A two-platform task reveals a deficit in the ability of rats to return to the start location in the water maze.

The ability of rats to return to the start location was examined with a 4-arm radial water maze. The task required rats to find 2 hidden platforms in sequence. Rats were released from 1 of 3 arms and there was a platform located in the fourth arm. Once a rat found this platform, a 2nd platform was raised in another location, which was either the start location, for 1 group, or another fixed location, for a control group. Across 3 experiments, all rats learned the location of the 1st fixed platform in 80 to 120 trials. However, rats had difficulty finding a 2nd platform if it was at the start location. Control groups revealed that rats could learn 2 platform locations and that the difficulty in learning to return to the start location did not seem to be attributable to its aversive nature. In separate groups, exposure to the start location was increased by starting the rats from an initially stable platform. Rats still did not readily learn to return to the start location. The authors suggest that start location, when varied, cannot readily be used to define the location of a hidden platform. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Global Perspectives on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Assessing Practices, Policies, and Campaigns in Four English-Speaking Countries.

Maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy places the fetus at risk for a number of neurological abnormalities and functional impairments. These deficits are 100% preventable by abstaining from alcohol use during pregnancy. Nevertheless, the worldwide prevalence of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), the most severe outcome of prenatal alcohol consumption, is estimated at 0.97 cases per 1,000 live births (see May & Gossage, 2001). This paper examines awareness of the problem in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia along three dimensions: 1) the relationship between alcohol consumption rates and the incidence of FAS; 2) government action and policy creation; and 3) prevention/intervention initiatives and educational efforts. The extent of knowledge within each country affects, and is affected by, the level of research activity, the emphasis on policy creation, and the initiatives that drive educational efforts. At present, Canada and the U.S. have the highest levels of activity and a clear recognition of the problem. Activity in the U.K. and Australia is at the grass-roots level, although some promising movements toward greater public and professional awareness have begun. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reliability of adult retrospective recall of lifetime tobacco use.

Retrospective assessment of tobacco use underlies much of the data collected in epidemiological and genetic epidemiological research. Although individuals are asked to report lifetime tobacco use for periods spanning months to decades, the test-retest reliability intervals of the instruments often span only a few weeks to several months. The present analyses examined the test-retest reliability of retrospective tobacco use measures, including details of first use, circumstances of first use, and initial subjective reactions. The questions were part of the Lifetime Tobacco Use Questionnaire (LTUQ), a Web-based questionnaire designed to assess use of most forms of tobacco or nicotine retrospectively across the lifespan. A convenience sample of 236 men and women with history of tobacco use (Time 1 mean age, 44.9 years; 74.2% females; 75.1% regular monthly tobacco use) responded verifiably to invitations to self-administer the LTUQ two times, 2 years apart. Test-retest reliability analyses reflected high reliability for salient tobacco-use questions. Acceptable levels of reliability were observed for initial subjective reactions to smoking, if the scaled response options were dichotomized. Few differences in the reliability of recall were apparent between sexes and between age groups. These results indicate that recall of important tobacco use information can form a reliable basis for research.     

Novel TTLL5 Variants Associated with Cone-Rod Dystrophy and Early-Onset Severe Retinal Dystrophy

Variants of the TTLL5 gene, which encodes tubulin tyrosine ligase-like family member five, are a rare cause of cone dystrophy (COD) or cone-rod dystrophy (CORD). To date, only a few TTLL5 patients have been clinically and genetically described. In this study, we report five patients harbouring biallelic variants of TTLL5. Four adult patients presented either COD or CORD with onset in the late teenage years. The youngest patient had a phenotype of early onset severe retinal dystrophy (EOSRD). Genetic analysis was performed by targeted next generation sequencing of gene panels and assessment of copy number variants (CNV). We identified eight variants, of which six were novel, including two large multiexon deletions in patients with COD or CORD, while the EOSRD patient harboured the novel homozygous p.(Trp640*) variant and three distinct USH2A variants, which might explain the observed rod involvement. Our study highlights the role of TTLL5 in COD/CORD and the importance of large deletions. These findings suggest that COD or CORD patients lacking variants in known genes may harbour CNVs to be discovered in TTLL5, previously undetected by classical sequencing methods. In addition, variable phenotypes in TTLL5-associated patients might be due to the presence of additional gene defects.     

Sensors and Machine Learning Models to Prevent Cooktop Ignition and Ignore Normal Cooking

Fire Technology - Cooking equipment is involved in nearly half of home fires in the United States, with cooktop fires the leading cause of deaths and injuries in cooking-related fires. In this...     

What Makes a Good City in Pre-schoolers' Eyes? Findings from Participatory Planning Projects in Australia and New Zealand

Pre-schooler's voices are absent in urban planning and design. With the possible exception of playgrounds, there is limited knowledge about their experiences in and expectations for urban environments. This paper discusses pre-schoolers' aspirations and desires for aesthetic and accessible green spaces as well as social and physical connectedness. Although this age range has so far been limited in its ability to inform policy and decision-makers, it is argued that pre-schoolers have the capacity and capability of making valuable contributions to design. In the eyes of pre-schoolers, creating a good city means to live in a safe place full of diverse destinations in which they can become streetwise and socialize as part of society.     

Age and Mating Status Do Not Affect Transcript Levels of Odorant Receptor Genes in Male Antennae of Heliothis virescens and Heliothis subflexa

In biological systems, it is expected that gene expression levels generally will correlate with temporally varying physiological and biological needs, and that gene expression levels could regulate biological capabilities. In moth species, male response to female sex pheromones often is affected by moth age and mating status. Odorant receptors (ORs) expressed in neurons within male antennae are critical for detecting the female pheromones. Therefore, we hypothesized that the expression level of these receptor proteins would be affected by age and mating status of male moths. We examined expression levels of two OR genes that are preferentially expressed in the male antennae of Heliothis virescens (HvOR13 and HvOR15) and Heliothis subflexa (HsOR13 and HsOR15). Antennae were dissected from virgin males at 2 h, 1 d, 2 d, 4 d, and 8 d. We also dissected antennae from 4-d-old mated males. We found that age had no effect on expression levels of either OR in either species, except for a small difference in HsOR15 expression between 2 h and 8-d-old virgin males. Furthermore, we found no effect of mating status on expression level of these ORs in either species. We discuss these findings in relationship to studies of age and mating status effects on male electrophysiological and behavioral response to female pheromones, and contrast our results to studies on the effects of age and mating status on gene expression of pheromone receptor proteins and pheromone binding proteins in other moths.     

Viscoelastic properties of latex paint films in tension: Influence of the inorganic phase and surfactants

The tensile properties of latex coatings were investigated with a set of custom formulated artist-type paints at an age of 1 year. All films in the study contained a poly(methyl methacrylate-cobutyl acrylate) binder exhibiting a glass-transition at approximately 10 °C. The viscoelastic behaviour of the latex matrix is first highlighted through a series of experiments involving different strain histories and temperatures. Influence of the inorganic particle concentration and geometry is then illustrated using TiO₂ and calcined kaolin for the secondary phase. Experimental data from a wide range of conditions are summarised through master curves of secant modulus and failure strains using time–temperature superposition. The results indicate that the latex films behave in a rheologically simple manner and it is possible to predict the response outside of the experimental time-scale. An analysis by similar methods is also given for TiO₂ pigmented films with/without surfactant removed by immersion in water. Differential scanning calorimetry and atomic force microscopy were also used in conjunction with mechanical tests. The combined findings suggest that a fraction of surfactant migrates to the TiO₂ interface during film formation, where it interferes with adhesion of the acrylic matrix.