Neural correlates of emotion processing comparing antidepressants and exogenous oxytocin in postpartum depressed women: An exploratory study

Despite common use of antidepressants to treat postpartum depression, little is known about the impact of antidepressant use on postpartum brain activity. Additionally, although oxytocin has been investigated as a potential treatment for postpartum depression, the interaction between antidepressants and exogenous oxytocin on brain activity is unknown. We explored postpartum depressed women’s neural activation in areas identified as important to emotion and reward processing and potentially, antidepressant response: the amygdala, nucleus accumbens and ventral tegmental area. We conducted a secondary analysis of a functional imaging study of response to sexual, crying infant and smiling infant images in 23 postpartum depressed women with infants under six months (11 women taking antidepressants, 12 unmedicated). Participants were randomized to receive a single dose of oxytocin or placebo nasal spray. There was significantly higher amygdala activation to sexual stimuli than either neutral or infant-related stimuli among women taking antidepressants or receiving oxytocin nasal spray. Among unmedicated women receiving placebo, amygdala activation was similar across stimuli types. There were no significant effects of antidepressants nor oxytocin nasal spray on reward area processing (i.e., in the nucleus accumbens or ventral tegmental area). Among postpartum women who remain depressed, there may be significant interactions between the effects of antidepressant use and exogenous oxytocin on neural activity associated with processing emotional information. Observed effect sizes were moderate to large, strongly suggesting the need for further replication with a larger sample

ScotPID - a model of collaboration

ScotPID is a national personal development initiative in Scotland, with thirteen higher education institutions taking part in the development of case studies which enhance personal development planning for students. As a model of collaboration, ScotPID involves all stakeholders: each core project group is composed of an academic, IT support manager, careers service adviser and undergraduate student, with support from QAA Scotland. The case study is developed by the contribution of all of the members of the team. The strength of the ScotPID collaboration is the varied background of the team members. However, collaboration between the ScotPID teams should also be encouraged, to strengthen the inter-institutional approach further

A Close and Supportive Interparental Bond During Pregnancy Predicts Greater Decline in Sexual Activity From Pregnancy to Postpartum: Applying an Evolutionary Perspective

A common topic for advice given to parents after childbirth – both from relationship experts and popular media – is how to “bounce back” to one’s pre-pregnancy sexuality, with warnings that postpartum declines in sexual frequency will take a serious toll on one’s relationship. However, these admonishments may not accurately reflect the ways in which the unique reproductive context of pregnancy and the postpartum transition alter associations between sexual frequency and relationship quality. Evolutionary perspectives on reproductive strategies would suggest that in the postpartum context, decreased sexual activity would help target parental investment in the current offspring (rather than creating new offspring); however, if the parental relationship is lacking in intimacy and support, continued sexual activity may help seal the cracks in the bond. We tested this theory in a longitudinal dyadic study of changes in relationship quality and sexual frequency from pregnancy to 6 months postpartum among 159 heterosexual couples. We found that across three different measures of relationship quality taken from interviews and behavioral observation of couple interactions, higher relationship quality (i.e., greater support, intimacy, and responsiveness) predicted greater decline in sexual frequency whereas sexual frequency remained relatively stable in lower quality relationships. These findings suggest that, during the postpartum transition, decreased sexual frequency may not be a reliable signal of poor relationship quality

Brief Report: Sexual Wellbeing in Heterosexual, Mostly Heterosexual, and Bisexually Attracted Men and Women

Objective: To assess differences in sexual wellbeing among men and women with exclusively heterosexual, mostly heterosexual, and bisexual attractions. Method: An anonymous online survey in a convenience sample of 597 young adults (394 women, 203 men; average age = 20.04) assessed patterns of sexual attraction, desire, sexual functioning, and sexual satisfaction using validated questionnaires. Results: Individuals with mostly heterosexual attractions reported significantly higher solitary sexual desire than exclusively heterosexual individuals (women: d = 0.64; men: d = 0.68). Partnered sexual desire did not differ between groups. Women with exclusively heterosexual attractions reported significantly higher sexual functioning and satisfaction than either mostly heterosexual or bisexually attracted women (functioning: d = 0.29; satisfaction: d = 0.47). Men with mostly heterosexual attractions reported significantly lower sexual functioning than either exclusively heterosexual or bisexually attracted men (d = 0.40). Conclusions: There were significant differences between exclusively vs. mostly heterosexual individuals in several aspects of sexual wellbeing, supporting the assertion that mostly heterosexual may constitute a distinct orientation. Taken together with prior research showing higher rates of sexual dysfunction in bisexual women, these findings highlight sexual health disparities among nonmonosexual women. Efforts to support the sexual wellbeing of sexual minority individuals should include consideration of mostly heterosexual individuals, as this population may have unique sexual health needs

President Trump\u27s Big Beautiful Wall: Discrimination, Eminent Domain, and the Public Use Requirement

At a press conference held in Trump Tower New York City on June 16, 2015, Donald Trump announced his candidacy for President of the United States by promising to expand the border wall along the Southern United States. President Trump has insisted that his only reasons behind completely separating the United States from Mexico are to curtail illegal immigration and curb drug cartel activity, but many argue that his statements indicate a much more sinister motive based in racial discrimination. The public use requirement of the Fifth Amendment Takings Clause allows the federal government to take private land for the greater public benefit. While the public use requirement of the takings clause is incredibly broad, this note will argue that there can be no public use when the sole motivation behind a taking is racial discrimination. While there have been no direct cases involving the use of eminent domain for a solely discriminatory purpose, cases in other areas make it clear that such a purpose would run afoul of the public use requirement for failure to serve even a basic legitimate government interest. The Equal Protection Clause, specifically the lack of a legitimate government interest or the government’s bare desire to harm a particular group, are useful tools with which this note will analyze President Trump’s statements and opinions about the border wall and whether they are discriminatory in nature and therefore outside the realm of the public use requirement

Successful second language pronunciation learning is linked to domain-general auditory processing rather than music aptitude

Whereas a growing amount of attention has been directed to the role of perceptual-cognitive aptitude in successful second language (L2) lexicogrammar learning, scholars have begun to investigate the same topic in the context of L2 pronunciation learning. To date, there is ongoing discussion on the mechanism underlying L2 speech learning in relation to music aptitude and domain-general auditory processing ability. Situated within 48 moderately experienced Chinese learners of English in the UK (length of residence = one year), the current study examined the relationship between music aptitude, auditory perception, and L2 pronunciation proficiency. Results revealed that music aptitude and auditory processing were partially overlapping, whereas both abilities were independent of participants’ past and current L2 language learning experience. Whereas individual differences in auditory processing demonstrated significant associations with various dimensions of L2 pronunciation proficiency, music aptitude was only weakly predictive of prosodic aspects of L2 pronunciation proficiency. Comparatively, none of the experience variables were related to acquisition within the current dataset

Higher sexual excitation is associated with an increase in sex-linked substance use in women with a history of unwanted sexual contact

Survivors of unwanted sexual contact have an increased likelihood of using substances in sexual situations, which puts them at heightened risk for intoxication-related harms. Separately, research has indicated that women may intentionally use substances in sexual situations to either enhance pleasure (i.e., increase sexual excitation) and/or reduce sexual anxiety or shame (i.e., reduce sexual inhibition), a phenomenon termed sex-linked substance use (SLSU). A predominant assumption in the literature is that women with unwanted sex histories are more likely to disengage during sex, suggesting greater inhibition-related SLSU; however, there is little prior research directly examining if women who have unwanted sex histories primarily engage in SLSU to increase sexual excitation or decrease inhibitions. We conducted exploratory analyses of an online survey in a convenience sample of 516 undergraduate women including data on their history of unwanted sex, SLSU, and sexual excitation/inhibition. Sexual excitation mediated the association between a history of unwanted sexual contact and SLSU, suggesting that women with unwanted sexual histories reported higher levels of sexual excitation, which in turn was associated with a higher likelihood of using substances to increase pleasure during sexual activity. Specifically, arousability, partner characteristics, and power dynamics subfactors were significant mediators. Sexual inhibition did not mediate the relationship between a history of unwanted sexual contact and SLSU, suggesting that women with unwanted sex histories may have been less likely to use substances to reduce sexual inhibitions. If replicated, these findings suggest that sexual excitation may be a useful target of intervention surrounding SLSU, particularly in women with histories of unwanted sexual contact. Specifically, treatments targeting cognitive and affective tendencies associated with sexual excitation may help women who engage in SLSU to have safe, pleasurable sexual activity, without increasing the risk of intoxication-related harms

Pasture condition guide for the Ord River Catchment

This guide has been produced as a tool for assessing pasture condition over a range of pasture types in the Ord River catchment. A pasture type is a distinctive mix of plant species, soil type and landscape position. For example, the Mitchell Grass Alluvial Plain Pasture type is a mixture of Mitchell grasses and other species occurring on black soil alluvial plains. Pasture condition is an important factor affecting the potential of the rangelands for animal production and is a useful indicator for the sustainability of production.https://researchlibrary.agric.wa.gov.au/bulletins/1202/thumbnail.jp

Reimagining Research Services’ Outreach to Faculty and Students: A Tale of Two Research Departments (University of Central Florida and Florida Gulf Coast University)

Two academic library research managers discuss innovative outreach strategies that they coordinate in their respective libraries (University of Central Florida serves 68,000+ students; Florida Gulf Coast University serves 15,000+ students) to support faculty and student success for teaching, learning, and research. A poster1 was created to illustrate these strategies.

ASSESSMENT OF THE EFFECT OF INJURY ON THE KINEMATIC DIFFERENCES IN THE SAGGITAL PLANE UPON LANDING

INTRODUCTION: Landing on one leg is a common activity in Gaelic Football. Research has shown that the internal and external forces on the joints of the lower extremity can be modulated by changing kinematic patterns of lower limb function (Schmitz et al, 2007). Previous studies in other sports have suggested that uninjured limbs tend to land in more flexed positions (Ortiz et al, 2008). The purpose of this pilot study was to assess if injury had an effect on the kinematic pattern of a drop land in Gaelic footballers. METHODS: Ethical approval was obtained for this study from the University of Limerick research ethics committee. This was a quantitative cross sectional study. 11 male college level Gaelic Footballers provided written informed consent and completed 5 single leg drop lands on each leg from a height of 0.6m while 3D kinematic data was simultaneously collected. The CODA motion analysis system was used to track 22 markers which were placed on specific anatomical landmarks, which allowed the measurement of lower-limb joint angle displacement during each drop land. An average of the five drop lands i.e. mean of the maximum joint angle achieved at the ankle, knee and hip during the drop were calculated and statistical analysis was performed on data using SPSS version 15.0. Limbs were classified as injured if they sustained an injury which prevented their participation in their sport for greater than 2 weeks. Injures were lower limb soft tissue injuries and did not include ruptures. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The results of this study show that the uninjured ankle dorsiflexed more than the injured ankle (6.7°). This change is statistically significant (p=0.009). The other joints show that the injured limb flexed more, however these changes were not determined to be clinically or statistically significant (all p>0.05). This result differs from previous research in other sporting populations and may suggest a differing kinematic landing pattern among Gaelic Footballers. As the previous literature in this area is limited especially among Gaelic Footballers this study serves to add to the current research carried out on this population and this topic. The results of this preliminary study should be examined with caution considering its small sample size. However, it is hoped that this pilot will inform a future larger study in this area. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that kinematics alterations may exist in Gaelic Footballers following injury. In addition, this study may indicate that Gaelic Footballers rehabilitation programmes may require modifying in order to optimise the function of the injured limb. REFERENCES: Negrete, R.J., Schick, E.A. and Cooper, J.P. (2007) Lower-Limb Dominance as a Possible Etiologic Factor in Noncontact Anterior Cruciate Ligament Tears, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 21(1), 270-273 Ortiz, A., Olson, S., Libby, C.L., Trudelle-Jackson, E., Kwon, Y.H., Etnyre, B. and Bartlett, W. (2008) Landing Mechanisms Between Noninjured Women and Women with Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruciton During 2 Jump Tasks The American Journal of Sports Medicine, 36(1): 149-157 Schmitz, R.J., Kulas, A.S., Perrin, D.H., Riemann, B.L., and Shultz, S.J. (2007) Sex differences in lower extremity biomechanics during single leg landings, Clinical Biomechanics, 22, 681-68