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This three-wave longitudinal study aimed to investigate whether the relationship between self-control and academic achievement, through mastery goals, was conditional on the nature of the teacher-student relationships. A total of 852 junior school students in China completed questionnaires about self-control, mastery goals, and teacher-student relationships. Academic achievement was obtained from the school. The analyses of moderated mediation effects based on structural equation modeling showed that teacher-student emotional conflict increased the negative effect of students' low self-control on academic achievement via mastery goals, whereas teacher-student emotional support failed to moderate this link. Thus, both mediating and moderating effects exist in the association between self-control and adolescents' academic achievement.

Instant Messaging (IM) has become one of the most ubiquitous communication technologies worldwide. However, why IM has become popular and whether it is different for people with distinct interpersonal interaction characteristics remain unclear. This study attempts to explain the relations between adolescents' attachment styles and IM use by testing the mediating role of online interpersonal needs. Participants were 2245 adolescents from four Chinese junior high schools. Structural equation modeling results indicated that adolescents with higher attachment anxiety used IM more intensively, while those with higher attachment avoidance had lower levels of IM use intensity. Additionally, these links were mediated by online interpersonal needs that higher anxiously attached adolescents' more IM use was due to their more online interpersonal needs, and that higher avoidant adolescents' less IM use was accounted for by their less online interpersonal needs. These findings suggest that psychological needs offer an effective lens for understanding why IM has become popular and how it is different for people with distinct interpersonal interaction characteristics., Author(s): Caina Li [sup.1] , Jing Ma [sup.1] , Qingling Zhao [sup.1] , Hao Zhang [sup.1] [sup.2] , Ping Ren [sup.3] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.412498.2, 0000 0004 1759 8395, School [...]

The current two-wave longitudinal study sought to shed light on the well-established link between parental warm support and academic achievement by testing the potential mediating role of self-control and the moderating role of teacher emotional support among Chinese adolescents. 2569 Chinese students (45.22% girls; M.sub.age = 13.27, SD = 0.67 at baseline) completed self-reported measures at two time points, one year apart. The findings indicated that adolescents with higher parental warm support at baseline tended to have higher academic achievement one year later. Moreover, this link was mediated by self-control that parental warm support would heighten adolescents' self-control, and in turn increase their academic achievement one year later. Additionally, it was found that when teacher emotional support was higher, parental warmth support at baseline would heighten more academic achievement one year later through self-control. The findings illustrate the value of integrating parents and teachers' support in adolescent development, which helps them establish better personality traits as high self-control to improve academic achievement., Author(s): Maaza Saeed [sup.1] [sup.2] , Qingling Zhao [sup.1] [sup.2] , Bin Zhang [sup.1] [sup.2] , Caina Li [sup.1] [sup.2] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.412498.2, 0000 0004 1759 8395, School of [...]

Off-time pubertal timing has been linked to an increased risk of adolescent depressive symptoms, but the mechanisms underlying these associations are not well understood, particularly in a Chinese context. This three-wave longitudinal study investigated whether the relations between pubertal timing and depressive symptoms were through sadness rumination, and conditional on parental solicitation, for both Chinese girls and boys. Surveys were administered to adolescents and their parents across three measurement occasions, one year apart. Nine-hundred and fifty Chinese adolescents (56.63% boys; M.sub.age = 13.18, SD = 0.66 at baseline) reported their depressive symptoms and sadness rumination, and one of their parents (61.70% mothers) reported their children's pubertal timing and parental solicitation. Results indicated that early pubertal timing at baseline would increase girls' (but not boys') depressive symptoms two years later via elevated sadness rumination. Furthermore, it was found that when parental solicitation was higher, this indirect effect was no longer significant. These findings suggest that early maturation is a potential risk factor for adolescent girls' depressive symptoms, while high parental solicitation appears to buffer this pubertal risk through attenuating sadness rumination. Thus, early maturing girls would benefit from developing healthier cognitive strategies, parental initiative communications with them, or adequate sex education., Author(s): Caina Li [sup.1] [sup.2] , Qingling Zhao [sup.1] [sup.2] , Lijuan Zhang [sup.1] [sup.2] [sup.3] , Yunyun Zhang [sup.4] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.412498.2, 0000 0004 1759 8395, School of [...]

Aim: Non‐alcoholic fatty liver is the most common cause of chronic liver disease. GPR40 is a potential therapeutic target for energy metabolic disorders. GPR40 is a potential therapeutic target for energy metabolic disorders. SZZ15‐11 is a newly synthesized GPR40 agonist. In this study, we estimate the potency of SZZ15‐11 in fatty liver treatment. Methods: In vivo, diet‐induced obese (DIO) mice received SZZ15‐11 (50 mg/kg) and TAK875 (50 mg/kg) for 6 weeks. Blood glucose and lipid, hepatocyte lipid and liver morphology were analysed. In vitro, HepG2 cells and GPR40‐knockdown HepG2 cells induced with 0.3 mM oleic acid were treated with SZZ15‐11. Triglyceride and total cholesterol of cells were measured. At the same time, the AMPK pathway regulating triglycerides and cholesterol esters synthesis was investigated via western blot and quantitative polymerase chain reaction in both liver tissue and HepG2 cells. Results: SZZ15‐11 was found to not only attenuate hyperglycaemia and hyperlipidaemia but also ameliorate fatty liver disease in DIO mice. At the same time, SZZ15‐11 decreased triglyceride and total cholesterol content in HepG2 cells. Whether examined in the liver of DIO mice or in HepG2 cells, SZZ15‐11 upregulated AMPKα phosphorylation and then downregulated the expression of the cholesterogenic key enzyme 3‐hydroxy‐3‐methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase and inhibited acetyl‐CoA carboxylase activity. Furthermore, SZZ15‐11 promotes AMPK activity via [cAMP]i accumulation. Conclusion: This study confirmed that SZZ15‐11, a novel GPR40 agonist, improves hyperlipidaemia and fatty liver, partially via Gs signalling and the AMPK pathway in hepatocytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reciprocal self‐disclosure has reportedly been associated with increased interpersonal trust. However, existing research mainly focuses on online disclosure between acquaintances and overlooks the types of reciprocal disclosure, especially in the initial interactions between strangers communicating online. This study aimed to investigate how three types of reciprocal self‐disclosure (turn‐taking reciprocity, extended reciprocity and non‐reciprocity) contribute to trust and the mechanism of positive interpersonal liking, and whether any effect was instant and stable or increased across two interactions during computer‐mediated communication (CMC). Participants were assigned to one of the three reciprocal disclosure conditions and engaged in online interactions. Self‐reported and behavioural results demonstrated higher levels of interpersonal trust and liking in the second interaction phase than in the first across all conditions. The turn‐taking reciprocity condition showed higher interpersonal trust than did the extended condition, and higher interpersonal liking than did the extended and non‐reciprocity conditions; this effect was apparent in both interactions. These findings help us understand the relationship between online self‐disclosure and interpersonal trust, suggesting that certain patterns of communication with strangers (e.g., turn‐taking reciprocity) may foster more positive social outcomes during CMC over time, while demonstrating the importance of immediacy in synchronous conversations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current three-wave longitudinal study investigated whether peer victimization would activate adolescents' rumination and rejection sensitivity, and therefore exacerbate subsequent loneliness. Surveys were administered to adolescents across three measurements, one year apart. Eight hundred and fifty-seven Chinese adolescents (56.62% males; Mage = 14.73, SD = 0.43) completed self-reported and peer-nominated measures of victimization, rumination, rejection sensitivity and loneliness. Results revealed that self-reported, but not peer-nominated victimization at baseline directly predicted adolescent loneliness one year later. Moreover, both rumination and rejection sensitivity exerted mediating effects on the relationship between self-reported victimization and loneliness. Additionally, this parallel mediation model was robust across gender. These findings suggest that self-perceived peer victimization would increase Chinese adolescents' loneliness since they employ rumination and rejection sensitivity to cope with peer victimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]