Afferent Connections to the Rostrolateral Part of the Periaqueductal Gray: A Critical Region Influencing the Motivation Drive to Hunt and Forage

Previous studies have shown that a particular site in the periaqueductal gray (PAG), the rostrolateral PAG, influences the motivation drive to forage or hunt. To have a deeper understanding on the putative paths involved in the decision-making process between foraging, hunting, and other behavioral responses, in the present investigation, we carried out a systematic analysis of the neural inputs to the rostrolateral PAG (rlPAG), using Fluorogold as a retrograde tracer. According to the present findings, the rlPAG appears to be importantly driven by medial prefrontal cortical areas involved in controlling attention-related and decision-making processes. Moreover, the rlPAG also receives a wealth of information from different amygdalar, hypothalamic, and brainstem sites related to feeding, drinking, or hunting behavioral responses. Therefore, this unique combination of afferent connections puts the rlPAG in a privileged position to influence the motivation drive to choose whether hunting and foraging would be the most appropriate adaptive responses

Ventral premammillary nucleus as a critical sensory relay to the maternal aggression network

Maternal aggression is under the control of a wide variety of factors that prime the females for aggression or trigger the aggressive event. Maternal attacks are triggered by the perception of sensory cues from the intruder, and here we have identified a site in the hypothalamus of lactating rats that is highly responsive to the male intruder—the ventral premammillary nucleus (PMv). The PMv is heavily targeted by the medial amygdalar nucleus, and we used lesion and immediate-early gene studies to test our working hypothesis that the PMv signals the presence of a male intruder and\ud transfers this information to the network organizing maternal aggression. PMv-lesioned dams exhibit significantly reduced maternal aggression, without affecting maternal care. The Fos analysis revealed that PMv influences the activation of hypothalamic and\ud septal sites shown to be mobilized during maternal aggression, including the medial preoptic nucleus (likely to represent an important locus to integrate priming stimuli critical for maternal aggression), the caudal two-thirds of the hypothalamic attack area\ud (comprising the ventrolateral part of the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus and the adjacent tuberal region of the lateral hypothalamic area, critical for the expression of maternal aggression), and the ventral part of the anterior bed nuclei of the stria terminalis (presently discussed as being involved in controlling neuroendocrine\ud and autonomic responses accompanying maternal aggression). These findings reveal an important role for the PMv in detecting the male intruder and how this nucleus modulates the network controlling maternal aggression.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) Grant 05/59286-4Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) Grant 11/02425-3Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológic

Vibración del pasado perdido. Discursos acerca de la otredad maya en el Japón de la posguerra

I present in this work some ideas on the Maya produced in Japan specifically after its defeat in the World War II. It is during the first decades of the post-war when the Japanese approached the other Maya and developed particular ideas and images about it. My interest is directed towards some voices that intend to associate Mayan past with Japan’s own past. I am mainly pointing out to two motives in these discourses: “the Mayan arts” and “the mystery of the disappeared civilization.” These two motives are, I consider, the most spread and transmitted out off various types of exhibits. By reviewing some works related to them, this article addresses the historical conditions in that time and how they influenced the rise and development of those discourses, as well as the discussion around the ideas of the Maya made in Japan.En este trabajo presento algunas ideas producidas en Japón acerca de los mayas, específicamente después de la derrota en la Segunda Guerra Mundial. Fue justo en las primeras décadas de la posguerra cuando los japoneses se acercaron a la otredad maya y desarrollaron ideas e imágenes particulares. Mi interés se dirige hacia algunas voces que pretenden narrar el pasado maya buscando asociaciones con el de Japón. Señalaré principalmente dos grandes motivos presentes en los discursos: “las artes mayas” y “el misterio de la civilización desaparecida”. Considero que estos dos han sido los motivos más difundidos y los que aparecen desplegados en varios tipos de exposiciones. Revisando trabajos realizados en esos años, este artículo muestra las condiciones históricas del momento y cómo influyen en la aparición de estos discursos, así como la discusión de estas ideas sobre los mayas en Japón

Antiguos mayas en takuhon: una interpretación artística de los mayas en el Japón de la posguerra

El presente estudio explora la técnica takuhon usada por el artista japonés Kojin Toneyama, mediante la cual el artista pretendió aproximarse y comprender a los mayas a su manera particular, y proyectar una figura imaginaria de ellos. Sus imágenes calcadas y palabras acompañadas a ésas contribuyeron de cierta manera a la construcción de una imaginación social de la otredad maya, en el Japón del tiempo de posguerra. Con un enfoque en el takuhon -una técnica considerada como “tradición oriental” pero a la vez usada de manera moderna- muestro aquí una manera de aproximarnos a la interpretación artística acerca de los mayas que refleja la mirada particular de aquel Japón

How the different noise types may influence the open-field behaviour of rats?

The acoustic environment, included noises, is an utmost important component of the animals’ welfare. Environmental noises are harmful to the laboratory animals, therefore author tested the effect of different noise types. Before starting the noise exposures, a week preliminary period was inserted to socialize the animals

How the Different Noise Types May Influence the Open-field Behavior of Rats?

The acoustic environment, included noises, is an utmost important component of the animals’ welfare. Environmental noises are harmful to the laboratory animals, therefore author tested the effect of different noise types. Before starting the noise exposures, a week preliminary period was inserted to socialize the animals. After that 12 young rats were exposed to musical stimuli (MAGY. ÁO. LAPJA, 2013. 135. 246-253.), thereafter a particular noise type only once, every second day, in the afternoon. Each rat spent approximately 7 minutes inside the open-field (OF) box and with simultaneous manual and video registration of behaviour was carried out by two independent observers. The following activities were evaluated: eating, moving by the walls, crossing the centre, sitting, grooming, watching and sniffing, freezing, stereotypical movement, urination and defecation rate. First the basic OF-behaviour, without any sound effect was registered and then the noise stimuli were presented in the following order: noise music (Takehisa Kosugi’s Violin Improvisation: 1989) in original and in two-times accelerated rhythm and two octaves higher in pitch (“rodentized”version”), selection of natural and technical noises. Predominantly the basic ethogram consisted of watching and sniffing (47.7%), moving by the wall (13.5%) (exploratory behaviour), sitting in the corner (19.2%), animals crossed the centre (13.9% of the time (showing the lack of fear) and no freezing or sleeping occurred. Noise music, especially the “rodentized” noise music, as well as the natural noises drastically decreased time, spent with moving, watching and sniffing, the duration of sitting in the corner and the nervous grooming increased. Freezing and stereotypical behaviour (moving the head from one side to another in sitting position) appeared, too. The noise music, especially the higher and accelerated noise music, as well as the natural noises drastically decreased the time of ambulation, watching and sniffing. In turn, the duration of sitting in the corner and the nervous grooming increased. Freezing, and stereotypical behaviour (moving the head from one side to another) appeared, too. Listening the natural noises (containing also cat and dog voices) basically had similar effect on the OF-behaviour as the “rodentized” noise music and rats crossed the centre the few times (sign of anxiety). The technical noises had less influence on the OF-behaviour: the freezing time reduced by 50%. The time for eating, the urination and defecation rate were reduced by all the four noise stimuli. From the point of view of animal welfare, the background music (e.g. radio) of the animal facilities should carefully be chosen to avoid the possible negative side-effects

Vibración del pasado perdido. Discursos acerca de la otredad maya en el Japón de la posguerra

I present in this work some ideas on the Maya produced in Japan specifically after its defeat in the World War II. It is during the first decades of the post-war when the Japanese approached the other Maya and developed particular ideas and images about it. My interest is directed towards some voices that intend to associate Mayan past with Japan’s own past. I am mainly pointing out to two motives in these discourses: “the Mayan arts” and “the mystery of the disappeared civilization.” These two motives are, I consider, the most spread and transmitted out off various types of exhibits. By reviewing some works related to them, this article addresses the historical conditions in that time and how they influenced the rise and development of those discourses, as well as the discussion around the ideas of the Maya made in Japan.En este trabajo presento algunas ideas producidas en Japón acerca de los mayas, específicamente después de la derrota en la Segunda Guerra Mundial. Fue justo en las primeras décadas de la posguerra cuando los japoneses se acercaron a la otredad maya y desarrollaron ideas e imágenes particulares. Mi interés se dirige hacia algunas voces que pretenden narrar el pasado maya buscando asociaciones con el de Japón. Señalaré principalmente dos grandes motivos presentes en los discursos: “las artes mayas” y “el misterio de la civilización desaparecida”. Considero que estos dos han sido los motivos más difundidos y los que aparecen desplegados en varios tipos de exposiciones. Revisando trabajos realizados en esos años, este artículo muestra las condiciones históricas del momento y cómo influyen en la aparición de estos discursos, así como la discusión de estas ideas sobre los mayas en Japón