The roles of static depth information and object-image relative motion in perception of heading

In a series of 6 experiments, two hypotheses were tested: that nominal heading perception is determined by the relative motion of images of objects positioned at different depths (R. F. Wang & J. E. Cutting 1999) and that static depth information contributes to this determination. By manipulating static depth information while holding retinal-image motion constant during  simulated self-movement, the authors found that static depth information played a role in determining perceived heading. Some support was also found for the involvement of R. F. Wang and J. E. Cutting’s (1999) categories of object-image relative motion in determining perceived heading. However, results suggested an unexpected functional dominance of information about heading relative to apparently near objects.

Tanis: a link between type 2 diabetes and inflammation?

Here we describe a novel protein, which we have named Tanis, that is implicated in type 2 diabetes and inflammation. In Psammomys obesus, a unique polygenic animal model of type 2 diabetes and the metabolic syndrome, Tanis is expressed in the liver in inverse proportion to circulating glucose (P = 0.010) and insulin levels (P = 0.004) and in direct proportion with plasma triglyceride concentrations (P = 0.007). Hepatic Tanis gene expression was markedly increased (3.1-fold) after a 24-h fast in diabetic but not in nondiabetic P. obesus. In addition, glucose inhibited Tanis gene expression in cultured hepatocytes (P = 0.006) as well as in several other cell types (P = 0.001–0.011). Thus, Tanis seems to be regulated by glucose and is dysregulated in the diabetic state. Yeast-2 hybrid screening identified serum amyloid A (SAA), an acute-phase inflammatory response protein, as an interacting protein of Tanis, and this was confirmed by Biacore experiments. SAA and other acute-phase proteins have been the focus of recent attention as risk factors for cardiovascular disease, and we contend that Tanis and its interaction with SAA may provide a mechanistic link among type 2 diabetes, inflammation, and cardiovascular disease.

Predicting self-esteem during unemployment: the effect of gender, financial deprivation, alternate roles, and social support

Two hundred and one unemployed men and women participated in a cross-sectional study that assessed self-esteem, financial deprivation, number of alternate roles, and use of social support. Financial deprivation, alternate roles, and social support each had a main effect on self-esteem. In addition, these variables interacted with gender to affect self-esteem. Specifically, financial deprivation had a greater negative association with self-esteem in men as compared with women. In contrast, alternate roles and social support had a stronger positive relationship to self-esteem in women than in men. The incorporation of these findings into intervention programs for unemployed persons is discussed.

Who gets the cats...you or me? Analyzing contact and residence issues regarding pets upon divorce or separation

Mills and Akers outline the statistical incidence of pet ownership and people's need for domestic pets, discuss ownership or property rights in domestic pets, outline the criteria used by the courts when ruling on implied contact and residence rights regarding domestic pets upon the irretrievable breakdown between the "owners" of the particular pets, and highlight both the shortcomings in the existing law and possible means of overcoming those shortcomings.

Exercise increases nuclear AMPK α2 in human skeletal muscle

An acute bout of exercise increases skeletal muscle glucose uptake, improves glucose homeostasis and insulin sensitivity, and enhances muscle oxidative capacity. Recent studies have shown an association between these adaptations and the energy-sensing 5' AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), the activity of which is increased in response to exercise. Activation of AMPK has been associated with enhanced expression of key metabolic proteins such as GLUT-4, hexokinase II (HKII), and mitochondrial enzymes, similar to exercise. It has been hypothesized that AMPK might regulate gene and protein expression through direct interaction with the nucleus. The purpose of this study was to determine if nuclear AMPK α₂ content in human skeletal muscle was increased by exercise. Following 60 min of cycling at 72 +/- 1% of V_O2peak in six male volunteers (20.6 +/- 2.1 years; 72.9 +/- 2.1 kg; V_O2peak = 3.62 +/- 0.18 l/min), nuclear AMPK α₂ content was increased 1.9 +/- 0.4-fold (P = 0.024). There was no change in whole-cell AMPK α₂ content or AMPK α₂ mRNA abundance. These results suggest that nuclear translocation of AMPK might mediate the effects of exercise on skeletal muscle gene and protein expression.

Elevation in tanis expression alters glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity in H4IIE cells

Increased hepatic glucose output and decreased glucose utilization are implicated in the development of type 2 diabetes. We previously reported that the expression of a novel gene, Tanis, was upregulated in the liver during fasting in the obese/diabetic animal model Psammomys obesus. Here, we have further studied the protein and its function. Cell fractionation indicated that Tanis was localized in the plasma membrane and microsomes but not in the nucleus, mitochondria, or soluble protein fraction. Consistent with previous gene expression data, hepatic Tanis protein levels increased more significantly in diabetic P. obesus than in nondiabetic controls after fasting. We used a recombinant adenovirus to increase Tanis expression in hepatoma H4IIE cells and investigated its role in metabolism. Tanis overexpression reduced glucose uptake, basal and insulin-stimulated glycogen synthesis, and glycogen content and attenuated the suppression of PEPCK gene expression by insulin, but it did not affect insulin-stimulated insulin receptor phosphorylation or triglyceride synthesis. These results suggest that Tanis may be involved in the regulation of glucose metabolism, and increased expression of Tanis could contribute to insulin resistance in the liver.

Physical activity and sedentary behavior: a population-based study of barriers, enjoyment, and preference

The associations of physical activity and sedentary behavior with barriers, enjoyment, and preferences were examined in a population-based mail survey of 1,332 adults. Respondents reporting high enjoyment and preference for physical activity were more likely to report high levels of activity. Those reporting cost, the weather, and personal barriers to physical activity were less likely to be physically active. Preference for sedentary behavior was associated with the decreased likelihood of being physically active, and the weather as a barrier to physical activity was associated with the increased likelihood of sedentary behavior. These constructs can be used to examine individual and environmental influences on physical activity and sedentary behavior in specific populations and could inform the development of targeted interventions.

Improving children's recall of an occurrence of a repeated event: is it a matter of helping them to generate options?

Three experiments were conducted to explore whether children's recall of an occurrence of a repeated event could be improved by encouraging them to consider various details that occurred across a series of events prior to making a judgement about which details were included in the target (to-be-recalled) occurrence. Experiment 1 explored whether children's recall of the target occurrence was better after the interviewer presented all the items from the series prior to the child identifying the final item. Experiment 2 explored whether having the children generate all the items facilitated their subsequent recall of the target occurrence. Finally, Experiment 3 directly compared the effectiveness of the above 2 procedures. Regardless of the children's age, the retention interval, or the type of item, children's capacity to identify which details were included in a target occurrence was enhanced when they were initially provided with all the possible details from the series of events. However, without relying on the interviewer to generate the options, the benefit of the technique was directly contingent on the children's ability to generate content details; this was a distinct source of difficulty for the children. Indeed, having children generate options had no beneficial effect on decisions about the temporal position of items unless performance was made conditional on the children's ability to remember the relevant details in the first place. The implications of the findings for the legal setting and for future research are discussed.

The reliability, validity, discriminant and predictive properties of the social Phobia Inventory (SoPhI)

This paper reports on the psychometric properties of the Social Phobic Inventory (SoPhI) a 21-item scale that was designed to measure social anxiety according to the criteria of DSM-IV (American Psychiatric Association, APA (1994) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder , 4th Edn., Washington). Factor analysis of the SoPhI using data from a clinical sample of respondents with social phobia revealed one factor which explained approximately 59% of variance and which demonstrated strong internal reliability ( agr= 0.93). The SoPhI demonstrated concurrent validity with the SPAI ( r = 0.86) and convergent validity with the Fear of Negative Evaluations-Revised ( r = 0.68). The predictive utility of the scale was demonstrated in a sample of university students classified as extroverted, normal, shy/introverted, and phobic/withdrawn ( -2 57%). Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) revealed that the combined university sample differed from the clinical sample on the summated scores on the SoPhI and that 43% ( -2 ) of this difference was attributable to group membership. This figure rose to 58% attributable to group membership when these same groups were compared for differences on the 21 individual items. Scores of the SoPhI that are indicative of concern and of possible diagnostic criteria, as well as suggestions for future research, are discussed.

Body image and strategies to lose weight and increase muscle among boys and girls

This study examined factors that influence body image and strategies to either lose weight or increase muscle among children. Participants were 237 boys and 270 girls. Body mass index (BMI), body dissatisfaction, cognitions and behaviors to both lose weight and increase muscles, as well as self-esteem and positive and negative affect, were evaluated. Self-esteem was associated with body satisfaction, positive affect predicted strategies to lose weight and increase muscles, and negative affect predicted body dissatisfaction and cognitions to lose weight and increase muscles. Boys were more likely to focus on changing muscles. Respondents with higher BMIs were more focused on losing weight but not muscle. The discussion focuses on health risk behaviors related to eating and exercise among children.

Moby-Dick and the philosopher of pessimism

Herman Melville discovered the philosophy of Arthur Schopenhauer late in life, and must have been surprised to discover how close this writer's philosophy was to his own beliefs. Despite this late revelation, the influence on Melville's work was strong, and there are good arguments to show that Melville was inspired by his ideas in the creation of 'Bartleby , the Scrivener' and Billy Budd. Melville may well have been aware of Schopenhauer's philosophy earlier, however, regardless of his lack of proven or direct exposure to the work of the German writer at the time of its composition, Moby-Dick exhibits many affinities with Schopenhauer's thought and it is possible to examine the book through such a reading.

Three dimensions of the male gender role as correlates of alcohol and cannabis involvement in young Australian men

This study examined 3 aspects of the male gender role and their relationship to alcohol and cannabis involvement in young adult Australian men (N = 160) aged between 18 and 25 years. Higher scores on the Restrictive Emotionality scale, which assessed gender ,role conflict, were found to relate to both alcohol-related problems and cannabis use. Higher scores on the Antifemininity scale, which assessed traditional attitudes toward men, were also found to be associated with alcohol-related problems. However, lower scores on another aspect of gender role conflict, Restrictive Affectionate Behavior Between Men, and lower scores on one aspect of traditional attitudes toward men, Status Rationality, correlated with higher frequency levels of alcohol and cannabis use.

Exercise and myocyte enhancer factor 2 regulation in human skeletal muscle

Overexpression of GLUT4 in skeletal muscle enhances whole-body insulin action. Exercise increases GLUT4 gene and protein expression, and a binding site for the myocyte enhancer factor 2 (MEF-2) is required on the GLUT4 promoter for this response. However, the molecular mechanisms involved remain elusive. In various cell systems, MEF-2 regulation is a balance between transcriptional repression by histone deacetylases (HDACs) and transcriptional activation by the nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NFAT), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor- coactivator 1 (PGC-1), and the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase. The purpose of this study was to determine if these same mechanisms regulate MEF-2 in contracting human skeletal muscle. Seven subjects performed 60 min of cycling at 70% of Vo2peak. After exercise, HDAC5 was dissociated from MEF-2 and exported from the nucleus, whereas nuclear PGC-1 was associated with MEF-2. Exercise increased total and nuclear p38 phosphorylation and association with MEF-2, without changes in total or nuclear p38 protein abundance. This result was associated with p38 sequence-specific phosphorylation of MEF-2 and an increase in GLUT4 mRNA. Finally, we found no role for NFAT in MEF-2 regulation. From these data, it appears that HDAC5, PGC-1, and p38 regulate MEF-2 and could be potential targets for modulating GLUT4 expression.