of dependence and may induce changes in the brain leading to disinhibitory behaviours.</p>

A new group of anabolic androgenic steroid (AAS) users has developed during the last two decades. This group consists primarily of young men interested in improving their physical appearance. Within this group, AAS are sometimes used together with other illicit drugs, alcohol and nicotine. Brutal and violent crimes have been committed under the influence of AAS, possibly because of AAS psychiatric side effects, ranging from increased aggression and psychosis to depression. Unfortunately, the biochemical mechanisms behind these effects are poorly understood. In this thesis we used an animal model to study biochemical and behavioural effects of chronic AAS treatment (15 mg/kg/day of nandrolone decanoate for 14 days). The effect on the endogenous opioid peptides and the expression of immediate-early gene protein Fos in various brain regions were studied using radioimmunoassay and immunohistochemistry, respectively. In addition, we studied AAS effect on voluntary alcohol consumption and defensive behaviours, including aggression. The results show that AAS enhance endogenous opioid activity and Fos expression in brain regions regulating reward, aggression and disinhibitory behaviours. An imbalance between two opioid systems with generally opposing effects, the enkephalins with euphoric and the dynorphins with dysphoric effects, was also found. This implies that AAS alter the ability to maintain a stable state of mind and the response to other drugs of abuse. The AAS pre-treated animals enhanced their alcohol intake, were more aggressive and showed lower fleeing and freezing reaction than the controls. In addition, AAS enhanced amphetamine-induced aggression when the amphetamine was given three weeks after the last AAS injection. The behavioural and biochemical results found in this thesis, support the hypothesis that use of AAS might lead to the development of dependence and may induce changes in the brain leading to disinhibitory behaviours.

During its first few decades, the People¡¦s Liberation Army Air Force strategy was primarily formulated to support the ground forces¡¦ needs. Serious changes in the way the PLAAF thought about its future really began as a result of Deng Xiaoping¡¦s 1985 ¡§strategic decision¡¨ that directed the armed forces to change from preparation for an ¡§early, major, and nuclear war¡¨ to preparation for ¡§local war.¡¨ These changes included writing new teaching materials, conducting research on combination of offensive and defensive capabilities, and doing research on campaign and strategic theory. Wang Hai initiated the concept of combination of offensive and defensive operations in 1987, but it did not receive much publicity. Since the Gulf war, the PLAAF has been grappling with the demands of a radically changed its strategy that underscored the technological obsolescence of their armaments and so fundamentally affected the missions of the air forces that its traditional training principles and objective were largely inapplicable to. In late 1999, the PLAAF¡¦s commander, Liu Shunyao, began to emphasize the need to fight offensive battles and declare PLAAF¡¦s strategy of combination of offensive and defensive operations to build a People¡¦s Liberation Army capable of waging ¡§local war under high-tech conditions.¡¨ In a future high-tech local war, the PLAAF will be called up as the first one to encounter the enemy and fight until the last minute. It is gradually transitioning from a support service into an independent one and from a national territory air defense type of air force into one that conducts combination of offensive and defensive operations. The PLAAF is working on its way to reform its military conformation, adjust its military training guidelines and renew its old equipment. By establishing an all-weather and attack-defense air force to battle in a modern high-tech environment, it is expected to acquire the full ability to perform ¡§local war under high-tech conditions.¡¨ The purposes of the thesis are as follows: 1. Illustrate the tendency and contents of current air power theories and wars. 2. Illustrate the stages of PLAAF¡¦s development and the roles and performances it takes on in the wars. 3. Clarify the theoretic contents of PLAAF¡¦s air power in each stage. 4. Conclude the present and future contents and actions of the PLAAF¡¦s air power on the theoretic and practical aspects. 5. Analyze the future developments and challenges of PLAAF¡¦s air power. Expected to focus on the discussion on the theoretic and practical aspects, the thesis was organized as a modal for explaining the PLAAF¡¦s air power and to be used as the referential basis to illustrate the developments of the past, present and future PLAAF¡¦s air power.

Lokal politik har en viktig roll i samhället och dess faktakonstruktion kan ha en påverkan på individen. Lokalpolitikern konstruerar i sina anföranden beskrivningar av verkligheten som görs trovärdiga genom retoriskt arbete. Arbetet använder en diskurspsykologisk metod för att undersöka kommunpolitikers anförande i debatten rörande kommunens styrdokument, Inriktning, verksamhet och ekonomi (förkortat IVE) för åren 2015 till 2018. Studien kommer fram till att problem och lösningar görs till fakta genom användandet av offensiv och defensiv retorik. I konstruerandet av problemet finns också ett konstruerande av en politisk motståndare som föranlett problemet. Producerandet görs trovärdigt genom retoriska resurser som främst är av offensiv karaktär. I konstruerandet av lösningar positionerar kommunpolitiker sig nära lösningen och som kapabla och ansvarsfulla aktörer. I producerandet nyttjas retoriska resurser som främst är av defensiv karaktär. / Local government has an important role in society and their facts construction can have an impact on the individual citizen. In their speeches, local politicians construct descriptions of reality that are made credible by their rhetorical work. This study utilizes a discourse psychological method to investigate municipal politicians’ speech in the debate on the municipal policy regarding Orientation, Services and Economics (abbreviated IVE) for the years of 2015 throughout 2018. The study concludes that problems and solutions become facts through utilization of offensive and defensive rhetorical techniques. In the construction of the problem there is also a construction of the political opponent that has prompted the problem. The production is made credible through rhetorical resources of primarily offensive characteristics. In constructing the solution the municipal politicians position themselves close to the solution and as capable and responsible actors. In the production they use rhetorical resources that are mainly in defensive form.

The focus of this thesis is the normative base of moral liability to defensive harm. Many argue that liability is what makes it morally permissible to seriously injure or kill in self-defense or in the defense of others. Authors such as Jonathan Quong and Jeff McMahan argue that liability not only has important implications for the individual morality of self-defense, but that it plays a major role in the principles of just war conduct. How you determine when someone is liable will have a significant impact on when someone can be harmed. In this paper, I focus on the question of what a person must do to be morally liable to defensive harm. More specifically, I take a close look at Jeff McMahan’s moral responsibility account of liability and argue that it is unsatisfying as an explanation of when and why a person is liable. I then argue that an evidence-based account of liability better captures our moral intuitions surrounding liability. I end by considering an argument put forward by Quong on why we should not support an evidence-based account of liability. / Thesis (Master, Philosophy) -- Queen's University, 2012-09-30 12:44:32.85

過去在防禦型印象管理策略前因的探討相當缺乏，應徵者端的前因文獻存在缺口，故本研究欲探討防禦型印象管理的三種策略：「道歉」、「開脫」與「合理化」策略的選擇因素包含應徵者的自我監控特質與國籍差異，並將五大人格特質納為本研究的控制變項。本研究採問卷法，透過紙本與網路兩種收集管道，總共收集了台灣與非台灣(歐洲)兩地共171份有效樣本，其中台灣為102份，非台灣(歐洲)則為69份。 本研究結果指出，應徵者在進行防禦型印象管理戰術選擇時會因國籍的不同而有差異，特別是對於「道歉」與「開脫」策略的影響，台灣樣本傾向使用前者，而歐洲樣本則傾向使用後者，然而「合理化」策略並未有差異；至於自我監控特質則僅影響「合理化」策略的使用，對「道歉」與「開脫」策略的使用並無影響。本研究結果同時提供面試官與應徵者如何解讀防禦型印象管理戰術；對企業而言，面試官並無法完全藉由應徵者使用的防禦型印象管理戰術推測其自我監控特質；對應徵者而言，合理化策略在研究結果中為一保守且安全的策略使用。 / In the past, there are lacks of researches studied about the antecedent of defensive impression management tactics. Especially the antecedents of applicants’ side are still unknown, and that is the purpose of this research. This research plans to explore the effects of applicants’ self-monitoring and nationality differences on the choices of applicants’ defensive impression management tactic. Paper and online questionnaire methods were conducted. 171 samples were been collected which were from Taiwan and non-Taiwan (Europe). There were 102 samples from Taiwan area and 69 samples were from non-Taiwan area which is Europe area. The results show that the nationality differences affect applicants’ choices of defensive management tactics, especially apology and excuse tactics. Samples from Taiwan area tend to choose apology tactic. However, samples from non-Taiwan (Europe) area prefer to choose excuse tactic in the same situation. And self-monitoring only affects justification tactic. These results can provide the guidance for both interviewers and applicants. For interviewers, it’s not suitable to infer applicant’s self-monitoring by the tactic he/she chose. And for applicants, justification tactic could be a safe option in such situation.

This paper realizes a systematization of the main arguments discussed by Mészáros in Chapter XVIII of his book Beyond Capital, on the failure of social democracy and the communist movement in the twentieth century and the nature of political power constituted under the command of capital. This chapter, the author examines both the failure of the proposed gradual reform of social democracy, as the reasons for the victory of reformist strategy at work, move from objective determinations of the capital system. For Mészáros, it was the dynamic expansion of capital, which had already been developing in the late nineteenth century, and was completed after the first seven decades of the twentieth century which enabled the victory of reformist strategy in the labor movement, allowing both the structuring of the State of Welfare. This assertion Mészáros, that the defensive achievements of work are associated with stages of progress of capital accumulation, became apparent in the 1970s with the emergence of the structural crisis of capital. The blocking of the dynamic expansion of capital caused the collapse of the State of Social Welfare, revealing the exhaustion phase of the achievements of the defensive work. The structural crisis of capital, and make viable the defensive struggles of labor, since it does not allow further expansion of political and social rights, endangers the very existence of the order sociometabólica capital. The structural crisis, according to Mészáros, generates the objective possibilities of the socialist offensive, namely the construction of an alternative material that challenges the power and political capital. However, says the author, for this, movement of work needs to overcome the disjuncture between economics and politics, the peculiar order of capital, and completely restructure both ways, as their instruments of struggle. These, then, the main problems of new phase of history / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Este texto realiza uma sistematização das principais teses discutidas por Mészáros, no capítulo XVIII do seu livro Para Além do Capital, sobre o fracasso da socialdemocracia e do movimento comunista no século XX e sobre a natureza do poder político constituído sob o comando do capital. Neste capítulo, o autor analisa tanto o fracasso da proposta de reforma gradual da socialdemocracia, quanto as razões da vitória da estratégia reformista no movimento do trabalho, a partir das determinações objetivas do sistema do capital. Para Mészáros, foi a expansão dinâmica do capital, a qual vinha se desenvolvendo no final do século XIX e foi concluída após as primeiras sete décadas do século XX, que permitiu a vitória da estratégia reformista no movimento do trabalho, possibilitando a estruturação do Estado de Bem-Estar Social. Essa afirmação do autor, de que as conquistas defensivas do trabalho estão associadas às fases de progresso da acumulação do capital, tornou-se evidente na década de 1970 com o aparecimento da crise estrutural do capital: o bloqueio da expansão dinâmica do capital provocou o colapso do Estado de Bem-Estar Social, trazendo à tona o esgotamento da fase das conquistas defensivas do trabalho. A crise estrutural do capital, além de tornar inviáveis as lutas defensivas do trabalho, visto que não permite mais a expansão das políticas e direitos sociais, coloca em risco a própria existência da ordem sociometabólica do capital. Além disso, a crise estrutural, segundo Mészáros, gera as possibilidades objetivas da ofensiva socialista, ou seja, da construção de uma alternativa que desafie o poder material e político do capital. No entanto, ressalta o autor, para isso, o movimento do trabalho precisa superar a disjunção entre economia e política, peculiar à ordem do capital, e reestruturar por completo tanto as formas, quanto os seus instrumentos de luta. São esses, portanto, os principais problemas dessa nova fase histórica

O presente trabalho visa analisar a política externa da União das Repúblicas Socialistas Soviéticas (URSS) no período de 1917 a 1985. Até 1953, a política da URSS caracterizou-se como defensiva: buscava, em meio a um período de profunda crise do sistema capitalista, evitar as invasões a seu território, objetivando a modernização acelerada não apenas para integrar o país ao mundo produtivo e industrializado, como para também ter condições materiais de defender-se e de combater os inimigos em caso de guerra. No período posterior a 1953, o status de grande potência e líder do bloco socialista marcou um novo capítulo na história da política externa soviética – isso porque obterá um caráter mais reativo, em decorrência de um novo contexto internacional, que se estruturava na competição intersistêmica do bloco capitalista e socialista, como exposto por Fred Halliday. A URSS atuou no intuito de promover aliados e parcerias, especialmente no Terceiro Mundo. Dessa forma, como um todo, a URSS acabou por também promover uma política de coexistência pacífica contra o imperialismo, impulsionando uma mudança qualitativa nas relações de poder para as relações internacionais. / This study aims to analyze the foreign policy of the USSR in the period from 1917 to 1985. Until 1953, the policy of the USSR was known as defensive, as sought in the midst of a period of profound crisis of the capitalist system, prevent intrusions into its territory, seeking accelerated modernization not only in order to integrate the country into productive and industrialized world, but also to be able to defend material conditions and fight enemies in case of war. After 1953, the status of great power and leader of the socialist bloc marked a new chapter in the history of soviet foreign policy, giving a more reactive perspective to its actions as a result of a new international environment: the intersystem competition among the capitalist bloc and the socialist bloc, as exposed by Fred Halliday. Thus, the USSR acts in order to promote partnerships and allies, especially in the Third World. Thus, as a whole, the USSR also ends up promoting a policy of peaceful coexistence, against imperialism, driving a qualitative shift in power relations to international relations.