A two-part study contrasted the utility of free-response and checklist methodologies for ascertaining ethnic and gender stereotypes. Descriptions of data collection, organization, and cluster and entropy analyses are provided. Results indicate that important differences emerge between data resulting from free-response methodology and those obtained with traditionally employed adjective checklists. These differences include the generation of a large percentage of physical descriptors and within-ethnic-group gender differences in stereotype content. A major finding is the generation of a large number of distinct responses coupled with low-frequency use of any particular response. Study 2 specifically examined whether free-response data are more schematic than checklist data. Results indicate that free-response data have a greater dependency and may thus be indicative of schematic response. This schematic response may, in turn, indicate more automatic processing than is evident with data from checklist methodologies.

We identified a previously unidentified conotoxin gene from Conus generalis whose precursor signal sequence has high similarity to the O1-gene conotoxin superfamily. The predicted mature peptide, αO-conotoxin GeXIVA (GeXIVA), has four Cys residues, and its three disulfide isomers were synthesized. Previously pharmacologically characterized O1-superfamily peptides, exemplified by the US Food and Drug Administration-approved pain medication, ziconotide, contain six Cys residues and are calcium, sodium, or potassium channel antagonists. However, GeXIVA did not inhibit calcium channels but antagonized nicotinic AChRs (nAChRs), most potently on the α9α10 nAChR subtype (IC50 = 4.6 nM). Toxin blockade was voltage-dependent, and kinetic analysis of toxin dissociation indicated that the binding site of GeXIVA does not overlap with the binding site of the competitive antagonist α-conotoxin RgIA. Surprisingly, the most active disulfide isomer of GeXIVA is the bead isomer, comprising, according to NMR analysis, two well-resolved but uncoupled disulfide-restrained loops. The ribbon isomer is almost as potent but has a more rigid structure built around a short 310-helix. In contrast to most α-conotoxins, the globular isomer is the least potent and has a flexible, multiconformational nature. GeXIVA reduced mechanical hyperalgesia in the rat chronic constriction injury model of neuropathic pain but had no effect on motor performance, warranting its further investigation as a possible therapeutic agent.

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(Group III and IV). However, little is known regarding the expressed voltage-dependent ion channels. We identified muscle afferent neurons in dorsal root ganglia (DRGs), using retrograde labeling to examine voltage-dependent sodium (Na V ) channels. In patch-clamp recordings, we found that the dominant Na V current in the majority of identified neurons was insensitive to tetrodotoxin (TTX-R), with Na V current in only a few (14%) neurons showing substantial (Ͼ50%) TTX sensitivity (TTX-S). The TTX-R current was sensitive to a Na V 1.8 channel blocker, A803467. Immunocytochemistry demonstrated labeling of muscle afferent neurons by a Na V 1.8 antibody, which further supported expression of these channels. A portion of the TTX-R Na V current appeared to be noninactivating during our 25-ms voltage steps, which suggested activity of Na V 1.9 channels. The majority of the noninactivating current was insensitive to A803467 but sensitive to extracellular sodium. Immunocytochemistry showed labeling of muscle afferent neurons by a Na V 1.9 channel antibody, which supports expression of these channels. Further examination of the muscle afferent neurons showed that functional TTX-S channels were expressed, but were largely inactivated at physiological membrane potentials. Immunocytochemistry showed expression of the TTX-S

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Letters of recommendation on 40 candidates for admission to graduate school were examined as naturally occurring instances of person perception. This context permitted the examination of the influences of the perceiver and the perceived on the process of perception, where the purposes of the descriptions and the audience for whom they were intended were clear. The analysis focused on the levels of agreement found among descriptions organized to reveal the presence of discriminative, consensual, and differentiating patterns of perception. The results generally revealed a pattern of nondiscriminative, nonconsensual, and nondifferentiating descriptions. Internal analyses of a subsample of the letters suggested that this pattern probably did not arise as a result of differential acquaintance on the part of the writers. The discussion emphasizes the importance of focusing on the attribute-selection processes of the perceiver as a promising avenue of further investigation.Requests for reprints should be sent to James C. Baxter,

Sensory neurons in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) express a subset of voltage dependent sodium channels (NaV) including NaV1.1, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8 and 1.9. Previous work supported preferential localization of NaV1.8 channels to small-medium diameter, nociceptive afferent neurons. However, we recently published evidence that NaV1.8 was the dominant NaV channel expressed in the somas of small, medium and large diameter muscle afferent neurons, which is consistent with other reports. Here, we extend those results to show that NaV1.8 expression is not correlated with afferent neuron diameter. Using immunocytochemistry, we found NaV1.8 expression in ~50% of sensory afferent neurons with diameters ranging from 20 to 70 µm. In addition, electrophysiological analysis shows that the kinetic and inactivation properties of NaV1.8 current are invariant with neuron size. These data add further support to the idea that NaV1.8 contributes to the electrical excitability of both nociceptive and non-nociceptive sensory neurons.