Spatial learning and memory in African mole-rats: the role of sociality and sex

Spatial learning and memory is an important skill for the survival and fitness and may vary between the sexes depending on differences in space use. This is particularly true for animals that explore the subterranean niche as it is associated with high travelling costs. In subterranean rodents the complexity of burrow systems varies with differing degrees of sociality possibly posing stronger selective pressures regarding spatial abilities on species with more complex burrow structures. This could lead to superior abilities in spatial learning and memory in social compared to solitary subterranean species. We tested this hypothesis in two species of subterranean mole-rats, the eusocial Damaraland (Fukomys damarensis) and solitary Cape mole-rats (Georychus capensis) by comparing their ability to locate food in an artificial maze. Measurements of the time taken to the goal chamber, the number of wrong turns taken, and the average velocity at which animals travelled were used to compare performance between animals. We did not find marked sex-specific differences in either study species during the assessment of learning and memory retention. In accordance with our hypothesis significant differences between the species were apparent during both learning and memory trials with the social species exhibiting superior performances. However, in both species memory retention was generally high suggesting that the fossorial lifestyle poses a strong selective pressure on spatial abilities in subterranean mammals.     

Functional proteogenomics--embracing complexity

The evolving era of functional genomics in organ transplantation is supported by advances in gene profiling, sequencing, proteomics, antibody profiling and bioinformatics, thus heralding a new era of intelligent and customized monitoring and therapy. These advances will serve to meet the critical unmet needs of improving graft survival, limiting graft injury from under-immunosuppression and reducing patient morbidity from over-immunosuppression. This review is a summary of current status of potentially useful technologies available for genomics and proteomics applications in transplantation with the emphasis on addressing the complexities of cellular immunology at the molecular level and the clinical challenges of transplantation today.     

认知操作、认知方式与神经质人格特质的关系

目的：考察认知操作、认知方式与神经质人格特质的关系。方法：对30名高神经质被试和30名低神经质被试进行实验性认知测试。结果：高低神经质被试在紧张、松弛条件下的认知操作测试总分方面差异不显著，但在紧张性-松弛性认知方式的评价分数上存在显著差异。高神经质被试更多地倾向于松弛型认知方式，低神经质被试更多地倾向于紧张型认知方式。结论：神经质人格与紧张、松弛条件下的认知操作测试总分无关，而与紧张性-松弛性认知方式存在相关关系。     

Aerobic metabolism underlies complexity and capacity

The evolution of biological complexity beyond single-celled organisms was linked temporally with the development of an oxygen atmosphere. Functionally, this linkage can be attributed to oxygen ranking high in both abundance and electronegativity amongst the stable elements of the universe. That is, reduction of oxygen provides for close to the largest possible transfer of energy for each electron transfer reaction. This suggests the general hypothesis that the steep thermodynamic gradient of an oxygen environment was permissive for the development of multicellular complexity. A corollary of this hypothesis is that aerobic metabolism underwrites complex biological function mechanistically at all levels of organization. The strong contemporary functional association of aerobic metabolism with both physical capacity and health is presumably a product of the integral role of oxygen in our evolutionary history. Here we provide arguments from thermodynamics, evolution, metabolic network analysis, clinical observations and animal models that are in accord with the centrality of oxygen in biology.     

Women's health and complexity science.

Conceptual frameworks in science have shifted from reductionism and its focus on ever-smaller parts to complexity, an outgrowth of chaos theory that views those parts in relation to one another, to the larger entity they form and to the environment in which that entity exists. Examples of this conceptual shift are occurring in many areas of science, but nowhere is it more germane than in the medical sciences that serve women. After a historical focus on reproduction and the development of obstetrics-gynecology, medicine has now gained a broader view of the woman using sex- and gender-based science, and a new field called "women's health" is evolving. Complexity science does not invalidate or eliminate the need for reductionist science, it simply makes a wider array of phenomena understandable. Its method allows going beyond the metaphor of the body as a machine and challenges the user to re-examine how health and illness are understood. This article explores how these changes in science must inform the development of an academic discipline in women's health. The conceptual framework of complexity science also advances the discussions about women's health from reproduction to a totally new and exciting exploration of the interactions between reproduction and all other organ functioning that occurs in women in the contexts of their lives.     

轻度认知损害患者的认知保存与缺损特点分析

目的:分析轻度认知损害(MCI)患者的认知保存与缺损的特征.方法:应用Mattis痴呆评定量表(DRS)中文版和简易智能状态检查(MMSE)评定正常老人88例、MCI患者23例和轻度阿尔茨海默病(AD)患者22例.结果:MCI组与正常老人组比较,"记忆"因子有显著减退,而"注意"、"起始/持续"、"结构"和"概念化"四个因子分差异有显著性.与轻度AD组相比,MCI组在总体智力、记忆功能、言语流畅性、执行功能方面的表现明显好于轻度AD患者.结论:上述结果初步反映了MCI的认知保持与缺损特征.     

述情障碍者的情绪认知与认知性调节特征

目的:探讨述情障碍者的情绪认知加工特征,并分析述情障碍者的认知性情绪调节特征.方法:在本对照研究中,采用班级整群抽样的方法抽出712名学生.采用多伦多述情障碍20个条目量表(TAS-20)中文版筛选出述情障碍者(TAS-20≥58分)117名和非述情障碍者(TAS-20≤ 38分)118名,比较两组认知情绪调节问卷(CERQ)、抑郁自评量表(CES-D)得分差异.间隔2～3个月后利用TAS-20对这235名受试进行重测,筛选出51名述情障碍者与54名非述情障碍者,分别对120张情绪图片进行愉悦度、唤醒度和优势度评分.结果:(1)述情障碍组消极应对维度得分高于非述情障碍组[(47.3±5.9)vs.(41.9±5.9),P<0.001],而积极应对维度得分低于非述情障碍组[(65.2±7.7)vs.(71.1±7.3),P<0.001].(2)在愉悦度的评分上,述情障碍组对正性图片的评分低于非述情障碍组[(7.0±1.0)vs.(7.7±1.0),P<0.001],而对负性图片的评分高于非述情障碍组[(2.4±1.0)vs.(1.4±1.0),P<0.001];唤醒度方面,述情障碍组对正性和负性图片的评分均低于非述情障碍组[正性:(6.3±1.2)vs.(6.8±1.1),P=0.040;负性:(6.4±1.5)vs.(7.2±1.4),P=0.007].结论:述情障碍者存在情绪的认知加工缺陷,且存在认知性情绪调节缺陷.     

遗忘型轻度认知损害患者和非痴呆血管性认知的损害患者认知功能比较

目的:探讨遗忘型轻度认知损害(amnestic mild cognitive impairment, aMCI)和非痴呆血管性认知损害(vascular cognitive impairment-no dementia, VCI-ND)的认知缺损的特征.方法:本研究为病例对照研究.2006年10月至2007年3月在本院神经内科"记忆障碍"或"中风"门诊选取遗忘型轻度认知损害者10人、非痴呆血管性认知损害者12人,在社区退休老人中随机抽取16人为正常对照组.所有受试年龄在50～80岁之间,教育程度在初中及初中以上,全部完成头颅CT或核磁共振、简易精神状态量表(Mini-mental State Examination, MMSE)及成套神经心理测验.结果:三种记忆测验中,aMCI组各项记忆得分均为最低,aMCI组和VCI-ND组各项得分均低于正常对照组[如,复杂图形测验延迟回忆:正常组(18.8±9.5)、aMCI组(5.6±5.6)、VCI-ND 组(9.6±7.0),P<0.01].执行功能测验中,反应耗时数测验VCI-ND组完成时间为最长,其次是aMCI组[如,连线测验B的耗时数:两组得分分别为 (266.6±109.9)、(199.2±48.6),P=0.034];而反应正确数测验VCI-ND和aMCI组表现均较正常组差[如,Stroop色词测验卡片C正确数正常组(46.8±2.9)、aMCI组(38.7±11.6)、VCI-ND 组(38.3±6.8),P<0.01].结论:遗忘型轻度认知损害患者以情景记忆损害为较早出现严重的认知损害,而非痴呆血管性认知损害患者以执行功能的定势转移障碍为主.这个结果反映了两者在病理机制上的差异.     

Phagocytosis: elegant complexity

Phagocytosis requires receptor-mediated recognition of particles, usually in the guise of infectious agents and apoptotic cells. Phagosomes fuse with lysosomes to generate phagolysosomes, which play a key role in enzymatic digestion of the internalized contents into component parts. Recent findings indicate that a simple paradigm of a single cognate receptor interaction that guides the phagosome to phagolysosome formation belies the complexity of combinatorial receptor recognition and diversity of phagosome function. In fact, phagosomes are comprised of hundreds of proteins that play a key role in deciphering the contents of the phagosome and in defining host response. In this review we discuss how the challenge of recognizing diverse molecular patterns is met by combinatorial interactions between phagocytic receptors. Furthermore, these combinations are dynamic and both sculpt the balance between a proinflammatory or anti-inflammatory response and direct phagosome diversity. We also indicate an important role for genetically tractable model organisms in defining key components of this evolutionarily conserved process.     

Phenotypic complexity in Mobiluncus

A total of 74 Mobiluncus strains were collected from various laboratories and examined morphologically, biochemically and serologically. Repeated Gram-staining showed a greater variety of cell morphology than hitherto reported with some strains changing their appearance between long and short. All strains except two were motile. Sixty-five of 74 strains were designated M. curtisii and M. mulieris in contrast to atypical strains. In spite of this several of them reacted aberrantly in one or more tests. Biochemical tests and antigenic characterization by monoclonal antimobiluncus antibodies placed most but not all strains in their species groups. One atypical strain had the cellmorphology and biochemical profile of a M. mulieris but reacted only with anticurtisii antibodies. One M. mulieris had the cellmorphology and biochemical profile of a M. curtisii but reacted with an antimulieris antibody. We conclude that there is a greater variance in Mobiluncus' phenotypic appearance than has so far been appreciated.