Representation of complexity in wine: Influence of expertise

The aim of the present study was to investigate the concept of complexity in wine as a function of domain-specific expertise. Thirty-nine wine professionals and 30 wine consumers participated in interviews aimed at inducing verbal responses concerning their representations of (i) wine complexity in general, (ii) wine complexity in relation to white wine with perceived ageing ability, and (iii) wine complexity in relation to red wine with perceived ageing ability. The verbal data were analysed with the textual data analysis software ALCESTE ( [Reinert, 1983], [Reinert, 1986], [Reinert, 2001] and [Reinert, 2008]). Results showed that wine professionals as a group tended to represent complexity in wine in terms of extrinsic factors such as oenological processes (e.g., lees stirring; use of oak) and terroir variables (e.g., soil; viticulture: see Moran, 2006). On the other hand, wine consumers’ representations of wine complexity were dominated by intrinsic factors relating to their experience of consuming wine (e.g., smell and taste of wines) and were personalised and subjective (e.g., about their own enjoyment and pleasure). Further, wine professionals’ representations clearly differentiated between characteristics of white wine with ageing potential and characteristics of red wine with ageing potential whereas those of wine consumers did not. The results are discussed in terms of the salient components of the concept of complexity in wine, including wine judged to have ageing ability, along with the cognitive processing associated with wine expertise.     

Improvements in partner support predict sexual satisfaction among individuals with multiple sclerosis.

Purpose: Sexual dysfunction and low sexual satisfaction are common among individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS); however, little is known about factors that influence sexual satisfaction within this population. As such, the purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which changes in negative and positive partner support predict sexual satisfaction levels over time in individuals with MS. Design: Eighty-one individuals with MS completed measures of sexual dysfunction, sexual satisfaction, partner social support, and depression. Data from baseline and posttreatment follow-up were obtained from a larger randomized clinical trial of telephone-administered psychotherapy for depression in a population with MS. Multiple regression analyses were conducted with change in overall sexual satisfaction from baseline to posttreatment as the outcome variable. Results: After controlling for age, gender, sexual dysfunction, years diagnosed with MS, and depression severity, those with increased positive partner support reported significant improvement in sexual satisfaction over time (β = .50, p     

Genomic organization, fine-mapping, and expression of the human islet-brain 1 (IB1)/c-Jun-amino-terminal kinase interacting protein-1 (JIP-1) gene

Islet-brain 1 (IB1), a regulator of the pancreatic beta-cell function in the rat, is homologous to JIP-1, a murine inhibitor of c-Jun amino-terminal kinase (JNK). Whether IB1 and JIP-1 are present in humans was not known. We report the sequence of the 2133-bp human IB1 cDNA, the expression, structure, and fine-mapping of the human IB1 gene, and the characterization of an IB1 pseudogene. Human IB1 is 94% identical to rat IB1. The tissue-specific expression of IB1 in human is similar to that observed in rodent. The IB1 gene contains 12 exons and maps to chromosome 11 (11p11.2-p12), a region that is deleted in DEFECT-11 syndrome. Apart from an IB1 pseudogene on chromosome 17 (17q21), no additional IB1-related gene was found in the human genome. Our data indicate that the sequence and expression pattern of IB1 are highly conserved between rodent and human and provide the necessary tools to investigate whether IB1 is involved in human diseases.     

Time-dependent effects of repeated amphetamine treatment on norepinephrine in the hypothalamus and hippocampus assessed with in vivo microdialysis

The effects of repeated amphetamine (AMPH) pretreatment on norepinephrine (NE) neurotransmission in the hypothalamus and hippocampus were assessed using in vivo microdialysis. Rats were pretreated with either saline or an escalating-dose AMPH regimen (1-->10 mg/kg) over 10 consecutive days, and then were withdrawn from AMPH for either 1 day or 30 days, at which time the animals underwent two consecutive days of testing. As expected, repeated treatment with AMPH resulted in time-dependent changes in both spontaneous locomotor activity and in the psychomotor response to a subsequent challenge injection of AMPH. In addition, repeated exposure to AMPH resulted in time-dependent and regionally-specific changes in the basal concentrations of NE in dialysate, and in the NE response to an AMPH challenge. For example, AMPH pretreatment produced a persistent (at least one month) increase in the basal concentration of NE in the hippocampus, but not the hypothalamus, although the response to an AMPH challenge was altered in both structures. It is suggested that AMPH treatment produces adaptations in NE systems that far outlast the acute effects of the drug, and that these may contribute to both transient and more persistent behavioral sequelae associated with the discontinuation of chronic AMPH use.