Orientation selectivity in infancy: behavioural evidence for temporal sensitivity.

One-month-old infants were tested with a habituation-recovery paradigm to determine whether they could discriminate phase-shifting grating patterns that switched between two orientations, three or eight times a second, from grating patterns that only shifted in phase. The infants were found to discriminate patterns switching orientation at the lower temporal rate of 3 reversals s-1, but not 8 reversals s-1. This finding supports the idea that orientation-selective mechanisms improve in their temporal sensitivity during early infancy.

Sensory visual loss and cognitive deficits in the selective attentional system of normal infants and neurologically impaired children.

The ability of infants to shift their gaze laterally from a central target (fixation shift) was investigated in normal one- and three-month-old infants in two visual tasks; competition (central fixating stimulus remained visible while peripheral target was presented) and non-competition (central fixating stimulus replaced by peripheral target). The younger infants were significantly more disrupted by the competition condition, in terms of latency to refixate and direction of first eye movement. An immature attention system is proposed to explain this affect.

Effects of a competitive inhibitor (mevinolin) of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase on human and bovine endothelial cells, fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells in vitro.

Mevinolin, a competitive inhibitor of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase activity, is a potent inhibitor of cholesterol synthesis. We have tested the effects of mevinolin on cell replication (3H-thymidine incorporation), prostacyclin production (6-keto-PGF1 alpha) and cell death (51Cr release) in cell cultures (human umbilical vein endothelial cells, bovine endothelial cells, human fibroblasts and bovine smooth muscle cells). Mevinolin concentrations ranging from 0.

Vulnerability factors in the transition to university: self-reported mobility history and sex differences as factors in psychological disturbance.

A study was conducted on the psychological reaction to the transition to university in 198 first year residential students. Female subjects had higher levels of psychological disturbance and cognitive failure. Thirty-one per cent of the subjects reported experiencing homesickness.

Development of orientation discrimination in infancy.

It has previously been found by us, with a visual evoked potential (VEP) measure, that orientation discrimination of dynamic patterns in infants can be demonstrated from around 6 weeks after birth. Experiments are reported in which orientation discrimination was measured behaviourally, in two infant control habituation procedures, with both dynamic and static patterns. When dynamic patterns identical to those in our previous VEP studies were used, the first positive evidence of orientation discrimination was found at around 6 weeks postnatally.

The stress of the transition to university: a longitudinal study of psychological disturbance, absent-mindedness and vulnerability to homesickness.

A longitudinal study was conducted to examine the effects of the transition to university in residential and home-based students. All students showed evidence of raised psychological disturbance and absent-mindedness following the transition. Although there were no differences between resident and home-based students in this respect, those who reported homesickness were distinguished from the remainder in terms of higher levels of psychological disturbance and cognitive failure following the transition to university.

The relationship between cognitive failures, psychoneurotic symptoms and sex.

As Broadbent et al's (1) original analysis of the relationship between the Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (CFQ) and the Middlesex Hospital Questionnaire (MHQ) was conducted on an altered version of the MHQ, the present study undertook this same analysis using the full MHQ. In addition, the relationship was examined to see if it was mediated by the differences in the scoring of males and females on each questionnaire. Our results support and strengthen Broadbent et al's conclusion that high rates of cognitive failure are associated with psychoneurotic symptoms.

[3H]noradrenaline efflux from platelets and synaptosomes of ethanol-treated rats.

Platelets have the ability to take up, store and release biogenic amines and have therefore been used as models for neurons in studies of neuropsychiatric disorders and hypertension. We have studied the spontaneous efflux of [3H]noradrenaline from platelets and synaptosomes of rats chronically treated with ethanol. Male control rats had a more rapid [3H]noradrenaline efflux both from synaptosomes and platelets than female control rats.

The relation between in vitro efflux of noradrenaline from platelets and vas deferens in man.

The efflux of isotope-labelled noradrenaline from platelets and vas deferens was compared in 29 healthy males. Platelets and a preparation of tissue from vas deferens were incubated with isotope-labelled noradrenaline until equilibrium in the uptake was obtained. The spontaneous efflux of noradrenaline in buffer was measured for 20 min.

Prevention of alcohol-related problems in urban middle-aged males.

More than 30,000 individuals have been investigated in the continuous screening and intervention study in Malmö. Large subsamples of individuals with different levels of GGT (gamma-glutamyltransferase) have been characterized. GGT has proven to be a useful and simple tool in tracing, identifying, treating and controlling heavy drinkers.

Screening and intervention for alcohol-related disease in middle-aged men: the Malmö Preventive Programme.

In the Malmö Preventive Programme the tracing and prevention of alcohol-related disease was attempted by means of the enzyme serum gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) in a large unselected population of middle-aged men. Alcohol was considered to be the underlying factor in 70% of subjects with raised GGT values. In a prospective analysis, alcohol-related death turned out to be a major contributor to death in men who died within five years of the screening.

Arylhydrocarbonhydroxylase inducibility and smoking habits in patients with laryngeal carcinomas.

There is considerable evidence that the inducible enzyme aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) plays an important role in the activation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) to ultimate carcinogens. In man, a genetic heterogeneity of AHH inducibility has been demonstrated, and correlated to susceptibility to bronchogenic carcinomas following exposure to PAH. We assessed AHH inducibility in a control group of 102 healthy Swedish citizens and in 41 patients with laryngeal carcinomas.

Premature death and associated risk factors in urban middle-aged men.

The full range of premature mortality and associated risk factors was analyzed for a follow-up period of three and a half to eight years in a uniform group of 7,935 middle-aged males (46 to 48 years old at screening) participating between the years 1975 and 1979 in the preventive population program in Malmö (participation rate 76.7 percent). Of the 218 deaths that occurred, necropsy was performed in 181 (83.

Major determinants of premature mortality in middle-aged urban males. Alcohol-related deaths and degree of participation in a preventive population program against alcohol and its complications.

The total, consecutive mortality in a population of 10,353 middle-aged males invited to participate in a preventive medical population program in Malmö was followed up 1.5-6.5 years, mean 4.

Risk factors for premature death in middle aged men.

The causes of premature death and the associated risk factors were analysed in a cohort of 7935 middle aged men participating in a preventive population programme in Malmö. They were screened when aged 46-48 and then followed up for 3(1/2)-8 years. Two hundred and eighteen died, of whom 181 (83%) underwent necropsy.

Aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase induction levels in patients with malignant tumors associated with smoking.

The levels of aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) inducibility were assessed in 173 patients with cancers statistically associated with smoking, i.e., squamous cell and transitional cell carcinomas, at various sites.

Alcohol-related death and associated risk factors in urban middle-aged males.

Alcohol-related disorders belong to the spectrum of major non-infectious diseases in Western societies which can be prevented by means that have not yet been fully implemented. Total consecutive mortality in a population of 10353 middle-age males invited to take a part in a preventive medical population program in Malmö was followed up for 3.5-8.

Relation between plasma insulin and blood glucose in a cross-sectional population study of the oral glucose tolerance test.

In a material of 3596 oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTT) performed in a population investigation of middle-aged males in Malmö, fasting and 120 min values of blood glucose and plasma insulin immunoreactivity (IRI) were studied while taking factors like body weight, smoking, alcohol, gastric resection and selfreported diabetes heredity into account. The fasting as well as the 120 min levels of both glucose and IRI were markedly influenced by body weight and smoking habits but not by the hereditary background. At 120 min, but not in the fasting state, there was a linear correlation between the IRI and glucose levels.

Comparison of gamma-glutamyltransferase and other health screening tests in average middle-aged males, heavy drinkers and alcohol non-users.

Physical and biochemical health screening variables were compared in matched, middle-aged male samples of (a) ideological teetotallers, (b) average men, (c) self-reported alcohol abstainers, (d) low gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) activity, and (e-f) high GGT activity with or without admitted alcohol consumption background. The alcohol non-user groups and the individuals with low GGT had significantly lower mean values of relative body weight, pulse, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, haematocrit, serum urate, triglyceride, cholesterol, and zero and 120 min blood glucose than individuals with elevated GGT and alcohol overconsumption. The average men had intermediate levels.