Additionally, we examined whether baseline demographic and cognitive factors were predictive of these response patterns. The results indicate that among memory-trained participants, there are 3 distinct response patterns, suggesting that participants gravitate toward specific mnemonic techniques. Furthermore, baseline memory and speed of processing abilities, age, and education are predictive of these

distinct response patterns. Taken together, the findings suggest that we can characterize and predict older adults’ response to memory training.”
“In the widely accepted molecular model underlying mammalian circadian rhythm, cryptochrome proteins (CRYs) play indispensable roles as inhibitive components

of the CLOCK-BMAL1-mediated transcriptional-translational negative feedback check details loop. In order to clarify yet uncovered aspects of mammalian CRYs in vivo, we generated transgenic (Tg) mice ubiquitously overexpressing CRY1 as well as CRY1 having a mutation in the dipeptide motif of cysteine and proline that is conserved beyond evolutional divergence among animal CRYs: Selleckchem Avapritinib cysteine414 of the motif was replaced with alanine (CRY1-AP). The mice overexpressing CRY1 (CRY1 Tg) exhibited robust circadian rhythms of locomotor activity. In sharp contrast, the mice overexpressing CRY1-AP (CRY1-AP Tg) displayed a unique circadian phenotype. Their locomotor free-running periods were very long (around 28 h) with rhythm splitting: the bout of activity of CRY1-AP Tg mice was split into two equal components in constant darkness. Moreover, CRY1-APTg mice displayed abnormal entrainment behavior: their bout of activity shifted immediately in response to

a shift of the light-dark cycles. In addition, we found that CRY1-AP Tg mice showed symptoms characteristic of diabetes mellitus. The results indicate that the motif of CRY1 is crucial to the mammalian clock system and physiology. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Previously overlooked factors in elders’ depressive symptomatology were examined, including death fear, sibling death, and sibling closeness. Participants were 150 elders (61 men, 89 women) aged 65-97 years with at least one however sibling. Measures were proportion of deceased siblings, sibling closeness, the Death Fear Subscale of the Death Attitude Profile-Revised, and the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression scale (20-item adult form). Age and education were exogenous variables in a structural equation model. Death fear, sibling closeness, and proportion of dead siblings were directly related to depression, with path coefficients of .42, -.24, and .13, respectively. Proportion of dead siblings had indirect effects on depression, as did age and education.