Involvement of the insular cortex in the consolidation and expression of contextual fear conditioning

The insular cortex (IC) has been reported to be involved in the modulation of memory and autonomic and defensive responses. However, there is conflicting evidence about the role of the IC in fear conditioning. To explore the IC involvement in both behavioral and autonomic responses induced by contextual fear conditioning, we evaluated the effects of the reversible inhibition of the IC neurotransmission through bilateral microinjections of the non-selective synapse blocker CoCl2 (1 mm) 10 min before or immediately after the conditioning session or 10 min before re-exposure to the aversive context. In the conditioning session, rats were exposed to a footshock chamber (context) and footshocks were used as the unconditioned stimulus. Forty-eight hours later, the animals were re-exposed to the aversive context for 10 min, but no shock was given. Behavioral (freezing) as well as cardiovascular (arterial pressure and heart rate increases) responses induced by re-exposure to the aversive context were analysed. It was observed that the local IC neurotransmission inhibition attenuated freezing and the mean arterial pressure and heart rate increase of the groups that received the CoCl2 either immediately after conditioning or 10 min before re-exposure to the aversive context, but not when the CoCl2 was injected before the conditioning session. These findings suggest the involvement of the IC in the consolidation and expression of contextual aversive memory. However, the IC does not seem to be essential for the acquisition of memory associated with aversive context. © 2013 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Both alpha(1)- and beta(1)-adrenoceptors in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis are involved in the expression of conditioned contextual fear

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Contribuição diferencial do hipocampo ventral e do complexo amidalóide na modulação de respostas defensivas inatas e condicionadas de camundongos

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Regulation of contextual conditioning by the median raphe nucleus

The median raphe nucleus (MRN) has been suggested as the origin of a behavioral inhibition system that projects to the septum and hippocampus. Electrical stimulation of this mesencephalic area causes behavioral and autonomic manifestations characteristic of fear such as, freezing, defecation and micturition. In this study we extend these observations by analyzing the behavioral and autonomic responses of rats with lesions in the MRN submitted to a contextual conditioning paradigm. The animals underwent electrolytic or sham lesions of the median raphe nucleus. One day (acute) or 7 days (chronic) later they were tested in an experimental chamber where they received 10 foot-shocks (0.7 mA, 1 s with 20-s interval). The next day, sham and MRN-lesioned animals were tested again either in the same or in a different experimental chamber. During this, the duration of freezing, rearings, bouts of micturition and number of fecal boli were recorded. Sham-operated rats placed in the same chamber showed more freezing than rats exposed to a different context. This freezing behavior was clearly suppressed in rats with acute or chronic lesions in the MRN. MRN lesions also reduced the bouts of micturition and number of fecal boli. These rats showed a reduced number of rearings than sham-lesioned rats. This effect is probably the result of the displacement effect provoked by freezing since no significant differences in the number of rearings could be observed between these animals and the NMR-lesioned rats tested in an open field. This lesion produced higher horizontal locomotor activity in this test than the controls (sham-lesioned rats). These results point to the importance of the median raphe nucleus in the processing of fear conditioning with freezing being the most salient feature of it. Behavioral inhibition is also under control of MRN but its neural substrate seems to be dissociated from that of contextual fear. (C) 1998 Elsevier B.V. B.V.

Flavones from Erythrina falcata are modulators of fear memory

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Effect of estradiol benzoate microinjection into the median raphe nucleus on contextual conditioning

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Estados emocionais em professores recém-formados: análise contextual

In general, the early career is a period marked by crises. Hubermam (1992) points out that this period is considered by the teacher as one of life's most difficult professional teaching. According to Machado (2004), the physical education worked only in competitive perspective in school, does not contribute to the school to perform its social role. This approach encourages the use of stigmas, labels and prejudices, so common in school, that marginalize even more students from lower classes, and can make the sport of high performance within the school walls create students with low self-esteem and low motivation within other possible disorders . Thus, this study presents the fundamental importance to aid and support to novice teachers, so that they can understand, and address key emotional aspects that interfere in their practice. Thus, our aim was to identify the most recurrent emotional processes in novice teachers identify and also how these emotional states can influence the professional and personal attitudes of these teachers. Through a bibliographic we seek statements, reports and case studies that provide enough material to our analysis and interpretation in order to collaborate with the study area and proceed to proposals that are not unreasonable or tied to the current system. Among the emotional states reported in the literature, we highlight the main, more present and influent in the beginner teacher as listed as follow: Anxiety, Stress, Fear, Shame, Low Self Confidence and Motivation. Considering these states, Damasio (1996) reports that the United Emotional directly influenced the style and efficiency of cognitive processes, in other words, interfere with the performance of teachers in the teaching front. Thus, Machado (2006) points out that the teacher should have a set of techniques and procedures that drive their practice in a manner appropriate to the leading group. Therefore, the knowledge of Psychology of Physical...

Limiarização contextual automática de imagens coloridas: aplicação na extração de sementes de rodovia

In this paper is a totally automatic strategy proposed to reduce the complexity of patterns ( vegetation, building, soils etc.) that interact with the object 'road' in color images, thus reducing the difficulty of the automatic extraction of this object. The proposed methodology consists of three sequential steps. In the first step the punctual operator is applied for artificiality index computation known as NandA ( Natural and Artificial). The result is an image whose the intensity attribute is the NandA response. The second step consists in automatically thresholding the image obtained in the previous step, resulting in a binary image. This image usually allows the separation between artificial and natural objects. The third step consists in applying a preexisting road seed extraction methodology to the previous generated binary image. Several experiments carried out with real images made the verification of the potential of the proposed methodology possible. The comparison of the obtained result to others obtained by a similar methodology for road seed extraction from gray level images, showed that the main benefit was the drastic reduction of the computational effort.

Blockade of fear-induced antinociception with intra-amygdala infusion of midazolam: Influence of prior test experience

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Involvement of dopamine receptors in diethylpropion-induced conditioning place preference

Diethylpropion (DEP) is an amphetamine-like agent used as an anorectic drug. Abuse of DEP has been reported and some restrictions of its use have been recently imposed. The conditioning place preference (CPP) paradigm was used to evaluate the reinforcing properties of DEP in adult male Wistar rats. After initial preferences were determined, animals weighing 250-300 g (N = 7 per group) were conditioned with DEP (10, 15 or 20 mg/kg). Only the dose of 15 mg/kg produced a significant place preference (358 ± 39 vs 565 ± 48 s). Pretreatment with the D1 antagonist SCH 23390 (0.05 mg/kg, sc) 10 min before DEP (15 mg/kg, ip) blocked DEP-induced CPP (418 ± 37 vs 389 ± 31 s) while haloperidol (0.5 mg/kg, ip), a D2 antagonist, 15 min before DEP was ineffective in modifying place conditioning produced by DEP (385 ± 36 vs 536 ± 41 s). These results suggest that dopamine D1 receptors mediate the reinforcing effect of DEP

Thermoeconomic analysis of an evaporative desiccant air conditioning system

In this paper, a thermoeconomic analysis method based on the first and second law of thermodynamics and applied to an evaporative cooling system coupled to an adsorption dehumidifier, is presented. The main objective is the use of a method called exergetic manufacturing cost (EMC) applied to a system that operates in three different conditions to minimize the operation costs. Basic parameters are the RIP ratio (reactivation air/process air) and the reactivation air temperature. Results of this work show that the minimum reactivation temperature and the minimum RIP ratio corresponds to the smaller EMC. This result can be corroborated through an energetic analysis. It is noted that this case is also the one corresponding to smaller energy loss. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dimensioning the fear of dermatologic diseases

The symbolic representation of a disease is related to personal perceptions and cultural background. In the present study, the authors evaluate the population knowledge and fears related to skin and other prevalent or severe diseases. This survey was based on a semi-structured form to investigate demographic aspects, dermatologic consultations, fears and knowledge of 19 dermatoses and 11 prevalent or severe diseases. We interviewed 302 people, of which 54% were women and the mean age was 39 years. Some fears of dermatoses surpass those of severe diseases. Skin cancer and total alopecia disclosed fears similar to that of myocardial infarction. - fundament, fundamentals - objective, objectives - method, methods - result, results - conclusion, conclusions

Influence of root-surface conditioning with acid and chelating agents on clot stabilization

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Response of human pulps following acid conditioning and application of a bonding agent in deep cavities

Objectives. The aim of this in vivo study was to evaluate the human dental pulp response when a one-bottle adhesive system was applied on etched or unetched deep dentine.Methods. Eighteen class V deep cavity preparations were divided in three groups: group 1-total etching + two coats of single bond (SB) + composite resin (Z-100); group 2-enamel etching + two coats of SB + Z-100, group 3-cavity floor lined with a calcium hydroxide liner (Dycal) + acid-etching of enamel and lateral walls + two coats of SB + Z-100. Two teeth were used as intact control group. After 30 days the teeth were extracted and processed through H and E, Masson's trichrome and Brown and Brenn staining techniques.Results. Moderate inflammatory response, disorganization of pulp tissue, as well as, deposition of thin layer of reactionary dentin were observed in group 1 teeth in which the remaining dentin thickness (RDT) was less than 300 mum. These histological findings appear to be related to long resin tags formation and bonding agent diffusion through dentinal tubules. In group 2, slight inflammatory response was observed only in one tooth in which the RDT was 162 mum. In group 3, all the teeth showed normal histological characteristics which were similar to the intact control group. Presence of bacteria was not correlated with the intensity of pulpal response. The patients reported no symptoms during the experiment. Radiographic evaluation showed no periapical pathology for any of the teeth,Significance and conclusions. Acid-etched deep dentin (RDT less than 300 mum) lined with SB causes more intense pulpal response than unetched deep dentin. Based on the results observed in the present study and the conditions in which it was carried out, we recommend the application of a biocompatible liner before etching deep dentin and applying SB. (C) 2002 Academy of Dental Materials. Published by Elsevier B.V. Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of dentin conditioning time on nanoleakage

Objectives: To study the nanoleakage pattern in the dentin hybrid layer by using different dentin adhesives. The null hypotheses tested in this study were: 1) dentin conditioning time does not affect nanoleakage within the hybrid layer; 2) the type of dentin adhesive used does not affect nanoleakage. Methods: Standardized Class V cavities were prepared in 30 intact human molars on the buccal and lingual surfaces. The specimens were randomly assigned to 2 total-etch dentin adhesives (OptiBond SOLO Plus [OPS, Kerr] and One-Step [ONS, BISCO Inc]) and 2 self-etch dentin adhesives (Clearfil SE Bond [CSE, Kuraray] and Adper Prompt L-Pop [APL, 3M ESPE]). The specimens were etched or conditioned for 15 seconds, 30 seconds or 60 seconds. Upon restoration of the Class V cavities with the proprietary resin composite, the specimens were isolated with nail polish except for a 2.0-mm rim around the restoration, and they were immersed in 50 wt% ammoniacal silver nitrate solution (pH=9.5) for 24 hours followed by 8 hours of immersion in photo-developing solution to reduce the silver ions to metallic silver. The specimens were fixed, dehydrated and processed for FESEM and TEM. Silver penetration was measured along the cervical wall, and data were analyzed with Kruskal-Wallis non-parametric tests at a significance level of 95%. Results: There were no statistically significant differences among the experimental groups for the factor conditioning time (p>0.926). There were significant differences for the variable dentin adhesive (p<0.0001). The least amount of nanoleakage within the hybrid layer occurred with CSE, while ONS resulted in the greatest penetration of silver ions. The adhesives OPS and APL ranked in the intermediary subset. Under TEM, all adhesives resulted in some degree of nanoleakage within the hybrid layer. Both spotted/reticular and water-tree nanoleakage patterns were observed. Significance: Longer conditioning times did not increase nanoleakage within the hybrid layer. Nanoleakage varied with the type of adhesive used.