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Children's engagement and competence in personal recollection: effects of parents' reminiscing goals.

Parents' goal orientations in parent-child reminiscing were examined in this study, where 28 preschoolers (mean age = 46 months) experienced a standardized event. Dyads discussed the event that evening, with parents randomly assigned to either an "outcome-oriented" or a "process-oriented" condition. Outcome-oriented parents, who were told that children subsequently would be tested on event-related recall, were more controlling in these conversations compared with process-oriented parents, who were told that children's personal perspective would be assessed. Parents did not differ in their provision of structure. Children were interviewed 2 weeks later. Autonomy support in the parent-child conversation predicted children's engagement in the interview. Parental structure predicted children's recall of details and the coherence of their memories. Effects of parental reminiscing styles for children's memory and motivation to reminisce are discussed.

Aptitude↗

Cephalometric correlates of echolocation in the chiroptera.

This study suggests that the evolution of head posture in bats is constrained by the demands of vocalization during echolocation. Nasal-emitting microchiropteran taxa are easily identified by their characteristic rotation of the basicranium ventrally about the cervical axis, the depression of the rostrum below the basicranial axis, and by the rotation of the lateral semicircular canals so as to maintain their horizontal orientation during flight. The converse is true for oral-emitting Microchiroptera. The general form of the microchiropteran skull has been canalized along two distinct evolutionary paths, respectively, towards oral-emitting or nasal-emitting forms.

Animals↗

Canonical Wnt signaling and its antagonist regulate anterior-posterior axis polarization by guiding cell migration in mouse visceral endoderm.

The mouse embryonic axis is initially formed with a proximal-distal orientation followed by subsequent conversion to a prospective anterior-posterior (A-P) polarity with directional migration of visceral endoderm cells. Importantly, Otx2, a homeobox gene, is essential to this developmental process. However, the genetic regulatory mechanism governing axis conversion is poorly understood. Here, defective axis conversion due to Otx2 deficiency can be rescued by expression of Dkk1, a Wnt antagonist, or following removal of one copy of the beta-catenin gene. Misexpression of a canonical Wnt ligand can also inhibit correct A-P axis rotation. Moreover, asymmetrical distribution of beta-catenin localization is impaired in the Otx2-deficient and Wnt-misexpressing visceral endoderm. Concurrently, canonical Wnt and Dkk1 function as repulsive and attractive guidance cues, respectively, in the migration of visceral endoderm cells. We propose that Wnt/beta-catenin signaling mediates A-P axis polarization by guiding cell migration toward the prospective anterior in the pregastrula mouse embryo.

Animals↗

Diamond iris retractor configuration for small-pupil extracapsular or intracapsular cataract surgery.

We describe a technique that uses flexible iris retractors in a diamond configuration for small-pupil extracapsular or intracapsular cataract surgery in eyes with unusually dense nuclear sclerosis. Advantages of this technique include ease of conversion from phacoemulsification, optimal orientation of the maximum pupil diameter for nucleus expression or intracapsular lens removal, and conservation of iris tissue.

Cataract↗

Inactive forms of wheat ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase. Conversion from the slowly activating into the rapidly activating form.

Wheat ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase can be converted from the slowly activating into the rapidly activating form by heat or effectors in the absence of CO2 and Mg2+. This conversion process had the same energy of activation of 95.6kJ/mol both in the presence and in the absence of effectors, whereas the free-energy change value ranged from +2.5kJ/mol to -3.4kJ/mol depending on the end product involved. Far-u.v. c.d. spectra measured before and after conversion indicated that ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase is an alpha/beta-class protein and that no significant changes in gross conformation occur. Signals in the near-u.v. region suggested that the main change during conversion is re-orientation of aromatic side chains, probably near the active site; a possible site for effector binding is discussed.

Binding Sites↗

Bv: a distinct category of B sub-group among Chinese blood donors in Hong Kong.

During the period 1984-1989, a total of 46 examples of Bv phenotype were encountered out of a total of 567,210 donors, giving an incidence of 1 in 12,330 among the Chinese in Hong Kong. The Bv determinant corresponds to the portion of the B antigen that is present on rabbit red cells, and gives a negative reaction with polyclonal anti-B reagents absorbed with rabbit red cells that still react with B3. Some potent monoclonal anti-B reagents confirm the absence of a B epitope from Bv red cells even by adsorption and elution techniques. The failure of some monoclonal anti-B reagents to detect Bv demonstrates the need to select or blend monoclonal anti-B reagents for use in typing Oriental bloods. Cell-conversion techniques failed to convert O cells to B cells using Bv serum with the appropriate substrate, whereas sera from most of the other B variants were capable of doing so. The Bv phenotype, therefore, represents a distinct category of B subgroups that is easily distinguishable from B3 and other B variants.

ABO Blood-Group System↗

Experimental and theoretical study of skylight polarization transmitted through Snell's window of a flat water surface.

The celestial polarization pattern may be scrambled by refraction at the air-water interface. This polarization pattern was examined in shallow waters with a submersible polarimeter, and it was calculated by using land measurements ('semiempirical predictions') and models of the skylight polarization. Semiempirically predicted and measured e-vector orientations were significantly similar. Conversely, predicted percent polarization was correlated but lower than measurements. Percent polarization depended on wavelength, where at high sun altitudes maximal percent polarization generally appeared in the UV and red spectral regions. The wavelength dependency of polarization may lead to differential spectral sensitivity in polarization-sensitive animals according to time and type of activity.

Computer Simulation↗

The contribution of inhibitory mechanisms to the receptive field properties of neurones in the striate cortex of the cat.

1. The iontophoretic application of the GABA antagonist bicuculline to simple and complex cells in the striate cortex of the cat produced extensive modifications of receptive field properties. These modifications appear to relate to a block or reduction of GABA-mediated intracortical inhibitory influences acting on the cells examined. 2. For simple cells the effects of bicuculline on receptive field properties involved a loss of the subdivision of the receptive field into antagonistic "on" and "off" regions, a reduction in orientation specificity and a reduction or elimination of directional specificity. 3. The effect on the "on" and "off" subdivisions of the simple cell receptive field was such that all stationary flashing stimuli, whether covering the whole receptive field, or located within the receptive field over a previously determined "on" or "off" region, resulted in an "on and off" response. 4. The orientation specificity of complex cells was reduced during the application of bicuculline such that in many cases the original specificity of the cell was virtually lost with the response to the orientation at 90 degrees to the optimal being of similar magnitude to the optimal. The directional specificity of complex cells was generally less affected than that of simple cells. Often when large changes in orientation specificity were observed the directional specificity was relatively unaffected. 5. For some cells apparently showing to all visual stimuli only inhibitory responses, the application of bicuculline resulted in the appearance of excitatory responses. 6. In all cases receptive field properties reverted to the original state after termination of the bicuculline application. It was not generally possible to duplicate the effects of bicuculline by raising neuronal excitability with iontophoretically applied glutamate. 7. On the basis of these results it is suggested that the normal subdivision of the simple cell receptive field into separate "on" and "off" regions and its directional specificity are dependent on intracortical inhibitory processes that are blocked by bicuculline. The orientational tuning of simple cells conversely appears to be largely determined by the excitatory input but normally enhanced by lateral type inhibitory processes acting in the orientation domain. 8. It also appears that the excitatory input to some complex cells is not orientation specific. This suggests that for these cells it is extremely unlikely that they receive an orientation specific excitatory input from simple cells.

Action Potentials↗

A common genetic polymorphism (46 C to T substitution) in the 5'-untranslated region of the coagulation factor XII gene is associated with low translation efficiency and decrease in plasma factor XII level.

We studied the Hga I polymorphism (46 C/T) in the 5'-untranslated region of the coagulation factor XII (FXII) gene corresponding to four bases upstream from the ATG translation initiation codon. By using allele-specific restriction analysis with restriction endonuclease Hga I, the allele frequency of 46C/T was estimated to be 0.27/0.73 in Orientals (allele number =152), and conversely, 0.8/0.2 in Caucasians (allele number =40). Because it has been reported that plasma levels of FXII were lower in Orientals than in Caucasians, we investigated the relationship between this polymorphism and plasma levels of FXII. As a result, there were significant differences in plasma FXII levels between these three allele types: C/C,170+/-38% (178+/-27%); C/T, 141+/-29% (123+/-34%); and T/T, 82+/-19% (61+/-11%) [FXII activity (FXII antigen levels)]. In heterozygotes of 46 C/T both alleles were equally transcribed in hepatocytes, as determined by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), suggesting little influence of the polymorphism at the level of transcription or on the stability of mRNA. In in vitro transcription/translation analysis, less FXII was produced from cDNA containing 46 T than from that containing 46 C. Therefore, it is highly likely that the 46 T polymorphism in the FXII gene decreased the translation efficiency and led to low plasma levels of FXII activity and antigen, probably due to the creation of another ATG codon and/or impairment of the consensus sequence for the translation initiation scanning model.

Adolescent↗

Neuroendocrine response to estrogen and brain differentiation in heterosexuals, homosexuals, and transsexuals.

Since 1964, we have found positive estrogen feedback to be a relatively sex-specific reaction of the hypothalamo-hypophyseal system in rats as well as in human beings. It is dependent on the estrogen-convertible androgen level during sexual brain differentiation and also on estrogen priming in adulthood. The lower the estrogen-convertible androgen or primary estrogen level during brain differentiation, the higher the evocability of a positive estrogen action on LH secretion in later life. In clinical studies, we induced a positive estrogen feedback luteinizing hormone secretion in most intact homosexual men, in clear-cut contrast to intact heterosexual or bisexual men. In addition, the evocability of a positive estrogen feedback was also demonstrable in most homosexual male-to-female transsexuals in significant contrast to hetero-or bisexual male-to-female transsexuals. The following relations have been found between sex hormone levels during brain differentiation and sex-specific responses in adulthood: (i) Estrogens, which are mostly converted from androgens, are responsible for the sex-specific organization of gonadotropin secretion and hence the evocability of a positive estrogen feedback in later life; (ii) both estrogens and androgens, occurring during brain differentiation, predetermine sexual orientation, and (iii) androgens, without conversion to estrogens, are responsible for the sex-specific organization of gender role behavior. Furthermore, the organization periods for sex-specific gonadotropin secretion, sexual orientation, and gender role behavior are not identical but overlapping. Thus, combinations as well as dissociations between deviation of the neuroendocrine organization of sex-specific gonadotropin secretion, sexual orientation, and gender role behavior may occur.

Brain↗

The effects of early visual experience on the cat's visual cortex and their possible explanation by Hebb synapses.

1. Kittens were dark-reared until 4-6 weeks old, and then for another 4-7 weeks with various combinations of cylindrical lenses, monocular occlusion, and normal vision. 2. Single unit recordings from 816 neurones of the visual cortex (area 17) were obtained after the end of exposure. Clear-cut effects on the distributions of the neurones' ocular dominance and orientation preference were found yielding close correlations with the rearing conditions. 3. It was confirmed that most cortical neurones prefer vertical stimulus orientations when experience is restricted to vertical contours in both eyes. It was further confirmed that, if the experienced orientations are different in the two eyes, each eye dominates over those neurones whose orientation preference corresponds to the orientation this eye has experienced. 4. When one eye is covered while the other sees only contours of one orientation, the ocular dominance distribution of cortical neurones shows a bias towards the open eye. Neurones dominated by this eye prefer orientations corresponding to the experienced range. Neurones preferring other orientations are shared between both eyes. 5. When vision is unimpaired in one eye and restricted to vertical contours in the other, binocularity is common among neurones preferring vertical orientations. Neurones with orientation preferences off the vertical are mainly monocular and dominated by the eye with unrestricted vision. 6. When normal monocular vision of one eye precedes restricted monocular vision of the other eye, only a few binocular units are encountered. Reversal of the initial effects of monocular experience is found only in neurones preferring the orientation that has been experienced by the newly opened eye. The other neurones remain dominated by the originally open eye. Thus, complementary distributions of orientation preferences are found for the two eyes. 7. A good correlation was found between the amount of orientational experience as determined by the number of orientations exposed and the number of normally tuned neurones. Conversely, the number of neurones responding to all orientations decreases with increasing amount of experience.

Animals↗

Sexual differentiation of gonadotrophin secretion, sexual orientation and gender role behavior.

The positive estrogen feedback was found to be a relatively sex-specific reaction of the hypothalamo-hypophyseal system in rats as well as in human beings. It is dependent--most of all--on the estrogen convertible androgen level during sexual brain differentiation, but also on an estrogen priming effect in adulthood. The lower the estrogen convertible androgen or primary estrogen level during brain differentiation, the higher is the evocability of a positive estrogen action on LH secretion in later life. In clinical studies, we were able to induce a positive estrogen feedback on LH secretion in most intact homosexual men in clear-cut contrast to intact hetero- or bisexual men. These findings were strongly confirmed by Gladue and associates. In addition, the evocability of a positive estrogen feedback was also demonstrable in most homosexual male-to-female transsexuals in significant contrast to hetero- or bisexual male-to-female transsexuals. These findings suggest that homosexual males possess, at least in part, a predominantly female-differentiated brain, which may be caused by a low estrogen convertible androgen level during brain organization. Recently, the following relations were found between sex hormone levels during brain differentiation and sex-specific responses in adulthood: (1) estrogens--which are mostly converted, however, from androgens--are responsible for the sex-specific organization of gonadotrophin secretion and hence the evocability of a positive estrogen feedback in later life; (2) estrogens and androgens, occurring during brain differentiation, predetermine synergistically sexual orientation and (3) androgens--without conversion to estrogens--are responsible for the sex-specific organization of gender role behaviour in later life. Furthermore, the organization periods for sex-specific gonadotrophin secretion, sexual orientation and gender role behaviour are not identical but overlapping. Thus, combinations as well as dissociations between deviations of the neuroendocrine organization of sex-specific gonadotrophin secretion, sexual orientation and gender role behaviour are conceivable. Most recently, female-type sexual orientation could be converted to male-type sexual orientation in adult rats by administration of the dopamine agonist and serotonin antagonist lisuride.

Androgens↗

Beliefs and practices of therapists who practice sexual reorientation psychotherapy.

There is currently controversy regarding whether sexual reorientation or conversion therapies are ethical and effective forms of treatment for dissatisfied homosexually oriented people. We present the results of a survey of 206 psychotherapists who practice sexual conversion therapy. 187 therapists said they believed homosexuality is a developmental disorder and that the 1973 decision by the American Psychiatric Association to "depathologize" homosexuality was politically motivated and unscientific. The therapists believe that the majority of dissatisfied homosexually oriented clients who seek conversion therapy benefit from it, experiencing both changes in their sexual orientation and improved psychological functioning. We conclude that therapists who persist in providing reorientation therapy do so because they believe it is an effective and ethical treatment option for their clients.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

A socially organized basis for displays of cognition: procedural orientation to evidential turns in psychic-sitter interaction.

Discursive psychology has been concerned with investigating how aspects of mind--cognitions, personality, identity, memory, attitudes, attributions, etc.--are warrantably invoked and indexed in the particulars of language use in a variety of discursive contexts. By drawing upon the method and findings of conversation analysis (CA), researchers have been able to show how displays of mind may be achieved with respect to the speakers' production of discursive activities, such as warranting versions of events. One of the key features of CA is the identification of sequences of conversational actions and their oriented-to-properties. This study argues that a focus on sequential activity can be harnessed to discursive psychological investigations to reveal how the relevance of displays of mind is embedded in the structure of verbal activities. To illustrate this methodological recommendation, the study describes a recurrent interactional episode in consultations between psychics and their clients, or sitters, in which participants realize collaboratively the demonstration of (albeit parapsychological) cognition.

Cognition↗

Clinical use of coping in affective disorder, a critical review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between life stressors, coping and affective disorder is interesting when predicting onset of a affective disorder and relapse of mood episodes. METHODS: A literature review of cross-sectional and longitudinal studies concerning coping and affective disorder in adults including a Medline and Embase search was conducted. RESULTS: 11 cross-sectional studies and 17 longitudinal studies concerning affective disorder and coping were found, among these, two studies include patients with bipolar disorder exclusively. Only four studies elucidate whether emotion-oriented and/or avoidance coping styles are associated with a higher risk of developing affective disorder, so this hypothesis remains unclear. Most studies shows that emotion-oriented and avoidance coping strategies are associated with relapse of depressive episodes. Conversely, problem-focused and task-oriented coping seem to be associated with a good outcome. CONCLUSION: There is a gap between coping theory and clinical use of coping and the clinical relevance of coping is, though promising, still unclear. In future research it is recommended to concentrate on development of a semi-structured interview combining coping style, life events and personality traits.

Journal Article↗

Leaf angle responds to nitrogen supply in eucalypt seedlings. Is it a photoprotective mechanism?

We examined the adjustment of leaf angle (L theta) and foliar chlorophyll and xanthophyll chemistry in Eucalyptus nitens (Deane and Maiden) Maiden seedlings maintained in various nitrogen (N)-supply treatments over a 6-month period. Adjustment of L theta toward the vertical was greatest under conditions of foliar N deficiency and became incrementally more horizontal with increasing foliar N concentration. Photochemical efficiency (Fv/Fm) and quantum yield were lower in seedlings with low foliar N (low-N seedlings) in winter, but not in autumn. Low-N seedlings generally had low area-based chlorophyll concentrations and high xanthophyll-cycle conversion ratios, particularly during months of low temperature. Under mild temperature conditions, high concentrations of zeaxanthin and antheraxanthin were associated with lower electron transport rates (ETR). Incident light, Fv/Fm, ETR and total chlorophyll concentration were negatively correlated with L theta, with horizontal leaf orientation measured as 0 degrees and vertical leaf orientation as 90 degrees . Xanthophyll conversion ratio was positively correlated with L theta. Adjustments in L theta may play a role in photoprotection of E. nitens seedlings by assisting the leaf to balance its utilization and dissipation of energy.

Acclimatization↗

Micro-volume couette flow sample orientation for absorbance and fluorescence linear dichroism.

Linear dichroism (LD) can be used to study the alignment of absorbing chromophores within long molecules. In particular, Couette flow LD has been used to good effect in probing ligand binding to DNA and to fibrous proteins. This technique has been previously limited by large sample requirements. Here we report the design and application of a new micro-volume Couette flow cell that significantly enhances the potential applications of flow LD spectroscopy by reducing the sample requirements for flow linear dichroism to 25 microL (with concentrations such that the absorbance maximum of the sample in a 1-cm pathlength cuvette is approximately 1). The micro-volume Couette cell has also enabled the measurement of fluorescence-detected Couette flow linear dichroism. This new technique enables the orientation of fluorescent ligands to be probed even when their electronic transitions overlap with those of the macromolecule and conversely. The potential of flow-oriented fluorescence dichroism and application of the micro-volume Couette LD cell are illustrated by the collection of data for DNA with minor groove and intercalating ligands: DAPI, Hoechst, and ethidium bromide. As with conventional fluorescence, improved sensitivity compared with absorbance LD is to be expected after instrumentation optimization.

Animals↗

Orienting behaviour and superior colliculus sensory representations in mice with the vibrissae bent into the contralateral hemispace.

When a tactile stimulus touches the body on one side, animals show an orienting response toward that side with the eyes, the head or the entire body. This movement requires the transformation of sensory information into motor commands. The superior colliculus is supposed to be a fundamental part of the brain where this sensorimotor transformation occurs and where one of the possible mechanisms could be the alignment among sensory and motor topographies. We changed the body shape of mice in order to analyse the development of new orienting responses following tactile stimulation. To do this, we bent the left vibrissae from left to right such that they were located in the right portion of the visual hemifield. If left-right inversion was performed in adults, tactile stimulation of the left vibrissae performed from the right produced wrong orienting movements to the left. Conversely, if left-right inversion was performed in newborns, mice learned to respond correctly to the right. By recording from superior colliculus multisensory neurons of mice whose vibrissae were displaced at birth, we found a shift of visual and auditory receptive fields from left to right in those multisensory neurons receiving tactile input from the displaced vibrissae. These results show the strict relation existing between the neuronal modifications in the superior colliculus and the changes in orienting behaviour. These findings also suggest two important conclusions. First, sensory mapping in the superior colliculus depends on sensory inputs coming from the same portion of space.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗