Optimizing the ingredients for imagery-based interpretation bias modification for depressed mood: Is self-generation more effective than imagination alone?

Negative interpretation is thought to be crucial in the development and maintenance of depression. Recently developed cognitive bias modification paradigms, intending to change these biases towards a more optimistic interpretation tendency (CBM-I), seem to offer new promising implications for cognitive therapy innovation. This study aimed to increase our knowledge of the underlying mechanisms of action of imagery-based CBM-I in the context of depressed mood. We therefore compared the efficacy of CBM-I requiring participants to imagine standardized positive resolutions to a novel, more active training version that required participants to generate the positive interpretations themselves. Fifty-four participants were randomly allocated to (1) standardized CBM-I, (2) self-generation CBM-I or (3) a control group. Outcome measures included self-report mood measures and a depression-related interpretation bias measure. Both positive training variants significantly increased the tendency to interpret fresh ambiguous material in an optimistic manner. However, only the standardized imagery CBM-I paradigm positively influenced mood. © 2013 The Authors

Laser Desorption/Ionization of Transition Metal Atoms and Oxides from Solid Argon

The oxides TiO, CrO, and CoO, formed by reaction of the laser-ablated metal atoms and O 2 in excess argon during condensation at 10 K, have been laser desorbed/ionized from solid argon with 308 nm radiation for observation by TOF mass spectrometry. Mass peaks for Ti + , Cr + , Co + , and particularly TiO + and CrO + were enhanced by adding to the copper support a thin film of organic acid typically used as a matrix in matrixassisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry. Adding the C 6 H 5 Br chromophore to the Ar/O 2 gas mixture also enhanced the metal and oxide ion signals. The laser desorption/ionization (LDI) process in these cryogenic experiments with low ionization energy subject atoms and molecules is assisted by the organic acid and bromobenzene chromophores, suggesting that charge exchange plays an important role in this process

Organization and chromosomal localization of the human ECEL1 (XCE) gene encoding a zinc metallopeptidase involved in the nervous control of respiration

ECEL1 (endothelin-converting enzyme-like 1; previously known as XCE) is a putative zinc metalloprotease that was identified recently on the basis of its strong identity with endothelin-converting enzyme. Although the physiological function of ECEL1 is unknown, inactivation of the corresponding gene in mice points to a critical role of this protein in the nervous control of respiration. In the present study we have characterized the human ECEL1 gene. It was located to region q36-q37 of chromosome 2 and shown to be composed of 18 exons spanning approx. 8 kb. The structure of the ECEL1 gene displays some striking similarities with those of genes of related metallopeptidases, supporting the hypothesis that they are all derived from a common ancestor. A short phylogenetic study describing the relationship between the various members of this gene family is also presented