Endophytic fungi and their secondary metabolites in Qin medicine plants: a comprehensive review of diversity, function, and application

PeerJ · 2026-01-09

Qin medicine represents the premier local traditional Chinese medicinal herbs in Shaanxi province (China) and its neighboring areas. Endophytic fungi, an essential element of the internal ecosystem of medicinal plants, have attracted considerable attention for their roles in enhancing plant resistance to pests and diseases, increasing the concentration of bioactive compounds, and stimulating plant growth and development. This paper presents the first comprehensive review of endophytic fungi in Qin medicinal plants, summarizing their diversity, effects on plant growth and medicinal quality, as well as novelty and bioactivity of their secondary metabolites. It also highlights their potential applications in promoting plant growth. Furthermore, this study explores the current opportunities and challenges in the research of endophytic fungi within Qin medicinal plants, with the objective of offering a unique perspective for the advancement and development of Qin medicinal plants.

The measurement reliability and equivalence of print versus online versions of the Youth Activity Profile

PLoS ONE · 2025-01-24 · 1 citations

PURPOSE: The Youth Activity Profile (YAP) is a 7-day self-report designed to quantify physical activity and sedentary behaviors among youth. This study evaluated the reliability of the online version of the YAP and equivalence with the paper-based version. METHOD: A total of 2,490 participants from 17 schools in Iowa and Texas completed the YAP. Each classroom was randomly assigned to complete either the print or online version twice. A variance components model was used to assess the test-retest reliability and equivalence testing was also applied. RESULTS: Both paper and online versions had similar reliability for the PA estimates in school (ICCprint = 0.69-0.91; ICConline = 0.54-0.84), at home (ICCprint = 0.72-0.83; ICConline = 0.64-0.94), PA at weekend (ICCprint = 0.33-0.72; ICConline = 0.39-0.70), and SB (ICCprint = 0.69-0.90; ICConline = 0.66-0.80). The two versions were statistically equivalent for most YAP items except for recess. CONCLUSION: The online YAP appears to be a reliable assessment of physical activity and sedentary behavior in youth populations.

Associations between daily wellness behaviours and outcomes among medical students: A longitudinal nightly survey study

Medical Education · 2025-05-22

BACKGROUND: Previous research on medical student wellbeing has examined single wellness-related behaviours in isolation and relied on cross-sectional or pre-post surveys. The objective of this study was to use daily, app-based surveys to examine which wellness behaviours have the strongest associations with positive wellbeing in a medical student sample. METHODS: A total of 213 medical students willing to participate were enrolled in this study during summer 2021. Participants completed nightly surveys on a novel smartphone app, which assessed eight wellness-related indicators (e.g., social interaction, sleep, exercise, nutrition) and four wellbeing outcomes (mood, focus, stress, overall wellbeing). Both same-day and next-day associations between indicators and outcomes were assessed. RESULTS: Of the 213 participants enrolled, 116 completed more than 50% of nightly surveys, providing 7043 observations over 3 months. All wellbeing outcomes varied significantly within a given week, with peak stress and lowest mood and wellbeing levels at the midweek mark. In cross-sectional/same-day analyses, quality of social interactions, sleep quality and nutrition had the strongest associations with same-day outcomes. The cumulative impact of engaging in these wellness indicators was equal to a one standard deviation higher score on same-day wellbeing and mood outcomes. In longitudinal/next-day analyses, quality of social interactions and sleep quality had the strongest associations with outcomes, but the associations were generally modest compared to same-day results. CONCLUSIONS: A specific set of daily wellness behaviours may have substantial associations with mood, wellbeing and other positive outcomes, but the carryover of these behaviours to the next day is limited. Medical schools should test interventions that target multiple wellness activities and find ways to prompt these behaviours daily.

Results From the 2024 United States Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth

Journal of Physical Activity and Health · 2025-12-05 · 1 citations

BACKGROUND: Population-level physical activity surveillance is critical for informing research, practice, and policy efforts for supporting healthy development. The 2024 US Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth synthesizes the most recent national data on physical activity levels and supports among US children and youth. METHODS: A committee of experts evaluated 12 indicators related to physical activity in children and youth using the best available national data for each indicator. Based on established criteria from the Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance, letter grades (A-F) were assigned to the indicators to reflect how well the United States is succeeding at providing children and youth with opportunities for physical activity. Key metrics within select indicators were evaluated for differences among racial/ethnic and disability subgroups and trends over time since the first report card (2014) or earliest available data. RESULTS: Sufficient data were available to assign grades for 8 indicators. The grades ranged from B- to D-, with Overall Physical Activity earning a D-. Racial/ethnic disparities were observed for the Overall Physical Activity, Organized Sport, Sedentary Behavior, Sleep, and Community and Built Environment indicators. Key metrics for Overall Physical Activity and Active Transportation metrics decreased slightly over the past decade, whereas larger decreases were observed for Organized Sport and Sedentary Behavior metrics. CONCLUSIONS: Findings highlight opportunities to improve physical activity levels and supports among US children and youth. The 2024 Report Card can be a tool for informing research and practice at the local and national levels.

Multi-task Learning for Heterogeneous Multi-source Block-Wise Missing Data

ArXiv.org · 2025-05-30

Multi-task learning (MTL) has emerged as an imperative machine learning tool to solve multiple learning tasks simultaneously and has been successfully applied to healthcare, marketing, and biomedical fields. However, in order to borrow information across different tasks effectively, it is essential to utilize both homogeneous and heterogeneous information. Among the extensive literature on MTL, various forms of heterogeneity are presented in MTL problems, such as block-wise, distribution, and posterior heterogeneity. Existing methods, however, struggle to tackle these forms of heterogeneity simultaneously in a unified framework. In this paper, we propose a two-step learning strategy for MTL which addresses the aforementioned heterogeneity. First, we impute the missing blocks using shared representations extracted from homogeneous source across different tasks. Next, we disentangle the mappings between input features and responses into a shared component and a task-specific component, respectively, thereby enabling information borrowing through the shared component. Our numerical experiments and real-data analysis from the ADNI database demonstrate the superior MTL performance of the proposed method compared to other competing methods.

Preliminary Effectiveness of a Telehealth-Delivered Exercise Program in Older Adults Living With and Beyond Cancer: Retrospective Study

JMIR Cancer · 2025-01-13 · 1 citations

Background: Exercise can attenuate the deleterious combined effects of cancer treatment and aging among older adults with cancer, yet exercise participation is low. Telehealth exercise may improve exercise engagement by decreasing time and transportation barriers; however, the utility of telehealth exercise among older adults with cancer is not well established. Objective: We aimed to evaluate the preliminary effectiveness of a one-on-one, supervised telehealth exercise program on physical function, muscular endurance, balance, and flexibility among older adults with cancer. Methods: In this retrospective study, we analyzed electronic health record data collected from the Personal Optimism With Exercise Recovery clinical exercise program delivered via telehealth among older adults with cancer (≥65 y) who completed a virtual initial program telehealth assessment between March 2020 and December 2021. The virtual initial assessment included the following measures: 30-second chair stand test, 30-second maximum push-up test, 2-minute standing march, single leg stance, plank, chair sit and reach, shoulder range of motion, and the clock test. All baseline measures were repeated after 12-weeks of telehealth exercise. Change scores were calculated for all assessments and compared to minimal clinically important difference (MCID) values for assessments with published MCIDs. Paired samples t tests (2-tailed) were conducted to determine change in assessment outcomes. Results: Older adults with cancer who chose to participate in the telehealth exercise program (N=68) were 71.8 (SD 5.3) years of age on average (range 65-92 y). The 3 most common cancer types in this sample were breast (n=13), prostate (n=13), and multiple myeloma (n=8). All cancer stages were represented in this sample with stage II (n=16, 23.5%) and III (n=18, 26.5%) being the most common. A follow-up telehealth assessment was completed by 29.4% (n=20) of older adults with cancer. Among those who completed a follow-up telehealth assessment, there were significant increases in the 30-second chair stand (n=19; mean change +2.00 repetitions, 95% CI 0.12 to 3.88) and 30-second maximum push-up scores (n=20; mean change +2.85 repetitions, 95% CI 1.60 to 4.11). There were no significant differences for the 2-minute standing march, plank, single leg stance, sit and reach, shoulder mobility, or clock test (P>.05). Nine (47.3%) older adults with cancer had a change in 30-second chair stand scores greater than the MCID of 2 repetitions. Conclusions: Our findings suggest a one-on-one, supervised telehealth exercise program may positively influence measures of physical function, muscular endurance, balance, and flexibility among older adults with cancer, but more adequately powered trials are needed to confirm these findings.

The antecedents and multilevel mechanisms of awe in leaders: An exploration based on intrapersonal and interpersonal perspectives

Advances in Psychological Science · 2025-01-01

Effectiveness and feasibility of family and peer challenge intervention with wearable technology on physical activity among middle schoolers in Utah: A pilot trial

Preventive Medicine Reports · 2025-05-02 · 1 citations

To examine the preliminary effectiveness and feasibility of physical activity (PA) intervention in middle schoolers. This 6-week, multi-component PA intervention was conducted in Salt Lake City, Utah, between November 2021 and January 2022. The intervention included tracking daily PA using a wearable activity monitor, education on PA and health, weekly motivational videos, and group challenges within family or peer groups. Three classes from one public middle school ( N = 75; 51 % girls, aged 12–13 years) were randomly allocated into the intervention (i.e., family or peer challenges) or control groups. Changes in daily activity time between pre- and post-intervention were assessed using ActiGraph accelerometers. The feasibility of the intervention was evaluated through measures of adherence, retention, and acceptability. After the intervention, 51 (girls: 51 %; age: 13.0 ± 0.7) of all participants completed the entire study protocol. Linear mixed models showed no statistically significant differences between interventions and control in daily sedentary behavior and PA times. Adherence to the intervention was moderately high (> 60 %), with a retention of 68 %. We also observed high satisfaction with wearable technology (≥ 78 %) in middle school students. However, only 39 % of participants frequently used the mobile app for their group challenge. Wearable technology in PA intervention may be of interest to young adolescents but not effectively change youth PA behavior during a 6-week intervention. Further research with larger samples, longer intervention durations, and refined engagement strategies is required to more accurately evaluate the impact and feasibility of this intervention. • A six-week wearable tech intervention targeted middle schoolers' physical activity. • The intervention used goal setting, self-monitoring, and social support. • No significant physical activity difference was found between study groups. • High satisfaction with wearables, but Fitbit app and group challenge use were low.

Association between heavy metal exposure and heart failure incidence and mortality: insights from NHANES data (2003–2018)

BMC Public Health · 2025-05-26 · 5 citations

BACKGROUND: Environmental heavy metal exposure is a potential yet understudied risk factor for heart failure (HF), a global health burden with rising prevalence. While toxic metals like cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), and arsenic (As) are linked to cardiovascular diseases, their roles in HF incidence and prognosis remain unclear. METHODS: The associations between heavy metals and HF outcomes were analyzed using NHANES 2003-2018 data (n = 11,592). Metals were measured in blood (Cd, Hg, Pb) and urine (As, Hg, others) using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Confounding factors were addressed through propensity score matching (PSM). HF incidence was evaluated using logistic regression, while mortality was assessed via Cox regression. Mechanistic pathways were explored through causal mediation analysis. RESULTS: After PSM (n = 987, 337 HF cases), blood Cd showed a positive association with HF incidence (OR:1.35, 95%CI:1.05-1.72), while urinary Hg (OR:0.78, 95%CI:0.63-0.98) and As (OR:0.84, 95%CI:0.72-0.99) exhibited protective effects. Urinary As correlated with elevated cardiovascular mortality in HF patients (HR:1.19, 95%CI:1.04-1.35). Mediation analysis indicated Cd's effect on HF was mediated via CHD/OMI, whereas Hg's protection involved reduced CHD/OMI incidence. As directly lowered HF risk without mediation. CONCLUSION: These findings underscore cadmium's role as a risk factor and the paradoxical effects of mercury and arsenic: low to moderate concentrations of Hg/As may reduce HF risk through indirect pathways (e.g., reduced CHD/OMI for Hg) or direct cardioprotective mechanisms (for As), yet arsenic's association with mortality highlights its long-term cardiovascular toxicity. Findings advocate for preventive strategies targeting metal exposure and further research integrating cumulative biomarkers.

A natural experiment to assess recess frequency on children’s physical activity in Arizona (U.S.) elementary schools

BMC Public Health · 2024-01-18 · 8 citations

BACKGROUND: In the United States, the number of state policies mandating recess in schools has rapidly increased over the past decade; however, few policies specify recess frequency. Informed by an ecological model of physical activity (PA) policy, this study examined and compared total amounts and intensity of PA expended during recess among children attending schools in compliance with Arizona recess policy ARS§ 15-118 mandating 2 + daily recess periods versus not. METHODS: PA during recess was measured among grade three children (ages 8-10) in four randomly selected elementary schools (two complying averaging 30 daily recess minutes; two non-complying averaging 15 daily recess minutes) in Maricopa County, Arizona. Group-level PA was assessed by direct observation using the System for Observing Play and Leisure (137 observations). A subset of students (N = 134) from all schools wore ActiGraph GT3X + devices during recess to measure individual PA. General linear mixed effects models were used to analyze the impact of recess frequency on group and individual PA during recess. RESULTS: Students attending complying schools spent significantly greater proportions of time in moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) based on direct observation (5%) and accelerometry (15%) and less time being sedentary based on accelerometry (14%) during recess. Across the school day, this would equate to 5.1 more MVPA minutes based on systematic direct observation and 9.5 more MVPA minutes based on accelerometry, and 4.1 less minutes being sedentary based on accelerometry if students received two daily 15-minute recess periods compared to one. CONCLUSIONS: Students attending elementary schools implementing 2 + recesses, in accordance with state policy, demonstrated greater MVPA and less sedentary time, providing preliminary evidence that recess frequency is associated with greater PA intensity among children during recess. Schools that adhere to state-level PA policies may provide a more supportive environment for PA, resulting in increased movement among students. Specifying recess frequency should be considered in statewide recess policy.