Sex differences in avoidance behavior and cued threat memory dynamics in mice: Interactions between estrous cycle and genetic background.

Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent mental illnesses worldwide, exhibit high heritability, and affect twice as many women as men. To evaluate potential interactions between genetic background and cycling ovarian hormones on sex differences in susceptibility to negative valence behaviors relevant to anxiety disorders, we assayed avoidance behavior and cued threat memory dynamics in gonadally-intact adult male and female mice across four common inbred mouse strains: C57Bl/6J, 129S1/SVlmJ, DBA/2J, and BALB/cJ. Independent of sex, C57Bl/6J mice exhibited low avoidance but high threat memory, 129S1/SvlmJ mice high avoidance and high threat memory, DBA/2J mice low avoidance and low threat memory, and BALB/cJ mice high avoidance but low threat memory. Within-strain comparisons revealed reduced avoidance behavior in the high hormone phase of the estrous cycle (proestrus) compared to all other estrous phases in all strains except DBA/2J, which did not exhibit cycle-dependent behavioral fluctuations. Robust and opposing sex differences in threat conditioning and extinction training were found in the C57Bl/6J and 129S1/SvlmJ lines, whereas no sex differences were observed in the DBA/2J or BALB/cJ lines. C57Bl/6J males exhibited enhanced acute threat memory, whereas 129S1/SvlmJ females exhibited enhanced sustained threat memory, compared to their sex-matched littermates. These effects were not mediated by estrous cycle stage or sex differences in active versus passive defensive behavioral responses. Our data demonstrate that core features of behavioral endophenotypes relevant to anxiety disorders, such as avoidance and threat memory, are genetically driven yet dissociable and can be influenced further by cycling ovarian hormones.

Orthognathic speech pathology: impacts of Class III malocclusion on speech.

INTRODUCTION: Patients with dentofacial disharmonies (DFDs) seek orthodontic care and orthognathic surgery to address issues with mastication, esthetics, and speech. Speech distortions are seen 18 times more frequently in Class III DFD patients than the general population, with unclear causality. We hypothesize there are significant differences in spectral properties of stop (/t/ or /k/), fricative (/s/ or /ʃ/), and affricate (/tʃ/) consonants and that severity of Class III disharmony correlates with the degree of speech abnormality. METHODS: To understand how jaw disharmonies influence speech, orthodontic records and audio recordings were collected from Class III surgical candidates and reference subjects (n = 102 Class III, 62 controls). A speech pathologist evaluated subjects and recordings were quantitatively analysed by Spectral Moment Analysis for frequency distortions. RESULTS: A majority of Class III subjects exhibit speech distortions. A significant increase in the centroid frequency (M1) and spectral spread (M2) was seen in several consonants of Class III subjects compared to controls. Using regression analysis, correlations between Class III skeletal severity (assessed by cephalometric measures) and spectral distortion were found for /t/ and /k/ phones. CONCLUSIONS: Class III DFD patients have a higher prevalence of articulation errors and significant spectral distortions in consonants relative to controls. This is the first demonstration that severity of malocclusion is quantitatively correlated with the degree of speech distortion for consonants, suggesting causation. These findings offer insight into the complex relationship between craniofacial structures and speech distortions.

Kiwifruit Non-Sugar Components Reduce Glycaemic Response to Co-Ingested Cereal in Humans.

Kiwifruit (KF) effects on the human glycaemic response to co-ingested wheat cereal were determined. Participants (n = 20) consumed four meals in random order, all being made to 40 g of the same available carbohydrate, by adding kiwifruit sugars (KF sug; glucose, fructose, sucrose 2:2:1) to meals not containing KF. The meals were flaked wheat biscuit (WB)+KFsug, WB+KF, WB+guar gum+KFsug, WB+guar gum+KF, that was ingested after fasting overnight. Blood glucose was monitored 3 h and hunger measured at 180 min post-meal using a visual analogue scale. KF and guar reduced postprandial blood glucose response amplitude, and prevented subsequent hypoglycaemia that occurred with WB+KFsug. The area between the blood glucose response curve and baseline from 0 to 180 min was not significantly different between meals, 0-120 min areas were significantly reduced by KF and/or guar. Area from 120 to 180 min was positive for KF, guar, and KF+guar, while the area for the WB meal was negative. Hunger at 180 min was significantly reduced by KF and/or guar when compared with WB. We conclude that KF components other than available carbohydrate may improve the glycaemic response profile to co-ingested cereal food.