The Comparative Effectiveness of Systematic Desensitization and an Integrative Approach in Treating Public Speaking Anxiety: A Literature Review and a Preliminary Investigation

An analysis of the literature related to public speaking anxiety (PSA) and various treatments of it are discussed. PSA is a state or situational type of anxiety which can have tremendous effects on those who suffer from it. Two of the major treatments—systematic desensitization (SD) and the integrative approach (IA)—are reviewed and then experimentally tested to determine which is the more effective in treating PSA. The results are somewhat inclusive, but there is strong evidence to suggest that both SD and IA reduce trait and state anxiety. It was found, however, that IA is more effective in decreasing the symptoms associated with PSA

Realidad, ilusión y máscara en Andrei Makine

La máscara se origina en tiempos remotos. Sus funciones primordiales eran sagradas, religiosas y simbólicas. Algunas de esas aplicaciones muestran el papel que juega la máscara como mediadora entre mundos antagonistas: lo visible y lo invisible, la vida y la muerte. De acuerdo con la perspectiva de Jean Louis Bédouin, lo que le permite desempeñar ese rol es el hecho de ser, esencialmente, un instrumento de metamorfosis. Las máscaras de danza, de ceremonias o de teatro operan transformaciones inmediatas, perceptibles y notorias; las máscaras funerarias son agentes de una metamorfosis invisible.Trabajo publicado en Blarduni de Bugallo, E. y Moronell, C. (comps.). El cuerpo, las máscaras y otros temas en literatura de habla francesa. La Plata: Ediciones Al Margen, 2008.Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educació

Activation of IP3 receptors requires an endogenous 1-8-14 calmodulin-binding motif.

Binding of IP3 (inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate) to the IP3-binding core (residues 224-604) of IP3Rs (IP3 receptors) initiates opening of these ubiquitous intracellular Ca2+ channels. The mechanisms are unresolved, but require conformational changes to pass through the suppressor domain (residues 1-223). A calmodulin-binding peptide derived from myosin light chain kinase uncouples these events. We identified a similar conserved 1-8-14 calmodulin-binding motif within the suppressor domain of IP3R1 and, using peptides and mutagenesis, we demonstrate that it is essential for IP3R activation, whether assessed by IP3-evoked Ca2+ release or patch-clamp recoding of nuclear IP3R. Mimetic peptides specifically inhibit activation of IP3R by uncoupling the IP3-binding core from the suppressor domain. Mutations of key hydrophobic residues within the endogenous 1-8-14 motif mimic the peptides. Our results show that an endogenous 1-8-14 motif mediates conformational changes that are essential for IP3R activation. The inhibitory effects of calmodulin and related proteins may result from disruption of this essential interaction

Structural and functional conservation of key domains in InsP3 and ryanodine receptors.

Inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors (InsP(3)Rs) and ryanodine receptors (RyRs) are tetrameric intracellular Ca(2+) channels. In each of these receptor families, the pore, which is formed by carboxy-terminal transmembrane domains, is regulated by signals that are detected by large cytosolic structures. InsP(3)R gating is initiated by InsP(3) binding to the InsP(3)-binding core (IBC, residues 224-604 of InsP(3)R1) and it requires the suppressor domain (SD, residues 1-223 of InsP(3)R1). Here we present structures of the amino-terminal region (NT, residues 1-604) of rat InsP(3)R1 with (3.6 Å) and without (3.0 Å) InsP(3) bound. The arrangement of the three NT domains, SD, IBC-β and IBC-α, identifies two discrete interfaces (α and β) between the IBC and SD. Similar interfaces occur between equivalent domains (A, B and C) in RyR1 (ref. 9). The orientations of the three domains when docked into a tetrameric structure of InsP(3)R and of the ABC domains docked into RyR are remarkably similar. The importance of the α-interface for activation of InsP(3)R and RyR is confirmed by mutagenesis and, for RyR, by disease-causing mutations. Binding of InsP(3) causes partial closure of the clam-like IBC, disrupting the β-interface and pulling the SD towards the IBC. This reorients an exposed SD loop ('hotspot' (HS) loop) that is essential for InsP(3)R activation. The loop is conserved in RyR and includes mutations that are associated with malignant hyperthermia and central core disease. The HS loop interacts with an adjacent NT, suggesting that activation re-arranges inter-subunit interactions. The A domain of RyR functionally replaced the SD in full-length InsP(3)R, and an InsP(3)R in which its C-terminal transmembrane region was replaced by that from RyR1 was gated by InsP(3) and blocked by ryanodine. Activation mechanisms are conserved between InsP(3)R and RyR. Allosteric modulation of two similar domain interfaces within an N-terminal subunit reorients the first domain (SD or A domain), allowing it, through interactions of the second domain of an adjacent subunit (IBC-β or B domain), to gate the pore

Incorporating Public Insecurity Indicators: A New Approach to Measuring Social Welfare in Mexico

Social Welfare (SW) is a multidimensional and contextual concept. It is generally adjusted to reflect the prevailing social realities of a given context (Grasso & Canova, 2008). It consists of a material dimension, including economic indicators such as income, employment, level of schooling, and access to social security services (Di Pasquale, 2008; Mæstad & Norheim, 2012). The other dimension of social welfare is subjective and includes elements such as happiness and satisfaction with life (Diener, 1994, 2000).ITESO, A.C.Boston College, School of Social WorkUniversidad Iberoamericana Ciudad de Méxic

Transcriptional profiling of Neurospora crassa Δmak-2 reveals that mitogen-activated protein kinase MAK-2 participates in the phosphate signaling pathway

AbstractThe filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa is an excellent model system for examining molecular responses to ambient signals in eukaryotic microorganisms. Inorganic phosphate (Pi) is an essential growth-limiting nutrient in nature and is crucial for the synthesis of nucleic acids and the flow of genetic information. The genetic and molecular mechanisms controlling the response to Pi starvation in N. crassa include at least four genes (nuc-2, preg, pogv, and nuc-1), which are involved in a hierarchical regulatory activation network. In a previous work, we identified a number of genes modulated by NUC-2 protein, including the mak-2 gene, which codes for a mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), suggesting its participation in the phosphate signaling pathway. Thus, to identify other genes involved in metabolic responses to exogenous phosphate sensing and the functioning of the MAPK MAK-2, we performed microarray experiments using a mak-2 knockout strain (Δmak-2) grown under phosphate-shortage conditions by comparing its transcription profile to that of a control strain grown in low- and high-phosphate cultures. These experiments revealed 912 unique differentially expressed genes involved in a number of physiological processes related to phosphate transport, metabolism, and regulation as well as posttranslational modification of proteins, and MAPK signaling pathways. Quantitative Real-time PCR gene expression analysis of 18 selected genes, using independent RNA samples, validated our microarray results. A high Pearson correlation between microarray and quantitative Real-time PCR data was observed. The analysis of these differentially expressed genes in the Δmak-2 strain provide evidence that the mak-2 gene participates in the hierarchical phosphate-signaling pathway in N. crassa in addition to its involvement in other metabolic routes such as the isoprenylation pathway, thus revealing novel aspects of the N. crassa phosphorus-sensing network

Neutrino Magnetic Moment and Solar Neutrino Experiments

We have studied the effect of a non-vanishing neutrino magnetic moment \ ($\mu_{\nu}$) on the $\nu_{\rm x}$ ({x=$e,\mu,\tau$}) elastic scattering off electrons for the Super-Kamiokande detector. The bounds on the $\mu_{\nu}$ we have obtained are comparable to that extracted from laboratory experiments. Furthemore, we outline the potential of the Borexino experiment which may be sensitive to neutrino magnetic moments \lsim 10^{-10}\mu_B. In our analysis we have considered both cases of Majorana and Dirac neutrinos.Comment: latex file, 4 pages, including 3 postscript figures. Talk given by A. Mourao at the Neutrino 98 Conference (Japan). To appear in the Proceeding

Resolution of inflammation: Mechanisms and opportunity for drug development

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GRB 091127: The cooling break race on magnetic fuel

Using high-quality, broad-band afterglow data for GRB 091127, we investigate the validity of the synchrotron fireball model for gamma-ray bursts, and infer physical parameters of the ultra-relativistic outflow. We used multi-wavelength follow-up observations obtained with GROND and the XRT onboard the Swift satellite. The resulting afterglow light curve is of excellent accuracy, and the spectral energy distribution is well-sampled over 5 decades in energy. These data present one of the most comprehensive observing campaigns for a single GRB afterglow and allow us to test several proposed emission models and outflow characteristics in unprecedented detail. Both the multi-color light curve and the broad-band SED of the afterglow of GRB 091127 show evidence of a cooling break moving from high to lower energies. The early light curve is well described by a broken power-law, where the initial decay in the optical/NIR wavelength range is considerably flatter than at X-rays. Detailed fitting of the time-resolved SED shows that the break is very smooth with a sharpness index of 2.2 +- 0.2, and evolves towards lower frequencies as a power-law with index -1.23 +- 0.06. These are the first accurate and contemporaneous measurements of both the sharpness of the spectral break and its time evolution. The measured evolution of the cooling break (nu_c propto t^-1.2) is not consistent with the predictions of the standard model, wherein nu_c propto t^-0.5 is expected. A possible explanation for the observed behavior is a time dependence of the microphysical parameters, in particular the fraction of the total energy in the magnetic field epsilon_B. This conclusion provides further evidence that the standard fireball model is too simplistic, and time-dependent micro-physical parameters may be required to model the growing number of well-sampled afterglow light curves.Comment: accepted to A&A, 13 pages, 5 figure

Kinetic profiles of the stereoselective reduction of acetophenone and its derivatives promoted by Galactomyces candidus GZ1. A mechanistic interpretation

A mechanistic interpretation of the kinetic profiles obtained for the stereoselective reduction of acetophenone promoted by Galactomyces candidus GZ1 under aerobic and anaerobic conditions was made. Based on experimental and bibliographical data, a mechanism which may involve the participation of two alcohol dehydrogenases with opposite stereoselectivities and alcohol oxidase is discussed. Due to the stereoselectivity of the reduction of acetophenone being changed when anaerobic conditions were used, this microorganism also permitted (S)-1-phenylethanol to be obtained in the absence of oxygen. Moreover, the kinetic profiles of the reactions of a racemic mixture of (R,S)-1-phenylethanol and pure (S)-1-phenylethanol with Gal. candidus were analyzed, which corroborated that there existed a reaction step where (S)-1-phenylethanol was oxidized to acetophenone. The results presented here show that not only is it possible to resolve racemic mixtures of phenylethanols when Gal. candidus is used as a biocatalyst, but that this is also efficient in causing the complete stereoinversion of pure (S)-1-phenylethanol to (R)-1-phenylethanol.Fil: Decarlini, Maria Florencia. Universidad Católica de Córdoba; ArgentinaFil: Bordon, Daniela Laura. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Vázquez, Ana M.. Universidad Católica de Córdoba; ArgentinaFil: Demmel, Gabriela Ines. Universidad Católica de Córdoba; ArgentinaFil: Rossi, Laura Isabel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones en Físico-química de Córdoba. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas. Instituto de Investigaciones en Físico-química de Córdoba; ArgentinaFil: Aimar, Mario Leandro. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba; Argentin