Brief light as a practical aversive stimulus for the albino rat.

Bright light was an effective aversive stimulus for Wistar rats in punishment, escape, and avoidance paradigms. Contingent punishment of lever pressing maintained by concurrent schedules of food delivery shifted presses to an alternate lever, and depressed overall response rates. Periodic non-contingent presentation of the light prompted escape responding (head entry into a hole).

Family medicine residents' knowledge and attitudes about drug-nutrient interactions.

Objective: The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) requires that health professionals recognize the importance of drug-nutrient interactions and educate patients to prevent adverse effects. Drug-nutrient interactions are an important issue in medical practice, but it is not clear how or if physicians are trained in this issue.

Methods: This investigation was a needs assessment that examined attitudes and knowledge about drug-nutrient interactions that was examined in a national sample of 834 family medicine residents in 56 residency programs.

Comparison of primary care residents' confidence and clinical behavior in treating hypertension versus treating alcoholism.

Purpose: To compare the self-reported confidence and clinical behaviors of primary care residents in treating alcoholism versus hypertension.

Method: Eighty-five residents, 36 in family medicine and 49 in primary care internal medicine, representing all years of the three-year training programs at two hospitals affiliated with the Brown University School of Medicine, were surveyed in 1988. Self-report questionnaires elicited demographic data and several responses (ranged on scales of 1, not confident or frequent, to 10, very confident or frequent) about the residents' confidence and frequency of use of clinical behaviors with both alcoholic and hypertensive patients.