BackgroundGiven that impairment of fear extinction has been implicated in the pathogenesis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), effective pharmacological interventions that facilitate fear extinction may provide alternative strategies to conventional treatment. It is generally accepted that the zeta inhibitory peptide (ZIP), a controversial inhibitor of protein kinase M zeta (PKMζ), could erase certain types of previously established long-term memories. However, it is unclear whether ZIP administration may alleviate PTSD-associated depressive and anxiety-like abnormalities.MethodsHere we developed a re-stressed single-prolonged stress (SPS) paradigm, a modified prevalent animal model of PTSD, and assayed the expressions of PKMζ in the hippocampus after SPS procedure. Next, Seven days prior to re-stress, ZIP was injected into the hippocampus, and the depressive and anxiety-like behavior was examined by the subsequent forced swim (FS), open-field and elevated plus maze (EPM) test.ResultsRats given ZIP prior to FS exhibited a reduction of immobility time in FS test, and more open arms (OA) entries and longer OA duration in EPM. They also spent longer time in the center of the open field.ConclusionsOur results suggested that re-stressed SPS could reproduce behavioral alteration similar to that observed in patients with PTSD, and these behavioral symptoms co-morbid with PTSD could be effectively alleviated by the intro-hippocampal administration of ZIP.

BackgroundPromoting reflection about death may support better living, and how to carry out death education is an important issue to be addressed across the world. The purpose of the current study was to explore the attitude of heart transplant recipients toward death and their inner real experience to provide information for the development of death education strategies.MethodsA phenomenological qualitative study was conducted using a snowball method. A total of 11 patients who had undergone heart transplantation more than 1-year ago were recruited for the current study for semi-structured interviews.ResultsA total of five themes were identified: “Not avoid talking about death,” “Feeling fear about the pain in the process of death”, “Wanting a good death at the end of life,” “The richness of feelings during near-death is surprising,” and “Being close to death makes people more receptive to death.”ConclusionHeart transplant recipients have a positive attitude toward death and wish for “good death” at the end of life. These patients' near-death experiences and positive attitudes toward death during the course of their illness provided evidence of the need for death education in China and supported the experiential approach to death education.

The prevalence of and risk factors for uncertainty stress among residents during the COVID-19 pandemic remain unclear. An online cross-sectional survey was conducted to explore and identify the risk factors for high perceived uncertainty stress among the general public in China during the COVID-19 outbreak. Information about the respondents' socioeconomic characteristics, knowledge of and attitudes towards COVID-19, perceived uncertainty stress, social capital, anxiety, and depressive symptoms was collected and analysed. Among the 1205 respondents, 45.3% (546) reported a high level of uncertainty stress. Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that anxiety (β=3.871,P<0.001) and depression symptoms (β=2.458, P<0.001), family residence (in towns or rural areas) (β=0.947, P<0.001), lack of support for local epidemic control strategies (β=1.253, P<0.001), worry about the pandemic (β=1.191, P<0.001), and symptoms of weakness among family members (β=1.525, P=0.002) were positively associated with perceived uncertainty stress. Cognitive social capital (β=-0.883, P<0.001) and social networks (β=-0.726, P<0.001) were negatively, but social participation (β=0.714, P<0.001) was positively associated with perceived uncertainty stress. Our findings identify factors associated with a higher level of uncertainty stress and should be helpful in the consideration of effective policies and interventions for uncertainty stress during the initial phases of public health emergencies.

Background: An organ donation coordinator plays an important role in the process of organ donation and transplant. Therefore, investigating and analyzing the current situation in organ donation and examining the correlation between professional identity and psychological resilience of human organ donation coordinator, provides a reference for promoting stable development of organ donation.Methods: A total of 48 coordinators of organ donation in Zhejiang Province were recruited for the study by using the method of convenience sampling. The psychological resilience scale and professional identity questionnaire were used to collect data.Results: The results revealed that the total average score of the professional identity of organ donation coordinators was 34.92 ± 8.57. Compared with the median professional identity score of 34.50, the professional identity of the coordinator in this survey was at a moderate level. The total average score of psychological resilience was 64.44 ± 11.91. There was a significant positive correlation between the professional identity of the coordinator and the total score of psychological resilience (r = 0.641, P &lt; 0.01).Conclusion: The professional identity and psychological resilience of the coordinators in Zhejiang Province were found to be in the middle level and the higher the psychological resilience score, the stronger the professional identity of the coordinators. It is important to improve the level of psychological resilience among organ donation coordinators to enhance their professional identity.

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