Association between academic pressure, NR3C1 gene methylation, and anxiety symptoms among Chinese adolescents: a nested case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Academic pressure is a prevalent stressor among Chinese adolescents and is often linked to anxiety symptoms, although the underlying mechanism remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the association between NR3C1 gene methylation, academic pressure, and anxiety symptoms among Chinese adolescents. METHODS: This nested-case control study included 150 adolescents (boys: 38.7%; baseline age: 12-17 years) from a school-based longitudinal study of Chinese adolescents. Cases (n = 50) were defined as those with anxiety symptoms at both baseline and follow-up, while controls (n = 100) were randomly selected from those without anxiety symptoms at both timepoints. The cases and controls were 1:2 matched by age. Academic pressure, anxiety symptoms, and potential covariates were measured using a self-report questionnaire. Peripheral whole blood samples were collected from each participant for the detection of cortisol level (i.e., morning serum cortisol level) and DNA methylation. The methylation analysis included a total of 27 CpG units at the NR3C1 promoter region. RESULTS: The final adjusted models showed that students with heavy academic pressure at baseline were at a higher risk of anxiety symptoms at follow-up compared to those with mild academic pressure (ß estimate: 6.24 [95% CI: 3.48 ~ 9.01]). After adjusting for covariates, the methylation level of one CpG unit (NR3C1-16 CpG10) in NR3C1 differed significantly between cases and controls (F = 6.188, P = 0.014), and the difference remained significant after correction for multiple testing (P < 0.025). The adjusted regression models showed that moderate (ß estimate = 0.010 [95% CI: 0.000 ~ 0.020], P = 0.046) and heavy (ß estimate = 0.011 [95% CI: 0.001 ~ 0.020], P = 0.030) academic pressure were significantly associated with the methylation level of NR3C1-16 CpG 10. Further mediation analysis demonstrated that the association of academic pressure and anxiety symptoms was significantly mediated by the methylation of NR3C1-16 CpG 10 (ß estimate for indirect effect = 0.11 [95% CI: 0.005 ~ 0.32]; indirect/total effect = 8.3%). CONCLUSION: The present study suggests that NR3C1-16 CpG 10 DNA methylation might be a potential mechanism that partially explains the lasting effects of academic pressure on subsequent anxiety symptoms among adolescents. Further studies with larger sample sizes are recommended to replicate this finding.

High-power, low-coherence laser driver facility.

We report the first (to the best of our knowledge) high-power, low-coherence Nd:glass laser delivering kilojoule pulses with a coherent time of 249 fs and a bandwidth of 13 nm, achieving the 63%-efficiency second-harmonic conversion of the large-aperture low-coherence pulse and good beam smoothing effect. It provides a new type of laser driver for laser plasma interaction and high energy density physics research.

Quantum Storage of Three-Dimensional Orbital-Angular-Momentum Entanglement in a Crystal.

Here we present the quantum storage of three-dimensional orbital-angular-momentum photonic entanglement in a rare-earth-ion-doped crystal. The properties of the entanglement and the storage process are confirmed by the violation of the Bell-type inequality generalized to three dimensions after storage (S=2.152±0.033). The fidelity of the memory process is 0.993±0.002, as determined through complete quantum process tomography in three dimensions. An assessment of the visibility of the stored weak coherent pulses in higher-dimensional spaces demonstrates that the memory is highly reliable for 51 spatial modes. These results pave the way towards the construction of high-dimensional and multiplexed quantum repeaters based on solid-state devices. The multimode capacity of rare-earth-based optical processors goes beyond the temporal and the spectral degree of freedom, which might provide a useful tool for photonic information processing.

Associations of recent stressful life events with anxiety symptoms among Chinese adolescents with a consideration of family functioning.

Background: The association between stressful life events (SLEs) and adolescent anxiety symptoms has been extensively studied, but the specific impacts of different SLEs domains remain inconclusive. Moreover, limited research has examined the role of family functioning in these associations.Objective: This study aimed to investigate the associations between various recent SLEs and adolescent anxiety symptoms and explore the role of family functioning.Methods: Data were obtained from the second phase of the Longitudinal Study of Adolescents' Mental and Behavioral Well-being Research in Guangzhou, China. A total of 10,985 students (51.9% boys; mean [SD] age, 15.3 [1.5] years) from forty middle schools participated in the study in 2022 and completed a self-report questionnaire assessing anxiety symptoms, SLEs, and family functioning using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), Adolescent Self-rating Life Events Checklist (ASLEC; including five subscales: interpersonal stress, academic stress, punishment-related stress, loss-related stress, and adaptation-related stress), and the adapted Chinese version of the Family Assessment Device (FAD), respectively. Linear mixed-effects models were performed and the moderation role of family functioning was also examined.Results: The fully adjusted model revealed that a 1-SD increase in the overall ASLEC score was associated with higher levels of anxiety symptoms (ß = 2.23, 95%CI: 2.15-2.32). Among various SLEs domains, the academic domain shows the most significant association (ß = 2.25, 95%CI: 2.17-2.33). Family functioning exerted an independent protective influence on anxiety symptoms, with each 1-SD increase in FAD scores negatively associated with anxiety symptoms (ß = -2.11, 95%CI: - 2.29 to - 1.93) in the adjusted model. Moreover, family functioning significantly buffered the impacts of overall SLEs and each domain, except for adaptation-related SLEs, on anxiety symptoms.Conclusion: Higher recent SLEs levels were associated with increased anxiety symptoms among adolescents, with academic SLEs showing the greatest association. Positive family functioning had both direct and buffering influences on anxiety symptoms.

Higher levels of recent stressful life events may increase adolescents' anxiety symptoms.Academic stressful life events show the greatest association with anxiety symptoms.Family functioning may be a promising intervention target for adolescent anxiety symptoms.

Childhood Adversity and Adolescent Smartphone Use Across Sexual Orientation and Gender Expression.

Importance: Nonheterosexual and gender-nonconforming (GNC) individuals tend to report adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) more frequently compared with heterosexual and gender-conforming individuals, and individuals who have experienced ACEs, identify as nonheterosexual, or exhibit moderate to high levels of GNC are more prone to engaging in problematic smartphone use (PSU). However, there is limited school-based data among adolescents regarding this matter. Objectives: To explore the associations between ACEs and PSU among adolescents across different sexual orientation and gender expression groups. Design, setting, and participants: Using data from the 2021 School-Based Chinese Adolescents Health Survey, this cross-sectional study includes participants from 288 public high schools across 8 provinces in China. Statistical analysis was performed from October 2023 to February 2024. Exposures: Data on ACEs, sexual orientations, and gender expressions (high, moderate, and low GNC) were collected. Main outcomes and measures: PSU was assessed using the 10-item Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version (SAS-SV). Weighted linear, logistic, or Poisson regression models were used. Results: Among the 85 064 adolescents included (mean [SD] age, 14.92 [1.77] years), 42 632 (50.1%) were female, 70 157 (83.2%) identified as Han Chinese, and 14 208 (16.8) identified as other ethnicities (Miao, Hui, Yi, Dai, and other ethnic groups). The prevalence of PSU among participants was 35.4%. Weighted Poisson regression models indicated that the interaction between GNC and ACE was significant (adjusted prevalence ratio [APR], 0.98; 95% CI, 0.97-0.99). Further stratified analysis demonstrated homosexual adolescents who experienced 4 or more ACEs showed a significantly increased prevalence of PSU (APR, 1.79; 95% CI, 1.64-1.96). Similarly, a markedly higher prevalence of PSU was observed among bisexual individuals with 4 or more ACEs (APR, 1.60; 95% CI, 1.41-1.80). Regarding gender expression categories, a significantly higher prevalence of PSU was noted among high GNC adolescents with 4 or more ACEs (APR, 1.78; 95% CI, 1.60-1.98) compared with low GNC adolescents without ACEs. Furthermore, experiencing any 3 ACE categories (abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction) was associated with an increased prevalence of PSU across different sexual orientation and gender expression subgroups. Conclusions and relevance: In this cross-sectional study, the amalgamation of elevated ACE scores with nonheterosexual orientations or GNC identities was significantly associated with increased PSU prevalence. These findings underscore that preventing ACEs may be beneficial in mitigating PSU among adolescents, particularly for nonheterosexual adolescents and those with high levels of GNC.

Contribution of diversity of social participation on the mental health of humanitarian migrants during resettlement.

AIMS: By the end of 2022, an estimated 108.4 million individuals worldwide experienced forced displacement. Identifying modifiable factors associated with the mental illness of refugees is crucial for promoting successful integration and developing effective health policies. This study aims to examine the associations between the changes in the diversity of social participation and psychological distress among refugees throughout the resettlement process, specifically focusing on gender differences. METHODS: Utilizing data from three waves of a longitudinal, nationally representative cohort study conducted in Australia, this study involved 2399 refugees interviewed during Wave 1, 1894 individuals interviewed during Wave 3 and 1881 respondents during Wave 5. At each wave, we assessed psychological distress and 10 types of social participation across 3 distinct dimensions, including social activities, employment and education. The primary analysis employed mixed linear models and time-varying Cox models. Gender-stratified analyses and sensitivity analyses were performed. RESULTS: Refugees engaging in one type or two or more types of social participation, compared with those not engaging in any, consistently had lower psychological distress scores (ß = -0.62 [95% confidence interval (CI), -1.07 to -0.17] for one type of social participation; ß = -0.57 [95% CI, -1.04 to -0.10] for two or more types of social participation) and a reduced risk of experiencing psychological distress (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.81 [95% CI, 0.65-0.99] for one type of social participation; HR = 0.77 [95% CI, 0.61-0.97] for two or more types of social participation) during the resettlement period. When stratifying the results by gender, these associations in the adjusted models only remained significant in male refugees. Moreover, three specific types of social participation, namely sporting activities, leisure activities and current employment status, were most prominently associated with a reduced risk of psychological distress. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this cohort study suggest that social participation was consistently associated with reduced risks of psychological distress among male refugees during resettlement. These findings highlight the significance of promoting meaningful social participation and interaction may be an effective strategy to improve the mental health of refugees and facilitate their successful integration into society, especially among male refugees.

Evaluation of Social Isolation Trajectories and Incident Cardiovascular Disease Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults in China: National Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Although the association between social isolation and the risk of subsequent cardiovascular disease (CVD) is well documented, most studies have only assessed social isolation at a single time point, and few studies have considered the association using repeatedly measured social isolation. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the association between social isolation trajectories and incident CVD in a large cohort of middle-aged and older adults. METHODS: This study used data from 4 waves (wave 1, wave 2, wave 3, and wave 4) of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. We defined the exposure period as from June 2011 to September 2015 (from wave 1 to wave 3) and the follow-up period as from September 2015 to March 2019 (wave 4). On the basis of the inclusion and exclusion criteria, our final analytic sample included 8422 individuals who had no CVD in the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study in waves 1 to 3 and were fully followed up in wave 4. Social isolation was ascertained using an extensively used questionnaire at 3 consecutive, biennial time points from waves 1 to 3, and individuals were assigned to 3 predefined social isolation trajectories based on their scores at each wave (consistently low, fluctuating, and consistently high). Incident CVD included self-reported physician-diagnosed heart disease and stroke combined. Cox proportional hazard models estimated the associations of social isolation trajectories with risks of incident CVD, adjusting for demographics, health behaviors, and health conditions. RESULTS: Of the 8422 participants (mean age 59.76, SD 10.33 years at baseline), 4219 (50.09%) were male. Most of the participants (5267/8422, 62.54%) had consistently low social isolation over time and 16.62% (1400/8422) of the participants had consistently high social isolation over the exposure period. During the 4-year follow-up, 746 incident CVDs occurred (heart disease: 450 cases and stroke: 336 cases). Compared with individuals with consistently low social isolation, those with fluctuating social isolation (adjusted hazard ratio 1.27, 95% CI 1.01-1.59) and consistently high social isolation (adjusted hazard ratio 1.45, 95% CI 1.13-1.85) had higher risks for incident CVD after adjusting for demographics (ie, age, sex, residence, and educational level), health behaviors (ie, smoking status and drinking status), and health conditions (ie, BMI; history of diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, chronic kidney disease; use of diabetes medications, hypertension medications, and lipid-lowering therapy; and depressive symptoms scores). CONCLUSIONS: In this cohort study, middle-aged and older adults with fluctuating and consistently high social isolation exposure had higher risks of the onset of CVD than those without the exposure. The findings suggest that routine social isolation screenings and efforts to improve social connectedness merit increased attention for preventing CVD among middle-aged and older adults.

Nonconforming gender expression and associated problematic smartphone and internet use among Chinese adolescents.

Background and aims: Gender nonconformity (GNC), which refers to an individual's expression of gender that does not align with the socially prescribed norms for their biological sex, may be associated with adverse behavioral problems, such as problematic smartphone use (PSU) and problematic internet use (PIU). This study examined the associations between GNC and PSU and GNC and PIU among Chinese adolescents. Methods: This cross-sectional study utilized data from the 2021 School-based Chinese Adolescents Health Survey, recruiting 23,054 eligible adolescents aged 11 to 21, with an average age of 14.9 (SD: 1.7) years from 504 classes in 84 public high schools across 7 cities in China. Gender nonconformity, PSU/PIU, and demographics were measured. Mixed-effect linear regression models were performed. Results: Among the participants (51.0% male), 5.3% reported high GNC and 26.9% reported moderate GNC. After adjusting for covariates, high GNC was significantly and positively associated with PSU (Β = 1.11, 95% CI = 0.49-1.72) and PIU severity (Β = 2.16, 95% CI = 1.40-2.93). Stratified analyses indicated that the associations between GNC and PSU differed between males and females, with a significant association observed only among male students (Β = 1.91, 95% CI = 0.97-2.86). Discussion and conclusions: GNC is positively associated with the severity of PSU and PIU among Chinese adolescents, with male gender-nonconforming adolescents being more vulnerable to PSU. These results highlight the importance of implementing education on gender expression diversity in schools to create an inclusive school environment, which may potentially help prevent PSU and PIU among gender-nonconforming adolescents.

Sex differences in the associations of non-medical use of prescription drugs with depressive and anxiety symptoms among undergraduates in China.

BACKGROUND: Non-medical use of prescription drugs (NMUPD) and their association with depression and anxiety are becoming global concerns. Biological sex may introduce differential exposure to NMUPD or depressive/anxiety symptoms. However, few studies have investigated the potential sex differences in the associations of NMUPD with depressive/anxiety symptoms. METHODS: Data were drawn from the 2019 School-based Chinese College Students Health Survey. A total of 30,039 undergraduates (mean age: 19.8 [SD: 1.3] years) from sixty universities/colleges in China completed standard questionnaires and were included in the study (response rate: 97.7 %). RESULTS: In the final adjusted model, non-medical use of opioids (experimenters: ß = 1.10, [95 % CI, 0.62 to 1.57]) or sedatives (frequent users: ß = 2.98, [95 % CI, 0.70 to 5.26]) was associated with depressive symptoms, while non-medical use of opioids (frequent users: ß = 1.37, [95 % CI, 0.32 to 2.42]) or sedatives (frequent users: ß = 1.19, [95 % CI, 0.35 to 2.03]) was also associated with anxiety symptoms. Sex-stratified analyses indicated that lifetime opioids misuse was associated with depressive symptoms in both sexes but with anxiety symptoms only in males (ß = 0.39, [95 % CI, 0.09 to 0.70]). The association of lifetime sedative misuse with depressive symptoms was greater in males, while the significant association with anxiety symptoms remained only in female (ß = 0.52, [95 % CI, 0.14 to 0.91]). LIMITATIONS: Causal inference cannot be made due to the cross-sectional nature of the data. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests NMUPD is associated with depressive and anxiety symptoms among Chinese undergraduates, and the associations may differ by sex.

Association between physical activity and depressive symptoms in adolescents: A prospective cohort study.

It remains uncertain whether a protective association between physical activity and depression exists among adolescents and what the optimal level of physical activity might be. This study aimed to estimate the associations of physical activity levels with depressive symptoms and new-onset depression, while identifying potential modifying factors influencing the relationships. In this cohort study, we initially enrolled 1957 participants at baseline and followed up with 1738 of them after two years. Our analysis focused on data from 1482 students who provided complete information on both physical activity and depressive symptoms. Generalized linear regression and restricted cubic spline regression models were performed. Our adjusted models revealed that engaging in 4-7 h/week of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) at baseline was negatively associated with subsequent depressive symptoms and new-onset depression compared to the non-MVPA group. However, exceeding 7 h/week of MVPA did not provide substantial benefits. Furthermore, drinking and screen time potentially modified the relationship between MVPA and new-onset depression. Our findings suggest that 4-7 h of MVPA per week may be an appropriate level to reduce depressive symptoms in adolescents. Moreover, individual behaviors (e.g., drinking and screen time) warrant heightened attention in interventions targeting the reduction of depression in this population.

Storage of telecom-C-band heralded single photons with orbital-angular-momentum encoding in a crystal.

A memory-based quantum repeater architecture provides a solution to distribute quantum information to an arbitrary long distance. Practical quantum repeaters are likely to be built in optical-fiber networks which take advantage of the low-loss transmission between quantum memory nodes. Most quantum memory platforms have characteristic atomic transitions away from the telecommunication band. A nondegenerate photon pair source is therefore useful for connection of a quantum memory to optical fibers. Here, we report a high-brightness narrowband photon-pair source which is compatible with a rare-earth-ion-doped crystal Pr3+:Y2SiO5. The photon-pair source is generated through a cavity-enhanced spontaneous parametric down-conversion process with the signal photon at 606 nm and the idler photon at 1540 nm. Moreover, using the telecom C-band idler photons for heralding, we demonstrate the reversible transfer of orbital-angular-momentum qubit between the signal photon and the quantum memory based on Pr3+:Y2SiO5.

Multiplexed storage and real-time manipulation based on a multiple degree-of-freedom quantum memory.

The faithful storage and coherent manipulation of quantum states with matter-systems would enable the realization of large-scale quantum networks based on quantum repeaters. To achieve useful communication rates, highly multimode quantum memories are required to construct a multiplexed quantum repeater. Here, we present a demonstration of on-demand storage of orbital-angular-momentum states with weak coherent pulses at the single-photon-level in a rare-earth-ion-doped crystal. Through the combination of this spatial degree-of-freedom (DOF) with temporal and spectral degrees of freedom, we create a multiple-DOF memory with high multimode capacity. This device can serve as a quantum mode converter with high fidelity, which is a fundamental requirement for the construction of a multiplexed quantum repeater. This device further enables essentially arbitrary spectral and temporal manipulations of spatial-qutrit-encoded photonic pulses in real time. Therefore, the developed quantum memory can serve as a building block for scalable photonic quantum information processing architectures.

Storage of multiple single-photon pulses emitted from a quantum dot in a solid-state quantum memory.

Quantum repeaters are critical components for distributing entanglement over long distances in presence of unavoidable optical losses during transmission. Stimulated by the Duan-Lukin-Cirac-Zoller protocol, many improved quantum repeater protocols based on quantum memories have been proposed, which commonly focus on the entanglement-distribution rate. Among these protocols, the elimination of multiple photons (or multiple photon-pairs) and the use of multimode quantum memory are demonstrated to have the ability to greatly improve the entanglement-distribution rate. Here, we demonstrate the storage of deterministic single photons emitted from a quantum dot in a polarization-maintaining solid-state quantum memory; in addition, multi-temporal-mode memory with 1, 20 and 100 narrow single-photon pulses is also demonstrated. Multi-photons are eliminated, and only one photon at most is contained in each pulse. Moreover, the solid-state properties of both sub-systems make this configuration more stable and easier to be scalable. Our work will be helpful in the construction of efficient quantum repeaters based on all-solid-state devices.