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Persons with suicidality including suicidal ideation (SI), suicide plans (SP) and/or suicide attempts (SA) are at higher risk for future suicide than those without suicidality. To reduce the risk of future suicide, it is important to understand symptoms of emotional distress that have the strongest links with SI, SP and SA. This network analysis examined item-level relations of depressive and anxiety symptoms with suicidality among adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic.Adolescents between 12 and 20 years of age were assessed with the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), and individual binary reponse (no/yes) items assessing SI, SP, and SA during the pandemic. The structure of depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms and suicidality was characterized using "Expected Influence" and "Bridge Expected Influence" as centrality indices in the symptom network. Network stability was tested using a case-dropping bootstrap procedure. Node-specific predictive betweenness was computed to examine short paths of anhedonia, other depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms with suicidality. A Network Comparison Test (NCT) was conducted to examine whether network characteristics differed based on gender.Prevalence rates of depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and suicidality were 44.60 % (95% confidence interval (CI) = 41.53-47.67 %), 31.12 % (95%CI = 28.26-33.98 %), and 16.95 % (95%CI = 14.63-19.26 %), respectively, in the study sample. The network analysis identified GAD3 ("Worry too much") as the most central symptom, followed by GAD6 ("Irritability") and PHQ6 ("Guilt") in the sample. Additionally, PHQ6 ("Guilt"), GAD6 ("Irritability"), and PHQ2 ("Sad mood") were bridge nodes linking depressive and anxiety symptoms with suicidality. A flow network indicated that the connection between S ("Suicidality") and PHQ6 ("Guilt") reflected the strongest connection, followed by connections of S ("Suicidality") with GAD2 ("Uncontrollable worrying"), and S ("Suicidality") with PHQ2 ("Sad mood"). Finally, PHQ2 ("Sad mood") was the main bridge node linking anhedonia with other depressive and anxiety symptoms and suicidality in the sample.Findings highlight the potential importance of reducing specific depressive and anxiety symptoms as possible means of reducing suicidality among adolescents during the pandemic. Central symptoms and key bridge symptoms identified in this study should be targeted in suicide prevention for at-risk adolescents.

Although the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has greatly impacted individuals' mental health and quality of life, network analysis studies of associations between symptoms of common syndromes during the pandemic are lacking, particularly among Macau residents. This study investigated the network structure of insomnia, anxiety, and depression and explored their associations with quality of life in this population.This online survey was conducted in Macau between August 18 and November 9, 2020. Insomnia, anxiety, depressive symptoms, and quality of life were assessed with the Insomnia Severity Index, Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire, and World Health Organization Quality of Life-brief version, respectively. Analyses were performed to identify central symptoms and bridge symptoms of this network and their links to quality of life.975 participants enrolled in this survey. The prevalence of depressive, anxiety and insomnia symptoms were 38.5% (95% confidence interval (CI): 35.5%-41.5%), 28.8% (95%CI: 26.0%-31.7%), and 27.6% (95% CI: 24.8%-30.4%), respectively. "Sleep maintenance" had the highest expected influence centrality, followed by "Trouble relaxing", "Interference with daytime functioning", "Irritability", and "Fatigue". Five bridge symptoms were identified: "Sleep problems", "Restlessness", "Irritability", "Severity of sleep onset", and "Motor activity". The insomnia symptom, "Sleep dissatisfaction", had the strongest direct relation to quality of life.Insomnia symptoms played a critical role in the distress symptom network regarding node and bridge centrality as well as associations with quality of life among Macau residents. Close attention to these symptoms may be critical to reducing risk and preventing exacerbations in common forms of distress in this population.

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected treatment-seeking behaviors of psychiatric patients and their guardians. Barriers to access of mental health services may contribute to adverse mental health consequences, not only for psychiatric patients, but also for their guardians. This study explored the prevalence of depression and its association with quality of life among guardians of hospitalized psychiatric patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsThis multi-center, cross-sectional study was conducted in China. Symptoms of depression and anxiety, fatigue level and quality of life (QOL) of guardians were measured with validated Chinese versions of the Patient Health Questionnaire – 9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale – 7 (GAD-7), fatigue numeric rating scale (FNRS), and the first two items of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire - brief version (WHOQOL-BREF), respectively. Independent correlates of depression were evaluated using multiple logistic regression analysis. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to compare global QOL of depressed versus non-depressed guardians. The network structure of depressive symptoms among guardians was constructed using an extended Bayesian Information Criterion (EBIC) model.ResultsThe prevalence of depression among guardians of hospitalized psychiatric patients was 32.4% (95% CI: 29.7–35.2%). GAD-7 total scores (OR = 1.9, 95% CI: 1.8–2.1) and fatigue (OR = 1.2, 95% CI: 1.1–1.4) were positively correlated with depression among guardians. After controlling for significant correlates of depression, depressed guardians had lower QOL than non-depressed peers did [F(1, 1,101) = 29.24, p Loss of energy” (item 4 of the PHQ-9), “concentration difficulties” (item 7 of the PHQ-9) and “sad mood” (item 2 of the PHQ-9) were the most central symptoms in the network model of depression for guardians.ConclusionAbout one third of guardians of hospitalized psychiatric patients reported depression during the COVID-19 pandemic. Poorer QOL was related to having depression in this sample. In light of their emergence as key central symptoms, “loss of energy,” “concentration problems,” and “sad mood” are potentially useful targets for mental health services designed to support caregivers of psychiatric patients.

The Robotics and Sensorimotor Control Laboratory (RoSenCo), led by Dr. Netta Gurari, in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, is dedicated to conducting neurological research with stroke survivors. Stroke is a leading cause of disability worldwide, and RoSenCo aims to contribute to the development of treatments by studying the effects of stroke on tactile perception. RoSenCo researchers have designed a series of experiments to advance their goals, and this project focuses on developing software to facilitate these experiments in a flexible and expandable manner. The software, known as RoSenCo Experiment Manager (RoSenCoExMan), has been implemented to control actuators and collect data from sensors at a rate of 1600Hz. It also provides real-time graphing of selected data streams, displays text-to-speech-powered audio-visual instructions for participants, and saves collected data in the required format for subsequent analysis. RoSenCoExMan is written in Python, utilizing various libraries for implementing features such as graphing, hardware access, and text-to-speech capabilities. The software employs multi-processing techniques to achieve the required performance. Opportunities for future work include extending the audio-visual participant feedback functionality to enable experiments utilizing more dynamic visuals, and the addition of a graphical user interface. HCIinterfaceForStrokeReport.pdf - PDF version of final report HCIinterfaceForStrokeReport.zip - Zip of Overleaf project version of final report HCIinterfaceForStrokePresentation.pptx - PowerPoint version of final presentation HCIinterfaceForStrokePresentation.pdf - PDF version of final presentation HCIinterfaceForStrokeCode.zip - Zip file with project code

Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR), anxiety, and depression are common psychological disturbances that frequently occur together among cancer patients. This study investigated network connectivity between FCR, anxiety, and depressive symptoms in a large representative sample of breast cancer patients.This was a multicenter, cross-sectional study of 803 women with breast cancer. All participants completed the 4-item FCR scale, Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Network analysis was conducted to investigate the network structure, central symptoms, bridge symptoms, and network stability of these disturbances.The generated network model indicated that anxiety and depression symptom communities were well-connected with each other, while FCR emerged as a distinct cluster with only a few weak links to anxiety and depression communities. Depressive and anxiety symptoms were more central than FCR symptoms were in the model. 'Having trouble relaxing' (#GAD4, strength = 1.147) was the most central node within the whole network, and 'strong feelings about recurrence' (#FCR4, strength = 0.531) was the least central node. Several anxiety symptoms (e.g., 'feeling afraid', 'uncontrollable worry', and 'restlessness') acted as important bridging symptoms connecting FCR, depression and anxiety communities. 'Uncontrollable worry' (#GAD2) had the highest node-specific predictive betweenness value. The network stability of this model was high.Depression and anxiety symptoms are highly interactive with each other among women with breast cancer. Conversely, FCR may have attenuated relations with anxiety and depression communities and emerged as a relatively independent, unique experience. Anxiety symptoms, particularly 'uncontrollable worry', acted as important trans-diagnostic symptoms that connected different communities. Findings suggested interventions to alleviate excessive worries and enhance feelings of personal control might be helpful in preventing or reducing related symptoms of FCR, anxiety and depression.

The COVID-19 pandemic is associated with an increased risk of mental health problems including suicide in many subpopulations, but its influence on stable patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) has been studied fleetingly. This study examined the one-year prevalence of suicidality including suicidal ideation (SI), suicide plans (SP), and suicide attempts (SA) as well as their correlates in clinically stable MDD patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.A cross-sectional, observational study was conducted between October 1, 2020, and October 15, 2021, in six tertiary psychiatric hospitals. Socio-demographic information, clinical data and one-year prevalence of suicidality were recorded.Altogether, 1718 participants who met the eligibility criteria were included. The overall one-year prevalence of suicidality during the COVID-19 pandemic was 68.04% (95% confidence intervals (CI) =65.84-70.25%), with one-year SI prevalence of 66.4% (95%CI = 64.18-68.65%), SP prevalence of 36.26% (95%CI = 33.99-38.54%), and SA prevalence of 39.35% (95%CI = 37.04-41.66%). Binary logistic regression analyses revealed male gender, married marital status, college education level and above and age were negatively associated with risk of suicidality. Urban residence, unemployed work status, experiences of cyberbullying, a history of suicide among family members or friends, and more severe fatigue, physical pain, and residual depressive symptoms were positively associated with risk of suicidality.Suicidality is common among clinically stable MDD patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Regular suicide screening and preventive measures should be provided to clinically stable MDD patients during the pandemic.

BackgroundThe 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak affected people’s lifestyles and increased their risk for depressive and anxiety symptoms (depression and anxiety, respectively hereafter). We assessed depression and anxiety in residents of Macau during “the 6.18 COVID-19 outbreak” period and explored inter-connections of different symptoms from the perspective of network analysis.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, 1,008 Macau residents completed an online survey comprising the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and seven-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7) to measure depression and anxiety, respectively. Central and bridge symptoms of the depression-anxiety network model were evaluated based on Expected Influence (EI) statistics, while a bootstrap procedure was used to test the stability and accuracy of the network model.ResultsDescriptive analyses indicated the prevalence of depression was 62.5% [95% confidence interval (CI) = 59.47–65.44%], the prevalence of anxiety was 50.2% [95%CI = 47.12–53.28%], and 45.1% [95%CI = 42.09–48.22%] of participants experienced comorbid depression and anxiety. “Nervousness-Uncontrollable worry” (GADC) (EI = 1.15), “Irritability” (GAD6) (EI = 1.03), and “Excessive worry” (GAD3) (EI = 1.02) were the most central symptoms, while “Irritability” (GAD6) (bridge EI = 0.43), “restlessness” (GAD5) (bridge EI = 0.35), and “Sad Mood” (PHQ2) (bridge EI = 0.30) were key bridge symptoms that emerged in the network model.ConclusionNearly half of residents in Macau experienced comorbid depression and anxiety during the 6.18 COVID-19 outbreak. Central and bridge symptoms identified in this network analysis are plausible, specific targets for treatment and prevention of comorbid depression and anxiety related to this outbreak.

BackgroundA growing number of studies has implicated oxidative stress in the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia. The aim of this study was to explore the field of schizophrenia and oxidative stress-related research from a bibliometric perspective.MethodsAll relevant publications on schizophrenia and oxidative stress were obtained from Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC) database from its inception date to November 8, 2022. VOSviewer software was used to examine co-authorships and co-occurring keywords. R software was used to present the main characteristics of publications and cooperation frequency among countries. CiteSpace was used to investigate keywords with the strongest citation bursts.ResultsA total of 3,510 publications on schizophrenia and oxidative stress were included. The United States had the largest number of publications (26.1%), and international collaborations. University of Melbourne was the most productive institution, while Schizophrenia Research was the most productive journal in this field. Apart from “schizophrenia” and “oxidative stress”, the terms “prefrontal cortex”, “brain” and “nitric oxide” were among the most frequently used keywords.ConclusionsIn conclusion, research on the association between oxidative stress and schizophrenia has received growing attention in the academic literature that is expected to continue its upward trajectory during the next two decades. Existing research suggests there has been a transition from research focused on pathways to animal models, and subsequently to clinical applications. Intervention studies on oxidative stress and schizophrenia are likely to be an important focus of related work in the near future.

BackgroundPost-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) are commonly reported by psychiatric healthcare personnel during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and negatively affect quality of life (QOL). However, associations between PTSS and QOL at symptom level are not clear. This study examined the network structure of PTSS and its connection with QOL in psychiatric healthcare personnel during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was carried out between March 15 and March 20, 2020 based on convenience sampling. Self-report measures including the 17-item Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist – Civilian version (PCL-C) and World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire - Brief Version (WHOQOL-BREF) were used to measure PTSS and global QOL, respectively. Network analysis was used to investigate the central symptoms of PTSS and pattern of connections between PTSS and QOL. An undirected network was constructed using an extended Bayesian Information Criterion (EBIC) model, while a directed network was established based on the Triangulated Maximally Filtered Graph (TMFG) method.ResultsAltogether, 10,516 psychiatric healthcare personnel completed the assessment. “Avoidance of thoughts” (PTSS-6), “Avoidance of reminders” (PTSS-7), and “emotionally numb” (PTSS-11) were the most central symptoms in the PTSS community, all of which were in the Avoidance and Numbing domain. Key bridge symptoms connecting PTSS and QOL were “Sleep disturbances” (PTSS-13), “Irritability” (PTSS-14) and “Difficulty concentrating” (PTSS-15), all of which were within the Hyperarousal domain.ConclusionIn this sample, the most prominent PTSS symptoms reflected avoidance while symptoms of hyper-arousal had the strongest links with QOL. As such, these symptom clusters are potentially useful targets for interventions to improve PTSS and QOL among healthcare personnel at work under pandemic conditions.

The association between coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine acceptance and perceived stigma of having a mental illness is not clear. This study examined the association between COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and perceived stigma among patients with recurrent depressive disorder (depression hereafter) using network analysis. Participants were 1149 depressed patients (842 men, 307 women) who completed survey measures of perceived stigma and COVID-19 vaccine attitudes. T-tests, chi-square tests, and Kruskal–Wallis tests were used to compare differences in demographic and clinical characteristics between depressed patients who indented to accepted vaccines and those who were hesitant. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses assessed the unique association between COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and perceived stigma, independent of depression severity. Network analysis examined item-level relations between COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and perceived stigma after controlling for depressive symptoms. Altogether, 617 depressed patients (53.7%, 95 confidence intervals (CI) %: 50.82–56.58%) reported they would accept future COVID-19 vaccination. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses indicated higher perceived stigma scores predicted lower levels of COVID-19 vaccination acceptance (β = −0.125, P

ObjectiveThis study examined the prevalence of exposure to secondhand smoke, its correlates and its association with quality of life (QOL) among pregnant and postnatal Chinese women.DesignThis was a multicentre, cross-sectional study.SettingParticipants were consecutively recruited from eight tertiary hospitals located in eight municipalities or provinces in China.ParticipantsA total of 1140 women were invited to join this study and 992 (87.02%) completed all measures.Primary and secondary outcomeMeasures women’s secondhand smoking behaviour (frequency and location of exposure to secondhand smoking), and their QOL measured by the WHO Quality of Life Questionnaire.ResultsA total of 211 women (21.3%, 95% CI 18.7% to 23.8%) had been exposed to secondhand smoking. Exposure to secondhand smoking was most common in public areas (56.4%), and residential homes (20.5%), while workplaces had the lowest rate of exposure (13.7%). Women with physical comorbidities were more likely to report secondhand smoking exposure, while older women, women living in urban areas, those with college or higher education level, and women in their second trimester were less likely to report exposure to secondhand smoking. Network analysis revealed that there were six significant links between secondhand smoke and QOL items. The strongest negative edge was the connection between secondhand smoke and QOL9 (‘physical environment health’, edge weight=−0.060), while the strongest positive edge was the connection between secondhand smoke and QOL3 (‘pain and discomfort’, edge weight=0.037).ConclusionThe prevalence of exposure to secondhand smoking is becoming lower among pregnant and postnatal women in China compared with findings reported in previous studies. Legal legislation should be maintained and promptly enforced to establish smoke-free environments in both public and private urban/rural areas for protection of pregnant and postnatal women, especially those who are physically vulnerable and less educated.

Cross-cultural studies suggest that people typically prefer to eat familiar foods from their own culture rather than foreign foods from other cultures. On this basis, it is plausible that neural responsiveness elicited by palatable food images from one’s own culture differ from those elicited by food depictions from other cultures. Toward clarifying this issue, we examined neural activation and self-report responses to indigenous (Chinese) versus Western food images among young Chinese adults. Participants (33 women, 33 men) viewed Chinese food, Western food and furniture control images during a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scan and then rated the images on “liking,” “wanting,” and “difficult resisting.” Analyses indicated there were no significant differences in self-report ratings of Chinese versus Western food images. However, Chinese food images elicited stronger activation in regions linked to cravings, taste perception, attention, reward, and visual processing (i.e., cerebellum crus, superior temporal gyrus, supramarginal gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, inferior parietal lobule, posterior insula, middle occipital gyrus; inferior occipital gyrus). Conversely, Western food images elicited stronger activation in areas involved in visual object recognition and visual processing (inferior temporal gyrus, middle occipital gyrus, calcarine). These findings underscored culture as a potentially important influence on neural responses to visual food cues and raised concerns about the ecological validity of using “standard” Western food images in neuroimaging studies of non-Western samples. Results also provide foundations for designing culturally informed research and intervention approaches in non-Westerns contexts guided by the use of external food cues that are most salient to the cultural group under study.

Background and aimsDepression often triggers addictive behaviors such as Internet addiction. In this network analysis study, we assessed the association between Internet addiction and residual depressive symptoms in patients suffering from clinically stable recurrent depressive disorder (depression hereafter).Materials and methodsIn total, 1,267 depressed patients were included. Internet addiction and residual depressive symptoms were measured using the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) and the two-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2), respectively. Central symptoms and bridge symptoms were identified via centrality indices. Network stability was examined using the case-dropping procedure.ResultsThe prevalence of IA within this sample was 27.2% (95% CI: 24.7–29.6%) based on the IAT cutoff of 50. IAT15 (“Preoccupation with the Internet”), IAT13 (“Snap or act annoyed if bothered without being online”) and IAT2 (“Neglect chores to spend more time online”) were the most central nodes in the network model. Additionally, bridge symptoms included the node PHQ1 (“Anhedonia”), followed by PHQ2 (“Sad mood”) and IAT3 (“Prefer the excitement online to the time with others”). There was no gender difference in the network structure.ConclusionBoth key central and bridge symptoms found in the network analysis could be potentially targeted in prevention and treatment for depressed patients with comorbid Internet addiction and residual depressive symptoms.

Background: The 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted the mental health and well-being of medical personnel, including nursing students. Network analysis provides a deeper characterization of symptom-symptom interactions in mental disorders. The aim of this study was to elucidate characteristics of anxiety and depressive symptom networks of Chinese nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: A total of 932 nursing students were included. Anxiety and depressive symptom were measured using the seven-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7) and two-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2), respectively. Central symptoms and bridge symptoms were identified via centrality indices and bridge centrality indices, respectively. Network stability was examined using the case-dropping procedure. Results: Irritability, Uncontrollable worry, Trouble relaxing, and Depressed mood had the highest centrality values. Three bridge symptoms (Depressed mood, Nervousness, and Anhedonia) were also identified. Neither gender nor region of residence was associated with network global strength, distribution of edge weights or individual edge weights. Limitations: Data were collected in a cross-sectional study design, therefore, causal relations and dynamic changes between anxiety and depressive symptoms over time could not be inferred. Generalizability of findings may be limited to Chinese nursing students during a particular phase of the current pandemic. Conclusions: Irritability, Uncontrollable worry, Trouble relaxing, and Depressed mood constituted central symptoms maintaining the anxiety-depression network structure of Chinese nursing students during the pandemic. Timely, systemic multi-level interventions targeting central symptoms and bridge symptoms may be effective in alleviating co-occurring experiences of anxiety and depression in this population.

Research has documented a strong association between perceived social support, posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), and psychological distress (PD) among people exposed to natural disasters. However, the direction of associations between these factors remains unclear. This study examined possible mediational relationships among perceived social support, PTSS, and PD. A three-wave longitudinal design (6 months intervals) was employed in a sample of 341 Chinese university students (Mage = 21.24, SD = 2.72; 75.7% female) aged 18 to 34 who were directly exposed to a typhoon that occurred in Macao, China, during August 2017. Results indicated that perceived social support at T2 mediated the linkage between PTSS at T1 and PD at T3, and that PTSS at T2 significantly mediated the relationship between PD at T1 and perceived social support at T3. This three-wave longitudinal study highlights the key role of perceived social support on the aggravating effect of acute PTSS on long-term psychological problems, and demonstrates that adverse psychological health outcomes negatively affect the perception of supportive social resources in the context of a natural disaster.

There has been no consensus about the best public health strategy for managing COVID-19 due to differences in sociocultural, political and economic contexts between countries. The central government of China has emphasized the importance of maintaining the dynamic zero-COVID policy in combating resurgences of new variants. To optimize the dynamic zero-COVID policy for future COVID-19 outbreaks in China, this article outlines a comprehensive strategy that should be considered.

The Body Acceptance by Others Scale-2 (BAOS-2) was developed to assess overall perceived body acceptance by others. In two studies, we evaluated its structure, reliability and validity among young adults in China. In Study 1, 435 women and 322 men completed newly translated simplified Chinese versions of the BAOS-2 and Functionality Appreciation Scale (FAS), conceptually related body image questionnaires and demographic items. Exploratory factor analyses supported a 13-item unidimensional BAOS-2 structure across men and women. Internal consistency, test-retest reliability, convergent validity and discriminant validity were also supported. Study 2 (307 men, 396 women) replicated the original gender-invariant BAOS-2 structure in confirmatory factor analysis and bolstered evidence for convergent, discriminant and incremental validity. Predictive validity, examined via longitudinal analyses, indicated baseline BAOS-2 scores and/or concomitant changes in BAOS-2 scores over time were related to improvements on other positive and negative body image measures at a six-month follow-up. Supplementary analyses replicated the original unidimensional FAS factor structure and provided considerable support for its psychometrics across samples. In sum, this research supported psychometric properties of the BAOS-2 among young adults in China and underscored its potential utility in predicting changes in other body image experiences over time.

Anhedonia is a suicide risk factor among adolescent patients with recurrent depressive disorder (depression hereafter). This study examined associations between suicidal ideation (SI) and residual depressive symptoms (RSD), including anhedonia, among clinically stable adolescents with MDD.A network analysis was performed to examine the association between RDS and SI among adolescents with depression. Node-specific predictive betweenness was computed to examine short paths between anhedonia and SI. Additionally, a Network Comparison Test (NCT) was conducted to examine gender differences in derived network model characteristics.The network analysis identified close associations of PHQ9 ("Suicide ideation") with PHQ1 ("Anhedonia") as well as some other RDS including PHQ6 ("Guilt"), PHQ2 ("Sad mood") and PHQ8 ("Motor disturbances"). Additionally, PHQ2 ("Sad mood") and PHQ4 ("Fatigue") were the main bridge nodes linking anhedonia and SI. Comparisons of network models did not find significant differences in network global strength or edge weights.Causal relations between anhedonia and SI could not be determined due to the cross-sectional study design.SI was directly related to Anhedonia in addition to Guilt, Sad mood and Motor disturbances. Sad mood and Fatigue were the main bridge nodes linking Anhedonia and Suicide ideation. To reduce the risk of SI among clinically stable adolescents with depression during the COVID-19 pandemic, specific RDS including Anhedonia, Guilt, Sad mood, Motor disturbances and Fatigue should be targeted in interventions.

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is the preclinical and transitional stage between healthy ageing and dementia that may be a potential 'target' for interventions designed to delay progression to dementia. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we assessed the prevalence of MCI worldwide in community-dwelling adults aged 50 years and older.PubMed, Web of Science, Embase and PsycINFO database searches were conducted from their respective inception dates to 1 September 2021. Data on the overall prevalence of MCI were synthesised using random effects models.A total of 66 articles covering 242,804 participants fulfilled study criteria for inclusion. The overall prevalence of MCI was 15.56% (95%CI: 13.24-18.03%). Prevalence rates of amnestic MCI and non-amnestic MCI were 10.03% (95%CI: 7.98-12.27%) and 8.72% (95%CI: 6.78-10.89%), respectively. The prevalence of MCI increased with age and decreased with education level. Subgroup and meta-regression analyses revealed that region of study site and male gender proportion per sample were significant correlates of MCI prevalence.The global prevalence of MCI among community dwellers is over 15% and is affected by age, gender, education level and region of study sites. Assessment and interventions targeting MCI within at-risk population subgroups should be considered toward the prevention of dementia.

Although separate lines of research have evaluated pain-related biases in attention or memory, laboratory studies examining links between attention and memory for pain-related information have received little consideration. In this eye-tracking experiment, we assessed relations between pain-related attention biases (ABs) and recognition memory biases (MBs) among 122 pain-free adults randomly assigned to impending pain ( n = 59) versus impending touch ( n = 63) conditions, wherein offsets of trials that included pain images were followed by subsequent possibly painful and non-painful somatosensory stimulation, respectively. Gaze biases of participants were assessed during presentations of pain-neutral (P-N) and happy-neutral (H-N) face image pairs within these conditions. Subsequently, condition differences in recognition accuracy for previously viewed versus novel pained and happy face images were examined. Overall gaze durations were significantly longer for pain (vs. neutral) faces that signalled impending pain than impending non-painful touch, particularly among the less resilient in the former condition. Impending pain cohorts also exhibited comparatively better recognition accuracy for both pained and happy face images. Finally, longer gaze durations on pain faces that signalled potential pain, but not potential touch, were related to more accurate recognition of previously viewed pain faces. In sum, pain cues that signal potential personal discomfort maintain visual attention more fully and are subsequently recognised more accuracy than are pain cues that signal non-painful touch stimulation.

Body image disturbances are widespread in highly populated, rapidly developing Asian nations such as China, but there are severe shortages of practitioners qualified to treat these issues. In such contexts, validated online interventions offer a potentially viable approach for addressing the lack of treatment resources. In this study, we evaluated effects of the eBody Project, an online, dissonance-based eating disorder prevention program, on functioning among body-dissatisfied young Chinese women. Participating women were randomly assigned to the 6-week eBody Project intervention (n = 191) versus an education brochure control condition (n = 181). Self-report assessments of eating disorder risk factors (body dissatisfaction, thin ideal internalization, depressive symptoms, restrained eating), self-esteem, body appreciation, and disordered eating were completed at baseline, posttreatment, and a 6-month follow-up. There were no intervention differences on outcomes before treatment but eBody Project women experienced significantly larger improvements on all outcomes following treatment and/or at follow-up compared to controls; corresponding effect sizes were small to medium. Results indicated the eBody Project program is a promising intervention for young women at risk for eating disorders in China and provide foundations for broad implementation in low- and middle-income countries where resources for in-person therapy and supervision are limited or unavailable altogether.

The 39-item Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) has been used extensively to evaluate mindfulness features that contribute to well-being but assessments of its factor structure and incremental validity have been limited across cultures and clinical populations. The present study was designed to (1) identify the optimal FFMQ factor structure for Chinese adults with chronic pain and (2) evaluate the incremental validity of the best-fitting FFMQ structure in predicting emotional distress, independent of key pain-related correlates of distress. Participants were Chinese adults with chronic musculoskeletal pain (271 women, 68 men) who completed a back-translated self-report battery that included the FFMQ, measures of demographics, emotional distress, and pain experiences. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) indicated the three-factor 12-item version of the FFMQ (i.e., the MQ-12) was the only version to have uniformly acceptable model fits in the sample. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses indicated MQ-12 “describing one’s experience” and “acting with awareness” components contributed an additional R2 = .05 to R2 = .21 to the prediction of depression, perceived stress, and pain catastrophizing after controlling for other significant predictors. Across models, acting with awareness was the sole MQ-12 facet to have a unique, statistically significant impact. Findings support use of the MQ-12 in future treatment studies of chronic pain in China and provide foundations for the hypothesis that changes toward improving the acting with awareness facet are especially critical for reducing emotional distress within this group.

Background Few studies examining the effect of pain-related threat on eye movements have incorporated a measure of interpretation bias. However, theories suggest that interpretation biases also play an important role in the anticipation of harm in situations where pain could be imminent. The current study investigates the association between interpretation biases and pain-related threat expectancies and their associations with eye movements to pain-related imagery. Methods Healthy adults' (N = 91) fear of pain, emotional functioning and interpretation biases were assessed prior to a threat manipulation where they were given either threatening or reassuring information about an upcoming cold pressor task. Participants were then asked to freely view scene images that were either pain-related or neutral. Results We used a data-driven machine learning method to analyse eye movements. We identified an explorative (i.e. greater dispersal of eye fixations) and a focused eye movement pattern subgroup (i.e. mainly focusing on foreground information) for scene viewing in the sample. Participants with more negative interpretation biases expected that the cold pressor task would be more harmful, and those with higher levels of anticipated harm used a more explorative strategy when viewing injury scene images. Subsequent analysis confirmed an indirect effect of interpretation biases on eye movements through expected bodily harm. No difference in eye movements was found between participants given threatening and reassuring information. Conclusions Interpretation biases may play a prominent role in threat-related attentional processing. By adopting a novel eye movement analysis approach, our results revealed interesting associations among interpretations, threat expectancies and eye movements. Significance Negative interpretation biases may be associated with greater threat expectancies for an upcoming experimental pain task. Anticipation of bodily harm may induce a stimulus non-specific hypervigilant style of scanning of pain-related scenes.

Recent U.S. studies of musculoskeletal pain have supported the structure and construct validity of the Pain Resilience Scale (PRS) as a pain-specific measure tapping capacities to regulate cognitions and emotions as well as behavioral perseverance despite ongoing pain. However, it is not clear whether psychometric support for the PRS extends to chronic musculoskeletal pain samples in other countries or whether PRS scores contribute to adaptation beyond the impact of general resilience. To address these gaps, the factor structure, construct validity, and incremental validity of the PRS were assessed in exploratory factor analysis (EFA; 417 women, 134 men) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA; 421 women, 135 men) samples of Chinese adults with chronic musculoskeletal pain who completed back-translated versions of the PRS and a battery of self-report measures previously validated in Chinese samples. A 2-factor, EFA-derived version of the PRS featuring a 7-item cognitive/affective positivity subscale and a 3-item behavioral perseverance subscale had the best overall fit from several hypothesized alternatives. Derived PRS subscales had significant moderate correlations with conceptually related measures and low correlations with conceptually less-related background characteristics, respectively. PRS subscale scores, particularly cognitive and affective positivity, accounted for significant unique variance in functioning independent of general resilience.

Recent evidence from event-related potentials (ERPs) has identified N2 posterior contralateral (pc) amplitudes as a neural marker of early attention allocation. The N2pc has been used to evaluate attention biases (ABs) in samples with anxiety-based problems, but its utility has yet to be considered among persons with chronic pain, another group theorized to display ABs that perpetuate their difficulties. To address this gap, we assessed N2pc responses of adults with chronic pain (N = 70) and pain-free controls (N = 70) during a dot-probe task comprising painful-neutral and happy-neutral facial expression image pairs. Analyses indicated that (1) larger N2pc amplitudes were elicited by both painful and happy expressions compared to complementary neutral expressions in each sample, (2) the chronic pain sample displayed larger N2pc amplitudes during exposure to both painful and happy expressions than controls did and (3) no group differences were evident for N2pc latencies. Overall N2pc results reflected general biases in early allocation of attention towards affectively valenced expressions rather than pain-specific ABs among chronic pain cohorts. SIGNIFICANCE: Although numerous researchers have examined pain-related attention biases, these data are based exclusively upon behavioural measures of attention such as reaction times and eye movements. Drawing from relevant event-related potentials research, this study is the first to evaluate and identify differences in orienting of attention between adults with chronic pain and pain-free controls based on N2 posterior contralateral (pc) amplitudes which provide a neural index of early attention allocation.

In this research, we present three studies on the development and validation of the Online Appearance-Relevant Peer Conversations Scale (OARPCS), a 12-item measure of (1) physical appearance and (2) life stressors as foci of online peer communications. In Study 1, young Chinese adults (N = 800) completed OARPCS items and measures of body image, Internet use, and general distress. Exploratory factor analyses supported the hypothesized two factor structure and within gender correlation analyses provided construct validity support. Study 2 replicated the EFA-derived OARPCS factor structure and validity further within confirmatory factor analyses of young adults from Chongqing (N = 750) and Macau (N = 994). Study 3 assessed the predictive validity of OARPCS dimensions in relation to prospective changes in cosmetic surgery consideration, eating disturbances and perceived stress over one year (N = 796). Independent of baseline responses on outcomes, baseline physical appearance and life stressor subscale scores, respectively, explained modest, significant variance in women’s body image concerns and men’s reported stress. Together, results underscored appearance-relevant content in online peer interactions as influences on body image and emotional status and provided psychometric support for a brief self-report measure of these factors.

BackgroundBipolar disorders (BD) are severe mental illnesses that are often misdiagnosed or under-diagnosed. The self-report 33-item Hypomania Checklist (HCL-33) and the 33-item Hypomania Checklist – external assessment (HCL-33-EA) are well-validated scales for BD symptom detection. This study compared the network structure, central symptoms, and network stability of hypomanic symptoms measured by the HCL-33 vs. the HCL-33-EA.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted from January to December 2019. Adolescents (aged between 12 and 18 years) with BD were recruited from the outpatient department of Child Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University. All participants were asked to complete the HCL-33, and their caregivers completed the HCL-33-EA. Network analyses were conducted.ResultsA total of 215 adolescents with BD and their family caregivers were recruited. Node HCL17 (“talk more,” node strength = 4.044) was the most central symptom in the HCL-33 network, followed by node HCL2 (“more energetic,” node strength = 3.822), and HCL18 (“think faster,” node strength = 3.801). For the HCL-33-EA network model, node HCL27 (“more optimistic,” node strength = 3.867) was the most central node, followed by node HCL18 (“think faster,” node strength = 3.077), and HCL17 (“talk more,” node strength = 2.998). In the network comparison test, there was no significant difference at the levels of network structure (M = 0.946, P = 0.931), global strength (S: 5.174, P = 0.274), or each specific edge (all P’s > 0.05 after Holm–Bonferroni corrections) between HCL-33 and HCL-33-EA items. Network stabilities for both models were acceptable.ConclusionThe nodes “talk more” and “think faster” acted as central symptoms in BD symptom network models based on the HCL-33 and HCL-33-EA. Although the most prominent central symptom differed between the two models (“talk more” in HCL-33 vs. “more optimistic” in HCL-33-EA model), networks based on each measure were highly similar and underscored similarities in BD symptom relations perceived by adolescents and their caregivers. This research provides foundations for future studies with larger sample sizes toward improving the accuracy and robustness of observed network structures.

Depressive disorders and internet addiction (IA) are often comorbid. The aims of this study were to examine the network structure of IA in patients with major depressive disorders (MDD) and explore the association between IA and quality of life (QoL) in this population. This was a multicenter, cross-sectional survey. IA and QoL were assessed with the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) and the World Health Organization Quality of Life-brief version, respectively. Node expected influence (EI) was used to identify central symptoms in the network model, while the flow network of QoL was generated to examine its association with IA. A total of 1,657 patients with MDD was included. “Preoccupation with the Internet,” “Job performance or productivity suffer because of the Internet,” and “Neglect chores to spend more time online” were central symptoms. The symptom “Form new relationships with online users” had the strongest direct positive relation with QoL, while “Spend more time online over going out with others” and “Job performance or productivity suffer because of the Internet” had the strongest direct negative relations with QoL. Neglecting work caused by IA correlated with QoL, while making friends online appropriately was related to better QoL among MDD patients. Appropriate interventions targeting the central symptoms may potentially prevent or reduce the risk of IA in MDD patients.

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak may have a long-term impact on mental health in the general population. This study examined inter-relationships between post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms (PTSS) and quality of life (QOL) in Wuhan residents after the COVID-19 outbreak using network approach.A cross-sectional survey was conducted between May 25 and June 18, 2020. PTSS and QOL were measured using Chinese versions of the Post -Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist - Civilian Version and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire - brief version, respectively.A total of 2598 participants were included. A network analysis revealed "Avoiding reminders", "Feeling emotionally numb", "Avoiding thoughts", "Hypervigilance", and "Reliving experiences" as the most central (influential) nodes in PTSS network models both before and after controlling for covariates. The connection between "Avoiding thoughts" and "Avoiding reminders" had the strongest edge. Three symptom communities were detected and can be summarized as "re-experiencing and avoidance", "negative changes in thinking and mood", and "hyperarousal". The bridge symptoms connecting PTSS and QOL were "Sleep disturbances", "Irritability", and "Loss of interest".Limitations included the cross-sectional study design, self-report measures in data collection, and lack of follow-ups beyond the initial phase of the pandemic.PTSS were common among Wuhan residents even after the initial COVID-19 outbreak had passed. Attention should be paid to lingering symptoms of avoiding reminders, emotional numbness, avoiding thoughts, hypervigilance, and reliving experiences in treating PTSS related to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Although overeating increases risk for chronic illness and premature mortality, evolutionary life-history theorists posit that such behaviors arise as a potential outcome of using fast life-history strategies to function in environments that are harsh or unpredictable. To test this premise, we examined links between harsh, unpredictable living conditions (HULC), the adoption of fast life-history (LH) strategies, and overeating among early adolescents using a four-wave longitudinal design. Participants were 2547 Chinese adolescents (1202 girls, 1345 boys) who completed baseline questionnaires assessing experiences of HULC, preferences for use of fast LH strategies, and overeating. Measures were re-administered in follow-ups 7, 13, and 20 months later. Analyses indicated HULC predicted increased use of fast LH strategies within each gender. However, fast LH strategy adoption contributed to increases in overeating only among girls. Findings supported specific tenets of life-history theory and underscored gender as an important consideration in understanding links between living conditions, the adoption of fast LH strategies, and risk for overeating. Interventions focused on reducing poverty and increasing stable, nurturing family, and community environments may aid in reducing overeating and obesity for adolescents.

Background This study examined the extent to which the network structure of anxiety and depression among adolescents identified during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic could be cross-validated in a sample of adolescents assessed after the COVID-19 peak. Methods Two cross-sectional surveys were conducted between February 20 and 27, 2020 and between April 11 and 19, 2020, respectively. Depressive and anxiety symptoms were assessed using 20-item the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression and 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder, respectively. Anxiety-depression networks of the first and second assessments were estimated separately using a sparse Graphical Gaussian Model combined with the graphical least absolute shrinkage and selection operator method. A Network Comparison Test was conducted to assess differences between the two networks. Results The most central symptoms in the first and second survey networks were Depressed affect and Nervousness. Compared with connections in the first survey network, connections in the second survey network analysis between Relax- Nervousness–Depressive affect–Interpersonal problems (diff, contrast: second survey–first survey. diff=-0.04, P=0.04; diff=-0.03, P=0.03; diff=-0.03, P=0.04), and Irritability–Somatic complaints (diff=-0.04, P=0.02) were weaker while connections of Somatic complaints-Nervousness (diff=0.05, P

Various populations have experienced significant increases in depression and decreased quality of life (QOL) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This network analysis study was designed to elucidate interconnections between particular depressive symptoms and different aspects of QOL and identify the most clinically important symptoms in this network among adults in Wuhan China, the initial epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic.This cross-sectional, convenience-sampling study (N = 2459) was conducted between May 25 to June 18, 2020, after the lockdown policy had been lifted in Wuhan. Depressive symptoms and QOL were measured with the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and first two items of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire - brief version (WHOQOL-BREF), respectively. A network structure was constructed from the extended Bayesian Information Criterion (EBIC) model. Network centrality strength and bridge strength were evaluated along with the stability of the derived network model.Loss of energy (DEP-4) and Guilt feelings (DEP-6) were the two central symptoms with the highest strength as well as the two most prominent bridge symptoms connecting the clusters of depression and quality of life (QOL) in tandem with the two nodes from the QOL cluster. Network structure and bridge strengths remained stable after randomly dropping 75 % of the sample.Interventions targeting "Loss of energy" and "Guilt feelings" should be evaluated as strategies for reducing depressive symptoms and promoting improved QOL in COVID-19-affected populations.

Background: Associations between the microbiome–gut–brain axis and dementia have attracted considerable attention in research literature. This study examined the microbiome–gut–brain axis and dementia-related research from a bibliometric perspective. Methods: A search for original research and review articles on the microbiome–gut–brain axis and dementia was conducted in the Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC) database. The R package “bibliometrix” was used to collect information on countries, institutions, authors, journals, and keywords. VOSviewer software was used to visualize the co-occurrence network of keywords. Results: Overall, 494 articles met the study inclusion criteria, with an average of 29.64 citations per article. Corresponding authors of published articles were mainly from China, the United States and Italy. Zhejiang University in China and Kyung Hee University in Korea were the most active institutions, while the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease and Nutrients published the most articles in this field. Expected main search terms, “Parkinson disease” and “chain fatty-acids” were high-frequency keywords that indicate current and future research directions in this field. Conclusions: This bibliometric study helped researchers to identify the key topics and trends in the microbiome–gut–brain axis and dementia-related research. High-frequency keywords identified in this study reflect current trends and possible future directions in this field related to methodologies, mechanisms and populations of interest.

Although researchers have documented behavioral and brain structure correlates of pain resilience, associated physiological responses have received little consideration. In this study, we assessed psychophysiological differences between high (HPR), moderate (MPR), and low (LPR) pain resilience subgroups during anticipation, experiencing, and recovery from laboratory pain. In an initial pain anticipation task, participants (79 women, 32 man) viewed visual cues to signal possible mild or intense shocks prior to receiving these shocks. Subsequently, in a pain recovery task, participants received uncued mild and intense shocks. Subjective appraisals were assessed during each task in tandem with continuous recording of skin conductance level (SCL), heart rate variability (HRV), and corrugator electromyography (cEMG). On physiological indexes, HPR subgroup members displayed significantly lower SCL than MPR and LPR subgroups did during anticipation and experiencing of pain while no resilience group effects were found for HRV or cEMG. During pain recovery, HPR and LPR subgroups displayed weaker SCL than the MPR subgroup did in the immediate aftermath of shock. However, HPR members continued to display lower SCL than other groups did over an extended recovery period. On self-report measures, the LPR subgroup reported higher levels of anticipatory anxiety and expected pain than HPR and MPR subgroups did during the pain anticipation task. Together, results suggested higher pain resilience is characterized, in part, by comparatively reduced SCL during the course of anticipating, experiencing and recovering from painful shock.

Background Objectively measured differences in physical activity (PA) and sleep have been documented among people with osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) compared to non-arthritic controls. However, it is not clear whether OA and RA subgroups also differ on these indexes or the extent to which distinct arthritis subgroups versus controls can be accurately identified on the basis of objective PA and sleep indexes compared to self-report responses on questionnaires. This study addressed these gaps. Methods This case-control study comprised Chinese adults with OA (N = 40) or RA (N = 40) diagnoses based on physician assessments as well as a control group of adults without chronic pain (N = 40). All participants wore a Sensewear Armband (SWA) for consecutive 7 days and completed the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form-Chinese as well as Pittsburgh Sleep Diary to obtain objective and subjective PA and sleep data, respectively. Results There were no differences between the three groups on any self-report indexes of PA or sleep. Conversely, OA and RA subgroups displayed significantly lower PA levels and more sleep problems than controls did on a majority of SWA indexes, though arthritis subgroups were not differentiated from one another on these measures. Logistic regression analyses indicated four non-multicollinear SWA indexes (i.e., steps, active energy expenditure, vigorous activity, time awake after sleep onset) correctly identified the subgroup membership of 75.0–82.5% of participants with RA or OA while classification accuracy results were attenuated for controls. Conclusions Where possible, objective measures should be used to assess PA and sleep of adults with OA and RA while particular self-report PA questionnaires should be used sparingly.

BackgroundBody appreciation (BA hereafter), which reflects approval, acceptance, and respect for one's body while also rejecting media-promoted appearance ideals as the only form of human beauty, is an important aspect of positive body image. Much of the BA literature has been conducted on samples from Western nations but less is known about BA or its correlates in Asian cultural contexts wherein concerns with body image are also common. Toward addressing this gap, we examined gender differences in BA and its associations with common psychiatric symptoms (i.e., depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and suicidality) within a national college student sample from China.MethodThis cross-sectional, nationwide study was conducted between December 27, 2020, and January 18, 2021, based on snowball sampling. Aside from measures of demographics and background factors, Chinese versions of the Body Appreciation Scale-2 (BAS-2), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-7 (GAD-7), and a standard item on suicidal ideation and planning were administered to assess BA, depressive and anxiety symptoms, and suicidality, respectively.ResultsIn total, 2,058 college students (665 men, 1,393 women) in China were assessed. An analysis of covariance revealed that the men had a significantly higher average BA level than did women [F(1,2058) = 13.244, P < 0.001, Cohen's d = 0.193]. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed BA was negatively associated with symptoms of depression, anxiety, and suicidality within the entire sample (depressive symptoms, β = −0.129, P < 0.001; anxiety symptoms, β = −0.101, P < 0.001; suicidality, OR = 0.788 P = 0.020) and among women (depressive symptoms, β = −0.172, P < 0.001; anxiety symptoms, β = −0.131, P < 0.001; suicidality, OR = 0.639 P = 0.001) but not men.ConclusionChinese college women reported lower BA than their male peers did. Furthermore, among women but not men, elevations in BA corresponded with protective mental health experiences including lower levels of depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms and suicidality. Findings underscore the potential utility of including BA in mental health assessments of Chinese college students, especially women. Findings also provide foundations for continued research on interventions to increase BA among at-risk young women in China.

Background: Depression has been a common mental health problem during the COVID-19 epidemic. From a network perspective, depression can be conceptualized as the result of mutual interactions among individual symptoms, an approach that may elucidate the structure and mechanisms underlying this disorder. This study aimed to examine the structure of depression among residents in Wuhan, the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in China, in the later stage of the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: A total of 2,515 participants were recruited from the community via snowball sampling. The Patient Health Questionnaire was used to assess self-reported depressive symptoms with the QuestionnaireStar program. The network structure and relevant centrality indices of depression were examined in this sample.Results: Network analysis revealed Fatigue, Sad mood, Guilt and Motor disturbances as the most central symptoms, while Suicide and Sleep problems had the lowest centrality. No significant differences were found between women and men regarding network structure (maximum difference = 0.11, p = 0.44) and global strength (global strength difference = 0.04; female vs. male: 3.78 vs. 3.83, p = 0.51), a finding that suggests there are no gender differences in the structure or centrality of depressive symptoms.Limitations: Due to the cross-sectional study design, causal relationships between these depressive symptoms or dynamic changes in networks over time could not be established.Conclusions: Fatigue, Sad mood, Guilt, and Motor disturbances should be prioritized as targets in interventions and prevention efforts to reduce depression among residents in Wuhan, in the later stage of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Network analysis is an effective approach for examining complex relationships between psychiatric symptoms. This study was designed to examine item-level relationships between depressive and anxiety symptoms using network analysis in an adolescent sample and identified the most central symptoms within the depressive-anxiety symptoms network model. Depressive and anxiety symptoms were assessed using the Patient Health Questionire-9 (PHQ-9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder Screener (GAD-7), respectively. The structure of depressive and anxiety symptoms was characterized using “Strength” and “Bridge Strength” as centrality indices in the symptom network. Network stability was tested using a case-dropping bootstrap procedure. Finally, a Network Comparison Test (NCT) was conducted to examine whether network characteristics differed on the basis of gender, school grade and residence. Network analysis revealed that nodes PHQ2 (“Sad mood”), GAD6 (“Irritability”), GAD3 (“Worry too much”), and PHQ6 (“Guilty”) were central symptoms in the network model of adolescents. Additionally, bridge symptoms linking anxiety and depressive symptoms in this sample were nodes PHQ6 (“Guilty”), PHQ2 (“Sad mood”), and PHQ9 (“Suicide ideation”). Gender, school grade and residence did not significantly affect the network structure. Central symptoms (e.g., Sad mood, Irritability, Worry too much, and Guilty) and key bridge symptoms (e.g., Guilty, Sad mood, and Suicide ideation) in the depressive and anxiety symptoms network may be useful as potential targets for intervention among adolescents who are at risk for or suffer from depressive and anxiety symptoms.

Cover crops are considered an integral component of agroecosystems because of their positive impacts on biotic and abiotic indicators of soil health. At present, we know little about the impact of cover crop types and diversity on the organic carbon (OC) contents of different soil aggregate-size classes. In this study, we investigated the effect of cover plant diversity on OC contents of different soil aggregates, such as macro- (&lt, 2000–500 μm), meso- (&lt, 500–250 μm), and micro-aggregates (&lt, 250 μm). Our experiment included a total of 12 experimental treatments in triplicate, six different monoculture treatments such as chickling vetch (Vicia villosa), crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum), hairy vetch (Vicia villosa), field peas (Pisum sativum), oilseed radish (Raphanus sativus), and mighty mustard (Brassica juncea), and their three- and six-species mixture treatments, including one unplanted control treatment. We performed this experiment usingdeep pots that contained soil collected from a corn-soybean rotation field. At vegetative maturity of cover plants (about 70 days), we took soil samples, and the soil aggregate-size classes were separated by the dry sieving. We hypothesized that cover crop type and diversity will improve OC contents of different soil aggregate-size classes. We found that cover plant species richness weakly positively increased OC contents of soil macro-aggregates (p = 0.056), whereas other aggregate-size classes did not respond to cover crop diversity gradient. Similarly, the OC contents of macroaggregates varied significantly (p = 0.013) under cover crop treatments, though neither monoculture nor mixture treatments showed significantly higher OC contents than the control treatment in this short-term experiment. Interestingly, the inclusion of hairy vetch and oilseed radish increased and decreased the OC contents of macro- and micro-aggregates, respectively. Moreover, we found a positive correlation between shoot biomass and OC contents of macroaggregates. Overall, our results suggest that species-rich rather than -poor communities may improve OC contents of soil macroaggregates, which constitute a major portion of soil systems, and are also considered as important indicators of soil functions.

Research has shown that healthcare providers lack confidence in having the knowledge needed to have conversations about body image with their patients. No research to date has explicitly explored how providers in primary healthcare understand body image, including its definition and how it impacts plans for care. Accordingly, the current study explored how primary healthcare providers define body image and how they see the concept of body image manifest in their practice. A total of 21 participants were interviewed, including 3 registered dietitians, 6 occupational therapists, 4 physiotherapists, 1 registered massage therapist, 1 kinesiologist, 4 family physicians, 1 nurse, and 1 social worker. Using thematic analysis, it was found that gaps in knowledge about body image were quite apparent as participants' understanding of body image was slippery (e.g., they struggled to articulate specifics about the concept within care and recognized body image is not something associated with a clinical guideline that would bring form to the concept). However, healthcare providers believed in the importance of body image in their patients' care in broad and far reaching ways. Future directions for bridging the knowledge gap with respect to body image among primary healthcare providers are discussed. (C) 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Growth-promoting technologies such as implants, ionophores, and β-agonists improve feedlot performance, efficiency, and carcass characteristics of cattle. The objective of this experiment was to determine the effects of dose and duration of ractopamine hydrochloride (RH) on feedlot performance and carcass characteristics when fed to Holstein steers. A randomized complete block design was used with a 3 × 3 factorial arrangement of treatments with 3 RH doses (0, 300, or 400 mg∙steer−1∙d−1) fed for 3 durations (28, 35, or 42 d). Holstein steers (n = 855; initial body weight [BW] = 448 ± 37 kg) were blocked by BW and randomly allocated to 1 of 9 pens (15 blocks; 9 dose × duration treatment combinations) approximately 72 d before harvest. Weekly pen weights, chute temperament scores, and animal mobility were determined during the RH feeding period. At harvest, carcass data were collected on all steers, and tenderness was measured on steaks from 3 or 4 randomly selected steers from each pen and slice shear force (SSF) was determined on one steak selected from each side of the carcass after aging for 14 or 21 d. For feedlot performance, carcass characteristics, and SSF, no dose × duration interactions were observed (P ≥ 0.11). With increasing RH dose, average daily gain (ADG) and gain-to-feed ratio (G:F) increased linearly (P ≤ 0.01), whereas BW gain increased linearly with RH dose and duration (P ≤ 0.01). Hot carcass weight (P = 0.02) and longissimus muscle (LM) area (P ≤ 0.01) increased linearly with increasing RH dose. The percentage of carcasses in the USDA Yield Grade 2 category increased linearly (P ≤ 0.01) and percentage of carcasses in the USDA Yield Grade 4 category tended (P = 0.08) to decrease linearly as RH dose increased. In the 14-d aged steaks, the percentage of steaks with SSF ≤ 15.3 kg decreased linearly (P ≤ 0.01), whereas the percentage of steaks with ≥20.0 kg SSF increased linearly (P ≤ 0.01) with increasing RH dose. After 21-d aging, there was a tendency (P = 0.06) for a greater percentage of steaks from steers fed RH to have SSF ≥ 20.0 kg (2% of total steaks), but no difference (P ≥ 0.12) in the percentage of steaks with SSF ≤ 19.9 kg. Final chute temperament (P ≥ 0.45) and animal mobility (P ≥ 0.67) scores were not affected by feeding RH. Increasing the dose of RH (300 or 400 mg∙steer−1∙d−1) fed for 28 to 42 d before harvest increased ADG, G:F, hot carcass weight, and LM area when fed to Holstein steers with no negative effects on behavior or mobility. The percentage of steaks classified as not tender improved when steaks were aged for 21 d from steers treated with RH.

People who are especially afraid of pain may display attention biases that increase their risk for developing chronic pain following an injury. However, specific neurophysiological mechanisms underlying associations between elevated trait fear of pain levels and environmental cues that signal potential pain experiences are not well understood. To address this gap, event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded among 39 high pain-fearful (H-FOP) and 36 low pain-fearful (L-FOP) adults exposed to potentially painful somatosensory stimulation cued by sensory pain words versus non-painful stimulation cued by neutral words. H-FOP group members displayed slower reaction times in judging somatosensory stimulation and rated stimulation to be more intense than L-FOP group members did. H-FOP group members also exhibited comparatively earlier peak latencies of P2 and N2 components during word cue presentations as well as weaker P3 amplitudes in processing non-painful stimulation cued by sensory pain words. These findings suggested that, among the high trait pain-fearful, exposure to word cues signaling potential pain results in the allocation of fewer cognitive resources toward processing somatosensory stimuli that are not actually painful.