Apoptosis: understanding the new molecular pathway.

Advances in science have increased the knowledge of how cells die in the body (apoptosis). A basic understanding of this process can improve nurses' ability to review new scientific literature and enable them to provide safer bedside care.     

Religious orientation, aging, and blood pressure reactivity to interpersonal and cognitive stressors

Background: Research on religion and health suggests general health benefits for those who are more religiously involved. Particular aspects of religiosity that may influence this finding, however, have not been sufficiently investigated.Purpose: This study was designed to explore the relationship between religious orientation (intrinsic, extrinsic) and blood pressure reactivity among older (over 60 years) and younger (18–24 years) adults exposed to two qualitatively different laboratory stressors (cognitive, interpersonal).Methods:Participants were categorized as exhibiting either a predominately intrinsic or extrinsic religious orientation based on scores on the Religious Orientation Scale. They were subsequently exposed (in counterbalanced order) to two laboratory stressors that varied in terms of whether an interpersonal confrontation was involved. Measures of blood pressure were obtained at baseline and during stressor presentation.Results: Analyses indicated that older extrinsically religious individuals demonstrated exaggerated reactivity compared to younger participants and older intrinsically religious individuals. Older intrinsically religious participants did not differ from younger persons. Similar results were found for analysis of baseline data. Extrinsic participants had greater reactivity during the interpersonal confrontation condition than did intrinsic individuals.Conclusions: These findings suggest that religious orientation may be an important variable to study regarding cardiovascular reactivity in, particularly, older adults. This research was supported in part by National Institute on Aging Grant 1 R03 AG 18554-01. A previous version of this article was presented in August 2002 as a Citation Paper at the 110th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association, Chicago. We thank Timothy W. Smith, James A. Blumenthal, Carl E. Thoresen, and Edward M. Heath for their assistance throughout this project. We also thank Llewellyn Jones and Jodi Hildabrandt for their efforts in collecting data.     

The Survey of Recent Life Experiences: A decontaminated hassles scale for adults

A new decontaminated hassles measure for adults, the Survey of Recent Life Experiences, was developed and validated. An initial pool of 92 items was administered to 100 subjects along with the Perceived Stress Scale. Fifty-one items were selected, based on significant correlations with the latter scale. The alpha reliability of the resultant final form of the Survey of Recent Life Experiences and its correlation with perceived stress were both high. In a separate cross-replication sample of 136 adults, the alpha reliability of the Survey and its correlation against the Perceived Stress Scale remained acceptably high. Moreover, separate-sex analyses supported the reliability and validity of the Survey of Recent Life Experiences across gender. Factor analysis of the Survey yielded six interpretable factors. Intercorrelations among subscales based on these factors were generally modest, suggesting that the scale is relatively free from contamination by psychological distress.The work reported was facilitated by a grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada's Small Grant Program, administered by the Office of Research Administration, York University. The authors appreciate the cooperation of staff at the Ontario Science Centre, Toronto, and the assistance of Maria Gurevich in verifying the data.