Monoamine oxidases (MAOs) are phylogenetically old enzymes which catalyze the deamination of monoamines. Interest in a relationship between MAO and aggressive behaviour derives from the report of a single family with a mutation which obliterates the activity of MAO A, as well as a long history of studies which substantiate a relationship between MAO activity and impulsive aggressive behaviour. The goals of this thesis were: (1) to examine the generalizability of the specific MAO mutation noted above; (2) to evaluate the relationship between platelet MAO activity and genetic polymorphisms in MAO genes, and (3) to extend knowledge regarding the developmental behavioural impact of MAO deficiency in mice treated pre- and perinatally with inhibitors of MAO. / In the first study we genotyped the C936T mutation in 100 subjects followed longitudinally and oversampled for aggressive behaviour. None of the subjects in our sample carried this mutation. / In the second study, we report the lack of association between platelet MAO activity and four intronic microsatellite polymorphisms of the MAO genes. / Studies of MAO knockout mice are at significant variance with clinical pharmacological experience using MAO inhibitors. Prompted by this and by other seminal basic experiments, we hypothesized that inhibition of MAO activity during the developmental period would have profound behavioural effects. MAO A and B inhibitors were administered, separately or in combination, to mice during gestation and lactation. Total prenatal MAO inhibition produced a severe pattern of behaviour, while MAO-B inhibited mice demonstrated a similar pattern with lower intensity. Aggression was elevated in MAO-A inhibited mice only after acute pharmacological challenges suggesting prenatal sensitization. Thus developmental inhibition of MAO activity engenders behavioural effects which parallel those observed in animals devoid functional MAO. These data underscore the importance of neurochemical changes during development and provide a possible model for uninhibited aggression, common in clinical populations.

Thesis (M.S.)--Ohio University, August, 2007. / Title from PDF t.p. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of North Texas, Dec., 2007. / Title from title page display. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A.) - Carleton University, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 136-143). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

Thesis (M.S.)--Bowling Green State University, 2008. / Document formatted into pages; contains vii, 68 p. : ill. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2002. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 161-182). Available also in an electronic version.

Title from title page of PDF (University of Missouri--St. Louis, viewed February 15, 2010). Includes bibliographical references (p. 117-125).

In my essay I illustrate some of the different methods and theories that can be applied when children in preschool exhibit a disruptive behavior. I reflect on the story based on concepts such as shame, guilt, emotional state, competens to play, solution-oriented pedagogy and forum theater. The story takes place in a kindergarten yard. There are five children at the age of five playing a game that is inspired by a program that two of the children have seen on TV, and it must be real. The game goes astray and the children who had seen the program fall into physical conflict with each other. One child pushes his mate up against a wall with the aid of a stick. My reflektions of the text assumes questions on how I can resolv the conflict in a good way, what is the role of emotions in interaction with others? I investigate whether a form of forum theater could be a way to bring in more of the theories in efforts to help children with externalizing behavior to find strategies in every day life. I also reflect whether observations, dramatizations, environment and attitude can make a difference in how children handle their capacity for constructive play and their interaction with other children? In my conclusions, I see that there is not one way to go but many. Everything depends on the situation, the children and the educators that are involved.

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.