Effects of food deprivation on conditioned orthonasal olfactory preferences with caloric and non-caloric reinforcers.

Three experiments were conducted to investigate Conditioned Olfactory Preferences using orthonasal inhalation, which is a less explored perceptual pathway compared to retronasal inhalation. In these experiments, odors were impregnated onto plastic disks to prevent the subjects from consuming or tasting them. The reinforcers used were a sucrose solution (Caloric groups) and a saccharin solution (Non-Caloric groups).

Sub-Diffraction Limited Writing based on Laser Induced Periodic Surface Structures (LIPSS).

Controlled fabrication of single and multiple nanostructures far below the diffraction limit using a method based on laser induced periodic surface structure (LIPSS) is presented. In typical LIPSS, multiple lines with a certain spatial periodicity, but often not well-aligned, were produced. In this work, well-controlled and aligned nanowires and nanogrooves with widths as small as 40 nm and 60 nm with desired orientation and length are fabricated.

Power delivery and self-heating in nanoscale near field transducer for heat-assisted magnetic recording.

To keep increasing the storage density in next-generation hard disk drives, heat-assisted magnetic recording is being developed where a nanoscale near field transducer (NFT) locally and temporally heats a sub-diffraction-limited region in the recording medium to reduce the magnetic coercivity. This allows the use of very small grain in the medium while still maintaining data thermal stability. Plasmonic nanostructures made of apertures or antennas are good candidates for NFTs because of their capability of subwavelength light manipulation in optical frequencies.

Sub-diffraction laser synthesis of silicon nanowires.

We demonstrate synthesis of silicon nanowires of tens of nanometers via laser induced chemical vapor deposition. These nanowires with diameters as small as 60 nm are produced by the interference between incident laser radiation and surface scattered radiation within a diffraction limited spot, which causes spatially confined, periodic heating needed for high resolution chemical vapor deposition. By controlling the intensity and polarization direction of the incident radiation, multiple parallel nanowires can be simultaneously synthesized.

Effect of the NMDA antagonist MK-801 on latent inhibition of fear conditioning.

N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors seem to play a central role in learning and memory processes involved in Latent Inhibition (LI). In fact, MK-801, a non-competitive NMDA receptor antagonist, has proved its effectiveness as a drug for attenuating LI when administered before or after stimulus preexposure and conditioning stages. This paper presents three experiments designed to analyze the effect of MK-801 on LI when the drug is administered before (Experiment 1A) or after (Experiment 1B) preexposure and conditioning stages with a conditioned emotional response procedure.

MK-801 induces a low intensity conditioned taste aversion.

N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists are often used to assess the role of NMDA receptors in learning and memory processes. However, few studies have explored the possibility that the antagonists may induce a conditioned aversion when administered following flavor consumption. We report five experiments with rats intended to evaluate the MK-801 capacity to induce conditioned taste aversion.

Taste memory trace disruption by AP5 administration in basolateral amygdala.

N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor has been related to learning and memory processes. Its characteristics make it a key candidate in the modulation of associative processes at physiological level. Traditionally, the main efforts have been directed to show its role in excitatory conditioning.