A sequential mediation model of perceived social support, mindfulness, perceived hope, and mental health literacy: An empirical study on Taiwanese university students.

This study explored the mediation of mindfulness and perceived hope between perceived social support and mental health literacy in university students. Of 568 students (205 males, 363 females, average age 20.97) from 70 Taiwanese universities, tools like the Perceived Social Support Scale, General Health Questionnaire, Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, and State Hope Scale were used, adapted to Traditional Chinese through back-translation. Confirmatory factor analysis affirmed model validity. Hayes' PROCESS Model 6 analyzed the data. The results showed an indirect effect of social support on mental health literacy via mindfulness and hope (B = 0.091, 95 % CI: 0.0613 to 0.1258). Three mediation paths were: (1) mindfulness (B = 0.035); (2) hope (B = 0.052); and (3) a combined effect (B = 0.003). A direct effect of social support on mental health literacy was significant (B = 0.120). The model explained 33.9 % of the variance in mental health literacy. The research underscores the link between social support, mindfulness, hope, and mental health literacy, identifying mindfulness and hope as mediators. It stresses the mediation impact and suggests strategies to boost mental health literacy in university students. Future research should expand to cross-cultural studies, further examine the evolving dynamics of social support, and incorporate both qualitative and experimental methodologies. The inclusion of factors such as alienation, well-being, and resilience can enrich the theoretical framework.

The beneficial effects of angiotensin-converting enzyme II (ACE2) activator in pulmonary hypertension secondary to left ventricular dysfunction.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a lethal and rapidly progressing disorder if left untreated, but there is still no definitive therapy. An imbalance between vasoconstriction and vasodilation has been proposed as the mechanism underlying PH. Among the vasomediators of the pulmonary circulation is the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), the involvement of which in the development of PH has been proposed. Within the RAS, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), which converts angiotensin (Ang) II into Ang-(1-7), is an important regulator of blood pressure, and has been implicated in cardiovascular disease and PH. In this study, we investigated the effects of the ACE2 activator diminazene aceturate (DIZE) on the development of PH secondary to left ventricular dysfunction. A model of PH secondary to left ventricular dysfunction was established in 6-week-old Wistar rats by ascending aortic banding for 42 days. The hemodynamics and pulmonary expression of ACE, Ang II, ACE2, Ang-(1-7), and the Ang-(1-7) MAS receptor were investigated in the early treatment group, which was administered DIZE (15 mg/kg/day) from days 1 to 42, and in the late treatment group, administered DIZE (15 mg/kg/day) from days 29 to 42. Sham-operated rats served as controls. DIZE ameliorated mean pulmonary artery pressure, pulmonary arteriolar remodeling, and plasma brain natriuretic peptide levels, in addition to reversing the overexpression of ACE and up-regulation of both Ang-(1-7) and MAS, in the early and late treatment groups. DIZE has therapeutic potential for preventing the development of PH secondary to left ventricular dysfunction through ACEII activation and the positive feedback of ANG-(1-7) on the MAS receptor. A translational study in humans is needed to substantiate these findings.