RESUMO
In a visual search task, attention to task-irrelevant distractors impedes search performance. However, is it maladaptive to future performance? Here, I showed that attended distractors in a visual search task were better remembered in long-term memory (LTM) in the subsequent surprise recognition task than non-attended distractors. In four experiments, participants performed a visual search task using real-world objects of a single color. They encoded color in working memory (WM) during the task; because each object had a different color, participants directed their attention to the WM-matching colored distractor. Then, in the surprise recognition task, participants were required to indicate whether an object had been shown in the earlier visual search task, regardless of its color. The results showed that attended distractors were remembered better in LTM than non-attended distractors (Experiments 1 and 2). Moreover, the more participants directed their attention to distractors, the better they explicitly remembered them. Participants did not explicitly remember the color of the attended distractors (Experiment 3) but remembered integrated information with object and color (Experiment 4). When the color of the distractors in the recognition task was mismatched with the color in the visual search task, LTM decreased compared to color-matching distractors. These results suggest that attention to distractors impairs search for a target but is helpful in remembering distractors in LTM. When task-irrelevant distractors become task-relevant information in the future, their attention becomes beneficial.
Assuntos
Memória de Longo Prazo , Memória de Curto Prazo , Humanos , Rememoração Mental , Reconhecimento Psicológico , Percepção VisualRESUMO
Social anxiety is associated with attentional bias and working memory for emotional stimuli; however, the ways in which social anxiety affects cognitive functions involving non-emotional stimuli remains unclear. The present study focused on the role of attentional networks (i.e. alerting, orienting, and executive control networks) and visuospatial working memory capacity (WMC) for non-emotional stimuli in the context of social anxiety. One hundred and seventeen undergraduates completed questionnaires on social anxiety. They then performed an attentional network test and a change detection task to measure visuospatial WMC. Orienting network and visuospatial WMC were positively correlated with social anxiety. A multiple regression analysis showed significant positive associations of alerting, orienting, and visuospatial WMC with social anxiety. Alerting, orienting networks, and high visuospatial WMC for non-emotional stimuli may predict degree of social anxiety.
Assuntos
Ansiedade/psicologia , Viés de Atenção , Memória de Curto Prazo , Adolescente , Adulto , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Análise de Regressão , Inquéritos e Questionários , Adulto JovemRESUMO
In the present study, we explored the linguistic nature of specific memories generated with the Autobiographical Memory Test (AMT) by developing a computerized classifier that distinguishes between specific and nonspecific memories. The AMT is regarded as one of the most important assessment tools to study memory dysfunctions (e.g., difficulty recalling the specific details of memories) in psychopathology. In Study 1, we utilized the Japanese corpus data of 12,400 cue-recalled memories tagged with observer-rated specificity. We extracted linguistic features of particular relevance to memory specificity, such as past tense, negation, and adverbial words and phrases pertaining to time and location. On the basis of these features, a support vector machine (SVM) was trained to classify the memories into specific and nonspecific categories, which achieved an area under the curve (AUC) of .92 in a performance test. In Study 2, the trained SVM was tested in terms of its robustness in classifying novel memories (n = 8,478) that were retrieved in response to cue words that were different from those used in Study 1. The SVM showed an AUC of .89 in classifying the new memories. In Study 3, we extended the binary SVM to a five-class classification of the AMT, which achieved 64%-65% classification accuracy, against the chance level (20%) in the performance tests. Our data suggest that memory specificity can be identified with a relatively small number of words, capturing the universal linguistic features of memory specificity across memories in diverse contents.
Assuntos
Linguística , Memória Episódica , Máquina de Vetores de Suporte , Adulto , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Sensibilidade e Especificidade , Adulto JovemRESUMO
BACKGROUND: CD133 is a membrane glycoprotein containing five transmembrane loops. Previous reports suggest that a CD133-positive subpopulation of multipotent cells with extensive proliferative and self-renewal characteristics has biological features of a cancer stem cell. In addition, the presence of CD133-positive cells was associated with a significantly poorer prognosis for some solid tumors, compared to those with CD133-negative cells. However, the clinicopathological significance of CD133 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains controversial. METHODS: We conducted immunohistochemical assessment of 161 NSCLCs surgically resected at Hokkaido University Hospital between 1982 and 1994 to evaluate correlations between CD133 expression and various clinicopathological features. RESULTS: CD133 expression was significantly correlated with pathological stages (pStages) II, III, and IV for the various NSCLC types analyzed and was an independent factor for unfavorable prognosis in this population (hazard ratio = 3.157, P = 0.015). CONCLUSION: CD133 expression was correlated with pStage and was predictive of unfavorable prognosis in patients with pStages II, III, and IV NSCLC. These results suggest the possibility of using CD133 as a novel prognostic marker in these patients.
Assuntos
Antígenos CD/análise , Carcinoma Pulmonar de Células não Pequenas/mortalidade , Glicoproteínas/análise , Neoplasias Pulmonares/mortalidade , Peptídeos/análise , Antígeno AC133 , Adulto , Idoso , Carcinoma Pulmonar de Células não Pequenas/química , Carcinoma Pulmonar de Células não Pequenas/patologia , Feminino , Humanos , Imuno-Histoquímica , Neoplasias Pulmonares/química , Neoplasias Pulmonares/patologia , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Estadiamento de Neoplasias , Prognóstico , Modelos de Riscos ProporcionaisRESUMO
The anger superiority effect shows that an angry face is detected more efficiently than a happy face. However, it is still controversial whether attentional allocation to angry faces is a bottom-up process or not. We investigated whether the anger superiority effect is influenced by top-down control, especially working memory (WM). Participants remembered a colour and then searched for differently coloured facial expressions. Just holding the colour information in WM did not modulate the anger superiority effect. However, when increasing the probabilities of trials in which the colour of a target face matched the colour held in WM, participants were inclined to direct attention to the target face regardless of the facial expression. Moreover, the knowledge of high probability of valid trials eliminated the anger superiority effect. These results suggest that the anger superiority effect is modulated by top-down effects of WM, the probability of events and expectancy about these probabilities.
Assuntos
Ira , Memória de Curto Prazo , Adolescente , Adulto , Atenção , Expressão Facial , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Tempo de Reação , Percepção Visual , Adulto JovemRESUMO
Mental imagery attracts attention to imagery-matching stimuli. However, it remains unknown whether voluntarily imagined atypical color also attracts attention to a stimulus that matches the imagery when the imagined stimuli are color-diagnostic objects, which are strongly associated with typical color. This study investigated whether people can voluntarily imagine atypical colors of such objects and attend to imagery-matching stimuli. Participants in the imagery group were instructed to imagine an atypical color of the black-white objects according to the instructed color or voluntarily selected color, whereas participants in the control group were instructed to attend to the objects without any instruction of imagery. Thereafter, they detected a color target in a visual search task. Results revealed that participants in the imagery group directed attention to the imagery-matching atypical color, not to the original color of the object in the search. Meanwhile, participants in the control group did not demonstrate any attentional guidance. These results suggest that voluntarily imagining atypical color can attenuate mental representations of the original color imagery and change attention to a stimulus that matches imagery.
Assuntos
Imaginação , Percepção Visual , HumanosRESUMO
This study investigated whether sensitivity to and evaluation of facial expressions varied with repeated exposure to non-prototypical facial expressions for a short presentation time. A morphed facial expression was presented for 500 ms repeatedly, and participants were required to indicate whether each facial expression was happy or angry. We manipulated the distribution of presentations of the morphed facial expressions for each facial stimulus. Some of the individuals depicted in the facial stimuli expressed anger frequently (i.e., anger-prone individuals), while the others expressed happiness frequently (i.e., happiness-prone individuals). After being exposed to the faces of anger-prone individuals, the participants became less sensitive to those individuals' angry faces. Further, after being exposed to the faces of happiness-prone individuals, the participants became less sensitive to those individuals' happy faces. We also found a relative increase in the social desirability of happiness-prone individuals after exposure to the facial stimuli.
Assuntos
Emoções , Expressão Facial , Reconhecimento Visual de Modelos , Reconhecimento Psicológico , Percepção Social , Adulto , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Priming de Repetição , Adulto JovemRESUMO
SMARCA4-deficient undifferentiated tumor (SMARCA4-UT) is a high-grade malignant neoplasm showing undifferentiated or rhabdoid morphology that significantly involves the thorax of adults. It has been reported as SMARCA4-deficient thoracic sarcoma or SMARCA4-deficient non-small cell lung carcinoma according to the findings of immunohistochemical and genetic studies. We report a case of thoracic SMARCA4-UT for which cell block analysis and immunohistochemical staining were useful for the final diagnosis. A 51-year-old man had a chief complaint of left back pain and visited our hospital for further examination. Cytological examination of a left pleural effusion was performed and we also made a cell block of the pleural effusion. Cytological examination revealed polyhedral to round tumor cells. The tumor cells appeared singly or formed loosely cohesive clusters. The nuclei were round to oval, enlarged, and sometimes eccentric with prominent nucleoli with irregular borders. The nuclear chromatin was unevenly distributed. The cytoplasm was vacuolar to eosinophilic. There were no characteristic structures of tumor cells. The cell block revealed many single or loosely cohesive round to epithelioid cells. Some tumor cells often exhibited eccentrically located nuclei and lightly eosinophilic cytoplasm, showing a rhabdoid morphology. On immunohistochemistry, the tumor cells were positive for SOX-2 and they demonstrated significantly reduced SMARCA4 (BRG1) expression; SMARCA2 (BRM) and SMARCB1 (INI1) expression were retained. Accordingly, we made a diagnosis of SMARCA4-UT. This case demonstrates the importance of performing histological and immunohistochemical analysis using cell blocks for immediate diagnosis.
Assuntos
Carcinoma Pulmonar de Células não Pequenas , Neoplasias Pulmonares , Sarcoma , Masculino , Adulto , Humanos , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Sarcoma/patologia , Neoplasias Pulmonares/diagnóstico , Biomarcadores Tumorais/metabolismo , DNA Helicases/genética , Proteínas Nucleares/genética , Fatores de Transcrição/genéticaRESUMO
It is important to determine the activation status of Rac and Cdc42 in cancer tissues for the prediction of metastasis and patient prognosis. However, it has been impossible to detect their spatial activation on formalin-fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) surgical specimens thus far. Here, we established a novel detection technique for activated Rac/Cdc42 in human colon cancer FFPE tissues by using a p21-activated kinase (PAK)-Rac binding domain (RBD) detection probe fused with glutathione S-transferase (GST), designated GST-PAK-RBD, and novel rapid-immunohistochemistry (R-IHC) systems using noncontact alterating-current electric field mixing, although there is a technical limitation in that it may not distinguish between Rac members and Cdc42. In 50 cases of colon cancer, various activation patterns of Rac/Cdc42 were observed, which were designated plasma membrane, cytoplasm, mixed pattern, and polarized distribution. The activity was striking in the invasive fronts of tumors and significantly correlated with tumor invasion properties evaluated by TNM classification. Of note, in tissue microarray (TMA) samples, 29 of 33 cases demonstrated higher Rac1/Cdc42 activity in the tumor area than the corresponding normal mucosa. In addition, positive correlations were detected between Rac/Cdc42 activity and clinicopathological factors such as venous and lymphatic vessel invasion. These results suggest that understanding Rac and Cdc42 activations in cancer tissues would be valuable as an option for molecular therapy as personalized medicine.
Assuntos
Biomarcadores Tumorais/metabolismo , Neoplasias do Colo/enzimologia , Imuno-Histoquímica , Proteína cdc42 de Ligação ao GTP/metabolismo , Proteínas rac de Ligação ao GTP/metabolismo , Animais , Neoplasias do Colo/patologia , Eletricidade , Ativação Enzimática , Células HCT116 , Células HEK293 , Humanos , Camundongos Endogâmicos BALB C , Camundongos Nus , Invasividade Neoplásica , Estadiamento de Neoplasias , Valor Preditivo dos Testes , Análise Serial de TecidosRESUMO
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The results of a randomized controlled study and meta-analysis study have recently proved that Helicobacter pylori eradication has a preventive effect against the development of metachronous and primary gastric cancer. However, gastric cancer is sometimes detected after successful eradication. There is a lack of study about gastric cancers in eradicated patients. To clarify the characteristics of gastric cancers detected after H. pylori eradication, we analyzed the clinicopathological features of these cancers. METHODS: The subjects were 18 early-stage gastric cancer specimens resected from 17 patients who had received successful eradication of H. pylori from February 1995 to March 2009. The control group consisted of 36 specimens from noneradicated patients with persistent H. pylori infection who were matched with the subjects in age, sex, and depth of invasion. Clinicopathological features and mucin phenotypes of gastric cancer were clinically and immunohistologically evaluated. RESULTS: The average diameter of gastric cancer was smaller and Ki-67 index was lower in the eradication group. The morphological distribution of depression types was significantly lower in the control group. Immunohistochemical phenotyping revealed that 72.2% of the lesions in the eradicated group were complete gastric type or gastric predominant mixed type, whereas the percentages of gastric type and intestinal type in the control group were similar. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that the clinicopathological characteristics of gastric cancers detected after H. pylori eradication are different from those of gastric cancers in patients with persistent H. pylori infection. H. pylori eradication may suppress intestinalization during the development of gastric cancer.
Assuntos
Infecções por Helicobacter/complicações , Helicobacter pylori/fisiologia , Neoplasias Gástricas/diagnóstico , Neoplasias Gástricas/patologia , Idoso , Estudos de Casos e Controles , Detecção Precoce de Câncer , Feminino , Seguimentos , Infecções por Helicobacter/tratamento farmacológico , Infecções por Helicobacter/microbiologia , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Estadiamento de Neoplasias , Neoplasias Gástricas/etiologia , Neoplasias Gástricas/microbiologiaRESUMO
We investigated the interaction between endogenous and exogenous attention for the processing of emotional stimuli in individuals with high social anxiety using accuracy rates. Following the presentation of an endogenous cue at the centre, exogenous cues (i.e., angry and neutral faces) were presented at peripheral locations. Subsequently, non-emotional masked targets were presented, and the participants were instructed to discriminate between the targets. With respect to exogenous attention, high socially anxious people exhibited higher accuracy when the angry face and target appeared on the same side than when they appeared on different sides, whereas low socially anxious people did not exhibit such effects. On the other hand, different abilities of endogenous attention were not observed between high and low socially anxious people. These results suggest that exogenous attention is biased towards threat in high socially anxious people.
Assuntos
Ira , Ansiedade/psicologia , Atenção , Expressão Facial , Percepção Visual , Adulto , Sinais (Psicologia) , Discriminação Psicológica , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Estimulação Luminosa/métodos , Escalas de Graduação Psiquiátrica/estatística & dados numéricos , Desempenho PsicomotorRESUMO
BACKGROUND: The determination of protein-protein interfaces is of crucial importance to understand protein function and to guide the design of compounds. To identify protein-protein interface by NMR spectroscopy, 13C NMR paramagnetic shifts induced by freely diffusing 4-hydroxy-2, 2, 6, 6-tetramethyl-piperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPOL) are promising, because TEMPOL affects distinct 13C NMR chemical shifts of the solvent accessible nuclei belonging to proteins of interest, while 13C nuclei within the interior of the proteins may be distinguished by a lack of such shifts. METHOD: We measured the 13C NMR paramagnetic shifts induced by TEMPOL by recording 13C-(13)C TOCSY spectra for ubiquitin in the free state and the complex state with yeast ubiquitin hydrolase1 (YUH1). RESULTS: Upon complexation of ubiquitin with YUH1, 13C NMR paramagnetic shifts associated with the protein binding interface were reduced by 0.05 ppm or more. The identified interfacial atoms agreed with the prior X-ray crystallographic data. CONCLUSIONS: The TEMPOL-induced 13C chemical shift perturbation is useful to determine precise protein-protein interfaces. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: The present method is a useful method to determine protein-protein interface by NMR, because it has advantages in easy sample preparations, simple data analyses, and wide applicabilities.
Assuntos
Óxidos N-Cíclicos/farmacologia , Endopeptidases/química , Espectroscopia de Ressonância Magnética/métodos , Proteínas de Saccharomyces cerevisiae/química , Sítios de Ligação , Isótopos de Carbono , Cristalografia por Raios X , Endopeptidases/metabolismo , Modelos Moleculares , Ligação Proteica/efeitos dos fármacos , Estrutura Secundária de Proteína , Estrutura Terciária de Proteína , Reprodutibilidade dos Testes , Proteínas de Saccharomyces cerevisiae/metabolismo , Marcadores de Spin , Ubiquitina/química , Ubiquitina/metabolismoRESUMO
The oral administration of peptide drugs is hampered by their metabolic instability and limited intestinal uptake. Here, we describe a method for the generation of small target-specific peptides (less than 1,600 Da in size) that resist gastrointestinal proteases. By using phage display to screen large libraries of genetically encoded double-bridged peptides on protease-resistant fd bacteriophages, we generated a peptide inhibitor of the coagulation Factor XIa with nanomolar affinity that resisted gastrointestinal proteases in all regions of the gastrointestinal tract of mice after oral administration, enabling more than 30% of the peptide to remain intact, and small quantities of it to reach the blood circulation. We also developed a gastrointestinal-protease-resistant peptide antagonist for the interleukin-23 receptor, which has a role in the pathogenesis of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. The de novo generation of targeted peptides that resist proteolytic degradation in the gastrointestinal tract should help the development of effective peptides for oral delivery.
Assuntos
Peptídeos/administração & dosagem , Peptídeos/uso terapêutico , Proteólise , Administração Oral , Sequência de Aminoácidos , Animais , Técnicas de Visualização da Superfície Celular , Cristalografia por Raios X , Feminino , Trato Gastrointestinal/metabolismo , Humanos , Isomerismo , Camundongos Endogâmicos BALB C , Modelos Moleculares , Peptídeo Hidrolases/metabolismo , Biblioteca de Peptídeos , Peptídeos/química , Estabilidade Proteica , Estrutura Secundária de Proteína , Receptores de Interleucina/antagonistas & inibidores , Receptores de Interleucina/metabolismoRESUMO
Biphenotypic sinonasal sarcoma (BSNS) is a rare low-grade spindle cell sarcoma that predominantly affects middle-aged women with multiple tumors in the sinonasal tract. BSNS shows biphenotypic expression of neural and myogenic markers on immunohistochemistry (IHC) with a specific chimeric PAX3-MAML3 fusion. The cytological features of BSNS have so far not been reported. Here, we describe a case of BSNS including findings of imprint cytology, histology, IHC, and genetic analysis. A 30-year-old woman presented with a nodular tumor that completely occupied the ethmoid sinus. The tumor was resected and submitted for imprint cytology, which revealed relatively bland spindle tumor cells that had mildly enlarged oval to spindle-shaped nuclei with fine nuclear chromatin and a thin nuclear rim in a clear background. Nucleoli were inconspicuous and there was no significant nuclear atypia and pleomorphism. These cytological findings were consistent with the histology of low-grade spindle cell sarcoma in BSNS. On IHC, the tumor cells were focally positive for S-100 protein and α-smooth muscle actin; nuclear ß-catenin expression was also seen. PAX3 split signals were detected in 52% of tumor cells by fluorescence in situ hybridization. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction also identified a chimeric PAX3-MAML3 fusion gene. Based on these findings, we diagnosed the tumor as BSNS. Our findings revealed that a relatively bland spindle cell cytology with a clear background is a characteristic feature of BSNS. BSNS should therefore be differentiated from benign and bland-appearing malignant spindle cell tumors and the combination of cytology, histology, IHC, and genetic analysis facilitates the diagnosis of BSNS.
Assuntos
Neoplasias dos Seios Paranasais/patologia , Sarcoma/patologia , Adulto , Proteínas de Ligação a DNA/genética , Feminino , Humanos , Proteínas Nucleares/genética , Proteínas de Fusão Oncogênica/genética , Fator de Transcrição PAX3/genética , Neoplasias dos Seios Paranasais/genética , Fenótipo , Sarcoma/genética , Transativadores , Fatores de Transcrição/genéticaRESUMO
Visual mental imagery resembles visual working memory (VWM). Because both visual mental imagery and VWM involve the representation and manipulation of visual information, it was hypothesized that they would exert similar effects on visual attention. Several previous studies have demonstrated that working-memory representations guide attention toward a memory-matching task-irrelevant stimulus during visual-search tasks. Therefore, mental imagery may also guide attention toward imagery-matching stimuli. In the present study, five experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of visual mental imagery on visual attention during a visual-search task. Participants were instructed to visualize a color or an object clearly associated with a specific color, after which they were asked to detect a colored target in the visual-search task. Reaction times for target detection were shorter when the color of the target matched the imagined color, and when the color of the target was similar to that strongly associated with the imagined object, than when the color of the target did not match that of the mental representation. This effect was not observed when participants were not instructed to imagine a color. These results suggest that similar to VWM, visual mental imagery guides attention toward imagery-matching stimuli.
Assuntos
Atenção , Imaginação , Memória de Curto Prazo , Percepção Visual , Adolescente , Cor , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Tempo de Reação , Adulto JovemRESUMO
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, is a chronic intestinal inflammatory condition initiated by integrins-mediated leukocyte adhesion to the activated colonic microvascular endothelium. Calreticulin (CRT), a calcium-binding chaperone, is known as a partner in the activation of integrin α subunits (ITGAs). The relationship between their interaction and the pathogenesis of IBD is largely unknown. Here we show that a small molecule, orally active ER-464195-01, inhibits the CRT binding to ITGAs, which suppresses the adhesiveness of both T cells and neutrophils. Transcriptome analysis on colon samples from dextran sodium sulfate-induced colitis mice reveals that the increased expression of pro-inflammatory genes is downregulated by ER-464195-01. Its prophylactic and therapeutic administration to IBD mouse models ameliorates the severity of their diseases. We propose that leukocytes infiltration via the binding of CRT to ITGAs is necessary for the onset and development of the colitis and the inhibition of this interaction may be a novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of IBD.
Assuntos
Anti-Inflamatórios/farmacologia , Calreticulina/imunologia , Colite Ulcerativa/imunologia , Cicloexanos/farmacologia , Cadeias alfa de Integrinas/imunologia , Piperazinas/farmacologia , Animais , Anti-Inflamatórios/uso terapêutico , Calreticulina/antagonistas & inibidores , Colite Ulcerativa/induzido quimicamente , Colite Ulcerativa/tratamento farmacológico , Colo/citologia , Colo/imunologia , Colo/patologia , Cicloexanos/uso terapêutico , Sulfato de Dextrana/toxicidade , Modelos Animais de Doenças , Feminino , Voluntários Saudáveis , Humanos , Cadeias alfa de Integrinas/metabolismo , Células Jurkat , Masculino , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos BALB C , Camundongos SCID , Infiltração de Neutrófilos/efeitos dos fármacos , Infiltração de Neutrófilos/imunologia , Neutrófilos/efeitos dos fármacos , Neutrófilos/imunologia , Piperazinas/uso terapêutico , Ligação Proteica , Linfócitos T/efeitos dos fármacos , Linfócitos T/imunologiaRESUMO
According to cognitive theories, verbal processing attenuates emotional processing, whereas visual imagery enhances emotional processing and contributes to the maintenance of social anxiety. Individuals with social anxiety report negative mental images in social situations. However, the general ability of visual mental imagery of neutral scenes in individuals with social anxiety is still unclear. The present study investigated the general ability of non-emotional mental imagery (vividness, preferences for imagery vs. verbal processing, and object or spatial imagery) and the moderating role of effortful control in attenuating social anxiety. The participants (N = 231) completed five questionnaires. The results showed that social anxiety was not necessarily associated with all aspects of mental imagery. As suggested by theories, social anxiety was not associated with a preference for verbal processing. However, social anxiety was positively correlated with the visual imagery scale, especially the object imagery scale, which concerns the ability to construct pictorial images of individual objects. Further, it was negatively correlated with the spatial imagery scale, which concerns the ability to process information about spatial relations between objects. Although object imagery and spatial imagery positively and negatively predicted the degree of social anxiety, respectively, these effects were attenuated when socially anxious individuals had high effortful control. Specifically, in individuals with high effortful control, both object and spatial imagery were not associated with social anxiety. Socially anxious individuals might prefer to construct pictorial images of individual objects in natural scenes through object imagery. However, even in individuals who exhibit these features of mental imagery, effortful control could inhibit the increase in social anxiety.
RESUMO
Studies on autobiographical memory retrieval highlight the prominence of rapid and direct access to a specific event memory. Because it has been believed that autobiographical memory retrieval mostly relies on an effortful generative process, there is little empirical evidence on the early stage of information processing that contributes to autobiographical memory specificity (AMS). Therefore, we investigated the associations between AMS and automatic activation of information stimulated by rapid presentation of emotional words. Study 1 involved a visual search task to assess activation of various distractors in working memory. Participants with reduced AMS showed a tendency to activate distractors that were not semantically associated with preceding cues. In Study 2, we manipulated the levels of AMS by using a computerized version of Memory Specificity Training (c-MeST) to observe the changes in the activation of distractors. Results showed that increases in AMS were associated with decreases in activation of cue-unassociated distractors. These findings suggest that reduced AMS can be characterized by dispersed activation spreading over semantically unassociated distractors in automatic information selection of working memory. Because we also found an association between depressive symptoms and AMS, the role of automatic information processing in the relation between reduced AMS and depression is discussed.
Assuntos
Memória Episódica , Memória de Curto Prazo , Sinais (Psicologia) , Emoções , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Rememoração Mental , Adulto JovemRESUMO
The autobiographical memory test (AMT) is a widely used measure to assess the specificity of autobiographical memories. Reduced Autobiographical Memory Specificity (AMS) or increased overgeneralization of memories is considered as a cognitive hallmark of depression. Therefore, reduced AMS is the subject of much psychopathological research, and is a promising target for psychological interventions. Although considerable evidence has been gathered on the clinical relevance of reduced AMS over the past decades, studies on AMS have been mainly conducted in Western populations, and few have been conducted in Asian populations. This could be because of the unknown psychometric properties of the AMT given cultural and language differences. Therefore, the present study examined the psychometric properties of the AMT in a Japanese community sample (N=1240). Our data replicated that (a) the AMT has a uni-factorial structure; (b) AMS has a small but statistically significant negative correlation with depressive symptoms; (c) AMS shows a significant declining trend as a function of age, which influences the magnitude of the association between AMS and depressive symptoms in older adults. These findings suggest that the AMT has robust psychometric properties across different languages and cultural backgrounds.
Assuntos
Depressão/diagnóstico , Transtornos da Memória/diagnóstico , Memória Episódica , Testes Neuropsicológicos/normas , Psicometria/instrumentação , Adolescente , Adulto , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Depressão/complicações , Feminino , Humanos , Japão , Masculino , Transtornos da Memória/etiologia , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Adulto JovemRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Few studies have successfully established an amylase-producing lung cancer cell line or have examined its cytological, biochemical and biological features. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Cancer cells, isolated from pleural effusion using a gradient method, were cultivated. RESULTS: Amylase production from the newly established cell line was confirmed by positive staining for alpha-amylase and increased amylase levels in the culture supernatant. Electron microscopy revealed zymogen granule-like structures. Sialylation of salivary-type amylase was confirmed directly from the cell line by examining the neuraminidase sensitivity and amylase elution profile under high-performance liquid chromatography. Neither EGFR or KRAS mutation were found. CONCLUSION: This cell line offers a useful tool for analyzing the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of amylase-producing lung cancers. Moreover, it might be useful for probing the metastasis and invasiveness of lung cancer cells and for developing an early diagnostic method based on sialylated salivary-amylase production.