Effect of prior exposure to a lithium- and an amphetamine-paired flavor on the acoustic startle response in rats

The experiments reported here evaluated the hypothesis that an amphetamine-paired flavor elicits conditioned fear-arousal, whereas a lithium-paired flavor elicits conditioned nausea-disgust by examining the effect of prior flavor exposure on an acoustic startle reaction (ASR). Exposure to a lithium-paired flavor by intraoral infusion, either immediately prior to a startle session (Experiment 1) or during a startle session (Experiments 2 and 3), resulted in a blunted ASR. In contrast, intraoral infusion of an amphetamine-paired flavor resulted in a potentiated ASR. The blunted ASR produced by exposure to a lithium-paired flavor dramatically reversed to a potentiated ASR when rats were pretreated with the antiemetic drug ondansetron prior to the saccharin-lithium pairing (Experiment 3). The findings shed light on a mechanism by which rewarding drugs produce conditioned taste avoidance in rats.     

Applying the Ethical Principle of Social Benefits in Nursing Research in Developing Countries: the Case of Jordan

Journal of Academic Ethics - Research on human subjects is ethically justified when its anticipated results would ultimately benefit the society or public and not only the individuals participating...     

Recrystallization in a low-density low-alloy Fe–Mn–Al–C duplex-phase alloy

The recrystallization behaviour of a cold-rolled, low-density, low-alloy duplex-phase alloy (Fe–6.57Al–3.34Mn–0.18C, wt.%) has been studied. Temperature-resolved X-ray diffraction and dilatometry showed that the alloy recrystallizes at 850?°C during continuous heating. However, electron back-scattered diffraction investigations using Kernel average misorientation revealed that during annealing ferrite recrystallizes at lower temperatures while austenite remains strained up to 1200?°C. This study underlines the complexity of recrystallization of a microstructure comprising of constituents with high and low stacking fault energy.     

Building a Self-Directed Process for the Development of Internationally Trained Professional Profiles in Canada

More and more internationally trained professionals (ITP) coming to Canada face challenges in getting credentials recognized by regulatory bodies and employers (Forum of Labour Market Ministers 2009; Ontario Office of the Fairness Commissioner 2011b). This leads to a high level of brain waste that recently has been estimated to cost Canada up to $3.4 billion per year (Evans, CGA Magazine 45(4): 26, 2011). This paper looks at some of the challenges regarding prior learning assessments and portfolio-building processes toward credential evaluation, and explains some of the reasons why the current system and tools are not meeting the needs of ITPs. In particular, postsecondary institutions and regulatory bodies’ processes toward preparing individuals for evaluation are compared, leading to a number of conclusions on commonality and future directions. The authors conclude with the proposal of a new generic online and modular professional profile model to better prepare ITPs for credential assessment. Such a model would be particularly useful for credentialing bodies with fewer resources available. It would also provide a common set of information to front-line agencies that support ITPs.     

The coregulatory effects of emotionally focused therapy

This study examined the heart rate synchrony between a single couple in emotionally focused therapy (EFT) as a method of measuring coregulatory effects over the course of treatment. A clinician who is an EFT certified therapist, supervisor, and trainer administered all eight sessions in a private practice setting. Surrogate synchrony analysis assessed heart rate synchrony between partners, indicating that significant heart rate synchrony was more likely over time. Significant heart rate synchrony was more likely during sessions that focused on clients’ sharing attachment injuries, bonds, and longings with their partner compared to sessions more focused on cognitive processing of the relationship. Additionally, there were delays in heart rate synchrony that occurred between the couple, which may be indicative of the emotional processing speed of the empathic response of each partner. Understanding the physiological synchrony patterns between dyads in treatment could clarify the potential of coregulation in the therapeutic process.     

Modest seductiveness: Reconciling modesty and vanity by reverse assimilation and double resistance

We study conflicting notions of modesty and vanity in the Arab Gulf region by focusing on contemporary female adornment practices and the tensions underlying them. The standard of modest traditional dress that women are expected to adhere to in Gulf countries is intended to conceal their sexuality and promote public virtue. Nevertheless, emerging bodily adornment practices in the region serve the contradictory purposes of emphasizing female sexuality and celebrating fashion. By using insights from observations and depth interviews with young Qatari and Emirati women, we explore the dynamics underlying the conflicting imperatives of modesty and vanity and examine how they reconcile these contradictions in constructing their identities as women, Muslims, Qataris, and Emiratis. We find that the concepts of reverse assimilation and double resistance are most useful in understanding responses to these conflicting imperatives among young Gulf women. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Perceived Social Support and Type of Cardiac Procedures as Modifiers of Hospital Anxiety and Depression

This study examined the effect of cardiac procedure and perceived social support on anxiety and depression among cardiac patients. The sample included 100 cardiac patients consisting of equal number of patients referred for coronary angiogram and coronary artery bypass surgery. They completed measures of perceived social support, hospital anxiety and depression. The results revealed a significant effect of cardiac procedure on perceived social support, anxiety, and depression. Perceived social support yielded significant negative impact on anxiety and depression.     

Examining the impact of social commerce dimensions on customers' value cocreation: The mediating effect of social trust

One of the main aspects of the Web 2.0 revolution has been social commerce that has resulted in many people across the world increasingly engaging with commercial activities over social media platforms. However, the academic and research interest in social commerce is still low, and more studies are required to accelerate awareness of the most important issues relating to social commerce, in particular, social trust and value cocreation. Thus, the present study aims to propose a conceptual model that is intended to enable greater understanding of the causal interactions between social commerce constructs, social trust, and customer value cocreation. We collected data using a sample of 300 followers and fans of online Facebook communities, and we analysed them by using a structural equation model. The results show that social commerce constructs positively impact on social trust. Furthermore, we found that social trust positively impacts on the three dimensions of customer value cocreation. We found that social trust mediates the relationship between the social commerce and customer value cocreation dimensions. The paper presents a considerable theoretical contribution for being the first study that links social commerce constructs with social trust. The linkage between social commerce constructs, social trust, and customer value cocreation dimensions will also be beneficial for social media marketing strategists and managers.     

Humour production may enhance observational learning of a new tool-use action in 18-month-old infants

Many studies have shown that making children laugh enhances certain cognitive capacities such as attention, motivation, perception and/or memory, which in turn enhance learning. However, no study thus far has investigated whether laughing has an effect on learning earlier in infancy. The goal of this study was to see whether using humour with young infants in a demonstration of a complex tool-use task can enhance their learning. Fifty-three 18-month-old infants participated in this study and were included either in a humorous or a control demonstration group. In both groups infants observed an adult using a tool to retrieve an out-of-reach toy. What differed between groups was that in the humorous demonstration group, instead of playing with the toy, the adult threw it on the floor immediately after retrieval. The results show that infants who laughed at the demonstration in the humorous demonstration group reproduced significantly more frequent target actions than infants who did not laugh and those in the control group. This effect is discussed with regard to individual differences in terms of temperament and social capacities as well as positive emotion and dopamine release.