A Lotus 1-2-3-based system for recording and maintaining body weight of laboratory animals

Body-weight maintenance is required in a variety of behavioral and physiological studies. A PC-based animal-weighing system is described; it features automated data collection and allows for accurate control of body weight in test animals via manipulation of food intake. Major system components are a PC XT-compatible computer, Lotus 1-2-3 and National Instruments Measure software, and a digital electronic balance. The system is controlled by Lotus macros, which present menus to the user. Menus provide for the basic operations of the system, including establishing new data files, collecting weight data, printing, and transferring files to a laboratory minicomputer. The optional weight-maintenance algorithm calculates the amount of food necessary to maintain target body weights. Some important aspects of this algorithm, including maintenance-feeding and gain parameters, can be manipulated to reduce weight oscillation in test animals or to accommodate the maintenance of body weight of different animal species. The system facilitates acquisition and recording of weight data, minimizes the frequency of error, and reduces variability both within and across animals when body-weight maintenance is required.     

The final imperative

THE FINAL IMPERATIVE: AN ISLAMIC THEOLOGY OF LIBERATION. By SHABBIRAKHTAR. London: Bellew, 1991. 117pp. Pb. £9.95. ISBN 0-947792-93-7.     

Biases in Visual Attention in Children and Adolescents With Clinical Anxiety and Mixed Anxiety-Depression

Recent research has indicated that anxious adult and child patients and high trait-anxious adults selectively shift attention toward threatening stimuli. The present study extends this research and investigates the content-specificity of the effects in clinically anxious and mixed anxious–depressed children and adolescents. Twenty four generally anxious patients, aged 9 to 18, 19 mixed anxious–depressed patients, and 24 normal controls were comparable with respect to age, sex, verbal IQ, and vocabulary level. The participants carried out an attentional deployment task in which probe detection latency data were used to determine the distribution of visual attention for threat-related and depression-related material. The results showed that clinically anxious children, relative to controls, selectively allocated processing resources toward threat stimuli. However, mixed anxious–depressed children, relative to controls, did not show any attentional bias towards either threat- or depression-related stimuli. Preliminary data on age and gender differences are also presented. The results of this study are discussed in the light of previous research.     

躯体性和心理性应激对大鼠血浆皮质酮变化的影响

本实验以血浆皮质酮分泌量为大鼠应激反应指标。实验分三阶段进行:Ⅰ期.适应(第1～7天),在此期所有动物对环境及实验盒适应性训练。Ⅱ期.心理性应激的形成(第8～14天).随机分三组进行:对照(C)组仅给不规则光;规则光(R)组给光后再于尾部施电刺激,光与电刺激间隔恒定;不规则光(Ⅰ)组给光和电刺激,但两者间隔随机。C、R、I三组所接受的光刺激量相等,R、I组所接受的电刺激量相等。Ⅲ期.心理性应激的记忆(第15天).此期各组电刺激均撤除,余同第Ⅱ期。结果显示,在Ⅱ期末及Ⅲ期,R、I组血浆皮质酮均明显高于C组,I组高于R组。     

Influence of intracerebroventricular administration of dopaminergic drugs on morphine state-dependent memory in the step-down passive avoidance test

The effects of dopaminergic drugs on morphine state-dependent memory of passive avoidance task were examined in mice. Pre-training administration of morphine (5mg/kg) led to state-dependent learning with impaired memory retrieval on the test day which was reversed by pre-test administration of the same dose of the opiate. The pre-test intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of the dopamine D1 receptor agonist (SKF38393), dopamine D2 receptor agonist (quinpirole) and dopamine D2 receptor antagonist (sulpiride) not only reversed the effect of pre-training morphine treatment, but also increased this action of the drug. Furthermore, the pre-test i.c.v. administration of dopamine D1 receptor antagonist (SCH23390) prevented the restoration of memory by morphine. In conclusion, the morphine-induced recovery of memory, on the test day, seems to be induced, at least in part, through dopamine receptors.     

Nonequivalence of on-line and paper-and-pencil psychological tests: The case of the prospective memory questionnaire

There is growing evidence that Internet-mediated psychological tests can have satisfactory psychometric properties and can measure the same constructs as traditional versions. However, equivalence cannot be taken for granted. The prospective memory questionnaire (PMQ; Hannon, Adams, Harrington, Fries-Dias, & Gibson, 1995) was used in an on-line study exploring links between drug use and memory (Rodgers et al., 2003). The PMQ has four factor-analytically derived subscales. In a large (N763) sample tested via the Internet, only two factors could be recovered; the other two subscales were essentially meaningless. This demonstration of nonequivalence underlines the importance of on-line test validation. Without examination of its psychometric properties, one cannot be sure that a test administered via the Internet actually measures the intended construct.     

A Model of Subjective Well-Being for Adolescents in High School

The aim of this study is to develop and test a subjective well-being model for adolescents in high school. A total of 255 adolescents in high school (131 female and 124 male) participated in this study. Data was collected by using the general needs satisfaction questionnaire, questionnaire for the strategies to increase subjective well-being, life satisfaction questionnaire and positive and negative affects questionnaire. The structural equation modelling method was used for analysis of the data. The results of the analysis showed that in the original model, the individual variables and the total effect of variables were directly and indirectly related to subjective well being of adolescents in high school. The direct and indirect effects of the independent variables to subjective well-being were found significant. The findings suggest that to enhance the subjective well-being of high school students, a combination of strategies and satisfaction of needs is essential.     

The root cause of the attentional blink: First-target processing or disruption of input control?

Identification of the second of two targets (T2) is impaired when presented shortly after the first (T1). T1-based theories ascribe this attentional blink (AB) to a T1-initiated period of inattention. Distractor-based theories ascribe it to a disruption of input control caused by post-T1 distractors. The finding that an AB occurs without intertarget distractors (Nieuwenstein, Potter, & Theeuwes, Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance 35:159-169, 2009) seemingly disconfirms distractor-based theories. The present experiments addressed different ways in which distractor-based theories might account for that finding. Intertarget events were varied in four experiments. Experiment 1 replicated Nieuwenstein, Potter, and Theeuwes??s findings. The next two experiments tested two ways (lack of visual stimulation, violation of expectation) in which the blank intertarget interval might cause an AB. Experiment 4 explored whether backward-masking of T1 can account entirely for the larger AB obtained with intervening distractors or whether distractors also disrupt input control. The results disconfirm predictions from distractor-based theories and support the claim of T1-based theories that T1 processing alone is sufficient for the AB. Simulations based on the eSTST (Wyble, Bowman, & Nieuwenstein, Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance 35:787-807, 2009) and the B&B models (Olivers & Meeter, Psychological Research, 115, 836-863 2008) were compared. Predictions were more accurate from the T1-based theory (eSTST) than from the distractor-based theory (B&B).     

Spiritual Needs of the Muslim Elderly Living in Nursing Homes: A Qualitative Study

Journal of Religion and Health - Paying attention to and meeting the needs of people who are elderly helps to improve their health. Caring for the elderly includes addressing...