Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2005. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

More and more SME’s, which create entrepreneurial spirit and innovation, which are primarily responsible for wealth and economic growth, are internationalizing. This increases their probability of business closure due to the increased risk they face from operating in foreign markets. Much of the world blames the U.S. financial excesses for these business closures, but at the same time there are also SME’s withdrawing activities from foreign markets in economic stable times. This indicates that there are more and other reasons for de-internationalization and raises the problem of how do SME’s close their businesses in foreign markets. The purpose of this study is to explore how the drivers and determinants of deinternationalization affect the form and the paths of de-internationalization for SME’s. The aim is to provide and contribute to a better understanding of deinternationalization. This was studied through developing four case studies with Dutch SME’s with a qualitative research approach. For empirical data collection interviews were conducted with the persons closely involved with the de-internationalization of the SME’s. This in combination with the developed theoretical framework, based on a theory discussion and synthesis, provided more insight into the de-internationalization topic. The findings of this study show that a unique combination of drivers and determinants of de-internationalization is present in each case study and the relative influence of them differs. Most of the de-internationalization took place in a voluntary way, due to the nature and predictability of the occurring drivers. Moreover, it was found that the drivers of de-internationalization combined with the determinants influence the form in which de-internationalization can take place. It was also found that the form of deinternationalization, which SME’s have chosen, determines the two paths of deinternationalization, which are partial divestment and full market exit. This study contributes to the better understanding of de-internationalization, by identifying the forms and paths which SME’s can choose when withdrawing activities in foreign markets. Moreover, the main drivers and determinants have been identified and it was analysed how they affect the different forms and paths of de-internationalization and this was conceptualized in a model. The recommendations are, that deinternationalization should be seen as a strategic option SME’s have and should be considered in corporate strategies. Therefore, the associations with this phenomenon could be seen (more) positive.

Withdrawal in early childhood is a risk factor for the development of many adjustment problems. Mothers’ depressive symptoms may affect the development of withdrawal through complex mechanisms. This study examined the relation of mothers’ depressive symptoms to children’s withdrawal from 24 to 54 months and developmental mechanisms of this relation. Based on data from the NICHD study of Early Child Care, results demonstrate that mothers’ cumulative depressive symptoms from 6 to 24 months predicted children’s withdrawal at 24 months across dyads. From 24 to 54 months, within-dyad increases in mothers’ depressive symptoms predicted within-dyad increases in children’s withdrawal. Finally, low competent parenting was partially responsible for the impact of mothers’ early depressive symptoms on children’s withdrawal. In addition, boys’ withdrawal was more strongly associated with mothers’ depressive symptoms than girls’. / text

It has been proposed that relapse vulnerability in previously dependent individuals results from augmentation of drug-induced reinforcement due to repeated associations between the interoceptive properties of the drug and reduction of acute withdrawal distress. To test this hypothesis, male Sprague-Dawley rats self-administered 0.05 mg/kg/inf heroin on continuous and progressive ratio (PR) schedules. During this period, they also received injections of vehicle or escalating doses of heroin. Following tests of naloxone-precipitated withdrawal (0.01 or 0.1 mg/kg, SC), as well as abstinence (4 days), and extinction training (9 sessions), they were pre-treated with vehicle or yohimbine (0.5 mg/kg, IV) and tested for resumption of heroin self-administration (0.05 mg/kg/inf) on continuous and PR schedules (Experiments 1 & 2), or tested for reinstatement in extinction conditions. Differences between vehicle- and heroin-injected rats were noted on self-administration on the continuous reinforcement schedule, but not on the PR schedule, in spite of greater signs of withdrawal precipitated by naloxone in the heroin-injected rats. More importantly, there were no group differences in resumption of heroin self-administration, and this was not altered by yohimbine. These results suggest that relapse vulnerability cannot be uniquely ascribed to the altered reinforcing action of drugs; contextual and other conditioning factors must play a role in modulating resumption of drug intake after periods abstinence.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology, 1998? / Bibliography: leaves 1-26.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--George Mason University, 2009. / Vita: p. 118. Thesis director: Robert F. Smith. Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology. Title from PDF t.p. (viewed June 10, 2009\). Includes bibliographical references (p. 101-117). Also issued in print.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Baylor University, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 113-134).

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wyoming, 2008. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on June 23, 2009). Includes bibliographical references (p. 58-60).

MSCAGR (Animal Science) / Department of Animal Science / The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of feed withdrawal and strain on laying performance and egg quality of White and Brown Hy-line layers. Fifty four hens for each strain (White Hy-Line and Brown Hy-line) aged 18 weeks (point of laying stage) were used in the investigation. Feed withdrawal had no effect (P>0.05) on laying performance, mortality rate, egg internal and external quality, but significantly affected (P<0.01) average feed intake, body weight, small and extra-large eggs percentages. Hens under ad libitum consumed more feed than hens under four hours and eight hours feed withdrawal. High body weight was observed on ad libitum fed hens, intermediate on eight hours feed withdrawn hens and lower at four hours feed withdrawn hens. High percentage of small graded eggs was observed on four hours feed withdrawn hens, intermediate on eight hours feed withdrawn hens and lower on ad libitum fed hens. High percentage of extra-large graded eggs was observed on ad libitum fed hens, intermediate on eight hours feed withdrawn hens and lower four hours feed withdrawn hens. Strain had a significant effect on average egg weight, median egg weight, albumen weight, extra-small, small, medium and large graded eggs percentages (P<0.01) and on body weight, egg height , egg width, average egg shell colour (P<0.05). Strain did not affect (P>0.05) average feed intake, body weight change, egg output, feed conversion ratio, mortality rate, egg shell breaking force, albumen height, yolk height, yolk weight, extra-large and jumbo graded eggs percentage. Brown Hy-Line layers had high average egg weight, median egg weight, egg height, egg width, and average egg shell colour and albumen weight than White Hy-Line layers. Small sized eggs percentage and body weight were high on White Hy-Line layers compared to Brown Hy-Line layers. Medium and large sized eggs were high on Brown Hy-Line layers than White Hy-Lines. Feed withdrawal by strain interaction effect was observed on body weight, average egg weight and median egg weight, albumen weight and egg height, percentage of small, medium and large graded eggs (P<0.05). Brown Hy-Line hens under eight hours feed withdrawal had high egg weight, median egg weight, egg height, albumen weight and under eight hours feed withdrawn White Hy-Line hens had lower albumen height compared to other interactions. In all interactions White Hy-Line had high percentage of small graded eggs whereas Brown Hy-line had high percentage of large and medium graded eggs. / NRF

Opioid-linked overdose death rates have reached unprecedented levels in the United States. The growing incidence of Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) is concomitant with elevated rates of OUD in women during pregnancy and through parturition. Neonates born to mothers with active OUD can develop opioid dependence in utero and display various signs of postnatal withdrawal, a condition termed Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome (NOWS). Common symptomatic features of NOWS include sleep disturbances, low birth weight, altered heart and respiratory rates, increased irritability, high-pitched crying, feeding difficulties. Many of these symptomatic presentations are driven by dysregulated function of the autonomic nervous system and hyperirritability of the sympathetic nervous system. Given the increasing incidence of NOWS, there is an alarming lack of knowledge regarding the long-term effects of perinatal opioid exposure on behavioral and neurodevelopmental outcomes. Murine models provide efficient means to understand the neurobiological adaptations impacted by opioid exposure during perinatal neurodevelopment that drive long-term effects on cognitive, social, affective, and reward-related behaviors. We describe a rodent model of third-trimester-equivalent opioid exposure which produces replicable, opioid withdrawal-related phenotypes including robust thermal hyperalgesia and altered ultrasonic vocalization (USV) profiles. We present results from two drug regimens of the model, differing in the schedule of opioid administration (once or twice daily injections of morphine from postnatal day (P) 1-14; 15.0 mg/kg). Beyond hyperalgesia and altered USV profiles, both drug regimens lead to weight loss. Furthermore, both models resulted in transcriptional adaptations within brain regions relevant to opioid dependence and withdrawal. Twice-daily exposure resulted in sex-specific changes in metabolic gene expression in the brainstem, while once-daily exposure resulted in down-regulation of genes related to myelin and dopaminergic circuitry development in the nucleus accumbens. We found minimal evidence for behavioral consequences associated with once-daily morphine exposure during adulthood; there were no significant effects of perinatal morphine on cognitive, reward-related, or fear learning tasks. This could potentially indicate compensatory mechanisms that mitigate the adverse effects of third trimester-equivalent morphine exposure over time. Lastly, we identified epigenetic mechanisms potentially driving dysregulation of normal development within the central nervous system following pre-natal opioid exposure in humans. We analyzed placental samples from pregnancies with opioid exposure and identified gene networks containing altered DNA methylation patterns. Notably, we found enrichment within the ‘integral component of the plasma membrane’ and ‘synapse assembly’ functional networks, indicating potential effects of prenatal opioid exposure on neural connectivity and transmission. Together, the transcriptional adaptations identified in rodent brain tissue and the epigenetic modifications identified in human placental tissue provide novel mechanistic insight as to how perinatal opioid exposure impacts neural and fetal development.