Muscle-Strengthening Exercise Links with Lower Odds for Depression in Adolescents

Purpose:Physical activity is a well-recognized protective factor against depression in adolescents.As a compo-nent of physical activity,muscle strengthening exercise(MSE)is also viewed as a correlate associated with lower risks of depression in adults.However,little is known about the association in adolescents.This study aimed to explore the association between MSE and depression in a sample of Chinese adolescents.Method:A self-reported questionnaire was used for data collection including variables of MSE,depression(assessed by Children’s Depres-sion Inventory)and selected sociodemographic factors(e.g.,sex,grade,height and weight[for body mass index]).Generalized Linear Models was utilized to estimate the association between MSE and depression.Results:Results showed a negative association between MSE and depression(Beta=–0.66;both MSE and depression were treated as continuous variables).When treating MSE(meeting or not meeting the recommendations)and depression as binary variables,odds ratio for depression in adolescents not meeting the MSE recommendation was significant higher(odd ratio=1.50,95%CI:1.15–1.96)than those meeting the MSE recommendations.Conclusions:This study found that MSE may be a protective factor against MSE in adolescents.Future studies are encouraged to confirm or negate our studyfinding using improved study design.

Paterns and regularity of ring distribution of seismic activity before great earthquakes in China

A systematic study on ″ring phenomena″ frequently occurring before great earthquakes has made in this paper, which has analyzed the features of ring distributions before 16 great earthquakes and part of large earthquakes in China and its boundary areas, and discussed their features of generality, regularity and predictive meaning. The results have showed that moderate earthquakes or larger earthquakes distribute around the epicenter like a ring from decades to hundred years before the great earthquakes of magnitude more than 7, which is a general phenomenon of great earthquakes without an exception. The active ring generally occurs in the areas from hundreds to thousands of kilometers from the epicenter(according to the magnitude). The seismicity in the ring has three basic stages with different features. in the first stage, seismicity remains at low level and the earthquakes distribute scatteredly, while the source area of the future great earthquake remains quiet; in the second stage, the seismicity strengthens, whose frequency, intensity, concentrated degree, released rate of strain and ratio of distributed area etc. increase, while the quiet area decreases or disappears; in the third stage, the seismicity is weaker than in the former stage, and the quiet area appears again. The source area surrounded by the active ring might have three periods of activity(called as early term, medium term and late term foreshocks activity). The length of the quiet area undergoes the process from large to small, then to large. Therefore, we can estimate the occurring place, magnitude and seismogenic stage of great earthquake according to the area,length and the seismicity in the active ring, which is valuable to make a long term prediction of great earthquakes. At last, we had a preliminary discussion on the mechanism of active ring formation.

The Characteristics of Seismic Activity Before the Devastating Earthquake with M_W9.0 Off the West Coast of Northern Sumatra

The characteristics of seismic activity in different time-spatial domain before the M_W9.0 earthquake were studied. The results are as follows:The activity of the deep earthquakes in the north boundary zone of the Australian plate had been evidently strengthened since 1994, showing an increased frequency, magnitude and depth, especially in regards to the heterogeneous distribution of the earthquake depth (namely between 500km and 689km). Meanwhile the shallow earthquakes of M≥7.0 in the Sumatra island and its vicinity had been obviously strengthened too, and formed a strengthening area with a length of about 1000 km and width 300 km. ②The time distribution of global strong earthquakes with M≥7.0 shows that the character of anomalous seismic quiescence-activity one year before the M_W9.0 earthquake and during its active period, the strong earthquakes formed a seismic belt striking in NWW direction. At the same time, there is a seismic gap formed by earthquakes of M≥5.0 in the epicenter and its neighboring region. ③Two deep earthquakes of M≥7.0 occurred in the west and in the east of the north boundary zone of the Australian plate half year ago. It is notable that one of them occurred in the Sumatra island where no deep earthquake with M≥6.0 has occurred in the past thirty years. ④The space distribution of moderate shocks occurring three days ago exhibited a NWW-strike seismic belt along the north boundary zone of the Australian plate. ⑤The activity of volcanoes distributed in the north boundary zone of the Australian plate had been strengthened in the past 4 years, especially several months before the occurrence of the M_W9.0 earthquake.

Effects of graphene nanoplates on microstructures and mechanical properties of NSA-TIG welded AZ31 magnesium alloy joints

The effects of graphene nanoplates(GNPs)on the microstructures and mechanical properties of nanoparticlesstrengthening activating tungsten inert gas arc welding(NSA-TIG)welded AZ31magnesium alloy joints were investigated.It wasfound that compared with those of activating TIG(A-TIG),and obvious refinement ofα-Mg grains was achieved and the finestα-Mggrains of fusion zone of NSA-TIG joints were obtained in the welded joints with TiO2+GNPs flux coating.In addition,thepenetrations of joints coated by TiO2+GNPs flux were similar to those coated by the TiO2+SiCp flux.However,the welded jointswith TiO2+GNPs flux coating showed better mechanical properties(i.e.,ultimate tensile strength and microhardness)than those withTiO2+SiCp flux coating.Moreover,the generation of necking only occurred in the welded joints with TiO2+GNPs flux.

Characteristics of seismic activity before several large Sumatra, Indonesia, earthquakes

Two great earthquakes of MS8.5 and MS8.3 determined by the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC) occurred successively on September 12 and 13, 2007 in the sea area to the south of Sumatra, which is another group of large earthquakes after MS8.7 event on December 26, 2004 and MS8.5 event on March 29, 2005. The

“Lifting More” is Associated with Lower Risks of Depression in University Students

Research on the population in western world showed that,MSE(muscle-strengthening exercise)is beneficial to the treatment of mental disorders.However,the situation in Chinese adults is little known.For this reason,the study is performed to understand the connection between depression and MSE among college and university students in China aged between 18 to 24.1793 college students have been recruited,and their average age is 20.67.A questionnaire has been developed and it is self-reported and designed to collect information about MSE and participants,including body mass index and sex and so on.Sleep and physical activity have been evaluated by introducing two scales,that is,Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form,respectively.Moreover,Patient Health Questionnaire-9 has been adopted to indicate the severity of depression of participants.The link between depression and MSE has been studied by introducing multilevel linear regression.Among all these study participants,just 24.87%of them met the MSE standards of World Health Organization,that is,more than 2 days every week.The average depression score was 6.80(±5.19).Greater num-ber of days for MSE shows negative association with the depression,with (beta=-0.17,95%CI:-0.31 to-0.03,p=0.015).Those students failing to meet MSE standards are more susceptible to the depression risk(beta=0.63,95%CI:0.09–0.19,p=0.027).The results show that,there is a relationship between MSE participation and relieved status of depression among young adults in China.Interventions designed to relieve depression can be developed on the basis of MSE.