Extinction of conditioned inhibition through nonreinforced presentation of the inhibitor

In previous studies that have tried to extinguish conditioned inhibition through nonreinforced presentations of the inhibitor, researchers have repeatedly failed to find evidence for such extinction. The present study revealed that extinction can be achieved through nonreinforcement of the inhibitor, depending on properties of the reinforcer. In a human causal learning experiment, we found complete extinction in a scenario in which the reinforcer could take on negative values. Thereby, this scenario reflected the assumed symmetrical continuum on which associative strength can vary, according to the Rescorla-Wagner theory of associative learning. In contrast to this, the inhibitory cue retained its inhibitory potential in another condition, in which the scenario did not allow negative values of the reinforcer. nt]mis|Klaus G. Melchers has previously published under the surname "Lober.” Susann Wolff is now working at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig, German

Die «genitale» Sexualität – Versuch der Dekonstruktion eines normativen psychoanalytischen Konzepts

Die konzeptuelle Kluft zwischen der in der Psychoanalyse als so determinierend angesehenen infantilen polymorph-perversen Sexualität und dem, was Freud an anderer Stelle recht normativ als «genitale» Sexualität beschreibt, wird einer kritischen Analyse unterzogen. Es folgen Vorschläge zu einer präziseren Fassung der Polymorphie menschlicher Sexualität

A Cognitive Modeling Approach to Strategy Formation in Dynamic Decision Making

Decision-making is a high-level cognitive process based on cognitive processes like perception, attention, and memory. Real-life situations require series of decisions to be made, with each decision depending on previous feedback from a potentially changing environment. To gain a better understanding of the underlying processes of dynamic decision-making, we applied the method of cognitive modeling on a complex rule-based category learning task. Here, participants first needed to identify the conjunction of two rules that defined a target category and later adapt to a reversal of feedback contingencies. We developed an ACT-R model for the core aspects of this dynamic decision-making task. An important aim of our model was that it provides a general account of how such tasks are solved and, with minor changes, is applicable to other stimulus materials. The model was implemented as a mixture of an exemplar-based and a rule-based approach which incorporates perceptual-motor and metacognitive aspects as well. The model solves the categorization task by first trying out one-feature strategies and then, as a result of repeated negative feedback, switching to two-feature strategies. Overall, this model solves the task in a similar way as participants do, including generally successful initial learning as well as reversal learning after the change of feedback contingencies. Moreover, the fact that not all participants were successful in the two learning phases is also reflected in the modeling data. However, we found a larger variance and a lower overall performance of the modeling data as compared to the human data which may relate to perceptual preferences or additional knowledge and rules applied by the participants. In a next step, these aspects could be implemented in the model for a better overall fit. In view of the large interindividual differences in decision performance between participants, additional information about the underlying cognitive processes from behavioral, psychobiological and neurophysiological data may help to optimize future applications of this model such that it can be transferred to other domains of comparable dynamic decision tasks.DFG, 54371073, SFB/TRR 62: Eine Companion-Technologie für kognitive technische System

21-Hydroxylase-Specific CD8+ T Cells in Autoimmune Addison’s Disease Are Restricted by HLA-A2 and HLA-C7 Molecules

Objectives: CD8+ T cells targeting 21-hydroxylase (21OH) are presumed to play a central role in the destruction of adrenocortical cells in autoimmune Addison’s disease (AAD). Earlier reports have suggested two immunodominant CD8+ T cell epitopes within 21OH: LLNATIAEV (21OH342-350), restricted by HLA-A2, and EPLARLEL (21OH431-438), restricted by HLA-B8. We aimed to characterize polyclonal CD8+ T cell responses to the proposed epitopes in a larger patient cohort with AAD. Methods: Recombinant fluorescent HLA-peptide multimer reagents were used to quantify antigen-specific CD8+ T cells by flow cytometry. Interferon-gamma (IFNγ) Elispot and biochemical assays were used to functionally investigate the 21OH-specific T cells, and to map the exactly defined epitopes of 21OH. Results: We found a significantly higher frequency of HLA-A2 restricted LLNATIAEV-specific cells in patients with AAD than in controls. These cells could also be expanded in vitro in an antigen specific manner and displayed a robust antigen-specific IFNγ production. In contrast, only negligible frequencies of EPLARLEL-specific T cells were detected in both patients and controls with limited IFNγ response. However, significant IFNγ production was observed in response to a longer peptide encompassing EPLARLEL, 21OH430-447, suggesting alternative dominant epitopes. Accordingly, we discovered that the slightly offset ARLELFVVL (21OH434-442) peptide is a novel dominant epitope restricted by HLA-C7 and not by HLA-B8 as initially postulated. Conclusion: We have identified two dominant 21OH epitopes targeted by CD8+ T cells in AAD, restricted by HLA-A2 and HLA-C7, respectively. To our knowledge, this is the first HLA-C7 restricted epitope described for an autoimmune disease.publishedVersio

Assoziation - Narration - Zuhören. Der analytische Prozess diesseits der Deutung

n/

Die psychoanalytische Institution. Plädoyer für eine Öffnung der Ausbildungsausschüsse

Vor dem Hintergrund klinischer Fallvorstellungen von lacanianisch und freudianisch orientierten PsychoanalytikerInnen in einer Intervisionsgruppe arbeitet die Autorin die jeweiligen spezifischen theoretischen und technischen Perspektiven heraus; so entstand ein eng an der alltäglichen Praxis orientierter Überblick.The analytic method: Personal report from a Freudo-Lacanian work group. – Against the background of clinical case histories discussed in an intervision group by psychoanalysts of a Freudian and Lacanian persuasion, the author observes and describes their specific theoretical and technical perspectives. The result is an overview closely geared to everyday analytic practice

Nachahnung

Traduction française : Après-sentiment, roma

Im Haus des Henkers. Gespräche mit überlebenden Juden in Deutschland

Traduction française : Dans la maison du bourreau. Entretiens avec des survivants juifs en Allemagn