Convergence between the Daily Stress Inventory and endocrine measures of stress.

This investigation examined the convergent validity between endocrine measures of stress and the Daily Stress Inventory (DSI), a daily measure of minor psychological stressors. Daily urinary measures of cortisol and vanillylmandelic acid (VMA) and daily DSIs were provided by 18 subjects for 10 days. Due to potential reactivity effects, the first day was eliminated and only 9 days were used in the analyses. The DSI was used to select high-stress and low-stress days. During the high-stress days, both VMA and cortisol levels were elevated compared with the low-stress days. These results provide support for the validity of the DSI as a measure of daily minor stress. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A further study of the relationship between response bias and perceptual defense.

Ss were exposed to tachistoscopically-presented pairs of words and asked to report whether a particular word was on the left or right of a fixation point. A non-statistically-significant trend showed that Ss tended to demonstrate a response bias in terms of reporting anxiety or neutral words on one or the other side whether or not they were in fact on the stated side of the point. A 2nd phase of the experiment presented S with blank stimulus fields although S was expecting words. A response bias was not demonstrated. "… it is suggested that the use of a forced-choice spatial indicator of perception may undermine the motivational basis for perceptual defense." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cross talk between adhesion molecules: control of N-cadherin activity by intracellular signals elicited by beta1 and beta3 integrins in migrating neural crest cells

During embryonic development, cell migration and cell differentiation are associated with dynamic modulations both in time and space of the repertoire and function of adhesion receptors, but the nature of the mechanisms responsible for their coordinated occurrence remains to be elucidated. Thus, migrating neural crest cells adhere to fibronectin in an integrin-dependent manner while maintaining reduced N-cadherin-mediated intercellular contacts. In the present study we provide evidence that, in these cells, the control of N-cadherin may rely directly on the activity of integrins involved in the process of cell motion. Prevention of neural crest cell migration using RGD peptides or antibodies to fibronectin and to beta1 and beta3 integrins caused rapid N-cadherin-mediated cell clustering. Restoration of stable intercellular contacts resulted essentially from the recruitment of an intracellular pool of N-cadherin molecules that accumulated into adherens junctions in tight association with the cytoskeleton and not from the redistribution of a preexisting pool of surface N-cadherin molecules. In addition, agents that cause elevation of intracellular Ca2+ after entry across the plasma membrane were potent inhibitors of cell aggregation and reduced the N-cadherin- mediated junctions in the cells. Finally, elevated serine/ threonine phosphorylation of catenins associated with N-cadherin accompanied the restoration of intercellular contacts. These results indicate that, in migrating neural crest cells, beta1 and beta3 integrins are at the origin of a cascade of signaling events that involve transmembrane Ca2+ fluxes, followed by activation of phosphatases and kinases, and that ultimately control the surface distribution and activity of N-cadherin. Such a direct coupling between adhesion receptors by means of intracellular signals may be significant for the coordinated interplay between cell-cell and cell-substratum adhesion that occurs during embryonic development, in wound healing, and during tumor invasion and metastasis.     

Modulation of the action control system by social intention: Unexpected social requests override preplanned action.

Four experiments investigated the influence of a sudden social request on the kinematics of a preplanned action. In Experiment 1, participants were requested to grasp an object and then locate it within a container (unperturbed trials). On 20% of trials, a human agent seated nearby the participant unexpectedly stretched out her arm and unfolded her hand as if to ask for the object (perturbed trials). In the remaining 3 experiments, similar procedures were adopted except that (a) the human was replaced by a robotic agent, (b) the gesture performed by the human agent did not imply a social request, and (c) the gaze of the human agent was not available. Only when the perturbation was characterized by a social request involving a human agent were there kinematic changes to the action directed toward the target. Conversely, no effects on kinematics were evident when the perturbation was caused by the robotic agent or by a human agent performing a nonsocial gesture. These findings are discussed in the light of current theories proposed to explain the effects of social context on the control of action. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

In defense of a modular architecture for the number-processing system: Reply to Campbell and Clark.

In several recent articles we have developed a model of the cognitive number-processing and calculation system. J. I. D. Campbell and J. M. Clark (see record 1988-00038-001), commenting on one of these articles (M. McCloskey et al [see PA, Vol 74:797]), called into question our model's assumption of a modular functional architecture and a single form of internal numerical representation. Campbell and Clark proposed as an alternative a nonmodular encoding-complex view. In this reply we discuss the results offered by Campbell and Clark as evidence against our model, arguing that several of these results are in fact consistent with the model and that the remaining results, while raising significant issues, by no means justify abandonment of the modular framework and the constraints it imposes. We also point out that whereas our model provides specific, well-motivated interpretations for a substantial body of empirical findings, the encoding-complex view is so underspecified and unconstrained as to be vacuous. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The relationship between psychological stress and insulin-dependent diabetic blood glucose control: Preliminary investigations.

Evaluated the effect of stress on blood glucose levels in 59 insulin-dependent diabetics (aged 18–78 yrs). In Exp I, there was a significant positive correlation between a hassles scale and hemoglobin A? levels (an index of blood glucose fluctuation). Social supports, Type A behavior, and reported therapeutic compliance neither correlated with hemoglobin A? nor influenced the hassles–hemoglobin A? relationship. In Exp II, 123 Ss generally perceived stress as a potent factor in blood glucose control. However, results suggest that different stressors may have differential effects for different diabetic patients. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Amphetamine and operant behavior in rats: Relationship between drug effect and control response rate.

Examined the effect of amphetamine on the rate of operant responding, using rats trained to press a lever for water reinforcement; 2 experiments were conducted with male albinos of the ZM/Sprague-Dawley strain. Amphetamine's effect was strongly correlated with the mean predrug rate of responding: drug-induced increases in rate were inversely proportional to control rates, while drug-induced decreases were directly proportional to control rates. This relationship was observed in different groups of Ss trained to perform on different types of reinforcement schedules (FR, FI, and VI), in a single group of Ss performing on different schedules of the same type (different FRs), and for a single group of Ss performing in different segments of the same schedule (FI). (36 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The response of men to affirmative action strategies for women: The study of a predictive model.

Evaluated the effect of relative deprivation on behalf of others (RDBO), social identification (IDEN), and intergroup differentiation (DIFF) on attitudes of men and their behavioral intentions concerning affirmative action strategies on behalf of women. The variables were integrated in a predictive model that was tested using path analysis. 122 male university students (aged 17–36 yrs) participated by responding to a questionnaire pertaining to IDEN, DIFF, RDBO, and intentions. Intentions to affirmative action strategies were influenced by social identity and RDBO. RDBO acted as a mediating variable between intergroup differentiation and intentions to implement affirmative action strategies. Results show that affirmative action can be positively received by males. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Need for stimulation as a source of stress response to perceptual isolation.

The study was undertaken to see if Ss who had shown a greater stress reaction to perceptual isolation could be shown to have a greater "need" for stimulation than those who were not so stressed by isolation. Ss selected on the basis of their high or low reactions to the prior isolation experiment were tested in a second 3-hr perceptual isolation situation, only this time they were given the opportunity to make an operant response which would produce random visual or auditory stimulation depending on their choice. Those previously stressed by isolation made significantly more responses for visual and auditory reinforcement than the low-stress group. All Ss responded more for visual than for auditory reinforcement. (29 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Inhibition of gene expression by steroid hormone receptors via a negative glucocorticoid response element: evidence for the involvement of DNA-binding and agonistic effects of the antiglucocorticoid/antiprogestin RU486

We have used a negative glucocorticoid response element (nGRE) from the bovine prolactin promoter linked to the gene for chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (PRL3CAT) to study the inhibition of gene expression by steroid hormone receptors. This nGRE increased basal expression from a heterologous promoter in COS-7 cells. In the presence of cotransfected glucocorticoid (GR), androgen, or progesterone receptor (PR) expression vectors and their cognate ligands, the expression of PRL3CAT could be repressed, indicating that these steroid receptor subfamily members could function through the same negative response element. No repression was observed with the estrogen receptor, showing that the repressive effect was specific for members of the GR-subfamily. Mutation of three amino acids within the GR-DNA binding domain that determine the specificity of GR-GRE interaction abolished the ability of the GR to inhibit the expression of PRL3CAT, demonstrating the requirement for DNA binding of the GR in the mechanism of repression. The antiglucocorticoid/antiprogestin RU486 when bound to PR or GR also repressed the expression of the PRL3CAT, but higher concentrations of RU486 were required to obtain an effect with the GR when compared to the PR. RU486 was unable to antagonize the effect of progestins on PRL3CAT and only partially antagonized the glucocorticoid repression. Thus, regarding the repression of PRL3CAT, RU486 acted as an agonist when bound to the PR and as a partial agonist when bound to the GR.     

Alcohol and cognitive control: Implications for regulation of behavior during response conflict.

Alcohol intoxication often leads to dysregulated behavior in contexts characterized by conflict between prepotent response tendencies and incompatible alternative responses. Recent research has identified 2 components of an anterior executive attention system that are essential for adaptive behavior when response conflict exists. Event-related potential (ERP) measures of evaluative and regulative cognitive control were collected to determine if impaired executive attention was responsible for observed behavior deficits when intoxicated. Intoxicated participants displayed task performance deficits on incongruent color-naming trials relative to sober controls. Alcohol did not affect P3 magnitude/latency, indicating that timing and integrity of stimulus evaluation remained intact. In contrast, alcohol did reduce frontal components of ERP that index evaluative and regulative cognitive control processes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Toward a psychophysics of agency: Detecting gain and loss of control over auditory action effects.

Theories of agency--the feeling of being in control of one's actions and their effects--emphasize either perceptual or cognitive aspects. This study addresses both aspects simultaneously in a finger-tapping paradigm. The tasks required participants to detect when synchronization of their taps with computer-controlled tones changed to self-controlled production of tones, or the reverse. For comparison, the tone sequences recorded in these active tapping conditions were also presented in passive listening conditions, in which participants had to detect the transition from computer to human control, or vice versa. Signal detection theory was applied to separate sensitivity from bias. Sensorimotor cues to agency were found to increase sensitivity in the active conditions compared with the passive conditions, which provided only perceptual cues. Analysis of bias revealed a tendency to attribute action effects to self-control. Thus, judgments of agency rely on veridical sensorimotor cues but can also be subject to cognitive bias. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Primary prevention: Historical perspectives and a blueprint for action.

Provides a history of primary prevention program development at the National Institute of Mental Health, achievements to date, and the unmet needs and future directions that must be addressed to advance the field of prevention. Specific proposals for action are identified as a blueprint for further program development at the nation, state, and local levels. Specialized perspectives of public service within a federal agency, as well as the opportunities to participate in shaping public policy that such national programs provide, are discussed. (18 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Alcohol and free radicals. Various consequences: protein synthesis, endocrine disorders, immunity. Role of stress

Ethanol is a powerful generator of oxygen free radicals, when metabolized in the liver or in other organs. Isoenzyme 2E1 of cytochrome P450 and aldehyde oxidase are the main mechanisms for the generation of these radicals. A consequence of free radical generation is a decrease in protein synthesis. As a result we have endocrine and immunity alterations. The paper ords with a brief discussion of stress associated to alcoholism.