Disturbances of consciousness in dementia with Lewy bodies associated with alteration in nicotinic receptor binding in the temporal cortex

Disturbances of consciousness, including fluctuations in attention and awareness, are a common and clinically important symptom in dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). In the present study we investigate potential mechanisms of such disturbances of consciousness (DOC) in a clinicopathological study evaluating specific components of the cholinergic system. [3H]Epibatidine binding to the high-affinity nicotinic receptor in the temporal cortex (Brodmann's areas 20 and 36) differentiated DLB cases with and without DOC, being 62-66% higher in those with DOC (F=4.5,p=.025). The were no differences between DLB patients with or without DOC in 125I-labeled alpha-bungaratoxin binding to the low-affinity nicotinic receptor, [3H]pirenzepine binding to the muscarinic M1 receptor, or in choline acetyltransferase activity. These findings provide support for the hypothesis that cholinergic activity is an important neural correlate if consciousness and suggest a mechanism of DOC in DLB involving alterations in the nicotinic receptor, composed of predominantly alpha4 and beta2 subunits.     

Modifying driver behaviour with passenger feedback

A feedback programme was employed to help drivers improve their safety behaviour based on the idea that particular types of driver error result from contingency traps as defined by Fuller [Journal of Applied Behaviour Analysis, 24 (1991) 73]. Two drivers and their single respective passengers participated. For each driver, repeated in-car observations were made of four unsafe driving behaviours. Two of these were sequentially targeted in the behavioural intervention that involved the passengers providing informational feedback to their driver. Both drivers showed a marked improvement across the targeted behaviours. The study demonstrated the applicability of behaviour analysis to the traffic domain and the efficacy of individual feedback as a behavioural tool for positive behaviour modification.     

Candidate Personality as an Influence on Selection Interview Assessments

Les interviewers décrivent couramment leur travail comme une tâche ďévaluation de la personnalité. Pourtant, on recense peu de recherches sur la façon dont la personnalité des candidats influence les jugements de ľinterviewer. Dans cette étude, des demandeurs de formation ont rempli la "self-monitoring scale" de Snyder, ľE.P.I. et une mesure de ľanxiété comportementale; ces données ont été corrélées avec les appréciations des interviewers. Conformé-ment aux hypothèses, on a trouvé que les extravertis étaient jugés plus positivement. Le névrotisme, bien que corrélé avec plusieurs appréciations ďinterviewers, ne semblait pas liéà la décision finale. Contrairement aux prédictions, les scores ďautonomie n'étaient pas corrélés avec les appréciations des interviewers.
Interviewers frequently see their task as being one of personality assessment, yet there is little research on how candidate personality influences interviewer assessments. In this study, applicants for places on a course completed Snyder's self-monitoring scale, the E.P.I, and a measure of state anxiety, and their scores were correlated with interviewers' ratings. As had been hypothesised, there was some indication that extraverts were judged to be more acceptable. Neuroti-cism, despite being correlated with several interviewer ratings, did not seem to be related to final acceptance decision. Contrary to prediction, self-monitoring scores did not correlate with the interviewers' assessments.     

Spiritual Confusion: a critique of current educational policy in England and Wales

This article constitutes an analytical survey of recent approaches to spiritual development and, in particular, a critique of government policy and practice in the documentation produced by OFSTED and SCAA (now QCA). It questions the consistency and adequacy with which spiritual development has been addressed and the ambiguity inherent in the SCAA approach when set alongside the pronouncements of its Chief Executive Nicholas Tate. By drawing on selected writers the claims for inclusivity, exclusivity and consensus as bases for educational practice are scrutinized and the case for a relativist approach to the subject advanced. The writer argues that teachers should engage with the process of spiritual development rather than being concerned with a pre‐determined outcome aligned to either moral ends or faith commitment.     

The effect of adults' eating on young children's acceptance of unfamiliar foods

Adults presented unfamiliar foods to 14- to 20- and 42- to 48-month-old children individually in their homes. More children put the food in their mouths when the adults also were eating than when the adults simply were offering the food. More children put food in their mouths when their mothers were the source than when the source was a friendly adult “visitor”. However, even when alone with a child, the visitor's eating elicited reliably more tasting. Analysis of requesting behavior indicated that the adults' eating aroused a desire to eat in the children. There were no consistent sex differences or interactions between sex of visitor and sex of child in children's food acceptance. There was a suggestion that younger children were more affected by repeated offerings than were older children. It is concluded that a relatively “low level” form of observational learning—“social facilitation”—can account for the data.