Glucocorticoid receptor interaction with Hsp90 remains unaltered after whole body hyperthermia

The influence of 41 degrees C whole body hyperthermic stress on glucocorticoid receptor (GR) association with 90-kDa heat shock protein (Hsp90) in the rat liver cytosol was examined. Total cytosolic GR and Hsp90 concentrations, as well as the amount of Hsp90 co-immunoprecipitated with the GR were determined by quantitative Western blotting using BuGR2 as anti-GR and AC88 as anti-Hsp90 monoclonal antibody. After exposure of the animals to the heat stress, the level of cytosolic Hsp90 increased, while its ratio to apo-receptor within non-activated GR heterooligomeric complexes remained unaltered. Therefore, the Hsp90 recruitment by the GR was not dependent on Hsp90 total cytosolic concentration.     

Does working memory load lead to greater impulsivity? Commentary on Hinson, Jameson, and Whitney (2003)

Previous research by J. M. Hinson, T. L. Jameson, and P. Whitney (2003) demonstrated that a secondary task in a delayed discounting paradigm increased subjects' preference for the immediate reward. J. M. Hinson et al. interpreted their findings as evidence that working memory load results in greater impulsivity. The present authors conducted a reanalysis of the data from J. M. Hinson et al.'s Experiment 1 at the individual-subject level. Difference scores were calculated by subtracting the digit memory load condition from the control condition for k (discounting parameter) and a measure of "erroneous" responses. The results indicated that the secondary task increased random responding, which in turn can account for the increased mean estimates of k. Thus, the data do not support the claim that cognitive load affects impulsivity per se.     

Patterns and personality disorders in persons with cocaine dependence in treatment

The aim of the present study is to determine patterns and personality disorder in subjects under cocaine dependence treatment using MCMI-II, and their relationship with sociodemographic variables and consumption characteristics. We assess 102 subjects under cocaine dependence treatment in Drug Abuse Centers in Galicia (Spain). The results indicate that the most prevalent basic scales of personality are the passive-aggressive, antisocial, narcisism and histrionic. Borderline and paranoid scales are the most prevalent with regard to the pathological personality scales. These results coincide with other international and national studies. We conclude pointing out the necessity to carry out studies with wider cocaine dependence samples in treatment, and the specific inclusion criteria should be established in the study. We also indicate the importance of carrying out a previous assessment of all demanding treatment subjects to design the objectives of the mentioned treatment.     

Relationship between dispositional optimism/pessimism and stress coping strategies

Recent studies confirm that dispositional pessimism is related with a worse state of physical health, in comparison with dispositional optimism . The efficacy of stress coping strategies has been considered as a mediating mechanism in this relationship. The aim of the present study is to analyze in a sample of university students (n = 200) the association between dispositional optimism/pessimism and different categories of self-reported somatic symptoms , and evaluate the possible mediation of the stress coping strategies in this relationship. The results indicate that: 1) pessimism is positively related with the report of physical symptoms, whereas optimism is negatively associated to somatic complaints; and 2) this relationship can be mainly explained by the differential utilization of the coping strategy denominated self-criticism (characteristic of pessimism).     

Why do people change in therapy? A preliminary study

Why do people change in therapy? A preliminary study. This work represents the beginning of a new way to study the processes that can explain the therapeutic change. The method used is the observation and analysis of therapeutic sessions directly recorded and developed inside a behavioural approach. The category system tries to carry out a functional analysis of the therapist-client interaction which enables the identification of learning processes that work in clinical setting and explain success in therapy. Outcomes are provisional but show the utility of this initial trend of investigation to the comprehension of clinical phenomenon. Conclusions also emphasize the importance of associative learning processes on the therapeutic change.     

The functioning of central categories Middle Level and Sometimes in graded response scales: does the label matter?

The present study evaluates the extent to which central categories explicitly labeled as being in the middle of the other response categories, specifically Middle Level and Sometimes, function as expected according to the integer scoring system. The assumptions are tested by means of Bock's Nominal Model in two 5-response scales. Results show that the assumption of the ordering of the response categories is met for all the items. The ordering of thresholds is satisfied for all but one item with the central category Middle Level . Results are compared with those obtained when middle categories are not explicitly labeled as being in the middle of the other response categories, as in the case of Not Sure , Undecided or?     

Development and validation of a psychometric instrument for the assessment of depression in the elderly

Depression is one of the main the psychological disorders in the gerontological population. However, in many cases the depressive alterations can go unnoticed or masked by the elderly s somatic complaints; or even the depressive symptoms can be ascribe to the own aging process. Moreover, it has to be added that old patients tend not to request help to specialised mental health centres. Therefore, the correct diagnosis of the depressed elderly's emotional problems becomes into a question of extraordinary importance. In this work is presented a new specific instrument for the evaluation of depression in the elderly people which has, among other characteristics, the advantage of requiring a little time to its application and a low knowledge on psychopathology. The initial results show an extraordinary sensitivity and specificity regarding to DSM-IV-TR criteria. Nevertheless, further studies with a higher number of clinical populations are necessary to confirm and enlarge these preliminary results.     

Adaptation of Child's Report of Parent Behavior Inventory for a Spanish population

This study presented an adaptation in Spanish of the Child's Reports of Parental Behavior Inventory (CRPBI) . The CRPBI is an instrument that allows us to assess family discipline perceived by children in the relation with their mothers and with their fathers. It's considered a good instrument to assess the perceptions that children have of parent behavior. The Spanish adaptation has been carried out with a sample of 1,274 Spanish adolescents (males and females) from different educational centers of the Valencian Community (13-18 years). The results show that affect, support and control are the main dimensions in the perceived child rearing styles of parents in our population.     

Construction and validation of a multidimensional model of students' adjustment to college context

This article presents a model of interaction of personal and contextual variables in the prediction of academic performance and psychosocial development of Portuguese college students. The sample consists of 560 first-year college students of the University of Minho. The path analysis results suggest that initial expectations of the students' involvement in academic life constituted an effective predictor of their involvement during their first year; as well as the social climate of the classroom influenced their involvement, well-being and levels of satisfaction obtained. However, these relationships were not strong enough to influence the criterion variables integrated in the model (academic performance and psychosocial development). Academic performance was predicted by the high school grades and college entrance examination scores, and the level of psychosocial development was determined by the level of development showed at the time they entered college. Though more research is needed, these results point to the importance of students' pre-college characteristics when we are considering the quality of their college adjustment process.     

A Chilean version of the Efficient Personality Questionnaire for Adolescents

This investigation aims at adapting the test for Efficient Personality in educational contexts to Chilean reality. This instrument measures the construct efficient personality , made up of four levels of the self: strengths, requests, challenges and relationships. The original version has 58 items. In order to adapt it to our reality, 30 items were modified. The instrument was applied to a sample of 594 third and fourth secondary level students from four educational institutions of Vi?a del Mar. The new version of the instrument (23 items) presents a .85 reliability coefficient. The factorial analysis shows a structure of four basic factors which explain 50.42 % of the total variance. These factors, which are very similar those proposed in the original instrument, are named as academic self realization, social self realization, solving efficiency, and self steem. The second order factors analysis reveals a single factors structure that explains 43,28 % of the total variance, thus confirming the presence of the only factor that would correspond to the efficient personality construct presented.