Reward Sensitivity for a Palatable Food Reward Peaks During Pubertal Developmental in Rats

Puberty is a critical period for the initiation of drug use and abuse. Because early drug use onset often accounts for a more severe progression of addiction, it is of importance to understand the underlying mechanisms and neurodevelopmental changes during puberty that are contributing to enhanced reward processing in teenagers. The present study investigated the progression of reward sensitivity toward a natural food reward over the whole course of adolescence in male rats (postnatal days 30–90) by monitoring consummatory, motivational behavior and neurobiological correlates of reward. Using a limited-free intake paradigm, consumption of sweetened condensed milk (SCM) was measured repeatedly in adolescent and adult rats. Additionally, early- and mid-pubertal animals were tested in Progressive Ratio responding for SCM and c-fos protein expression in reward-associated brain structures was examined after odor conditioning for SCM. We found a transient increase in SCM consumption and motivational incentive for SCM during puberty. This increased reward sensitivity was most pronounced around mid-puberty. The behavioral findings are paralleled by enhanced c-fos staining in reward-related structures revealing an intensified neuronal response after reward-cue presentation, distinctive for pubertal animals. Taken together, these data indicate an increase in reward sensitivity during adolescence accompanied by enhanced responsiveness of reward-associated brain structures to incentive stimuli, and it seems that both is strongly pronounced around mid-puberty. Therefore, higher reward sensitivity during pubertal maturation might contribute to the enhanced vulnerability of teenagers for the initiation of experimental drug use

Fearless but anxious?: A systematic review on the utility of fear and anxiety levels to classify subtypes of psychopathy

Abstract Psychopathic traits have been linked to anomalies in experiencing fear and anxiety. It remains unclear, however, to what extent fear and anxiety levels are useful parameters to effectively distinguish between subtypes of psychopathy. Therefore, we aimed to elucidate whether different psychopathic phenotypes (primary and secondary psychopathy) can be delineated based on fear/anxiety levels. To investigate associations between psychopathic traits and conscious experiences of fear and/or anxiety a systematic qualitative review of studies was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses guidelines. Seventeen studies were included in the review. We found some evidence for attenuated fear/anxiety levels in primary psychopathy. In secondary psychopathy, the experience of fear/anxiety seemed rather intact. Moreover, primary psychopathy might be associated with a more positive appraisal of the conscious feeling of fear. We reason that consciously experienced fear and anxiety are distinctly related to primary and secondary psychopathy. Due to a lack of consistent and comprehensive operationalizations of fear and anxiety, however, conclusions about their potential to differentiate psychopathic subtypes should be drawn with caution

The "sailor prince" in the age of empire : creating a monarchical brand in nineteenth-century Europe

This study examines the systemic function and public role of “Sailor Princes” within the context of the nineteenth-century revival of monarchy. It explores how, between 1850 and 1914, the reigning families of Britain, Denmark, Germany and Greece chose to educate their younger sons in the navy and thereby created powerful links with a mythically invested symbol of national identity and modernity, of bourgeois virtue, imperial integration and exotic adventure. All four countries perceived themselves as maritime powers defined by their long seafaring traditions and/or great hopes for a naval future, by their possession of (in)formal seaborne colonial empires and/or by their substantial imperial ambitions. By latching onto the prominent trend of the nineteenth-century lure of the sea and of naval enthusiasm, the dynasties of Saxe-Coburg, Glücksborg and Hohenzollern were able to adapt these mental geographies for their own purposes and thus to generate an appealing brand image for the emerging political mass market. Prince Alfred of Britain (1844-1900), Prince Heinrich of Prussia (1862-1929), Prince Valdemar of Denmark (1858-1939) and Prince Georgios of Greece (1869-1957) all became powerful personality brands of their respective monarchies. This study investigates the mechanisms and the agents responsible for their success. It examines the role of the sea and of maritime imageries in nineteenth-century national identities; the myths and realities of naval education and naval professionalism; the processes by which seaborne colonial empires and diaspora communities were integrated into larger imperial units and represented to each other via interimperial diplomacy; as well as the public reception, appropriation and recreation of the “Sailor Prince” brand in various popular media, e.g. family magazines, adventure fiction and consumer goods."I would like to express my gratitude for having received a Douglas and Gordon Bonnyman Scholarship in the Arts for three years from 2012 to 2015." -- Acknowledgement

AAV-Mediated Overexpression of the CB1 Receptor in the mPFC of Adult Rats Alters Cognitive Flexibility, Social Behavior, and Emotional Reactivity

The endocannabinoid (ECB) system is strongly involved in the regulation of cognitive processing and emotional behavior and evidence indicates that ECB signaling might affect these behavioral abilities by modulations of prefrontal cortical functions. The aim of the present study was to examine the role of the CB1 receptor in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) on cognitive flexibility and emotional behavior. Therefore, the CB1 receptor was overexpressed by adeno-associated virus vector-mediated gene transfer specifically in the mPFC of adult Wistar rats. Animals were then tested in different anxiety-related paradigms for emotional reactivity [e.g., elevated plus maze (EPM), light/dark emergence test (EMT), social interaction] and the attentional set shift task (ASST) – an adaptation of the human Wisconsin card sorting test – for cognitive abilities and behavioral flexibility. A subtle increase in exploratory behavior was found in CB1 receptor overexpressing animals (CB1-R) compared to Empty vector injected controls (Empty) in the EMT and EPM, although general locomotor activity did not differ between the groups. During social interaction testing, social contact behavior toward the unknown conspecific was found to be decreased, whereas social withdrawal was increased in CB1-R animals and they showed an inadequate increase in exploratory behavior compared to control animals. In the ASST, impaired reversal learning abilities were detected in CB1-R animals compared to controls, indicating reduced behavioral flexibility. In conclusion, upregulation of the CB1 receptor specifically in the rat mPFC induces alterations in emotional reactivity, leads to inadequate social behavior, and impairs cognitive flexibility. These findings might be relevant for neuropsychiatric disorders, since higher cortical CB1 receptor expression levels as well as similar behavioral impairments as observed in the present study have been described in schizophrenic patients

Linear viskoelastisches Materialverhalten teilkristalliner Zwischenschichten

Ethylenvinylacetat (EVA)‐ und Ionoplastfolien finden immer mehr Anwendung in Verbundgläsern. Im Gegensatz zur Polyvinylbutyral‐Folie, besitzen EVA und Ionoplaste jedoch teilkristalline Bereiche, welche beim Erreichen der Schmelztemperatur schmelzen. Wird die Schmelze abgekühlt, so werden die Kristallite wieder gebildet. Der Schmelz‐ und der Kristallisationsprozess unterscheiden sich erheblich voneinander. Der vorliegende Artikel untersucht die teilkristalline Struktur am Beispiel einer Ionoplastfolie mithilfe von Differenzkalorimetrie‐Messungen bei verschiedenen Heiz‐ und Kühlraten. Mithilfe von Dynamisch‐Mechanisch‐Thermischen Analysen wird gezeigt, dass das viskoelastische Materialverhalten durch den Kristallisationsgrad beeinflusst wird

Adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated suppression of Ca2+/calmodulin kinase IV activity in the nucleus accumbens modulates emotional behaviour in mice

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase IV (CaMKIV) controls activity-dependent gene transcription by regulating the activity of the cyclic AMP response element binding protein (CREB). This signaling pathway is involved in gating emotional responses in the CNS but previous studies did not address the potential roles of CaMKIV in discrete brain regions. In the present study, we aimed at specifically dissecting the role of CaMKIV in the nucleus accumbens of adult mice.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We used recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV)-mediated gene transfer of a dominant-negative CaMKIV variant (rAAV-dnCaMKIV) to inhibit endogenous CaMKIV in the nucleus accumbens. rAAV-dnCaMKIV treated animals were subjected to a battery of tests including, prepulse inhibition of the acoustic startle response, open field, social interaction and anxiety-related behaviour. We found that basal locomotor activity in the open field, and prepulse inhibition or startle performance were unaltered in mice infected with rAAV-dnCaMKIV in the nucleus accumbens. However, anxiogenic effects were revealed in social interaction testing and the light/dark emergence test.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our findings suggest a modulatory role of CaMKIV in the nucleus accumbens in anxiety-like behaviour but not sensorimotor gating.</p

The barriers to a scientific and evidence-based coaching evaluation practice

Workplace coaching has grown in popularity and is increasingly used for a plethora of purposes across organisations. As a growing field, coaching is still in need of a continuing commitment to evidence-based evaluation, especially considering the current unsystematic outcome literature. However, this need for scientific, evidence-based evaluation is not actioned and there is indication that coaching evaluation is even less rigorous in practice. This position paper explores what might be the barriers against a scientific, evidence-based coaching evaluation in practice. Suggestions grounded in the literature are presented with the aim that these might inform future research and practice

Las representaciones sociales sobre la atención a la diversidad en la literatura infantil

El presente trabajo surgió como una inquietud personal que tuvimos ambas autoras, siendo capacitadoras que formamos parte del Equipo Técnico Regional del CIIE de Pilar. En principio, observamos que en las instituciones educativas, el tema de la atención a la diversidad era abordado desde la literatura con textos que tenían características correspondientes a un paradigma de aprendizaje no inclusivo; aún cuando en las aulas de los Jardines de Infantes y de las Escuelas Primarias Comunes había niños con proyectos de Integración con Escuelas de Educación Especial. Esto generó que pudiésemos planificar y llevar a cabo un taller, que venimos replicando en la Región Educativa Nº 11 (Campana, Escobar, Exaltación de la Cruz, Pilar y Zárate) con docentes del Nivel de Educación Primaria (en cualquier cargo que desempeñen) y con docentes de la modalidad de Educación Especial, con mayor énfasis en las Maestras Integradoras. El principal propósito fue el de poder analizar las características de los textos literarios que actualmente conviven en las escuelas, sin descartar opciones, pero pudiendo poner a la luz algunos aspectos que resultan interesantes para trabajar con los niños.Área temática: Identidades y literatura para niñ@sFacultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educació

Las representaciones sociales sobre la atención a la diversidad en la literatura infantil

El presente trabajo surgió como una inquietud personal que tuvimos ambas autoras, siendo capacitadoras que formamos parte del Equipo Técnico Regional del CIIE de Pilar. En principio, observamos que en las instituciones educativas, el tema de la atención a la diversidad era abordado desde la literatura con textos que tenían características correspondientes a un paradigma de aprendizaje no inclusivo; aún cuando en las aulas de los Jardines de Infantes y de las Escuelas Primarias Comunes había niños con proyectos de Integración con Escuelas de Educación Especial. Esto generó que pudiésemos planificar y llevar a cabo un taller, que venimos replicando en la Región Educativa Nº 11 (Campana, Escobar, Exaltación de la Cruz, Pilar y Zárate) con docentes del Nivel de Educación Primaria (en cualquier cargo que desempeñen) y con docentes de la modalidad de Educación Especial, con mayor énfasis en las Maestras Integradoras. El principal propósito fue el de poder analizar las características de los textos literarios que actualmente conviven en las escuelas, sin descartar opciones, pero pudiendo poner a la luz algunos aspectos que resultan interesantes para trabajar con los niños.Área temática: Identidades y literatura para niñ@sFacultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educació

Las representaciones sociales sobre la atención a la diversidad en la literatura infantil

El presente trabajo surgió como una inquietud personal que tuvimos ambas autoras, siendo capacitadoras que formamos parte del Equipo Técnico Regional del CIIE de Pilar. En principio, observamos que en las instituciones educativas, el tema de la atención a la diversidad era abordado desde la literatura con textos que tenían características correspondientes a un paradigma de aprendizaje no inclusivo; aún cuando en las aulas de los Jardines de Infantes y de las Escuelas Primarias Comunes había niños con proyectos de Integración con Escuelas de Educación Especial. Esto generó que pudiésemos planificar y llevar a cabo un taller, que venimos replicando en la Región Educativa Nº 11 (Campana, Escobar, Exaltación de la Cruz, Pilar y Zárate) con docentes del Nivel de Educación Primaria (en cualquier cargo que desempeñen) y con docentes de la modalidad de Educación Especial, con mayor énfasis en las Maestras Integradoras. El principal propósito fue el de poder analizar las características de los textos literarios que actualmente conviven en las escuelas, sin descartar opciones, pero pudiendo poner a la luz algunos aspectos que resultan interesantes para trabajar con los niños.Área temática: Identidades y literatura para niñ@sFacultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educació