No abstract

We study models of spatial growth processes where initially there are sources of growth (indicated by the colour green) and sources of a growth-stopping (paralyzing) substance (indicated by red). The green sources expand and may merge with others (there is no 'inter-green' competition). The red substance remains passive as long as it is isolated. However, when a green cluster comes in touch with the red substance, it is immediately invaded by the latter, stops growing and starts to act as red substance itself. In our main model space is represented by a graph, of which initially each vertex is randomly green, red or white (vacant), and the growth of the green clusters is similar to that in first-passage percolation. The main issues we investigate are whether the model is well-defined on an infinite graph (e.g. the d-dimensional cubic lattice), and what can be said about the distribution of the size of a green cluster just before it is paralyzed. We show that, if the initial density of red vertices is positive, and that of white vertices is sufficiently small, the model is indeed well-defined and the above distribution has an exponential tail. In fact, we believe this to be true whenever the initial density of red is positive. This research also led to a relation between invasion percolation and critical Bernoulli percolation which seems to be of independent interest.

Background: Individual vulnerability to stress manifests in the interaction of innate properties and environment. There is a growing interest in the individual variability in vulnerability to stress and how it contributes to the development of psychiatric disorders. Intake of palatable substances is often measured in animal models. We have previously demonstrated that the consumption of sucrose solution is a stable trait in rats. Aims: The present study aimed to compare the sensitivity of rats with high vs low liquid sucrose consumption to chronic variable stress and the stress effect on behavioural sensitization to amphetamine. Methods: Male Wistar rats were subjected to a chronic stress regimen and subsequent repeated treatment with amphetamine (1 mg/kg, intraperitoneally). Fifty-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations, locomotor activity and stereotypies were measured. Results: In no-stress baseline conditions, the behavioural response to acute amphetamine was similar in rats with high vs low sucrose consumption. Prior chronic stress potentiated the effect of amphetamine only in rats with high sucrose consumption. Behavioural sensitization to repeated administration of amphetamine was observed in non-stressed rats with lower sucrose preference, but not in the respective stressed group that had increased monoamine turnover in the nucleus accumbens. In contrast, in rats with high sucrose preference the amphetamine sensitization effect was prevalent in stressed rats, but not in non-stressed animals. Interpretation: Chronic stress can change the psychostimulant effect but this depends on the inherent reward sensitivity of the animal. Trait-wise, sucrose intake reflects vulnerability to chronic stress and may interact with the development of addiction.

No abstract

No abstract