title: Social interaction affects acquisition of lithium chloride-induced conditioned taste aversion: identification of underlying changes in neuronal activation in key forebrain areas

authors: Brunton, Chloe

subjects: aversion

abstract: A conditioned taste aversion (CTA) develops when exposure to a novel tastant is followed by sickness/malaise. Recently, it has been shown that a CTA can be reduced if the animal is placed in a social environment, i.e., in the presence of a conspecific, during the CTA acquisition phase. The current project was aimed to expand on our understanding of this phenomenon by (a) identifying the magnitude of an aversive response to a saccharin solution induced by lithium chloride (LiCl), a known emetic agent, in mice maintained in the social versus non-social setting; and (b) defining differences in LiCl-induced neuronal activation in the key CTA-related forebrain areas of animals in the social and non-social scenario. In mice lacking social stimulation, LiCl at a dose of 1 mEq induced a mild CTA to saccharin and the 6-mEq dose produced a profound aversive response. On the other hand, 6 mEq was the lowest effective dose in mice kept in the social setting. Immunohistochemical analysis of a neuronal activity marker, c-Fos, showed that alteration of activity in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) and central nucleus of the amygdala (CEA) is associated with the observed changes. In LiCl-injected mice subjected to social stimulation, also the percentage of Fos-positive oxytocin (OT), but not vasopressin neurons in the PVN was higher than in LiCl-treated single-housed mice. These results are discussed in context of the effects that sociality has on the magnitude of responses to adverse associative stimuli and an involvement of specific elements of brain circuitry in mediating these effects.

text: Social interaction affects acquisition of lithium chloride-induced conditioned taste aversion: identification of underlying changes in neuronal activation in key forebrain areas A conditioned taste aversion (CTA) develops when exposure to a novel tastant is followed by sickness/malaise. Recently, it has been shown that a CTA can be reduced if the animal is placed in a social environment, i.e., in the presence of a conspecific, during the CTA acquisition phase. The current project was aimed to expand on our understanding of this phenomenon by (a) identifying the magnitude of an aversive response to a saccharin solution induced by lithium chloride (LiCl), a known emetic agent, in mice maintained in the social versus non-social setting; and (b) defining differences in LiCl-induced neuronal activation in the key CTA-related forebrain areas of animals in the social and non-social scenario. In mice lacking social stimulation, LiCl at a dose of 1 mEq induced a mild CTA to saccharin and the 6-mEq dose produced a profound aversive response. On the other hand, 6 mEq was the lowest effective dose in mice kept in the social setting. Immunohistochemical analysis of a neuronal activity marker, c-Fos, showed that alteration of activity in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) and central nucleus of the amygdala (CEA) is associated with the observed changes. In LiCl-injected mice subjected to social stimulation, also the percentage of Fos-positive oxytocin (OT), but not vasopressin neurons in the PVN was higher than in LiCl-treated single-housed mice. These results are discussed in context of the effects that sociality has on the magnitude of responses to adverse associative stimuli and an involvement of specific elements of brain circuitry in mediating these effects.

year: 2016

title: Easy over: A 3-week mid-semester trial flipping a practical paper

authors: Scott, Jonathan B.

abstract: `Flipping the classroom’ means replacing the standard lecture with additional hands-on learning — tutorials or labs. We are preparing short, focused videos covering the same material previously delivered as lectures, to become assigned take-home viewing. We plan to flip a period of 3 weeks in a first-year paper that is already intensely practical and handson. A previous move to online tutorials (“eTutorials”) resulted in better learning and the students appreciated the flexibility. Will the same happen with “eLectures”? This presentation will describe our plan and the process undertaken to develop flip videos in the context of an electronics course. We will share some examples of our videos and describe the experience. We may speculate on the outcome.

text: Easy over: A 3-week mid-semester trial flipping a practical paper `Flipping the classroom’ means replacing the standard lecture with additional hands-on learning — tutorials or labs. We are preparing short, focused videos covering the same material previously delivered as lectures, to become assigned take-home viewing. We plan to flip a period of 3 weeks in a first-year paper that is already intensely practical and handson. A previous move to online tutorials (“eTutorials”) resulted in better learning and the students appreciated the flexibility. Will the same happen with “eLectures”? This presentation will describe our plan and the process undertaken to develop flip videos in the context of an electronics course. We will share some examples of our videos and describe the experience. We may speculate on the outcome.

year: 2015

title: What’s in a name? The sense of reference, the rigidity of designators and the history of causes when determining the names of the two main islands of Aotearoa/New Zealand

authors: Parker, Martin

subjects: New Zealand

abstract: The New Zealand Geographic Board recently revealed that the two main islands of Aotearoa/New Zealand have never been officially named. The revelation made both national and international news and led to a large number of publicly aired comments on the matter, suggesting that something so fundamental and seemingly innocuous as naming is in fact likely to generate a good deal of controversy, no more so than in a bicultural/bilingual context. This paper will examine the phenomenon of naming from a number of angles. After discussing a layperson’s idea of what is meant by the meaning of names, we shall attempt to apply a number of theoretical models from the field of Language Philosophy to the case of the main islands of Aotearoa/New Zealand: the Descriptivist approach of Frege and Russell, Kripke’s Rigid Designators, and Causal Grounding theory. We shall conclude that, in the case of applying the first two of these, there is a question mark over whether any of the current names for the two islands, both Māori and Pākehā, are in fact names at all; in terms of applying the theory of Causal Grounding, we are drawn to the conclusion that in history lies the key to the future.

text: What’s in a name? The sense of reference, the rigidity of designators and the history of causes when determining the names of the two main islands of Aotearoa/New Zealand The New Zealand Geographic Board recently revealed that the two main islands of Aotearoa/New Zealand have never been officially named. The revelation made both national and international news and led to a large number of publicly aired comments on the matter, suggesting that something so fundamental and seemingly innocuous as naming is in fact likely to generate a good deal of controversy, no more so than in a bicultural/bilingual context. This paper will examine the phenomenon of naming from a number of angles. After discussing a layperson’s idea of what is meant by the meaning of names, we shall attempt to apply a number of theoretical models from the field of Language Philosophy to the case of the main islands of Aotearoa/New Zealand: the Descriptivist approach of Frege and Russell, Kripke’s Rigid Designators, and Causal Grounding theory. We shall conclude that, in the case of applying the first two of these, there is a question mark over whether any of the current names for the two islands, both Māori and Pākehā, are in fact names at all; in terms of applying the theory of Causal Grounding, we are drawn to the conclusion that in history lies the key to the future.

year: 2010-02