Health Neuroscience-How the Brain/Mind and Body Affect our Health Behavior and Outcomes.

This Opinion piece discusses several key research questions in health neuroscience, a new interdisciplinary field that investigates how the brain and body interact to affect our health behavior such as health mindsets, decision-making, actions, and health outcomes across the lifespan. To achieve physical, mental, and cognitive health, and promote health behavior change, we propose that the prevention and treatment of diseases should target the root causes-the dysfunction and imbalance of brain-body biomarkers, through evidence-based body-mind interventions such as mindfulness meditation and Tai Chi, rather than dealing with each symptom or disorder in isolation through various treatment approaches.

Salivary testosterone and cortisol response in acute stress modulated by seven sessions of mindfulness meditation in young males.

Stress is an established risk factor for negative health outcomes. Salivary cortisol and testosterone concentrations increase in response to acute psychosocial stress. It's crucial to reduce stress for health and well-being through evidence-based interventions. Body-mind interventions such as meditation and Tai Chi have shown reduced cortisol levels but mixed results in testosterone concentration after stress. To address this research gap, we conducted a pilot randomized controlled trial to examine the modulating effects of a short-term (seven 20-minute sessions) mindfulness meditation on testosterone and cortisol in response to acute stress. Using one form of mindfulness meditation - Integrative Body-Mind Training (IBMT) and an active control-relaxation training (RT), we assessed salivary cortisol and testosterone concentrations at three stages of stress intervention - rest, stress, and an additional 20-min IBMT or RT practice. We found increased cortisol and testosterone concentrations after acute stress in both groups, but testosterone rise was not associated with cortisol rise. Moreover, an additional practice immediately after stress produced higher testosterone concentrations in the IBMT group than the RT group, whereas cortisol concentration increased in the RT group than in the IBMT group at the same time point. These findings indicate that brief mindfulness intervention modulates a dual-hormone profile of testosterone and cortisol in response to acute stress presumably via the co-regulation of hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal and hypothalamus-pituitary-testicular axes.

Phenolic Glycosides from Viburnum chinshanense Leaves and their α-Amylase and α-Glucosidase Inhibitory Activity.

The phytochemical investigation of Viburnum chinshanense leaves led to the isolation and identification of four new phenolic glycosides, viburninsides A-D (1-4), and eight known analogues (5-12). The structures of the four undescribed compounds were determined by spectroscopic techniques, including 1D NMR, 2D NMR, and HRESIMS, and their containing sugar units were confirmed by acid hydrolysis and HPLC analysis of the monosaccharide's chiral derivatives. Additionally, the α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities of the isolated compounds were assessed. Compounds 1, 2, 4, 9, and 10 exhibited potential inhibitory activities against α-amylase and α-glucosidase with IC50 values ranging from 35.07 µM to 47.42 µM and 18.27 µM to 43.65 µM, respectively. Molecular docking analysis of compound 4 with the strongest inhibition against the target enzymes was also conducted.

Digital mindfulness training and cognitive functions: A preregistered systematic review of neuropsychological findings.

Traditional mindfulness interventions have been frequently reported to be effective in improving cognitive functions. In recent years, however, traditional programs are being increasingly replaced by technology-enabled mindfulness training programs. The aim of the present systematic review (PROSPERO ID: CRD42021289480) is to evaluate the research evidence on their effects on cognitive functions. Empirical training studies in the realm of digital mindfulness training that fulfilled the inclusion criteria led to 19 studies and 1654 participants being included in this review from among the papers searched in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Knowledge. Results support previous assumptions on the potential of digital mindfulness training, with the most robust effect on attention control, followed by executive regulation, memory, cognitive flexibility, and other cognitive functions. However, the number of studies that did not find significant changes at least equaled, if not exceeded, the number of studies that found increases. The heterogeneity of identified studies prompted us to discuss several aspects in order to help the future development of digital applications.

Electroencephalography Microstate Class D is a Brain Marker of Subjective Sleep Quality for College Students with High Habitual Sleep Efficiency.

Subjective sleep quality is an individual's subjective sleep feeling, and its effective evaluation is the premise of improving sleep quality. However, people with autism or mental disorders often experience difficulties in verbally expressing their subjective sleep quality. To solve the above problem, this study provides a non-verbal and convenient brain feature to assess subjective sleep quality. Reportedly, microstates are often used to characterize the patterns of functional brain activity in humans. The occurrence frequency of microstate class D is an important feature in the insomnia population. We therefore hypothesize that the occurrence frequency of microstate class D is a physiological indicator of subjective sleep quality. To test this hypothesis, we recruited college students from China as participants [N = 61, mean age = 20.84 years]. The Chinese version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scale was used to measure subjective sleep quality and habitual sleep efficiency, and the state characteristics of the brain at this time were assessed using closed eyes resting-state brain microstate class D. The occurrence frequency of EEG microstate class D was positively associated with subjective sleep quality (r = 0.32, p < 0.05). Further analysis of the moderating effect showed that the occurrence frequency of microstate class D was significantly and positively correlated with subjective sleep quality in the high habitual sleep efficiency group. However, the relationship was not significant in the low sleep efficiency group (ßsimple = 0.63, p < 0.001). This study shows that the occurrence frequency of microstate class D is a physiological indicator of assessing subjective sleep quality levels in the high sleep efficiency group. This study provides brain features for assessing subjective sleep quality of people with autism and mental disorders who cannot effectively describe their subjective feelings.

Lignan and phenolic glycosides from Viburnum betulifolium fruits and their α­amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities.

The phytochemical investigation on the methanol extract of Viburnum betulifolium fruits resulted in the isolation and identification of two new lignan constituents (1 and 2) and seven known phenolic glycosides (3-9). The structures of new isolates, including their absolute configurations were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analyses (1H and 13C NMR, HSQC, HMBC, HRESIMS, and ECD) and chemical methods. In the in vitro enzyme assays, compounds 1, 2, 6, and 8 showed potential α­amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities. Among them, compound 1 exhibited stronger inhibitory effects towards α-amylase and α-glucosidase with the IC50 values of 12.68 and 15.17 µM, respectively, than those of the positive control acarbose (IC50, 29.19 and 18.15 µM, respectively). In addition, the molecular docking analyses of compound 1 with strongest inhibition against the target enzymes were also performed.

Workplace violence inflicted by patients or their family members/visitors and its relationship with suicidal ideation among undergraduate medical students during clinical training in China.

BACKGROUND: Workplace violence in healthcare settings is a significant public concern that profoundly impacts healthcare workers. However, there is a dearth of knowledge regarding the prevalence of workplace violence and its correlation with suicidal ideation among undergraduate medical students in China during their clinical training. The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of workplace violence inflicted by patients or their family members/visitors and to assess its association with suicidal ideation among undergraduate medical students. METHOD: The snowballing sampling technique was used to recruit Chinese medical students. A question designed by the research team was used to ask medical students about their encounters with workplace violence. Students' basic demographic information and mental distresses (learning burnout, depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms, alcohol abuse/dependence, excessive daytime sleepiness and history of mental disorders) were also assessed. As appropriate, the data were analysed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, independent-sample t-tests and multiple logistic regression. RESULTS: Out of the 1402 undergraduate medical students who participated, 493 (35.2%) reported having experienced workplace violence inflicted by patients or their family members/visitors, of which 394 (28.1%) were verbal abuse, 14 (1.0%) were physical aggression, and 85 (6.1%) were suffered from both verbal abuse and physical aggression. Furthermore, students exposed to workplace violence were more likely to report suicidal ideation and had a higher prevalence of learning burnout, depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms, alcohol abuse/dependence and excessive daytime sleepiness. Depression symptoms, history of mental disorders, learning burnout and having a partner were significantly associated with suicidal ideation in this population. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of workplace violence inflicted by patients or their family members/visitors was high among undergraduate medical students in China. This may be associated with their mental distress and suicidal ideation. Consequently, it is crucial to strengthen workplace safety measures and promptly implement interventions to mitigate the potentially serious consequences.

Workplace violence was common among Chinese undergraduate medical students during clinical training and may be associated with suicidal ideation, learning burnout, depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms, alcohol abuse/dependence and excessive daytime sleepiness.Depression symptoms, history of mental disorders, learning burnout and having a partner were significantly associated with suicidal ideation among undergraduate medical students exposed to workplace violence.

Iridoid constituents from the branches of Viburnum chinshanense and their inhibitory effects on α-amylase and α-glucosidase.

Ten previously undescribed iridoid constituents, viburnshosins A-E (1-5) and viburnshosides A-E (6-10), together with one known analogue (11), were isolated from the branches of Viburnum chinshanense. Their structures were unambiguously elucidated by a comprehensive analysis of 1D and 2D NMR data, together with HRESIMS spectroscopic data. The absolute configurations of compounds 1-10 were assigned by means of the calculated ECD spectra. Interestingly, compounds 2 and 3 are the first iridoids with an unusual C-3-C-7 oxo bridge. Compounds 4, 5, and 10 displayed remarkable inhibitory effects against α-amylase (IC50: 38.42, 37.65, and 21.64 µM, respectively) and α-glucosidase (IC50: 12.97, 19.34, and 25.71 µM, respectively), comparable to those of the positive control acarbose (IC50: 39.75 and 23.66 µM, respectively). The interaction modes of compounds 4 and 10 with two enzymes were analyzed by molecular modeling.

Gender differences in alcohol abuse/dependence among medical undergraduates during the post-COVID­19 pandemic period (October 20, 2020-April 5, 2021) in China.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to assess the prevalence and the gender-specific risk factors of alcohol abuse/dependence among medical undergraduates during the post-COVID­19 pandemic period in China. METHOD: The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption (AUDIT-C) was used to identify respondents with alcohol abuse/dependence. A questionnaire on basic demographics and mental distresses (learning burnout, depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms, excessive daytime sleepiness, and history of mental disorders) was used. The logistic regression model was used to explore the associations between the above characteristics and alcohol abuse/dependence. RESULTS: A total of 3,412 medical undergraduates were included in the analysis. Males showed a higher prevalence of alcohol abuse/dependence than females (16.6% vs 7.4%, p < 0.001). Alcohol abuse/dependence was associated with learning burnout (OR: 2.168, p < 0.001) and having a partner (OR: 1.788 p = 0.001) among female medical undergraduates. Among male medical undergraduates, excessive daytime sleepiness (OR: 1.788 p = 0.001) and older age (OR: 1.788, p = 0.001) were independently associated with alcohol abuse/dependence. CONCLUSION: Alcohol abuse/dependence was common among medical undergraduates during the post-COVID­19 pandemic period. Substantial gender differences in the prevalence and risk factors of alcohol abuse/dependence were found among medical undergraduates in this study, which highlighted the need for timely gender-specific screening and interventions. However, the cross-sectional design adopted in this study has limited the examination of causality, thus further longitudinal studies are warranted.

Lignan constituents with α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities from the fruits of Viburnum urceolatum.

Eleven previously undescribed lignan constituents, including five 8-O-4' type neolignans, viburnurcosides A-E (1-5), three benzofuran type neolignans, viburnurcosides F-H (6-8), and three tetrahydrofuran type lignans, viburnurcosides I-K (9-11), were isolated from the fruits of Viburnum urceolatum. The structures of all isolates were elucidated by an extensive analysis of the NMR and HRESIMS data. The absolute configurations of these compounds were determined by quantum-chemical electronic circular dichroism calculation and comparison. The sugar units of viburnurcosides A-K were identified by acid hydrolysis and HPLC analysis of the chiral derivatives of monosaccharides. The in vitro enzyme inhibition assay exhibited that viburnurcoside J (10) had the most potent inhibitory activity against α-amylase and α-glucosidase with the IC50 values of 19.75 and 9.14 µM, respectively, which were stronger than those of the positive control acarbose (37.31 and 26.75 µM, respectively). The potential binding modes of viburnurcoside J (10) with α-amylase and α-glucosidase were also analyzed by molecular modeling.

Promoting Healthy Aging: Insights on Brain and Physiological Health - A Special Issue.

This special issue focuses on healthy aging and neuroprotection, particularly in the context of brain and physiological health during normal aging and Alzheimer's disease. It highlights the importance of physical activity, nutrition, and stress management in promoting healthy aging and preventing neurodegenerative diseases. The issue explores molecular pathways, genetic factors, and lifestyle interventions that support brain and physiological health in aging populations. Overall, the findings presented in this special issue underscore the importance of healthy lifestyles in promoting brain and physiological health during the aging process.

The involvement of ADAR1 in chronic unpredictable stress-induced cognitive impairment by targeting DARPP-32 with miR-874-3p in BALB/c mice.

Introduction: Chronic stress exposure is the main environmental factor leading to cognitive impairment, but the detailed molecular mechanism is still unclear. Adenosine Deaminase acting on double-stranded RNA1(ADAR1) is involved in the occurrence of chronic stress-induced cognitive impairment. In addition, dopamine and Adenosine 3'5'-monophosphate-regulated phospho-protein (DARPP-32) gene variation affects cognitive function. Therefore, we hypothesized that ADAR1 plays a key role in chronic stress-induced cognitive impairment by acting on DARPP-32. Methods: In this study, postnatal 21-day-old male BALB/c mice were exposed to chronic unpredictable stressors. After that, the mice were treated with ADAR1 inducer/inhibitor. The cognitive ability and cerebral DARPP-32 protein expression of BALB/c mice were evaluated. In order to explore the link between ADAR1 and DARPP-32, the effects of ADAR1 high/low expression on DARPP-32 protein expression in vitro were detected. Results: ADAR1 inducer alleviates cognitive impairment and recovers decreased DARPP-32 protein expression of the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex in BALB/c mice with chronic unpredictable stress exposure. In vivo and in vitro studies confirm the results predicted by bio-informatics; that is, ADAR1 affects DARPP-32 expression via miR-874-3p. Discussion: The results in this study demonstrate that ADAR1 affects the expression of DARPP-32 via miR-874-3p, which is involved in the molecular mechanism of pathogenesis in chronic unpredictable stress-induced cognitive impairment. The new findings of this study provide a new therapeutic strategy for the prevention and treatment of stress cognitive impairment from epigenetics.

Precision Medicine as a New Frontier in Speech-Language Pathology: How Applying Insights From Behavior Genomics Can Improve Outcomes in Communication Disorders.

PURPOSE: Precision medicine is an emerging intervention paradigm that leverages knowledge of risk factors such as genotypes, lifestyle, and environment toward proactive and personalized interventions. Regarding genetic risk factors, examples of interventions informed by the field of medical genomics are pharmacological interventions tailored to an individual's genotype and anticipatory guidance for children whose hearing impairment is predicted to be progressive. Here, we show how principles of precision medicine and insights from behavior genomics have relevance for novel management strategies of behaviorally expressed disorders, especially disorders of spoken language. METHOD: This tutorial presents an overview of precision medicine, medical genomics, and behavior genomics; case examples of improved outcomes; and strategic goals toward enhancing clinical practice. RESULTS: Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) see individuals with various communication disorders due to genetic variants. Ways of using insights from behavior genomics and implementing principles of precision medicine include recognizing early signs of undiagnosed genetic disorders in an individual's communication patterns, making appropriate referrals to genetics professionals, and incorporating genetic findings into management plans. Patients benefit from a genetics diagnosis by gaining a deeper and more prognostic understanding of their condition, obtaining more precisely targeted interventions, and learning about their recurrence risks. CONCLUSIONS: SLPs can achieve improved outcomes by expanding their purview to include genetics. To drive this new interdisciplinary framework forward, goals should include systematic training in clinical genetics for SLPs, enhanced understanding of genotype-phenotype associations, leveraging insights from animal models, optimizing interprofessional team efforts, and developing novel proactive and personalized interventions.

Network of burnout, depression, anxiety, and dropout intention in medical undergraduates.

BACKGROUND: Burnout, depression, and anxiety are highly prevalent among medical students, which often leads to their attrition. We aim to assess the inter-relationships of depression, burnout, and anxiety symptoms with dropout intention among Chinese medical undergraduates using the network analysis. METHOD: A total of 3,648 Chinese medical undergraduates were recruited through snowball sampling. Learning burnout scale, 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and General Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7) was used to assess burnout, depression, and anxiety symptoms, respectively. We used the EBICglasso model to estimate the network. We compared the network based on gender, study phase, and clinical experience. RESULTS: After removing repeated submissions and incorrect responses to the trap question, 3,536 participants were included in the final analysis. The prevalence of burnout, depression, anxiety, and dropout intention was 38, 62.7, 38.4, and 39% respectively, which is consistent with previous findings. Network analysis suggested that anxiety and depression items clustered together and displayed several strong bridge connections, while burnout items formed another cluster. All the strongest edges were within the respective distress. Cynicism symptoms 'I am fed up with study' and 'I want to study but I feel that studying is boring' were the most central symptoms, while 'fatigue' and 'worthless' were the bridge symptoms within the burnout-depression-anxiety network. Other central symptoms included 'worthless', 'I can handle my courses', 'nervous', and 'uncontrollable worry'. Cynicism symptoms 'I am interested in my major' and 'I feel that the knowledge I have learned is useless' were mostly related to dropout intention. Gender, study phase, and clinical experience didn't affect the global strength of the burnout-depression-anxiety network. CONCLUSION: Our results indicated the predominance of cynicism symptoms within the burnout-depression-anxiety network and its substantial impact on dropout intention, suggesting that early detection and intervention for cynicism symptoms in Chinese medical students are in urgent need. Other central and bridge symptoms might also serve as potential targets for the prevention and treatment of burnout, depression, and anxiety among medical students. For example, studies suggest cognitive-behavioral therapy could quickly improve 'worthless', which might be beneficial in treating burnout, depression, and anxiety in medical students.

A multiparametric fluorescent visualization approach for detecting drug resistance in living cancer cells.

Drug resistance is a worldwide health care crisis which impedes disease treatment and increases financial burden, especially for its multifactorial nature and high complexity. Herein, we developed a multiparametric approach to visualize and detect drug resistance in living cancer cells, through the combination of DNA-templated covalent protein labeling strategy and fluorescent resonance energy transfer technique. Gefitinib resistance in non-small cell lung cancer caused by mesenchymal-epidermal transition factor (Met) overexpression and hyperactivation was investigated as a proof-of-concept. Unlike the traditional single-factor investigation, the proposed approach evaluated the contribution of three important parameters towards the resistance, including the changes of Met expression level, the homodimerization of Met with itself and the heterodimerization of Met with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). A multiple regression model based on these three parameters was tentatively established for evaluation of the resistance level of laboratory-developed resistant cells and evaluation of the resistance level of patient-derived cells. Such an approach facilitates a quick identification of a drug resistance, to evaluate not only the resistance level but also the resistance mechanism.

Five New Phenolic Glycosides from Viburnum luzonicum.

Viburnum luzonicum is widely distributed in China. Its branch extracts showed potential α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities. In order to discover new bioactive constituents, five undescribed phenolic glycosides, viburozosides A-E (1-5), were obtained by bioassay-guided isolation coupled with HPLC-QTOF-MS/MS analysis. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analyses, including 1D NMR, 2D NMR, ECD, and ORD. All compounds were tested for their α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory potency. Compound 1 showed significantly competitive inhibition against α-amylase (IC50 =17.5 µM) and α-glucosidase (IC50 =13.6 µM).

Physiological responses of Ampithoe valida and its feeding potential on Ulva prolifera.

Large numbers of Amphipoda feed on floating green tide macroalgae in the Yellow Sea, among which Ampithoe valida has a high abundance in the stable and decline periods. Amphipoda preferentially feed on Ulva. Under different temperatures, salinities, and pH, the physiological responses of A. valida and its feeding potential on Ulva prolifera were investigated, along with its physiological responses during green tide blooms in the Southern Yellow Sea. Ampithoe valida could survive within a temperature range of 5-30 °C, salinity of 5-40, and pH of 4-10. Optimal environmental conditions for growth were temperature 15-25 °C, salinity 10-40, and pH 6-10. At temperatures of 5-30 °C, salinities of 5-35, and pH of 4-9, A. valida could effectively reduce U. prolifera biomass. The feeding ability of A. valida was greatest in 25-30 °C, 10-25 salinity, and neutral seawater, exceeding 5 mg·ind.-1·d-1. During green tide outbreaks in the Southern Yellow Sea from May to August, the monthly average sea surface temperature, salinity, and pH range is 17.5-27.3 °C, 23.8-29.6, and 7.87-8.17, respectively, within which A. valida showed well growth and could effectively reduce U. prolifera biomass. Finally, this study further discussed the possibility of A. valida as a biological method to control green tide.

LC-MS guided isolation of phenolic glycosides from Viburnum luzonicum Rolfe leaves and their α­amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities.

Viburnum luzonicum Rolfe is widely used in China as folk medicine. The bioactivity evaluation indicated that the n-BuOH fraction of V. luzonicum leaves (VLLB) could significantly inhibit α­amylase and α-glucosidase. In order to clarify its active constituents, the phytochemical analysis on VLLB was first performed using HPLC-QTOF-MS/MS, and three new phenolic compounds, viburosides A-C (1-3), along with seven known analogues (4-10) were isolated through preparative HPLC. The undescribed compounds were determined by extensive spectroscopic analyses (1H and 13C NMR, HSQC, HMBC, HRESIMS, and ORD) and enzymatic hydrolysis. In the in vitro enzyme assays, compounds 1-8 showed potent α­amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities. The enzymatic kinetics and molecular docking of the strongest inhibitors 2 and 3 against the corresponding target enzyme were also performed.