Background: Negative emotions among college students, particularly those who are physically weak, have raised concerns due to their impact on mental health and, in some cases, the development of suicidal tendencies. Limited physical activity exacerbates these mental health risks. It is essential to explore the relationship between physical activity, sleep quality, and negative emotions in this population.Objective: To examine the relationship between physical activity, sleep quality, and negative emotions among physically weak college students.Methods: A stratified sampling approach was employed to select 1,248 first- and second-year students from a university in Beijing. Physical activity levels were assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form (IPAQ-SF), sleep quality was evaluated with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and depression, anxiety, and stress were measured via the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21). Chi-square tests and logistic regression analyses were conducted to explore associations among these variables. Additionally, a mediation effect model was utilized to examine the mediating role of sleep quality between physical activity and negative emotions.Results: The incidence of negative emotions was significantly higher among physically weak college students compared to their peers (p < 0.05). Binary logistic regression results indicated that increased physical activity intensity was associated with a lower occurrence of negative emotions (OR = 0.514, 95% CI: 0.367–0.719). Linear regression analysis showed a significant positive correlation between higher physical activity intensity and better sleep quality (a = −0.185, p < 0.01). The mediation effect analysis revealed that sleep quality partially mediated the relationship between physical activity and negative emotions, with total, direct, and indirect effects of −0.67, −0.60, and −0.097, respectively. Sleep quality accounted for 14.6% of the total effect in this relationship.Conclusion: The incidence of negative emotions among physically weak college students is significantly higher than among their peers and increased physical activity intensity is significantly associated with a decrease in negative emotions. Sleep quality plays a crucial mediating role in this relationship. These findings provide a theoretical foundation for developing targeted mental health interventions for physically weak college students and highlight the importance of sleep quality in improving their mental health.

Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder characterized by social behavior deficits and stereotyped behaviors in childhood that lacks satisfactory medical intervention. Early swimming intervention is a noninvasive method combining enriched environment and exercise, which has been proven to improve brain development in young children and to treat neurodevelopmental diseases. Methods: In this study, we tested the autism-like behavior of rats with deletions in exons 11– 21 of the Shank3 gene and evaluated the effect of early swimming intervention (from postnatal day 8 to 60) on the behavior of this animal model of autism. In addition, the transcriptomes of the striatal tissues of wild-type, Shank3 knockout and Shank3 knockout swimming groups rats were analyzed. Results: Shank3 knockout rats exhibit core symptoms of autism, and early swimming improved the social and stereotyped behaviors in this autism rat model. Transcriptomics results revealed that compared to the wild-type group, 291 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in the striatum of the Shank3 knockout group. Compared to Shank3 knockout group, 534 DEGs were identified in the striatum of Shank3 knockout swimming group. The DEGs annotated by Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway shows that the impacts of Shank3 deletion were primarily reflected in synaptic structure, development, morphology, receptor function and signaling, and swimming primarily changed the terms related to the synapses in the striatum of Shank3 knockout rats, including the morphology, structure, composition, development and regulation of synapses. Conclusion: Early swimming intervention can ameliorate behavioral abnormalities caused by Shank3 knockout, by a mechanism that may involve the process of striatal synaptic development and should be further investigated.

Introduction: This study systematically evaluated the effectiveness of elastic band resistance training (EBT) in improving lower limb strength and balance function in older adults with different health status. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted across Scopus, EBSCO, Web of Science, PubMed, and Cochrane Library to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published through December 30, 2024. Eligible studies included older adults in which the control group received either no intervention or basic treatment, and the experimental group received EBT in addition to the control protocol. Results: A total of 25 studies involving 1,318 participants were included. Meta-analysis demonstrated significant improvements in the EBT group compared with controls across multiple outcomes: leg extension test [SMD = 1.01, 95% CI (0.36, 1.66), p = 0.002], chair stand test [SMD = 2.04, 95% CI (0.60, 3.48), p = 0.006], timed up and go test [SMD = –1.41, 95% CI (–2.33, −0.49), p = 0.003] and functional reach test [SMD = 1.63, 95% CI (0.36, 2.90), p = 0.012]. Conclusion: Elastic band resistance training may improve lower limb strength and balance function in older adults with different health conditions. Longer intervention durations may yield greater benefits in strength, while balance improvements can occur with shorter programs. Further high-quality studies are needed to confirm these effects. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD420251021955 , PROSPERO CRD420251021955.

Purpose: This study aimed to assess the psychological disturbance profiles of Chinese mine rescuers and identify associated risk factors. Methods: A stratified whole-group sampling method was employed to select 150 members of the Datong Mine Rescue Team in China as survey participants. These participants completed the following 6 assessment tools: the Injury Assessment Questionnaire for Mine Rescuers, the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90), the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), the Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). The relationships between sociodemographic variables, risk factors, and psychological disturbances were analyzed using logistic regression analysis. Results: Based on the cut-off scores for the SAS, SDS, and SCL-90, the sample was categorized into high- and low-risk groups. Among the 150 participants of the Datong Mine Rescue Team in China, the prevalences of anxiety, depression, and psychological distress were 15.3%, 17.3%, and 43.3%, respectively. Logistic regression analysis revealed that self-perception of stress (OR=4.359, p=0.005), sleep quality (OR=4.338, p=0.010), training-related injuries history (OR=5.609, p=0.040), and training frequency (OR=3.013, p=0.047) were risk factors for anxiety among mine rescuers. Additionally, self-perception of stress (OR=7.371, p< 0.001) was identified as a risk factor for depression, while sleep quality (OR=4.844, p< 0.001) was a risk factor for psychological disturbance based on the SCL-90. Training with existing injuries was found to be a risk factor for interpersonal sensitivity (OR=10.054, p=0.006), depression (OR=4.698, p=0.033), anxiety (OR=6.472, p=0.027), hostility (OR=3.864, p=0.047), and other factor (OR=3.736, p=0.020) among rescuers. Conclusion: Nearly half of the rescuers from the Datong Mine Rescue Team exhibited adverse psychological symptoms. Associated risk factors included self-perceived stress, sleep quality, training frequency, history of training-related injuries, and training with existing injuries. To promote mental health among rescuers, it is crucial to manage training-related injuries and proactively prevent training with under existing injury conditions.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the regulatory impact of early swimming intervention on striatal metabolism in Shank3 gene knockout ASD model rats. Methods: Shank3 gene knockout exon 11–21 male 8-day-old SD rats were used as experimental subjects and randomly divided into the following three groups: a Shank3 knockout control group (KC), a wild-type control group (WC) from the same litter, and a Shank3 knockout swimming group (KS). The rats in the exercise group received early swimming intervention for 8 weeks starting at 8 days old. LC-MS metabolism was employed to detect the changes in metabolites in the striatum. Results: There were 17 differential metabolites (14 down-regulated) between the KC and WC groups, 19 differential metabolites (18 up-regulated) between the KS and KC groups, and 22 differential metabolites (18 up-regulated) between the KS and WC groups. Conclusions: The metabolism of striatum in Shank3 knockout ASD model rats is disrupted, involving metabolites related to synaptic morphology, and the Glu and GABAergic synapses are abnormal. Early swimming intervention regulated the striatal metabolome group of the ASD model rats, with differential metabolites primarily related to nerve development, synaptic membrane structure, and synaptic signal transduction.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between bilateral lower extremity explosive strength asymmetry and non-contact low back injuries in mine rescue workers, a specialized occupational group. Methods: A single-leg countermovement jump (SLCMJ) test was performed on 101 rescue members who had participated in frontline rescue missions, using a force platform. The collected force platform data were used to calculate lower limb asymmetry. Injury incidence was measured by recording all non-contact low back injuries occurring during routine training or rescue operations over a 12-month follow-up period. Jump metrics (including eccentric peak force, vertical velocity at takeoff, peak takeoff acceleration, and takeoff peak force) associated with non-contact low back injuries were identified through Poisson regression analysis, and the optimal threshold for predicting injuries was determined using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Results: Bilateral takeoff peak force asymmetry significantly increased the risk of non-contact low back injury. Each 1% increase in asymmetry raised the injury risk by 18.5% (RR = 1.185, 95% CI: 1.091–1.288, p < 0.001), equivalent to an absolute increase of 3.2% (RD = 0.032, 95% CI: 0.009–0.056). Using the optimal threshold of 7.05% for risk stratification, rescue workers in the high-risk group had a 3.6 times higher injury risk than the low-risk group (RR = 3.64, 95% CI: 1.353–9.832, p = 0.011), corresponding to an absolute risk difference of 24.1% (RD = 0.241, 95% CI: 0.073–0.409). Conclusion: The interlimb asymmetry measured during the single-leg countermovement jump can be used to predict the risk of non-contact low back injuries in mine rescue workers over a 12-month follow-up period. Particular emphasis should be placed on the interlimb asymmetry of takeoff peak force.