On the Connection Between Affective Evaluation of Recollected Relationship Experiences and the Severity of the Psychic Impairment

This study, carried out at three different university centers contributes to validating the valence dimension of the CCRT-method. Working on the state of the CCRT-research on affective evaluation of relationship narratives, the connection between the valence dimension of the responses from others (RO), responses of the self (RS) and the severity of the psychological disorder has been analyzed with the help of a sample taken from 266 female patients. Both therapists as well as patients themselves evaluate the severity of the impairment similarly. The more the patients are impaired, the more negatively they describe both their own reactions and those of their interaction partners as shown in the relationship episodes. Die vorliegende multizentrizch Studie stellt einen Beitrag zur Vaidierungder Valenzdimension der ZBKT-Methode dar. Ausgehend vom Stand der ZBKT-Forschung bezüglich der affektiven Bewertung der Beziehungsschilderungen wurde an einer Stichprobe von 266 Patientinnen der Zusammenhang zwischen der Valenzdimension der Reaktionskomponenten und der Schwere der psychischen Störung untersucht. Für die Einschätzung der krankheitsschwere sowohldurch die therapeuten wie auch durch die patientinnen selbst Gilt: je schwerer gestört patientinnen sind, um so negativer beschreiben sie die eigenen Reaktionen und die ihrer Interaktionspartner in den Beziehungsepisoden. Cette étude menée dans trois centres universitaires contribue à la validation de la dimension positivité/négativité («valence») du CCRT. Dans notre travail sur la situation dela recherche concernant le CCRT et l'évaluation affective des épisodes relationnels, nous avons analysé, sur base d'un échantillon de 266 patientes, le lien entre ladimension «valence» des réponses de l'autre, de la réaction du sujet, et la gravité du trouble psychique. les thérapeutes et les patientes elles-mêmes arrivent à une jugement comparable de la Sévérité de l'atteinte. Plus les patientes sont atteintes, et plus le récit des réactions des autres et d'elles-mêmes dans les épisodes relationnels est négatif. Este estudio, llevado a cabo en tres centros universitarios diferentes, contribuye a validar la dimensión valencia del método CCRT. Trabajando sobre el estado actual de la investigació del CCRT en la evaluación afectiva de las narrativas relacionales, se analizó, en una muestra de 266 pacientes mujeres, la conexión entre la dimensión valencia en las respuestas de otros (Ro), las respuestas del self (RS) y la severidad del desorden psíquico.Los terapeuttas evaluaron la severidad de las perturbaciones en forma similar a las pacientes mismas. Como se ve en los episodios relacionales, cuanto màs perturbadas estàn las pacientes, mà negativamene describen sus propias reacciones y las de sus interlocutores.     

Structure of the processive rubber oxygenase RoxA from Xanthomonas sp

Rubber oxygenase A (RoxA) is one of only two known enzymes able to catalyze the oxidative cleavage of latex for biodegradation. RoxA acts as a processive dioxygenase to yield the predominant product 12-oxo-4,8-dimethyl-trideca-4,8-diene-1-al (ODTD), a tri-isoprene unit. Here we present a structural analysis of RoxA from Xanthomonas sp. strain 35Y at a resolution of 1.8 Å. The enzyme is a 75-kDa diheme c-type cytochrome with an unusually low degree of secondary structure. Analysis of the heme group arrangement and peptide chain topology of RoxA confirmed a distant kinship with diheme peroxidases of the CcpA family, but the proteins are functionally distinct, and the extracellular RoxA has evolved to have twice the molecular mass by successively accumulating extensions of peripheral loops. RoxA incorporates both oxygen atoms of its cosubstrate dioxygen into the rubber cleavage product ODTD, and we show that RoxA is isolated with O₂ stably bound to the active site heme iron. Activation and cleavage of O₂ require binding of polyisoprene, and thus the substrate needs to use hydrophobic access channels to reach the deeply buried active site of RoxA. The location and nature of these channels support a processive mechanism of latex cleavage.     

Differential effects of bifrontal tDCS on arousal and sleep duration in insomnia patients and healthy controls

Background

Arousal and sleep represent basic domains of behavior, and alterations are of high clinical importance.

Hippocampal and medial prefrontal cortical volume is associated with overnight declarative memory consolidation independent of specific sleep oscillations

The current study was designed to further clarify the influence of brain morphology, sleep oscillatory activity and age on memory consolidation. Specifically, we hypothesized, that a smaller volume of hippocampus, parahippocampal and medial prefrontal cortex negatively impacts declarative, but not procedural, memory consolidation. Explorative analyses were conducted to demonstrate whether a decrease in slow‐wave activity negatively impacts declarative memory consolidation, and whether these factors mediate age effects on memory consolidation. Thirty‐eight healthy participants underwent an acquisition session in the evening and a retrieval session in the morning after night‐time sleep with polysomnographic monitoring. Declarative memory was assessed with the paired‐associate word list task, while procedural memory was tested using the mirror‐tracing task. All participants underwent high‐resolution magnetic resonance imaging. Participants with smaller hippocampal, parahippocampal and medial prefrontal cortex volumes displayed a reduced overnight declarative, but not procedural memory consolidation. Mediation analyses showed significant age effects on overnight declarative memory consolidation, but no significant mediation effects of brain morphology on this association. Further mediation analyses showed that the effects of age and brain morphology on overnight declarative memory consolidation were not mediated by polysomnographic variables or sleep electroencephalogram spectral power variables. Thus, the results suggest that the association between age, specific brain area volume and overnight memory consolidation is highly relevant, but does not necessarily depend on slow‐wave sleep as previously conceptualized.