Methamphetamine Exposure Delays Formation of Habitual Behavior in Female Rats

Many psychopathologies, including addiction, have been associated with executive dysfunction and changes in behavioral control such as the development of habitual behavior. Psychostimulant drugs, likely due to the effects that these drugs have on dopamine neurotransmission in the striatum, are implicated in accelerating habit formation in male rats. Similar studies in female rats are limited. In this study, female rats received pretreatment of either methamphetamine (METH) or vehicle and were trained to the level of reinforcer-exposures typically associated with habitual behavior and then subjected to reinforcer devaluation. Habit was operationalized as an insensitivity to reinforcer devaluation. Results indicate that female rats pretreated with METH remained goal-directed while the vehicle controls demonstrated habitual behavior. These data suggest that the effect of psychostimulant exposure on habit formation may be sex-dependent, and that female rats may remain goal-directed under the influence of substances that increase dopamine in the striatum

Integrating crime prevention into urban design and planning

Purpose: This paper aims to understand the delivery of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) across Europe—from European-wide procedures, through national schemes to effective local strategies. Methodology: The findings come from a review of published literature and reports, case studies and site visits conducted primarily during COST Action TU1203 (2013–16). Findings: Innovative approaches and methods to integrate crime prevention into urban design, planning and management have been generated by multi-agency partnerships and collaborations at European, national and city levels. Methods and procedures developed by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) Working Group on “Crime Prevention through Urban Planning and Building Design” are pioneering. However, findings show that implementation is best achieved at a local level using methods and procedures tailored to the specific context. Practical and research implications: In-depth research is required to appreciate subtle differences between local approaches and conceptual models developed to better understand approaches and methods. In addition, practitioners and academics working to prevent crime benefit from participation in focused, multi-agency collaborations that, importantly, facilitate visits to urban developments, discussions with local stakeholders responsible for delivery ‘on the ground’ and structured and sustained exploration of innovations and challenges. Originality / value: The authors hope that this paper will contribute to developing a new direction for CPTED practice and research that builds on significant progress in creating safer environments over previous decades

A preliminary evaluation of the CBT Decision Making Questionnaire for Anxiety and Related Disorders (CDMQ-A)

Objective: Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) is effective for the treatment of anxiety and related disorders (ARDs). Despite this, the use of best-practice CBT in clinical practice is low. While training and assessment strategies have been developed to improve this science-practice gap, both within the educational and clinical training space, many of the assessment techniques developed to enhance the use of best practice CBT remain impractical to use in busy training settings and are prone to bias. Method: The current study presents a preliminary evaluation of the CBT Decision-Making Questionnaire for Anxiety and Related Disorders (CDMQ-A). The CDMQ-A contains vignettes covering seven diagnostic categories, each followed by three questions, resulting in a 21-item questionnaire designed to assess CBT decision-making in the treatment of ARDs in adult patients. A sample of expert (N = 7) (M age = 42.14; SD = 5.64; 57.1% female) and provisionally registered psychologists (N = 104) (M age = 30.76; SD = 8.32; 82.7% female) completed the measure. Results: Experts indicated that the vignettes demonstrated satisfactory face and ecological validity. Results indicated that the CDMQ-A can effectively discriminate between experts and provisionally registered psychologists with the expert sample scoring significantly higher than the provisionally registered psychologists t(10.63) = 6.9, p = .01; d = 1.74). Conclusions: Implications for training and clinical practice are discussed. KEY POINTS: What is already known about this topic: Cognitive-behavioral therapy is effective for the treatment of anxiety and related disorders. Despite evidence, the use of cognitive-behavioral therapy in clinical practice is low. Techniques available to assess and enhance the use of cognitive-behavioral therapy remain impractical to use in busy training settings and are prone to bias. What this topic adds: The current study presents a preliminary evaluation of the CBT Decision Making Questionnaire for Anxiety and Related Disorders. Results indicated that the questionnaire can effectively discriminate between experts and provisionally registered psychologists. The development and use of such tools have the potential to have significant implications for the dissemination and implementation of evidence-based practice, particularly within busy educational settings

Enlarging habitable zones around binary stars in hostile environments

Habitable zones are regions around stars where large bodies of liquid water can be sustained on a planet or satellite. As many stars form in binary systems with non-zero eccentricity, the habitable zones around the component stars of the binary can overlap and be enlarged when the two stars are at periastron (and less often when the stars are at apastron). We perform N-body simulations of the evolution of dense star-forming regions and show that binary systems where the component stars originally have distinct habitable zones can undergo interactions that push the stars closer together, causing the habitable zones to merge and become enlarged. Occasionally, overlapping habitable zones can occur if the component stars move further apart, but the binary becomes more eccentric. Enlargement of habitable zones happens to one to two binaries from an average initial total of 352 in each simulated star-forming region, and demonstrates that dense star-forming regions are not always hostile environments for planet formation and evolution