[Review of] Leonore Loeb Adler and Uwe P. Gielen. Cross-Cultural Topics on Psychology

It has been over forty years since Gordon Allport published The Nature of Prejudice (Cambridge, MA: Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., 1954). To Allport, sociocultural factors play an important role in our prejudice, especially when we do not understand cultural differences. However, Allport\u27s book dealt little with cross-cultural research. Fortunately, Leonore Loeb Adler and Uwe P. Gielen, two experts in cross-cultural research, have presented us with their recent study on how cultural understanding helps us to be more open-minded

Categorical Necessity and Utility of Stereotyping and Totemic Thinking: Analyzing and Reviewing the Stereotype EPA Theory, Social Perception Accuracy, and Female Hurricanes

Surprisingly research scientists scholars or lay people in the United States or elsewhere tend to see stereotypes as negative and inaccurate Because stereotypes are regarded as taboos we are usually told not to use them at all Further little research has been done on the relationship between stereotyping and totemic thinking However in order to survive and function well through millions of years our ancestors and modern human beings unconsciously and consciously use stereotypes and totems almost every second of the day which is consistent with Darwin s evolutionary science This article addresses three aspects of the categorical necessity and utility of stereotypes and totems First I will address what totemic thinking is and how totems are related to stereotypes theoretically through evolution Second I will analyze and review Jussim s 2012 book on social perception and social reality which tells us how modern social psychology fails to acknowledge the overwhelming evidence of stereotype accuracy research Finally I will critically examine a recent scientific article about gender stereotypes and female hurricanes by Jung Shavitt Viswanathan and Hilbe 2014 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences PNAS of the United States of America In brief to function well or even survive human beings have to count on categorical thinking including stereotypes and totems evolutionaril

[Review of] Jan Nederveen Pietrse. White on Black: Images of Africa and Blacks in Western Popular Culture

White on Black: Images of Africa and Blacks in Western Popular Culture, by Jan Nederveen Pieterse, a Dutch social scientist, provides us with insightful thoughts about the ethnic conflict between the dominant Whites and the dominated Blacks

Daoist Harmony as a Chinese Philosophy and Psychology

Based on Lee’s prior research on Daoism (Lee, 2003; Lee, 2004; Lee, Han, Byron and Fan, 2008; Lee and Hu, 1993; Lee, Norasakkunkit, Liu, Zhang and Zhou, 2008), this article first introduces Laozi, Dao, De and Daoism in relation to harmony. Then, Daoist harmony is elaborated in the following areas: (1) the yin-yang oneness, (2) the way it is (natural), (3) wei-wu-wei (or nonintervention), (4) water-like characteristics, (5) love for peace, and (6) tolerance and appreciation of differences. The article concludes with a suggestion for harmony with the external world as well as with fellow human beings

How are Asian Americans Seen and Evaluated? Examining Ethnic Stereotypes and their Cultural Complexity

Human stereotypes are more complicated and subtle than scholars or lay people often think. Based on the EPA (i.e., evaluation, potency and accuracy) theory of stereotypes (Lee, 2011; Lee, B., W. & Luo, 2007; Lee, J., & McCauley, 2013; Lee, McCauley & Jussim, 2013; Lee, V. S., & Ma, 2007), it was hypothesized and found that stereotypes of Asian Americans are derived on the basis of both evaluative considerations (prejudice) and a realistic assessment of group characteristics. This produces a pattern of stereotypic judgments that contains both agreement and disagreement when comparing stereotypes of Asian Americans among different perceiver groups (European Americans, non-Asian Minority-Americans). The results of the present study also highlight complexities that arise when one considers the effect of inter-group contact on stereotyping. Specifically, an increase in the frequency of inter-group contact was associated with a reduction in negative stereotyping, whereas an increase in the quality or closeness of inter-group contact was associated with an increase in negative stereotyping. It is concluded that inter-group stereotyping reflects a complex mixture of psychological processes that are in need of further investigation

Alterations of Renal Epithelial Glucose and Uric Acid Transporters in Fructose Induced Metabolic Syndrome

Background/Aims: Hyperglycemia and hyperuricemia are two major disorders of Metabolic syndrome. Kidney plays a crucial role in maintaining the homeostasis of uric acid and glucose. The aim of the study was to examine the changes of renal glucose and uric acid transporters in animals with metabolic syndrome. Methods: Sprague-Dawley rats were fed with high fructose diet (60%) for 3 months (FR-3) and 5 months (FR-5). At the end study, serum and urine biochemical data were compared. Gene expression and protein abundance of renal GLUT1, GLUT2, GLUT9, SGLT1, SGLT2, UAT and URAT1 was investigated by using RT-PCR and immunohistochemical staining. Results: Metabolic syndrome was induced by high-fructose diet. Systolic blood pressure and proteinuria was significantly increased in FR-5 animals. In kidney tissue, gene expression of GLUT2 and SGLT2 increased significantly in a time dependent manner. GLUT9, SGLT1 and UAT were also significantly upregulated in FR-5. Immunohistochemical study showed a significant increase of SGLT1 in both FR-3 (413.5 ± 88.3% of control, p< 0.001) and FR-5 (677.6 ± 26.5% of control, p< 0.001). Also, SGLT2 protein was increased in both FR-3 (643.1 ± 41.3% of control, p< 0.001) and FR-5 (563.3 ± 21.7% of control, p< 0.001). Fructose rich food also induced increase of UAT by nearly 5-fold in both FR-3 and FR-5 (both p< 0.05) and more than 3-fold of GLUT-9 in FR-3 and FR-5 (both p< 0.05). Conclusion: Long term high fructose diet induced metabolic syndrome with increased blood pressure and proteinuria in rats. Metabolic syndrome was associated with dual increase in renal glucose and uric acid transporters, including SGLT1, SGLT2, GLUT2, GLUT9 and UAT

Structural and DNA-binding studies on the bovine antimicrobial peptide, indolicidin: evidence for multiple conformations involved in binding to membranes and DNA

Indolicidin, a l3-residue antimicrobial peptide-amide, which is unusually rich in tryptophan and proline, is isolated from the cytoplasmic granules of bovine neutrophils. In this study, the structures of indolicidin in 50% D(3)-trifluoroethanol and in the absence and presence of SDS and D(38)-dodecylphosphocholine were determined using NMR spectroscopy. Multiple conformations were found and were shown to be due to different combinations of contact between the two WPW motifs. Although indolicidin is bactericidal and able to permeabilize bacterial membranes, it does not lead to cell wall lysis, showing that there is more than one mechanism of antimicrobial action. The structure of indolicidin in aqueous solution was a globular and amphipathic conformation, differing from the wedge shape adopted in lipid micelles, and these two structures were predicted to have different functions. Indolicidin, which is known to inhibit DNA synthesis and induce filamentation of bacteria, was shown to bind DNA in gel retardation and fluorescence quenching experiments. Further investigations using surface plasmon resonance confirmed the DNA-binding ability and showed the sequence preference of indolicidin. Based on our biophysical studies and previous results, we present a diagram illustrating the DNA-binding mechanism of the antimicrobial action of indolicidin and explaining the roles of the peptide when interacting with lipid bilayers at different concentrations

Abnormal Mammary Gland Development and Growth Retardation in Female Mice and MCF7 Breast Cancer Cells Lacking Androgen Receptor

Phenotype analysis of female mice lacking androgen receptor (AR) deficient (AR−/−) indicates that the development of mammary glands is retarded with reduced ductal branching in the prepubertal stages, and fewer Cap cells in the terminal end buds, as well as decreased lobuloalveolar development in adult females, and fewer milk-producing alveoli in the lactating glands. The defective development of AR−/− mammary glands involves the defects of insulin-like growth factor I–insulin-like growth factor I receptor and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signals as well as estrogen receptor (ER) activity. Similar growth retardation and defects in growth factor–mediated Ras/Raf/MAPK cascade and ER signaling are also found in AR−/− MCF7 breast cancer cells. The restoration assays show that AR NH2-terminal/DNA-binding domain, but not the ligand-binding domain, is essential for normal MAPK function in MCF7 cells, and an AR mutant (R608K), found in male breast cancer, is associated with the excessive activation of MAPK. Together, our data provide the first in vivo evidence showing that AR-mediated MAPK and ER activation may play important roles for mammary gland development and MCF7 breast cancer cell proliferation