The mediating effects of coping styles on the relationship between trait mindfulness and romantic relationship satisfaction.

The purpose of the current study was to explore the influence of coping styles and trait mindfulness on the satisfaction of romantic relationships (RRS) among college students. Of the 305 participants, 258 (males: 115, 44.6%) had previously been in, or were presently in a romantic relationship. All participants completed the MAAS, CSQ, and questions about RRS. There was a significant meditating role of mature coping styles in the relationship between trait mindfulness and RRS (indirect effect [95% CI] = 0.021 [0.001, 0.052]). However, the mediating effect of immature coping styles was not significant (indirect effect [95% CI] = 0.038 [-0.020, 0.097]). Mature coping style plays an important mediating role in the relationship between mindfulness and relationship satisfaction.

The Relationship between Perfectionism and Social Anxiety: A Moderated Mediation Model.

Social anxiety is one of the mental health problems associated with perfectionism. The present study investigated the possible mediation of perceived stress in the relationship between perfectionism and social anxiety, and whether this mediation depends on the level of trait mindfulness. A total of 425 college students (female: 82.9%; mean age: M = 19.90 ± 1.06 years old) completed the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (MPS), the Chinese Perceived Stress Scale (CPSS), the Interaction Anxiousness Scale (IAS), and the Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ). After controlling for age and gender, the moderated mediation analysis suggested that perfectionism significantly and positively predicted social anxiety and that perceived stress mediated the link between perfectionism and social anxiety. In addition, the indirect effect of perfectionism on social anxiety was moderated by trait mindfulness. Specifically, the indirect effect was weaker among the individuals with a high level of mindfulness compared to those with a low level of mindfulness. The findings of this study suggest that trait mindfulness significantly moderates the indirect effect of perfectionism on social anxiety via perceived stress.

The Trend of 2D Transistors toward Integrated Circuits: Scaling Down and New Mechanisms.

2D transition metal chalcogenide (TMDC) materials, such as MoS2 , have recently attracted considerable research interest in the context of their use in ultrascaled devices owing to their excellent electronic properties. Microprocessors and neural network circuits based on MoS2 have been developed at a large scale but still do not have an advantage over silicon in terms of their integrated density. In this study, the current structures, contact engineering, and doping methods for 2D TMDC materials for the scaling-down process and performance optimization are reviewed. Devices are introduced according to a new mechanism to provide the comprehensive prospects for the use of MoS2 beyond the traditional complementary-metal-oxide semiconductor in order to summarize obstacles to the goal of developing high-density and low-power integrated circuits (ICs). Finally, prospects for the use of MoS2 in large-scale ICs from the perspectives of the material, system performance, and application to nonlogic functionalities such as sensor circuits and analogous circuits, are briefly analyzed. The latter issue is along the direction of "more than Moore" research.

The more mindfulness practice, the more post-trauma stress symptoms? Trait mindfulness and PTSS during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Investigating the contributing factors of post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) has always been an important topic in the field of traumatic psychology research. The current study explored the influences of pandemic/epidemic experiences, meditation experiences, and trait mindfulness on PTSS and the mediating role of emotional resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 522 participants in Hubei province completed the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, the Adolescents' Emotional Resilience Questionnaire, and the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5. The results showed that (1) participants who had family or friends diagnosed with COVID-19 scored higher on avoidance. (2) Participants who had family or friends had been diagnosed with SARS or H1N1 scored higher on PTSS. (3) Participants with meditation experience scored significantly higher on all dimensions of PTSS, other than avoidance. (4) The mediating role of recovering from negative emotions in the relationship between trait mindfulness and PTSS was significant (95%CI= [-0.212, -0.094]), while the generating positive emotion was not significant (95%CI= [-0.050, 0.071]). Individuals with pandemic/epidemic experience are more likely to have a high level of PTSS. Individuals who have meditation experience also express a higher level of PTSS, which may be a result of the quality of meditation. Trait mindfulness and the ability to recover from negative emotions were protective factors against PTSS.

A Bibliometric and Visualization Analysis of Mindfulness and Meditation Research from 1900 to 2021.

This study comprehensively summarizes research in the field of meditation, especially mindfulness meditation from 1900 to 2021, by analyzing the knowledge map through CiteSpace and VOSviewer software. Using "mindfulness *" or "meditation *" as the topic, articles included in the Science Citation Index Expanded and Social Sciences Citation Index were searched in the web of science core database, resulting in the selection of 19,752 articles. Over half a century ago, Deikman published the field's first article in the Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease in 1963, and publications have soared in subsequent decades. The USA is in the core position in terms of global collaboration, total publication numbers, and total citations. The Mindfulness journal ranked first for the most published articles and citations. "The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being," written by Brown and Ryan, was the most cited article. Mindfulness, meditation, depression, intervention, stress reduction, stress, and anxiety are the top co-occurrence keywords. The timeline of cluster analysis discloses that before 2010, hypertension, cancer, mindfulness, generalized anxiety disorder, and other topics received great attention. In the decade since 2010, scholars have shown interest in meta-analysis, attention, and self-assessment, and keen attention to mindfulness-based interventions. These findings provide an important foundation to direct future research.

Xinmai 'an extract enhances the efficacy of sildenafil in the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension via inhibiting MAPK signalling pathway.

CONTEXT: Xinmai 'an tablet has been used to improve myocardial blood supply. Recently, some compounds from its formula have shown that they can treat pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). OBJECTIVE: This study investigates the effects of Xinmai 'an extract (XMA) on PAH and further tests the co-therapeutic enhancement with sildenafil (SIL). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells were subjected to stimulation with SIL (12.5 µM) and XMA (250 µg/mL) for 48 h. Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly grouped into eight groups (n = 8 per group): (I) control group received saline; (II) MCT group received MCT (60 mg/kg); (III) SIL-Low group received MCT + SIL at 10 mg/kg/day; (IV) SIL-high group received MCT + SIL at 30 mg/kg/day; (V) XMA-High group received MCT + XMA at 251.6 mg/kg/day; (VI) SIL (Low)+XMA (Low) group received SIL (10 mg/kg) + XMA at 62.9 mg/kg/day; (VII) SIL (Low)+XMA (Medium) group received SIL (10 mg/kg) + XMA at 125.8 mg/kg/day; (VIII) SIL (Low)+XMA (High) group received SIL (10 mg/kg) + XMA at 251.6 mg/kg/day. Both XMA and SIL were given by gavage and were maintained daily for 2 weeks. RESULTS: XMA could improve SIL's efficacy in the treatment of PAH by decreasing cell viability more effectively at non-cytotoxic concentrations (250 µg/mL) and reducing Right Ventricular Systolic Pressure (RVSP) in PAH rat. Potential mechanisms might at least in part be through activating the MAPK signalling pathway. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: The combination of XMA and SIL can improve the efficacy of pulmonary hypertension and reduce the dosage of SIL.

San-Huang-Tang protects obesity/diabetes induced NAFLD by upregulating PGC-1α/PEPCK signaling in obese and galr1 knockout mice models.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: San-Huang-Tang (ST), a classic prescription, has been clinically used to cure diabetes and diabetes-associated metabolic disorders. Established studies have reported that ST can alleviate inflammation, obesity, hyperglycemia and insulin resistance. AIM OF THE STUDY: To the best of our knowledge, here, we reported for the first time the underlying mechanistic therapeutic efficacy of the ST against nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in high-fat induced obese and galr1-deficient diabetic mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The obese and galr1-deficient mice were treated with ST at a dose of 10 g/kg every day for three weeks. Then food intake, body weight and insulin resistance indexes were measured. Western blotting, qRT-PCR, and plasma biochemical analyses were applied. RESULTS: ST reduced food intake, body weight, blood glucose level and insulin resistance, improved glucose tolerance in obese and galr1-deficient mice. Mechanistically, we confirmed that ST protected against NAFLD through activation of PGC-1α and its downstream signaling pathways as shown by the attenuated hepatic adipogenesis and lipid accumulation, increased hepatic fatty acid oxidation, regulated plasma lipid parameters, and increased energy expenditure and metabolic function in fat and muscle. CONCLUSIONS: Reduction in food intake produced by ST may contribute to the observed metabolic effects. Our findings strongly suggest that ST might be a potential novel therapeutic drug against obesity/diabetes-induced NAFLD and other metabolic disorders.

Baicalin ameliorates hepatic insulin resistance and gluconeogenic activity through inhibition of p38 MAPK/PGC-1α pathway.

BACKGROUND: Although the results of our and other studies show that baicalin can enhance glucose uptake and insulin sensitivity in skeletal muscle and adipocytes of mice, the specific metabolic contribution of baicalin on hepatic insulin resistance and gluconeogenic activity is still unclear. PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to investigate whether baicalin is involved in regulation of hepatic insulin resistance and gluconeogenic activity and its underlying mechanisms. STUDY DESIGN/METHODS: In the present study, high-fat diet-induced obese mice were given 50 mg/kg baicalin intraperitoneally (i.p.) once a day for 21 consecutive days, and hepatocytes were treated with baicalin (100 µM) or metformin (100 µM) in the presence of glucagon (200 nM) for 12 h. Then insulin resistance indexes and genes related to gluconeogenesis were examined in liver tissues. RESULTS: The present findings showed that baicalin decreased body weight, HOMA-IR, and alleviated high fat diet-induced glucose intolerance, hyperglycemia and insulin resistance in diet-induced obese mice. Furthermore, baicalin markedly suppressed p-p38 MAPK, p-CREB, FoxO1, PGC-1α, PEPCK and G6Pase expression in liver of obese mice and hepatocytes. Moreover, inhibition of gluconeogenic genes by baicalin was also strengthened by p38MAPK inhibitor in hepatocytes. CONCLUSION: Baicalin suppressed expression of PGC-1α and gluconeogenic genes, and reduced glucose production in high-fat diet-induced obese mice. Baicalin ameliorated hepatic insulin resistance and gluconeogenic activity mainly through inhibition of p38 MAPK/PGC-1α signal pathway. This study provides a possibility of using baicalin to treat hyperglycemia and hepatic insulin resistance in clinic.

6-Gingerol inhibits hair shaft growth in cultured human hair follicles and modulates hair growth in mice.

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) has been traditionally used to check hair loss and stimulate hair growth in East Asia. Several companies produce shampoo containing an extract of ginger claimed to have anti-hair loss and hair growth promotion properties. However, there is no scientific evidence to back up these claims. This study was undertaken to measure 6-gingerol, the main active component of ginger, on hair shaft elongation in vitro and hair growth in vivo, and to investigate its effect on human dermal papilla cells (DPCs) in vivo and in vitro. 6-Gingerol suppressed hair growth in hair follicles in culture and the proliferation of cultured DPCs. The growth inhibition of DPCs by 6-gingerol in vitro may reflect a decrease in the Bcl-2/Bax ratio. Similar results were obtained in vivo. The results of this study showed that 6-gingerol does not have the ability to promote hair growth, on the contrary, can suppress human hair growth via its inhibitory and pro-apoptotic effects on DPCs in vitro, and can cause prolongation of telogen phase in vivo. Thus, 6-gingerol rather than being a hair growth stimulating drug, it is a potential hair growth suppressive drug; i.e. for hair removal.

[Inhibition effect of 6-gingerol on hair growth].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of 6-gingerol, the main active component of ginger, on hair shaft elongation in vitro and hair growth in vivo. METHODS: Firstly, Hair follicles were co-cultured with 3 different concentration of 6-gingerol for 5 days and hair elongation in three groups was measured. Secondly, The proliferative effect of 6-gingerol on DPCs was measured using MTT assay. Thirdly, the expression of Bcl-2 and Bax in DPCs were measured using Western blotting. In vivo study, the influence of 6-gingerol on hair growth in C57BL/6 rats was measured through topical application of 6-gingerol on the dorsal skin of each animal. RESULTS: The length of hair shaft in 20 microg/ml 6-Gingerol group (0.50 +/- 0.08 mm) is less than 0 microg/ml (0.66 +/- 0.19) mm and 10 microg/ml (0.64 +/- 0.03) mm 6-Gingerol group (P < 0.05). In cell culture, compared to 0 microg/ml and 5 microg/ml 6-Gingerol, 10 microg/ml 6-Gingerol can significantly inhibited the proliferation of DPCs (P < 0.05). Along with the growth inhibition of DPCs by 6-gingerol, the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio increased obviously. In vivo study, the hair length and density decreased a lot after using 1 mg/ml 6-gingerol. CONCLUSIONS: 6-Gingerol can suppress human hair shaft elongation because it has pro-apoptotic effects on DPCs via increasing Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. It might inhibit hair growth by prolonging the telogen stage in vivo.

[Modulation on the P-glycoprotein in the jejunum by combined use of Glycyrrhiza inflata and Kansui].

To investigate the modulation on the P-glycoprotein in the jejunum by combined use of Glycyrrhiza inflata and Kansui with ussing chamber and rt-pcr, Rhodamine 123 (R123), a P-gp substrate and fluorescein sodium (CF), a model drug of non-P-gp substrate transported by a passive diffusion were taken as investigational drugs. Because these two drugs can be easily assayed and widely used in various research fields. The permeability of R123 or CF via Wistar rat jejunum membranes was evaluated by in vitro ussing chamber after oral administration of four different decoctions of Glycyrrhiza inflata and Kansui for 1 week. And the concentration of R123 or CF was determined by the fluorospectrophotometry in the receiving solution. Meanwhile the expression of mdr1a in P-glycoprotein was detected by real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR. After oral administration of combined decoction of the single drug, the absorptive directed permeability of R123 increased significantly (P < 0.01). On the other hand, Kansui and combine decoction of the two drugs also decrease the permeability of secretory directed transport (P < 0.05). No action of Glycyrrhiza inflata was found on the secretory transport of R123 [Papp = (2.56 +/- 0.38) x 10(-5), cm x s(-1)] across the jejunum tissues, while Papp of control group was found [Papp = (2.35 +/- 0.27) x 10(-5), cm x s(-1)]. After oral administration of Kansui decoction for 1 week and 2 weeks, the levels of mdr1a expression in Wistar rats were lower than that of the control group, but there were no significant difference in the results. Meanwhile, Glycyrrhiza inflata had no effect on transport of CF across the jejunum tissues, though the other three groups could decrease the permeability of CF, as compared with control group. Kansui may slightly inhibit P-glycoprotein function in the intestinal membrane. For another, some compositions in Kansui inhibit P-glycoprotein function, and some others strengthen the tight junction between cells in the intestinal membrane to decrease permeability of CF. As the inhibitory action to P-glycoprotein was enhanced by combination of Glycyrrhiza inflata and Kansui, based on the results, it may be one of the mechanisms of creating toxicity once co-administration of Glycyrrhiza inflata and Kansui.

[Effect of liquorice decoction on rat intestinal P-glycoprotein].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of liquorice in functional modulation of intestinal P-glycoprotein (P-gp) in rats. METHODS: An in vitro diffusion chamber system (Ussing chamber) was used to examine the direct effect of liquorice decoction on rhodamine 123 (a subtrate of P-gp) transport and evaluate the permeability of rhodamine 123 or fluorescein sodium through rat jejunum membranes after oral administration of liquorice decoction. RESULTS: Direct application of liquorice decoction did not obviously affect rhodamine 123 transport across the intestinal mucosa. Oral administration of liquorice decoction (10 g/kg, twice daily for a week) significantly increased the absorption of rhodamine 123 and also enhanced rhodamine 123 secretion across the jejunum mucosa. Liquorice had no obvious effect on the transport of CF across the jejunum mucosa. CONCLUSION: Liquorice may slightly inhibit P-gp function in the intestinal mucosa to increase the intestinal absorption of rhodamine 123.

[Effect of Glycyrrhiza inflata and Daphne genkwa on permeabilities of rhodamine 123, a P-glycoprotein substrate across rat jejunum membranes in vitro].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the modulation of Glycyrrhiza inflata and Daphne genkwa on the permeability characteristics of rhodamine 123 (R123), one P-glycoprotein (P-gp) substrate, across the jejunum membranes. And then approach the possible permeability mechanism of the drugs after co-administration of G. inflata and D. genkwa in gastrointestinal tract. METHOD: The permeability of R123 or fluorescein sodium (CF) via Wistar rat jejunum membranes was evaluated by in vitro diffusion chamber system after oral administration of four different decoctions and 0.9% sodium chloride (20 mL x kg(-1)) for 1 week. And the concentration of R123 or CF was determined by the fluorospectrophotometry. The apparent permeability coefficient (P(app)) was calculated by the equation P(app) = dQ/d(t) x (1/A x C0), where P(app) was expressed in cm/s, dQ/dT was the slope of the linear portion of the permeation curves, A was the diffusion area, and C0 was the initial concentration of rebamipide in the donor side, and then compare their differences were compared with control group. RESULT: After oral administration of G. inflata decoction, D. genkwa decoction and decoction of the combination of the previous decoctions, the absorptive directed transport of R123 was significantly increased (P < 0.05, compared with control group). On the other hand, D. genkwa could also decrease the permeability of secretory directed transport (P(app) = 2.98 +/- 0.59), while no action of G. inflata was found on the secretory transport of R123 ( P(app) = 5.24 +/- 3.98) across the jejunum tissues, while P(app) of control group was 4.38 +/- 1.18. Meanwhile, G. inflata had no effect on transport of CF across the jejunum tissues, though the other three groups could decrease the permeability of CF, as compared with control group. CONCLUSION: G. inflata may slightly inhibit P-glycoprotein function in the intestinal membrane, while D. genkwa may be a relatively strong inhibitor of P-gp. For another, some compositions in D. genkwa inhibit P-gp function, and some others strengthen the tight junction between cells in the intestinal membrane to decrease permeability of CF. As the inhibitory action to P-gp was enhanced by combination of G. inflata and D. genkwa, based on the results, it may be one of the mechanisms of creating toxicity once co-administration of G. inflata and D. genkwa.