Mobile phone addiction and academic burnout: the mediating role of technology conflict and the protective role of mindfulness.

With the rapid development of Internet technology, more and more college students are facing the threat of mobile phone addiction. However, the relationship and underlying mechanism between mobile phone addiction and academic burnout haven't been explored in depth. This study proves the mediating role of technology conflict and the moderating role of mindfulness in the relation between mobile phone addiction and academic burnout. 752 college students were recruited to complete the questionnaire of mobile phone addiction, technology conflict, mindfulness and academic burnout. Results showed that mobile phone addiction was significantly and positively associated with academic burnout, and this relationship could be mediated by technology conflict. Besides, the direct effect of mobile phone addiction on academic burnout and the indirect effect of technology conflict in this link were moderated by mindfulness. Both these two effects are stronger for college students with lower level of mindfulness. Our findings enrich our understanding of how and when mobile phone addiction was related to academic burnout. Educational professionals and parents should take timely measure to the academic burnout of college students suffering from mobile phone addiction, particularly for those with lower level of mindfulness.

Moderating Effects of Mindfulness in the Relation between Bullying Victimization and Sleep Disturbance in Chinese Children: Sex Differences.

Bullying victimization is associated with sleep disturbance. The present study aimed to investigate the impact of bullying victimization on sleep disturbance, and the moderating effect of mindfulness on this association, also exploring differences across sex. A sample of 420 Chinese children (Mage = 9.60, SD age = 1.11, 48.10% girls) in grade 3 to grade 6 were recruited to complete the revised Bully/Victim Questionnaire, the Chinese version of Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index, the Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure, as well as the Family Affluence Scale. Results showed that bullying victimization was positively associated with sleep disturbance (ß = 0.20, p < 0.001). And the effect of bullying victimization on sleep disturbance was moderated by mindfulness (ß = -0.16, p < 0.001), and the effect was invalid for children with high mindfulness (ß = 0.04, p > 0.05). Subgroup analyses indicated the buffering effect of mindfulness only existed among boys (ß = -0.19, p < 0.01) but not girls (ß = -0.11, p > 0.05), suggesting that mindfulness may buffer this association, mainly for boys.

Consumption of Dietary Fiber with Different Physicochemical Properties during Late Pregnancy Alters the Gut Microbiota and Relieves Constipation in Sow Model.

Constipation is a common problem in sows and women during late pregnancy. Dietary fiber has potential in the regulation of intestinal microbiota, thereby promoting intestinal motility and reducing constipation. However, the effects of fibers with different physicochemical properties on intestinal microbe and constipation during late pregnancy have not been fully explored. In this study, a total of 80 sows were randomly allocated to control and one of three dietary fiber treatments from day 85 of gestation to delivery: LIG (lignocellulose), PRS (resistant starch), and KON (konjaku flour). Results showed that the defecation frequency and fecal consistency scores were highest in PRS. PRS and KON significantly increased the level of gut motility regulatory factors, 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), motilin (MTL), and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in serum. Moreover, PRS and KON promoted the IL-10 level and reduced the TNF-α level in serum. Furthermore, maternal PRS and KON supplementation significantly reduced the number of stillborn piglets. Microbial sequencing analysis showed that PRS and KON increased short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs)-producing genera Bacteroides and Parabacteroides and decreased the abundance of endotoxin-producing bacteria Desulfovibrio and Oscillibacter in feces. Moreover, the relative abundance of Turicibacter and the fecal butyrate concentration in PRS were the highest. Correlation analysis further revealed that the defecation frequency and serum 5-HT were positively correlated with Turicibacter and butyrate. In conclusion, PRS is the best fiber source for promoting gut motility, which was associated with increased levels of 5-HT under specific bacteria Turicibacter and butyrate stimulation, thereby relieving constipation. Our findings provide a reference for dietary fiber selection to improve intestinal motility in late pregnant mothers.

Dietary supplementary glutamine and L-carnitine enhanced the anti-cold stress of Arbor Acres broilers.

Newborn poultry in cold regions often suffer from cold stress, causing a series of changes in their physiology and metabolism, leading to slow growth and decreased production performance. However, a single anti-stress substance cannot completely or maximally eliminate or alleviate the various effects of cold stress on animals. Therefore, the effects of the supplemented glutamine and L-carnitine on broilers under low temperature were evaluated in this study. Broilers were randomly allocated into 16 groups which were respectively fed with different levels of glutamine and L-carnitine according to the L 16 (4 5 ) orthogonal experimental design for 3 weeks (the first week is the adaptive feeding period; the second and third weeks are the cold exposure period). Growth performance was recorded, and blood samples were collected during cold exposure. The results showed the supplementation had altered the plasma parameters, growth performance and cold-induced oxidative stress. The increase of corticosterone and suppression of thyroid hormone was ameliorated. Supplemented groups had lower daily feed intake and feed-to-gain ratio, higher daily weight gain and better relative weights of immune organs. Plasma glucose, total protein, blood urea nitrogen and alkaline phosphatase changed as well. Oxidative stress was mollified due to the improved activities of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase, heightened total antioxidant capacity and stable malondialdehyde. Dietary glutamine and L-carnitine improve the growth performance, nutritional status and cold stress response of broilers at low temperature, and their interaction occurred.

Preference for Solitude and Mobile Phone Addiction Among Chinese College Students: The Mediating Role of Psychological Distress and Moderating Role of Mindfulness.

Background: With the increasing incidence of mobile phone addiction, the potential risk factors of mobile phone addiction have attracted more and more researchers' attention. Although various personality trait factors have been proven to be significant predictors of mobile phone addiction, limited attention has been paid to preference for solitude. Considering the adverse impacts of preference for solitude in the context of collectivistic societies and its possible negative effect on mobile phone addiction, this study was designed to examine the relationship between preference for solitude and mobile phone addiction, and to test the mediating role of psychological distress and the moderating role of mindfulness in this relationship. Methods: Data were collected through convenience sampling from a comprehensive university in China. A total of 927 Chinese college students (371 males and 556 females), aged from 16 to 24 (M age = 19.89 years, SD = 1.22), participated in this study. Their preference for solitude, psychological distress, mindfulness, and mobile phone addiction were measured using well-validated self-report questionnaires. Results: Correlational analyses, sobel test, SPSS macro PROCESS (Model 8) and simple slopes analyses were used for major data analysis. Results showed that preference for solitude was significantly and positively associated with mobile phone addiction, and this link could be mediated by psychological distress. Moreover, the indirect effect of psychological distress in this link was moderated by mindfulness, with this effect being stronger for college students with lower levels of mindfulness. However, mindfulness can not moderate the direct relation between preference for solitude and mobile phone addiction. Conclusion: The present study broadened our knowledge of how and when (or for whom) preference for solitude is related to mobile phone addiction. Education professionals and parents should pay special attention to the psychological distress and mobile phone addiction of college students with high levels of preference for solitude, particularly for those with lower levels of mindfulness.

Association Between Serum Selenium Level and Subclinical Mastitis in Dairy Cattle.

Selenium is an important element in nutrition, showing great potential in the udder health of dairy cattle and in the control of subclinical mastitis. However, there are few studies on selenium and subclinical mastitis in cows, and the correlation is not clear. A trial was designed to investigate the association between serum selenium levels and the immune and antioxidant capacity of dairy cattle with subclinical mastitis. Fifty cattle in early lactation with similar background information were selected randomly from an intensive dairy farm. Blood samples were collected for the detection of serum selenium levels by ICP-optic emission spectrometer. The cattle were divided into a low-selenium group (< 0.05 mg/L) and three normal selenium groups with different serum selenium levels (0.05-0.08 mg/L). The somatic cell count, immune indexes, and other indexes in the milk of each group were detected. The somatic cell count was found to be negatively correlated with serum selenium level. GSH-Px had a low positive correlation and IL-6 had a low negative correlation with serum selenium level. With a serum glutathione peroxidase < 148 U/L and IL-6 > 451 pg/mL, the risk of subclinical mastitis in dairy cattle increased.

Effect of Copper, Zinc, and Selenium on the Formation of Bovine Neutrophil Extracellular Traps.

Dairy cow neutrophils activate a program leading to cell death and expulsion of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). The role of NETs is to capture pathogens, degrade bacterial toxic factors, and kill bacteria, and the effect of trace elements on NETs formation in cows is ambiguous. In this study, we investigated the effect of copper (0.5 mg/L, 0.8 mg/L, and 2.0 mg/L), zinc (0.1 mg/L, 1.0 mg/L, and 2.0 mg/L), and selenium (0.01 mg/L, 0.08 mg/L, and 2.0 mg/L) on NETs formation in dairy cows. Trace element induction of NETs formation was observed by laser confocal microscopy. The percentage of NETs formed was calculated by quantifying the number of neutrophils forming NETs out of the total number of neutrophils observed under 20 high-power (200×) magnification fields. Copper, zinc, and selenium induced the formation of a network of DNA, neutrophil elastase (ELA2), and myeloperoxidase. Copper (0.8 mg/L), zinc (1.0 mg/L), and selenium (0.01 mg/L) significantly induced the formation of NETs (p < 0.05). The study provides an experimental basis for enhancing the immunity of cows before and after delivery by adding copper, zinc, and selenium.

Integrated transcriptomics and metabolomics analysis of catechins, caffeine and theanine biosynthesis in tea plant (Camellia sinensis) over the course of seasons.

BACKGROUND: Catechins, caffeine, and theanine as three important metabolites in the tea leaves play essential roles in the formation of specific taste and shows potential health benefits to humans. However, the knowledge on the dynamic changes of these metabolites content over seasons, as well as the candidate regulatory factors, remains largely undetermined. RESULTS: An integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic approach was used to analyze the dynamic changes of three mainly metabolites including catechins, caffeine, and theanine, and to explore the potential influencing factors associated with these dynamic changes over the course of seasons. We found that the catechins abundance was higher in Summer than that in Spring and Autumn, and the theanine abundance was significantly higher in Spring than that in Summer and Autumn, whereas caffeine exhibited no significant changes over three seasons. Transcriptomics analysis suggested that genes in photosynthesis pathway were significantly down-regulated which might in linkage to the formation of different phenotypes and metabolites content in the tea leaves of varied seasons. Fifty-six copies of nine genes in catechins biosynthesis, 30 copies of 10 genes in caffeine biosynthesis, and 12 copies of six genes in theanine biosynthesis were detected. The correlative analysis further presented that eight genes can be regulated by transcription factors, and highly correlated with the changes of metabolites abundance in tea-leaves. CONCLUSION: Sunshine intensity as a key factor can affect photosynthesis of tea plants, further affect the expression of major Transcription factors (TFs) and structural genes in, and finally resulted in the various amounts of catechins, caffeine and theaine in tea-leaves over three seasons. These findings provide new insights into abundance and influencing factors of metabolites of tea in different seasons, and further our understanding in the formation of flavor, nutrition and medicinal function.

Selenium Deficiency in Chickens Induces Intestinal Mucosal Injury by Affecting the Mucosa Morphology, SIgA Secretion, and GSH-Px Activity.

The small intestine is one of the target organs of dietary selenium (Se) deficiency. Our objective was to investigate the effects of Se deficiency on small intestinal mucosa morphology and function in chickens. In the present study, 1-day (d)-old chickens were fed either a commercial diet with 0.15 mg/kg Se (control group) or a Se-deficient diet with 0.016 mg/kg Se (Se-group). The average daily weight gain, Se content in the blood, secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) secretion, and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity in the small intestine in chickens were examined after 10, 20, 30, and 40 days of feeding. We also observed the morphology of the small intestine and recorded the number of intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs). The average daily weight gain decreased; the level of Se in the blood decreased significantly; and SIgA secretion and GSH-Px activity in the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum decreased to different degrees. Histological analysis showed that the villus length, crypt depth, mucosal thickness, and number of IELs in the small intestine decreased to different extents in different periods. In the Se-group, longer feeding times were associated with more severe injury to physiological structure and function in the intestinal mucosa in chickens. In conclusion, Se deficiency induced injury of the mucosal immune barrier and physical barrier of the small intestine, and decreased the growth performance and antioxidant capacity in chickens.

Response of the maternal hypothalamus to cold stress during late pregnancy in rats.

Maternal stress is a key risk factor in the development of offspring. We previously identified prenatal cold stress-induced anxiety-like behavior reduced in the offspring of rats along with negative feedback regulation from the maternal hippocampus on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis during prenatal cold stress. However, the precise function of the maternal hypothalamus response to cold stress during late pregnancy in rats has not yet been determined. Therefore, we examined proteins in the hypothalamus that respond to aldosterone, neurodevelopment, inflammation and apoptosis. Our results show that prenatal cold stress induced the expression of mineralocorticoid receptors (MR) and 11ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (11ß-HSD2), suggesting prenatal cold stress may promote the elevation of aldosterone levels in the hypothalamus. Remarkably, increased expression of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) helped to replenish intracellular peptidergic stores and ensure homeostatic balance during prenatal cold stress. Furthermore, prenatal cold stress reduced the expression of c-Fos via STAT3 and ERK1/2 pathways in the hypothalamus. Moreover, prenatal cold stress induced NF-κB phosphorylation at Ser536, then promoted the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and induced an apoptosis-related protein response. Together, this study confirms that changes in the maternal hypothalamus during cold stress in late pregnancy are directly reflective of the response of the HPA to cold stress and demonstrates how the hypothalamus coordinates cold stress. We suggest mechanisms which might explain how these states might be linked with an abnormal stress response.

Selenium deficiency induces splenic growth retardation by deactivating the IGF-1R/PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway.

Selenium (Se) deficiency impairs the development and function of immune system in human beings and animals. We investigated the effect and molecular mechanism of Se deficiency on spleen development in chicken. The concentration of Se in blood and spleen, the spleen weight and splenocyte number, the histological characteristics of spleen, the concentration of growth factors in serum, the transcription level of growth factor receptor gene and the activity of growth and proliferation pathway in spleen were investigated. We found that the growth of the spleen and the splenocyte number were significantly lower in the chicken fed with Se-deficient diet for 21 and 35 days. The ELISA and qRT-PCR results showed that the serum IGF-I concentration and the transcription level of IGF1R gene in spleen were significantly lower in the SD group. The Western blotting and immunohistochemistry results showed that Se deficiency could deactivate the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway in spleen. In summary, the results indicated that Se deficiency decreases the growth rate of spleen and the number of splenic lymphocytes by deactivating the IGF-1R/PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway.

Selenium deficiency induces duodenal villi cell apoptosis via an oxidative stress-induced mitochondrial apoptosis pathway and an inflammatory signaling-induced death receptor pathway.

Selenium (Se) is an important nutritional trace element possessing antioxidant properties. Our goal was to elucidate the effect and mechanism of Se deficiency on the intestinal cell fate. One-day-old three-yellow chickens were fed a low Se diet for 1, 3, and 5 weeks. Histologic characteristics, protein expression profiles, antioxidant activities, inflammatory signaling, and the apoptosis status in duodenum mucosa were investigated. Histological results showed that Se deficiency could increase inflammatory cell infiltration, karyopyknosis of the epithelial cells, cytoplasm vacuolization and dissolution of goblet cells. The proteomics results indicated that Se deficiency could induce apoptosis of cells in duodenal villi via inhibition of antioxidant redox signaling and activation of NF-κB signaling. Further analysis results showed that Se deficiency decreased the total antioxidant capacity of duodenum mucosa via down-regulating the transcription level and activities of glutathione peroxidase (GPX), reduced glutathione (GSH), and thioredoxin reductase (TrxR). The NF-κB signaling pathway was activated by Se deficiency-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS). TUNEL, DNA ladder, immunohistochemical assay, and western blotting proved that selenium deficiency could induce duodenal villi cell apoptosis. The results also indicated that Se deficiency can cause duodenal villi cell apoptosis via an oxidative stress-induced mitochondrial apoptosis pathway (intrinsic pathway) and an inflammatory signaling-induced death receptor pathway (extrinsic pathway). Our data may provide new insight into the prevention and treatment of chronic diarrhea caused by Se deficiency.