Feels good, and less bad: Problematic use of the Internet is associated with heightened experiences of both gratification and compensation.

Background: During the development of addictive behaviors, theoretical models assume a shift from experience of gratification being a driver in early stages to experience of compensation which dominates at later stages of addiction development. Initial studies show a trend in this direction; however, this shift has not yet been investigated in clinical samples. We assume experienced gratification to be highest in individuals with risky use (indicating the beginning of the addiction process), and compensation to be highest in individuals with pathological use.

Observed Shyness-Related Behavioral Responses to a Self-Presentation Speech Task: A Study Comparing Chinese and Canadian Children.

Past research suggests that expressions of shyness are associated with several distinct behaviors that may differ between Eastern and Western cultures. However, this evidence has largely been derived from subjective ratings, such self-, teacher-, and parent-report measures. In this study, we examined between-country differences on measures of directly observed shyness-related behaviors during a speech task in children.

Matrix-mediated activation of murine fibroblast-like synoviocytes.

Fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) are key cells promoting cartilage damage and bone loss in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). They are activated to assume an invasive and migratory phenotype. While mechanisms of FLS activation are unknown, evidence suggests that pre-damaged extracellular matrix (ECM) of the cartilage can trigger FLS activation.

Reduced ATP turnover during hibernation in relaxed skeletal muscle.

Hibernating brown bears, due to a drastic reduction in metabolic rate, show only moderate muscle wasting. Here, we evaluate if ATPase activity of resting skeletal muscle myosin can contribute to this energy sparing. By analyzing single muscle fibers taken from the same bears, either during hibernation or in summer, we find that fibers from hibernating bears have a mild decline in force production and a significant reduction in ATPase activity.

Evaluation of the Short-Term Restorative Care program: Effects on physical functioning.

Objective: The Short-Term Restorative Care program is an 8-week multidisciplinary early intervention funded by the Australian Government that aims to reverse or slow the functional decline of older Australians. Despite the large investment of tax-payer money to fund the program, very little peer-reviewed literature exists examining the ability of the program to deliver on its aims.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study.