Erysothrine, an alkaloid extracted from flowers of Erythrina mulungu Mart. ex Benth: Evaluating its anticonvulsant and anxiolytic potential

In this study, we isolated the alkaloid erysothrine from the hydroalcoholic extract of flowers from E. mulungu and screened for its anticonvulsant and anxiolytic actions based on neuroethological and neurochemical experiments. Our results showed that the administration of erysothrine inhibited seizures evoked by bicuculline, PTZ, NMDA and most remarkably, kainic acid. Also, erysothrine induced an increase in the number of entries but not in the time spent in the open arms of the EPM. However, we did not notice any alterations in the light-dark choice or in the open-field tests. In preliminary neurochemistry tests, we also showed that erysothrine (0.001-10 mu g/mL) did not alter the GABA or glutamate synaptossomal uptake and binding. Altogether, our results describe an alkaloid with anticonvulsant activity and mild anxiolytic activity that might be considered well tolerated as it does not alter the general behavior of the animals in the used doses. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Involvement of the basolateral complex and central nucleus of amygdala in the omission effects of different magnitudes of reinforcement

Evidence from appetitive Pavlovian and instrumental conditioning studies suggest that the amygdala is involved in modulation of responses correlated with motivational states, and therefore, to the modulation of processes probably underlying reinforcement omission effects. The present study aimed to clarify whether or not the mechanisms related to reinforcement omission effects of different magnitudes depend on basolateral complex and central nucleus of amygdala. Rats were trained on a fixed-interval 12 s with limited hold 6 s signaled schedule in which correct responses were always followed by one of two reinforcement magnitudes. Bilateral lesions of the basolateral complex and central nucleus were made after acquisition of stable performance. After postoperative recovery, the training was changed from 100% to 50% reinforcement schedules. The results showed that lesions of the basolateral complex and central nucleus did not eliminate or reduce, but interfere with reinforcement omission effects. The response from rats of both the basolateral complex and central nucleus lesioned group was higher relative to that of the rats of their respective sham-lesioned groups after reinforcement omission. Thus, the lesioned rats were more sensitive to the omission effect. Moreover, the basolateral complex lesions prevented the magnitude effect on reinforcement omission effects. Basolateral complex lesioned rats showed no differential performance following omission of larger and smaller reinforcement magnitude. Thus, the basolateral complex is involved in incentive processes relative to omission of different reinforcement magnitudes. Therefore, it is possible that reinforcement omission effects are modulated by brain circuitry which involves amygdala. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Memory in children with temporal lobe epilepsy is at least partially explained by executive dysfunction

An association between memory and executive dysfunction (ED) has been demonstrated in patients with mixed neurological disorders. We aimed to investigate the impact of ED in memory tasks of children with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). We evaluated 36 children with TLE and 28 controls with tests for memory, learning, attention, mental flexibility, and mental tracking. Data analysis was composed of comparison between patients and controls in memory and executive function; correlation between memory and executive function tests; and comparison between patients with mild and severe ED in memory tests. Children with TLE had worse performance in focused attention, immediate and delayed recall, phonological memory, mental tracking, planning, and abstraction. Planning, abstraction, and mental tracking were correlated with visual and verbal memory. Children with severe ED had worse performance in verbal and visual memory and learning tests. This study showed that ED was related to memory performance in children with TLE. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

GABA(B) receptor agonist only reduces ethanol drinking in light-drinking mice

Baclofen, a GABA(B) agonist, reduces ethanol intake in animals and humans, but the contrary or no effect was also reported. Our previous study demonstrated that mice characterized as "loss of control over ethanol intake" had different Gabbr1 and Gabbr2 transcription levels, which express, respectively, the GABA(B1) and GABA(B2) subunits in brain areas related to addictive behavior. In the present study, we tested baclofen on ethanol intake in mice exposed to the free-choice paradigm. Adult male Swiss mice, individually housed, had free access to three bottles: ethanol (5% and 10%) and water. The protocol had four phases: acquisition (AC, 10 weeks), withdrawal (W, 4 cycles during 2 weeks of 2 day-free-choice and 2 day-only-water), reexposure (RE, 2 weeks), and adulteration of ethanol solutions with quinine (AD, 2 weeks). Mice characterized as "loss of control" (A, n = 11, preference for ethanol in AC and maintenance of ethanol intake levels in AD), heavy (H, n = 11, preference for ethanol in AC and reduction of ethanol intake levels in AD), and light (L n = 16, preference for water in all phases) drinkers were randomly distributed into two subgroups receiving either intraperitoneal injections of all doses of baclofen (1.25, 2.5, and 5.0 mg/kg, given each dose twice in consecutive days) or saline, being exposed to free-choice. Fluid consumption was measured 24 h later. Baclofen reduced ethanol intake in group L In group H a reduction compared to AC was observed. Group A maintained their high ethanol intake even after baclofen treatment. Activation of the GABA(B) receptor depends on the precise balance between the GABA(B1) and GABA(B2) subunits, so the disproportionate transcription levels, we reported in group A, could explain this lack of response to baclofen. These data highlight the importance to test baclofen in individuals with different ethanol drinking profiles, including humans. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The role of the ventrolateral caudoputamen in predatory hunting

The ventrolateral caudoputamen (VLCP) is well known to participate in the control of orofacial movements and forepaw usage accompanying feeding behavior. Previous studies from our laboratory have shown that insect hunting is associated with a distinct Fos up-regulation in the VLCP at intermediate rostro-caudal levels. Moreover, using the reversible blockade with lidocaine, we have previously suggested that the VLCP implements the stereotyped actions seen during prey capture and handling, and may influence the motivational drive to start attacking the roaches, as well. However, considering that (1) lidocaine suppresses action potentials not only in neurons, but also in fibers-of-passage, rendering the observed behavioral effect not specific to the ventrolateral caudoputamen; (2) the short lidocaine-induced inactivation period had left a relatively narrow window to observe the behavioral changes; and (3) that the restriction stress to inject the drug could have also disturbed hunting behavior, in the present study, we have examined the role of the VLCP in predatory hunting by placing bilateral NMDA lesions three weeks previous to the behavior testing. We were able to confirm that the VLCP serves to implement the stereotyped sequence of actions seen during prey capture and handling, but the study did not confirm its role in influencing the motivational drive to hunt. Together with other studies from our group, the present work serves as an important piece of information that helps to reveal the neural systems underlying predatory hunting. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Baroreceptor-mediated activation of sympathetic nerve activity to salivary glands

Salivary gland function is regulated by both the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. Previously we showed that the basal sympathetic outflow to the salivary glands (SNA(SG)) was higher in hypertensive compared to normotensive rats and that diabetes reduced SNA(SG) discharge at both strains. In the present study we sought to investigate how SNA(SG) might be modulated by acute changes in the arterial pressure and whether baroreceptors play a functional role upon this modulation. To this end, we measured blood pressure and SNA(SG) discharge in Wistar-Kyoto rats (WRY-intact) and in WRY submitted to sinoaortic denervation (WRY-SAD). We made the following three major observations: (i) in WRY-intact rats, baroreceptor loading in response to intravenous infusion of the phenylephrine evoked an increase in SNA(SG) spike frequency (81%, p<0.01) accompanying the increase mean arterial pressure ((sic)MAP: +77 +/- 14 mmHg); (ii) baroreceptor unloading with sodium nitroprusside infusion elicited a decrease in SNA(SG) spike frequency (17%, p<0.01) in parallel with the fall in arterial blood pressure ((sic)MAP: 30 3 mmHg) in WRY-intact rats; iii) in the WRY-SAD rats, phenylephrine-evoked rises in the arterial pressure ((sic)MAP: +56 +/- 6 mmHg) failed to produce significant changes in the SNA(SG) spike frequency. Taken together, these data show that SNA(SG) increases in parallel with pharmacological-induced pressor response in a baroreceptor dependent way in anaesthetised rats. Considering the key role of SNA(SG) in salivary secretion, this mechanism, which differs from the classic cardiac baroreflex feedback loop, strongly suggests that baroreceptor signalling plays a decisive role in the regulation of salivary gland function. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Impact of maternal mild hyperglycemia on maternal care and offspring development and behavior of Wistar rats

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of maternal mild hyperglycemia on maternal behavior, as well as the development, behavior, reproductive function, and glucose tolerance of the offspring. At birth, litters were assigned either to Control (subcutaneous (sc)-citrate buffer) or STZ groups (streptozotocin (STZ)-100 mg/kg-sc.). On PND 90 both STZ-treated and Control female rats were mated. Glucose tolerance tests (GTT) and insulin tolerance tests (ITT) were performed during pregnancy. Pregnancy duration, litter size and sex ratio were assessed. Newborns were classified according to birth weight as small (SPA), adequate (APA), or large for pregnancy age (LPA). Maternal behavior was analyzed on PND 5 and 10. Offspring body weight, length, and anogenital distance were measured and general activity was assessed in the open field. Sexual behavior was tested in both male and female offspring. Levels of reproductive hormones and estrous cycle duration were evaluated in female offspring. Female offspring were mated and both a GTT and ITT performed during pregnancy. Neonatal STZ administration caused mild hyperglycemia during pregnancy and changed some aspects of maternal care. The hyperglycemic intrauterine milieu impaired physical development and increased immobility in the open field in the offspring although the latter effect appeared at different ages for males (adulthood) and females (infancy). There was no impairment in the sexual behavior of either male or female offspring. As adults, female offspring of STZ-treated mothers did not show glucose intolerance during pregnancy. Thus, offspring of female rats that show mild hyperglycemia in pregnancy have fewer behavioral and developmental impairments than previously reported in the offspring of severely diabetic dams suggesting that the degree of impairment is directly related to the mother glycemic intensity. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Early and late neurodegeneration and memory disruption after intracerebroventricular streptozotocin

Glucose metabolism and insulin signaling disruptions in the brain have been proposed as a likely etiology of Alzheimer's disease. The aim of the present study was to investigate the time course of cognitive impairments induced by intracerebroventricular injection of streptozotocin (STZ) in rats and correlate them with the ensuing neurodegenerative process. Early and late effects of STZ were evaluated by using the reference and working memory versions of the Morris' water maze task and the evaluation of neurodegenerative markers by immunoblotting and the Fluoro-jade C histochemistry. The results revealed different types of behavioral and neurodegenerative responses, with distinct time courses. We observed an early disruption on the working memory as early as 3 h after STZ injections, which was followed by degenerative processes in the hippocampus at 1 and 15 days after STZ injections. Memory disruption increases over time and culminates with significant changes in amyloid-beta peptide and hyperphosphorylated Tau protein levels in distinct brain structures. These findings add information on the Alzheimer's disease-like STZ animal model and on the mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative processes. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Dual function of egg-covering in the Kentish plover Charadrius alexandrinus

Many bird species take recesses during incubation, and while the nests are unattended, the eggs may both be vulnerable to predation and reach suboptimal temperatures for embryo development. Perhaps to avoid these negative possibilities, some birds cover their eggs with materials when they depart from nests. We examined experimentally, using the ground-nesting Kentish plover as model species, whether egg-covering allows egg temperatures to remain within optimal limits for embryogenesis in unattended nests, thus reducing the requirements of contact incubation, and simultaneously maintain the eggs' camouflage. There was a negative relationship between nest attendance and ambient temperature, but only during mid-morning, the period of the day when egg-covering was most frequent. Indeed, during mid-morning egg-covering not only served to better camouflage the eggs, but also to maintain egg temperatures within optimal thermal thresholds for embryogenesis while the nests remained unattended. During other periods of the day, covered eggs in unattended nests overheated (e.g., afternoon) or did not reach the optimal temperature for embryogenesis (e.g., early morning). During periods in which eggs may be uncovered to alleviate overheating, unattended nests may be easier to locate by predators, because the eggs are less well camouflaged. Therefore, camouflage and appropriate thermal environment are inseparable functions of egg-covering in the ground-nesting Kentish plover.

Opioidergic, GABAergic and serotonergic neurotransmission in the dorsal raphe nucleus modulates tonic immobility in guinea pigs

Tonic immobility (TI) is an innate defensive behavior that can be elicited by physical restriction and postural inversion and is characterized by a profound and temporary state of akinesis. Our previous studies demonstrated that the stimulation of serotonin receptors in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) appears to be biphasic during TI responses in guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus). Serotonin released by the DRN modulates behavioral responses and its release can occur through the action of different neurotransmitter systems, including the opioidergic and GABAergic systems. This study examines the role of opioidergic, GABAergic and serotonergic signaling in the DRN in TI defensive behavioral responses in guinea pigs. Microinjection of morphine (1.1 nmol) or bicuculline (0.5 nmol) into the DRN increased the duration of TI. The effect of morphine (1.1 nmol) was antagonized by pretreatment with naloxone (0.7 nmol), suggesting that the activation of pi opioid receptors in the DRN facilitates the TI response. By contrast, microinjection of muscimol (0.5 nmol) into the DRN decreased the duration of TI. However, a dose of muscimol (0.26 nmol) that alone did not affect TI, was sufficient to inhibit the effect of morphine (1.1 nmol) on TI, indicating that GABAergic and enkephalinergic neurons interact in the DRN. Microinjection of alpha-methyl-5-HT (1.6 nmol), a 5-HT2 agonist, into the DRN also increased TI. This effect was inhibited by the prior administration of naloxone (0.7 nmol). Microinjection of 8-OH-DPAT (1.3 nmol) also blocked the increase of TI promoted by morphine (1.1 nmol). Our results indicate that the opioidergic, GABAergic and serotonergic systems in the DRN are important for modulation of defensive behavioral responses of TI. Therefore, we suggest that opioid inhibition of GABAergic neurons results in disinhibition of serotonergic neurons and this is the mechanism by which opioids could enhance TI. Conversely, a decrease in TI could occur through the activation of GABAergic interneurons. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Attacks on German public figures, 1968-2004: warning behaviors, potentially lethal and non-lethal acts, psychiatric status, and motivations

Fourteen non-terrorist attackers of public figures in Germany between 1968 and 2004 were intensively studied, with a particular focus on warning behaviors, attack behaviors, and the relationship between psychiatric diagnosis, symptoms, and motivations for the assault. A large proportion of the attackers were severely mentally ill, and most likely to be in the potentially lethal rather than the non-lethal group. A new typology of seven warning behaviors was applied to the data, and all were present, most frequently fixation and pathway warning behavior, and least frequently a direct threat. Psychiatric diagnosis could be closely linked to motivation when analyzed at the level of symptom and content of thought, often delusional. Most of the attacks were directed at political figures, and the majority occurred after 1995.

We Did It Our Way: Motivations, Satisfactions, and Accomplishments of Senior Academic Women

In a survey of senior academic women whose careers began around 1970, over half of the 98 respondents cited the desire to serve or make a difference and sought personal fulfillment in their work. Most saw men’s motivations as dissimilar, typically as more self-interested and competitive. Despite generally high satisfaction, dissatisfaction with time pressure/workload and with support was common. Satisfactions and accomplishments overlapped. Frequently mentioned were teaching, scholarship, and their discipline, especially by faculty, and programmatic accomplishments, especially by administrators. Many respondents mentioned helping women; many mentioned a collaborative, nurturing style as integral to their success and as different from their typical male colleagues. Context is provided by the metaphor of immigration (Martin, 1997, 2000), the concept of ambivalent sexism (Krefting, 2003; Glick & Fiske, 1999), and recent work on women and leadership by Eagly and colleagues (e.g., Eagly, 2005; Eagly & Carli, 2007).

The Other Half

Leaders and faculty at private colleges and universities should support funding for public higher education.

The role of warning behaviors in threat assessment: an exploration and suggested typology

The concept of warning behaviors offers an additional perspective in threat assessment. Warning behaviors are acts which constitute evidence of increasing or accelerating risk. They are acute, dynamic, and particularly toxic changes in patterns of behavior which may aid in structuring a professional's judgment that an individual of concern now poses a threat - whether the actual target has been identified or not. They require an operational response. A typology of eight warning behaviors for assessing the threat of intended violence is proposed: pathway, fixation, identification, novel aggression, energy burst, leakage, directly communicated threat, and last resort warning behaviors. Previous research on risk factors associated with such warning behaviors is reviewed, and examples of each warning behavior from various intended violence cases are presented, including public figure assassination, adolescent and adult mass murder, corporate celebrity stalking, and both domestic and foreign acts of terrorism. Practical applications and future research into warning behaviors are suggested. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.