Adequate proverb interpretation is associated with performance on the Independent Living Scales

The purpose of this study was to examine proverb interpretation performance and functional independence in older adults. From the limited literature on proverb interpretation in aging and its conceptualization as an executive function, it was hypothesized that proverb interpretation would be related to functional independence similar to other executive functions. Tests of proverb interpretation, additional executive functions, and functional ability were administered to nondemented older adults. Results showed that proverb interpretation accounted for a significant amount of unique variance of functional ability scores. This supports including a measure of proverb interpretation to the assessment of older adults.     

Is Living Longer Living Better?

abstract Some day, perhaps soon, we may have genetic enhancements enabling us to conquer aging. Should we do so, if we can? I believe the topic is both interesting and important, and that it behoves us to think about it. Doing so may yield important insights about what we do care about, what we should care about, and how we should seek to live our lives, both individually and collectively. My central question is this: Is living longer, living better? My paper does not offer a sustained argument for a single, considered, thesis. Rather, it offers a number of snippets of often‐unconnected thoughts relevant to the issues my question raises. The paper contains seven sections. Part one is introductory. Part two comments on some current longevity research. Part three indicates the attitudes towards death and science with which I approach these questions. Parts four and five, respectively, discuss some worries about immortality raised by Leon Kass and Bernard Williams. Part six points to some practical, social, and moral concerns that might arise if society's members lived super long lives. Part seven concludes by suggesting that we should favour living well over living longer, and ongoing reproduction over immortality; correspondingly, I suggest that we should think long and hard before proceeding with certain lines of longevity research.     

The cost of facing fear: Visual working memory is impaired for faces expressing fear

Previous research has identified numerous factors affecting the capacity and accuracy of visual working memory (VWM). One potentially important factor is the emotionality of the stimuli to be encoded and held in VWM. We often must hold in VWM information that is emotionally charged, but much is still unknown about how the emotionality of stimuli impacts VWM performance. In the current research, we performed four studies examining the impact of fearful facial expressions on VWM for faces. Fearful expressions were found to produce a consistent cost to VWM performance. This cost was modulated by encoding time, but not set size. This cost was only present for faces in an upright orientation consistent with this cost being a product of the emotionality of the faces rather than lower‐level perceptual differences between neutral and fearful faces. These findings are discussed in the context of existing theoretical accounts of the impact of emotion on information processing. We suggest that a number of competing effects drive both costs and benefits and are at play when emotional information must be stored in VWM, with the task context determining the balance between them.     

无债的生活

我们认为,拒绝饶恕某人是我们与某人扯平或是惩罚某人的手段,这真是疯狂。当我们不愿饶恕别人时,实际上,我们也是在惩罚自己。所以,饶恕他人也是自我解脱。     

The central nucleus of the amygdala is essential for acquiring and expressing conditional fear after overtraining

The basolateral complex of the amygdala (BLA) is critical for the acquisition and expression of Pavlovian fear conditioning in rats. Nonetheless, rats with neurotoxic BLA lesions can acquire conditional fear after overtraining (75 trials). The capacity of rats with BLA lesions to acquire fear memory may be mediated by the central nucleus of the amygdala (CEA). To examine this issue, we examined the influence of neurotoxic CEA lesions or reversible inactivation of the CEA on the acquisition and expression of conditional freezing after overtraining in rats. Rats with pretraining CEA lesions (whether alone or in combination with BLA lesions) did not acquire conditional freezing to either the conditioning context or an auditory conditional stimulus after extensive overtraining. Similarly, post-training lesions of the CEA or BLA prevented the expression of overtrained fear. Lastly, muscimol infusions into the CEA prevented both the acquisition and the expression of overtrained fear, demonstrating that the effects of CEA lesions are not likely due to the destruction of en passant axons. These results suggest that the CEA is essential for conditional freezing after Pavlovian fear conditioning. Moreover, overtraining may engage a compensatory fear conditioning circuit involving the CEA in animals with damage to the BLA.     

Living with diabetes

Management of diabetes can be affected by emotional distress in two ways: directly, via the effect of stress on glycemic control, and indirectly via effects on self-care routines. Rational-emotive therapy, along with a number of other cognitive, emotive, and behavioral tools, is an important intervention for patients who have diabetes-related distress. The authors describe personal and professional examples of the application of these tools to living rationally with diabetes.Richard R. Rubin, Ph.D. is a staff member of the Diabetes Center and the Pediatric Diabetes Clinic at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. In addition, he has a private psychotherapy practice, substantially devoted to counseling and coping skills training for people with diabetes.Susan R. Walen, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology, Towson State University and Director of the Baltimore Center for Cognitive Therapy. She is the coauthor ofA Practitioner's Guide to Rational-Emotive Therapy.Albert Ellis, Ph.D. is the founder of Rational Emotive Therapy and president of the Institute for RET in New York City. He is the author of more than 50 books and 600 journal articles on psychotherapy topics.     

A Living Conversation

Abstract: Experiencing strong differences regarding Christian faith in his family of origin, Paul Sponheim came to stress the content of Christian faith as something to be explicated and defended. The framework for that work has been the distinction and relationship between self and world in relation to God. S. Kierkegaard and A.N. Whitehead are seen as major influences (self, world; respectively) and as needing each other in faith's appropriation. Five decades of theological work constitute a conversation, including teaching and writing. In closing the question of the efficacy of such a conversation is raised and appeal is made to the transformative power of genuine conversation in which all participants are fully present.     

Community Living Skills

Persons with chronic mental health problems are frequently found living in the community at varying quality of life levels. Though rehabilitation programs are suitable for patients with acute exacerbations of mental health pathology, these programs are necessary but not sufficient to meet the needs of the chronic person. Long-term reliance on biomedically-based rehabilitation can produce dependence on the system and maintain reliance on the "sick role" which is counterproductive for current trends related to deinstitutionalization and "least restrictive environment." The intent of this article is to focus on an one alternative service delivery model- psychoeducation. The potentials for this mode to normalize or maximize independence is discussed and two community living skills programs for the chronically mentally ill are described to exemplify the application of psychoeducation.     

谈中医认知方式及中医理论体系的构建

提出开箱式思维和闭箱式思维的概念,并以此为基础对中医认知方式和中医理论体系的构建进行初步的探讨.整体上,中医认知方式是一种宏观性闭箱式思维,中医学是一种闭箱式理论体系.