New insights into the link between cardiovascular disease and depression.

INTRODUCTION: Although the association between depression and cardiovascular disease (CVD) is well documented, the underlying mechanisms for this relationship remain unclear. In this paper, we present three possible models which account for the comorbidity between depression and cardiovascular disease. MODELS: The first model outlines depression as a risk factor for CVD and the second model presents CVD as a risk factor for depression. The third model proposes a common underlying pathway related to the effects of chronic stress on the body in manifesting as depression or cardiovascular disease. CONCLUSIONS: If the proposed model holds true, it may be possible that an intervention initiated before overt manifestations of CVD or depression become apparent, may delay or prevent the onset of these serious clinical entities.

Children's decoding of emotion in expressive body movement: the development of cue attunement.

Little research has focused on children's decoding of emotional meaning in expressive body movement: none has considered which movement cues children use to detect emotional meaning. The current study investigated the general ability to decode happiness, sadness, anger, and fear in dance forms of expressive body movement and the specific ability to detect differences in the intensity of anger and happiness when the relative amount of movement cue specifying each emotion was systematically varied. Four-year-olds (n = 25), 5-year-olds (n = 25), 8-year-olds (n = 29), and adults (n = 24) completed an emotion contrast task and 2 emotion intensity tasks. Decoding ability exceeding chance levels was demonstrated for sadness by 4-year-olds; for sadness, fear, and happiness by 5-year-olds: and for all emotions by 8-year-olds and adults. Children as young as 5 years were shown to rely on emotion-specific movement cues in their decoding of anger and happiness intensity. The theoretical significance of these effects across development is discussed.

First metatarsal head-shaft angle: a method of determination.

The distal metatarsal angle (DMAA) is a measurement of the relationship between the longitudinal axis of the first metatarsal and the articular surface of the metatarsal head. We measured the DMAA on radiographs with and without markers on the articular edges and compared them with measurements of the anatomic specimens. Based on the studies, the significance of the radiographic measurements to the actual DMAA and the normal distribution of the measurement were determined.