Acquisition and extinction of conditioned nicotine analgesic tolerance

These studies demonstrated the acquisition and extinction of conditioned tolerance to the analgesic effect of nicotine in rats. In Experiment 1, distinctive environmental cues were either paired or unpaired with nicotine. Following acquisition, the paired group was more tolerant to nicotine than the unpaired and saline groups. Conditioned tolerance was extinguished in the paired group after placebo sessions in the distinctive environment. Experiment 2 examined whether the distinctive environment functioned as a CS or as an occasion setter for injection cues. After acquisition, exposure to the distinctive environment, with or without placebo injections, resulted in extinction. This demonstrates that the distinctive environment served as a CS, not as an occasion setter for injection cues.     

Characterizing the Pedagogical Beliefs of Future Geoscience Faculty Members: a Mixed Methods Study

The next generation of professors will come from today’s graduate students and post-doctoral fellows, but we do not know much about their preparation to use research-validated teaching practices. This study characterizes the teaching beliefs of graduate students and post-doctoral fellows who represent future geoscience instructors though we believe the implications go well beyond one discipline. We analyzed results from more than 600 participants who completed the Beliefs about Reformed Teaching and Learning (BARSTL) survey and a subpopulation of sixty participants who responded to the Teacher Belief Interview (TBI). We compared teaching beliefs on the basis of several factors including gender, teaching assistant experiences, and participation in professional development.     

Effects of inspiratory muscle training on time-trial performance in trained cyclists

We evaluated the effects of specific inspiratory muscle training on simulated time-trial performance in trained cyclists. Using a double-blind, placebo-controlled design, 16 male cyclists (VO2max = 64 +/- 2 ml x kg(-1) x min(-1); mean +/- s(x)) were assigned at random to either an experimental (pressure-threshold inspiratory muscle training) or sham-training control (placebo) group. Pulmonary function, maximum dynamic inspiratory muscle function and the physiological and perceptual responses to maximal incremental cycling were assessed. Simulated time-trial performance (20 and 40 km) was quantified as the time to complete pre-set amounts of work. Pulmonary function was unchanged after the intervention, but dynamic inspiratory muscle function improved in the inspiratory muscle training group (P < or = 0.05). After the intervention, the inspiratory muscle training group experienced a reduction in the perception of respiratory and peripheral effort (Borg CR10: 16 +/- 4% and 18 +/- 4% respectively; compared with placebo, P < or = 0.01) and completed the simulated 20 and 40 km time-trials faster than the placebo group [66 +/- 30 and 115 +/- 38 s (3.8 +/- 1.7% and 4.6 +/- 1.9%) faster respectively; P = 0.025 and 0.009]. These results support evidence that specific inspiratory muscle training attenuates the perceptual response to maximal incremental exercise. Furthermore, they provide evidence of performance enhancements in competitive cyclists after inspiratory muscle training.     

The role of genetic counseling in the elective termination of pregnancies involving fetuses with disabilities

In this study, 69 women were surveyed who, as a result of a prenatal screening knew they were at risk for carrying a fetus with a disability. Results indicated that most women were referred by their physicians for genetic counseling either because of their age or because of an abnormal blood test. The majority of women indicated they would choose to terminate a pregnancy that tested positive for a disability, but the type of disability of the fetus, either Down syndrome or spina bifida, made no difference in the decision that women believed they would make. The women's intention to terminate a pregnancy appeared to be unrelated to their overall knowledge about disabilities but was negatively related to their knowledge of disability-related services. Although women reported that genetic counseling was helpful, they revealed that they were not given information about future-quality-of-life issues for individuals with disabilities nor provided with the positive as well as the negative aspects of giving birth to a child with disabilities.     

An Initial Exploration of Students’ Mindsets,Attitudes, and Beliefs About Public Speaking

This study investigated how students’ implicit theory that public speaking abilities can be developed and improved (i.e., growth mindset) was related to their apprehension, perceived competence, and beliefs regarding public speaking. Growth mindset was associated with lower apprehension and higher self-perceived competence. Growth mindset was also associated with the belief that public speaking involves reflection, revision, and adapting to one’s audience rather than merely transmitting information. Correlations were consistent with hypotheses.