Dual regulatory actions of LncBMP4 on BMP4 promote chicken primordial germ cell formation.

The unique characteristics of chicken primordial germ cells (PGCs) provide potential strategies for transgenic animal generation; however, insufficient PGC availability has limited their application. Regulation of bone morphogenic protein 4 (BMP4), a crucial factor for PGCs formation, may provide new strategies for PGC generation. We here identify a long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) that targets BMP4 (LncBMP4). LncBMP4 has similar functions as BMP4, in that it facilitates the formation and migration of PGCs. LncBMP4 promotes BMP4 expression by adsorbing the miRNA gga-mir-12211, thus reducing its inhibitory effect on BMP4 expression. In addition, the small peptide EPC5 encoded by LncBMP4 promotes the transcription of BMP4. The competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) effect of LncBMP4 requires N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification, in a dose-dependent manner, and high levels of m6A modification hinder EPC5 translation. Understanding the molecular mechanisms through which LncBMP4 promotes BMP4 expression during PGC formation may provide new avenues for efficient PGC generation.

Timing outweighs magnitude of rainfall in shaping population dynamics of a small mammal species in steppe grassland.

Climate change-induced shifts in species phenology differ widely across trophic levels, which may lead to consumer-resource mismatches with cascading population and ecosystem consequences. Here, we examined the effects of different rainfall patterns (i.e., timing and amount) on the phenological asynchrony of population of a generalist herbivore and their food sources in semiarid steppe grassland in Inner Mongolia. We conducted a 10-y (2010 to 2019) rainfall manipulation experiment in 12 0.48-ha field enclosures and found that moderate rainfall increases during the early rather than late growing season advanced the timing of peak reproduction and drove marked increases in population size through increasing the biomass of preferred plant species. By contrast, greatly increased rainfall produced no further increases in vole population growth due to the potential negative effect of the flooding of burrows. The increases in vole population size were more coupled with increased reproduction of overwintered voles and increased body mass of young-of-year than with better survival. Our results provide experimental evidence for the fitness consequences of phenological mismatches at the population level and highlight the importance of rainfall timing on the population dynamics of small herbivores in the steppe grassland environment.

The association of leader-member exchange and team-member exchange with nurses' innovative behaviours: A cross-sectional study.

AIM: To measure the association of leader-member exchange and team-member exchange with nurses' innovative behaviours through social exchange theory. BACKGROUND: The field of nursing is actively advocating innovation. Other fields have proven that leader-member exchange and team-member exchange can promote innovative behaviour, but such an association is not clear in nursing. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. METHODS: A total of 560 nurses were selected from five tertiary hospitals in Henan Province (China) by multistage sampling. Data were collected from a self-report questionnaire. Thirty nurses in the pre-survey were used to verify the validity of the questionnaire. SPSS PROCESS macro was used to verify the association of leader-member exchange and team-member exchange with nurses' innovative behaviours. RESULTS: Leader-member exchange and team-member exchange were significantly associated with nurses' innovative behaviours, and team-member exchange had a mediating effect on the relationship between leader-member exchange and innovative behaviour. CONCLUSIONS: Leader-member exchange and team-member exchange positively affect nurses' innovative behaviours. Leader-member exchange can promote nurses' innovative behaviours through the mediating role of team-member exchange. IMPACT: This study indicated that leader-member exchange and team-member exchange should be given more attention in promoting nurses' innovative behaviours. This finding has implications for the promotion of innovative behaviours in nurses. Leaders need to focus on the innovative needs of nurses and offer support. Meanwhile, leadership training programs are necessary for managers to create positive team relationships. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No patient or public involvement.

Adolescence Predatory Risk Alters Social Behaviors and Cognitive Ability and Central Oxytocin and Vasopressin Expression in Adult Brandt's Voles.

INTRODUCTION: Stress during adolescence causes long-term behavioral changes in adulthood. We previously found that adolescent exposure to predatory risk augments adolescent social contact and adult parental behavior in Brandt's voles (Lasiopodomys brandtii). METHODS: Here, we determined whether this experience alters sexual behavior, pair-bond formation, and recognition ability as well as basal HPA axis activity, central oxytocin (OT), and arginine-vasopressin (AVP) expression in adulthood. RESULTS: In the social interaction test, repeated cat odor (CO) exposure enhanced the frequency of lordosis by female voles toward an unfamiliar opposite-sex conspecific. CO voles preferred to engage with their partners after 48-h cohabitation whereas the control groups did not, which may reflect stable pair bonds in the CO treatment group. Furthermore, adolescent exposure to CO inhibited novel object recognition and place recognition ability, while it influenced social recognition only among adult males. No effect of adolescent CO exposure was observed for basal HPA axis activity, showing a habituation effect. Finally, we found that CO exposure increased OT and decreased AVP expression in the hypothalamus, including the paraventricular nucleus and anterior hypothalamus. The levels of OT in the medial amygdala were lower, and AVP in the lateral septum was higher in CO voles compared with the control. CONCLUSION: These findings demonstrate that adolescent exposure to predator risk promotes adult reproductive behavior of Brandt's voles. Deficits in recognition ability may necessitate alterations in reproductive strategies to enhance inclusive fitness. OT and AVP systems may play a modulatory role in the alteration of social behaviors elicited by adolescent predatory risk.

Pathogenicity of Aeromonas veronii causing mass mortalities of Odontobutis potamophila and its induced host immune response.

Aeromonas veronii is a freshwater bacterium associated with many diseases in aquatic animals. However, few cases of A. veronii infection were reported in Odontobutis potamophila, which has been becoming a promising fish species in China in recent years. In this study, the dominant bacteria were isolated from diseased O. potamophila showing signs of hemorrhage on fins, ulceration on the dorsal and abdomen. The representative isolate Stl3-1was identified as A. veronii based on analysis of its morphological, physiological, and biochemical features, as well as 16S rRNA and gyrB gene sequences. The median lethal dosage (LD50) of the isolate Stl3-1 for O. potamophila was determined as 4.5 × 105 CFU/mL. Histopathological analysis revealed that the isolate Stl3-1caused considerable histological lesions in the fish, including tissue cell degeneration, necrosis, and inflammatory cell infiltrating. Detection of virulence-related genes showed that A. veronii Stl3-1 was positive for exu, ompA, lip, flaH, hlyA, aer, flgM, tapA, act, flgA, gcaT and flgN. Additionally, quantitive real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was also undertaken to analyses the host defensive response in O. potamophila infected by A. veronii. The immune-related gene expressions in O. potamophila during experimental infection were monitored at different point of time, and the results showed that the expression levels of MHC II, Myd88, TLR, and SOD were significantly up-regulated in liver, gill, spleen, and head kidney. The results revealed that A. veronii was a pathogen causing mass mortalities of O. potamophila and will contribute to better understanding the host defensive response against A. veronii infection.

Curvilinear relationship between emotional labour and work engagement in nurses: A correlational study.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To examine if there was a curvilinear relationship between emotional labour and work engagement in Chinese nurses. BACKGROUND: Emotional labour has both positive and negative effects on work engagement, but the curve relationship between the two has not been tested. DESIGN: Correlational design. METHODS: Multi-stage stratified random sampling was used to recruit samples, and 528 nurses from 5 tertiary first-class general hospitals were recruited in Henan Province. Data were collected by using Hong and Kim's Emotional Labor Scale for nurse and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale-9. Curve estimation was used to explore the functional model between emotional labour and work engagement. Results were reported according to the STROBE Statement. RESULTS: The three dimensions of emotional labour, 'emotional control effort in profession', 'patient-focused emotional suppression' and 'emotional pretense by norms', had a function relationship of quadratic (R2  = .57, p < .001), quadratic (R2  = .569, p < .001) and cubic (R2  = .238, p < .001), respectively, with work engagement. CONCLUSIONS: There was a one-way increasing quadratic function relationship between 'emotional control effort in profession' and work engagement. However, 'patient-focused emotion suppression' and 'emotional pretense by norms' had an inverted U-shaped curve relationship with work engagement. Below the moderate level, 'patient-focused emotion suppression' and 'emotional pretense by norms' were positively related to work engagement. After a certain level, they were negatively related to work engagement. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Our results may provide evidences to manage nurses' emotional labour and improve their work engagement. It seems that encouraging or training nurses to learn and master more strategies of emotional control may improve work engagement. Moreover, nursing managers should fully recognise the positive and negative effects of different levels of emotional suppression and emotional pretense on work engagement, so as to develop targeted management strategies.

Transcriptome analysis and immune-related genes expression reveals the immune responses of Macrobrachium rosenbergii infected by Enterobacter cloacae.

Macrobrachium rosenbergii is an important cultural species in China and other Southeast Asian countries. However, Enterobacter cloacae infection has caused a great economic loss in M. rosenbergii culture industry. The immune responses of M. rosenbergii to the E. cloacae infection is not fully characterized. To investigate the immune response of M. rosenbergii against E. cloacae, we performed transcriptome analysis of the M. rosenbergii hepatopancreas with and without E. cloacae infection using RNA-seq. After assembly and annotation, 29,731 high quality unigenes were obtained from RNA-seq data. Differential expression analysis revealed the existence of 2498 significantly differently expressed genes (DEGs) at 12 h post infection, with 1365 up-regulated and 1133 down-regulated genes. Among these DEGs, some well-known immune-related genes were up-regulated significantly, including C-type lectin 1, lectin 3, anti-lipopolysaccharide factor 2, Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase and heat shock protein 70. GO analysis demonstrated 24 biological process subcategories, 14 cellular component subcategories, and 12 molecular function subcategories that were enriched among these DEGs, and some DEGs were clustered into immune related subcategories such as immune system process, response to stimulus, biological adhesion, and antioxidant activity. These DEGs were enriched into 216 KEGG pathways including a core set of immune correlated pathways notably in phagosome and lysosome. In addition, 5 up-regulated and 5 down-regulated immune-related DEGs were selected for further validation by quantitative real-time PCR and the results showed consistence with the RNA-seq data. Additionally, the expression level of six selected immune-related genes (ALF2, CLEC1, LEC3, hemocyanin1, HSP70 and SOD) based on the transcriptomic data were monitored at different point of time in hepatopancreas, gill, hemolymph and intestine. Results revealed these immune-related genes were significantly up-regulated in different tissues from 6 to 24 h after E. cloacae infection. Overall, these results provided valuable information for further studying the immune response of M. rosenbergii against E. cloacae infection.

Translation and psychometric validation of the Chinese version of the Emotional Labour Scale for nurses.

OBJECTIVE: To translate and psychometrically validate the Emotional Labour Scale (ELS) for nurses in China. BACKGROUND: Emotional labour is an indispensable component of nursing practice. We currently lack a standard instrument to assess nurses' emotional labour that fits the nursing context in China. METHOD: Using convenience sampling, 561 nurses were recruited from five tertiary comprehensive hospitals. Internal consistency reliability, test-retest reliability, split-half reliability, face validity, content validity, criterion validity and construct validity were used to evaluate the psychometric attributes of the scale. RESULTS: Exploratory factor analysis verified a three-factor scale structure with a cumulative variance contribution of the factors of 61.281%. The three factors were 'emotional control effort in profession,' 'patient-focused emotional suppression' and 'emotional pretence by norms.' Cronbach's alpha values were 0.881, 0.807 and 0.764, respectively. Confirmatory factor analysis results indicated that the three factors were consistent with the original scale structure. CONCLUSION: The C-ELS for nurses is a reliable and valid instrument with satisfactory psychometric properties. Future studies should recruit a more representative sample of nurses in China to verify the applicability of the scale. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: A reliable and quantitative instrument is available for leaders to evaluate clinical nurses' emotional labour and establish effective emotional labour management strategies based on the measurement results.

Dietary shifts influenced by livestock grazing shape the gut microbiota composition and co-occurrence networks in a local rodent species.

The collapse of large wild herbivores with replacement of livestock is causing global plant community and diversity shifts, resulting in altered food availability and diet composition of other sympatric small herbivores in grasslands. How diet shifts affect the gut microbiota of small mammals and whether these changes may translate into complex interactions among coexisting herbivores remain largely unknown. We conducted both a field experiment and a laboratory diet manipulation experiment to test whether sheep grazing induces a diet shift and thus alters the gut microbiota of a small rodent species living in grassland. We found that enclosures subjected to grazing were mostly dominated by Stipa krylovii (accounting for 53.6% of the total biomass) and that voles consumed significantly more S. krylovii and less Cleistogenes squarrosa in grazed enclosures. Voles in grazing enclosures exhibited significantly lower abundances of Firmicutes, higher abundances of Bacteroidetes and significantly lower measurements of alpha diversity. The microbiota from voles in the grazed enclosures had a smaller and more simplified co-occurrence network with relatively higher percentage of positive interactions. Analysis based on dietary clusters indicated that grazing-induced changes in diet composition contributed to the distinct gut microbial community of voles in enclosures. We verified our findings using laboratory experiments, in which voles were exclusively fed C. squarrosa (high carbohydrate, high fibre and high in secondary compounds), S. krylovii (low carbohydrate, low fibre and low in secondary compounds) or Leymus chinensis (nutritionally intermediate). We observed that the gut microbiota of voles changed with the three different diets, supporting the idea that the effects of sheep grazing on the gut microbiota of Brandt's voles may be related to grazing-induced diet shifts. Our results highlighted the negative effects of livestock grazing on small mammals in grassland via changes in plant community and gut microbiota of small mammals and help to better understand the cascading consequences of realistic scenarios of world-wide decline in large wild herbivores.

Pathogenicity of non-O1/ O139 Vibrio cholerae and its induced immune response in Macrobrachium rosenbergii.

Outbreaks of mass mortalities occurred in Macrobrachium rosenbergii farms in Gaoyou county, Jiangsu Province of China. The bacterial isolates from M. rosenbergii exhibited the same phenotypic traits and biochemical characteristics, and were identified as non-O1/O139 Vibrio cholerae according to biochemical characteristics and molecular identification. In challenge test, M. rosenbergii infected with non-O1/O139 V. cholerae GXFL1-4 developed similar pathological signs to the naturally diseased prawns, and LD50 of the strain to M. rosenbergii was 4.5 × 106 CFU/mL at 96 h post-infection. Histopathological analysis revealed that hepatopancreas and intestines of diseased M. rosenbergii exhibited obvious inflammatory responses to non-O1/O139 V. cholerae infection. Detection virulence factors of the strain GXFL1-4 showed that the bacteria produced caseinase, lipase, amylase, lecithinase and hemolysin, and carried toxR, hlyA, ompW, ompU, hap, rtxA and rtxC virulence related genes, supporting the strong virulence to M. rosenbergii. Additionally, the immune related gene expression in M. rosenbergii evaluated by qRT-PCR analysis showed that HSP70, Crustin, Lysozyme, TRL1, ALF1, Lectin, Peroxinectin, proPO and SOD immune related genes were significantly up-regulated at 6 and 12 h after infection with GXFL1-4. The results of our study suggested that non-O1/O139 V. cholerae was an etiological element in the mass mortalities of M. rosenbergii and this study provided preliminary insights into the diversity in the immune response of M. rosenbergii to the bacterial invasion.

Alterations in the Transcriptional Profile of the Liver Tissue and the Therapeutic Effects of Propolis Extracts in Alcohol-induced Steatosis in Rats.

The hepatoprotective effects of the ethanolic extracts of propolis (EEP) on alcohol-induced liver steatosis were investigated in Wistar rats. Chronic alcoholic fatty liver was induced by administration of 52% alcohol to male Wistar rats at the dose of 1% body weight for 7 weeks. Then animals were simultaneously treated with 50% ethanol solutions of EEP or normal saline at the dose of 0.1% body weight for 4 further weeks. Serological analyses and liver histopathology studies were performed to investigate the development of steatosis. Microarray analysis was conducted to investigate the alterations of hepatic gene expression profiling. Our results showed that 4-week treatment of EEP helped to restore the levels of various blood indices, liver function enzymes and the histopathology of liver tissue to normal levels. Results from the microarray analysis revealed that the hepatic expressions of genes involved in lipogenesis were significantly down-regulated by EEP treatment, while the transcriptional expressions of functional genes participating in fatty acids oxidation were markedly increased. The ability of EEP to reduce the negative effects of alcohol on liver makes propolis a potential natural product for the alternative treatment of alcoholic fatty liver.

Repeated exposure to cat urine induces complex behavioral, hormonal, and c-fos mRNA responses in Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus).

Prey species show specific adaptations that allow recognition, avoidance, and defense against predators. This study was undertaken to investigate the processing of a chronic, life-threatening stimulus to Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus). One hundred forty-four Norway rats were tested by repeated presentation of cat urine for 1 h at different days in a defensive withdrawal apparatus. Rats exposed to urine for short periods showed significantly larger defensive behavioral and medial hypothalamic c-fos messenger RNA (mRNA) responses than other groups. These defensive responses habituated shortly after the presentation of cat urine. Serum levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone and corticosterone increased significantly when animals were repeatedly exposed to cat urine. However, the hormonal responses took longer to habituate than the behavioral and molecular responses did. We conclude that the behavioral and c-fos mRNA responses are "primed" for habituation to repeated exposures to cat urine, while the hormonal responses show "resistance." The results support our hypothesis that the strongest anti-predator responses at three levels would occur during short-term exposure to cat urine and that these responses would subsequently disappear on prolonged exposure. This study assists understanding the way in which the different levels of defensive responses are integrated and react during chronic stress.

Successive sheep grazing reduces population density of Brandt's voles in steppe grassland by altering food resources: a large manipulative experiment.

Livestock grazing has shaped grassland ecosystems around the world. Previous studies indicated grazing showed various impacts on small rodents; however, most studies were conducted over 1-2 years without controlling for confounding factors such as immigration/emigration and predation in rodents. Brandt's voles (Lasiopodomys brandtii) are generally recognized as pests because of food overlap with domestic herbivores, but are also important for biodiversity conservation because they provide nests or food to many birds. Fully understanding the ecological relationship between domestic herbivores and small mammals is essential to making ecosystem management decisions. To address these needs, we carried out a field experiment during the period 2010-2013 to assess the effects of sheep grazing on vegetation and the population density of Brandt's voles along a gradient of three grazing intensities by using 12 large-scale enclosures. Responses of Brandt's voles to livestock grazing varied with grazing intensity and year. As compared to the control group, sheep grazing had no effect on vole abundance in the first year but an overall negative effect on vole abundance in the following 3 years. Successive grazing caused decreases in survival and male body mass of voles, but had no significant effect on fecundity. Negative effects of grazing were associated with a grazing-induced deterioration in both food quantity (reflected by biomass and cover of less-preferred plants), and food quality (measured by tannin and total phenol content). Our findings highlight the urgent need for more flexible management of yearly rotational grazing to optimize livestock production while maintaining species diversity and ecosystem health.

Distinct Gut Microbial Enterotypes and Functional Dynamics in Wild Striped Field Mice (Apodemus agrarius) across Diverse Populations.

Rodents, including the striped field mouse (Apodemus agrarius), play vital roles in ecosystem functioning, with their gut microbiota contributing significantly to various ecological processes. Here, we investigated the structure and function of 94 wild A. agrarius individuals from 7 geographic populations (45°57' N, 126°48' E; 45°87' N, 126°37' E; 45°50' N, 125°31' E; 45°59' N, 124°37' E; 46°01' N, 124°88' E; 46°01' N, 124°88' E; 46°01' N, 124°88' E), revealing two distinct enterotypes (Type1 and Type2) for the first time. Each enterotype showed unique microbial diversity, functions, and assembly processes. Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes dominated, with a significant presence of Lactobacillus and Muribaculaceae. Functional analysis highlighted metabolic differences, with Type1 emphasizing nutrient processing and Type2 showing higher energy production capacity. The analysis of the neutral model and the null model revealed a mix of stochastic (drift and homogenizing dispersal) and deterministic processes (homogenous selection) that shape the assembly of the microbiota, with subtle differences in the assembly processes between the two enterotypes. Correlation analysis showed that elevation and BMI were associated with the phylogenetic turnover of microbial communities, suggesting that variations in these factors may influence the composition and diversity of the gut microbiota in A. agrarius. Our study sheds light on gut microbial dynamics in wild A. agrarius populations, highlighting the importance of considering ecological and physiological factors in understanding host-microbiota interactions.

Food Grinding Behavior: A Review of Causality and Influential Factors.

Food waste is a common issue arising from grinding of food by experimental animals, leading to excessive food scraps falling into cages. In the wild, animals grind food by gnawing vegetation and seeds, potentially damaging the ecological environment. However, limited ecology studies have focused on food grinding behavior since the last century, with even fewer on rodent food grinding, particularly recently. Although food grinding's function is partially understood, its biological purposes remain under-investigated and driving factors unclear. This review aims to explain potential causes of animal food grinding, identify influencing factors, and discuss contexts and limitations. Specifically, we emphasize recent progress on gut microbiota significance for food grinding. Moreover, we show abnormal food grinding is determined by degree of excess normal behavior, emphasizing food grinding is not meaningless. Findings from this review promote comprehensive research on the myriad factors, multifaceted roles, and intricate evolution underlying food grinding behavior, benefiting laboratory animal husbandry and ecological environment protection, and identifying potential physiological benefits yet undiscovered.

Geographical distribution and species variation of gut microbiota in small rodents from the agro-pastoral transition ecotone in northern China.

The gut microbiota of rodents is essential for survival and adaptation and is susceptible to various factors, ranging from environmental conditions to genetic predispositions. Nevertheless, few comparative studies have considered the contribution of species identity and geographic spatial distance to variations in the gut microbiota. In this study, a random sampling survey encompassing four rodent species (Apodemus agrarius, Cricetulus barabensis, Tscherskia triton and Rattus norvegicus) was conducted at five sites in northern China's farming-pastoral ecotone. Through a cross-factorial comparison, we aimed to discern whether belonging to the same species or sharing the same capture site predominantly influences the composition of gut microbiota. Notably, the observed variations in microbiome composition among these four rodent species match the host phylogeny at the family level but not at the species level. The gut microbiota of these four rodent species exhibited typical mammalian characteristics, predominantly characterized by the Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes phyla. As the geographic distance between populations increased, the number of shared microbial taxa among conspecific populations decreased. We observed that within a relatively small geographical range, even different species exhibited convergent α-diversity due to their inhabitation within the same environmental microbial pool. In contrast, the composition and structure of the intestinal microbiota in the allopatric populations of A. agrarius demonstrated marked differences, similar to those of C. barabensis. Additionally, geographical environmental elements exhibited significant correlations with diversity indices. Conversely, host-related factors had minimal influence on microbial abundance. Our findings indicated that the similarity of the microbial compositions was not determined primarily by the host species, and the location of the sampling explained a greater amount of variation in the microbial composition, indicating that the local environment played a crucial role in shaping the microbial composition.

RNA-seq transcriptome analysis provides new insights into the negative effects of tannic acid on the intestinal function of Brandt's voles (Lasiopodomys brandtii).

Tannic acid (TA), a significant plant secondary metabolite, is contained in the daily food of Brandt's voles. Its adverse effect on gut function has been shown in earlier research, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain uncertain. In this study, male Brandt's vole (13 weeks old) were divided into two groups and given 0 (control) or 1,200 (TA-treated) mg•kg-1 TA for 18 days. Then RNA sequencing was used to conduct a thorough transcriptome analysis on the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum of Brandt's voles. Results showed that TA significantly increased serum total cholesterol concentration (P < 0.05) and decreased the nutrient digestibility (P < 0.05) of Brandt's voles. Furthermore, there were 174 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the duodenum, 96 DEGs in the jejunum, and 88 DEGs in the ileum between the control and TA-treated groups. Enrichment analysis revealed that many genes associated with bile secretion, fat digestion and absorption, innate immune response, and tight junction such as ABCG2, ABCG8, PEAK1, and IFR2, etc. were altered after TA treatment, which were verified by quantitative real-time PCR. These findings suggested that TA can change the expression of intestinal genes, thereby, altering nutrition metabolism and immunological function, eventually hindering the growth of Brandt's voles. The results of this study provide a theoretical basis for explaining how TA affects the gut function of Brandt's voles at the molecular level.

Relationship Between Mindfulness and Affiliate Stigma in Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in China: The Mediating Role of Coping Styles.

PURPOSE: This study aims to investigate the current status of affiliate stigma among parents of autistic children, analyze the influencing factors, explore the relationship among mindfulness, coping styles, and affiliate stigma, and verify the mediating role of coping styles between mindfulness and affiliate stigma in parents of children with autism in China. METHOD: Between February and April 2023, the Child Development Behaviour Centre of a public hospital in China recruited 345 parents of children with autism. These parents completed the general information questionnaire, the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, the Affiliate Stigma Scale, and the Simple Coping Style Questionnaire. We then adapted the Hayes Process Macro and Bootstrap methods to examine the mediating effects of coping styles between mindfulness and affiliate stigma. RESULTS: (1) The total affiliate stigma score of parents of children with autism was 48.53 (standard deviation:: 10.74). Parents' age, monthly family income, duration of care, mindfulness, and coping styles were the influencing factors of parental affiliate stigma. (2) Mindfulness was positively correlated with positive coping style (r = 0.33, p < .01) and negatively correlated with negative coping style, affiliate stigma (r = -0.38, -0.39, p < .01), whereas affiliate stigma was negatively correlated with positive coping style (r = -0.34, p < .01) and positively correlated with negative coping style (r = 0.41, p < .01). (3) Positive coping style and negative coping style play a parallel mediating role between mindfulness and affiliate stigma of parents of autistic children. CONCLUSIONS: Parents of children with autism experience significant levels of affiliate stigma. Mindfulness has a direct impact on associated stigma in parents of children with autism and also indirectly predicts associated stigma through the intermediary influence of positive and negative coping styles. Healthcare professionals could perform mindfulness interventions from an optimistic psychology viewpoint to boost parents' mindfulness and coping abilities, thereby accomplishing the objective of mitigating affiliate stigma.

The relationship between resilience and quality of life in advanced cancer survivors: multiple mediating effects of social support and spirituality.

Background: While previous studies have revealed a positive association between resilience and quality of life in advanced cancer survivors, the mechanisms of the relationship is still unclear. This study aimed to explore the relationships between resilience, social support, spirituality, and quality of life and determine the multiple mediation effects of social support and spirituality on the relationship between resilience and quality of life. Methods: With 286 advanced cancer survivors, a cross-sectional, correlational survey was adopted using convenience sampling. Resilience, social support, spirituality, and quality of life were evaluated by self-report questionnaires. The PROCESS macro for SPSS was used to test the multiple mediation model. Results: The scores for resilience, social support, spirituality and quality of life were positively correlated with one another. Resilience was found to be directly impact quality of life. Meanwhile, the relationship between resilience and quality of life was mediated by social support (effect = 0.067, 95% CI [0.019, 0.120]) and by spirituality (effect = 0.221, 95% CI [0.134, 0.332]), respectively, and by these two serially (effect = 0.036, 95% CI [0.015, 0.067]). Conclusion: Social support and spirituality played multiple mediating roles in the relationship between resilience and quality of life. Interventions aimed at increasing resilience, and then boosting social support and spirituality may be beneficial for promoting quality of life of advanced cancer survivors.

Tannic Acid Induces Intestinal Dysfunction and Intestinal Microbial Dysregulation in Brandt's Voles (Lasiopodomys brandtii).

Brandt's vole (Lasiopodomys brandtii) is a small herbivorous mammal that feeds on plants rich in secondary metabolites (PSMs), including tannins. However, plant defense mechanisms against herbivory by Brandt's voles are not clearly established. This study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary tannic acid (TA) on the growth performance, intestinal morphology, digestive enzyme activities, cecal fermentation, intestinal barrier function, and gut microbiota in Brandt's voles. The results showed that TA significantly hindered body weight gain, reduced daily food intake, changed the intestinal morphology, reduced digestive enzyme activity, and increased the serum zonulin levels (p < 0.05). The number of intestinal goblet and mast cells and the levels of serum cytokines and immunoglobulins (IgA, IgG, TNF-α, IL-6, and duodenal SlgA) were all reduced by TA (p < 0.05). Moreover, TA altered ß-diversity in the colonic microbial community (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the results indicate that TA could damage the intestinal function of Brandt's voles by altering their intestinal morphology, decreasing digestive ability and intestinal barrier function, and altering microbiota composition. Our study investigated the effects of natural PSMs on the intestinal function of wildlife and improved our general understanding of plant-herbivore interactions and the ecological role of PSMs.