Relationship between Mindfulness and Affiliate Stigma in Parents of Children with ASD 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 method 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(SD, 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 = .33, P < .01) and negatively correlated with negative coping style, affiliate stigma(r = -.38, -.39, P < .01), whereas affiliate stigma was negatively correlated with positive coping style (r = -.34, P < .01) and positively correlated with negative coping style(r = .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. CONCLUSION: 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.

Effect of Food Restriction on Food Grinding in Brandt's Voles.

Food grinding is supposed to be influenced by multiple factors. However, how those factors affecting this behavior remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the effect of food restriction on food grinding in Brandt's voles (Lasiopodomys brandtii), as well as the potential role of the gut microbiota in this process, through a comparison of the variations between voles with different food supplies. Food restriction reduced the relative amount of ground food to a greater extent than it lowered the relative food consumption, and altered the abundance of Staphylococcus, Aerococcus, Jeotgalicoccus, and Un--s-Clostridiaceae bacterium GM1. Fecal acetate content for the 7.5 g-food supply group was lower than that for the 15 g-food supply group. Our study indicated that food restriction could effectively inhibit food grinding. Further, Un--s-Clostridiaceae bacterium GM1 abundance, Aerococcus abundance, and acetate content were strongly related to food grinding. Variations in gut microbial abundance and short-chain fatty acid content induced by food restriction likely promote the inhibition of food grinding. These results could potentially provide guidance for reducing food waste during laboratory rodent maintenance.

Microbiota dysbiosis in honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) larvae infected with brood diseases and foraging bees exposed to agrochemicals.

American foulbrood (AFB) disease and chalkbrood disease (CBD) are important bacterial and fungal diseases, respectively, that affect honeybee broods. Exposure to agrochemicals is an abiotic stressor that potentially weakens honeybee colonies. Gut microflora alterations in adult honeybees associated with these biotic and abiotic factors have been investigated. However, microbial compositions in AFB- and CBD-infected larvae and the profile of whole-body microbiota in foraging bees exposed to agrochemicals have not been fully studied. In this study, bacterial and fungal communities in healthy and diseased (AFB/CBD) honeybee larvae were characterized by amplicon sequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA gene and fungal internal transcribed spacer1 region, respectively. The bacterial and fungal communities in disordered foraging bees poisoned by agrochemicals were analysed. Our results revealed that healthy larvae were significantly enriched in bacterial genera Lactobacillus and Stenotrophomonas and the fungal genera Alternaria and Aspergillus. The enrichment of these microorganisms, which had antagonistic activities against the etiologic agents for AFB and CBD, respectively, may protect larvae from potential infection. In disordered foraging bees, the relative abundance of bacterial genus Gilliamella and fungal species Cystofilobasidium macerans were significantly reduced, which may compromise hosts' capacities in nutrient absorption and immune defence against pathogens. Significantly higher frequency of environmentally derived fungi was observed in disordered foraging bees, which reflected the perturbed microbiota communities of hosts. Results from PICRUSt and FUNGuild analyses revealed significant differences in gene clusters of bacterial communities and fungal function profiles. Overall, results of this study provide references for the composition and function of microbial communities in AFB- and CBD-infected honeybee larvae and foraging bees exposed to agrochemicals.

Effect of Group Density on the Physiology and Aggressive Behavior of Male Brandt's Voles (Lasiopodomys brandtii).

Xin Dai, Ling-Yu Zhou, Jie-Xia Cao, Yan-Qi Zhang, Feng-Ping Yang, Ai-Qin Wang, Wan-Hong Wei, and Sheng-Mei Yang (2018) Population density is well known to influence animal physiology and behavior. How population density affects the aggressive behavior of the Brandt's vole (Lasiopodomys brandtii) is, however, little known. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of group density on physiologic responses and aggressive behavior of male Brandt's voles and their potential underlying neuro-mechanism. The results show that increasing group density led to elevated serum corticosterone levels and increased spleen weight; it also induced more male-male aggressive behavior. By contrast, it had a negative effect on body growth and the weight of testis and epididymis. Aging also increased male-male aggressive behavior. Higher density reduced mRNA levels of tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (TPH2), 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 1A (5HT1A), and 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 1B (5HT1B) in the amygdala and the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN). Our results demonstrate that higher population density can intensify stress reactions and male-male aggressive behavior in Brandt's voles at the price of inhibiting body growth and reproduction. Serotonergic systems in the amygdala and the DRN may take part in the control of aggressive behavior among male voles. Our results provide novel insights into the neuro-mechanism underlying the influence of population density on aggressive behavior in Brandt's vole, and imply that aggressive behavior may play an important role in the population fluctuation of the animal.

Effect of photoperiod and 6-methoxybenzoxazolinone (6-MBOA) on the reproduction of male Brandt's voles (Lasiopodomys brandtii).

Plant secondary metabolite 6-methoxybenzoxazolinone (6-MBOA) has been suggested to stimulate animal reproduction. 6-MBOA is detected in Leymus chinensis, a main diet of Brandt's vole (Lasiopodomys brandtii). We have previously reported a stimulatory effect of 6-MBOA on reproduction of male Brandt's voles under a short-day photoperiod. The goal of this study was to investigate the effect of 6-MBOA on reproductive physiology of male Brandt's voles under a long-day photoperiod and examine if 6-MBOA under this photoperiodic regime altered the reproductive status of male Brandt's voles differently than the short-day photoperiod. Under the long-day photoperiod, a high dose of 6-MBOA decreased KiSS-1 mRNA in the arcuate nucleus (ARC), and we also saw a decrease in circulating levels of luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and testosterone (T). Steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) and cytochrome P45011a1 (CYP11a1) in the testes, and relative testis weight also decreased with 6-MBOA administration. Compared to the short-day photoperiod, animals under the long-day photoperiod exhibited increased body weight as well as all other reproductive parameters. Our results showed that 6-MBOA inhibited the reproduction of male Brandt's vole under a long-day photoperiod, a stark contrast from its stimulatory effects under a short-day photoperiod. The paradoxical effects of 6-MBOA suggest it may act as a partial agonist of melatonin. These results provide insight into the complex interactions between environmental factors such as photoperiod and diet in the control of Brandt's vole reproduction.

Reproductive responses of male Brandt's voles (Lasiopodomys brandtii) to 6-methoxybenzoxazolinone (6-MBOA) under short photoperiod.

The plant secondary metabolite 6-methoxybenzoxazolinone (6-MBOA) can stimulate and enhance animal reproduction. This compound has been successfully detected in Leymus chinensis, which is the main diet of Brandt's voles. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different 6-MBOA doses on the reproductive physiology of male Brandt's voles under a short photoperiod. The results showed that 6-MBOA administration increased relative testis weight, regardless of the dose, but it had little effect on the body mass. Low and middle doses of 6-MBOA increased the concentrations of luteinizing hormone and testosterone in the serum and the mRNA levels of StAR and CYP11a1 in the testes. However, 6-MBOA did not cause any significant increase in the mRNA levels of KiSS-1, GPR54, and GnRH compared to those in the control group. The mRNA level of KiSS-1 in the arcuate nucleus (ARC) was higher than that in the anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AVPV). Collectively, our results demonstrated that the number of KiSS-1-expressing neurons located in the ARC was the highest, and that 6-MBOA, which might modulate the reproductive activity along the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, had a dose-dependent stimulatory effect on the reproductive activity of Brandt's voles under a short photoperiod. Our study provided insights into the mechanism of 6-MBOA action and the factors influencing the onset of reproduction in Brandt's voles.

Effects of dietary tannic acid on the growth, hepatic gene expression, and antioxidant enzyme activity in Brandt's voles (Microtus brandti).

This study was designed to investigate the physiological and biochemical responses of Brandt's voles to the persistent presence of dietary tannic acid. The diet for animals in the experimental group was supplemented with 3% dietary tannic acid for 5weeks. The control group received a commercial lab chow. No significant differences were detected in body weight, organ (heart, kidney, and liver) weights, and organ parameters between animals from two groups. However, voles in the experimental group had significantly higher daily food intake, increased contents of proline and histidine in saliva and feces after protein hydrolysis, and elevated hepatic expression of transferrin than the control. Our results suggested the existence of adaptive strategies developed in Brandt's voles to overcome the adverse effects of dietary tannic acid. (1) Food consumption was increased to satisfy their nutritional demands. (2) The secretion of tannic-acid-binding salivary proteins was promoted. (3) The absorption of iron was enhanced. These alterations contributed to neutralize the negative effects of tannic acid and maintain body mass in animals supplemented with tannic acid. As the result of the consumption of tannic acid, hepatic expression of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase was significantly decreased, while the overall potential of the antioxidant system, characterized by increased hepatic enzymatic activities of catalase and glutathione peroxidase, was enhanced. Our results also implied the involvement of tannic acid in the regulation of lipid metabolism and oxidative stress in voles.

[Trophic niches of Pantholops hodgsoni, Procapra picticaudata and Equus kiang in Kekexili region].

Interspecies competition is the main factor determining the trophic niche width of sympatric species on both ecological and evolutionary levels. In August 2004, a microscopic analysis of feces was made to analyze the diet compositions of Pantholops hodgsoni, Procapra picticaudata and Equus kiang under free-living circumstances between Chuma River and Wudaoliang in the Kekexili National Nature Reserve. The trophic niche widths and overlaps of these herbivorous ungulates were calculated based on the diet compositions, and the results showed that these three ungulates had similar foods, but the proportions of their diet compositions were different. Gramineous plants were the main food sources for P. hodgsoni, P. picticaudata and E. kiang, accounting for 58.7%, 44.57% and 92.28% of the diet, respectively. The trophic niche widths of P. hodgsoni, P. picticaudata and E. kianthese were 0.878, 0.735 and 0.695, and the niche overlaps of P. hodgsoni and E. kiang, P. hodgsoni and P. picticaudata, and E. kiang and P. picticaudata were 0.869, 0.985 and 0.785, respectively, which suggested that there was a potential intense competition among them, especially for P. hodgsoni and P. picticaudata. The relations between competition and coexistence among P. hodgsoni, P. picticaudata and E. kiang were discussed from the viewpoints of their ecological characteristics and trophic ecology.