Modulation of an activity response with associative and nonassociative fear in the rat: A lighting differential influences the form of defensive behavior evoked after fear conditioning

Rats confronted with the onset of a light gradient display a transient increase in locomotion called theactivity response (AR) and a dark preference (Godsil & Fanselow, 2004). These experiments demonstrate that the magnitude of the AR can be blunted with Pavlovian fear-conditioning procedures via associative and nonassociative fear. Although manifested in decreased locomotion, the blunted AR effect was not due to increased freezing or immobility behaviors. Instead, rats displayed reduced rearing and an increase in a class of behaviors calledstationary activity. These results suggest that the lighting differential supplied by the cue influences the topography of defensive behavior and reduces the expression of freezing. This procedure provides a means by which to examine learned and unlearned defensive responses to the same stimulus.     

Electrical futures past

Futurist writing about technology emerged in the late 19th century at the same time as new kinds of electrical technology were making utopian futures seem practically attainable. Electrical writers and novelists alike thus borrowed from the popular "science" fiction of Jules Verne, Edward Bellamy and others to try to create self-fulfilling prophecies of a future in which electrical gadgets and machines met all major practical needs of civilization. To the extent that many parts of our world are populated by the hardware that they forecast, they succeeded in their goal.     

Game location and aggression in rugby league

The present study examined the relationship between aggression and game location in rugby league. We videotaped a random sample of 21 professional rugby league games played in the 2000 Super League season. Trained observers recorded the frequency of aggressive behaviours. Consistent with previous research, which used territoriality theories as a basis for prediction, we hypothesized that the home team would behave more aggressively than the away team. The results showed no significant difference in the frequency of aggressive behaviours exhibited by the home and away teams. However, the away teams engaged in substantially more aggressive behaviours in games they lost compared with games they won. No significant differences in the pattern of aggressive behaviours for home and away teams emerged as a function of game time (i.e. first or second half) or game situation (i.e. when teams were winning, losing or drawing). The findings suggest that while home and away teams do not display different levels of aggression, the cost of behaving aggressively (in terms of game outcome) may be greater for the away team.     

The influence of pre-warming on the physiological responses to prolonged intermittent exercise

To examine the influence of pre-warming on the physiological responses to prolonged intermittent exercise in ambient temperatures of 21.5 +/- 0.6 degrees C and relative humidities of 35.7 +/- 5.4% (mean +/- s), six healthy men performed intermittent treadmill running (30-s bouts at 90% of maximal oxygen uptake separated by 30-s static recovery periods) to exhaustion after active pre-warming, passive pre-warming and pre-exercise rest (control). Exercise time to exhaustion was significantly different between all conditions (active, 51.8 +/- 7.2 min; passive, 38.5 +/- 11.1 min; control, 72.0 +/- 17.2 min; P < 0.05). These changes in performance time were closely associated with a significant decline in both the rate of heat storage and heat storage capacity (P < 0.05). Rectal temperature, heart rate and ratings of perceived exertion were significantly higher during exercise in the two pre-warming conditions than in the control condition (P < 0.05). Ratings of perceived exertion were also significantly higher during exercise following passive pre-warming compared with active pre-warming (P < 0.05). During exercise there were no significant differences in serum prolactin, plasma norepinephrine and plasma free fatty acid concentrations between conditions. We conclude that both active and passive pre-warming promote a reduction in prolonged intermittent exercise capacity in environmental temperatures of 21 degrees C compared with pre-exercise rest. These performance decrements were dependent upon the mode of pre-warming and closely reflected alterations in body heat content.