Dose–response effect of black maca (Lepidium meyenii) in mice with memory impairment induced by ethanol

Previous studies have shown that black variety of maca has beneficial effects on learning and memory in experimental animal models. The present study aimed to determine whether the hydroalcoholic extract of black maca (BM) showed a dose–response effect in mice treated with ethanol 20% (EtOH) as a model of memory impairment. Mice were divided in the following groups: control, EtOH, ascorbic acid (AA) and 0.125, 0.25, 0.50 and 1.00?g/kg of BM plus EtOH. All treatments were orally administered for 28 days. Open field test was performed to determine locomotor activity and water Morris maze was done to determine spatial memory. Also, total polyphenol content in the hydroalcoholic extract of BM was determined (0.65?g pyrogallol/100?g). Mice treated with EtOH took more time to find the hidden platform than control during escape acquisition trials; meanwhile, AA and BM reversed the effect of EtOH. In addition, AA and BM ameliorated the deleterious effect of EtOH during the probe trial. Correlation analyses showed that the effect of BM a dose-dependent behavior. Finally, BM improved experimental memory impairment induced by ethanol in a dose–response manner due, in part, to its content of polyphenolic compounds.     

From the Cover: Exploiting olfactory learning in alien rats to protect birds’ eggs

Predators must ignore unhelpful background “noise” within information-rich environments and focus on useful cues of prey activity to forage efficiently. Learning to disregard unrewarding cues should happen quickly, weakening future interest in the cue. Prey odor, which is rapidly investigated by predators, may be particularly appropriate for testing whether consistently unrewarded cues are ignored, and whether such behavior can be exploited to benefit prey. Using wild free-ranging populations of black rats, Rattus rattus, an alien predator of global concern, we tested whether the application of bird-nesting odors before the introduction of artificial nests (odor preexposure), enhanced the survival of birds eggs (prey) compared with areas where prey and nesting odors were introduced concurrently. In areas where predators had encountered prey odor before prey being available, the subsequently introduced eggs showed 62% greater survival than in areas where prey and odor were introduced together. We suggest that black rats preexposed to prey odor learned to ignore the unrewarding cue, leading to a significant improvement in prey survival that held for the 7-d monitoring period. Exploiting rapid learning that underpins foraging decisions by manipulating sensory contexts offers a nonlethal, but effective approach to reducing undesirable predatory impacts. Techniques based on olfactory preexposure may provide prey with protection during critical periods of vulnerability, such as immediately following a prey reintroduction. These results also highlight the potential benefits to species conservation to be gained from a greater understanding of the cognitive mechanisms driving alien predator behavior within ecological contexts.     

Development of a scale to measure health professions students' self-efficacy beliefs in interprofessional learning

A need exists for measures to evaluate the impact of interprofessional education (IPE) interventions. We undertook development and evaluation of a scale to measure self-efficacy perceptions of pre-licensure students in medicine, dentistry and health professions. The scale was developed in the context of a project entitled, “Seamless Care: An Experiential Model of Interprofessional Education for Collaborative Patient-Centered Practice”. As self-efficacy perceptions are associated with the likelihood of taking on certain tasks, the difficulty of those tasks, and perseverance in the face of barriers, we reasoned that understanding changes in students' perceptions and their relation to other outcomes was important. A 16-item scale was developed from a conceptual analysis of relevant tasks and the existing literature. Content validity was assessed by six Canadian IPE experts. Pre-licensure students (n = 209) participated in a pilot test of the instrument. Content validity was rated highly by the six judges; internal consistency of the scale (Cronbach's α = 96) and subscales 1 (α = .94) and 2 (α = .93) were high. Principal components analysis resulted in identification of two factors, each accounting for 34% of the variance: interprofessional interaction, and interprofessional team evaluation and feedback. We conclude that this scale can be useful in evaluating IPE interventions.     

Flying blind: The experience of online interprofessional facilitation

The role of the facilitator is known to be important in fostering productive interprofessional education (IPE) in the face-to-face (F2F) environment. Online learning can help surmount some of the logistical challenges in IPE by bringing together diverse professionals in multiple geographical locations. Best practices in F2F IPE facilitation are beginning to emerge, but there is scant literature examining IPE facilitation online. What little research exists has focused on the asynchronous environment and suggests that the skill sets of online and F2F facilitators have considerable overlap, but there are further demands in the online setting. This qualitative study sought to examine online synchronous IPE facilitation through the self-reported experiences of seven trained facilitators during a 12-week online course. Data collected through focus groups and targeted interviews were analyzed by the research team using constant comparison techniques. Four major themes were revealed: technology as a dynamic force, reduction in non-verbal cues, evolution of the online IPE group process over time and the importance of co-facilitation. The foundations of IPE facilitation were seen to carry over to the online setting. This study has implications for the training of IPE facilitators and for the design of online IPE learning experiences.     

Developing common learning: the new generation project undergraduate curriculum model

This paper describes the curriculum model developed for an ambitious interprofessional education programme for health and social care professions implemented in two universities in the south of England (the New Generation Project). An outline of how the New Generation Project has interpreted the meaning of interprofessional learning is presented first. This is followed by an outline of the structure of the programme, describing both learning in common and interprofessional learning components. The pedagogies underpinning this curriculum initiative are presented and an integrated pedagogical model, facilitated collaborative interprofessional learning, is proposed. The New Generation Project curriculum is then discussed as an extension of an established typology of interprofessional education.     

The impact of an interprofessional standardized patient exercise on attitudes toward working in interprofessional teams

Effective interprofessional education engages participants in authentic tasks, settings and roles. Using these guiding principles, an interprofessional standardized patient exercise (ISPE) was developed and implemented for 101 dental, medical, nurse practitioner, pharmacy and physical therapy students. This study describes the ISPE and evaluates its impact on students' attitudes toward working in interprofessional teams. The attitudes toward health care teams (ATHCT) survey was administered pre- and post-ISPE and to a sample of non-participating students. Faculty and students were surveyed post-ISPE about outcomes and satisfaction. Focus groups were conducted with students from each profession. Students' attitudes toward team-based care improved significantly on the team value and team efficiency subscales of the ATHCT. There were significant differences in attitudes toward team-based care by profession. Faculty and student satisfaction with the ISPE was high. These findings contribute to the growing body of literature on efforts to generate positive attitudes toward interprofessional collaboration early in training, which may influence students' ability to be effective members of healthcare teams.     

Can a single brief intervention improve participants’ readiness for interprofessional learning?

Abstract

Interprofessional learning (IPL) was introduced for University of Nottingham 3rd year medical and nursing students at the Lincoln County Hospital. An evaluation of the subsequently implemented IPL intervention allowed us to ask the research question: can a single brief IPL intervention improve attitudes to IPL? A low fidelity simulation intervention was chosen as the mode of IPL, focusing on teamwork in the context of the assessment of the acutely ill patient. To assess the intervention’s effect on students’ attitudes, a validated questionnaire (RIPLS) was completed before and after the session. Nine of the nineteen questions in RIPLS had significantly different responses following the intervention. This reflected a more positive attitude to IPL following the intervention. This evaluation of this intervention suggests that IPL is valued by students and significantly improves attitudes to IPL, at least in the immediate post-intervention period.     

环境噪音对新生大鼠身长体质量及学习记忆的影响

目的研究环境噪音对新生大鼠身长体质量及学习记忆的影响。方法选用7 d SD大鼠16只,分为高噪音组和对照组,每组8只,高噪音组的平均噪音为90 db(A)、对照组50 db(A)。分别在P10、P15、P20时进行身长、体质量的测量,P20时利用Morris水迷宫观察学习记忆功能、ELISA检测生长激素,RT-PCR、Western blot观察突触素表达。结果高噪音组身长、体质量低于同年龄对照组大鼠[身长(cm):P10(9.54±0.1)vs(9.98±0.1),P15(10.24±0.1)vs(10.79±0.1),P20(10.59±0.1)vs(11.68±0.1);体质量(g):P10(14.33±0.02)vs(14.51±0.02),P15(15.31±0.02)vs(15.68±0.02),P20(16.63±0.02)vs(16.76±0.02),P<0.05];与对照组比较,高噪音组学习能力下降,生长激素、突触素(synaptophysin,SYP)mRNA、SYP表达水平低于同年龄对照组大鼠[生长激素(pg/ml):(299.7±4.9)vs(504.9±13.14),SYP mRNA:(0.182±0.008)vs(1.056±0.011),SYP:(0.168±0.007)vs(0.432±0.025),P<0.05]。结论高噪音环境下新生SD大鼠的身长、体质量增长缓慢,学习记忆能力下降。     

Two Challenges in Cognitive Musicology

Two themes in music cognition research are highlighted—inspired by the contributions in this volume: (a) statistical learning and (b) evolutionary theorizing. Our ability to test alternatives to statistical learning is threatened by the rapidly diminishing opportunities for cross‐cultural studies unconfounded by bimusicalism. Our ability to infer possible evolutionary origins for music is confounded by the “hedonic plenitude” of modern music‐making—where multiple pleasure channels are activated simultaneously. Cognitively inspired music research will benefit by studying a wider range of musical cultures. Evolutionary theorizing will benefit by further work involving comparative animal behavior.     

Reversible online control of habitual behavior by optogenetic perturbation of medial prefrontal cortex

Habits tend to form slowly but, once formed, can have great stability. We probed these temporal characteristics of habitual behaviors by intervening optogenetically in forebrain habit circuits as rats performed well-ingrained habitual runs in a T-maze. We trained rats to perform a maze habit, confirmed the habitual behavior by devaluation tests, and then, during the maze runs (ca. 3 s), we disrupted population activity in a small region in the medial prefrontal cortex, the infralimbic cortex. In accordance with evidence that this region is necessary for the expression of habits, we found that this cortical disruption blocked habitual behavior. Notably, however, this blockade of habitual performance occurred on line, within an average of three trials (ca. 9 s of inhibition), and as soon as during the first trial (<3 s). During subsequent weeks of training, the rats acquired a new behavioral pattern. When we again imposed the same cortical perturbation, the rats regained the suppressed maze-running that typified the original habit, and, simultaneously, the more recently acquired habit was blocked. These online changes occurred within an average of two trials (ca. 6 s of infralimbic inhibition). Measured changes in generalized performance ability and motivation to consume reward were unaffected. This immediate toggling between breaking old habits and returning to them demonstrates that even semiautomatic behaviors are under cortical control and that this control occurs online, second by second. These temporal characteristics define a framework for uncovering cellular transitions between fixed and flexible behaviors, and corresponding disturbances in pathologies.