Phototransduction in Anuran Green Rods: Origins of Extra-Sensitivity

Green rods (GRs) represent a unique type of photoreceptor to be found in the retinas of anuran amphibians. These cells harbor a cone-specific blue-sensitive visual pigment but exhibit morphology of the outer segment typical for classic red rods (RRs), which makes them a perspective model object for studying cone–rod transmutation. In the present study, we performed detailed electrophysiological examination of the light sensitivity, response kinetics and parameters of discrete and continuous dark noise in GRs of the two anuran species: cane toad and marsh frog. Our results confirm that anuran GRs are highly specialized nocturnal vision receptors. Moreover, their rate of phototransduction quenching appeared to be about two-times slower than in RRs, which makes them even more efficient single photon detectors. The operating intensity ranges for two rod types widely overlap supposedly allowing amphibians to discriminate colors in the scotopic region. Unexpectedly for typical cone pigments but in line with some previous reports, the spontaneous isomerization rate of the GR visual pigment was found to be the same as for rhodopsin of RRs. Thus, our results expand the knowledge on anuran GRs and show that these are even more specialized single photon catchers than RRs, which allows us to assign them a status of “super-rods”.

The Genetics of Diabetes: What We Can Learn from Drosophila

Diabetes mellitus is a heterogeneous disease characterized by hyperglycemia due to impaired insulin secretion and/or action. All diabetes types have a strong genetic component. The most frequent forms, type 1 diabetes (T1D), type 2 diabetes (T2D) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), are multifactorial syndromes associated with several genes’ effects together with environmental factors. Conversely, rare forms, neonatal diabetes mellitus (NDM) and maturity onset diabetes of the young (MODY), are caused by mutations in single genes. Large scale genome screenings led to the identification of hundreds of putative causative genes for multigenic diabetes, but all the loci identified so far explain only a small proportion of heritability. Nevertheless, several recent studies allowed not only the identification of some genes as causative, but also as putative targets of new drugs. Although monogenic forms of diabetes are the most suited to perform a precision approach and allow an accurate diagnosis, at least 80% of all monogenic cases remain still undiagnosed. The knowledge acquired so far addresses the future work towards a study more focused on the identification of diabetes causal variants; this aim will be reached only by combining expertise from different areas. In this perspective, model organism research is crucial. This review traces an overview of the genetics of diabetes and mainly focuses on Drosophila as a model system, describing how flies can contribute to diabetes knowledge advancement.

Influence of tolerance to uncertainty on personal and professional development of pilots during aviation specialists’ training

The application of a new pragmatic educational model in the information environment of the higher technical education institution, which corresponds to the innovative and perspective model of society development, determined the transition from the process approach in the organisation of professional training of future aviation specialists to a reflective and effect–oriented one. It forms the basis of training objectives related to providing the country with specialists in aviation industry. The aim of the study is to theoretically substantiate, develop and experimentally test the effectiveness of the professional training model for future specialists under the conditions of uncertainty of the educational process of higher education institutions on the basis of a reflective approach. The result of the experimental stage of the study, as the foundation of the personal and professional development of the student, confirmed the effectiveness of the model based on the reflective approach. The systemically important core of the study considered the goals and results implemented in the educational and informational environment of the National Aviation University with the help of appropriately constructed psychological and pedagogical conditions, which were implemented at each stage of professional training with the innovative educational technologies.

Physical Activity, Natural Environment, Present Moment Awareness and Its Consideration: A Qualitative Review

Longstanding research suggests a plausible relation between physical activity, the natural environment, and overall health. However, when investigating this relationship, most studies focused on the absence of disease or frailty as health indicators. The relation between physical activity (PA), subjective well-being (SWB), natural environment, and present moment awareness (PMA) remains unexplored. The presented qualitative review offers a perspective model of the relationship between physical activity, natural environment, and awareness of the present moment that helps us explore its underlying, relating pathways. Our review concludes that present moment awareness can be worthy of attention to detect the impact of physical activity, subjective well-being and staying in a natural environment on selected samples, as well as its influence on maximizing related benefits for health and well-being. The challenge after that is to consider how to monitor the complex interactions that will occur within the multiple levels of influence. Essentially, a unified model of research and practice which incorporates physiological and psychological theories is undoubtedly needed. If that happens, we can understand the role of the diverse regulators upon behavior and proceed to convey this evidence into future health-promoting interventions.

The “Big Two” and socially induced emotions: Agency and communion jointly influence emotional contagion and emotional mimicry

Three studies investigated the effects of two fundamental dimensions of social perception on emotional contagion (i.e., the transfer of emotions between people). Rooting our hypotheses in the Dual Perspective Model of Agency and Communion (Abele and Wojciszke in Adv Exp Soc Psychol 50:198–255, 10.1016/B978-0-12-800284-1.00004-7, 2014), we predicted that agency would strengthen the effects of communion on emotional contagion and emotional mimicry (a process often considered a key mechanism behind emotional contagion). To test this hypothesis, we exposed participants to happy, sad, and angry senders characterized by low vs. high communion and agency. Our results demonstrated that, as expected, the effects of the two dimensions on socially induced emotions were interactive. The strength and direction of these effects, however, were consistent with our predictions only when the senders expressed happiness. When the senders expressed sadness, we found no effects of agency or communion on participants’ emotional responses, whereas for anger a mixed pattern emerged. Overall, our results align with the notion that emotional contagion and mimicry are modulated not only by the senders’ traits but also by the social meaning of the expressed emotion.

The “Big Two” and Socially Induced Emotions: Agency and Communion Jointly Influence Emotional Contagion and Emotional Mimicry

Three studies investigated the effects of two fundamental dimensions of social perception on emotional contagion (i.e., the transfer of emotions between people). Rooting our hypotheses in the Dual Perspective Model of Agency and Communion (Abele & Wojciszke, 2014), we predicted that agency would strengthen the effects of communion on emotional contagion and emotional mimicry (a process often considered a key mechanism behind emotional contagion). To test this hypothesis, we exposed participants to happy, sad, and angry senders characterized by low vs. high communion and agency. Our results demonstrated that, as expected, the effects of the two dimensions on socially induced emotions were interactive. The strength and direction of these effects, however, were consistent with our predictions only when the senders expressed happiness. When the senders expressed sadness, we found no effects of agency or communion on participants’ emotional responses, whereas for anger a mixed pattern emerged. Overall, our results align with the notion that emotional contagion and mimicry are modulated not only by the senders’ traits but also by the social meaning of the expressed emotion.

Modelos Tradicionais de Estudo de Comportamento do Consumidor

O artigo objetiva sistematizar os vários modelos de investigação sobre o comportamento do consumidor, descrever as estratégias de pesquisas relevantes para tomada de decisão do consumidor e ponderar sobre as características de cada modelo teórico. Destarte, o artigo discorre sobre os aspectos históricos, teóricos e metodológicos dos modelos de estudo do comportamento do consumidor. A partir dessa revisão, verifica-se na Psicologia a predominância de explanações prioritariamente voltadas para variáveis disposicionais, com uma orientação sociocognitiva no campo das relações de troca entre produtos ou serviços. O presente trabalho defende a opção pelo Behavioral Perspective Model (BPM), visto sintetizar evidências empíricas em sua base teórica comportamental derivadas de identificação de variáveis situacionais. O BPM tem como fonte formadora os conceitos do Behaviorismo Radical de Skinner utilizando a contingência tríplice como instrumento teórico. Pesquisas com a abordagem teórica do BPM apresentam uma perspectiva ambiental e de histórico de aprendizagem para analisar os efeitos das consequências sobre este comportamento operante que é mantido por consequências utilitárias e informativas associadas a respostas relacionadas ao consumo.

A Similar Lifetime CV Risk and a Similar Cardiometabolic Profile in the Moderate and High Cardiovascular Risk Populations: A Population-Based Study

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major, worldwide problem that remains the dominant cause of premature mortality in the world, and increasing rates of dysglycaemia are a major contributor to its development. The aim of this study was to investigate the cardiometabolic profile among patients in particular cardiovascular risk classes, and to estimate their long term CV risk. Methods: A total of 931 individuals aged 20–79 were included. The study population was divided into CV risk classes according to the latest European Society of Cardiology recommendations. Results: Most of the analyzed anthropometric, body composition and laboratory parameters did not differ between the moderate and high CV risk participants. Interestingly, estimating the lifetime risk of myocardial infarction, stroke or CV death, using the LIFEtime-perspective model for individualizing CardioVascular Disease prevention strategies in apparently healthy people, yielded similar results in moderate and high CV risk classes. Conclusion: The participants who belonged to moderate and high CV risk classes had very similar unfavorable cardiometabolic profiles, which may result in similar lifetime CV risk. This may imply the need for more aggressive pharmacological and non-pharmacological management of CV risk factors in the moderate CV risk population, who are often unaware of their situation. New prospective population studies are necessary to establish the true cardiovascular risk profiles in a changing society.