Time course and efficiency of protein synthesis inhibition following intracerebral and systemic anisomycin treatment

Since its discovery in the 1960s, anisomycin has been used for studying the impact of protein synthesis for manifold cerebral processes such as long-term plastic changes after learning. The common limitation of nearly all pharmacological experiments, including anisomycin treatment, is to precisely verify the affected brain regions. Here we illustrate anisomycin effects on protein synthesis in distinct brain regions of mice (C57BL/6JOlaHsd), revealing differences between three modes of anisomycin application (subcutaneous, s.c.; intraperitoneal, i.p.; local microinfusions into the hippocampus). Our method is based on inhibition of the incorporation of the radioactively-labelled amino acids [(35)S]-Methionine/Cysteine into newly synthesised proteins. Washing the brain slices before autoradiography removes pools of amino acids, which have not been incorporated into newly synthesised proteins, thus, illustrating pure protein synthesis. By comparing different routes of systemic anisomycin application (i.p. versus s.c.; 150 mg/kg) it became evident that the effect of i.p. injection of anisomycin is fully reversed after 6 h, whereas s.c. injection is inhibiting protein synthesis in the hippocampus even 9 h after application. Local microinfusions of anisomycin into the hippocampus were shown to have long-lasting effects as well, which reversed as late as 9 h after injection. The diffusion of anisomycin was maximal at 3 h after injection and more precisely confined to the intended area using a lower dose (20 microg/site) instead of the commonly used dose of 62.5 microg/site. The broad time window of anisomycin action, as revealed in our study, has to be considered, if it comes to the interpretation of time course studies within the context of protein synthesis-dependent processes.     

European norms and equations for a two dimensional presentation of values as measured with Schwartz's 21‐item portrait values questionnaire

The present study utilizes European Social Survey (ESS) data to introduce European norms and equations for computation of the Self‐Transcendence—Self‐Enhancement and Conservation—Openness to Change value dimensions, as measured with the 21‐item Portrait Values Questionnaire (PVQ). Our analysis of ESS round 1 and 2 data suggest that the two‐dimensional structure and the equations based on this structure are extremely robust. Presenting the two value dimensions besides the 10 basic values offers the advantages of (a) heightened reliability, (b) control of response tendency, and (c) possibility to present results in two‐dimensional space. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Self‐esteem and values

The purpose of the present study was to connect personal values to self‐esteem in 14 samples (N = 3612) of pre‐professionals, high school students, and adults, from Finland, Russia, Switzerland, Italy, and Estonia. Self‐enhancement values (power, achievement) and openness to change values (self‐direction, stimulation) were positively, and self‐transcendence values (universalism, benevolence) and conservation values (tradition) were negatively related to self‐esteem. These direct relations between values and self‐esteem were only partly consistent with predictions derived from Maslow's theory of growth and deficiency needs. In samples of pre‐professionals, self‐esteem was correlated with congruence between personal values and the prevailing values environment. On the group‐level, endorsement of achievement and universalism values was more strongly and positively related to self‐esteem in samples where these values were considered more important. In contrast, endorsement of self‐direction and hedonism values was more strongly and positively related to self‐esteem in samples where these values were considered less important. These group‐level results are interpreted as suggesting that attainment of culturally significant goals may raise self‐esteem, but that high self‐esteem may be required for the pursuit of less socially desirable goals. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

On splitting and merging categories: A regression account of subadditivity

Frequency judgments tend to be subadditive: A category’s frequency is judged to be lower than the summed frequency of its subcategories. Thus, by splitting or merging categories, subjective frequencies increase or decrease, respectively. We offer an account of this phenomenon that is based on the statistical principle of regression. Because empirical information is never noise-free, high frequencies are underestimated, and low frequencies are overestimated. The underlying regression principle explains available evidence on subadditivity and allows novel predictions. The findings from two experiments supported predictions derived from the regression account of frequency estimates for split and merged categories: Subadditivity varied systematically as a function of the two parameters determining regression (extremity and reliability). More extreme frequencies and reduced reliability led to increased regression effects. Theoretical implications for subadditive judgments (of frequency, probability, and/or value) are discussed. Although other factors may contribute to subadditivity, their influence needs to exceed the baseline expected from the regression model alone.     

Unemployment impairs mental health: Meta-analyses

The effect of unemployment on mental health was examined with meta-analytic methods across 237 cross-sectional and 87 longitudinal studies. The average overall effect size was d = 0.51 with unemployed persons showing more distress than employed persons. A significant difference was found for several indicator variables of mental health (mixed symptoms of distress, depression, anxiety, psychosomatic symptoms, subjective well-being, and self esteem). The average number of persons with psychological problems among the unemployed was 34%, compared to 16% among employed individuals. Moderator analyses demonstrated that men and people with blue-collar-jobs were more distressed by unemployment than women and people with white-collar jobs. Linear and curvilinear moderating effects of the duration of unemployment were also identified. Furthermore, the negative effect of unemployment on mental health was stronger in countries with a weak level of economic development, unequal income distributions, or weak unemployment protection systems compared to other countries. Meta-analyses of longitudinal studies and natural experiments endorsed the assumption that unemployment is not only correlated to distress but also causes it. Seemingly inconsistent longitudinal results of older meta-analyses can be explained by retest artifacts. We also identified mental-health related selection effects during job loss and job search, but they are weak. With an effect size of d = −.35 intervention programs for unemployed people were found to be moderately effective in ameliorating unemployment-related distress among continuously unemployed persons.     

Interpersonal evaluation bias in borderline personality disorder

Background

The cognitive theory of personality disorders hypothesizes that the emotional dysregulation and interpersonal problems in individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD) are, at least partially, caused by dysfunctional cognitive schemas. These schemas lead to biased evaluation of environmental and interpersonal stimuli.

Method

This study examined the interpersonal evaluations of individuals with BPD, depressive and healthy control participants with the thin-slice judgments paradigm. Participants were asked to evaluate six persons in six film clips, which showed these persons for 10 s, during which these persons entered a room and took a seat. Interpersonal style of the BPD group was investigated with the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems (IIP-C) questionnaire.

Results

Individuals with BPD judged the persons as being more negative and aggressive and less positive than the healthy participants, and more aggressive than the depressive individuals. In addition, individuals with BPD reported more extreme interpersonal behavior relative to the controls.

Conclusions

The findings indicate an aggressivistic evaluation bias and elevated levels of interpersonal problems in individuals with BPD as suggested in the cognitive theory.     

Lexical and semantic fluency discrepancy scores in aMCI and early Alzheimer's disease

Episodic memory is compromised in amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), but lesser deficits in other cognitive domains are also commonly observed and may be helpful in identifying this group. The relative difference in performance on lexical and semantic fluency tasks may be a sensitive and specific measure in aMCI and early Alzheimer's disease (AD). We compared four groups of participants, 35 early AD, 47 aMCI, 24 healthy controls, and 18 depressive out‐patient controls, on semantic and lexical fluency as well as other neuropsychological tests. Early AD and aMCI patients showed a distinct pattern of semantic impairment in the two fluency measures compared with the healthy and depressive controls. The findings implicate early failure of the semantic memory system in aMCI and AD and suggest that consideration of the discrepancy in performance on semantic and lexical fluency measures may help in the early identification of AD.     

Opposite haptic and visual induction effects observed with Titchener’s ⊥

Nineteen psychology undergraduates were requested to “grasp” the lines of a computer image of Titchener’s ⊥ with a thumb and index finger pincer grip immediately after the line to be grasped had been indicated and the whole figure extinguished. The hand remained visible. Lines were of three different lengths (6.5, 7, and 7.5 cm), and ⊥s were presented at eight different orientations (rotated in steps of 45°). Lines also had to be judged longer, shorter, or equal, relative to one another. Haptically, subjects responded correctly to the ⊥s’ undivided lines, but scaled their responses to the divided ones according to the undivided ones. Categorical judgments yielded comparable psychometric functions for both kinds of lines, with a significant shift of points of subjective equality from a difference in length between lines of 9.8% to 13.5% when the divided or the undivided line was target. Haptic sensitivity, therefore, appears to be constrained by context, whereas the classical “visual illusion,” associated with Titchener’s ⊥, may be regarded a mere decisional criterion shift.     

Age differences in dual-task performance after practice

This study investigated whether older adults could acquire the ability to perform 2 cognitive operations in parallel in a paradigm in which young adults had been shown to be able to do so (K. Oberauer & R. Kliegl, 2004). Twelve young and 12 older adults practiced a numerical and a visuospatial continuous memory updating task in single-task and dual-task conditions for 16 to 24 sessions. After practice, 9 young adults were able to process the 2 tasks without dual-task costs, but none of the older adults had reached the criterion of parallel processing. The results suggest a qualitative difference between young and older adults in how they approach dual-task situations.