Neural representation for the perception of the intentionality of actions

A novel population of cells is described, located in the anterior part of the superior temporal sulcus (STSa, sometimes called STPa) of the temporal lobe in the macaque monkey. These cells respond selectively to the sight of reaching but only when the agent performing the action is seen to be attending to the target position of the reaching. We describe how such conditional selectivity can be generated from the properties of distinct cell populations within STSa. One cell population responds selectively to faces, eye gaze, and body posture, and we argue that subsets of these cells code for the direction of attention of others. A second cell population is selectively responsive to limb movement in certain directions (e.g., responding to an arm movement to the left but not to an equivalent leg movement or vice versa). The responses of a subset of cells sensitive to limb movement are modulated by the direction of attention (indicated by head and body posture of the agent performing the action). We conclude that this combined analysis of direction of attention and body movements supports the detection of intentional actions.     

国外有关异种移植与伦理学的讨论

今天,医学界的许多问题已经在公众调查方面很公开了。异种移植在成为一种临床治疗手段后,势必也将带来激烈的讨论。国外有关这一方面的讨论较多,主要集中在以下几个方面。在60年代早期,外科医生尝试了用黑猩猩和狒狒的肾、心及肝进行异种移植,早期的研究工作多集中在异种移植的技术可行性及操作过程。在当时,有关异种移植的伦理学问题尚未提出。1984年,在Ｂａｉｌｅｙ及其同事完成了一例狒狒心脏移植到一新生儿体内后,伦理学的问题如“一石激起千层浪”,顿时在美国医学界引起争论。在那时,由于缺少供体,所以在器官短缺的前提下,有关伦理学的…     

工作记忆负荷和自动化提取对小学生加法心算策略执行效果的影响

本研究选取43名小学四年级学生(18名男生和25名女生)为实验被试,探究了工作记忆负荷和自动化提取对复杂加法心算策略效果的影响.结果显示:(1)工作记忆负荷对复杂加法心算策略的影响显著,即一项加法心算策略所需的工作记忆负荷越小,该策略的执行效果越好;(2)自动化提取对加法心算策略的影响显著,即一项加法心算策略所需自动化提取的程度越高,该策略的执行效果越好;(3)工作记忆负荷和自动化提取对加法心算策略效果的交互作用显著,表现为在自动化提取水平较高的情况下,工作记忆负荷的大小对心算策略执行效果的影响差异不显著;而在自动化提取水平较低的情况下,工作记忆负荷小的心算策略的执行效果显著优于工作记忆负荷大的心算策略的执行效果.     

Sex-contingent face aftereffects depend on perceptual category rather than structural encoding

Many studies have used visual adaptation to investigate how recent experience with faces influences perception. While faces similar to those seen during adaptation phases are typically perceived as more 'normal' after adaptation, it is possible to induce aftereffects in one direction for one category (e.g. female) and simultaneously induce aftereffects in the opposite direction for another category (e.g. male). Such aftereffects could reflect 'category-contingent' adaptation of neurons selective for perceptual category (e.g. male or female) or 'structure-contingent' adaptation of lower-level neurons coding the physical characteristics of different face patterns. We compared these explanations by testing for simultaneous opposite after effects following adaptation to (a) two groups of faces from distinct sex categories (male and female) or (b) two groups of faces from the same sex category (female and hyper-female) where the structural differences between the female and hyper-female groups were mathematically identical to those between male and female groups. We were able to induce opposite aftereffects following adaptation between sex categories but not after adaptation within a sex category. These findings indicate the involvement of neurons coding perceptual category in sex-contingent face aftereffects and cannot be explained by neurons coding only the physical aspects of face patterns.     

The Cutest Little Baby Face: A Hormonal Link to Sensitivity to Cuteness in Infant Faces

ABSTRACT— We used computer image manipulation to develop a test of perception of subtle gradations in cuteness between infant faces. We found that young women (19–26 years old) were more sensitive to differences in infant cuteness than were men (19–26 and 53–60 years old). Women aged 45 to 51 years performed at the level of the young women, whereas cuteness sensitivity in women aged 53 to 60 years was not different from that of men (19–26 and 53–60 years old). Because average age at menopause is 51 years in Britain, these findings suggest the possible involvement of reproductive hormones in cuteness sensitivity. Therefore, we compared cuteness discrimination in pre- and postmenopausal women matched for age and in women taking and not taking oral contraceptives (progestogen and estrogen). Premenopausal women and young women taking oral contraceptives (which raise hormone levels artificially) were more sensitive to variations of cuteness than their respective comparison groups. We suggest that cuteness sensitivity is modulated by female reproductive hormones.     

盆腔炎性疾病与不孕不育

腔炎性疾病（pelvic inflammatory disease,PID）是常见的妇科疾病,且迁延难愈。同时,盆腔炎（PID）发病率增高与性传播疾病（STD）发病人数增多相平行。这些可以引起一系列临床症状,统称为盆腔炎性疾病后遗症（sequelae of PID）。除了长期慢性疼痛、月经不调、盆腔炎性疾病反复发作外,严重的还会影响女性的生育功能,导致不孕症或异位妊娠。此外,盆腔炎对于IVF—ET的成功率也存在一定的影响。     

催产素对产后抑郁症患者母性行为的调节作用

产后抑郁症是指女性分娩后一段时间内出现的严重抑郁发作现象。研究表明, 催产素不仅参与分娩过程和正常的母性行为表达, 也在调节产后抑郁的发病及患者的母性行为中起到了重要的作用。产后抑郁症患者的情绪和认知功能受损, 这可能导致了母性行为表达质量的下降; 催产素可以通过中脑边缘多巴胺系统来调控母性行为, 作用于内侧视前区(MPOA)来激活中脑腹侧被盖区(VTA)-伏隔核(NAc)环路从而影响伏隔核内多巴胺的分泌; 催产素对产后抑郁症中母性行为的调节机制可能是通过调节五羟色胺系统的功能来发挥抗焦虑作用, 也可能是通过与其它激素的交互作用来加速母性行为的表达。未来研究进一步明确催产素在中枢神经环路中的功能差异, 以及社会支持对产后抑郁症患者催产素的使用带来的影响。     

5~6岁幼儿对不同文化背景卡通面孔再认的眼动研究

采用不同文化背景卡通面孔为刺激材料,探究中国幼儿对中国风、日本风与欧美风女性卡通面孔再认的差异及其眼动机制。结果显示：（1）卡通面孔再认正确率差异显著,日本风面孔具有记忆优势;女童对三种面孔再认正确率均显著高于男童;（2）卡通面孔特质中的夸张性对卡通面孔再认正确率的预测显著;（3）文化背景与性别因素显著影响平均注视时间、注视点个数、眼跳次数和幅度及瞳孔大小等总体眼动指标;（4）兴趣区数据显示：对日本风面孔的总注视时间和注视点个数最高;卡通面孔再认主要依赖于眼部、其次为鼻子;文化背景与兴趣区存在交互作用,在注视时间、注视点个数与首注视点指标上,提示幼儿更关注日本风的眼睛区域与欧美风的鼻子区域。综上,幼儿对不同文化背景卡通面孔的记忆和眼动加工存在差异,日本风卡通面孔的记忆优势可能基于其夸张性高的面孔特质,尤其在眼睛部位;行为学与眼动指标均提示女童对卡通面孔的再认具有优势。