Chicken UFL1 Restricts Avian Influenza Virus Replication by Disrupting the Viral Polymerase Complex and Facilitating Type I IFN Production.

During avian influenza virus (AIV) infection, host defensive proteins promote antiviral innate immunity or antagonize viral components to limit viral replication. UFM1-specific ligase 1 (UFL1) is involved in regulating innate immunity and DNA virus replication in mammals, but the molecular mechanism by which chicken (ch)UFL1 regulates AIV replication is unclear. In this study, we first identified chUFL1 as a negative regulator of AIV replication by enhancing innate immunity and disrupting the assembly of the viral polymerase complex. Mechanistically, chUFL1 interacted with chicken stimulator of IFN genes (chSTING) and contributed to chSTING dimerization and the formation of the STING-TBK1-IRF7 complex. We further demonstrated that chUFL1 promoted K63-linked polyubiquitination of chSTING at K308 to facilitate chSTING-mediated type I IFN production independent of UFMylation. Additionally, chUFL1 expression was upregulated in response to AIV infection. Importantly, chUFL1 also interacted with the AIV PA protein to inhibit viral polymerase activity. Furthermore, chUFL1 impeded the nuclear import of the AIV PA protein and the assembly of the viral polymerase complex to suppress AIV replication. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that chUFL1 restricts AIV replication by disrupting the viral polymerase complex and facilitating type I IFN production, which provides new insights into the regulation of AIV replication in chickens.

Patients' and caregivers' perceptions of the quality of hospital-at-home service: A scoping review.

AIM: This scoping review aims to provide an overview of patients and caregivers perceptions of hospital-at-home (HaH) services. BACKGROUND: HaH services provide patients with hospital-level care at home and are central to integrated healthcare systems. Despite favourable data from individual studies in the literature, in-depth analysis from patient and caregivers perspectives is lacking. This understanding is essential for the dissemination and scaling of HaH services. DESIGN: The scoping review was performed using the PRISMA-ScR checklist and PAGER framework for the findings report and research recommendations. METHOD: Literature from PubMed, Web of Science, Ovid, CINAHL, Cochrane and Mednar databases were searched. Relevant studies published between 1st January 2005 and 31st December 2022 were identified. The conceptual model of the development of patient perceptions of quality was used for data extraction and tabulation. RESULTS: The review included 24 articles. Expectation attributions were identified as needs, types of service, hospitalisation experiences, family care preferences, social-demographics and coping skills. From patient's and caregiver's perspectives, HaH was safe, effective and viewed positively. Perceived concerns/barriers and enablers/facilitators were associated with individual, caregiver and system factors, but demonstrated an overall satisfaction in the HaH service. CONCLUSION: HaH provides an excellent service according to patients' and caregivers' perceptions. However, gaps in care were identified such as prioritising patient-centred care, along with improved multidisciplinary continuity of care and future studies should incorporate these into their research of HaH. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Patients' and caregivers' HaH needs should be embedded in the design, development and implementation of HaH services. PATIENT AND PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: Not applicable for the study design of this scoping review.

The integrated common-sense model of illness self-regulation: predicting healthy eating, exercise behaviors, and health among individuals at risk of metabolic syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the potential mechanisms of healthy eating and exercise change, and design interventions which aim to promote healthy eating and exercise change among individuals at risk of metabolic syndrome. This study aimed to identify key determinants of healthy eating, exercise behaviors, and health among individuals at risk of metabolic syndrome using the integrated common-sense model of illness self-regulation. METHOD: A cross-sectional study with a multi-wave data collection strategy. A total of 275 participants at risk of metabolic syndrome based on the clinical prediction model were included in the final analysis. Path analysis was employed to explore the pattern of relationships between key variables using AMOS. RESULTS: The mediation analysis suggested that personal and treatment control, and coherence can positively affect self-reported health via intentions and health behaviors (exercise and healthy eating). Additionally, relationships between self-efficacy (exercise and healthy eating) and health outcomes can be mediated by health behaviors, and both intentions and health behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: This current research used the integrated common-sense model of illness self-regulation to predict healthy eating, exercise behaviors, and self-reported health among individuals at risk of metabolic syndrome. The results suggested that self-efficacy, intention, consequences, personal control, treatment control, and coherence were the key determinants of behavior and health, which can help design interventions to encourage healthy eating and exercise changes among individuals with a high risk of MetS.

Effects of an Individualized mHealth-Based Intervention on Health Behavior Change and Cardiovascular Risk Among People With Metabolic Syndrome Based on the Behavior Change Wheel: Quasi-Experimental Study.

BACKGROUND: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a common public health challenge. Health-promoting behaviors such as diet and physical activity are central to preventing and controlling MetS. However, the adoption of diet and physical activity behaviors has always been challenging. An individualized mobile health (mHealth)-based intervention using the Behavior Change Wheel is promising in promoting health behavior change and reducing atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk. However, the effects of this intervention are not well understood among people with MetS in mainland China. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluate the effects of the individualized mHealth-based intervention using the Behavior Change Wheel on behavior change and ASCVD risk in people with MetS. METHODS: We conducted a quasi-experimental, nonrandomized study. Individuals with MetS were recruited from the health promotion center of a tertiary hospital in Zhejiang province, China. The study involved 138 adults with MetS, comprising a control group of 69 participants and an intervention group of 69 participants. All participants received health education regarding diet and physical activity. The intervention group additionally received a 12-week individualized intervention through a WeChat mini program and a telephone follow-up in the sixth week of the intervention. Primary outcomes included diet, physical activity behaviors, and ASCVD risk. Secondary outcomes included diet self-efficacy, physical activity self-efficacy, knowledge of MetS, quality of life, and the quality and efficiency of health management services. The Mann-Whitney U test and Wilcoxon signed rank test were primarily used for data analysis. Data analysis was conducted based on the intention-to-treat principle using SPSS (version 25.0; IBM Corp). RESULTS: Baseline characteristics did not differ between the 2 groups. Compared with the control group, participants in the intervention group showed statistically significant improvements in diet behavior, physical activity behavior, diet self-efficacy, physical activity self-efficacy, knowledge of MetS, physical health, and mental health after a 12-week intervention (P=.04, P=.001, P=.04, P=.04, P=.001, P=.04, P=.04, and P<.05). The intervention group demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in outcomes from pre- to postintervention evaluations (P<.001, P=.03, P<.001, P=.04, P<.001, P<.001, and P<.001). The intervention also led to enhanced health management services and quality. CONCLUSIONS: The individualized mHealth-based intervention using the Behavior Change Wheel was effective in promoting diet and physical activity behaviors in patients with MetS. Nurses and other health care professionals may incorporate the intervention into their health promotion programs.

Development of a behavior change intervention to improve physical activity adherence in individuals with metabolic syndrome using the behavior change wheel.

BACKGROUND: Adherence to physical activity is inadequate in adults with metabolic syndrome. Adherence to physical activity recommendations is crucial and can result in improved health outcomes and reduced medical burdens. A comprehensive behavior change intervention, including identifying determinants of adherence to physical activity recommendations, intervention options, intervention content and implementation options, was imperative for enhancing physical activity adherence. The aim of the study is to develop an intervention to increase physical activity adherence among individuals with metabolic syndrome. METHODS: The study followed the eight steps of the Behavior Change Wheel guide, including defining the problem in behavioral terms (Step 1), selecting target behavior (Step 2), specifying target behavior (Step 3), identifying what needs to change (Step 4), identifying intervention functions (Step 5), identifying policy categories (Step 6), identifying behavior change techniques (Step 7), and determining model of delivery (Step 8). The semi-structured, in-depth interviews were employed to identify the determinants of adherence to physical activity among twenty-eight individuals with metabolic syndrome based on capability, opportunity, motivation and behavior model. Next, the intervention functions and policy categories were chosen to address these determinants. Finally, behavior change techniques were selected to assist in the delivery of the intervention functions and be translated into intervention content. RESULTS: Our study identified eighteen facilitators and fifteen barriers to physical activity adherence. It resulted in the selection of seven intervention functions and nineteen behavior change techniques for the intervention program. Then, the current study identified an app as the delivery mode. Finally, a behavioral change intervention was generated for individuals with metabolic syndrome to increase physical activity recommendation adherence. CONCLUSIONS: The Behavior Change Wheel provided a systematic approach to designing a behavior change intervention, which helped improve the health outcomes and reduce medical burdens and economic burdens among individuals with metabolic syndrome. The findings suggested that potential intervention should pay special attention to increasing knowledge in metabolic syndrome, imparting skills of physical activity, offering a supportive environment, and providing suggestions on regular physical activity using the appropriate behavior change techniques. A feasibility study will be undertaken to assess the acceptability and effectiveness of the intervention program in the future.

The effect of ovarian stimulation on aneuploidy of early aborted tissues and preimplantation blastocysts: comparison of the GnRH agonist long protocol with the GnRH antagonist protocol.

PURPOSE: To compare aneuploidy rates in early aborted tissues or blastocysts between in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles after the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist (GnRH-ant) protocol or the GnRH agonist (GnRH-a) long protocol. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study from a university-affiliated fertility center. In total, 550 early miscarriage patients who conceived through IVF/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) after receiving the GnRH-ant or GnRH-a long protocol were analyzed to compare aneuploidy rates in early aborted tissues. To compare aneuploidy rates in blastocysts, 404 preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A) cycles with the GnRH-ant protocol or GnRH-a long protocol were also analyzed. RESULTS: For early miscarriage patients who conceived through IVF/ICSI, compared to the GnRH-a long protocol group, the GnRH-ant protocol group had a significantly higher rate of aneuploidy in early aborted tissues (48.51% vs. 64.19%). Regarding PGT-A cycles, the rate of blastocyst aneuploidy was significantly higher in the GnRH-ant protocol group than the GnRH-a long protocol group (39.69% vs. 52.27%). After stratification and multiple linear regression, the GnRH-ant regimen remained significantly associated with an increased risk of aneuploidy in early aborted tissues and blastocysts [OR (95% CI) 1.81 (1.21, 2.71), OR (95% CI) 1.65 (1.13, 2.42)]. Furthermore, the blastocyst aneuploidy rate in the GnRH-ant protocol group was significantly higher but only in young and normal ovarian responders [OR (95% CI) 5.07 (1.99, 12.92)]. CONCLUSION: Compared to the GnRH-a long protocol, the GnRH-ant protocol is associated with a higher aneuploidy rate in early aborted tissues and blastocysts. These results should be confirmed in a multicenter, randomized controlled trial.

[Influence of gender of reciprocal translocation carriers on the occurrence of embryonic chromosomal abnormalities].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the influence of gender of chromosomal translocation carriers on the occurrence of embryonic chromosomal aberrations. METHODS: A retrospective study was carried out. Data were collected from 235 couples carrying reciprocal translocations (1163 blastocysts) and 70 couples carrying Robertsonian translocations (351 blastocysts). The preimplantation genetic testing for structural rearrangement (PGT-SR) analysis of 1514 blastocysts were completed through next generation sequencing (NGS). RESULTS: After adjusting the confounding factors such as female age, AMH, ovarian stimulation regimen, and Gn dosage, the results showed that the risk for blastocyst chromosomal abnormalities was 0.41 [OR(95%CI), 1.41(1.06, 1.87), P < 0.05] times higher in female reciprocal translocation carriers and 1.02 [OR(95%CI), 2.02 (1.20, 3.40), P < 0.01] times higher in female Robertsonian translocation carriers compared with male carriers, respectively. Compared with male carriers, the risk of blastocyst chromosomal abnormalities was increased by 0.67 times [OR(95%CI), 1.67 (1.10, 2.56), P < 0.05] in female reciprocal translocation carriers over 30 years old and 1.06 times [OR(95%CI), 2.06 (1.02, 4.15), P = 0.0434, P < 0.05] in female Robertsonian translocation carriers between 25 and 30 years old. CONCLUSION: Compared with male carriers, female carriers of reciprocal or Robertsonian translocations have a higher risk for producing embryos with chromosomal abnormalities, and their age may also be a risk factor.

Influence of perceived stress on health-promoting behaviors in patients with metabolic syndrome: the multiple mediating roles of adaptability and social support.

: To explore the potential associations between perceived stress and health-promoting behaviors based on the theoretical schema of the middle-range theory of adaptation to chronic illness. From January to May 2021, a convenience sampling method was used to recruit 230 young and middle-aged patients with metabolic syndrome who underwent physical examination in the inpatient center of Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine. The Health-Promoting Health Profile-Ⅱ, Chinese Perceived Stress Scale, Coping and Adaptation Processing Scale-Short Form, and Multi-dimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support were used in the cross-sectional study. The chain mediation effect procedure and bootstrap sampling test were used to examine the mediating role of adaptability and social support between perceived stress and health-promoting behaviors. The mean score of health-promoting behaviors was 100.0±14.6, the mean score of perceived stress was 22.0± 6.9, the mean score of adaptability was 47.0±6.1, and the mean score of social support was 63.8±10.8. Perceived stress had a negative impact on patients' health-promoting behaviors (=-0.309, <0.05). The adaptability (effect size= -0.112, 95%:-0.199~-0.038) and social support (effect size= -0.032, 95%:-0.083~played a mediating role and a chain mediating role in the process of perceived stress influencing patients' health-promoting behaviors (effect size= -0.045, 95%:-0.093~-0.020). Adaptability and social support play an intermediary role between perceived stress and health-promoting behaviors in young and middle-aged patients with metabolic syndrome. Healthcare professionals can motivate patients to develop healthy behaviors by developing intervention strategies on adaptability and social support.

Social support, anxiety symptoms, and depression symptoms among residents in standardized residency training programs: the mediating effects of emotional exhaustion.

BACKGROUND: Although studies indicate that social support is related to emotional exhaustion, depression symptoms, and anxiety symptoms, the underlying mechanism between those variables remains unknown. METHODS: Based on a sample of 254 residents in standardized residency training programs, two mediation models were tested in which emotional exhaustion served as a mediator in the relationship between social support and anxiety symptoms/depression symptoms. We used the following self-reported questionnaires as instruments to collect data: zung self-rating depression scale, zung self-rating anxiety scale, social support rating scale, and emotional exhaustion scale. RESULTS: In the final study sample, the mean age of the residents was 25.92 years old (SD =1.88), and a total of 41.3% were male, and 58.7% were female. This current study suggested that social support was proven to be a relevant factor affecting anxiety symptoms and depression symptoms. Particularly, the results also indicated that emotional exhaustion partially mediated the impact of social support on anxiety symptoms and depression symptoms among Chinese residents in the standardized residency training program. CONCLUSIONS: Our study signifies that enhancements in social support and reduction of emotional exhaustion can directly or indirectly affect anxiety symptoms and depression symptoms among Chinese residents in the standardized residency training program. These findings will offer insight for health-sector managers to develop programs aimed at social support and adopt individual-level interventions and organization-level interventions to reduce emotional exhaustion.

Family interaction among young Chinese breast cancer survivors.

BACKGROUND: Family interaction is an important factor contributing to the quality of survivorship among breast cancer survivors. The dearth of studies involving young females with breast cancer has limited the understanding of family interaction in this increasingly large population. METHODS: The aim of this study was to explore family interaction patterns among young Chinese breast cancer survivors. We conducted in-depth interviews with seventeen young breast cancer survivors (YBCSs) in China between May 2019 and December 2019. A content analysis was performed to identify the characteristics of family interaction in this population. Conceptualizations of feminism and social support were used to guide the data analysis. RESULTS: Family interaction patterns were categorized into 5 domains from the perceptions of Chinese YBCSs: (1) adjustment of parenthood (changes in child-rearing approaches, perception of children's care) (2) ambivalence towards intimacy (desire for intimate relationships, perceived relationship insecurity); (3) concerns regarding fertility; (4) return to work (coping with gratitude and guilt by working, readapting to family and society by working); (5) activation of the support system in a large family (instrumental support from core family members, instrumental, informational, and appraisal support from relatives). CONCLUSIONS: The study provides a deeper understanding of the interactions between young breast cancer survivors and their family members in China. These findings can support health professionals in developing female-sensitive, culturally specific interventions to assist Chinese YBCSs and their families in increasing positive interactions and family resilience as well as quality of life. In addition, the findings are highly applicable to other female cancer survivors and their vulnerable families exposed to similar social and cultural contexts.

'There is always a way to living with illness'-Self-management strategies reported by Chinese hospitalized patients with cardiovascular disease: A descriptive qualitative study.

OBJECTIVES: Patients living with cardiovascular diseases use different strategies to solve various problems. This study aimed to identify the category, type and specific self-management strategies reported by hospitalized patients with cardiovascular diseases. METHODS: This is a qualitative descriptive study. Twenty-eight individuals with cardiovascular diseases from a Cardiology Department affiliated with a school in China were recruited by purposive sampling. Face-to-face semi-structured interviews were used. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, translated and analysed by using content analysis. RESULTS: Five self-management strategy categories (medical and alternative therapy uptake, risk assessment and avoidance, resource seeking and utilization, maintaining normality, and optional management), and seventeen self-management strategy types, encompassing one hundred and ten specific strategies were identified. The most commonly used self-management strategy types were lifestyle adjustment (eleven strategies), self-maintenance (nine strategies) and problem-solving (nine strategies). Additionally, the most described explicit self-management strategies were receiving family/colleague support, maintaining daily routines, monitoring symptoms and managing side effects, discussing with professionals, using medicines, and improving awareness. CONCLUSION: This study identified diverse strategies reported by some Chinese cardiovascular patients. It may inform the design and development of personalized self-management interventions for health practitioners and policymakers, helping cardiovascular patients in Chinese communities worldwide receive culture-tailored services.

Psychometric properties of the ethical conflict in nursing questionnaire critical care version among Chinese nurses: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Ethical conflicts are common in the critical care setting, and have compromised job satisfaction and nursing care quality. Using reliable and valid instruments to measure the ethical conflict is essential. This study aimed to translate the Ethical Conflict in Nursing Questionnaire - Critical Care Version into Chinese and determine the reliability and validity in the population of Chinese nurses. METHODS: Researchers obtained permission and followed the translation-backward method to develop the Chinese version of the Ethical Conflict in Nursing Questionnaire - Critical Care Version (ECNQ-CCV-C). Relevant psychometric properties were selected according to the Consensus-based standards for the selection of health status measurement instruments checklist. Critical care nurses were recruited from two tertiary public hospitals in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, and Kunming, Yunnan Province. Of the 264 nurses we approached, 248 gave their consent and completed the study. RESULTS: The ECNQ-CCV-C achieved Cronbach's alphas 0.902 and McDonald's omega coefficient 0.903. The test-retest reliability was satisfactory within a 2-week interval (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.757). A unidimensional structure of the ECNQ-CCV-C was determined. Confirmatory factor analysis supported acceptable structure validity. Concurrent validity was confirmed by a moderate relation with a measure for hospital ethical climate (r = - 0.33, p < 0.01). The model structure was invariant across different gender groups, with no floor/ceiling effect. CONCLUSIONS: The ECNQ-CCV-C demonstrated acceptable reliability and validity among Chinese nurses and had great clinical utility in critical care nursing.

Anxiety symptoms and burnout among Chinese medical staff of intensive care unit: the moderating effect of social support.

BACKGROUND: Social support can be a critical resource to help medical staff cope with stressful events; however, the moderating effect of social support on the relationship between burnout and anxiety symptoms has not yet been explored. METHODS: The final sample was comprised of 514 intensive care unit physicians and nurses in this cross-sectional study. Questionnaires were used to collect data. A moderated model was used to test the effect of social support. RESULTS: The moderating effect of social support was found to be significant (b = - 0.06, p = 0.04, 95%CI [- 0.12, - 0.01]). The Johnson-Neyman technique indicated that when social support scores were above 4.26 among intensive care unit medical staff, burnout was not related to anxiety symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to test the moderating effect of social support on the relationship between burnout and anxiety symptoms among intensive care unit staff.

Gpr97/Adgrg3 ameliorates experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis by regulating cytokine expression.

Multiple sclerosis and its primary animal model, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), are inflammatory diseases of the central nervous system (CNS) characterized by immune-mediated demyelination and neurodegeneration that may be mediated by inhibition of the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway. Gpr97, encoded by Adgrg3, has been reported to regulate the activity of NF-κB. In this study, using a previously established Adgrg3-knockout mouse model, we investigated the roles of Gpr97 in the development of autoimmune CNS disease in mice. We found a marked increase in the expression of Adgrg3 in spinal cords of mice with EAE. Adgrg3-deficient (Adgrg3-/-) mice with EAE exhibited increases in peak severity and the cumulative disease score compared with littermate controls, followed by a notable increase of leukocyte infiltration and more extensive demyelination. The percentages of Th1/Th17 cells in the CNS were significantly increased in Adgrg3-/- mice and accompanied by high levels of interleukin (IL)-6, interferon-γ, tumor necrosis factor-α, and IL-17. An in vitro culture assay verified that Gpr97 regulated proinflammatory cytokine production. Taken together, our results show that Gpr97 plays an important role in the development of EAE and may have a therapeutic potential for the treatment of CNS autoimmunity.

Tafa-2 plays an essential role in neuronal survival and neurobiological function in mice.

Tafa is a family of small secreted proteins with conserved cysteine residues and restricted expression in the brain. It is composed of five highly homologous genes referred to as Tafa-1 to -5. Among them, Tafa-2 is identified as one of the potential genes responsible for intellectual deficiency in a patient with mild mental retardation. To investigate the biological function of Tafa-2 in vivo, Tafa-2 knockout mice were generated. The mutant mice grew and developed normally but exhibited impairments in spatial learning and memory in Morris water maze test and impairments in short- and long-term memory in novel object recognition test, accompanied with increased level of anxiety-like behaviors in open-field test and elevated plus maze test, and decreased level of depression-like behaviors in forced-swim test and tail-suspension test. Further examinations revealed that Tafa-2 deficiency causes severe neuronal reduction and increased apoptosis in the brain of Tafa-2-/- mice via downregulation of PI3K/Akt and MAPK/Erk pathways. Conformably, the expression levels of CREB target genes including BDNF, c-fos and NF1, and CBP were found to be reduced in the brain of Tafa-2-/- mice. Taken together, our data indicate that Tafa-2 may function as a neurotrophic factor essential for neuronal survival and neurobiological functions.

Nursing work environment, value congruence and their relationships with nurses' work outcomes.

AIMS: To explore the relationships between work environment, value congruence and nurses' work outcomes; as well as to test the moderating effects of value congruence. BACKGROUND: A poor nursing work environment in most of mainland China has negatively influenced nurses' job satisfaction, burnout and turnover intention. New insights such as improving nurses' value congruence should be proposed to better foster nurses. METHODS: Cross-sectional data were selected from the Chinese Nurses' Environment of Work Status study. In total, 19149 valid samples were collected. Hierarchical regression analyses and simple slope analyses were performed. RESULTS: The correlation coefficients of the variables were all significant (p < .01) and in the expected direction. Value congruence moderated the relationship between nursing work environment and burnout (emotional exhaustion: ß = 0.106, p < .01; depersonalization: ß = 0.111, p < .01). CONCLUSIONS: Nursing work environment and value congruence were positively related to job satisfaction, and negatively related to burnout and turnover intention. The adverse impact of poor work environment on nurses' burnout can be buffered if nurses' value congruence is compatible with that of the organisation. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Except for improving the organisational characteristics, value congruence is a useful concept that managers can leverage to improve positive outcomes for both the organisation and its nurses.

Nhe5 deficiency enhances learning and memory via upregulating Bdnf/TrkB signaling in mice.

Nhe5, a Na+ /H+ exchanger, is predominantly expressed in brain tissue and is proposed to act as a negative regulator of dendritic spine growth. Up to now, its physiological function in vivo remains unclear. Here we show that Nhe5-deficient mice exhibit markedly enhanced learning and memory in Morris water maze, novel object recognition, and passive avoidance task. Meanwhile, the pre- and post-synaptic components, synaptophysin (Syn) and post-synaptic density 95 (PSD95) expression levels were found increased in hippocampal regions lacking of Nhe5, suggesting a possible alterations in neuronal synaptic structure and function in Nhe5-/- mice. Further study reveals that Nhe5 deficiency leads to higher Bdnf expression levels, followed by increased phosphorylated TrkB and PLCγ levels, indicating that Bdnf/TrkB signaling is activated due to Nhe5 deficiency. Moreover, the corresponding brain regions of Nhe5-/- mice display elevated ERK/CaMKII/CREB phosphorylation levels. Taken together, these findings uncover a novel physiological function of Nhe5 in regulating learning and memory, further implying Nhe5 as a potential therapeutic target for improving cognition.

Establishment, characterization, and application of pAcr-SP-NTP-EGFP transgenic mice in visualizing the oviduct-migrating ability of sperm from Prss37-null mice.

Transgenic mouse model with fluorescently labeled sperm has extensive application value. It is an auxiliary tool for investigating the mechanism of fertilization, especially for visualizing the oviduct-migrating ability of sperm in vivo. Here, we produced transgenic mouse lines whose sperm were tagged with enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) according to the previously described method. Polymerase chain reaction analysis of tail-tip genomic DNA identified 13 founders, of which 5 male founders produced offspring to form transgenic lines. We showed that EGFP was testis-specifically expressed, sharing similar expression pattern with endogenous acrosin. It has luminal side restricted distribution in seminiferous tubules and acrosomal aggregation in mature sperm. In addition, interstrain hybridization obtained Prss37(-/-)EGFP(tg/+) males produced sperm with impaired oviduct-migrating ability as visualized under fluorescence microscope, compared with Prss37(+/+)EGFP(tg/+) counterparts. These results indicate that a transgenic mouse model with fluorescently labeled sperm has been successfully established and it is a useful tool for evaluating the oviduct-migrating ability of sperm.

Effects of the "AI-TA" Mobile App With Intelligent Design on Psychological and Related Symptoms of Young Survivors of Breast Cancer: Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Young women often face substantial psychological challenges in the initial years following cancer diagnosis, leading to a comparatively lower quality of life than older survivors. While mobile apps have emerged as potential interventions, their effectiveness remains inconclusive due to the diversity in intervention types and variation in follow-up periods. Furthermore, there is a particular dearth of evidence regarding the efficacy of these apps' intelligent features in addressing psychological distress with these apps. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a mobile app with intelligent design called "AI-TA" on cancer-related psychological health and ongoing symptoms with a randomized controlled design. METHODS: Women aged 18 to 45 years diagnosed with breast cancer were randomly assigned to the intervention or control group. The intervention was AI-TA, which included 2-way web-based follow-up every 2 weeks. Both intention-to-treat (ITT) and per-protocol (PP) analyses employed repeated measurement analysis of variance. The participants' background features, primary outcomes (psychological distress and frequency, self-efficacy, and social support), and secondary outcomes (quality of life) were measured using multiple instruments at 3 time points (baseline, 1-month intervention, and 3-month intervention). RESULTS: A total of 124 participants were randomly allocated to the control group (n=62, 50%) or intervention group (n=62, 50%). In total, 92.7% (115/124) of the participants completed the intervention. Significant improvements in psychological symptoms (Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale-Short Form) were observed in the ITT group from baseline to 1-month intervention relative to the control group (ITT vs control: 1.17 vs 1.23; P<.001), which persisted at 3-month follow-up (ITT vs control: 0.68 vs 0.91; P<.001). Both the ITT and PP groups exhibited greater improvements in self-efficacy (Cancer Behavior Inventory-Brief Version) than the control group at 1-month (ITT vs PP vs control: 82.83 vs 77.12 vs 65.35; P<.001) and 3-month intervention (ITT vs PP vs control: 92.83 vs 89.30 vs 85.65; P<.001). However, the change in social support (Social Support Rating Scale) did not increase significantly until 3-month intervention (ITT vs control: 50.09 vs 45.10; P=.002) (PP vs control: 49.78 vs 45.10; P<.001). All groups also experienced beneficial effects on quality of life (Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast), which persisted at 3-month follow-up (P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: The intelligent mobile app AI-TA incorporating intelligent design shows promise for reducing psychological and cancer-related symptoms among young survivors of breast cancer. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR2200058823; https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.html?proj=151195.

The Preserved Thickness Ratio of the Femoral Head Contributes to the Collapse Predictor of Osteonecrosis.

OBJECTIVES: The collapse of femoral head is a serious symptom of osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH), resulting in hip pain and deformity. However, it is hardly possible to reestablish the femoral head nonoperatively once the collapse happens. Predicting femoral head collapse is of great value for the prognosis of ONFH. This study aimed to develop a new method to quantify the preserved thickness of femoral head and to assess its diagnostic contribution in predicting femoral head collapse on plain radiographs. METHODS: This was a single-center retrospective study. A total of 101 hips (85 patients) with ARCO stage II from January 2008 to December 2016 were included in this study. The preserved thickness was measured on standard anteroposterior (AP) and frog-leg (FL) radiographs. The anteroposterior view's preserved thickness ratio (APTR) and the frog-leg view's preserved thickness ratio (FPTR) were calculated to show the preserved thickness ratio of the femoral head anteriorly and laterally. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression was performed to determine the risk factors for collapse. Sensitivity, specificity, and cut-off values for APTR and FPTR were determined by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Kaplan-Meier (K-M) analysis was applied to determine femoral head survival in ONFH patients. RESULTS: The mean age of the 27 females and 58 males was 38.93 years old. The mean follow-up time was 74.62 (36-124) months in the non-collapse group and 18.66 (3-82) months in the collapse group. Femoral head collapse was observed in 62 hips during the follow-up period. Logistic regression analysis and ROC results showed that APTR <24.79% and FPTR <10.62% were significantly correlated with femoral head collapse. The Kaplan-Meier survival curve suggested that the overall survival rate of APTR ≥24.79% was 68.2% at 5 and 10 years and FPTR ≥10.62% was 71.63% at 5 and 10 years. At the last follow-up, 26 hips had collapse on the anterior side of the femoral head, 12 hips occurred on the lateral side, and 24 hips happened to collapse on both anterior and lateral sides. CONCLUSION: Femoral head collapse predominantly occurred anteriorly rather than laterally in ONFH patients. The measurements of APTR and FPTR have noticeable implications for the prediction of femoral head collapse, and contribute to the selection of treatment options for ONFH patients with types B and C1 according to the JIC classification.