Electric double layer-mediated polarization field for optimizing photogenerated carrier dynamics and thermodynamics.

Photocatalytic hydrogen evolution efficiency is limited due to unfavorable carrier dynamics and thermodynamic performance. Here, we propose to introduce electronegative molecules to build an electric double layer (EDL) to generate a polarization field instead of the traditional built-in electric field to improve carrier dynamics, and optimize the thermodynamics by regulating the chemical coordination of surface atoms. Based on theoretical simulation, we designed CuNi@EDL and applied it as the cocatalyst of semiconductor photocatalysts, finally achieved a hydrogen evolution rate of 249.6 mmol h-1 g-1 and remained stable after storing under environmental conditions for more than 300 days. The high H2 yield is mainly due to the perfect work function, Fermi level and Gibbs free energy of hydrogen adsorption, improved light absorption ability, enhanced electron transfer dynamics, decreased HER overpotential and effective carrier transfer channel arose by EDL. Here, our work opens up new perspectives for the design and optimization of photosystems.

The psychometric properties of positive and negative beliefs about the rumination scale in Chinese undergraduates.

BACKGROUND: Rumination, a transdiagnostic factor in different psychopathological conditions, is believed to be activated and sustained by dysfunctional metacognition. The Positive Beliefs about Rumination Scale (PBRS) and the Negative Beliefs about Rumination Scale (NBRS) have been used to measure the metacognitive beliefs of rumination and have been investigated in many cultural contexts. However, it remains unclear whether these scales can work as well for the Chinese population. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the psychometric properties of the Chinese versions of these scales and to test the metacognitive model of rumination for students with different levels of depression. METHODS: The PBRS and NBRS were forward-backward translated into Mandarin. In total 1,025 college students were recruited to complete a battery of web-based questionnaires. Exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and correlation analysis were used to test the structure, validity, and reliability of the two scales, as well as their item correlations with rumination. RESULTS: A new two-factor structure of the PBRS (rather than the original one-factor model) and a new three-factor structure of the NBRS (rather than the original two-factor model) were extracted. The goodness-of-fit indices of these two factor models showed they had a good to very good fit with the data. The internal consistency and construct validity of PBRS and NBRS were also affirmed. CONCLUSION: The Chinese versions of the PBRS and the NBRS were generally shown to be reliable and valid, but their newly extracted structures fit the Chinese college students better than their original structures. These new models of PBRS and NBRS are of value to be further explored in Chinese population.

The moderating effect of alexithymia on the relationship between stress and cyberchondria.

Objectives: The pandemic has increased the level of perceived stress and provided a fertile soil for Cyberchondria. This study aims to investigate the relationship between stress, cyberchondria, and alexithymia. Methods: This cross-sectional study used convenience sampling to carried out on a total 1,117 college students (female/male:536/581; mean age: 19.95 ± 1.32). Cyberchondria Severity Scale (CSS), Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS) and Short Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21) were used to assessed the present study variables. Results: Significant differences emerged for CSS scores by gender (t = 3.74, p < 0.01) and had any comorbid disease (t = 2.47, p < 0.05), The Pearson correlation showed Cyberchondria has a significant positive correlation with stress and alexithymia (r = 0.50, p < 0.01, r = 0.36, p < 0.01). Furthermore, the regression analysis described that stress (ß = 0.50, p < 0.01) and alexithymia (ß = 0.36, p < 0.01) were the significant positive predictors of cyberchondria. Moreover, moderation analysis showed that alexithymia significantly strengthened the association between stress and cyberchondria (F = 107.20, p < 0.01). Conclusion: The study will help medical practitioners to understand how stress and alexithymia can cause an increase in cyberchondria. This will help them to elaborate operational indications for prevention and psychological support.

Should we abandon annual physical examination? - A meta-analysis of annual physical examination and all-cause mortality in adults based on observational studies.

Several meta-analyses based on randomized clinical trials data have failed to find an association between the annual physical examination (APE) and reduced mortality; however, no comparable meta-analysis based on observational data exists. We conducted a meta-analysis of observational studies comparing APE versus non-APE in adults for all-cause mortality. English-language searches of four databases (PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, and Google Scholar) between the years 2000 to 2019 yielded seven observational studies that investigated APE versus non-APE in healthy adults in relation to all-cause mortality. Random effects models were used to calculate pooled hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CI), and to incorporate variation between studies. During follow-up periods that ranged from two to 25 years, there were 35,055 deaths among 633,957 participants. APE was significantly associated with a 45% lower hazard of all-cause mortality, with pooled hazard ratio of 0.55 (95% CI 0.48 to 0.64, P < 0.01) for all participants. This meta-analysis of seven observational studies in the past 20 years provides evidence of an association between APE and a lower hazard of all-cause mortality, a finding that contrasts with findings based on meta-analyses of randomized clinical trials data. Nonetheless, at present the evidence available about the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of APE on all-cause mortality still needs further study.

Fluorescein Derivative Immobilized Optical Hydrogels: Fabrication and Its Application for Detection of H2O2.

A novel fluorescein-based probe FLA-Boe was developed for detecting H2O2. Modified by 2-Bromomethylphenylboronic acid pinacol ester, FLA-Boe is a Fluorescein derivative with eminent photostability and remarkable H2O2 sensitivity and selectivity. FLA-Boe was utilized to synthesize hydrogel sensors in the manner of guest-host interaction by taking advantage of its aforementioned features. The hydrogel sensor can be used to detect H2O2 effectively in both flowing and static water environments with satisfactory performance. It is expected that this application may open a new page to develop a neoteric fluorescent property analysis method aiming at H2O2 detection.

Examining impulsivity and risky decision making among school youth in balloon analogue risk task.

BACKGROUND: Impulsivity trait as a risk factor which typically displayed in risk decision among school youth. This study aims to examine behavioral and cognitive problems of risky decision among Chinese young people aged 15-25 years. The balloon analogue risk task (BART) and event-related potential (ERP) were combine used to explore the neural mechanism of risky decision process whether infected by impulsivity trait. METHODS: A total of 31 subjects were included, including 16 experimental subjects with risk behavior (RS), and 15 health control subjects with non-risk behavior (HC). BART were used to measure risk-taking propensity and ERP were to record in real time. RS vs. HC were compared to explain the relationship between impulsivity and risky decision. RESULTS: Behavioral data in BART task shown that the RS subjects tended to make risky decisions. ERP results illustrate that P300 in RS subjects is more significant positive-going than HC that means dysfunction of cognitive control, and FRN in RS subjects is more negative-going than HC in negative feedback condition, which means individual with high impulsive would be more sensitive to unexpected outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Impulsiveness is a risk factor for school adolescent, because RS subjects performed more risky decision than control group, the evidence indicate that individual with high impulsiveness would lead to be less sensitive to harmful consequences and more inclination to immediate rewards. Therefore, the inclination of risk taking can be powerfully informed by different levels of impulsiveness.

'Mindfulness Living with Insomnia': an mHealth intervention for individuals with insomnia in China: a study protocol of a randomised controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Insomnia has a remarkably negative effect on the work, quality of life and psychosomatic health of individuals, and imposes a substantial economic burden on society. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have proven beneficial in the treatment of insomnia. However, the effect of mobile or online-based (mHealth) MBIs requires further verification. This study will evaluate the effectiveness of an mHealth MBI, 'Mindful Living with Insomnia' (MLWI), relative to that of mHealth cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I). METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The study is an mHealth, randomised controlled trial. Two hundred and fifty participants will be allocated randomly and equally to either the MLWI or CBT-I group. The intervention will involve 12 sessions over a 6-week course, with 2, 30 min sessions per week. The primary outcomes are sleep quality, severity of insomnia symptoms and sleep activity, according to the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Insomnia Severity Index and sleep tracker Mi Smart Band, respectively. The secondary outcomes are perceived stress, anxiety, depression and mindfulness. Outcomes will be evaluated at the baseline, end of the intervention period and at the 3-month follow-up. Data analyses will include covariance, regression analysis, χ2, t-test and Pearson's correlations. Participants will be recruited from January to June 2022, or until the recruitment process is complete. The follow-up will be completed in December 2022. All trial results should be available by the end of December 2022. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Full approval for this study has been obtained from the Ethics Committee at The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China (21010). Study results will be disseminated via social media and peer-reviewed publications. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT04806009.

Electrolyte Additives for Improving the High-Temperature Storage Performance of Li-Ion Battery NCM523∥Graphite with Overcharge Protection.

The overcharge safety performance of lithium-ion batteries has been the major bottleneck in the widespread deployment of this promising technology. Pushing the limitations further may jeopardize cell safety when it is performed at high-temperature storage. On the basis of the lacking systematic research on overcharge protection electrolyte additives with high-temperature storage capacity, we explore the promotion effect of overcharge additives on electrolyte decomposition at 60 °C. Specifically, the addition of tris(trimethylsily) phosphite (TMSP) and lithium difluoro(oxalato)borate (LiDFOB) in the electrolyte can not only form the robust cathode electrolyte interface/solid electrolyte interphase (CEI/SEI) but also improve the thermal stability of the electrolyte. Therefore, we promote the electrolyte system to realize the 18,650 LIB storage at 60 °C for 50 days by optimizing the formula in the electrolyte containing biphenyl (BP) and cyclohexylbenzene (CHB) overcharge protection additives, and the capacity retention rate can reach more than 90% with overcharge safety. Further, the optimized electrolyte system has also been implemented to commercial 18,650 LIBs and demonstrates the widening of the route to the widespread application of the electrolyte under extreme conditions.

Dihydroartemisinin represses oral squamous cell carcinoma progression through downregulating mitochondrial calcium uniporter.

Dysregulation of mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) exerts a carcinogenic effect in several cancers. Nevertheless, the roles of MCU in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remain elusive. It has been reported that dihydroartemisinin (DHA) may suppress the progression of OSCC but its associated mechanisms have not been investigated. The purpose of our research was to observe the biological function of MCU on OSCC and its regulatory relationship with DHA. MCU, MICU1, MICU2, N-cadherin, TGF-ß and vimentin expression was detected in OSCC and peritumoral tissues by immunohistochemistry and Western blot. Following DHA treatment, the expression of the aforementioned proteins was detected in CAL-27 cells transfected with shMCU or pcDNA3.1-MCU by Western blot or immunofluorescence. Furthermore, clone formation, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), wound healing and transwell assays were presented in CAL-27 cells treated with DHA, shMCU or pcDNA3.1-MCU. Our results showed that the members of MCU complex (MCU, MICU1 and MICU2) were overexpressed in OSCC than peritumoral tissues. Furthermore, TGF-ß and epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) proteins (N-cadherin and vimentin) exhibited higher expression in OSCC. DHA treatment significantly lowered the expression of MCU in CAL-27 cells. MCU overexpression reversed the inhibitory effects of DHA on MICU1, MICU2, N-cadherin, TGF-ß and vimentin. MCU knockdown or DHA suppressed proliferation, MMP and migration of CAL-27 cells. DHA treatment could reverse the effects of MCU overexpression. Collectively, our study demonstrated that MCU was an oncogene of OSCC and DHA exerted a suppressive role on proliferation and migration of OSCC cells by suppressing MCU expression.

Strategy to Enhance the Cycling Stability of the Metallic Lithium Anode in Li-Metal Batteries.

Based on the analysis of systematic research (density functional theory calculations, physical characterizations, and electrochemical performances), here, we report a novel mixture surface modification layer of LiC6&LiF, which can enhance the lithium-ion diffusion and decrease the local current density. This is beneficial to the improvement of cycling stability. As a result, the Li@LiC6&LiF-5/NCM half-cell possesses an excellent capacity retention of 94% after 100 cycles at 0.1C, with a capacity decay of only 0.06% per cycle. For comparison, the capacity retention of a pristine Li/NCM cell is only 9.3% after 100 cycles. Our study confirms that compositing the high ionic conductivity layer (e.g., LiC6&LiF for the first time) is a promising avenue to stabilize lithium-metal anodes. From this perspective, we concisely review recent discoveries in this field and suggest possible new research directions for further development of Li-metal batteries.

Post-COVID-19 Epidemic: Allostatic Load among Medical and Nonmedical Workers in China.

BACKGROUND: As the fight against the COVID-19 epidemic continues, medical workers may have allostatic load. OBJECTIVE: During the reopening of society, medical and nonmedical workers were compared in terms of allostatic load. METHODS: An online study was performed; 3,590 Chinese subjects were analyzed. Socio-demographic variables, allostatic load, stress, abnormal illness behavior, global well-being, mental status, and social support were assessed. RESULTS: There was no difference in allostatic load in medical workers compared to nonmedical workers (15.8 vs. 17.8%; p = 0.22). Multivariate conditional logistic regression revealed that anxiety (OR = 1.24; 95% CI 1.18-1.31; p < 0.01), depression (OR = 1.23; 95% CI 1.17-1.29; p < 0.01), somatization (OR = 1.20; 95% CI 1.14-1.25; p < 0.01), hostility (OR = 1.24; 95% CI 1.18-1.30; p < 0.01), and abnormal illness behavior (OR = 1.49; 95% CI 1.34-1.66; p < 0.01) were positively associated with allostatic load, while objective support (OR = 0.84; 95% CI 0.78-0.89; p < 0.01), subjective support (OR = 0.84; 95% CI 0.80-0.88; p < 0.01), utilization of support (OR = 0.80; 95% CI 0.72-0.88; p < 0.01), social support (OR = 0.90; 95% CI 0.87-0.93; p < 0.01), and global well-being (OR = 0.30; 95% CI 0.22-0.41; p < 0.01) were negatively associated. CONCLUSIONS: In the post-COVID-19 epidemic time, medical and nonmedical workers had similar allostatic load. Psychological distress and abnormal illness behavior were risk factors for it, while social support could relieve it.

Psychometric Properties of the Chinese Version of the Intolerance of Uncertainty Inventory in Chinese College Students.

BACKGROUND: Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) is considered to be associated with emotional disorders, such as generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), depression, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and social anxiety. Therefore, a comprehensive instrument to measure IU is needed. The purposes of the present study were as follows: 1) developing a Chinese version of the Intolerance of Uncertainty Inventory (CIUI) and 2) measuring the reliability and validity of CIUI. METHODS: We translated the Intolerance of Uncertainty Inventory (IUI) into Chinese. A sample consisting of Chinese college students from three universities was used to evaluate the internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and validity of the CIUI. Participants answered the CIUI, IUS-12, GAD-7, BDI-II, and PSWQ. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were run to explore the factor structure of CIUI. RESULTS: The results demonstrated an acceptable internal consistency for CIUI (Part A of CIUI [CIUIA]: α = 0.920; Part B of CIUI [CIUIB]: α = 0.947) and test-retest reliability (CIUIA: ICC = 0.788; CIUIB: ICC = 0.859). The results of EFA and CFA all supported a two-factor structure for CIUIA (Intolerance of the unexpected and difficulty waiting in an uncertain situation and Intolerance of uncertainty and of uncertain situations) and a four-factor structure for CIUIB (Overestimation, Control, Uncertainty makes one feel stressful, and Reassurance), and acceptable validity was obtained. CONCLUSION: The CIUI is an appropriate instrument for measuring IU in Chinese populations. Future studies should confirm the psychometric properties using a comprehensive sample.

Effects of short-term mindfulness-based training on executive function: Divergent but promising.

Mindfulness-based training (MBT) has repeatedly been proven effective in improving mental health, as well as in eliciting advantages in executive functions (EFs), as demonstrated by objective measures. However, few studies have discussed the role MBT plays in increasing EFs over short periods of time. This current review, to our knowledge, is the first study to investigate the effect of short-term MBT on EFs. In this case, 14 studies were eventually included after literature screening using PubMed, MEDLINE, Elsevier, Embase, EBSCO and references from retrieved articles. We found that the relationship between short-term MBT and three main components of EFs were found controversial. Some reported that individuals' inhibition, working memory and attention shifting were significantly improved by short-term MBT, whereas others reported no such strong connections between MBT and EFs. These controversial findings result from the use of varied assessment instruments, cognitive tasks and experimental materials. Nonetheless, the findings from this review suggest short-term MBT could be of great value in improving mental health, which might especially enable the enhancement of individuals' inhibition and updating subfunctions of EFs. These practical evidences could have a strong impact on clinical psychology. However, the lack of consistency across the studies in this review indicated that more standardized and profound studies exploring the effects of short-term MBT on EFs are needed in the future.

Efficacy of mindfulness-based intervention ('mindfulness-based joyful sleep') in young and middle-aged individuals with insomnia using a biomarker of inflammatory responses: a prospective protocol of a randomised controlled trial in China.

INTRODUCTION: Insomnia is a prevalent and significant public health concern. Insomnia can lead to increased inflammatory markers associated with chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer. Studies suggest that mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) are more easily delivered within the community than cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) which was recommended as the preferred non-pharmacological treatment by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, are effective in insomnia treatment and can reduce inflammatory markers level in older individuals with insomnia. This study aims to compare the effectiveness of an MBI to CBT-I in young and middle-aged individuals with insomnia disorder and explore its effect on nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), a transcription factor that controls the expression of genes involved in inflammation. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This report describes a protocol for a randomised controlled trial. Seventy eligible participants will be assigned to mindfulness-based joyful sleep or CBT-I for 2-hour sessions weekly for 8 weeks. The primary outcome is sleep quality assessed by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, severity of insomnia symptoms assessed by the Insomnia Severity Index and sleep parameters recorded using sleep diary and polysomnography. Secondary outcomes include perceived stress, anxiety and depression. The exploratory outcome is serum level of NF-κB. Outcomes will be evaluated at baseline, the end of the ntervention period and at a 3 month follow-up. Data will be analysed using general linear models, specifically analysis of covariance and analysis of variance will be used. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Full ethical approval for this study has been obtained from the Ethics Committee of the Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China (2018-S236). If Mindfulness-Based Joyful Sleep is proven effective, its dissemination will help bridge the gap between the unmet need and the demand for insomnia interventions in China. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT03268629; Pre-results.

Validation of the Chinese version of the Health Cognitions Questionnaire in Chinese college students.

PURPOSE: The cognitive behavioral model is considered the most comprehensive for explaining the pathogenesis of health anxiety (HA). The model proposes 4 dysfunctional beliefs that play a vital role in developing and sustaining HA: a) the likelihood of contracting or having an illness, b) awfulness of the illness, c) difficulty coping with illness, and d) inadequacy of medical services. The Health Cognitions Questionnaire (HCQ), widely used in English populations, was developed for assessing these core cognitions. As HA is a growing problem in China, we translated the HCQ into a Chinese version (CHCQ) and examined its psychometric properties. These core cognitions were compared among individuals with and without medical conditions. METHODS: A set of questionnaires that included the CHCQ and the Short Health Anxiety Inventory (SHAI) was used to gather data from 1,319 Chinese college students. After 4 weeks, 145 of the students completed the CHCQ again. The validity, reliability, and measurement invariance were evaluated among individuals with various medical conditions. RESULTS: The final CHCQ included 19 items. A 4-factor structure was well suited to the data. Good internal consistency (Cronbach's α for total score was 0.849, subscales ranged from 0.753 to 0.841), test-retest reliability (the interclass correlation coefficient for total score was 0.762, subscales ranged from 0.626 to 0.683), and criterion validity of the CHCQ were demonstrated. Measurement and structural invariance were established. Individuals with a diagnosed disease scored higher on the likelihood-of-illness subscale (Cohen's d =0.22, p < 0.01) than those without an illness. CONCLUSION: The CHCQ shows promise for the assessment of 4 core HA-related cognitions in the Chinese population.

Can Verona Coding Definitions of Emotional Sequences (VR-CoDES) be applied to standardized Chinese medical consultations? - A reliability and validity investigation.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of VR-CoDES. METHODS: The VR-CoDES was translated into Chinese, and a focus group was held to discuss its cultural adaptation. Video consultations between 75 fourth-year medical students and 2 standardized patients (SPs) were coded by two raters with the Chinese VR-CoDES. Inter-rater reliability was tested by using ICC. To obtain validity, the SPs reviewed the video consultations to confirm the cues and concerns. RESULTS: ICC was 0.79. Specificity and sensitivity were 0.99 and 0.96 respectively. The SPs expressed considerably more cues (mean = 7.00) than concerns (mean = 0.32). Half of the responses of medical students were explicit reducing space. Focus group participants raised some cultural considerations, and some interactions were difficult to code due to cultural differences. CONCLUSION: The Chinese VR-CoDES obtained good reliability and validity. Due to differences in the expression of emotions and other differences such as different medical systems between China and Western countries, the Chinese VR-CoDES needs further cultural adaptation. PRACTICE IMPLICATION: More consultations in real clinical settings need to be gathered to further support the Chinese VR-CoDES both on validation and cultural adaptation.

[Psychological characteristics in different clinical subgroups of insomniacs].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate psychological characteristics in different clinical subgroups of insomniacs, and to provide the basis for the accurate simplification of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia.
 Methods: A total of 212 insomniacs from November 2014 to June 2017 in Clinical Psychology Department or Sleep Department of 2 general hospitals in Hunan Province were included in convenient and classified into sleep onset insomnia (SOI), difficulty maintaining insomnia (DMI), early morning awakening insomnia (EMAI), and combined insomnia (CI) subgroups. Ford Insomnia Response to Stress Test (FIRST), Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire (SCSQ), Dysfunctional Beliefs and Attitudes about Sleep Scale 16 version (DBAS-16), Sleep-Related Behavior Questionnaire (SRBQ), Pre-sleep Arousal Scale (PSAS), Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) were used to investigate the psychological characteristics.
 Results: SOI and CI insomniacs had a higher frequency in use of sleep-related behavior than those with DMI; CI had a higher frequency in use of sleep-related behavior than those with EMAI (all P<0.05). Both SOI and CI insomniacs had a higher level of pre-sleep cognitive arousal than DMI and EMAI (all P<0.05). CI insomniacs noticed more consequences of insomnia and had more worries on insomnia than DMI, and CI insomniacs had more expectations of sleep than SOI (all P<0.05).
 Conclusion: Insomniacs with different clinical subgroups have different features of psychological characteristics. Both the insomnia subgroups and the psychological characteristics should be taken into account when we simplify cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) precisely.

The Effect of Mind-Body Therapies on Insomnia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Sleep plays an important role in individuals' health. The functions of the brain, the cardiovascular system, the immune system, and the metabolic system are closely associated with sleep. As a prevalent sleep disorder, insomnia has been closely concerned, and it is necessary to find effective therapies. In recent years, a growing body of studies has shown that mind-body therapies (MBTs) can improve sleep quality and ameliorate insomnia severity. However, a comprehensive and overall systematic review has not been conducted. In order to examine the effect of MBTs on insomnia, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis evaluating the effects of MBTs on sleep quality in healthy adults and clinical populations. METHODS: PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and review of references were searched up to July 2018. English language studies of all designs evaluating the effect of MBTs on sleep outcomes in adults with or without diseases were examined. To calculate the SMDs and 95% CIs, we used a fixed effect model when heterogeneity was negligible and a random effect model when heterogeneity was significant. RESULTS: 49 studies covering 4506 participants published between 2004 and 2018 were identified. Interventions included meditation, tai chi, qigong, and yoga which lasted 4 to 24 weeks. The MBTs resulted in statistically significant improvement in sleep quality and reduction on insomnia severity but no significant effects on sleep quantity indices, which were measured by sleep diary or objective measures. We analyzed the effects of tai chi and qigong separately as two different MBTs for the first time and found that qigong had a slight advantage over tai chi in the improvement of sleep quality. Subgroup analyses revealed that the effect of MBTs on sleep quality in healthy individuals was larger than clinical populations. The effect of MBTs might be influenced by the intervention duration but not the frequency. CONCLUSIONS: MBTs can be effective in treating insomnia and improving sleep quality for healthy individuals and clinical patients. More high-quality and well-controlled RCTs are needed to make a better conclusion in further study.

Resilience and affect balance of empty-nest older adults with mild cognitive impairment in poor rural areas of Hunan province, China.

AIM: To evaluate the prevalence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) within the empty-nest older adults population in poor rural areas of the Hunan province of China, and to explore the effects of resilience and affective balance on cognitive functioning within this specific population. METHODS: A cross-sectional, multistage, random cluster survey was administered to participants from March 2013 to December 2014 in the Hunan province. There were a total of 1164 participants. These participants were empty-nest older adults who were residing in poor rural areas of the Hunan province. The data was collected in two stages. In stage 1, the participants were administered the Montreal Cognitive Assessment for screening cognitive impairment. In stage 2, the participants were screened for any potential cognitive impairment, were administered a series of neuropsychological tests and received a definitive diagnosis for MCI, if the criteria were met. Resilience and affect balance were assessed by the Chinese modified version of the Stress Resilience Quotient and the Affect Balance Scale. RESULTS: The prevalence of MCI was 38.40% within this empty-nest older adult population. Significant differences were found between MCI and non-MCI empty-nest older adults specific to resilience and affect balance. Path analysis showed that resilience mediated the relationship between MCI and affect balance. CONCLUSIONS: Resilience and affect balance were less prominent within the MCI empty-nest older adults than those in the non-MCI group. The results suggest that resilience is a mediating variable between MCI and affect balance. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2019; 19: 222-227.

The factor structure, reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the Van Dream Anxiety Scale.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Dream emotions and contents are associated with psychological well-being. Dream disturbances, such as frequent nightmares and dream anxiety, are associated with a variety of psychopathological conditions. Therefore, it is important to consider nightmares and the resulting dream anxiety. To address this issue, the Van Dream Anxiety Scale (VDAS) was designed especially for measuring nightmare frequency and dream anxiety caused by frightening dreams. As a Chinese version of VDAS may be helpful in promoting study of nightmare and dream anxiety among Chinese population, in the current study, we sought to develop a Chinese version of the VDAS (CVDAS). METHODS: We translated the VDAS into Chinese. To evaluate its validity and reliability, a sample of 1,081 Chinese college students from two universities answered the CVDAS, GAD-7, PHQ-9 and EPQ-R-N. Ninety of them answered the CVDAS twice. We also conducted exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to explore the structure of CVDAS. RESULTS: Excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.926), split-half reliability (equal-length Spearman-Brown coefficient was 0.938) and good test-retest reliability (the intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.942 and t=-1.478, P=0.143) of the CVDAS was presented. Exploratory factor analyses indicated a two-factor structure: sleep-related disturbances caused by nightmares and dysfunction caused by nightmares. Convergent and divergent validities were acceptable. CONCLUSION: The CVDAS shows promise for the measurement of nightmare frequency and specific dream anxiety in Chinese population. Future study should confirm the reliability and validity in the clinical population and further improve this scale.