The implications of reinforcement sensitivity theory for depression and anxiety

"The current study examined the implications of Gray's Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory for internalizing psychopathology. Previous research indicates that low activation of the Behavioral Activation System (BAS) predicts depression and high activation of the Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS) predicts anxiety and in some studies depression. However, few studies have examined BIS/BAS levels in relation to both depressive and anxious symptomatology. A sample of 285 undergraduates was administered questionnaires that tap BIS and BAS activation and internalizing symptoms. General distress and anxious arousal scores were collapsed into one symptom category because results indicated that the measure of psychopathology did not discriminate the two. Higher BIS activation predicted all types of internalizing psychopathology, lower BAS predicted anhedonic depression, and negative life events predicted anxious arousal and general distress. BIS, BAS and life events interacted to predict both symptom groups, and these results are discussed in terms of the Joint Subsystems Hypothesis."--Abstract from author supplied metadata

Reinforcement sensitivity, cognitive biases, stressful life events, and depression symptoms

The current study examines the interrelationships of personality, cognitive biases, and stressful life events in the prediction of depression. Previous research has indicated that personality factors of Gray's Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory (Gray & McNaughton, 2000), the Behavioral Inhibition System and the Behavioral Approach System, predict concurrent and future depression symptoms. Other lines of research indicate that cognitive biases including negative cognitive content such as dysfunctional thoughts and negative cognitive processes such as attention and memory biases predict depression symptoms when measured after a negative mood prime or under cognitive load (Alloy & Abramson, 1999; Rude, Covich, Jarrold, Hedlund, & Zentner, 2001; Wenzlaff, Rude, Taylor, Stultz, & Sweatt, 2001). Finally, stressful life events predict the onset of depression symptoms (Miller & Rahe, 1997; Paykel, 2003; Tennant, 2002). However, little research examines the relationship among these factors, especially the relationship between personality and cognitive biases. The current study found that high BIS, more stressful life events, and more negative and fewer positive automatic thoughts are associated with greater depression symptoms. BIS was related to automatic thoughts but had only very minimal associations with attention and memory biases

Blocking soluble Fas Ligand ameliorates pemphigus: PC111 efficacy in ex-vivo human pemphigus models

: Pemphigus is a life-threatening, chronic, autoimmune bullous disease affecting both the skin and the mucous membranes. Based on the mainstream concept that blister formation occurs upon binding of autoantibodies to their antigen proteins (desmoglein1, DSG1 and desmoglein3, DSG3), current therapies mostly aim to suppress the immune system. To avoid the severe side effects associated with the chronic use of immunosuppressive treatments, we have developed PC111, a fully human monoclonal antibody targeting human Fas ligand (FasL). We have provided a number of in vitro and in vivo evidences showing that soluble FasL induces keratinocyte apoptosis followed by acantholysis. An anti-murine FasL prevents blister formation in the pemphigus neonatal mouse model. To confirm the mechanism of action (MoA) and the efficacy of PC111 in a human pemphigus context, we used the keratinocyte dissociation assay and two independent Human Skin Organ Cultures (HSOC) pemphigus models. PC111 reduced acantholysis in vitro, as shown by the dose-dependent reduction of fragments in the monolayer cultures. In the first HSOC model, normal human skin was subcutaneously injected with a scFv antibody fragment directed against DSG1 and DSG3, resulting in a severe acantholysis (70-100%) after 24 hours. PC111 inhibited blister formation to around 50% of control. In the second model, normal human skin was injected with a mixture of pemphigus patients' autoantibodies resulting in a less severe acantholysis (20-30%). PC111 significantly suppressed blister formation to more than 75% up to 72 hours. These results confirm PC111 MoA and demonstrates the efficacy of the anti-FasL antibody also in a pemphigus setting

Exciton spin relaxation in single semiconductor quantum dots

We study the relaxation of the exciton spin (longitudinal relaxation time $T_{1}$) in single asymmetrical quantum dots due to an interplay of the short--range exchange interaction and acoustic phonon deformation. The calculated relaxation rates are found to depend strongly on the dot size, magnetic field and temperature. For typical quantum dots and temperatures below 100 K, the zero--magnetic field relaxation times are long compared to the exciton lifetime, yet they are strongly reduced in high magnetic fields. We discuss explicitly quantum dots based on (In,Ga)As and (Cd,Zn)Se semiconductor compounds.Comment: accepted for Phys. Rev.

The transmembrane protein LRIG2 increases tumor progression in skin carcinogenesis

Over the last few decades, the number of cases of non‐melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) has risen to over 3 million cases every year worldwide. Members of the ERBB receptor family are important regulators of skin development and homeostasis and, when dysregulated, contribute to skin pathogenesis. In this study, we investigated leucine‐rich repeats and immunoglobulin‐like domains 2 (LRIG2), a transmembrane protein involved in feedback loop regulation of the ERBB receptor family during NMSC. LRIG2 was identified to be up‐regulated in various types of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), but little is known about LRIG2 in cutaneous SCC (cSCC). To investigate the function of LRIG2 in cSCC in vivo, we generated a skin‐specific LRIG2 overexpressing transgenic mouse line (LRIG2‐TG) using the Tet‐Off system. We employed the 7,12‐dimethylbenz(a)anthracene/12‐O‐tetra‐decanoylphorbol‐13‐acetate (DMBA/TPA) two‐stage chemical carcinogenesis model and analyzed the skin during homeostasis and tumorigenesis. LRIG2‐TG mice did not exhibit alterations in skin development or homeostasis but showed an interaction between LRIG2 and thrombospondin‐1, which is often involved in angiogenesis and tumorigenesis. However, during carcinogenesis, transgenic animals showed significantly increased tumor progression and a more rapid development of cSCC. This was accompanied by changes in the ERBB system. After a single TPA application, inflammation of the epidermis was enhanced during LRIG2 overexpression. In human skin samples, LRIG2 expression was identified in the basal layer of the epidermis and in hair follicles of normal skin, but also in cSCC samples. In conclusion, epidermal LRIG2 excess is associated with activated EGFR/ERBB4‐MAPK signaling and accelerated tumor progression in experimentally induced NMSC, suggesting LRIG2 as a potential oncoprotein in skin