Behavioral and electrophysiological evidence of different processes during a target identification task assessing perceptual learning.

This study aimed to test whether a target identification task involving same and different judgments to assess the ability to differentiate between similar pre-exposed stimuli-i.e., perceptual learning-could actually be assessing two different cognitive processes.

Sexual dimorphism in classical conditioning? Sex differences in neophobia, latent inhibition, generalization, and extinction for rats (Rattus norvegicus) in a conditioned taste aversion preparation irrespective of housing conditions.

This study aimed to assess possible sex differences and a potential impact of social housing conditions for some Pavlovian conditioning effects in a conditioned taste aversion preparation with rats. The results of Experiment 1 suggest sex differences in neophobia, latent inhibition, and generalization. Specifically, for females, neophobia, and generalization appeared to be stronger while latent inhibition seemed to be attenuated.

Response reduction and stimulus pre-exposure effects in a human conditioning method.

Two experiments with humans determined whether reduced conditioning following pre-exposure to the conditioned stimulus could be explained by conditioned inhibition (Experiment 1 [E1]) or extinction of responding that the conditioned stimulus (CS) might elicit during pre-exposure (Experiment 2 [E2]). In a video game task (Nelson et al., 2014), participants learned to respond to lights that signaled attacking spaceships.

Age, sex and pre-exposure effects on acquisition and generalization of conditioned taste aversion in rats.

The main aim of the present study was to assess the effect of sex and aging in two pre-exposure learning effects, latent inhibition (LI) and perceptual learning (PL), with a conditioned taste aversion paradigm. Young adult (90 days) and aged (more than 18 months) males and females received 8 pre-exposure trials either with stimulus AX (LI conditions) or BX (PL conditions). Then, all animals received a conditioning trial with AX and two test trials, one with AX and other with BX.

Sex Differences in Cue Competition Effects With a Conditioned Taste Aversion Preparation.

This study aimed to test whether male and female rats might show differences in cue competition effects in a conditioned taste aversion (CTA) model. Experiment 1 tested for sex differences in overshadowing. After conditioning of a flavored compound AB or only one simple flavor A (being A and B a solution of sugar 10% and salt 1%, counterbalanced), consumption of the A solution at test was larger in the former than in the latter case only in males.

Pre-exposure Schedule Effects on Generalization of Taste Aversion and Palatability for Thirsty and Not Thirsty Rats.

The study reported four experiments aiming to test the effects of the pre-exposure schedule and water deprivation on the generalization of a conditioned taste aversion in rats, with a particular focus on testing whether or not the concurrent schedule might enhance generalization. In two experiments, non-water-deprived rats received concurrent, intermixed, or blocked exposure to a sweet-acid solution and a salty-acid solution before conditioning of one of these compounds and testing of both flavors. During pre-exposure, the rats consumed a greater amount of the sweet-acid solution than the salty-acid solution (Experiments 1 and 2), consumption of the former increasing during pre-exposure while consumption of the latter decreased (Experiment 1).

Percutaneous complete repair of failed mitral valve prosthesis: simultaneous closure of mitral paravalvular leaks and transcatheter mitral valve implantation - single-centre experience.

Aims: Structural deterioration and paravalvular leak (PVL) are complications associated with surgically implanted prosthetic valves, historically requiring reoperation. We present our experience of complete transcatheter repair of a degenerated mitral bioprosthesis.

Methods And Results: From March 2012 to October 2012, we reviewed consecutive, high-risk surgical patients (n=5) who underwent transcatheter repair of a failed mitral bioprosthesis with severe paravalvular regurgitation (PVR).

Attentional changes in human perceptual learning.

In two experiments, participants were required to identify a target stimulus by means of same/different judgments. Previously, they had received simultaneous or blocked pre-exposures to the target and a similar stimulus. Participants' ability to judge pre-exposed stimuli as different was better after simultaneous than after blocked pre-exposures.

Human perceptual learning: the effect of pre-exposure schedule depends on task demands.

The effects of the pre-exposure schedule (concurrent, intermixed, and blocked) to two similar visual stimuli were assessed in three different tasks. Participants were more accurate identifying one of two pre-exposed stimuli as the target by means of same/different judgments after concurrent than intermixed or blocked pre-exposures. Regardless of pre-exposure schedule, participants were accurate in identifying the same target stimulus in a subsequent multiple choice task.