Providing an escape option reduces retaliatory aggression

The purpose of this study was to examine whether providing an explicit means to escape future attacks by a provocative fictitious participant reduces retaliatory aggression. Using a laboratory measure of aggression (the Point Subtraction Aggression Paradigm), 25 participants were given the opportunity to earn points with monetary value on a fixed ratio (FR) 100 schedule, and to subtract points from a fictitious participant on an FR 10 schedule. Aggressive responding was defined as the number of point subtraction responses by the participant. Aggressive responding also produced intervals free from further attack by the fictitious participant. Provocation was manipulated by having the fictitious person subtract points from the participant. Each participant next completed the same task with an explicit FR 10 escape response option added. The escape option produced intervals free from attack identical to the aggressive option, but without taking points away from the fictitious participant. Results indicate that the availability of an escape response attenuated aggressive behavior in response to provocation. Aggr. Behav. 00:000–000, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Political Liberalism and the Interests of Children: A Reply to Timothy Michael Fowler

Timothy Michael Fowler has argued that, as a consequence of their commitment to neutrality in regard to comprehensive doctrines, political liberals face a dilemma. In essence, the dilemma for political liberals is that either they have to give up their commitment to neutrality (which is an indispensible part of their view), or they have to allow harm to children. Fowler??s case for this dilemma depends on ascribing to political liberals a view which grants parents a great degree of freedom in deciding on the education of their children. I show that ascribing this view to political liberals rests upon a misinterpretation of political liberalism. Since political liberals have access to reasons based upon the interests of children, they need not yield to parent??s wishes about the education of their children. A correct understanding of political liberalism thus shows that political liberals do not face the dilemma envisaged by Fowler.     

Fractal dynamics of heart beat interval fluctuations in corticotropin-releasing factor receptor subtype 2 deficient mice

Non-linear fractal analysis of cardiac interbeat time series was performed in corticotropin-releasing factor receptor subtype 2 (CRFR2) deficient mice. Heart rate dynamics in mice constitutes a self-similar, scale-invariant, random fractal process with persistent intrinsic long-range correlations and inverse power-law properties. We hypothesized that the sustained tachycardic response elicited by intraperitoneal (ip) injection of human/rat CRF (h/rCRF) is mediated by CRFR2. In wildtype control animals, heart rate was increased to about maximum levels (~ 750 bpm) while in CRFR2-deficient animals baseline values were retained (~ 580 bpm). The tachycardic response elicited by ip-application is mediated by CRFR2 and is interpreted to result from sympathetic stimulation. However, the functional integrity of CRFR2 would not present a prerequisite to maintaining the responsiveness and resiliency of cardiac control to external environmental perturbations experimentally induced by extrinsic ip-application of h/rCRF or under physiological conditions that may be associated with an increased peripheral release of CRF. Under stressful physiological conditions achieved by novelty exposure, CRFR2 is not involved in the cardiodynamic regulation to external short-term stress. While the hypothesis of involvement of CRFR2 in cardiac regulation upon pharmacological stimulation cannot be rejected, the present findings suggest that the mechanism of action is by sympathetic stimulation, but would not unambiguously allow to draw any conclusions as to the physiological role of CRFR2 in the control of cardiac dynamics.     

The geometry of factorial indeterminancy

TheN-dimensional geometry of a Spearman-Thurstone factor solution reveals two sources for the indeterminancy of factor scores: indeterminancy of total factor space and a rotational indeterminancy within a given total factor space. The analytical papers of Ledermann [4] and Guttman [2] on indeterminancy of factor scores are related to these findings and a simple vector model is developed to reveal the properties of rotational indeterminancy. The significance of factor-score indeterminancy is discussed in light of these findings.     

Can the medical resonance therapy music affect autonomous innervation of cerebral arteries?

The purpose of this investigation was to study the effects of Medical Resonance Therapy Music (MRT-Music) upon autonomous innervation of cerebral arteries by examining slow spontaneous oscillations of cerebral blood flow (SSO) using transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD). TCD detects SSO with 3–9 cycles per minute (M-waves) and 0.5–2 cycles per minute (B-waves). The SSO are caused by rhythmic diameter changes of the medium and small cerebral arteries. Six patients aged 24–65 years suffering from tension headache were treated with MRT-Music. Twelve additional patients were examined with TCD only to register SSO for further spectral analysis. After fast Fourier transformation four groups of peaks were registered on the SSO spectra, divided into four rhythms: A. 0.0–0.02 Hz, B. 0.02–0.033 Hz, C. 0.06–0.09 Hz, D. 0.09–0.15 Hz and an intermediate diapason of 0.034–0.059 Hz. Spectral analysis of the SSO showed changes between initial and final amplitude peaks in all patients. In contrast to A-, B-and D-rhythms, the reduction of peaks in the C-diapason was statistically significant (31–60%, P 3D0.04, CI 3D95%) for patients treated with MRT-Music. All patients treated with the MRT-Music reported a relief of headache while and after treatment.     

Clinical application of medical resonance therapy music in high-risk pregnancies

Music is an ancient method for healing. In the year 550 B.C., Pythagoras from Greece developed a concept for the use of music in medicine, esteeming music higher than many other medical treatments. The Medical Resonance Therapy Music (MRT-Music) of the German classical composer and musicologist Peter Huebner is built on this concept of Pythagorean music medicine. Its therapeutic effect may be best explained by the natural phenomenon of resonance between the harmony laws of the microcosm of music and the biological laws of the body. Results received after application of MRT-Music indicate multiple positive effects on the organism of pregnant women both with a healthy pregnancy as with a pathologic one, reducing the rate of premature births very effectively. Furthermore, MRT-Music came out to be an effective method in the complex therapy of late gestoses and a nearly irreplaceable method for preoperative preparation of pregnant woman for caesarean section. It demonstrated a powerful anti-stress effect and allowd to reduce the amount of administered pain-killers to pregnant women by the factor 1.5 to 2.0 thus reducing the negative pharmacological load to the foetus. It furthermore reduced labour time and shortened hospital stay. It helped to create optimal conditions for the course of pregnancy and heightened pain sensitivity threshold by means of improving the functional, hormonal, and psycho-emotional conditions of pregnant and lying-in women. Thus, the labour process became more natural, the delivery non-traumatic, and motherhood more happy and safe.     

Suicidology: A Look Backward and Ahead

Using the metaphor of “a long run’ to describe our progress in suicidology, the author looks back to discuss important concepts that have become well established, such as clues to suicide, ambivalence, crisis services, suicide consultations, and psychological autopsies. An example is the psychological autopsy of Marilyn Monroe. Follow-up studies of crisis center clients have indicated that chronically suicidal clients are at the greatest risk of suicide. Recommendations for the long-term treatment of such patients are provided. Research on youth suicide is reported. Finally, the author looks ahead toward new developments in training and treatment.