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The 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a public health emergency of international concern. In China, all schools were shut down and students were home quarantined to prevent disease spread; these steps could have potential negative effects on mental health of adolescents. This study aimed to examine changes in depression and anxiety among Chinese adolescents during the COVID-19 epidemic, and explore factors associated with depression and anxiety. Two survey administrations were conducted among Chinese adolescents between February 20 and February 27 and between April 11 and April 19, 2020, respectively. The Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D) and the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scale were used to assess depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms, respectively. A total of 9554 and 3886 adolescents participated in the first and second surveys. During the initial survey, the prevalence of depression was 36.6% (95% CI: 35.6–37.6%) while the prevalence of anxiety was 19% (95% CI: 18.2–19.8%). Rates of depression and anxiety increased to 57.0% (95% CI: 55.4–58.6%) and 36.7% (95% CI: 35.2–38.2%), respectively, in the second survey. Multivariable logistic regression analyses revealed that group membership in the second survey, female gender, senior secondary school enrollment, and concerns about entering a higher grade were positively associated with both depression and anxiety. Conversely, a sleep duration of ≥6 h/day, an exercise duration ≥30 min/day, having the same as typical or higher study efficiency during the COVID-19 outbreak, and living in provinces with 1000–9999 confirmed COVID-19 cases were negatively associated with depression and anxiety. In conclusion, compared to figures reported during the COVID-19 outbreak, the prevalence of depression and anxiety in Chinese adolescents significantly increased after the initial outbreak. Regular screening and appropriate interventions are urgently needed to reduce the risk for emotional disturbances among adolescents during and after the initial COVID-19 outbreaks.

Although lipopolysaccharides (LPS) have been used to establish animal models of memory loss akin to what is observed in Alzheimer's disease (AD), the exact mechanisms involved have not been substantiated. In this study, we established an animal model of learning and memory impairment induced by LPS and explored the biological processes and pathways involved. Mice were continuously intraperitoneally injected with LPS for 7 days. Learning- and memory-related behavioral performance and the pathological processes involved were assessed using the Morris water maze test and immunostaining, respectively. We detected comprehensive expression of C1q, C3, microglia, and their regulatory cytokines in the hippocampus. After 7 days of LPS administration, we were able to observe LPS-induced learning and memory impairment in the mice, which was attributed to neural impairment and synapse loss in the hippocampus. We elucidated that the immune system was activated, with the classical complement pathway and microglial phagocytosis being involved in the synapse loss. This study demonstrates that an LPS-injected mouse can serve as an early memory impairment model for studies on anti-AD drugs.

Pulmonary diseases are main causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Current studies show that though specific pulmonary diseases and correlative lung-metabolic deviance own unique pathophysiology and clinical manifestations, they always tend to exhibit common characteristics including reactive oxygen species (ROS) signaling and disruptions of proteostasis bringing about accumulation of unfolded or misfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). ER is generated by the unfolded protein response. When the adaptive unfolded protein response (UPR) fails to preserve ER homeostasis, a maladaptive or terminal UPR is engaged, leading to the disruption of ER integrity and to apoptosis, which is called ER stress. The ER stress mainly includes the accumulation of misfolded and unfolded proteins in lumen and the disorder of Ca 2+ balance. ROS mediates several critical aspects of the ER stress response. We summarize the latest advances in of the UPR and ER stress in the pathogenesis of pulmonary disease and discuss potential therapeutic strategies aimed at restoring ER proteostasis in pulmonary disease.

The cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS)/stimulator of IFN genes (STING) pathway is intimately associated with antitumoral immunity; however, the direct involvement of this pathway in tumor cell demise remains elusive. Here, we identified a compound, dodecyl 6-hydroxy-2-naphthoate (DHN), that induces pyroptosis in melanoma cells by activating noncanonical cGAS/STING signaling. DHN targets mitochondrial protein cyclophilin D (CypD) to induce the release of mitochondrial DNA, leading to cGAS activation and cyclic GMP-AMP (cGAMP) generation. Meanwhile, DHN-caused intracellular acidification induces protein kinase R-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK) activation, which promotes STING phosphorylation and polymerization in the presence of cGAMP, thereby facilitating the aggregation of STING in the ER, which serves as a platform to recruit Fas-associated via death domain (FADD) and caspase-8, leading to caspase-8 activation and subsequent gasdermin E cleavage, which ultimately results in pyroptosis of tumor cells and tumor regression in mouse models. The occurrence of this noncanonical cGAS/STING pathway-associated pyroptosis is also observed when both cGAS is activated and intracellular pH declines. Collectively, our findings reveal a pathway that links noncanonical cGAS/STING signaling to gasdermin E-mediated pyroptosis, thereby offering valuable insights for tumor therapy.

Myocardial ischemia is a disease with high morbidity and mortality, for which reperfusion is currently the standard intervention. However, the reperfusion may lead to further myocardial damage, known as myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury (MI/RI). Oxidative stress is one of the most important pathological mechanisms in reperfusion injury, which causes apoptosis, autophagy, inflammation, and some other damage in cardiomyocytes through multiple pathways, thus causing irreversible cardiomyocyte damage and cardiac dysfunction. This article reviews the pathological mechanisms of oxidative stress involved in reperfusion injury and the interventions for different pathways and targets, so as to form systematic treatments for oxidative stress-induced myocardial reperfusion injury and make up for the lack of monotherapy.

Background We examined the prospective associations of changes in lifestyle behaviors before/during the COVID-19 pandemic, namely physical activity and screen time, with mental health. Furthermore, the impacts of physical activity and screen time on mental health during the pandemic were examined cross-sectionally. Methods A two-wave longitudinal study was conducted among 2423 children and adolescents in Shanghai, China. Lifestyle behavior variables (physical activity and screen time) and psychological variables (depressive symptoms, anxiety, and stress) were measured using a self-reported questionnaire in January and March 2020. A series of multivariable logistic regressions were performed to examine the associations between changes in lifestyle behaviors in two waves and psychological problems. The combined associations of physical activity and screen time with psychological problems were also explored using the second wave data. Results Compared to students with persistently short screen time before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, those with prolonged screen time (OR = 1·36 for depression, OR = 1·48 for anxiety) and those with persistently long screen time (OR = 1·70 for depression, OR = 2·13 for anxiety) reported a higher risk of psychological symptoms. The association between changes in physical activity and psychological symptoms was not statistically significant after adjustment for demographic factors, socioeconomic status, and screen time. During the COVID-19 pandemic, engaging in longer screen time (OR = 1·44 for depression, OR = 1·55 for anxiety) was associated with worsened psychological conditions, while engaging in increased physical activity (OR = 0·58 for depression, OR = 0·66 for anxiety) was associated with better psychological conditions. Conclusions Our study suggests that promoting physical activity and limiting leisure screen time during the COVID-19 pandemic are important to prevent and mitigate psychological problems in children and adolescents. Therefore, effective interventions targeting lifestyle behaviors are needed to protect children and adolescents’ physical and mental health.

AIM: Evergreen broad‐leaved forests (EBLFs) occupy most tropical and subtropical regions of mainland Asia and exhibit high species diversity, productivity and richness. Understanding the historical dynamics of EBLFs is important for biodiversity conservation and regional carbon storage and cycling under global climate change. However, little is known about the historical dynamics of EBLFs in mainland Asia. Dendrobium, an epiphytic orchid genus found in EBLFs, was used to gain new insights of the historical establishment and extension of EBLFs in mainland Asia. LOCATION: Mainland Asia. METHODS: We sampled c. 80% of the currently recognized species of Dendrobium found in mainland Asia. A phylogeny was generated using maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference methods. A calibrated chronogram was obtained using a Bayesian relaxed‐clock model approach. Biogeographical scenarios were investigated using the statistical dispersal–vicariance analysis and dispersal–extinction–cladogenesis methods. Ancestral states were constructed by mesquite and bayestraits, and diversification of Dendrobium was investigated by APE and LASER packages. RESULTS: Our results indicate that Asian Dendrobium was present on mainland Asia since the Oligocene, after which this genus diversified in this region and dispersed into higher elevations. The ancestral habit of Dendrobium was epiphytic and terrestrial and lithophytic habits each have multiple, recently independent origins. MAIN CONCLUSIONS: Our results support the hypothesis that EBLFs have been established in mainland Asia at least since the Oligocene and further suggest that the EBLFs of mainland Asia expanded into higher elevations prior to the late Cenozoic. The diversification of Asian Dendrobium coincided with a warmer climate during the late Oligocene and middle Miocene and the expansion of key groups (including Fagaceae, Lauraceae, Magnoliaceae and Theaceae) of EBLFs during the early Cenozoic.

Elucidating interactions of above-ground and below-ground communities in different habitat types is essential for understanding biodiversity maintenance and ecosystem functioning. Using 454 pyrosequencing of ITS2 sequences we examined the relationship between subtropical mountain forest soil fungal communities, abiotic conditions, and plant communities using correlation and partial models. Ridge and valley habitats with differing fungal communities were delineated. Total, saprotrophic and pathogenic fungal richness were significantly correlated with plant species richness and/or soil nutrients and moisture in the ridge habitat, but with habitat convexity or basal area of Castanopsis eyrei in the valley habitat. Ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungal richness was significantly correlated with basal area of C. eyrei and total EM plants in the ridge and valley habitats, respectively. Total, saprotrophic, pathogenic and EM fungal compositions were significantly correlated with plant species composition and geographic distance in the ridge habitat, but with various combinations of plant species composition, plant species richness, soil C : N ratio and pH or no variables in the valley habitat. Our findings suggest that mechanisms influencing soil fungal diversity and community composition differ between ridge and valley habitats, and relationships between fungal and woody plant assemblages depend on habitat types in the subtropical forest ecosystem.

Background Traditional exercise [supervised exercise (SE)] intervention has been proved to be one of the most effective ways to improve metabolic health. However, most exercise interventions were on a high-cost and small scale, moreover lacking of the long-term effect due to low engagement. On the other hand, it was noteworthy that gamification and social incentives were promising strategies to increase engagement and sustain exercise interventions effects; as well as mobile technologies such as WeChat also can provide an appropriate platform to deploy interventions on a broader, low-cost scale. Thus, we aim to develop a novel exercise intervention (‘S&G exercise intervention’) that combines SE intervention with gamification and social incentives design through WeChat, with the aim of improving metabolic health and poor behaviors among overweight and obesity children. Methods We propose a randomized controlled trial of a ‘S&G exercise intervention’ among 420 overweight and obese children who have at least one marker of metabolic syndrome. Children will be randomized to control or intervention group in a 1:1 ratio. The exercise intervention package includes intervention designs based on integrated social incentives and gamification theory, involving targeted essential volume and intensity of activity (skipping rope) as well as monitoring daily information and providing health advice by WeChat. Participants will undertake assessments at baseline, at end of intervention period, in the follow-up time at months 3,6,12. The primary outcome is outcome of metabolic health. Secondary outcomes include behavioral (e.g., diary physical activity, diet) and anthropometric measures (e.g., body fat rate and muscle mass). Discussions This will be the first study to design an exercise intervention model that combines traditional supervised exercise (SE) intervention with gamification and social incentives theory through WeChat. We believed that this study could explore a low-cost, easy-to-popularize, and effective exercise intervention model for improving metabolic health and promote healthy among obese children. Furthermore, it will also provide important evidence for guidelines to prevent and improve metabolic health and health behaviors. Trial registration 10-04-2019;Registration number: ChiCTR1900022396 .

Internet use exhibits diverse trajectories during adolescence, which may contribute to depressive symptoms. Currently, it remains unclear whether the association between internet use trajectories and depressive symptoms varies between urban and rural areas. This study aimed to investigate the association between internet use trajectories and adolescent depressive symptoms and to explore variation in this association between urban and rural areas. This longitudinal study used 3-wave data from the 2014-2018 China Family Panel Study. Weekly hours of internet use and depressive symptoms were measured using self-reported questionnaires. Latent class growth modeling was performed to identify the trajectories of internet use. Multivariable logistic regressions were used to examine the association between internet use trajectories and depressive symptoms, stratified by rural and urban residence. Participants were 2237 adolescents aged 10 to 15 years at baseline (mean age 12.46, SD 1.73 years). Two latent trajectory classes of internet use were identified: the low-growth group (n=2008, 89.8%) and the high-growth group (n=229, 10.2%). The high-growth group was associated with higher odds of depressive symptoms (OR 1.486, 95% CI 1.065-2.076) compared to the low-growth group. In the stratified analysis, the association between internet use trajectories and depressive symptoms was significant solely among rural adolescents (OR 1.856, 95% CI 1.164-2.959). This study elucidates urban-rural differences in the associations between trajectories of internet use and adolescent depressive symptoms. Our findings underscore the importance of prioritizing interventions for rural adolescents' internet use behaviors to mitigate negative effects on their mental health.