Background. Empathy plays a key role in social understanding, but its empirical measurement has proved difficult. The Empathy Quotient (EQ) is a self-report scale designed to do just that. This series of four studies examined the reliability and validity of the EQ and determined its factor structure.

Depersonalisation disorder is a recognisable clinical entity but appears to have significant comorbidity with anxiety and depression. Research into its aetiology and treatment is warranted.

Developing protein therapeutics has posed challenges due to short circulating times and toxicities. Recent advances using poly(ethylene) glycol (PEG) conjugation have improved their performance. A PEG-conjugated hemoglobin (Hb), Hemospan, is in clinical trials as an oxygen therapeutic. Solutions of PEG-hemoglobin with two (P5K2) or six to seven strands of 5-kD PEG (P5K6) were studied by small-angle x-ray scattering. PEGylation elongates the dimensions (Hb < P5K2 < P5K6) and leaves the tertiary hemoglobin structure unchanged but compacts its quaternary structure. The major part of the PEG chains visualized by ab initio reconstruction protrudes away from hemoglobin, whereas the rest interacts with the protein. PEGylation introduces intermolecular repulsion, increasing with conjugated PEG amount. These results demonstrate how PEG surface shielding and intermolecular repulsion may prolong intravascular retention and lack of reactivity of PEG-Hb, possibly by inhibiting binding to the macrophage CD163 hemoglobin-scavenger receptor. The proposed methodology for assessment of low-resolution structures and interactions is a powerful means for rational design of PEGylated therapeutic agents.

Symptoms of depersonalization belong to distinct but related psychopathological domains.

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