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Objectives To determine whether multiple viewings of one's ultraviolet (UV) facial photo differentially affects subsequent sun protection behaviors relative to a single viewing. Study Design Pretest-posttest control group. Methods Southern California college students (N = 151) were randomly assigned to be shown their UV facial photo one time, multiple times over the course of 2 weeks, or not at all. Emotional reactions, perceived susceptibility to skin damage, and sun protection intentions were assessed immediately, and sun protection behaviors were assessed during a surprise telephonic follow-up 1 month later. Results Immediately after viewing a UV photo of their face, participants reported significantly greater perceived susceptibility to skin damage, greater intentions to engage in future sun protection, and more negative emotions than those who had not seen a UV photo. Moreover, 1 month later, those who had viewed their UV photo were less likely to report having sunbathed and reported significantly greater sun protection than did controls. There were no differences in sun protection behaviors between those who had been shown their UV photo only once during the initial intervention session and those who had been sent their UV photo several times thereafter. However, among those who had been sent their UV photo several times, those who reported having viewed their photo on additional occasions reported significantly greater sun protection behaviors than those who had not. Conclusions Being randomly assigned to view a UV facial photo multiple times generally neither strengthened nor weakened effects on subsequent sun protection behaviors relative to being shown the photo just once. However, among those who were sent their photo and thus had the option of viewing it more often than they had been assigned to, those who chose to view their photo more frequently also engaged in more sun protection behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessing an individual's physical fitness can usually be achieved through evaluating lactate or ventilatory thresholds. Unfortunately, the detection of ventilatory thresholds still requires uncomfortable mass flow sensors and a laboratory setting. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate a ventilatory inflection point (VIP) derived from thorax expansion as a useful surrogate to assess an individual's physical fitness under field conditions. 348 and 107 ramp tests have been selected respectively to examine validity and retest variability of VIP. The individual anaerobic threshold (IAT) determined by means of blood lactate sampling was used as reliable rationale for evaluation. Calibrated respiratory inductance plethysmography (RIP) was utilized to derive ventilation from thorax expansion during the ramp test. An automated software routine was applied to detect the VIP. Speed, heart rate and ventilation at the VIP correlated significantly to corresponding values at IAT (r = 0.840, 0.876, 0.933). Non-systematic differences between repeated testing ranged within ±1.15km⋅h-1 ± 8.74 b⋅min-1 and 112.691⋅min-1 (±1.96 SD). The timing of VIP is not solely dependent on the aerobic capacity and might instead quantify an individual's physical fitness in terms of the efficiency of the compensative and supportive ventilatory response during increased exercise intensities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The between-days variability in ascertained gain factors for calibration of a wearable respiratory inductance plethysmograph (RIP) and validity thereof for the repeated use during exercise were examined. Consecutive 5-min periods of standing still, slow running at 8 km•h-1, fast running at 14 km•h-1 (male) or 12 km•h-1 (female) and recovery were repeated by 10 healthy subjects on 5 days. Breath-by-breath data were recorded simultaneously by flow meter and RIP. Gain factors were determined individually for each trial (CALIND) via least square regression. Reliability and variability in gain factors were quantified respectively by intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and limits of agreement. Within a predefined error range of ±20% the amount of RIP-derived tidal volumes after CALIND was compared to corresponding amounts when gain factors of the first trial were applied on the following 4 trials (CALFIRST). ICC ranged within 0.96 and 0.98. The variability in gain factors (up to ± 24.06%) was reduced compensatively by their sum. Amounts of breaths within the predefined error range did not differ between CALIND and (CALFIRST) (P>0.32). The between-days variability of gain factors for a wearable RIP-device does not show impaired reliability in further derived tidal volumes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thalamic relay neurons have homogeneous, adult-like firing properties and similar morphology by 12 days postnatally (PN 12). Parafascicular (Pf) neurons have a different morphology compared with typical thalamic relay neurons, but the development of their electrophysiological properties is not well studied. Intracellular recordings in PN 12–50 Pf neurons revealed several heterogeneous firing patterns different from those in thalamic relay neurons. Two types of cells were identified: Type I cells displayed a fast afterhyperpolarization (AHP) followed by a large-amplitude, slow AHP; whereas Type II cells had only a fast AHP. These cell types had overlapping membrane properties but differences in excitability. Some properties of Pf neurons were adult-like by PN 12, but, unlike thalamic relay neurons, there were significant maturational changes thereafter, including decreased action potential (AP) duration, increased fast AHP amplitude and increased excitability. Pf neurons did not exhibit rhythmic bursting and generally lacked low-threshold spike (LTS) responses that characterize thalamic relay neurons. Pf neurons exhibited non-linear I-V relationships, and only a third of the cells expressed the time and voltage-dependent hyperpolarization activated (Ih) current, which declined with age. These results indicate that the morphological differences between Pf neurons and typical thalamic relay neurons are paralleled by electrophysiological differences, and that Pf membrane properties change during postnatal development. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We examined the independent, predictive utilities of optimism and pessimism for long-term physical and psychological recovery from coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. A sample of postoperative CABG patients (N = 212) was followed for 12 months. Results demonstrated support for the notion that optimism and pessimism are separable constructs that are not functionally equivalent. Overall, pessimism was more reliably predictive than optimism of positive affect, pain and functional status. There was also some support for the notion that pessimism and optimism may be important at different times in the recovery process. Exploring the independent associations of optimism and pessimism with both short- and longer-term outcomes is important for gaining a clearer understanding of the importance for wellbeing of a positive outlook. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sobre los conceptos de Mujer, población y desarrollo se han creado muchos mitos. Aquí se presentan cinco que son barreras para tener una sociedad mejor. 1) El crecimiento de la población es el único factor culpable de la degradación del medio ambiente 2) El desarrollo debe ser conducido por el gobierno. 3)El desarrollo está centrado en el hombre. 4) Un programa de planificación familiar exitoso debe enfocarse en la mujer 5)La mujer desea familias numerosas para la seguridad de su vejez?.