Effects of alcohol on subjective ratings of prospective and everyday memory deficits

Background: Research has shown that heavy alcohol use has a detrimental effect on retrospective memory. Less is known about the effect of alcohol on everyday memory. Methods: This study examined self-ratings of two aspects of memory performance: prospective memory (for example, forgetting to pass on a message) and everyday memory (measured by cognitive failures, such as telling someone a joke that you have told them before). To ensure anonymity and expand on the numbers of participants used in previous studies, data were collected by using the Internet. Data from 763 participants remained after data screening. Results: After controlling for other drug and strategy use, there was clear evidence that differential use of alcohol was associated with impairments in the long-term aspect of prospective memory and with an increased number of cognitive failures. Conclusions: These results support and extend the findings of previous research: our findings are consistent with the idea that heavy use of alcohol does have a significant and negative effect on everyday cognitive performance. Possible causes of these impairments are discussed

Self-rated everyday prospective memory abilities of cigarette smokers and non-smokers: a web based study

The present study examined self-ratings of two aspects of everyday memory performance: long-term prospective memory—measured by the prospective memory questionnaire (PMQ), and everyday memory—measured by the everyday memory questionnaire (EMQ). Use of other substances was also measured and used as covariates in the study. To ensure confidentiality and to expand the numbers used in previous studies, an Internet study was carried out and data from 763 participants was gathered. After controlling for other drug use and strategy use, the data from the PMQ revealed that smokers reported a greater number of long-term prospective memory errors than non-smokers. There were also differences between light and heavier smokers in long-term prospective memory, suggesting that nicotine may have a dose-dependent impact upon long-term prospective memory performance. There was also a significant ANOVA group effect on the EMQ, although the trend for more memory errors amongst the heavier smokers was statistically only borderline (p = .057). These findings suggest there are selective memory deficits associated with smoking and that long-term prospective memory deficits should be added to the growing list of problems associated with cigarette use

The expression of stlA in Photorhabdus luminescens is controlled by nutrient limitation

Photorhabdus is a genus of Gram-negative entomopathogenic bacteria that also maintain a mutualistic association with nematodes from the family Heterorhabditis. Photorhabdus has an extensive secondary metabolism that is required for the interaction between the bacteria and the nematode. A major component of this secondary metabolism is a stilbene molecule, called ST. The first step in ST biosynthesis is the non-oxidative deamination of phenylalanine resulting in the production of cinnamic acid. This reaction is catalyzed by phenylalanine-ammonium lyase, an enzyme encoded by the stlA gene. In this study we show, using a stlA-gfp transcriptional fusion, that the expression of stlA is regulated by nutrient limitation through a regulatory network that involves at least 3 regulators. We show that TyrR, a LysR-type transcriptional regulator that regulates gene expression in response to aromatic amino acids in E. coli, is absolutely required for stlA expression. We also show that stlA expression is modulated by σS and Lrp, regulators that are implicated in the regulation of the response to nutrient limitation in other bacteria. This work is the first that describes pathway-specific regulation of secondary metabolism in Photorhabdus and, therefore, our study provides an initial insight into the complex regulatory network that controls secondary metabolism, and therefore mutualism, in this model organism

Evidence against memorial facilitation and context-dependent memory effects through the chewing of gum

The experiment examined the prediction that chewing gum at learning and/or recall facilitated subsequent word recall. Chewing gum at learning significantly impaired recall, indicating that the chewing of gum has a detrimental impact upon initial word encoding. In addition, a context-dependent memory effect was reported for those participants who both learned and recalled in the absence of gum, however a context dependent effect was not found with chewing gum. The findings contradict previous research

Reverse engineering of force integration during mitosis in the Drosophila embryo

The mitotic spindle is a complex macromolecular machine that coordinates accurate chromosome segregation. The spindle accomplishes its function using forces generated by microtubules (MTs) and multiple molecular motors, but how these forces are integrated remains unclear, since the temporal activation profiles and the mechanical characteristics of the relevant motors are largely unknown. Here, we developed a computational search algorithm that uses experimental measurements to ‘reverse engineer' molecular mechanical machines. Our algorithm uses measurements of length time series for wild-type and experimentally perturbed spindles to identify mechanistic models for coordination of the mitotic force generators in Drosophila embryo spindles. The search eliminated thousands of possible models and identified six distinct strategies for MT–motor integration that agree with available data. Many features of these six predicted strategies are conserved, including a persistent kinesin-5-driven sliding filament mechanism combined with the anaphase B-specific inhibition of a kinesin-13 MT depolymerase on spindle poles. Such conserved features allow predictions of force–velocity characteristics and activation–deactivation profiles of key mitotic motors. Identified differences among the six predicted strategies regarding the mechanisms of prometaphase and anaphase spindle elongation suggest future experiments

Panax ginseng has no effect on indices of glucose regulation following acute or chronic ingestion in healthy volunteers

In the absence of effective pharmacotherapy for diabetes there has been an increase in the use of, and research into, alternative treatment strategies. These include exercise, dietary interventions and the use of supplements including extracts of ginseng. Two separate, placebo-controlled, double-blind, cross-over studies investigating the effects of chronic ingestion of Panax ginseng (study 1 used G115, study 2 used Cheong Kwan Jang) on glycated Hb (HbA1c; study 1, n 18; study 2, n 11), fasting plasma insulin (study 1, n 17; study 2, n 12), fasting plasma glucose and postprandial response (following breakfast) (study 1, n 23; study 2, n 14) in healthy volunteers are reported. In both studies it was found that Panax ginseng had no effect on any gluco-regulatory parameter investigated. These results are not consistent with those reported for a diabetic sample (albeit using slightly different outcomes). These results would suggest that chronic use of Panax ginseng by non-diabetic individuals will have little long-term effect on glucose regulation. The benefits to glucose regulation associated with long-term ginseng use may only be present in populations with compromised glucose control; however, further research is needed to confirm such a speculation

Searching for "monogenic diabetes" in dogs using a candidate gene approach

BACKGROUND: Canine diabetes is a common endocrine disorder with an estimated breed-related prevalence ranging from 0.005% to 1.5% in pet dogs. Increased prevalence in some breeds suggests that diabetes in dogs is influenced by genetic factors and similarities between canine and human diabetes phenotypes suggest that the same genes might be associated with disease susceptibility in both species. Between 1-5% of human diabetes cases result from mutations in a single gene, including maturity onset diabetes of the adult (MODY) and neonatal diabetes mellitus (NDM). It is not clear whether monogenic forms of diabetes exist within some dog breeds. Identification of forms of canine monogenic diabetes could help to resolve the heterogeneity of the condition and lead to development of breed-specific genetic tests for diabetes susceptibility. RESULTS: Seventeen dog breeds were screened for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in eighteen genes that have been associated with human MODY/NDM. Six SNP associations were found from five genes, with one gene (ZFP57) being associated in two different breeds. CONCLUSIONS: Some of the genes that have been associated with susceptibility to MODY and NDM in humans appear to also be associated with canine diabetes, although the limited number of associations identified in this study indicates canine diabetes is a heterogeneous condition and is most likely to be a polygenic trait in most dog breeds. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/2052-6687-1-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Spawning and early development of captive yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares)

In this study we describe the courtship and spawning behaviors of captive yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares), their spawning periodicity, the influence of physical and biological factors on spawning and hatching, and egg and early-larval development of this species at the Achotines Laboratory, Republic of Panama, during October 1996 through March 2000. Spawning occurred almost daily over extended periods and at water temperatures from 23.3° to 29.7°C. Water temperature appeared to be the main exogenous factor controlling the occurrence and timing of spawning. Courtship and spawning behaviors were ritualized and consistent among three groups of broodstock over 3.5 years. For any date, the time of day of spawning (range: 1330 to 2130 h) was predictable from mean daily water temperature, and 95% of hatching occurred the next day between 1500 and 1900 h. We estimated that females at first spawning averaged 1.6−2.0 years of age. Over short time periods (<1 month), spawning females increased their egg production from 30% to 234% in response to shortterm increases in daily food ration of 9% to 33%. Egg diameter, notochord length (NL) at hatching, NL at first feeding, and dry weights of these stages were estimated. Water temperature was significantly, inversely related to egg size, egg-stage duration, larval size at hatching, and yolksac larval duration

Roles of motor proteins in building microtubule-based structures: a basic principle of cellular design

AbstractEukaryotic cells must build a complex infrastructure of microtubules (MTs) and associated proteins to carry out a variety of functions. A growing body of evidence indicates that a major function of MT-associated motor proteins is to assemble and maintain this infrastructure. In this context, we examine the mechanisms utilized by motors to construct the arrays of MTs and associated proteins contained within the mitotic spindle, neuronal processes, and ciliary axonemes. We focus on the capacity of motors to drive the ‘sliding filament mechanism’ that is involved in the construction and maintenance of spindles, axons and dendrites, and on a type of particle transport called ‘intraflagellar transport’ which contributes to the assembly and maintenance of axonemes

Mitosis, microtubules, and the matrix

The mechanical events of mitosis depend on the action of microtubules and mitotic motors, but whether these spindle components act alone or in concert with a spindle matrix is an important question