Visually perceived eye level: changes induced by a pitched-from-vertical 2-line visual field.

The physical elevation corresponding to visually perceived eye level (VPEL) changes linearly with the pitch of a visual field. Deviations from true eye level average more than 0.5 times the angle of pitch over a 65 degrees pitch range. A visual field consisting of 2 dim, isolated vertical lines in darkness is more than 4/5 as effective as that of a complexly structured visual field; 2 horizontal lines have a small and inconsistent effect. Differences in influence on VPEL between pitched-from-vertical and horizontal lines were predicted from an analysis that extracted differences in retinal perspective resulting from changes in pitch. The Great Circle Model (GCM), based on a spherical approximation to the erect, stationary eye, predicts the present results and results of 8 other sets of experiments. The model treats the influence of a single line on VPEL as systematically related to the elevation of the intersection between the great circle containing the image of the line and the central vertical retinal meridian; generalized GCM combines visual inputs with inputs from the body-referenced mechanism and maps onto the central nervous system.     

胰岛细胞移植治疗1型糖尿病现状与未来

自2000年加拿大Edmonton报道了7例1型糖尿病患者施行胰岛细胞移植术成功以来,越来越多的人把注意力投向了胰岛细胞移植的领域.然而,临床移植工作的成功开展还面临两大困难,一方面现有的胰岛细胞来源已经远远不能满足临床移植的需要,另一方面,现有免疫抑制方案造成了很多副作用.近年来,科技工作者正在探索新的途径,寻找新的胰岛来源.特别是包括体外重编程干细胞(iPS)、调节性T细胞和脐血干细胞在内的多种新技术的研究工作取得了许多进展,将为我们提供更多的选择,有可能成为今后的发展方向.本文就胰岛细胞移植治疗1型糖尿病的现状与未来展望进行简要的综述.     

What coping tells about personality

In this study, 123 participants (non‐psychology students) who responded to an interpersonal stress situation staged in the laboratory were judged by unacquainted observers in terms of the Big Five dimensions, intelligence and social attractiveness. Coping behaviour appeared to predict personality impressions in a way that mirrors the relations between personality and coping observed in previous research: Overall, higher levels of Extraversion (E), Agreeableness (A), Conscientiousness (C) and Openness to experience (O) (as well as intelligence and social attractiveness) were predicted by problem‐focussed behaviour and cognitive restructuring, whereas higher levels of Neuroticism (N) were predicted by withdrawal/passivity. The interpersonal impact of the particular coping reactions, as indicated by a positive personality impression, were largely inconsistent with their impact on affect following the stress induction. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Speech‐perception‐in‐noise deficits in dyslexia

Speech perception deficits in developmental dyslexia were investigated in quiet and various noise conditions. Dyslexics exhibited clear speech perception deficits in noise but not in silence. Place‐of‐articulation was more affected than voicing or manner‐of‐articulation. Speech‐perception‐in‐noise deficits persisted when performance of dyslexics was compared to that of much younger children matched on reading age, underscoring the fundamental nature of speech‐perception‐in‐noise deficits. The deficits were not due to poor spectral or temporal resolution because dyslexics exhibited normal ‘masking release’ effects (i.e. better performance in fluctuating than in stationary noise). Moreover, speech‐perception‐in‐noise predicted significant unique variance in reading even after controlling for low‐level auditory, attentional, speech output, short‐term memory and phonological awareness processes. Finally, the presence of external noise did not seem to be a necessary condition for speech perception deficits to occur because similar deficits were obtained when speech was degraded by eliminating temporal fine‐structure cues without using external noise. In conclusion, the core deficit of dyslexics seems to be a lack of speech robustness in the presence of external or internal noise.     

Overweight and cognition

There is a growing concern among health authorities that an increasing number of people in the Western world become overweight and even obese. It is well known that obesity is related to several diseases (e.g., diabetes, stroke, and high blood pressure) and that such diseases related to obesity lead to early death. It has also been discussed whether overweight and obesity in themselves or in relation to such diseases lead to cognitive decline. On the basis of data from a large, population‐based, prospective study we examined three cognitive domains: episodic memory, semantic memory, and spatial ability. Two body measures were used to define normal weight and overweight, body‐mass index and waist/hip ratio. Although these two body measures reveal quite different prevalence data of overweight, the associations between overweight and cognition are similar. For episodic memory, overweight interacts with age, but when controlling for hypertension, stroke and diabetes, this interaction disappears. For semantic memory, normal weight participants outperform overweight participants even after controlling for these diseases. For spatial ability, the well‐established advantage for men holds for young‐old and old‐old normal‐weight participants. For overweight participants, this advantage holds for middle‐age participants only. We conclude that there is a weight‐cognition relationship even after controlling for obesity‐related diseases. The results are discussed in terms of possible biological mechanisms.     

Executive disorders and perceived socio‐emotional changes after traumatic brain injury

Although socio‐emotional changes are very frequently encountered after traumatic brain injury (TBI), the psychological mechanisms underlying these disorders are still poorly understood. This study aimed to explore the relationships between dysexecutive syndrome (assessed with the Behavioural Assessment of the Dysexecutive Syndrome [BADS]) and socio‐emotional changes assessed by the Iowa scales of personality change (ISPC) in patients with TBI. The BADS was thus administered to 25 patients with TBI and to 25 healthy controls. Simultaneously, a close relative of each patient was given the ISPC in order to assess socio‐emotional changes. Results indicated that patients displayed significantly lower executive performances than controls and experimented significant socio‐emotional changes. The Modified Six Elements Test was the only subtask of the BADS to be significantly related to behavioural changes, and more specifically to externalizing disorders. It is concluded that executive functions, and especially multitasking, encompass processes whereby one can consciously control one's emotional reactions and behaviours.     

反恐维稳行动中优化谈判专家心理能力的基本措施

反恐维稳行动任务的多样性要求必须有特种能力的专业人员参与其中,谈判专家以其特殊的的角色在人质危机等活动中发挥着重要的作用。本文从谈判专家心理能力的构成要素出发,分析了谈判专家应当具备的心理能力,以及优化这些能力的基本措施。     

汉字记忆中错误联接的码相加效应

采用错误联接的实验范式考察汉字记忆中的码相加效应。实验1采用形码加义码,结果发现对义似形似组的特征诱字错误再认率显著高于义异形似组的。实验2采用形码加音码．结果发现对音似形似组的诱字的错误再认率显著高于音异形似组的。研究表明汉语记忆中的错误联接存在码相加效应。研究结果可用激活混淆来源理论解释。     

道教法术“家书式”考

道教法术与民间术数有着紧密的联系。道法渊源于民间术数,是民间术数的精致化、系统化。而在民间法术走向精致化、系统化的过程中,戒律传授与经篆传授是至关重要的。然而,在法术的实践中,民间的法师往往无篆可授,行法而不受篆的情况屡见不鲜。在民众的实际宗教需要中,“法”比“篆”更为重要,