Neural signature of fictive learning signals in a sequential investment task.

Reinforcement learning models now provide principled guides for a wide range of reward learning experiments in animals and humans. One key learning (error) signal in these models is experiential and reports ongoing temporal differences between expected and experienced reward. However, these same abstract learning models also accommodate the existence of another class of learning signal that takes the form of a fictive error encoding ongoing differences between experienced returns and returns that "could-have-been-experienced" if decisions had been different.

Matrix metalloproteinase 9 activity enhances host susceptibility to pulmonary infection with type A and B strains of Francisella tularensis.

A striking feature of pulmonary infection with the Gram-negative intracellular bacterium Francisella tularensis, a category A biological threat agent, is an intense accumulation of inflammatory cells, particularly neutrophils and macrophages, at sites of bacterial replication. Given the essential role played by host matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in modulating leukocyte recruitment and the potentially indiscriminate destructive capacity of these cells, we investigated whether MMP-9, an important member of this protease family released by neutrophils and activated macrophages, plays a role in the pathogenesis of respiratory tularemia. We found that F.

Affective modulation of autonomic reactions to noxious stimulation.

Research suggests that emotion modulates spinal nociception and pain; however, there is limited evidence that other objective, nociceptive reactions are modulated. This study examined the impact of affective picture-viewing on autonomic reactions (skin conductance response, heart rate acceleration) resulting from noxious electric stimulations to the sural nerve. Pictures varying in affective valence (unpleasant, neutral, pleasant) were presented during which noxious stimulations were delivered.

Emotional modulation of spinal nociception and pain: the impact of predictable noxious stimulation.

Recent evidence suggests that emotional picture-viewing is a reliable method of engaging descending modulation of spinal nociception. The present study attempted to replicate these findings and determine the effect of noxious stimulus predictability. Participants viewed pictures from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS), during which pain and nociceptive flexion reflexes (NFR) were elicited by electric shocks delivered to the sural nerve.

Racial variation in self-labeled child abuse and associated internalizing symptoms among adolescents who are high risk.

One thousand and ten Non-Hispanic White, African American, Hispanic, and Asian Pacific Islander youth who were high risk and receiving public sector services were interviewed regarding history of child emotional and physical abuse and current internalizing symptoms. The study examined whether race moderated the association between adolescents' reports of specific parent behaviors and their self-labeling as victims of abuse. The study also examined whether reports of parental behaviors or self-labeled abuse better predicted internalizing symptoms, and whether these associations differed by race.

Why bother with beliefs? Examining relationships between race/ethnicity, parental beliefs about causes of child problems, and mental health service use.

In this study, the authors examined the role of parental beliefs about the causes of child problems in predicting later mental health service use in a large, diverse population of at-risk youths. Study hypotheses were that parental beliefs consistent with biopsychosocial causes would be associated with later mental health service use; sociological, spiritual, or nature disharmony etiologies would be negatively associated with service use; and beliefs would partially mediate the relationship between race/ethnicity and service use. Of the 5 biopsychosocial beliefs, 2 were positively related to later mental health service use.

Pea3 expression is regulated by FGF signaling in developing retina.

FGF signaling has been implicated as an important regulator of retinal development. As a first step in characterizing potential downstream targets of FGF signaling in the retina, we have analyzed expression of Pea3, a member of the Pea3 class of Ets-domain transcription factors, in the developing eye. We find that Pea3 is expressed in the developing retina, and its transcription is regulated by FGF receptor activation.

The relation between violence exposure and conduct problems among adolescents: a prospective study.

This study tested the hypothesis that exposure to community violence, intimate partner violence, and child maltreatment independently contribute to the prediction of conduct problems over a 2-year period. Participants were a subsample of youth ages 12 to 17 years (N = 423) from the Patterns of Care study, which drew a stratified random sample of high-risk youth receiving services from public service sectors. Exposure to community violence significantly predicted conduct disorder and externalizing problems 2 years later when potential confounds were controlled.

The acculturation gap-distress hypothesis among high-risk Mexican American families.

The authors tested the acculturation gap-distress hypothesis by examining whether parent-adolescent acculturation gaps were associated with greater conflict and youth conduct problems among 260 high-risk Mexican American families. The authors operationalized acculturation gaps in 2 ways: parent-youth mismatches in acculturation style, and parent-youth discrepancies in acculturation toward both mainstream and heritage cultures. Acculturation gaps were common, but results of hierarchical regression analyses indicated that parent-youth discrepancies in acculturation toward mainstream and heritage cultures were not related to increased conflict or youth conduct problems.

Exploring the relationship between race/ethnicity, age of first school-based services utilization, and age of first specialty mental health care for at-risk youth.

This study investigated race/ethnic variations in age of entry into school-based services and specialty mental health outpatient services among 1552 high-risk youths served in a publicly funded system of care. Non-Hispanic White youths were more likely to receive school-based services as compared to ethnic minority groups, and to begin use at an earlier age. In addition, the earlier a child was identified for school-based services, the earlier the child first utilized specialty outpatient mental health services.

Affective modulation of nociception at spinal and supraspinal levels.

This study was designed to examine the effect of emotion on the nociceptive flexion reflex and pain ratings. To do so, 28 participants viewed pictures varying in emotional valence (unpleasant, neutral, pleasant) and electric stimulations were delivered during and in between pictures. Biceps femoris EMG resulting from the stimulations was used to quantify the nociceptive flexion reflex (spinal nociception), and pain ratings to the stimulations were used as an evaluative measure of supraspinal nociception.

HIV postexposure prophylaxis in sexual assault: current practice and patient adherence to treatment recommendations in a large urban teaching hospital.

Background: Although rare, HIV transmission is one of the most feared consequences of sexual assault. While availability of medications to prevent HIV transmission (HIV nonoccupational postexposure prophylaxis [HIV nPEP]) is increasing, little is known about emergency department (ED) prescribing practices and patient adherence to treatment recommendations.

Objectives: To determine factors associated with offering, following up with, and adhering to treatment when HIV nPEP is initiated for sexual assault victims.

Racial and ethnic differences in utilization of mental health services among high-risk youths.

Objective: Racial and ethnic disparities in mental health service use have been identified as a major public health problem. However, the extent to which these disparities may be accounted for by other confounding sociodemographic or clinical predictors of service use (e.g.

Advances in head and neck imaging.

This article discusses new techniques in head and neck imaging.

Risk preference instability across institutions: a dilemma.

In this article we use laboratory experiments to ask a fundamental question: Do individuals behave as if their risk preferences are stable across institutions? In particular, we study the decisions of cash-motivated subjects in the repeated play of three different institutions: a value elicitation procedure for the sale of a risky asset, an English clock auction for the sale of a risky asset, and a first-price auction for the purchase of a riskless asset. We first do a simple categorical comparison of each subject's risk preferences across tasks by comparing the individual's decisions with an expected value maximizer. All subjects acted as if they were risk-loving in the English clock auctions and risk-averse in the first-price auctions.

Cultural affiliation and self-esteem as predictors of internalizing symptoms among mexican american adolescents.

We investigated the relations between affiliation with Mexican culture and self-esteem at baseline (Time 1 [T1]), and internalizing symptoms 2 years later (Time 2 [T2]) among a sample of high-risk Mexican American adolescents. Results indicated that T1 affiliation with Mexican culture was not related to T2 internalizing symptoms, controlling for T1 internalizing symptoms. The relation between T1 self-esteem and T2 internalizing symptoms was significant, controlling for T1 internalizing symptoms.

The brain and the law.

Much has been written about how law as an institution has developed to solve many problems that human societies face. Inherent in all of these explanations are models of how humans make decisions. This article discusses what current neuroscience research tells us about the mechanisms of human decision making of particular relevance to law.

Discovery of genes implicated in placode formation.

The peripheral nervous system of the head is derived from cranial ectodermal placodes and neural crest cells. Placodes arise from thickenings in the cranial ectoderm that invaginate or ingress to form sensory ganglia and the paired sense organs. We have combined embryological techniques with array technology to identify genes that are expressed as a consequence of placode induction.

Racial/ethnic differences in caregiver strain and perceived social support among parents of youth with emotional and behavioral problems.

This study examined several hypotheses related to racial/ethnic variations in caregiver strain and perceived social support among parents caring for children with emotional/behavioral problems. A subsample of youth from the Patterns of Care (POC) study, which drew a stratified random sample of high-risk youth active to 1 of 5 public sectors of care, was used to test these hypotheses. When controlling for youth age, parental education, presence in an alcohol/drug or mental health (ADM) sector, and severity of child problems, African Americans reported significantly lower caregiver strain then did non-Hispanic Whites (NHWs), whereas Asian/Pacific Islanders (APIs) and Latinos did not differ significantly from NHWs.

Gender differences in childhood onset conduct disorder.

The present study tested several predictions related to the theory that girls with conduct disorder (CD) follow a single delayed onset pathway. The following hypotheses were tested among a high-risk, stratified random sample of youth who used public services during a 6-month period: boys will be more likely to have childhood onset CD (COCD) than girls; girls with COCD will be less common than girls with adolescent onset CD (AOCD); COCD girls. AOCD girls, and COCD boys will be similar in terms of risk profiles and AOCD boys will have a less severe risk profile than COCD girls; and risk factors that differentiate between COCD and AOCD among males will not differentiate between COCD and AOCD among females.

Parental beliefs about the causes of child problems: exploring racial/ethnic patterns.

Objective: To examine racial/ethnic patterns of parental beliefs about etiological explanations for youth problems.

Method: The parents of 1338 youths with identified mental health problems were asked about their beliefs about the causes for their children's problems from a questionnaire with 11 etiological categories.

Results: Parents of African American, Asian/Pacific Islander American, and Latino youths were generally less likely than parents of non-Hispanic whites to endorse etiologies consistent with biopsychosocial beliefs about mental illness.

Race/Ethnicity and rates of self-reported maltreatment among high-risk youth in public sectors of care.

This study examined rates of youth-reported maltreatment history and the association between youth-reported maltreatment and foster care history across four racial/ethnic groups in a public system of care. Interviews were conducted with 1,045 youth (European Americans, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Asian Pacific Islanders) and their primary caregivers, sampled from one of five service sectors (alcohol/drug services, child welfare, juvenilejustice, mental health, and special education) in San Diego. Overall, racial/ethnic differences in youth-reported maltreatment were minimal.

Racial/ethnic differences in parental endorsement of barriers to mental health services for youth.

The present study investigated parental endorsement of barriers to care in a racially/ethnically diverse, at-risk sample of youth with mental health needs by testing the following hypotheses: (1) African American, Asian/Pacific Islander American, and Latino youth would have higher levels of unmet need compared to Non-Hispanic Whites (NHWs); (2) Parents of ethnic minority youth would report a greater number of barriers to mental health services for their children than would parents of NHWs; (3) The pattern of greater barrier endorsement by parents of ethnic minorities compared to parents of NHWs would persist across different barrier types; (4) Barrier endorsement would be related to unmet need for mental health services. As hypothesized, ethnic minority youth had higher levels of unmet need as compared to NHWs. However, despite this finding, parents of ethnic minority youth reported fewer barriers than did parents of NHWs, and this pattern generally persisted across barrier types.