Behavioral and neural correlates of emotional intelligence: an event-related potentials (ERP) study

The present study was aimed at identifying potential behavioral and neural correlates of emotional intelligence (EI) by using scalp-recorded Event-Related Potentials (ERPs). EI levels were defined according to both self-report questionnaire and a performance-based test. We identified ERP correlates of emotional processing by comparing ERPs elicited in trials using pleasant, neutral and unpleasant pictures. The effects of these emotion-inducing pictures were then compared across groups with low and high EI levels. Behavioral results revealed a significant valence×EI group interaction effect since valence ratings were lower for unpleasant pictures and higher for pleasant pictures in the high EI group compared with the low EI group. The groups did not differ with respect to neutral picture ratings. The ERP results indicate that participants with high EI exhibited significantly greater mean amplitudes of the P2 (200-300ms post-stimulus) and P3 (310-450ms post-stimulus) ERP components in response to emotional and neutral pictures, at posterior-parietal as well as at frontal scalp locations. This may suggest greater recruitment of resources to process all emotional and non-emotional stimuli at early and late processing stages among individuals with higher EI. The present study also underscores the usefulness of ERP methodology as a sensitive measure for the study of emotional stimuli processing in the research field of EI.

[Home palliative care of terminal cancer patients with family feedback: from the experience of the decision to continue the community care service in the North]

Palliative care of terminal cancer patients is one of the tasks of our Home Care Unit. Increasing hospitalization costs have brought forward the decision to treat them at home, assuming that they would prefer to return and die in their natural surroundings, among family. Most of our patients are aged, recent immigrants from the Soviet Union, of low socioeconomic status; most live with their close families. Our care model combines social, cultural, economic, medical and nursing aspects. More patients choose to die at home, and that is where costs are minimal. Care management and characteristics of 44 terminal cancer patients, who died between January and October 1996, are described. Living with a family was not required for treatment at home. Length of care by the unit ranged from 1-48 weeks, with an average of 8.5 and a median of 6. 55% of patients were hospitalized, most (58%) for 5-9 days for noncancerous diseases, and then discharged home. 54% died at home, a third were hospitalized for 2-17 days before death. Compared to the average length of stay in palliative care oncology wards, 1044 days and more than NIS 500,000 were saved. A telephone survey examined families' satisfaction with various components of care. 92% were satisfied with the home treatment. 79%-82% felt that the nurse and doctor of the team met their needs and expectations. Half the families were satisfied with the treatment of pain. Families in which treatment was 24 weeks or more were generally less satisfied than those with shorter treatment at home. We learned that an early entry into treatment is necessary; hospital referral criteria should consider to a greater extent the coping ability of families; nursing aid hours should be increased and professional emotional support added; additional pain control methods should be used. All these would strengthen families, improve quality of care, and contribute to additional savings by decreasing hospital stay.

Stimulatory GTP regulatory unit Ns and the catalytic unit of adenylate cyclase are tightly associated: mechanistic consequences

Turkey erythrocyte membranes were solubilized in the mild detergent octylpenta(oxyethylene) [CH3(CH2)7-(OCH2CH2)5OH], which possesses a high critical micelle concentration (approximately equal to 6 mM) and forms small, dynamic micelles. Both the native enzyme Ns(GDP) X C and the p[NH]ppG-preactivated species N's X p[NH]ppG X C' were found to possess the same molecular mass of 215,000 +/- 17,000 daltons. Both enzyme species migrate as a tight complex between Ns and C on both gel permeation columns and on DEAE-Sephacel columns in detergent. The two functional units, Ns and C, remain associated even in dilute detergent solutions and throughout a 300- to 400-fold purification in octylpoly(oxyethylene). These results strongly support the view that Ns and C do not come apart during the process of enzyme activation by the beta-adrenergic receptor. Furthermore, these results strongly support our previous assertion that the beta-adrenergic receptor activation of adenylate cyclase is by a simple "collision coupling" between the receptor and NsC. These results are not compatible with shuttle mechanisms that postulate that Ns physically migrates from the receptor R to the catalytic unit C and back during the activation cycle, as suggested by Citri and Schramm [Citri, Y. & Schramm, M. (1980) Nature (London) 287, 297-300] and by De Lean et al. [De Lean, A., Stadel, J. M. & Lefkowitz, R. J. (1980) J. Biol. Chem. 255, 5108-5117].

The interaction of Mn2+ with turkey erythrocyte adenylate cyclase

Mn2+ at concentrations below 0.1 mM supports the activation of turkey erythrocyte adenylate cyclase (ATP pyrophosphate-lyase (cyclizing), EC 4.6.1.1) by beta-agonists or NaF, similarly to Mg2+ at 5.0 mM. At higher concentrations, Mn2+ is strongly inhibitory, as is Mg2+ above 6 mM. Also, Mn2+ with GTP, but in the absence of beta-agonist, is very potent in reversing the Gpp(NH)p permanently active state to the basal state. beta-Receptor (R) to guanyl nucleotide regulatory protein (N) coupling still occurs at inhibitory Mn2+ concentrations, since the intrinsic kinetic parameters which characterize the R to N coupling interrelationship are unaffected by Mn2+ at a wide concentration range. It is suggested that the inhibitory effect of Mn2+ is due to the impairment of the guanyl nucleotide regulatory protein (N) to the catalytic subunit (C) interaction.

The reversal of the Gpp(NH)p-activated state of adenylate cyclase by GTP and hormone is by the "collision coupling" mechanism

The guanylyl imidodiphosphate-activated state of turkey erythrocyte cyclase can be reversed to the basal state by the simultaneous action of beta-agonists and GTP. The rate of reversal diminishes progressively with decreasing concentration of beta-adrenergic receptors on the membrane surface, whereas the extent of reversal is always maximal. The rate of reversal is found to be linearly dependent on the concentration of beta-adrenergic receptors within the membranes. This result supports the notion that the interaction of the enzyme unit and the beta-adrenergic receptor is catalytic and therefore of the "collision coupling" type. The dependence of the rate of reversal reaction on epinephrine concentration is noncooperative with an apparent dissociation constant of KD = 3.0 X 10(-6) M. The fraction of guanylyl imidodiphosphate-activated cyclase system which can be reversed by GTP and a beta-agonist strongly depends on temperature and reveals a sharp transition at 24 degrees C which is the freezing temperature of the inner monolayer. It is suggested that the GTP regulatory unit is inactive when the inner monolayer is frozen.