SGK protein kinase facilitates the expression of long-term potentiation in hippocampal neurons

Previous studies showed that the serum- and glucocorticoid-inducible kinase (sgk) gene plays an important role in long-term memory formation. The present study further examined the role of SGK in long-term potentiation (LTP). The dominant-negative mutant of sgk, SGKS422A, was used to inactivate SGK. Results revealed a time-dependent increase in SGK phosphorylation after tetanization with a significant effect observed 3 h and 5 h later. Transfection of SGKS422A impaired the expression, but not the induction, of LTP. Furthermore, the constitutively active sgk, SGKS422D, up-regulated postsynaptic density-95 expression in the hippocampus. These results together support the role of SGK in neuronal plasticity.     

从强迫运动到进食障碍症状:依恋的中介效应

目的:考察在校大学生依恋关系在强迫运动与进食障碍症状之间的中介效应。方法:研究一和研究二采用问卷调查法分别对466名男大学生和334名女大学生的依恋焦虑、依恋回避水平、强迫运动和进食障碍临床症状进行考察,通过分层回归检验依恋焦虑和依恋回避在强迫运动与进食障碍症状间的中介效应,并用Bootstrap法对中介效应进行验证。结果:在男女大学生中强迫运动可显著预测进食障碍症状; 在男生当中,依恋的两个维度依恋焦虑和依恋回避在强迫运动与进食障碍间的部分中介作用显著; 在女生当中,仅依恋焦虑起到部分中介作用。结论:强迫运动是进食障碍症状的重要风险因子,可通过依恋关系的中介作用影响进食障碍症状,依恋关系对强迫运动与进食障碍症状之间关系的中介效应具有性别差异。     

An ERP study of inhibition of non-target languages in trilingual word production

The present study examined the locus where inhibition of non-target languages is exerted during trilingual word production by analyzing the cue-locked and stimulus-locked ERPs respectively in the n-2 language repetition paradigm. During the experiment, Uighur–Chinese–English trilinguals overtly named Arabic digits in one of their three languages according to a visually presented cue while their behavioral and electrophysiological responses were recorded. The behavioral data revealed insignificant n-2 repetition costs. Cue-locked ERPs revealed also only tiny or marginally significant n-2 repetition effects over some midline electrodes. The stimulus-locked ERP data showed a more negative ERP component elicited by the n-2 repetition trials than the n-2 non-repetition trials around 250 ms after stimulus onset, but no significant difference in this ERP effect between different languages was found. The results indicate that inhibition of non-target languages occurs at the lemma selection phase rather than the language task schemas phase during trilingual language production.     

Diferencias individuales en autocontrol dentro del paradigma de tolerancia a la estimulación aversiva

Resumen

En esta investigación se evaluó el papel que juegan las diferencias individuales en una situación de tolerancia a la estimulación aversiva. Ochenta sujetos divididos en alto-autocontroladores y bajo-autocontroladores, según la puntuación obtenida en la Escala de Autocontrol de Rosenbaum, fueron sometidos a una prueba de presión por frío. Los objetivos fundamentales del estudio fueron: (1) comprobar si sujetos altos y bajos en autocontrol presentan diferencias al enfrentarse al cold-pressor en tolerancia y malestar percibido; (2) comprobar el tipo de estrategias que utilizan los sujetos altos y bajos para enfrentarse a la estimulación aversiva, y su eficacia; (3) comprobar si la utilización de una estrategia distractiva-agradable o de una estrategia que resalta la propia competencia del sujeto frente a la situación aversiva afecta diferencialmente a los sujetos altos y bajos en autocontrol en las medidas de tolerancia del sujeto frente a la situación aversiva afecta diferencialmente a los sujetos altos y bajos en autocontrol en las medidas de tolerancia y malestar percibido. Los resultados de los análisis de covarianza realizados no mostraron diferencias significativas entre los sujetos altos y bajos en autocontrol en el tiempo de tolerancia al agua helada, ni en el malestar percibido durante la prueba, aunque en esta última variable se encontró una interacción significativa entre grupos experimentales y niveles de autocontrol. Se discuten estos resultados.     

Regulation of brain activity in the fusiform face and parahippocampal place areas in 7–11-year-old children

Developmental studies have demonstrated that cognitive processes such as attention, suppression of interference and memory develop throughout childhood and adolescence. However, little is currently known about the development of top-down control mechanisms and their influence on cognitive performance. In the present study, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate modulation of activity in the ventral visual cortex in healthy 7–11-year-old children and young adults. The participants performed tasks that required attention to either face (Fs task) or scene (Sf task) images while trying to ignore distracting scene or face images, respectively. A face-selective area in the fusiform gyrus (fusiform face area, FFA) and an area responding preferentially to scene images in the parahippocampal gyrus (parahippocampal place area, PPA) were defined using functional localizers. Children responded slower and less accurately in the tasks than adults. In children, the right FFA was less selective to face images and regulation of activity between the Fs and Sf tasks was weaker compared to adults. In the PPA, selectivity to scenes and regulation of activity, there according to the task demands were comparable between children and adults. During the tasks, children activated prefrontal cortical areas including the middle (MFG) and superior (SFG) frontal gyrus more than adults. Functional connectivity between the right FFA and left MFG was stronger in adults than children in the Fs task. Children, on the other hand, had stronger functional connectivity than adults in the Sf task between the right FFA and right PPA and between right MFG and medial SFG. There were no group differences in the functional connectivity between the PPA and the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Together the results suggest that, in 7–11-year-old children, the FFA is still immature, whereas the selectivity to scenes and regulation of activity in the PPA is comparable to adults. The results also indicated functional immaturity of the PFC in children compared to adults and weaker connectivity between the PFC and the rFFA, explaining the weaker regulation of activity in the rFFA between the Fs and Sf tasks.     

Brief strategic therapy in first myocardial infarction patients with increased levels of stress: a randomized clinical trial

Background: Little is known about the impact of interventions targeting chronic stress levels on clinical outcomes among myocardial infarction (MI) patients with increased levels of stress. Objectives: To examine the impact of the addition of brief strategic therapy (BST) to usual care (UC) on clinical outcomes in first MI patients with increased levels of stress. Design: Eighty-one patients were randomly assigned to BST in conjunction with UC (medical treatment, risk factor information, and guidance on unhealthy behavior change) or to UC. Methods: The outcome measures were scores on the Perceived Stress Scale, reinfarction and cardiac mortality rates, and scores on the Health Survey. Measures were taken before, post-treatment, and at two follow-ups. Results: Patients subjected to BST showed reduced perceived stress at post-treatment and maintained decreased levels at follow-ups. At 1-year follow-up, they had a lower rate of non-fatal reinfarction, and at 2.5-year follow-up, they had a lower rate of fatal reinfarction. Their mental and physical health was improved at post-treatment and this was sustained at follow-ups. Conclusion: The addition of BST to UC favorably influences the disease course after MI in patients with increased levels of stress.     

Coalition and Opposition in Myself? On Integrative and Confrontational Internal Dialogues,Their Functions,and the Types of Inner Interlocutors

The typology of interlocutors in internal dialogues comprises four main emotional types: faithful friend, ambivalent parent, proud rival, and helpless child. The two studies presented in the article aimed to identify which types appear in integrative and which in confrontational internal dialogues. Additionally, Study 2 compared the functions performed by these two types of dialogues. Both Study 1 (N = 101) and Study 2 (N = 99) confirmed the hypothesis that faithful friend and ambivalent parent are interlocutors typical of integrative dialogues, whereas proud rival and helpless child are characteristic for confrontational ones. It was also found that integrative dialogues perform certain functions—namely, support, bond, insight, and self-guiding—to a greater degree than confrontational dialogues.     

青少年领导力发展的研究述评

青少年时期是领导力发展的最佳时机和关键时机。青少年领导力发展是指对青少年所实施的帮助其增强领导力意识、发展领导力素质及掌握领导力技巧的各种经历或活动。本文在回顾国内外青少年领导力发展的模式、途径和内容等相关研究的基础上,提出了青少年领导力发展的未来研究趋势,主要包括：（1）青少年领导力发展理论模式的实证检验;（2）体育课或体育活动中青少年领导力发展的实证探索;（3）中国背景下青少年领导力发展的实证研究。     

Self-Talk: Conversation With Oneself? On the Types of Internal Interlocutors

The two studies presented in the article aimed to empirically verify the tentative typology of internal interlocutors in self-talk proposed in a previous research project. The typology comprised four emotional types: Faithful Friend, Ambivalent Parent, Proud Rival, and Helpless Child. Study 1 involved 98 participants (49 women) and Study 2 involved 114 (55 women), mostly students. In both studies, the names of internal interlocutors were generated by participants as qualitative data, quantified by reference to the standard set of affect terms, and, as affective patterns, subjected to clustering. Study 2 fully confirmed the recent results, whereas Study 1 revealed a new interlocutor type instead of Helpless Child – Calm Optimist. The conducted studies confirm the existence of four main types of inner interlocutors and provide a reason to verify the existence of Calm Optimist.