Age-related differences in attentional networks of alerting and executive control in young, middle-aged, and older Chinese adults

Previous studies suggest that aging is associated with impairment of attention. However, it is not known whether this represents a global attentional deficit or relates to a specific attentional network. We used the attention network test to examine three groups of younger, middle-aged, and older participants with respect to the efficiency of three anatomically defined attentional networks: alerting network, orienting network, and executive control network. Age-related change was found to have the greatest effect on the executive network and the least effect on the alerting network as well as on overall mean response time. Impairment of the orienting network was found to be insignificant. Age-related deterioration of the prefrontal lobe, the dopaminergic system, and function of specific genes may explain the age-related changes in executive attention, which occur after the fourth decade of life.     

大学生自我怜悯问卷的修订及信效度研究

目的:对Neff编制的自我怜悯量表进行修订和信效度检验。方法:总共对440名大学生进行了问卷预测与正式测验,使用SPSS13.0和LISREL8.70软件对数据进行分析。结果:①修订后的量表包含6个维度、26个条目。②各维度和量表的同质信度在0.64-0.87之间;探索性因素分析表明各条目对所属因子有中度以上的负荷,抽取的6个因子解释了总方差的55.09%。验证性因素分析的拟合优度指数、相对拟合优度指数、非标准化拟合优度指数为0.85-0.94,近似误差均方根为0.059。结论:大学生自我怜悯量表的信效度符合心理测量学要求。     

Response-repetition costs in task switching: how they are modulated by previous-trial response-category activation

A common finding is that there are response-repetition (RR) costs under task switching. Moreover, when the stimulus on the previous trial was congruent then RR costs are usually larger than when it was incongruent. This effect of the previous trial has been explained by assuming that a response category is generally inhibited after the execution of its corresponding response on the previous trial and that the amount of inhibition depends on the activation of the response category. However, up to now it was open which property of the response-category activation on the previous trial is crucial: the absolute activation of the correct response category or the activation difference between the alternative response categories. To differentiate between these two possibilities we compared RR costs after congruent, neutral, and incongruent trials. In two experiments we found similar RR costs after congruent and neutral trials, whereas the RR costs were smaller after incongruent trials. These results support the hypothesis that the amount of response inhibition is determined by the activation differences between the alternative response categories on the previous trial.     

Social power makes the heart work more efficiently: Evidence from cardiovascular markers of challenge and threat

Possessing social power is beneficial for a wide range of physical and psychological outcomes. In the current research we test the hypothesis that the mere activation of high social power elicits an efficient cardiovascular pattern (challenge) while the activation of low social power elicits an inefficient cardiovascular pattern (threat; Blascovich, 2008a, Blascovich, 2008b). Results from two experiments (one using power priming and one involving role playing) provide evidence for this hypothesis and are discussed in terms of the embodiment of power, the power-approach relationship, and further implications for the relation between power and health.     

Time-driven effects on parsing during reading

The phonological trace of perceived words starts fading away in short-term memory after a few seconds. Spoken utterances are usually 2-3 s long, possibly to allow the listener to parse the words into coherent prosodic phrases while they still have a clear representation. Results from this brain potential study suggest that even during silent reading, words are organized into 2-3 s long ‘implicit’ prosodic phrases. Participants read the same sentences word by word at different presentation rates. Clause-final words occurring at multiples of 2-3 s from sentence onset yielded increased positivity, irrespective of presentation rate. The effect was interpreted as a closure positive shift (CPS), reflecting insertion of implicit prosodic phrase boundaries every 2-3 s. Additionally, in participants with low working memory span, clauses over 3 s long produced a negativity, possibly indicating increased working memory load.     

The tilted Hermann grid illusion: 'illusory spots' versus 'phantom bands'

The Hermann grid illusion became a cause célèbre, when it was reported that small figural changes from straight to curved bars abolish the dark illusory spots. We demonstrate that this is not an all-or-none effect; rather, the visual system tolerates some tilt/curviness. We transformed straight and curved Hermann grids to rhombic Motokawa grids by gradually tilting the horizontal bars. Initially, we observed only dark illusory spots, then dark spots combined with phantom bands traversing the rhomb along the minor axis, and finally dark phantom bands only. This shows that two kinds of illusions can coexist in the same grid pattern.     

全蝎成分抗肿瘤作用研究新进展

对近年来国内外全蝎成分抗肿瘤作用的研究文献进行分析综述,认为抗肿瘤作用机制可能与影响肿瘤细胞的粘附穿膜和降解基底膜能力、抗凝血作用、直接抑制肿瘤细胞的生长与增殖、促进细胞的凋亡等有关,深入研究全蝎成分抗肿瘤作用,有助于指导其在临床中的运用.     

When does goal discrepancy induce compensatory effort? An application of self‐completion theory to social issues

The authors review research that applies self‐completion theory to goals targeting other people (as in the case of stereotyping and prejudice), goals that aim at the achievement of a certain social identity and goals based on the social identity. It is demonstrated that goal discrepancies lead to compensation for social as well as for non‐social goals. Based on self‐completion theory it is proposed that the identity‐relevance of the respective goal as well as the goal relevance of the subsequent task are of major importance considering the individuals’ compensation. The authors argue that the consideration of these factors advance our understanding of social phenomena.     

儿童不明原因晕厥的临床决策分析

目前,罹患不明原因晕厥的儿童逐渐增多,临床上对于此病并不好诊断;介绍目前国内外对于儿童不明原因晕厥的诊断方案,分析了儿童不明原因晕厥的临床决策,并对不同的治疗方案进行了分析和讨论,提出了个体化治疗,针对不同病情的患者应采取不同的治疗方案;总结了如何提高医学工作者的临床决策水平。     

针灸防治神经系疾病的适应证及其优势

针灸常被推荐为某些神经系疾病的常规治疗和康复手段,但其适应证和优势是什么?通过考察《神经病学》教材和近10余年来期刊文献。推荐针灸适应证和优势病种计有坐骨神经痛、特发性面神经麻痹等25种,可研究病种有不安腿综合征等47种。中西医有关针灸防治神经系疾病的认识貌“结”而神不“合”。