Guided recall of positive autobiographical memories increases anticipated pleasure and psychological resources, and reduces depressive symptoms: a replication and extension of a randomised controlled trial of brief positive cognitive-reminiscence therapy.

Reminiscence-based interventions focus on recalling autobiographical memories and reflective reasoning to develop a healthy and adaptive view of oneself and one's life. This study aimed to replicate the effects of a three-session, group-based, positive-memory version of cognitive-reminiscence therapy (CRT) on psychological resources and mental well-being and extend the findings to anticipated pleasure. The participants (N = 75, Mage = 43.7 (SD = 16.7), 60% females) were randomised to CRT or control group. Anticipated pleasure, psychological resources (schemas of positive self-esteem, self-efficacy, meaning in life, optimism), mental well-being (depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms) and theorised change processes (automatic negative thoughts, awareness of narrative identity) were assessed. Relative to the control group, the CRT group reported significantly higher anticipated pleasure (d = 0.76-0.93) and psychological resources of self-esteem, self-efficacy, and optimism (d's = 0.58-0.99) at post-CRT and follow-up, and lower depressive symptoms post-CRT and at follow-up (d = 0.56-0.67). Findings on meaning in life and negative automatic thinking were partially replicated. This study replicates findings of the effectiveness of this intervention for improving psychological resources such as self-worth, confidence and optimism and depressive symptoms, and indicates additional effects on anticipated pleasure. CRT may serve as a standalone intervention, or as an adjunct "memory booster" for interventions focused on future thinking and related anticipated reward.

Kruppel-family zinc finger proteins as emerging epigenetic biomarkers in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Krüppel-type zinc finger protein genes located on chromosome 19q13 are aberrantly hypermethylated with high frequency in all anatomic sub-sites of head and neck cancers as well as other epithelial tumours resulting in decreased expression. METHODS: We examined prognostic significance of ZNF154 and ZNF132 expression and DNA methylation in independent patient cohort of about 500 head and neck cancer patients in the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). We also overexpressed these genes in HEK-293 cells, as well as the oral cancer cell line UM-SCC-1. RESULTS: In 20 patients from the TCGA cohort of HNSCC patients where ZNF154 and ZNF132 DNA methylation and RNA expression could be compared in tumor and adjacent normal tissue, there was increased DNA methylation and decreased expression of both ZNF154 and ZNF132 in primary tumours. Low ZNF154 and low ZNF132 expression were associated with shorter overall survival in both head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and lung adenocarcinoma (LUAC patients). While expression of these proteins in HEK-293 cells produced full-length protein, only truncated copies could be expressed in head and neck cancer cells (UM-SCC-1). The truncated version of ZNF154 protein increased doubling time and reduced cell migration in UM-SCC-1 cancer cells. CONCLUSIONS: Both ZNF132 and ZNF154 represent novel clinically significant biomarkers in head and neck cancer with potential tumour suppressive properties. Future studies will address the underlying molecular mechanisms by which ZNF154 expression in HNSCC contributes to the control of cell growth and migration.