The Spirit Is Willing: Nonlinearity, Bifurcations, and Mental Control

In recent years there has been considerable interest in the construction of nonlinear models of the dynamics of human behavior. In this exploratory article we argue that attempts at controlling problematic thoughts, emotions, or behaviors can lead to nonlinearity in mental/behavioral dynamics. We illustrate our model by fitting threshold autoregression models to self-recorded time series of the daily highs in intensity of anxiety and obsessive ruminations, kept by an individual in therapy for this problem. In our discussion, we raise the possibility that bifurcations that occur in this nonlinear model may offer insight into mental control paradoxes.     

The GABAA-Benzodiazepine Receptor Antagonist Flumazenil Abolishes the Anxiolytic Effects of the Active Constituents of Crocus sativus L. Crocins in Rats

Anxiety is a chronic severe psychiatric disorder. Crocins are among the various bioactive components of the plant Crocus sativus L. (Iridaceae) and their implication in anxiety is well-documented. However, which is the mechanism of action underlying the anti-anxiety effects of crocins remains unknown. In this context, it has been suggested that these beneficial effects might be ascribed to the agonistic properties of these bioactive ingredients of saffron on the GABA type A receptor. The current experimentation was undertaken to clarify this issue in the rat. For this research project, the light/dark and the open field tests were used. A single injection of crocins (50 mg/kg, i.p., 60 min before testing) induces an anti-anxiety-like effect revealed either in the light-dark or open field tests. Acute administration of the GABA_A-benzodiazepine receptor antagonist flumazenil (10 mg/kg, i.p., 30 min before testing) abolished the above mentioned anxiolytic effects of crocins. The current findings suggest a functional interaction between crocins and the GABA_A receptor allosteric modulator flumazenil on anxiety.     

化学实验室安全教育实效研究*——以大二学生为例

为考察化学实验室安全教育实效,本文对天津理工大学化学化工学院大二学生的实验室焦虑、安全态度、安全意识以及安全知识进行问卷调查。调查结果表明:实验室焦虑存在性别差异,女生焦虑情绪比男生严重;参加过安全教育培训学生比未参加安全培训学生安全态度更为端正。回归分析表明:实验室焦虑、安全态度和安全知识都与安全意图显著正相关。基于统计分析结果,提出以下安全培训提升策略:关注学生心理安全,加强情绪疏导,克服实验室焦虑;优化安全教育模式,发挥学生主观能动性,提高安全教育实效。最后,安全教育也是立德树人的过程,通过安全教育,将学生培养成为敬畏生命、敬畏责任、敬畏规章、具有正确安全道德价值观的化工行业从业人员。     

Factors contributing to academic achievement: a Bayesian structure equation modelling study

In Iran, high school graduates enter university after taking a very difficult entrance exam called the Konkoor. Therefore, only the top-performing students are admitted by universities to continue their bachelor's education in statistics. Surprisingly, statistically, most of such students fall into the following categories: (1) do not succeed in their education despite their excellent performance on the Konkoor and in high school; (2) graduate with a grade point average (GPA) that is considerably lower than their high school GPA; (3) continue their master's education in majors other than statistics and (4) try to find jobs unrelated to statistics. This article employs the well-known and powerful statistical technique, the Bayesian structural equation modelling (SEM), to study the academic success of recent graduates who have studied statistics at Shahid Beheshti University in Iran. This research: (i) considered academic success as a latent variable, which was measured by GPA and other academic success (see below) of students in the target population; (ii) employed the Bayesian SEM, which works properly for small sample sizes and ordinal variables; (iii), which is taken from the literature, developed five main factors that affected academic success and (iv) considered several standard psychological tests and measured characteristics such as ‘self-esteem’ and ‘anxiety’. We then study the impact of such factors on the academic success of the target population. Six factors that positively impact student academic success were identified in the following order of relative impact (from greatest to least): ‘Teaching–Evaluation’, ‘Learner’, ‘Environment’, ‘Family’, ‘Curriculum’ and ‘Teaching Knowledge’. Particularly, influential variables within each factor have also been noted.     

大鼠青春期同伴关系对青年期焦虑样和抑郁样行为的影响

探索大鼠青春期同伴关系对青年期焦虑样和抑郁样行为的影响. 将25只出生20d的清洁级雄性SD大鼠随机分成3组, 单笼组(n=8), 成双组(n=8), 群体组(n=9), 饲养40d后, 进行糖水偏好、高架迷宫和强迫游泳实验. 结果显示: 糖水偏好实验中, 3组大鼠的糖水消耗百分比无明显差异(P>0.05); 高架迷宫实验中, 成双组和群养组大鼠进入开放臂时间较单笼组明显减少(P< 0.01); 强迫游泳实验中, 单笼组大鼠不动时间较成双组和群养组明显延长(P<0.01). 表明青春期孤独环境大鼠容易产生抑郁样行为, 而同伴和群体饲养环境由于竞争压力容易产生焦虑样行为.     

Diastereoselective, large-scale synthesis of β-amino acids via asymmetric aza-Michael addition as α2δ ligands for the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder and insomnia

Scalable synthetic routes to β-amino acids 1 and 2 are presented. These two compounds, which bind to the α2δ subunit of calcium channels and have important medical applications, have been prepared on kilogram scale in our pilot plant through an improved synthesis that avoids the use of highly toxic reagents and hazardous chemistry present in the original Medicinal Chemistry route. The two chiral centers are introduced through asymmetric Michael and aza-Michael reactions with excellent diastereoselectivity.     

Plasma phospholipid profiling of a mouse model of anxiety disorder by hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography coupled to high‐resolution mass spectrometry

Glycerophospholipids (PLs), as amphipathic small molecules and the main constituents of biological membranes, play an important role in several cellular processes, even though their accurate identification from complex biological samples remains a challenge. In this paper, we report a fast and comprehensive HILIC‐ESI‐MS method for the analysis of glycerophospholipid classes using high‐resolution mass spectrometry in negative mode. The final method enabled the quantitative analysis of 130 endogenous PL species in mouse plasma. The application of the method developed was to find differences of plasma PL composition in a mouse model of anxiety disorder. In the case of four PL classes and 35 PL species, significant differences were observed comparing low anxiety‐related behavior with high anxiety‐related behavior groups. The most characteristic trend was up‐regulation in both the PL classes and PL species, and decreases were only detected in two phosphatidylcholines among 35 species in mice having elevated anxiety.     

Smell and Stress Response in the Brain: Review of the Connection between Chemistry and Neuropharmacology

The stress response in the brain is not fully understood, although stress is one of the risk factors for developing mental disorders. On the other hand, the stimulation of the olfactory system can influence stress levels, and a certain smell has been empirically known to have a stress-suppressing effect, indeed. In this review, we first outline what stress is and previous studies on stress-responsive biomarkers (stress markers) in the brain. Subsequently, we confirm the olfactory system and review previous studies on the relationship between smell and stress response by species, such as humans, rats, and mice. Numerous studies demonstrated the stress-suppressing effects of aroma. There are also investigations showing the effects of odor that induce stress in experimental animals. In addition, we introduce recent studies on the effects of aroma of coffee beans and essential oils, such as lavender, cypress, α-pinene, and thyme linalool on the behavior and the expression of stress marker candidates in the brain. The transfer of volatile components into the brain is also discussed while using the results of thyme linalool as an example. These studies may provide a good opportunity to connect chemical research at the molecular level with neuropharmacological approaches in the future.     

关于外科手术患者焦虑情绪的护理探索

目的探索外科手术患者焦虑情绪的护理。方法选取200例该类患者,均分为对照组（一般护理）和观察组（优质护理）,比较两组患者满意度。结果在患者满意度方面,观察组98%明显优于对照87%（P〈0.05）。结论行外科手术前后,应对患者予以优质护理,缓解其焦虑情绪,保证手术治疗质量。     

急性心肌梗死患者焦虑症用药及心理护理的临床价值

目的对急性心肌梗死患者焦虑症调查,探讨用药及心理护理的临床价值。方法研究对象选取孝感市中心医院2013年11月—2014年11月收治的84例急性心肌梗死患者,随机分为对照组与观察组(各42例)。对照组患者接受常规护理;观察组同时给予用药护理和心理护理。对全体患者用药相关焦虑情况进行调查,统计两组患者护理后用改良版药依从性行为量表(Morisky)评分和焦虑自评量表(SAS)评分。结果用药依从性高组患者SAS评分(53.74±6.15)分显著低于用药依从性低组(P0.05);护理后,较对照组,观察组患者用Morisky评分(13.52±2.23)分高,SAS评分(42.37±5.24)分低,两组比较差异有统计学意义(P0.05)。结论急性心肌梗死患者用药依从性差与焦虑发生有显著相关,给予用药及心理护理能有效提高患者用药依从性,改善焦虑心理。