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Background Older adults’ psychological health is a public health issue that cannot be ignored, especially when these psychological health problems and related factors change across different social backgrounds because of rapid changes in traditions and family structures and the epidemic responses after the outbreak of COVID-19 in China. The aim of our study is to determine the prevalence of anxiety and depression and their associated factors among community-dwelling older adults in China. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted from March to May 2021 with 1173 participants aged 65 years or above from three communities in Hunan Province, China who were selected using convenience sampling. A structured questionnaire including sociodemographic characteristics, clinical characteristics, the Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS), the 7-Item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7), and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 Item (PHQ-9) was used to collect relevant demographic and clinical data and to measure social support status, anxiety symptoms, and depressive symptoms, respectively. Bivariate analyses were conducted to explore the difference in anxiety and depression based on samples’ different characteristics. The multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to test for significant predictors of anxiety and depression. Results The prevalence of anxiety and depression were 32.74% and 37.34%, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that being female, being unemployed before retirement age, lacking physical activity, having physical pain, and having three or more comorbidities were significant predictors for anxiety. Subjective social support and support utilization were significant protective factors. Regarding depression, religion, lacking physical activity, having physical pain, having three or more comorbidities were found to be significant predictors. Support utilization was a significant protective factor. Conclusions The study group showed a high prevalence of anxiety and depression. Gender, employment status, physical activity, physical pain, comorbidities, and social support were associated with psychological health problems of older adults. These findings suggest that governments should focus on the psychological health problems of older adults by raising community awareness of issues related to older adults’ psychological health. They should also screen for anxiety and depression among high-risk groups and encourage individuals to seek supportive counseling.

Background This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of problematic gaming among Chinese adolescents and young adults (CAYAs) and identify potential gender-specific risk variables. Methods 6,014 CAYAs were selected for this cross-sectional study using online convenience sampling. To evaluate their sociodemographic qualities, gaming practices, problematic gaming (as measured by the Video Game Dependency Scale), gaming motivations, and personality traits (as measured by the Chinese Big Five Personality Inventory abbreviated version), participants filled out a self-report questionnaire. To identify the common and distinct variables associated with problematic gaming, stepwise logistic regression analyses were conducted independently for males and females. Results The study comprised 5,593 CAYAs in all (3326 males and 2267 females). Males were more likely than females to have problematic gaming (21.5% vs. 14.1%, p  < 0.001). Problematic gaming among male and female CAYAs was substantially correlated with gaming patterns (monthly spending, daily time), gaming motivations (escaping reality, sensation seeking), and personality traits (conscientiousness, neuroticism). Additionally, among male CAYAs, problematic gaming was linked to the family structure of being an only child (OR: 0.715, 95%CI: 0.588–0.869, p  = 0.001), lower than undergraduate (OR: 0.735, 95%CI: 0.603–0.896, P  = 0.002), and the gaming motivation for coping with negative emotion ((N vs. Y, OR: 0.794, 95%CI: 0.653–0.965, p  = 0.021). Problematic gaming was independently linked to the BRS gaming genre among female CAYAs (OR: 4.989, 95%CI: 2.728–9.125, p  < 0.001). Female CAYAs with problematic gaming exhibit distinct characteristics. Conclusions Compared to female CAYAs, problematic gaming is much more common among male CAYAs. Cross-gender risks in gaming include extended playtime, excessive spending, high neuroticism, and low conscientiousness. Highly educated singles are at higher risk of problematic gaming. Playing BRS games was a specific risk factor for females. This study revealed significant gender disparities in the prevalence and risk factors of problematic gaming among CAYAs, underscoring the significance of gender-specific screening and interventions for CAYAs to prevent problematic gaming and its negative effects. Clinical trial number Not applicable.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has adversely influenced human physical and mental health, including emotional disorders and addictions. This study examined substance and Internet use behavior and their associations with anxiety and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic. An online self-report questionnaire was administered to 2196 Chinese adults between February 17 and 29, 2020. The questionnaire contained the seven-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7) and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), questions on demographic information, and items about substance and Internet use characteristics. Our results revealed that males consumed less alcohol (p < 0.001) and areca-nut (p = 0.012) during the pandemic than before the pandemic. Age, gender, education status, and occupation significantly differed among increased substance users, regular substance users, and nonsubstance users. Time spent on the Internet was significantly longer during the pandemic (p < 0.001) and 72% of participants reported increased dependence on the Internet. Compared to regular Internet users, increased users were more likely to be younger and female. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that age <33 years (OR = 2.034, p < 0.001), increased substance use (OR = 3.439, p < 0.001), and increased Internet use (OR = 1.914, p < 0.001) were significantly associated with depression. Moreover, anxiety was significantly related to female gender (OR = 2.065, p < 0.001), “unmarried” status (OR = 1.480, p = 0.017), nonstudents (OR = 1.946–3.030, p = 0.001), and increased substance use (OR = 4.291, p < 0.001). Although there was a significant decrease in social substance use during the pandemic, more attention should be paid to increased Internet use. Increased Internet use was significantly associated with both anxiety and depression, and increased substance use was related to depression. Professional support should be provided to vulnerable individuals to prevent addiction.

In order to ensure the filling integrity of complex counter-gravity casting and improve metallurgical quality, it is necessary to shorten the filling time while avoiding air entrainments. To address this contradiction, a novel nonlinear pressurization method was proposed in this study. Through systematically analyzing the relationship between critical gating velocity and stable filling height, a criterion for iterative calculation of nonlinear pressurization curve was established, and an empirical expression between nonlinear pressurizing speed and the filling height was obtained. Based on the empirical expression, a nonlinear pressurization curve can be designed according to the casting structures and initial pressurizing speeds. The above nonlinear pressure curve design method was validated through water filling experiments. It was proved that the nonlinear pressure curve can shorten the filling time while avoiding air entrainments. It provides important processing control method for improving the low-pressure casting performance of complex castings.

Induction skull melting (ISM) technology could melt metals with avoiding contamination from crucible. A long-standing problem of ISM is that the low charge energy utilization and inhomogeneous fields have obstructed its application in many critical metal materials and manufacturing processes. The present work investigated the problem through the structure optimization strategy and established a numerical electromagnetic-field model to evaluate components’ eddy current loss. Based on the model, the effect of crucible and inductor structure on charge energy utilization, etc. was studied. Furtherly, the charge energy utilization was increased from 27.1 to 45.89% by adjusting the system structure. Moreover, structure modifications are proposed for enhancing electromagnetic intensity and uniformity, charge soft contact and uniform heating. The work constructed a basis for framing new solutions to the problem through ISM device structure optimization.

Background Internet gaming has gained widespread popularity in China, yet the classification of problematic gaming subtypes based on personality traits remains limited. This study aimed to employ latent profile analysis (LPA) to identify distinct groups of online gamers and compare key variables across these groups. Methods An online survey was conducted within 5593 internet gaming users, including a demographic questionnaire, queries on internet gaming usage, the Video Gaming Dependency Scale, and the Chinese Big Five Inventory-brief version. LPA was applied to identify distinct user groups, followed by an examination of associations between profile membership and auxiliary variables. Results LPA identified three gamer categories for problematic gaming: “high-risk” (64.78%), “medium-risk” (3.22%), and “low-risk” (32%). High-risk gamers allocated more time and financial resources to gaming for escapism and leisure purposes. The medium-risk group sought enjoyable experiences, exhibiting traits that were intermediate between the high- and low-risk groups. High-risk gamers demonstrated elevated levels of neuroticism, accompanied by lower scores in other Big Five personality traits. In contrast, medium-risk gamers scored low across all Big Five dimensions, while low-risk gamers achieved higher scores in all traits except neuroticism. Notably, the low-risk group reported forming the fewest new online friendships, despite sharing similar social motivations with the other groups. Conclusion Traits such as low neuroticism and high conscientiousness serve as protective factors against gaming addiction, while being unmarried or an only child provides additional safeguards. Conversely, increased time and financial investment in gaming activities are associated with a heightened risk of addiction. These findings are crucial for identifying high-risk gamers and informing the development of targeted interventions.

The hydrogen de-/absorption properties of high-capacity Mg-based hydrogen storage alloys are hard to improve due to coarse α-Mg grains and catalytic element segregation. In this study, rapid solidification is introduced to Mg 97 Ni 3- x Y x ( x = 0, 0.25, 0.5, 1, at %) alloys, aiming to improve hydrogenation capacity and de-/hydrogenation kinetic jointly. The results indicate that homogeneous and refined microstructure is formed in rapid-solidified fibers, and NiY 3 and Mg 2 Ni phases are generated in heat-treated fibers. Hydrogen absorption properties are improved as Y content is increased to 0.5 at %. The in situ generated YH 3 phases produce a “synergistic effect” on MgH 2 desorption and further reduce overall dehydrogenation temperature. Due to the homogeneous and refined microstructure and the ultrafine dispersed YH 2 /YH 3 phases introduced by moderate Y doped, the fiber alloy can absorb more hydrogen in stage 1 and improve the hydrogenation capacity and hydrogenation rate.

Background This study developed a virtual reality (VR) drug cue exposure paradigm for individuals with methamphetamine use disorder (MUD) to investigate the characteristics of withdrawal craving and cue-induced craving and their relationship. Methods A total of 150 male participants diagnosed with MUD completed questionnaires to assess their demographic characteristics and substance addiction profiles. Withdrawal craving for methamphetamine (MA) was measured using the visual analogue scale (VAS). VR technology was utilized to expose participants to three types of scenarios: neutral scenes, MA-related paraphernalia, and drug-use scene, while cue-induced craving in different scenes was assessed using the VAS in VR environment. Results The results showed that:1) In the VR cue environment, MUD participants’ craving in the drug use scene was significantly higher than in the neutral and MA paraphernalia scenes ( p  < 0.001) and significantly higher than the pre-exposure withdrawal craving ( p  < 0.05). 2) Withdrawal craving scores were positively correlated with craving scores in all three VR scenarios ( p  < 0.01). 3) Both withdrawal craving and cue-induced craving scores were positively correlated with the total score of the MUD severity scale ( p  < 0.05). Withdrawal craving scores were positively correlated with MA use dosage and abstinence duration ( p  < 0.05). Conclusion These findings suggest that the VR-based cue exposure paradigm can serve as an effective tool for assessing MA-related cue-induced craving. By identifying specific scenarios that elicit strong craving responses, this study provides a foundation for designing immersive VR therapies that can reduce craving and prevent relapse, potentially enhancing treatment outcomes for MUD. It contributes to a deeper understanding of the roles of withdrawal craving and cue-induced craving in the addiction process and their interrelationship.

Reducing psychological craving is critical for preventing relapse in methamphetamine use disorder (MUD). This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of virtual reality (VR)-based cue exposure therapy (CET) and cue exposure with aversion therapy (CETA) in reducing methamphetamine craving in men with MUD. In this randomized controlled trial, 89 men with MUD were assigned to three groups: VR-based cue exposure therapy (CET, n  = 30), VR-based cue exposure combined with aversion therapy (CETA, n  = 29), and neutral scenes (NS, n  = 30). The intervention comprised 16 sessions over 8 weeks. Primary outcomes were tonic craving and cue-induced craving. Secondary outcomes included attentional bias, rehabilitation confidence, drug refusal self-efficacy, anxiety, and depression. Both CET and CETA groups demonstrated significant reductions in tonic craving post-intervention (CET: p  = 0.001; CETA: p  = 0.010), while the NS group showed no change ( p  = 0.217). The CET group demonstrated significantly lower post-intervention tonic craving compared to the NS group ( p  = 0.047). All groups showed decreased cue-induced craving in drug use scenes ( p  < 0.05). The CETA group showed significantly improved drug refusal self-efficacy compared to baseline ( p  = 0.001) and the NS group ( p  = 0.018). The CET group demonstrated reduced anxiety compared to the NS group ( p  = 0.014). No serious adverse events were reported during VR exposure. VR-based cue exposure therapy, particularly when combined with aversion therapy, effectively reduces psychological craving and improves drug refusal self-efficacy in MUD patients. This study provides evidence supporting VR-based interventions as a safe and promising tool for MUD treatment, though larger-scale trials are needed to confirm long-term efficacy. Clinical trial number : This randomized controlled trial was registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (Code: ChiCTR1800020014).

The micrometer scale sac-like alveoli are the most important and essential unit for gas exchange in the lung. Thus, design and fabrication of scaffolds for alveoli regeneration by tissue engineering approach should meet a few topography and functional requests such as large surface area, flexibility, and high gas permeability to their native counterpart. Testing the gas permeability of scaffolds through a fast and simple technique is also highly demanded to assist new scaffold development. This study fabricated alveolus-like scaffolds with regular pore shape, high pore connectivity, and high porosity produced by inverse opal technique alongside randomly distrusted porous scaffolds by salt leaching technique from two different materials (polyurethane and poly(L-lactic acid)). The scaffold surface was modified by immobilization of VEGF. A facile and new technique based on the bubble meter principle enabling to measure the gas permeability of porous scaffolds conveniently has been developed specifically. The cellular response of the scaffolds was assessed by culturing with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and coculturing with lung epithelial NL20 and endothelial HUVECs. Our results showed that the newly designed gas permeability device provided rapid, nondestructive, reproducible, and accurate assessment of gas permeability of different scaffolds. The porous polyurethane scaffolds made by inverse opal method had much better gas permeability than other scaffolds used in this study. The cellular work indicated that with VEGF surface modification, polyurethane inverse opal scaffolds induced alveolus-like tissues and have promising application in lung tissue engineering.