Anxiolytic-like activity of SB-205384 in the elevated plus-maze test in mice

Recent studies point to a major role for alpha2-containing GABA-A receptors in modulating anxiety. However, the possible implication of GABA-A receptors containing the alpha3 subunit on anxiety is less known. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of SB-205384 (0.5-4 mg/kg, i.p.), an alpha3 subunit positive modulator of GABA-A receptor, on anxiety tested in the elevated plus-maze in male mice, using classical and ethological parameters. Mice treated with SB-205384 showed an increase in the frequency of entries and the time spent in open arms, as well as a reduction in the time spent in closed arms, as compared with the control group. A notable increase of "head-dipping" unprotected and a reduction of "stretched-attend posture" protected was also evident. These findings indicate that SB-205384 exhibits an anxiolytic-like profile in the elevated plus-maze test, suggesting that GABA-A receptors which contain the alpha3 subunit might be involved in regulation of anxiety.     

Understanding the Transition from Career to Fulltime Motherhood: A Qualitative Study

According to the literature, minimal research has been conducted on fulltime mothers (i.e., stay-at-home mothers [SAHM]); studies dealing with motherhood tend to emphasize the developmental needs of the child versus the mother. The current research seeks to tackle that issue by bringing fulltime motherhood to the forefront. In particular, phenomena related to women transitioning from work to fulltime motherhood are qualitatively examined. Four women participated in this study and shared their personal experiences surrounding this subject matter. A SAHM Model and two SAHM Portraits are created to comprehend and explain the complexities found within their roles.     

Adquisición y evaluación de las funciones pragmáticas del lenguaje: un estudio evolutivo

Resumen

El progresivo interés de los teóricos de la adquisición lingüística en el componente pragmático del lenguaje ha dado pie a la elaboración, en los últimos años, de numerosos índices de medida y taxonomías de clasificación útiles para analizar el uso funcional que del lenguaje hace el niño en los tres primeros años de vida. Aplicando un sistema de análisis propuesto por Ph. Dale (1980) a conductas de carácter comunicativo obtenidas a través de sistemas de elicitación (en tareas estructuradas) y de producción verbal libre (en situación de juego), se revisan en este trabajo algunos aspectos relacionados con la adquisición de las funciones pragmáticas y con la metodología de este tipo de estudios.     

Visual attention and perceptual grouping.

Perceptual organization is thought to involve an analysis of both textural discontinuities and perceptual grouping. In earlier work, we found that textural discontinuities were detected normally even when visual attention was engaged elsewhere. Here we report how perceptual grouping is affected when visual attention is engaged by a concurrent visual task. To elicit perceptual grouping, we used the Gestalt demonstrations of grouping on the basis of proximity and of similarity. Four tasks were investigated, some requiring the observer to discriminate between horizontal and vertical grouping, and some requiring the observer to merely detect the presence or absence of grouping. Visual attention was engaged at the center of the display by a form identification task. The detection of a textural discontinuity served as a control task. Concurrent form identification conflicted with all four grouping tasks, resulting in a significant reduction of grouping performance in each case. No performance reduction was observed when either form identification or grouping discrimination was combined with the detection of a textural discontinuity. These results suggest that perceptual grouping and form identification compete for visual attention, whereas the detection of a textural discontinuity does not.     

Goal programming with dynamic goals

The aim of this paper is to present a dynamic goal programming scheme. Throughout the revised literature, most of the dynamic goal programming approaches use target values on the final value of the objective functionals. In this paper, dynamic target values are assumed, so that they control not only the final values of the corresponding functionals, but their evolution along the planning period. As a result, the scalar problems are also dynamic ones, where the evolution of the deviation variables is minimized. A lexicographic dynamic goal programming algorithm is developed on these basis, and some considerations are made on the efficiency of the final solutions. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Negative High School Experiences Predict Internalizing Symptomatology among Employed U.S. Adults with LD and ADHD

Journal of Adult Development - Adolescence is a formative time in the development of self-concept, and negative self-concept predicts internalizing symptoms in later adulthood. This study examined...     

Item response theory analyses of the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System card sorting subtest

In the current study, we examined the dimensionality of the 16-item Card Sorting subtest of the Delis-Kaplan Executive Functioning System assessment in a sample of 264 native English-speaking children between the ages of 9 and 15 years. We also tested for measurement invariance for these items across age and gender groups using item response theory (IRT). Results of the exploratory factor analysis indicated that a two-factor model that distinguished between verbal and perceptual items provided the best fit to the data. Although the items demonstrated measurement invariance across age groups, measurement invariance was violated for gender groups, with two items demonstrating differential item functioning for males and females. Multigroup analysis using all 16 items indicated that the items were more effective for individuals whose IRT scale scores were relatively high. A single-group explanatory IRT model using 14 non-differential item functioning items showed that for perceptual ability, females scored higher than males and that scores increased with age for both males and females; for verbal ability, the observed increase in scores across age differed for males and females. The implications of these findings are discussed.     

Behavioral profile of L‐655,708, a selective ligand for the benzodiazepine site of GABA‐A receptors which contain the α5 subunit,in social encounters between male mice

GABA‐A receptor is a transmembrane hetero‐oligomeric protein which consists of five subunits, the combination of which confers unique pharmacological properties to the receptor. It is well‐known that the GABAergic system is involved in the modulation of aggression. However, the role of α5/GABA‐A receptors has not been explored. In this study, we examined the effect of L‐655,708 (0.625‐5 mg/kg), a selective ligand for the benzodiazepine site of GABA‐A receptors which contain the α5 subunit, on agonistic behavior elicited by isolation in male mice. Individually housed mice were exposed to an anosmic “standard opponent” 30 min after drug administration, and the encounters were videotaped and evaluated using an ethologically based analysis. L‐655,708 (5 mg/kg) exhibited an ethopharmacological profile characterized by a marked reduction of the time spent in offensive behavior (threat and attack) without affecting immobility, accompanied by a significant increase of avoidance/flee and nonsocial exploration behaviors, suggesting that the antiaggressive effect of the drug is unselective. Overall, this behavioral profile might indicate the existence of an anxiogenic‐like activity of L‐655,708 in mice. Aggr. Behav. 30:319–325, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Borderline personality traits in nonclinical young adults

The main purpose of this study was to explore the dimensionality of the borderline personality disorder in nonclinical young adults by means of the Borderline Personality Questionnaire (BPQ; Poreh et al., 2006). We also studied the phenotypic expression of the borderline personality traits as a function of participants' gender and age, and the relationship between BPQ subscales and measures of depressive symptoms, anxiety, stress, hallucinatory predisposition, and paranoid ideation. The sample comprised 809 young adults, 562 (69.5%) were women, with a mean age of 20.2 years (SD = 2.9). The results indicate that the BPQ self-report has adequate psychometric properties. The levels of internal consistency for the BPQ subscales ranged between .78 and .93. Analysis of the internal structure of the BPQ subscales yielded a one-dimensional solution. In contrast, second-order principal components analysis at the item level yielded a five-dimensional solution. Likewise, statistically significant differences in the mean scores of the borderline personality traits as a function of participants' gender and age were found. The BPQ subscales correlated significantly with measures of depression, anxiety, stress, paranoid ideation, and hallucinatory predisposition. These results help to improve our understanding of the dimensional structure of the borderline personality in the general population. Future research should continue to identify participants who are at risk for the development of borderline personality disorder and facilitating the development of early detection and prevention programs.