Richard S. Mohn

Zebrafish and conditioned place preference: A translational model of drug reward

Addiction and substance abuse are found ubiquitously throughout human society. In the United States, these disorders are responsible for amassing hundreds of billions of dollars in annual costs associated with healthcare, crime and lost productivity. Efficacious treatments remain few in number, the development of which will be facilitated by comprehension of environmental, genetic, pharmacological and neurobiological mechanisms implicated in the pathogenesis of addiction. Animal models such as the zebrafish (Danio rerio) have gained momentum within various domains of translational research, and as a model of complex brain disorders (e.g., drug abuse). Behavioral quantification within the conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm serves as a measure of the rewarding qualities of a given substance. If the animal develops an increase in preference for the drug paired environment, it is inferred that the drug has positive-reinforcing properties. This paper discusses the utility of the zebrafish model in conjunction with the CPP paradigm and reports CPP behavior following acute exposure to 0.0%, 0.25%, 0.50%, and 1.00% alcohol, and 0 mg/L, 50 mg/L, 100 mg/L and 150 mg/L caffeine.

Testing the main hypotheses of the interpersonal-psychological theory of suicidal behavior in a large diverse sample of United States military personnel.

BACKGROUND Preliminary data indicate the suicide rate in the United States military decreased in 2013, but the National Guard saw a continued increase. METHOD We examined the utility of the interpersonal-psychological theory of suicidal behavior (IPTS) in a sample of US military personnel drawn largely from the National Guard (n=934; 77.7% male; 59.5% white). RESULTS Results indicated the interaction of thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness predicted suicidal ideation and resolved plans and preparations for suicide. In each case, risk was greatest at higher levels of both predictors. Furthermore, results indicated the interaction of thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness, and acquired capability for suicide predicted prior suicide attempts. In this interaction term, the relationship between suicidal desire (thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness) and suicide attempts was significant and positive only at high levels of acquired capability. All analyses were cross-sectional. CONCLUSIONS Results indicate the IPTS may be useful for conceptualizing suicide risk in the National Guard.

Measuring client perceptions of motivational interviewing: factor analysis of the Client Evaluation of Motivational Interviewing scale

Motivational interviewing (MI) is an intervention approach that has solid evidence of efficacy with substance use disorders. Research and training have benefitted from the development of observational measures to assess MI fidelity and competence. However, one untapped area of assessment is the client perception of the clinician use of MI. Client perceptions of MI have been found through qualitative interviews to relate to motivation to change, view of the therapist and safety of therapy. The Client Evaluation of MI (CEMI) scale was developed to assess client perception of clinician MI use. This study further evaluated the CEMI through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis with a sample of 500 individuals with dual diagnosis pre-discharge from an inpatient unit. Participants completed an MI based session prior to completing CEMIs. A two factor (relational and technical) model explained 51.1% of the cumulative variance and was supported through confirmatory factor analysis. Suggestions for revisions are provided as well as potential uses of the CEMI and future directions for research.

Social Anxiety Symptoms and Drinking Behaviors Among College Students: The Mediating Effects of Drinking Motives

The impact of social anxiety on negative alcohol-related behaviors among college students has been studied extensively. Drinking motives are considered the most proximal indicator of college student drinking behavior. The current study examined the mediating role of drinking motives in the relationship that social anxiety symptoms have with problematic (alcohol consumption, harmful drinking, and negative consequences) and safe (protective behavioral strategies) drinking behaviors. Participants were 532 undergraduates who completed measures of social anxiety, drinking motives, alcohol use, harmful drinking patterns, negative consequences of alcohol use, and protective behavioral strategy use. Our results show that students with higher levels of social anxiety symptoms who were drinking for enhancement motives reported more harmful drinking and negative consequences, and used fewer protective behavioral strategies. Thus, students who were drinking to increase their positive mood were participating in more problematic drinking patterns compared with students reporting fewer social anxiety symptoms. Further, conformity motives partially mediated the relationship between social anxiety symptoms and negative consequences. Thus, students with more symptoms of social anxiety who were drinking in order to be accepted by their peers were more likely than others to experience negative consequences. Clinical and research implications are discussed.

Alcohol consumption and negative sex-related consequences among college women: the moderating role of alcohol protective behavioral strategies

Alcohol protective behavioral strategies (PBS) limit overall negative consequences; however, less is known about the relationship between PBS and negative sex-related consequences. The purpose of the current study was to examine the moderating effects of 2 distinct types of PBS—controlled consumption strategies and serious harm reduction strategies—on the relationship between alcohol consumption and alcohol-related risky sexual behavior and sexual victimization. Participants were 459 undergraduate women (ages 18–25) who had consumed alcohol within the past 30 days. Both types of PBS significantly qualified the alcohol-sexual victimization link, but neither type of PBS qualified the alcohol-risky sexual behavior link.

Sifting through the Hyperbole: One Hundred Years of Marijuana Coverage in The New York Times

The contemporary media has often portrayed marijuana as a “slacker drug”; however, this portrayal is somewhat novel. Several scholars have argued in the early 1900s, especially in the 1930s, the media often associated marijuana with violence and mental illness. Another common argument was that marijuana was associated with Mexican immigrants. Conversely, other researchers have argued that these reports were overblown and media accounts of marijuana were not very common until recent years. The current study utilizes recently available on-line archives to conduct a more comprehensive test of how exactly marijuana was depicted in The New York Times from 1851–1950.

Measuring Client Experiences of Motivational Interviewing during a Lifestyle Intervention.

The Client Evaluation of Motivational Interviewing was used to assess motivational interviewing experiences in a predominantly female, African American sample from the Southeastern United States who received motivational interviewing–based feedback during a multicomponent lifestyle intervention. Motivational interviewing was experienced differently than a primarily White, male, Northeastern mental health sample.

Psychosocial Constructs and Postintervention Changes in Physical Activity and Dietary Outcomes in a Lifestyle Intervention, Hub City Steps, 2010

Introduction Although modifications to dietary and physical activity (PA) behavior can reduce blood pressure, racial disparities in prevalence and control of hypertension persist. Psychosocial constructs (PSCs) of self-regulation, processes of change, and social support are associated with initiation and maintenance of PA in African Americans; which PSCs best predict lifestyle behavior changes is unclear. This study’s objective was to examine relationships among PSC changes and postintervention changes in PA and dietary outcomes in a community-based, multicomponent lifestyle intervention. Methods This study was a noncontrolled, pre/post experimental intervention conducted in a midsized, Southern US city in 2010. Primarily African American adults (n = 269) participated in a 6-month intervention consisting of motivational enhancement, social support, pedometer diary self-monitoring, and 5 education sessions. Outcome measures included pedometer-determined steps per day, fitness, dietary intake, and PSC measures. Generalized linear mixed models were used to test for postintervention changes in behavioral outcomes, identify predictors of PSC changes, and determine if PSC changes predicted changes in PA and diet. Results Postintervention changes were apparent for 10 of 24 PSCs (P < .05). Processes of change components, including helping relationships, reinforcement management, and consciousness raising, were significant predictors of fitness change (P < .05). Conclusion This article is among the first to address how measures of several theoretical frameworks of behavior change influence changes in PA and dietary outcomes in a multicomponent, community-based, lifestyle intervention conducted with African American adults. Findings reported identify PSC factors on which health behavior interventions can focus.

Testosterone production in non-breeding Northern Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis): is temperature influential?

Abstract In seasonally breeding birds annual changes occur in hormone production by the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis as individuals transition between breeding and non-breeding condition. Typically, some external environmental cue induces the observed changes; changes in day length, corresponding to change of seasons, are a strong cue for HPG axis activity in many species. Some species use cues other than day length as their primary initiator of breeding, and a number of light-sensitive species incorporate other cues to initiate breeding. Northern Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis) exhibit individual variation in when breeding begins and circulating testosterone is present throughout the year. Chemical tests of HPG axis responsiveness indicate that many individuals have an activated HPG axis as early as December. Here we use GnRH injections to assess whether individuals with active HPG axes prior to the winter solstice and increasing day lengths, may be influenced to initiate breeding by low temperatures experienced at the time of GnRH challenge. We found that while a significant number of individuals had active HPG axes prior to the winter solstice, there was no effect of low temperatures. We suggest that broader environmental patterns and additional cues may be influential to breeding in cardinals as opposed to only immediate temperature changes.

The Commission of Professors of Adult Education 2008 Standards as Evidenced in the Curricula of Doctoral Education in North America

In 2008, the Commission of Professors of Adult Education approved and published Standards for Graduate Programs in Adult Education, an update of the 1986 Standards. Using the program websites of the 37 North American programs ascertained to have doctoral programs in the field, this study evaluated all programs’ course descriptions for compliance with the nine “core topical areas” recommended for doctoral programs. Three evaluators (one new adult education PhD, one emeritus professor of adult education, and a professional evaluator and statistician with no background in adult education) found that collectively the 37 programs met 65.8% of standards by having courses which included the topical areas, with a 95.8% agreement among raters after discussion following independent assessments. All programs met at least two standards, but only two met all nine. Aggregate compliance data and implications for curricular review and development are presented.