Broadening Humor: Comic Styles Differentially Tap into Temperament, Character, and Ability

The present study introduces eight comic styles (i.e., fun, humor, nonsense, wit, irony, satire, sarcasm, and cynicism) and examines the validity of a set of 48 marker items for their assessment, the Comic Style Markers (CSM). These styles were originally developed to describe literary work and are used here to describe individual differences. Study 1 examines whether the eight styles can be distinguished empirically, in self- and other-reports, and in two languages. In different samples of altogether more than 1500 adult participants, the CSM was developed and evaluated with respect to internal consistency, homogeneity, test-retest reliability, factorial validity, and construct and criterion validity. Internal consistency was sufficiently high, and the median test-retest reliability over a period of 1-2 weeks was 0.86 (N = 148). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses showed that the eight styles could be distinguished in both English- (N = 303) and German-speaking samples (N = 1018 and 368). Comparing self- and other-reports (N = 210) supported both convergent and discriminant validity. The intercorrelations among the eight scales ranged from close to zero (between humor and sarcasm/cynicism) to large and positive (between sarcasm and cynicism). Consequently, second-order factor analyses revealed either two bipolar factors (based on ipsative data) or three unipolar factors (based on normative data). Study 2 related the CSM to instruments measuring personality (N = 999), intelligence (N = 214), and character strengths (N = 252), showing that (a) wit was the only style correlated with (verbal) intelligence, (b) fun was related to indicators of vitality and extraversion, (c) humor was related to character strengths of the heart, and (d) comic styles related to mock/ridicule (i.e., sarcasm, cynicism, but also irony) correlated negatively with character strengths of the virtues temperance, transcendence, and humanity. By contrast, satire had a moral goodness that was lacking in sarcasm and cynicism. Most importantly, the two studies revealed that humor might be related to a variety of character strengths depending on the comic style utilized, and that more styles may be distinguished than has been done in the past. The CSM is recommended for future explorations and refinements of comic styles.

Signaltransduktionswege der Mechanotransduktion in Knochenzellen

Die Erhaltung der Knochenmasse wird durch die Interaktion von verschiedenen Faktoren, einschließlich systemischen Hormonen, lokalen Wachstumsfaktoren und mechanischer Belastung reguliert. Verantwortlich für die adaptive Antwort von Knochenzellen auf mechanische Belastung sind zelluläre Prozesse der Aufnahme, der Umwandlung des physikalischen Stimulus in strukturelle und biochemische Reaktionen, die als Mechanotransduktion bezeichnet werden. Osteoblasten und vor allem Osteozyten sind die mechanosensorischen Zellen des Knochens. Sie benötigen den mechanischen Stimulus für ihre Vitalität und Funktion. Die in der Mechanotransduktion aktivierten Signalwege wirken anabol auf die Knochenmasse. Hierzu gehören der WNT (wingless integration)/β-Catenin und der Östrogenrezeptor (ER)-Signalweg, die beide eine entscheidende Rolle in der Regulation von Knochenbildung und Knochenresorption spielen. Eine Aufklärung der Interaktion der Signalwege in der Mechanotransduktion durch geeignete In-vitro-und In-vivo-Experimente ist sinnvoll, um in Zukunft effektiv mechanische Signale in der Prävention und Intervention von/bei osteodegenerativen Krankheiten, wie z. B. Osteoporose, nutzen zu können.

Insights into the Dual Activity of a Bifunctional Dehydratase-Cyclase Domain

Oxygen-containing heterocycles are a common structural motif in polyketide natural products and contribute significantly to their biological activity. Here, we report structural and mechanistic investigations on AmbDH3, a polyketide synthase domain with dual activity as dehydratase (DH) and pyran-forming cyclase in ambruticin biosynthesis. AmbDH3 is similar to monofunctional DH domains, using H51 and D215 for dehydration. V173 was confirmed as a diagnostic residue for cyclization activity by a mutational study and enzymatic in vitro experiments. Similar motifs were observed in the seemingly monofunctional AmbDH2, which also shows an unexpected cyclase activity. Our results pave the way for mining of hidden cyclases in biosynthetic pathways. They also open interesting prospects for the generation of novel biocatalysts for chemoenzymatic synthesis and pyran-polyketides by combinatorial biosynthesis.

Improved parental dietary quality is associated with children's dietary intake through the home environment

BACKGROUND

Improving access to supermarkets has been shown to improve some dietary outcomes, yet there is little evidence for such effects on children. Relatedly, there is a dearth of research assessing the impact of a structural change (i.e. supermarket in a former food desert) on the home environment and its relationship with children's diet.

OBJECTIVE

Assess the relative impact of the home environment on children's diet after the introduction of a new supermarket in a food desert.

METHODS

Among a randomly selected cohort of households living in a food desert, parental diet was assessed before and after the opening of a full-service supermarket. The home environment and children's intake of fruits and vegetables was measured at one point - after the store's opening. Structural equation models were used to estimate the pathways between changes in parental dietary quality at follow-up and children's dietary intake through the home environment.

RESULTS

Parental dietary improvement after the supermarket opened was associated with having a better home environment (β = 0.45, p = 0.001) and with healthier children's dietary intake (β = 0.46, p < 0.001) through higher family nutrition and physical activity scores (β = 0.25, p = 0.02).

CONCLUSIONS

Policy solutions designed to improve diet among low-resource communities should take into account the importance of the home environment.

[Adjustable retropubic suburethral sling Remeex® in the treatment of male stress urinary incontinence: One-year results]

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of the adjustable suburethral sling Remeex^® in the treatment of male stress urinary incontinence (SUI).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Single-center prospective study of patients treated for SUI after radical prostatectomy or transurethral resection of prostate. The severity of incontinence was evaluated by the number of pads used per day. Success rate, complications and number of adjustments were studied.

RESULTS

From February 2011 to May 2015, Remeex^® was implanted in 25 patients. The average preoperative number of pads used per day was 3,8 (±1,8). Sling tension has been adjusted the day after surgery in all patients. Mean follow-up was 31 months (±15). During follow-up, 6 patients did not need any readjustment (24%) and 15 patients (60%) had to be readjusted. One Remeex system had to be completely removed because of a sub-occlusive syndrome. Three patients had early infection requiring partial system removal (Varitensor). At the end of follow-up, 9 patients were cured (36%), 9 patients (36%) were significantly improved and 7 patients (28%) were not improved. Five patients are waiting for a new readjustment.

CONCLUSION

In this short series of patients who had prostatic surgery, at mid-term follow-up, the placement of a BSUA-R was associated with an improvement or cure of urinary incontinence symptoms in two-thirds of cases.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

4.

NMR-based metabolomics reveals compartmental metabolic heterogeneity in liver of Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus)

Metabolomics involves systematic study of low-molecular-mass metabolites in cells, tissues, or biofluids and is nowadays widely applied to characterize the physiological status of aquatic organisms under a set of conditions, such as disease and toxin exposure. Liver, an important metabolic center in the fish body, is often used for metabolomics analysis. Compared with the whole fish liver, the proportion of liver sample needed for metabolomics analysis is relatively small. The homogeneity of metabolites in liver is thus an important issue, especially for comparative studies and biomarker discovery. This study examined the homogeneity of the metabolic profile in liver of Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus (L., 1758)) using a NMR-based metabolomics approach. For the analysis, whole liver samples were cut into four parts along the direction of gall bladder and at right angles to this, and metabolites in each part of the liver were extracted and analyzed by multivariate and univariate data analyses. Although the multivariate model was not significant due to variation within the data, the metabolic differences in polar portion of liver extract between the parts were seen, indicating non-homogeneity of Arctic char liver. Therefore, when sampling fish liver for further metabolomics studies, this heterogeneity should be taken into consideration.

[Rigid cystoscopy versus retrovision for adjustable peri-urethral balloons guidance: Comparison of precision thanks to a surgical navigation system]

OBJECTIVES

The main goal of our phantom study was to compare the precision of adjustable periurethral balloons positioning depending whether the guidance was obtained by retrovision or rigid cystoscopy.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A navigation guidance system was used to localize the introduction mandrel which was equipped with tracking targets. Two ideal sites of implantation were predefined and recorded into the navigation system. The two points were placed symmetrically to the phantom reproducing the urethra. Four different users were asked to position the tip of the introduction mandrel as close as possible to the ideal site of implantation with the help of each method of guidance. For each attempt, the distance (mm) between the tip of the introduction mandrel and the ideal position was recorded by the navigation system.

RESULTS

For each method of guidance, a total of 20 attempts on each side were made by direct puncture on one side and a symmetrical contralateral puncture. For direct puncture, the median distances were 5.20 (±3.96) and 4.38 (±1.55) mm with rigid cystoscopy and retrovision respectively (P=0.29). For symmetrical contralateral puncture, the median distance were 7,19 (±3,78) and 6,86 (±2,76) mm with rigid cystoscopy and retrovision respectively (P=0,32) CONCLUSION: This study could not demonstrate any significant difference between the two guidance systems. Nevertheless, it showed that navigation guidance system could be used to compare the precision of surgical interventions.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

4.

Cut to the chase: a review of CD26/dipeptidyl peptidase-4's (DPP4) entanglement in the immune system

CD26/DPP4 (dipeptidyl peptidase 4/DP4/DPPIV) is a surface T cell activation antigen and has been shown to have DPP4 enzymatic activity, cleaving-off amino-terminal dipeptides with either L-proline or L-alanine at the penultimate position. It plays a major role in glucose metabolism by N-terminal truncation and inactivation of the incretins glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP) and gastric inhibitory protein (GIP). In 2006, DPP4 inhibitors have been introduced to clinics and have been demonstrated to efficiently enhance the endogenous insulin secretion via prolongation of the half-life of GLP-1 and GIP in patients. However, a large number of studies demonstrate clearly that CD26/DPP4 also plays an integral role in the immune system, particularly in T cell activation. Therefore, inhibition of DPP4 might represent a double-edged sword. Apart from the metabolic benefit, the associated immunological effects of long term DPP4 inhibition on regulatory processes such as T cell homeostasis, maturation and activation are not understood fully at this stage. The current data point to an important role for CD26/DPP4 in maintaining lymphocyte composition and function, T cell activation and co-stimulation, memory T cell generation and thymic emigration patterns during immune-senescence. In rodents, critical immune changes occur at baseline levels as well as after in-vitro and in-vivo challenge. In patients receiving DPP4 inhibitors, evidence of immunological side effects also became apparent. The scope of this review is to recapitulate the role of CD26/DPP4 in the immune system regarding its pharmacological inhibition and T cell-dependent immune regulation.