Predictive factors for enhanced community mental health vulnerability in this COVID-19 pandemic era.

OBJECTIVE: Explore the mental health status and its influencing factors of local community residents under the post-epidemic era of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in China. METHODS: The basic information scale, self-rating depression scale and self-rating anxiety scale were used to carry out an online questionnaire survey among community residents in Jiangsu Province, China, and the influencing factors of depression and anxiety were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: A total of 993 residents completed the mental health survey. It was found that the incidence of depressive and anxiety symptoms was 37.06% and 22.86%. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that women [odds ratio (OR) 95% confidence interval (95% CI) = 26.239 (14.743-46.698)], college degree and above [OR (95% CI) = 1.843 (1.085-3.130)] and ordinary residents [OR (95% CI) = 2.222 (1.441-3.425)] were risk factors for depressive symptoms, urban residents had lower risk [OR (95% CI) = 0.655 (0.394-0.829)]. Women [OR (95% CI) = 33.595 (15.812-71.381)] and ordinary residents [OR (95% CI) = 3.017 (1.602-5.680)] were risk factors for anxiety symptoms while the incidence was reduced in professional and technical personnel [OR (95% CI) = 0.271 (0.123-0.597)], workers [OR (95% CI) = 0.383 (0.168-0.876)], soldiers or policemen [OR (95% CI) = 0.200 (0.042-0.961)], married residents [OR (95% CI) = 0.463 (0.230-0.931)] and urban residents [OR (95% CI) = 0.531 (0.251-0.824)]. CONCLUSION: The incidence of symptoms of depression and anxiety among residents was relatively high under the post-epidemic era of COVID-19, which could be affected by various factors.

Improvement of goose embryonic and muscular developments by wider angle egg turning during incubation and the regulatory mechanisms.

Egg turning during incubation plays important roles in achieving high hatching performance and gosling quality. The objective of this study was to improve embryonic and muscular developments so to achieve better gosling quality by wider egg turning angles during incubation, and to unravel the associated regulatory molecular mechanisms. In each of three consecutive incubations, 1,728 goose eggs were divided into 3 groups that were set in the same type of commercial incubators with turning angles adjusted differently to 50°, 60°, and 70°, respectively. On average of the 3 tests, incubation with wider 70° turning angle reduced the post-18-day embryo mortality, promoted embryonic growth and development, improved the hatchability and gosling quality. On embryonic day of 29, gene mRNA expression levels of the hypothalamic growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH), pituitary growth hormone (GH), and liver insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) were higher in the 70° turning group than in the 50° or 60° groups. Wider angle turning also increased mRNA expression levels of the muscle development regulatory genes such as MYF5, MyoD, Myogenin (MyoG), and MRF4. Changes in expression of the above genes, together with the upregulation of the Pax3 and Pax7 genes in leg muscles, well explained the enhancement of the muscular growth and development when eggs were incubated by wider turning angles. These results also extended our understanding of the impacts and mechanisms of egg turning during incubation on hatching performance and gosling quality.

Effect and molecular regulatory mechanism of monochromatic light colors on the egg-laying performance of Yangzhou geese.

Photoperiodic control is essential for manipulating the reproductive performance of avian species. This study was conducted to assess the neuroendocrine mechanisms that regulate reproductive functions of Yangzhou geese when there are different monochromatic light colors from light emitter diode (LED) sources. A flock of geese was divided into four groups with white, red, blue, and green light treatments being imposed. The results indicated that peak laying rates and reproductive performance were greater in geese treated with white or red as compared with blue or green light treatments. The fertilization rate of eggs and hatchability of fertilized eggs were greater with the white or red as compared with blue or green light treatments. There was a greater abundance of OPN5, Dio2, c-Fos, and GnRH-I mRNA in the hypothalamus earlier in the treatment period and abundances of these hypothalamic factors were greater with the white or red light treatments. Abundances of pituitary LH beta and FSH beta mRNA increased at a lesser rate with the blue or green light treatments and were in greater abundances with the white or red light treatments. The lighting regimen also resulted in photo-refractoriness with there being greater abundances of GnIH, VIP, and PRL mRNA with the use of white or red light treatments. The results indicate that the use of white or red monochromatic lights while imposing a long photoperiod of 11 h daily could result in sustaining functions of the reproductive system of Yangzhou geese for considerably longer times, thus, resulting in greater egg-laying performance.

Quercetin inhibits angiotensin II induced apoptosis via mitochondrial pathway in human umbilical vein endothelial cells.

OBJECTIVE: Quercetin exhibits various biological functions including anti-oxidation, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, immunity and anticancer, etc. It can also lower blood pressure and improve blood capillary elasticity. Angiotensin II (Ang II) has been showed to induce apoptosis of human umbilical vein endothelial cells. In this study, we attempted to clarify the effect of quercetin on Ang II induced apoptosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were cultured. The cytotoxicity was determined by MTT assay. HUVECs apoptosis was determined by DAPI staining and flow cytometry. The mitochondrial transmembrane potential was observed by JC-1 staining. The expression of cytochrome c, Bcl-2, Bax, activated-caspase-3 and activated-caspase-9 was measured by Western blot. RESULTS: MTT assays showed Ang II decreased cell viability in a concentration-dependent manner in HUVECs. Notably, quercetin presented very little effect on HUVECs. Quercetin inhibited the effect of Ang II on HUVECs in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Furthermore, the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, upregulation of cytochrome c and Bax, downregulation of Bcl-2, and activation of caspase-9 and caspase-3 caused by angiotensin II were also recovered after treated with quercetin. CONCLUSIONS: Quercetin could inhibit Ang II induced apoptosis of human umbilical vein endothelial cells via the mitochondrial pathway.