Different types of exercise induce differential effects on neuronal adaptations and memory performance

Different exercise paradigms show differential effects on various forms of memory. We hypothesize that the differential effects of exercises on memory performance are caused by different neuroplasticity changes in relevant brain regions in response to different exercise trainings. We examined the effects of treadmill running (TR) and wheel running (WR) on the Pavlovian fear conditioning task that assesses learning and memory performance associated with the amygdala (cued conditioning) and both the amygdala and hippocampus (contextual conditioning). The skeletal muscle citrate synthase activity, an indicator of aerobic capacity, was elevated in rats received 4 w of TR, but not WR. While both TR and WR elevated the contextual conditional response, only TR facilitated the cued conditional response. Using a single-neuron labeling technique, we found that while both TR and MR enlarged the dendritic field and increased the spine density in hippocampal CA3 neurons, only TR showed these effects in basolateral amygdalar neurons. Moreover, both types of exercise upregulated synaptic proteins (i.e., TrkB and SNAP-25) in the hippocampus; however only TR showed similar effects in the amygdala. Injection of K252a, a TrkB kinase inhibitor, in the dorsal hippocampus or basolateral amygdala abolished the exercise-facilitated contextual or cued fear learning and memory performance, respectively, regardless of the types of exercise. In summary, our results supported that different types of exercise affect the performance of learning and memory via BDNF-TrkB signaling and neuroplasticity in specific brain regions. The brain region-specific neuronal adaptations are possibly induced by various levels of intensity/stress elicited by different types of exercise.     

Specificity of postural sway to the demands of a precision task at sea

Mariners actively adjust their body orientation in response to ship motion. On a ship at sea, we evaluated relations between standing postural activity and the performance of a precision aiming task. Standing participants (experienced mariners) maintained the beam from a handheld laser on a target. Targets were large or small, thereby varying the difficulty of the aiming task. Targets were located in front of the participant or to the participant's right (requiring participants to look over the right shoulder), thereby varying the functional consequences (for the aiming task) of postural activity in different body axes. The torso was oriented toward the bow or toward the ship's side (athwartship), thereby varying the effects on postural activity of differential motion of the ship in its different axes. The weather was rough, producing high magnitudes of ship motion, which sometimes caused participants to step or stagger. Our manipulations influenced the magnitude and dynamics of head and torso movements, as well as the organization of movement in different axes. The results provide the first empirical confirmation that postural activity can be influenced by orientation of the torso relative to a ship. Despite powerful effects of ship motion, postural activity was influenced by variations in target location and in the difficulty of the aiming task, replicating subtle effects that have been observed on land. We discuss implications for hull design and the placement of workstations on ships.     

Linking Adult Attachment Styles to Relationship Satisfaction in Hong Kong and the United States: The Mediating Role of Personal and Structural Commitment

Maintaining a satisfying heterosexual relationship is important to many individuals?? happiness and physical health. Evolutionary theories on the formation of relationships suggest that adult attachment and relationship commitment are universal mechanisms for securing and maintaining such mating relationships. This study sought to understand how these two mechanisms may link to each other and how they in turn contribute to relationship satisfaction with one??s current partner in Hong Kong Chinese and American cultures. Similarities in the model for relationship satisfaction were found among young dating couples in the United States and Hong Kong. Specifically, attachment anxiety was positively linked to structural commitment, whereas attachment avoidance was negatively related to personal commitment. Both dimensions of attachment (anxiety and avoidance) and both components of commitment (personal and structural) were found to predict current relationship satisfaction significantly and equivalently across cultures, with the pathway from attachment avoidance to current relationship satisfaction similarly mediated by personal commitment in both cultural groups. These results were interpreted in terms of a probable universal logic informing the interpersonal dynamics involving attachment and relationship commitment.     

Biased attentional processing of positive stimuli in social anxiety disorder: an eye movement study

Despite the established relationship between social anxiety and attentional bias towards threat, a growing base of evidence suggests that social anxiety is additionally maintained by a deficit in the attentional processing of positive information. However, it remains unclear which component of attention is implicated in this deficit. Using eye movement-based measures and a novel attentional cuing methodology, the present study sought to investigate the presence of anxiety-linked bias in attentional engagement with, attentional disengagement from, and total fixation time to, socially relevant emotional stimuli in individuals diagnosed with social anxiety disorder, relative to non-socially anxious controls. Socially anxious individuals were found to exhibit faster attentional disengagement from positive stimuli, and reduced total fixation time to all emotional stimuli, relative to controls. Additionally for socially anxious individuals, lower total fixation times to positive stimuli were associated with higher levels of state anxiety. No differential pattern of engagement was evident between groups. We conclude that social anxiety is maintained in part by the aberrant processing of positive social stimuli.     

虚假供述影响因素及法律控制

本文以虚假供述的研究方法为起点,结合案例,对自愿型、强迫—服从型和强迫—内化型三种类型的虚假供述进行介绍,从个人因素与情境因素两个方面,对虚假供述的影响因素加以分析。其中,着重阐述了虚假供述的实验室研究范式。在评析影响因素的基础上对我国刑事诉讼的修改提出立法建议,以期在法律上控制影响因素的作用。     

背景性质对7-10岁自闭症谱系障碍儿童面孔搜索与加工的作用

为了考察背景性质对ASD者搜索面孔的影响,设计两个眼动实验任务,要求14名7~10岁ASD儿童和20名同年龄正常儿童观看图片。实验一采用将面孔嵌入风景图片中引起语义不一致的刺激;实验二采用含有面孔的无意义背景乱序图片刺激。结果发现：（1）面孔与背景语义不一致并不能促进ASD儿童对面孔的搜索;（2）乱序背景对ASD儿童面孔搜索与加工没有产生干扰作用,但使正常儿童的搜索时间变长;（3）一旦觉察到面孔后,ASD儿童对面孔的注视时间少于正常儿童。表明正常儿童对面孔的搜索与加工受背景性质的影响,而ASD儿童不受背景性质的影响;一旦发现面孔,ASD儿童的注意维持较短,但面孔加工模式与正常儿童相似。     

论语句的涵义与指称——对弗雷格的涵义-指称理论的一些修正(英文)

弗雷格把语句的涵义看作思想,把语句的指称看作真值。本文接受弗雷格关于语句的涵义-指称的意义结构,但把语句的涵义和指称分别改为语法意义和事态。语句的真或假是语句和它所指称的事态之间的一种关系,类似于名称同它的指称对象之间的实-空关系。弗雷格关于思想的客观性转换为语法意义的客观性,体现为语言共同体成员的主体间性。本文区分了指称对象和指称意向,把指称意向定义为涵义和语境的结合,相当于弗雷格所说的判断。本文还对语句的语法意义和认识论意义作了区分。     

7-11岁儿童心理状态信息理解与使用的发展特点及关系

采用失言任务和改进的说服任务考察了153名7-11岁儿童的心理理论理解和使用能力的发展状况。结果发现：儿童的失言理解能力和心理状态信息使用能力7-9岁时发展迅速,9岁后趋于稳定;两种能力的发展趋势基本一致,两者呈现中度相关;8-9岁是儿童失言理解和心理状态信息使用发展的转折点。结果表明：心理状态理解和使用的能力是儿童心理理论发展的重要组成部分,两者的发展基本同步。     

数学认知能力的遗传证据研究综述

数学认知能力是人类最重要的高级认知功能之一,许多研究者对其遗传性给出了相关的证据。本文从数感具有跨种系的特点、婴儿具有数量辨别能力、数学遗传的双生子研究以及遗传综合症病人的研究等间接和直接证据层面对数学认知能力的遗传性研究进行了简要的总结分析,指出对数学认知能力的遗传基因研究还需要从正常人的角度做进一步的研究探索,以便真正找到数学能力的遗传基因。     

语境、意向与意义——兼评塞尔的意向性意义理论

塞尔在其前期理论把语言的意义归之于言语行为,特别是交流意向,但在其后期理论则把意义归结为表征意向,而交流意向派生于表征意向,甚至割断了意义和交流之间的联系。笔者通过引入语境因素和指称意向的概念,澄清了语境、意向和意义之间的关系,使塞尔具有私人性的表征意向和交流意向具有一定的公共性,以此扭转塞尔理论中的心理主义趋向,回归到弗雷格的反心理主义的语义学进路。