Effects of physical exercise intervention on depressive and anxious moods of college students: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Background Due to the limitation of drug treatment and other adverse reactions, many psychological treatments always adopt rehabilitation training or non-drug intervention methods, while physical exercise is considered as an auxiliary way. A mass of literature has verified the therapeutic benefits of physical exercise to reduce depression and anxiety in clinical populations. However, little attention is paid to the mental health benefits of exercise for non-clinical populations. The purpose of this meta-analysis is to systematically aggregate and quantify findings of the effect of physical exercise on depression and anxiety in non-clinical populations, through which to evaluate whether physical exercise intervention as a non-drug means can effectively improve the depressive and anxious moods of college students. Significance This paper combines sport and psychotherapy and links kinesiology and psychology, which can deepen readers' understanding and stimulate their interest in the practice of sport and exercise psychology. The 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has swept the world, causing a global epidemic with serious physical and psychological consequences, and this study may help policymakers and health care professionals to make effective recommendations for psychological interventions for college students. Methods The study was based on five electronic databases: CNKI, Wan Fang Data, SinoMed, PubMed, and Web of Science. The quality of the selected articles was evaluated by the PEDro scale. The Meta-Analysis was performed using R-4.0.4, which computed pooled estimates of effect size and respective 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for intervention. Bias and sensitivity analyses were calculated to explore the source of heterogeneity, and subgroup analyses were performed according to time, frequency, and event. Results Synthesizing all the trials, the results show that the study heterogeneity of physical exercise on the improvement of depressive mood in college students is relatively high (I2=63%, P<0.01), which has a medium effect (SMD=-0.63, 95% confidence interval=-0.80 to -0.46). The results reveal low heterogeneity in anxious mood (I2=36%, P = 0.04), with a medium effect (SMD=-0.58, 95% confidence interval=-0.71 to -0.44). Conclusion The Meta-Analysis confirms the effective and positive role of physical exercise in reducing depressive and anxious moods of college students. Physical exercise can be used as a non-medical method to improve the mental health state of college students and promote full development. Further research should evaluate the impact of various sports and specific exercise prescriptions on college students' negative emotions, so as to apply them to complementary and alternative therapies.

How Do Nature-Based Activities Benefit Essential Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic? The Mediating Effect of Nature Connectedness.

Although many studies have suggested that nature-based activities have a healing effect on human beings, there is little research on the underlying mechanism. This study investigated the role of nature connectedness in the relationship between the perception of nature and individuals' physical and psychological health. We recruited essential workers who participated in disease prevention and control during the COVID-19 pandemic and their family members as the subjects for this study. The stress levels experienced by this group made them an ideal sample. The results of a survey-based study showed that nature-based activities had a positive effect on alleviating state anxiety levels. The results also showed that nature-based activities affected perceived restoration via the feeling of nature connectedness. This study examined the healing effect of nature-based activities that stimulate the five senses and nature connectedness and explored the potential of nature-based treatments for people experiencing high levels of stress.

Prosecution records reveal pangolin trading networks in China, 2014-2019.

In a precautionary response to the current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, China's Ministries permanently banned eating and trading in terrestrial wild (non-livestock) animals on 24 February 2020, and extensively updated the list of Fauna under Special State Protection (LFSSP) in 2020 and 2021, in which pangolins (Manidae spp.) were upgraded to the highest protection level. Examining 509 pangolin prosecution records from China Judgements online prior to these changes (01/01/14-31/12/19), we identified that Guangdong, Guangxi and Yunnan Provinces were hotspots for trade in whole pangolins and their scales. Interrupting trade in these three principal southern provinces would substantially fragment the pangolin trade network and reduce supply of imports from other south-east Asian countries. In the context of the revised legislation and strategies intended to prevent wildlife trade, we conclude that targeting interventions at key trade nodes could significantly reduce illegal trade in pangolins, and that this approach could also be effective with other taxa.

Magnesium treatment on methylation changes of transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2).

OBJECTIVES: The viral entry of SARS-CoV-2 requires host-expressed TMPRSS2 to facilitate the viral spike protein priming. This study aims to test the hypothesis that magnesium (Mg) treatment leads to DNA methylation changes in TMPRSS2. METHODS: This study is nested within the Personalized Prevention of Colorectal Cancer Trial, a double-blind 2 × 2 factorial randomized controlled trial, which enrolled 250 participants from Vanderbilt University Medical Center. RESULTS: We found that 12 wk of personalized Mg treatment significantly increased 5-methylcytosine methylation at cg16371860 (TSS1500, promoter) by 7.2% compared to the placebo arm (decreased by 0.1%) in those ages < 65 y. The difference remained statistically significant after adjusting for age, sex, and baseline methylation as well as correction for false discovery rate (adjusted P = 0.014). Additionally, Mg treatment significantly reduced 5-hydroxymethylcytosine levels at cg26337277 (close proximity to TSS200 and the 5' untranslated region, promoter) by 2.3% compared to an increase of 7.1% in the placebo arm after adjusting for covariates in those ages < 65 y (P = 0.003). The effect remained significant at a false discovery rate of 0.10 (adjusted P = 0.088). CONCLUSIONS: Among individuals ages < 65 y with calcium-to-magnesium intake ratios equal to or over 2.6, reducing the ratio to around 2.3 increased 5-methylcytosine modifications (i.e., cg16371860) and reduced 5-hydroxymethylcytosine modifications (i.e., cg26337277) in the TMPRSS2 gene. These findings, if confirmed, provide another mechanism for the role of Mg intervention in the prevention of COVID-19 and treatment of early and mild disease by modifying the phenotype of the TMPRSS2 genotype.

Contact tracing with digital assistance in Taiwan's COVID-19 outbreak response.

AIM: Comprehensive case investigation and contact tracing are crucial to prevent community spread of COVID-19. We demonstrated a utility of using traditional contact tracing measures supplemented with symptom tracking and contact management system to assist public health workers with high efficiency. METHODS: A centralized contact tracing system was developed to support data linkage, cross-jurisdictional coordination, and follow-up of contacts' health status. We illustrated the process of how digital tools support contact tracing and management of COVID-19 cases and measured the timeliness from case detection to contact monitoring to evaluate system performance. RESULTS: Among the 8051 close contacts of the 487 confirmed cases (16.5 close contacts/case, 95% CI [13.9-19.1]), the median elapsed time from last exposure to quarantine was three days (IQR 1-5). By implementing the approach of self-reporting using automatic text-messages and web-app, the percentage of health status updates from self-reporting increased from 22.5% to 61.5%. The high proportion of secondary cases detected via contact tracing (88%) might reduce the R0 to under one and minimize the impact of local transmission in the community. CONCLUSION: Comprehensive contact tracing and management with complementary technology would still be a pillar of strategies for containing outbreaks during de-escalation or early in the next wave of COVID-19 pandemic.

Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratios Are Closely Associated With the Severity and Course of Non-mild COVID-19.

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is spreading worldwide. Measuring the prevention and control of the disease has become a matter requiring urgent focus. Objective: Based on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) clinical data from Wuhan, we conducted an in-depth analysis to clarify some of the pathological mechanisms of the disease and identify simple measures to predict its severity early on. Methods: A total of 230 patients with non-mild COVID-19 were recruited, and information on their clinical characteristics, inflammatory cytokines, and T lymphocyte subsets was collected. Risk factors for severity were analyzed by binary logistic regression, and the associations of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratios (N/LRs) with illness severity, disease course, CT grading, inflammatory cytokines, and T lymphocyte subsets were evaluated. Results: Our results showed that the N/LRs were closely related to interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-10 (P < 0.001, P = 0.024) and to CD3+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes (P < 0.001, P = 0.046). In particular, the N/LRs were positively correlated with the severity and course of the disease (P = 0.021, P < 0.001). Compared to the values at the first test after admission, IL-6 and IL-10 were significantly decreased and increased, respectively, as of the last test before discharge (P = 0.006, P < 0.001). More importantly, through binary logistic regression, we found that male sex, underlying diseases (such as cardiovascular disease), pulse, and N/LRs were all closely related to the severity of the disease (P = 0.004, P = 0.012, P = 0.013, P = 0.028). Conclusions: As a quick and convenient marker of inflammation, N/LRs may predict the disease course and severity level of non-mild COVID-19; male sex, cardiovascular disease, and pulse are also risk factors for the severity of non-mild COVID-19.

How do primary community hospitals enact early response to COVID-19? the experience from Chengdu, China.

Our hospital is a primary hospital in Chengdu, China. Since February 5, our hospital has been listed as the primary designated medical unit for treating new patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Jinniu District. In this letter, we share our COVID-19 experience with readers.