Introduction: During the COVID-19 outbreak, many citizens were asked to stay at home in self-quarantine, which can pose a significant challenge with respect to remaining physically active and maintaining mental health. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of inadequate physical activity, anxiety, and depression and to explore the relationship of physical activity with anxiety and depression symptoms among Chinese college students during quarantine.Method: Using a web-based cross-sectional survey, we collected data from 1,396 Chinese college students. Anxiety and depression were assessed with the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and the Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), respectively. The data on physical activity were collected by types of physical activity and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-SF).Results: During the COVID-19 outbreak, about 52.3% of Chinese college students had inadequate physical activity. The rates of anxiety and depression symptoms were 31.0 and 41.8%, respectively. A high level of physical activity (β = −0.121, P < 0.001) was significantly closely associated with low anxiety, while a moderate (β = −0.095, P = 0.001), or high (β = −0.179, P < 0.001) level of physical activity was significantly closely associated with reduced depression after adjusting confounding demographic factors. Moreover, specific types of physical activity, such as stretching and resistance training, were negatively correlated with both anxiety and depression; doing household chores was negatively correlated with depression.Conclusion: Our findings highlight specific levels and types of home-based physical activities that need to be taken into consideration to protect the mental health of college students during the COVID-19 epidemic.

Introduction: The microbiota–gut–brain axis plays an important role in the pathophysiology of autism spectrum disorder, but its specific mechanisms remain unclear. This study aimed to explore the associations of changes in neurotransmitters and short-chain fatty acids with alterations in gut microbiota in valproic acid model rats.Methods: The autism model rats were established by prenatal exposure to valproic acid (VPA). The Morris water maze test, open field test, and three-chamber test were conducted to assess the behaviors of rats. 16S rRNA gene sequences extracted from fecal samples were used to assess the gut microbial composition. Gas and liquid chromatography–mass spectroscopy was used to identify short-chain fatty acids in fecal samples and neurotransmitters in the prefrontal cortex (PFC).Results: The results showed that 28 bacterial taxa between valproic acid model rats and control rats were identified, and the most differential bacterial taxa in valproic acid model rats and control rats belonged to metagenomic species and Lactobacillus intestinalis. Acetic acid, butyric acid, valeric acid, isobutyric acid, and isovaleric acid were significantly decreased in the valproic acid model rats compared to those in control rats. Five neurotransmitters (threonine, kynurenine, tryptophan, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid, denoted as 5-HIAA, and betaine aldehyde chloride, denoted as BAC) were significantly decreased, whereas betaine was increased in the prefrontal cortex of valproic acid model rats compared to control rats. A variety of neurotransmitters (≥4) were correlated with Pseudomonas, Collisella, and Streptococcus at the genus level, and they were also related to the decrease of short-chain fatty acids.Discussion: According to this study, we can preliminarily infer that gut microbiota or their metabolic productions (such as SCFAs) may influence central neurotransmitter metabolism through related pathways of the gut-brain axis. These results provide microbial and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) frameworks for understanding the role of the microbiota–gut–brain axis in autism spectrum disorder and shed new light on autism spectrum disorder treatment.

Purpose: The aim of the current study is to investigate the impact of Baduanjin, a traditional Chinese exercise, on quality of life and sleep quality in breast cancer survivors receiving aromatase inhibitor (AI) therapy.Methods: A total of 72 breast cancer survivors who had received AI treatment for more3 than 6 months were enrolled in the current study using non-probability consecutive sampling procedure. Participants were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to a 12-week Baduanjin exercise program or to a wait-list control group. The Baduanjin exercise group performed two 90-min supervised sessions per week. The primary outcomes were changes in quality of life measured by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality-of-Life Questionnaire Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) and in sleep quality evaluated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI).Results: A total of 68 participants completed the trial (Baduanjin exercise group: n = 33; control group: n = 35). Baseline values for quality of life did not differ between groups. Both global quality of life and physical functioning scores increased significantly by 12.39 (P < 0.001) and 8.48 (P < 0.001) in the Baduanjin exercise group compared with those in the control. Overall PSQI score also decreased by 4.85 (P < 0.001) in the Baduanjin exercise group, whereas it increased by 0.34 in the control group.Conclusion: Baduanjin exercise training led to improvement in the quality of life and sleep quality of breast cancer patients undergoing AI therapy.

Objective: Circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) correlate negatively with obesity. Previous studies have shown that exercise significantly restores circulating EPC levels in obese people; however, the underlying mechanisms have not been elucidated. Recently, irisin has been reported to have a critical role in the regulation of EPCs. This exercise-induced myokine has been demonstrated to play a therapeutic role in obesity. In this study, we hypothesized that the increase in circulating irisin may form a link with increasing EPC levels in obese people after exercise.Methods: Seventeen obese adults completed an 8-week program of combined exercise and dietary intervention. Clinical characteristics, blood biochemistry, and circulating irisin levels of subjects were measured before and after eight weeks of training. EPC levels were evaluated via flow cytometry, and EPC migratory and adhesive functions were also determined.Results: Circulating irisin levels significantly increased following the 8-week training program (P < 0.05). We furthermore observed an improvement in EPC numbers (P < 0.05), and EPC migratory and adhesive functions (P < 0.001 andP < 0.05, respectively) after the intervention. Additionally, we detected a positive correlation between changes in irisin and changes in EPC number (r = 0.52,P < 0.05).Discussion: For the first time, a positive correlation between increasing irisin levels and increasing EPC levels has been reported after an 8-week program, consisting of exercise and dietary intervention. This result suggests a novel effect of irisin on the regulation of EPC mobilization, which might contribute to improvement of endothelial function in obese people.

Background: With the increasing popularity of smartphones, mobile phone addiction in university students has attracted widespread societal attention. Previous studies showed that family functioning and mobile phone addiction are related. However, the potential mechanisms involved in this relationship are unknown. This study examined the mediating effect of loneliness and the moderating effect of capacity to be alone on the relationship between family functioning and mobile phone addiction.Methods: A total of 1,580 university students were recruited. A cross-sectional study design and online questionnaire survey were employed to measure demographic variables, family functioning, loneliness, capacity to be alone, and mobile phone addiction in university students.Results: Family functioning is a significantly negative predictor of mobile phone addiction in university students, and loneliness has a mediating effect on the relationship between family functioning and mobile phone addiction. The capacity to be alone has moderating effects on the relationship between family functioning and loneliness and between family functioning and mobile phone addiction, and these correlation is stronger in university students with a low capacity to be alone.Conclusion: The moderated mediation model in this study improves understanding of the correlation between family functioning and mobile phone addiction in university students. Education professionals and parents should pay particular attention to family functioning in mobile phone addiction, particularly university students with low capacity to be alone.

We conducted a network meta-analysis to assess and rank the efficacy of different physical activities on motor function, social function, communication, and stereotyped behavior in children with autism spectrum disorder. PubMed, EBSCO, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases were searched through May 25, 2023. A total of 37 studies involving 1200 participants and 17 interventions were included in our study. Based on the ranking probabilities, Tai Chi Chuan and fundamental motor skill intervention were ranked as possibly the most effective intervention for motor function and communication, respectively. Kata techniques had the highest probability of being best for stereotyped behavior and social function. This review provides valuable information that physical activity can be a useful strategy in the management of autism spectrum disorder.