Identifying Regulators for EAG1 Channels with a Novel Electrophysiology and Tryptophan Fluorescence Based Screen

Ether-à-go-go (EAG) channels are expressed throughout the central nervous system and are also crucial regulators of cell cycle and tumor progression. The large intracellular amino- and carboxy- terminal domains of EAG1 each share similarity with known ligand binding motifs in other proteins, yet EAG1 channels have no known regulatory ligands.Here we screened a library of small biologically relevant molecules against EAG1 channels with a novel two-pronged screen to identify channel regulators. In one arm of the screen we used electrophysiology to assess the functional effects of the library compounds on full-length EAG1 channels. In an orthogonal arm, we used tryptophan fluorescence to screen for binding of the library compounds to the isolated C-terminal region.Several compounds from the flavonoid, indole and benzofuran chemical families emerged as binding partners and/or regulators of EAG1 channels. The two-prong screen can aid ligand and drug discovery for ligand-binding domains of other ion channels

Dealing with laughter and ridicule in adolescence: relations with bullying and emotional responses

We investigated the fear of being laughed at (gelotophobia), the joy in being laughed at (gelotophilia), and the joy in laughing at others (katagelasticism) in adolescent students (N = 324, 13–15 years). Gelotophobia was associated primarily with the victim and katagelasticism with the bully-role (self- and peer reports). Gelotophobia correlated with laughing at oneself if experiencing an embarrassing situation. Gelotophilia increased with the propensity to laugh if observing or experiencing embarrassment; katagelasticism increased with laughing if observing something embarrassing in another person. Imagining potentially embarrassing situations was associated with greater feelings of anxiety, shame, sadness, and embarrassment; gelotophilia with joy and cheerfulness. The study breaks the ground for a better understanding on how adolescent students deal with laughter and ridicule

The role of a good character in 12-Year-Old school children: do character strengths matter in the classroom?

The present study investigated the role of the good character at school, specifically, its associations with satisfaction with school experiences, academic selfefficacy, positive classroom behavior, and objective school success (i.e., school grades). A sample of 247 students (mean age=12 years) completed the Values in Action Inventory of Strengths for Youth, and measures on school-related satisfaction and academic self-efficacy. Teacher-ratings on positive classroom behavior, and grades from students’ school reports were also collected. Love of learning, zest, gratitude, perseverance, and curiosity were positively associated with school-related satisfaction. Hope, love of learning, perseverance, prudence, and others were positively associated with academic self-efficacy. Character strengths of the mind (e.g., self-regulation, perseverance, love of learning) were predictive for school success. The good character explained about one fourth of the variance in positive classroom behavior, with the specific strengths of perseverance, love of learning, and prudence showing the most substantial positive correlations. A model that postulated the predictive power of classroom-relevant character strengths on school success, mediated through positive classroom behavior, was supported. Character strengths (e.g., perspective, gratitude, hope, self-regulation, teamwork) distinguished between students who demonstrated improved vs. decreased grades during the school year. This study shows that the good character clearly matters in different contexts at school, and it seems to be relevant for subjective (e.g., satisfaction) as well as objective (e.g., grades) outcomes, and for positive behavior in classrooms