State-dependent fear extinction with two benzodiazepine tranquilizers.

Investigated whether fear extinction conducted under the influence of a benzodiazepine transfers to the undrugged state in rats. Fear was conditioned by pairing an experimental chamber with footshock and was assessed by observing freezing, a characteristic response of the rat to stimuli associated with shock. In Exp 1, both chlordiazepoxide (librium) and diazepam (valium) interfered wih extinction in a dose-dependent manner as indicated by freezing during an undrugged test. Further results with chlordiazepoxide suggested that the effect depended on the drug's specific combination with extinction and that it occurred even though the extinction procedure otherwise eliminated fear completely (Exp 2). Repeated preexposure to the drug, and the development of partial tolerance to its sedative effects, did not weaken the interference effect (Exp 3). Other evidence suggested that the drug signaled or retrieved extinction instead of disrupting learning or consolidation (Exp 4). The results are consistent with research suggesting that extinguished fear can be "renewed" if the exteroceptive contextual stimuli are changed after extinction. Extinction combined with either unique exteroceptive or interoceptive cues may be specific to its context. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Study of the oxidation kinetics of finely-divided magnetites III — Influence of chromium and aluminum surstitution

The oxidation kinetics of aluminum and chromium-substituted magnetites (Fe²⁺Cr³⁺_xAl³⁺_2?x)O^2?₄ (0< x < 2) into the γ defect phase of type $\text{γ(}\text{Fe}{}^{\mathrm{3+}}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>3</mtext>}}\text{Al}{}^{\mathrm{3+}}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>2</mtext><mtext>3</mtext><mtext>?</mtext><mtext>y</mtext>}}\text{Cr}{}^{\mathrm{3+}}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>y</mtext>}}\text{)}{}_2\text{O}{}^{\mathrm{2?}}{}_3$ is found to be governed by the diffusion under variable working conditions for samples prepared at 700°C and whose size is less than 400 Å. When particle size is caused to increase by annealing the kinetic curves are sigmoidal but only for specimens with high chromium substitution. For compounds rich in chromium observations of morphology show facetting during oxidation but no fracturing was observed.     

Effects of bed nucleus of the stria terminalis lesions on conditioned anxiety: Aversive conditioning with long-duration conditional stimuli and reinstatement of extinguished fear.

Four experiments investigated the effects of lesions of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) on conditioned fear and anxiety. Though BNST lesions did not disrupt fear conditioning with a short-duration conditional stimulus (CS; Experiments 1 and 3), the lesion attenuated conditioning with a longer duration CS (Experiments 1 and 2). Experiment 3 found that lesions attenuated reinstatement of extinguished fear, which relies on contextual conditioning. Experiment 4 confirmed that the lesion reduced unconditioned anxiety in an elevated zero maze. The authors suggest that long-duration CSs, whether explicit cues or contexts, evoke anxiety conditioned responses, which are dissociable from fear responses to shorter CSs. Results are consistent with behavioral and anatomical distinctions between fear and anxiety and with a behavior-systems view of defensive conditioning. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A modern learning theory perspective on the etiology of panic disorder.

Several theories of the development of panic disorder (PD) with or without agoraphobia have emerged in the last 2 decades. Early theories that proposed a role for classical conditioning were criticized on several grounds. However, each criticism can be met and rejected when one considers current perspectives on conditioning and associative learning. The authors propose that PD develops because exposure to panic attacks causes the conditioning of anxiety (and sometimes panic) to exteroceptive and interoceptive cues. This process is reflected in a variety of cognitive and behavioral phenomena but fundamentally involves emotional learning that is best accounted for by conditioning principles. Anxiety, an anticipatory emotional state that functions to prepare the individual for the next panic, is different from panic, an emotional state designed to deal with a traumatic event that is already in progress. However, the presence of conditioned anxiety potentiates the next panic, which begins the individual's spiral into PD. Several biological and psychological factors create vulnerabilities by influencing the individual's susceptibility to conditioning. The relationship between the present view and other views is discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Haemodynamics in the mouse aortic arch computed from MRI-derived velocities at the aortic root

Mice are widely used to investigate atherogenesis, which is known to be influenced by stresses related to blood flow. However, numerical characterization of the haemodynamic environment in the commonly studied aortic arch has hitherto been based on idealizations of inflow into the aorta. Our purpose in this work was to numerically characterize the haemodynamic environment in the mouse aortic arch using measured inflow velocities, and to relate the resulting shear stress patterns to known locations of high- and low-lesion prevalence. Blood flow velocities were measured in the aortic root of C57/BL6 mice using phase-contrast MRI. Arterial geometries were obtained by micro-CT of corrosion casts. These data were used to compute blood flow and wall shear stress (WSS) patterns in the arch. WSS profiles computed using realistic and idealized aortic root velocities differed significantly. An unexpected finding was that average WSS in the high-lesion-probability region on the inner wall was actually higher than the WSS in the low-probability region on the outer wall. Future studies of mouse aortic arch haemodynamics should avoid the use of idealized inflow velocity profiles. Lesion formation does not seem to uniquely associate with low or oscillating WSS in this segment, suggesting that other factors may also play a role in lesion localization.     

Effect of pressure treatments on the mechanical properties of pre- and post-rigor meat

Pressure-heat treatment of beef semitendinosus samples post-rigor gave shear and tensile results similar to those obtained with pressure treatment pre-rigor. Post-rigor pressure-heat treatment did not affect the contraction state, unlike pre-rigor pressure treatment which caused samples to contract by about 40%. Maximum tenderizing effect by pressure-heat treatment (150 M Nm⁻² at 60°C for 30 min) was achieved when samples were heated at 45°C for 45–180 min immediately before application of the treatment. As the pre-pressurization temperature was increased, the duration of heating became more critical until at temperatures ≥ 60°C the effects of subsequent pressure-heat treatment became very small. Pressure-heat treated samples did not show the increase in shear force values for cooking temperatures ≥ 60°C associated with myofibrillar hardening. It was concluded that pressure-heat treatment primarily affected the myofibrillar structure.     

For Children's Sake: Training students in the treatment of child witnesses of domestic violence.

The authors describe For Children's Sake, an innovative program at Illinois State University focused on serving children who have witnessed domestic violence and on training graduate students in working with this special population. Unique aspects of the program including its funding source, child maltreatment focus, and training model in complete program delivery, are highlighted. Additionally, a multilevel integration of the For Children's Sake program into the School Psychology doctoral program is discussed. Challenges, dilemmas, and successes that faculty and graduate students involved with For Children's Sake have experienced are mentioned to assist and encourage trainers in developing other innovative programs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Context-specificity of target versus feature inhibition in a feature-negative discrimination.

Four experiments with rats examined the effects of a context switch on inhibition that was acquired during a feature-negative discrimination. A target CS was paired with food when it was presented alone but occurred without food when it was combined with a feature stimulus. A context switch following training did not disrupt inhibition conditioned to the feature. However, responding to the target was more difficult to inhibit when it was tested in a different context. It is suggested that both the target and the feature acquired inhibition, as well as the target's inhibition, were especially sensitive to the context. The feature may inhibit responding to the target by directly suppressing the representation of the food and by activating the target's own inhibitory association with food, which is at least partly context-specific. Implications for theories of inhibition and negative occasion-setting are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Associative control of tolerance to the sedative effects of a short-acting benzodiazepine.

The role of Pavlovian conditioning in tolerance to the depressant effect of a benzodiazepine (midazolam) on the ambulatory activity of rats was examined. The depression of activity by low doses (1.0 and 4.0 mg/kg, ip) of midazolam diminished quickly over repeated doses given at 48-hr intervals (Experiment 1). Equivalent tolerance was observed in groups measured at 2 min and 30 min after drug injection. When challenged with saline, however, drug-tolerant animals tested immediately after injection were hyperactive in comparison with nontolerant controls, whereas equivalent groups tested 30 min after injection were not. A second context was designed, and its discriminability from the original was established by assessing context-specific suppression of activity following exposure to mild electric shock (Experiment 2). In Experiment 3A, although tolerant animals tested in the drug-associated context remained fully tolerant, a second group demonstrated a complete loss of tolerance when given the drug in a saline-associated context. Both groups were fully tolerant when tested again in the drug-associated context after 14 drug-free days. In Experiment 3B, tolerance was significantly reduced by 14 extinction exposures to the drug-associated environment without the drug. These results are uniquely predicted by associative models of drug tolerance and may have implications for the clinical use of this class of drugs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)