Dorsal-CA1 hippocampal neuronal ensembles encode nicotine-reward contextual associations

Natural and drug rewards increase the motivational valence of stimuli in the environment that, through Pavlovian learning mechanisms, become conditioned stimuli that directly motivate behavior in the absence of the original unconditioned stimulus. While the hippocampus has received extensive attention for its role in learning and memory processes, less is known regarding its role in drug-reward associations. We used in vivo Ca2+ imaging in freely moving mice during the formation of nicotine preference behavior to examine the role of the dorsal-CA1 region of the hippocampus in encoding contextual reward-seeking behavior. We show the development of specific neuronal ensembles whose activity encodes nicotine-reward contextual memories and that are necessary for the expression of place preference. Our findings increase our understanding of CA1 hippocampal function in general and as it relates to reward processing by identifying a critical role for CA1 neuronal ensembles in nicotine place preference

Examining the Experiences of Chinese Multilingual Therapists in Training

According to the 2015 Census, 44% of people ages five and older in California speak a language other than English in their household, indicating the growth of multilingual persons in California. Among the top three languages spoken at home in California, Chinese takes third following English and Spanish. The demand for multilingual mental health services may continue to grow with the increase of multilingual individuals. Although there is an increase in need for multilingual mental health services, there remains a lack of formal training and clinical supervision for multilingual trainees. This study adopted a qualitative approach and utilized semi-structured interviews and a thematic analysis to examine the experiences of multilingual therapists in training providing therapeutic services in a Chinese dialect. The purpose was to provide more research on experiences and needs of multilingual trainees. Thirteen participants of Chinese descent were interviewed via VSee, a telemedicine platform. The results yielded eight emerging themes that highlighted the various emotions and challenges experienced by multilingual therapists in training, as well as their suggestions for future trainings. Results indicated multilingual trainees face unique challenges in their experience when providing services in a Chinese dialect, further highlighting the need for additional research and attention towards improving training to support multilingual therapists in training

Ring Current Proton Decay Timescales Derived from Van Allen Probe Observations

The Earth's ring current is highly dynamic and is strongly influenced by the solar wind. The ring current alters the planet's magnetic field, defining geomagnetic storms. In this study, we investigate the decay timescales of ring current protons using observations from the Van Allen Probes. Since proton fluxes typically exhibit exponential decay after big storms, the decay time scales are calculated by performing linear regression on the logarithm of the fluxes. We found that in the central region of the ring current, proton decay timescales generally increase with increasing energies and increasing L-shells. The ~10s keV proton decay timescales are about a few days, while the ~100 keV proton decay time scale is about ~10 days, and protons of 269 keV have decay timescales up to ~118 days. These findings provide valuable insights into the ring current dynamics and can contribute to the development of more accurate ring current models.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figure