Role of the Perigenual Anterior Cingulate and Orbitofrontal Cortex in Contingency Learning in the Marmoset.

Two learning mechanisms contribute to decision-making: goal-directed actions and the "habit" system, by which action-outcome and stimulus-response associations are formed, respectively. Rodent lesion studies and human neuroimaging have implicated both the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) in the neural basis of contingency learning, a critical component of goal-directed actions, though some published findings are conflicting. We sought to reconcile the existing literature by comparing the effects of excitotoxic lesions of the perigenual anterior cingulate cortex (pgACC), a region of the mPFC, and OFC on contingency learning in the marmoset monkey using a touchscreen-based paradigm, in which the contingent relationship between one of a pair of actions and its outcome was degraded selectively. Both the pgACC and OFC lesion groups were insensitive to the contingency degradation, whereas the control group demonstrated selectively higher performance of the nondegraded action when compared with the degraded action. These findings suggest the pgACC and OFC are both necessary for normal contingency learning and therefore goal-directed behavior.This research was supported by a Programme Grant [G0901884] from the Medical Research Council UK (MRC) to ACR, and a Wellcome Trust Senior Investigator Award [104631 /Z/14/Z] to TWR. SAWJ was supported by a BCNI-MRC studentship. The authors wish to thank C. H Parkinson and R. Underwood for preparation of the histological material. T.W.R. consults for Cambridge Cognition, Lilly, Lundbeck, Teva, Shire Pharmaceuticals and Merck, Sharp and Dohme. He has received research grants from Lilly, Lundbeck and GSK. The remaining authors have no potential competing financial interests to disclose.This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from Oxford University Press via http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhw06

Procedures for the salvage and necropsy of the Dugong (Dugong Dugon)-second edition 2007

This manual provides a detailed guide for dugong (Dugong dugon) carcass handling and necropsy procedures. It is intended to be used as a resource and training guide for anyone involved in dugong incidents including management officers, biologists, parks and wildlife field staff, and veterinarians and pathologists who may lack dugong expertise. Because of the wide range of professionals this book is targeting, information and the use of technical terms is extensive. Section 8.0 provides definitions of various terms used which are italicised throughout the text

Ecological risk assessment of the East Coast Otter Trawl Fishery in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park: Data report

An ecological risk assessment of the East Coast Otter Trawl Fishery in the Great Barrier Reef Region was undertaken in 2010 and 2011. It assessed the risks posed by this fishery to achieving fishery-related and broader ecological objectives of both the Queensland and Australian governments, including risks to the values and integrity of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. The risks assessed included direct and indirect effects on the species caught in the fishery as well as on the structure and functioning of the ecosystem. This ecosystem-based approach included an assessment of the impacts on harvested species, by-catch, species of conservation concern, marine habitats, species assemblages and ecosystem processes. The assessment took into account current management arrangements and fishing practices at the time of the assessment. The main findings of the assessment were: Current risk levels from trawling activities are generally low. Some risks from trawling remain. Risks from trawling have reduced in the Great Barrier Reef Region. Trawl fishing effort is a key driver of ecological risk. Zoning has been important in reducing risks. Reducing identified unacceptable risks requires a range of management responses. The commercial fishing industry is supportive and being proactive. Further reductions in trawl by-catch, high compliance with rules and accurate information from ongoing risk monitoring are important. Trawl fishing is just one of the sources of risk to the Great Barrier Reef

School readiness in children living in non-parental care: Impacts of Head Start

The current study examines the effects of Head Start on the development of school readiness outcomes for children living in non-parental care. Data were obtained from the Head Start Impact Study, a randomized controlled trial of Head Start conducted with a nationally representative sample of Head Start programs and families. The sample included 253 children living in non-parental care (defined as a primary caregiver who self-identified as someone other than a biological, adoptive, or step-parent), who experienced elevated rates of child and family risk factors. Results revealed modest direct short-term and indirect longer-term impacts of Head Start on school readiness outcomes (increased pre-academic skills, more positive teacher–child relationships, and reductions in behavior problems) for children living in non-parental care. Limitations of this study and directions for future research are discussed.Keywords: Teacher-child relationships, Preschool, Externalizing behavior, School readiness, Head Start, Non-parental careKeywords: Teacher-child relationships, Preschool, Externalizing behavior, School readiness, Head Start, Non-parental car

Parental Monitoring of Children’s Media Consumption: The Long-term Influences on Body Mass Index in Children

IMPORTANCE: Although children’s media consumption has been one of the most robust risk factors for childhood obesity, effects of specific parenting influences, such as parental media monitoring, have not been effectively investigated. OBJECTIVES: This study examined the potential influences of maternal and paternal monitoring of child media exposure and children’s general activities on children’s BMI in middle childhood. DESIGN: A longitudinal study, taken from a subsample of the Three Generational Study, with assessments at children’s ages of 5, 7, and/or 9 years collected from 1998-2012. SETTING: The Three Generational Study, a predominantly Caucasian, Pacific-Northwest U.S. community sample (overall participation rate 90%). PARTICIPANTS: Analyses included 112 mothers, 103 fathers and their 213 children (55% girls) at ages 5, 7, and/or 9 years. Participation rates ranged from 67% to 72% of all eligible Three Generational Study children across the three assessments. MAIN EXPOSURES: Parents reported on their general monitoring of their children (whereabouts and activities), specific monitoring of child media exposure, children’s participation in sports and recreational activities, children’s media time (hours/week), annual income, and education level. Parental BMI was recorded. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Predictions to level and change in child BMI z scores were tested. RESULTS: Linear mixed-effects modeling indicated that more maternal, but not paternal, monitoring of child media exposure predicted lower child BMI z scores at age 7 years (95% CI, -.39 – -.07) and less steeply increasing child BMI z scores from ages 5-9 years (95% CI, -.11 – -.01). These effects held when controlling for more general parental monitoring, and parent BMI, income and education. Results supported that the significant negative effect of maternal media monitoring on children’s BMI z scores at age 7 years was marginally accounted for by the effect of child media time. The maternal media monitoring effect on children’s BMI z score slopes remained significant once adjusting for children’s media time, and sports and recreational activity. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that parental behaviors related to children’s media consumption may have long-term impacts on children’s BMI in middle childhood. The results underscore the importance of targeting parental media monitoring in efforts to prevent childhood obesity

Monitoring coral reefs within the Reef 2050 Integrated Monitoring and Reporting Program: final report of the coral reef expert group

[Extract] The Coral Reef Expert Group (CREG) was one of eight expert groups, which all followed a prescribed process to recommend a design for their thematic component. The tasks of the expert groups included: • Synopsis of the theme, to include discussion on current state, primary drivers, pressures and responses using DPSIR framework. • Review of all current monitoring and modelling activities relevant to the expert group theme. • Identify candidate indicators that can be monitored and would provide information about trend, status or forecasting of value or the system. • Evaluation of the adequacy and confidence of current monitoring and modelling of candidate indicators, determined by their ability to meet the objectives of the RIMReP and management needs provided by the Authority. • Identification and discussion of gaps and opportunities in current monitoring and modelling of such indicators. • Evaluation of new monitoring technologies for their potential to increase efficiency or statistical power and their compatibility with long-term datasets. • Recommendations for monitoring design including consideration of primary indicators, continuity of data sets, how the design addresses management needs, modification to existing programs, costing and transition strategies.An accessible copy of this report is not yet available from this repository, please contact [email protected] for more information

Gender equality and religion:a multi-faith exploration of young adults’ narratives

This paper presents findings from research on young adults in the UK from diverse religious backgrounds. Utilizing questionnaires, interviews, and video diaries it assesses how religious young adults understood and managed the tensions in popular discourse between gender equality as an enshrined value and aspirational narrative, and religion as purportedly instituting gender inequality. We show that, despite varied understandings, and the ambivalence and tension in managing ideal and practice, participants of different religious traditions and genders were committed to gender equality. Thus, they viewed gender-unequal practices within their religious cultures as an aberration from the essence of religion. In this way, they firmly rejected the dominant discourse that religion is inherently antithetical to gender equality

Control of Cyclin C Levels during Development of Dictyostelium

Background: Cdk8 and its partner cyclin C form part of the mediator complex which links the basal transcription machinery to regulatory proteins. The pair are required for correct regulation of a subset of genes and have been implicated in control of development in a number of organisms including the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum. When feeding, Dictyostelium amoebae are unicellular but upon starvation they aggregate to form a multicellular structure which develops into a fruiting body containing spores. Cells in which the gene encoding Cdk8 has been deleted fail to enter aggregates due to a failure of early gene expression.Principal Findings: We have monitored the expression levels of cyclin C protein during development and find levels decrease after the multicellular mound is formed. This decrease is triggered by extracellular cAMP that, in turn, is working in part through an increase in intracellular cAMP. The loss of cyclin C is coincident with a reduction in the association of Cdk8 with a high molecular weight complex in the nucleus. Overexpression of cyclin C and Cdk8 lead to an increased rate of early development, consistent with the levels being rate limiting.Conclusions: Overall these results show that both cyclin C and Cdk8 are regulated during development in response to extracellular signals and the levels of these proteins are important in controlling the timing of developmental processes. These findings have important implications for the role of these proteins in controlling development, suggesting that they are targets for developmental signals to regulate gene expression.</p

Pattern Recognition Analysis of Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectra of Brain Tissue Extracts from Rats Anesthetized with Propofol or Isoflurane

BACKGROUND: General anesthesia is routinely used as a surgical procedure and its safety has been endorsed by clinical outcomes; however, its effects at the molecular level have not been elucidated. General anesthetics influence glucose metabolism in the brain. However, the effects of anesthetics on brain metabolites other than those related to glucose have not been well characterized. We used a pattern recognition analysis of proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectra to visualize the changes in holistic brain metabolic phenotypes in response to the widely used intravenous anesthetic propofol and the volatile anesthetic isoflurane. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Rats were randomized into five groups (n = 7 each group). Propofol and isoflurane were administered to two groups each, for 2 or 6 h. The control group received no anesthesia. Brains were removed directly after anesthesia. Hydrophilic compounds were extracted from excised whole brains and measured by proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. All spectral data were processed and analyzed by principal component analysis for comparison of the metabolite profiles. Data were visualized by plotting principal component (PC) scores. In the plots, each point represents an individual sample. The propofol and isoflurane groups were clustered separately on the plots, and this separation was especially pronounced when comparing the 6-h groups. The PC scores of the propofol group were clearly distinct from those of the control group, particularly in the 6-h group, whereas the difference in PC scores was more subtle in the isoflurane group and control groups. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The results of the present study showed that propofol and isoflurane exerted differential effects on holistic brain metabolism under anesthesia

Evidence-based cardiovascular care in the community: A population-based cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Ischaemic heart disease and congestive heart failure are common and important conditions in family practice. Effective treatments may be underutilized, particularly in women and the elderly. The objective of the study was to determine the rate of prescribing of evidence-based cardiovascular medications and determine if these differed by patient age or sex. METHODS: We conducted a two-year cross-sectional study involving all hospitals in the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. Subjects were all patients admitted with ischaemic heart disease with or without congestive heart failure between 15 October 1997 and 14 October 1999. The main measure was the previous outpatient use of recommended medications. Chi-square analyses followed by multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to examine age-sex differences. RESULTS: Usage of recommended medications varied from approximately 60% for beta-blockers and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors to 90% for antihypertensive agents. Patients aged 75 and over were significantly less likely than younger patients to be taking any of the medication classes. Following adjustment for age, there were no significant differences in medication use by sex except among women aged 75 and older who were more likely to be taking beta-blockers than men in the same age group. CONCLUSIONS: The use of evidence-based cardiovascular medications is rising and perhaps approaching reasonable levels for some drug classes. Family physicians should ensure that all eligible patients (prior myocardial infarction, congestive failure) are offered beta-blockers or ACE inhibitors