That people evaluate themselves more favourably than their average peer on desirable characteristics - the better-than-average effect (BTAE) - is one of the most frequently cited instances of motivated self-enhancement. It has been argued, however, that the BTAE can be rational when the distribution of characteristics is skewed such that most people lie above the mean. We addressed whether the BTAE is present even among people liable to be objectively below average on such characteristics. Prisoners compared their standing on pro-social characteristics - such as kindness, morality, law abidingness - with non-prisoners. Prisoners exhibited the BTAE on every characteristic except law abidingness, for which they viewed themselves as average. Given that prisoners are unlikely to be objectively above average on pro-social characteristics, the findings push for a motivational interpretation of the BTAE.
We have investigated the responsiveness of thoracic aorta from the C57/BL/KsJ-db/db mouse (a model of type II diabetes) using a small-vessel myograph. The maximum tension developed in response to phenylephrine was greater in diabetic mice compared with non-diabetic (+/?) mice (2.7 ± 0.1 and 1.8 ± 0.1 mN/mm, respectively). Responses to phenylephrine were enhanced in tissues from both phenotypes when pre-incubated with L-NAME (100 µmol/l) and after the addition of oxyhaemoglobin (3 µmol/l), suggesting that endogenous NO release occurs in both. The maximum relaxation to carbachol was less in db/db mice (32 ± 4%) than in +/? mice (49 ± 5%) whilst that to sodium nitroprusside was similar (>90%). However, the concentration-effect curve to both vasorelaxants in db/db mice lay to the right of that in the +/? mice. These results suggest that the responsiveness of the vasculature is altered in the db/db mouse. Since this mouse is a model of type II diabetes this may be a consequence of hyperglycaemia and/or insulin resistance.
In DEFINITE patients, inducibility of either VT or VF was associated with an increased likelihood of subsequent ICD therapy for VT or VF, and should be one factor considered in risk stratifying nonischemic cardiomyopathy patients.
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