Effect of different agonistic experiences on behavioural seizures in fully amygdala kindled rats

Fully amygdala kindled rats were exposed to two different inter-male agonistic experiences in order to study the interaction between epilepsy and acute social stress. Victory experience did not influence the severity of seizure behaviour, whereas a single acute defeat modified both ictal and postictal seizure manifestations. Defeat resulted in less severe and shorter lasting motor seizures, and the accompanied postictal inhibition or behavioural depression was of shorter duration in comparison with pre-stress values. The ability of acute defeat to trigger anticonvulsant activity as implied by the weakened convulsive response is discussed.

Differential Effects of Neonatal Testosterone Treatment on Aggression in Two Selection Lines of Mice

Selection lines of mice, artificially selected for aggression based upon the attack latency score (ALS), were used. In order to determine the relative contribution of neonatal testosterone (T) in the development of aggression, we vary the plasma-T level in males of both selection lines on the day of birth. At 14 weeks the ALS was measured. Neonatal T treatment results in a reduction of aggression in the long attack latency (LAL) line, whereas aggressive behaviour of the short attack latency (SAL) line is not affected. Both selection lines show reduction in testicular weight, although the total amount of T-producing Leydig cells was not affected. Neonatal T may cause a permanent reduction in aggressive behaviour in the LAL line only, probably due to differential appearance of critical periods. It is suggested that the difference in aggressive behaviour between SAL and LAL selection lines is due to a prenatally determined difference in neonatal T sensitivity of the brain.

ESCAP Expert Article: Borderline personality disorder in adolescence: An expert research review with implications for clinical practice

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) has onset in adolescence, but is typically first diagnosed in young adulthood. This paper provides a narrative review of the current evidence on diagnosis, comorbidity, phenomenology and treatment of BPD in adolescence. Instruments available for diagnosis are reviewed and their strengths and limitations discussed. Having confirmed the robustness of the diagnosis and the potential for its reliable clinical assessment, we then explore current understandings of the mechanisms of the disorder and focus on neurobiological underpinnings and research on psychological mechanisms. Findings are accumulating to suggest that adolescent BPD has an underpinning biology that is similar in some ways to adult BPD but differs in some critical features. Evidence for interventions focuses on psychological therapies. Several encouraging research studies suggest that early effective treatment is possible. Treatment development has just begun, and while adolescent-specific interventions are still in the process of evolution, most existing therapies represent adaptations of adult models to this developmental phase. There is also a significant opportunity for prevention, albeit there are few data to date to support such initiatives. This review emphasizes that there can be no justification for failing to make an early diagnosis of this enduring and pervasive problem

Ruthenium-catalyzed solvent-free conversion of furfural to furfuryl alcohol

Bidentate phosphine-modified Ru-based homogeneous catalyst systems were developed for solvent-free conversion of furfural to furfuryl alcohol as a versatile biomass-based C5-platform molecule. The effect of ligand structure, ligand concentration, operating pressure and reaction temperature on the catalyst's activity were studied in details. Under optimized conditions complete conversion of furfural to furfurol was achieved in the absence of any solvent and without by-product formation. The maximum turnover frequency (6273 h–1) and 100% atom economy were obtained by using homogeneous Ru/Ph2P(CH2)4PPh2 catalyst, which was recyclable for twelve consecutive runs without affecting catalytic performance of the catalyst

Temporal and spatial dynamics of corticosteroid receptor down-regulation in rat brain following social defeat

The experiments explored the nature and time course of changes in glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) binding in homogenates of various brain regions and pituitary of male Wistar rats following social defeat stress. One week after defeat, the binding capacity of GRs was decreased in the hippocampus and the hypothalamus while no changes were observed in the parietal cortex and the pituitary. The number of MRs remained at the same level as in undefeated rats. Three weeks postdefeat, the initially down-regulated GR returned to baseline level in the hippocampus and the hypothalamus. However, GR binding was now decreased in the parietal cortex. Severe down-regulation of MRs was detected in the hippocampal and septal tissue. The results show that brief but intense stress like social defeat induces a long-lasting down-regulation of corticosteroid receptors and that the temporal dynamics of these changes are not only differential for GRs and MRs but also for brain sites.

Physical Exercise Training versus Relaxation in Allogeneic stem cell transplantation (PETRA Study) – Rationale and design of a randomized trial to evaluate a yearlong exercise intervention on overall survival and side-effects after allogeneic stem cell transplantation

Background: Allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-HCT) is associated with high treatment-related mortality and innumerable physical and psychosocial complications and side-effects, such as high fatigue levels, loss of physical performance, infections, graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) and distress. This leads to a reduced quality of life, not only during and after transplantation, but also in the long term. Exercise interventions have been shown to be beneficial in allo-HCT patients. However, to date, no study has focused on long-term effects and survival. Previous exercise studies used ‘usual care’ control groups, leaving it unclear to what extent the observed effects are based on the physical effects of exercise itself, or rather on psychosocial factors such as personal attention. Furthermore, effects of exercise on and severity of GvHD have not been examined so far. We therefore aim to investigate the effects and biological mechanisms of exercise on side-effects, complications and survival in allo-HCT patients during and after transplantation. Methods/design: The PETRA study is a randomized, controlled intervention trial investigating the effects of a yearlong partly supervised mixed exercise intervention (endurance and resistance exercises, 3–5 times per week) in 256 patients during and after allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Patients in the control group perform progressive muscle relaxation training (Jacobsen method) with the same frequency. Main inclusion criterion is planned allo-HCT. Main exclusion criteria are increased fracture risk, no walking capability or severe cardiorespiratory problems. Primary endpoint is overall survival after two years; secondary endpoints are non-relapse mortality, median survival, patient reported outcomes including cancer related fatigue and quality of life, physical performance, body composition, haematological/immunological reconstitution, inflammatory parameters, severity of complications and side-effects (e.g. GvHD and infections), and cognitive capacity. Discussion: The PETRA study will contribute to a better understanding of the physiological and psychological effects of exercise training and their biological mechanisms in cancer patients after allo-HCT. The ultimate goal is the implementation of optimized intervention programs to reduce side-effects and improve quality of life and potentially prognosis after allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT0137439

Changes in Trauma-related Emotions Following Treatment with Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder after Childhood Abuse

Dialectical behavior therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder (DBT-PTSD) is a trauma-focused therapy shown to reduce core PTSD symptoms, such as intrusions, hyperarousal, and avoidance. Preliminary data indicate effects on elevated trauma-related emotions (e.g., guilt and shame) and possibly radical acceptance of the traumatic event. However, it is unclear if improvements in these variables are significant after controlling for changes in core PTSD symptoms and to what extent nonclinical levels are obtained. In the current study, 42 individuals who met criteria for PTSD after childhood abuse and were participating in a 3-month residential DBT-PTSD program were evaluated at the start of the exposure phase of DBT-PTSD and the end of treatment; a nonclinical sample with a history of childhood abuse was the reference group. Multivariate analyses of variance and multivariate analyses of covariance controlling for change in core PTSD symptoms were used to evaluate changes in several elevated trauma-related emotions (fear, anger, guilt, shame, disgust, sadness, and helplessness) and in radical acceptance. In a repeated measures multivariate analyses of variance, both elevated trauma-related emotions and radical acceptance significantly improved during DBT-PTSD, λ = 0.34, p &lt;.001; η 2 =.56; t(40) = −5.66, p &lt;.001, SMD = 0.88, even after controlling for changes in PTSD symptoms, λ = 0.35, p &lt;.001, η 2 =.65; Λ = 0.86, p =.018, η 2 =.14, respectively. Posttreatment, 31.0% (for acceptance) to 76.2% (for guilt) of participants showed nonclinical levels of the investigated outcomes, suggesting that both trauma-related emotions and radical acceptance changed after the 3-month residential DBT-PTSD program. </p

Do (and say) as I say: Linguistic adaptation in human-computer dialogs

© Theodora Koulouri, Stanislao Lauria, and Robert D. Macredie. This article has been made available through the Brunel Open Access Publishing Fund.There is strong research evidence showing that people naturally align to each other’s vocabulary, sentence structure, and acoustic features in dialog, yet little is known about how the alignment mechanism operates in the interaction between users and computer systems let alone how it may be exploited to improve the efficiency of the interaction. This article provides an account of lexical alignment in human–computer dialogs, based on empirical data collected in a simulated human–computer interaction scenario. The results indicate that alignment is present, resulting in the gradual reduction and stabilization of the vocabulary-in-use, and that it is also reciprocal. Further, the results suggest that when system and user errors occur, the development of alignment is temporarily disrupted and users tend to introduce novel words to the dialog. The results also indicate that alignment in human–computer interaction may have a strong strategic component and is used as a resource to compensate for less optimal (visually impoverished) interaction conditions. Moreover, lower alignment is associated with less successful interaction, as measured by user perceptions. The article distills the results of the study into design recommendations for human–computer dialog systems and uses them to outline a model of dialog management that supports and exploits alignment through mechanisms for in-use adaptation of the system’s grammar and lexicon

Validation of the Spanish version of the borderline symptom list, short form (BSL-23)

Background: The Borderline Symptom List-23 (BSL-23) is a reliable and valid self-report instrument for assessing Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) severity. The psychometric properties of the original version have proven to be adequate. The aim of the present study was to validate the Spanish language version of the BSL-23. Methods: The BSL-23 was administered to 240 subjects with BPD diagnosis. Factor structure, reliability, test-retest stability, convergent validity, and sensitivity to change were analyzed. Results: The Spanish version of the BSL-23 replicates the one-factor structure of the original version. The scale has high reliability (Cronbach's alpha=.949), as well as good test-retest stability, which was checked in a subsample (n=74; r=.734; p<.01). The Spanish BSL-23 shows moderate to high correlations with depressive symptomatology, state and trait anxiety, hostility and impulsivity scores and BPD measures. The Spanish BSL-23 is able to discriminate among different levels of BPD severity and shows satisfactory sensitivity to change after treatment, which was verified by assessing change before and after 12 group sessions of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy in a subgroup of 31 subjects. Conclusions: Similar to the original BSL-23, the Spanish BSL-23 is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing BPD severity and sensitivity to change