Introgression of an All-Stage and Broad-Spectrum Powdery Mildew Resistance Gene Pm3VS from Dasypyrum villosum Chromosome 3V into Wheat.

Powdery mildew, caused by Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici (Bgt), is a serious disease that threatens wheat production globally. It is imperative to explore novel resistance genes to control this disease by developing and planting resistant varieties. Here, we identified a wheat-Dasypyrum villosum 3V (3D) disomic substitution line, NAU3815 (2n = 42), with a high level of powdery mildew resistance at both the seedling and adult-plant stages. Subsequently, NAU3815 was used to generate recombination between chromosomes 3V and 3D. Through genomic in situ hybridization (GISH), fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), and 3VS- and 3VL-specific markers analysis, four introgression lines were developed from the selfing progenies of 3V and 3D double monosomic line NAU3816, which was derived from the F1 hybrids of NAU3815/NAU0686. There were t3VS (3D) ditelosomic substitution line NAU3817, t3VL (3D) ditelosomic substitution line NAU3818, homozygous T3DL·3VS translocation line NAU3819, and homozygous T3DS·3VL translocation line NAU3820. Powdery mildew tests of these lines confirmed the presence of an all-stage and broad-spectrum powdery mildew resistance gene, Pm3VS, located on chromosome arm 3VS. When compared with the recurrent parent NAU0686 plants, the T3DL·3VS translocation line NAU3819 showed no obvious negative effect on yield-related traits. However, the introduction of the T3DL·3VS translocated chromosome had a strong effect on reducing the flag-leaf length. Consequently, the T3DL·3VS translocation line NAU3819 provides a new germplasm in breeding for both resistance and plant architecture.

Relationship between social support and self-care ability among patients with breast cancer during rehabilitation: The multiple mediating roles of resilience and depression.

AIMS: To identify the multiple mediating effects of resilience and depression between social support and self-care ability among patients with breast cancer during rehabilitation to provide reference for developing and implementing targeted interventions. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study reported according to the STROBE checklist. METHODS: A convenience sample of 320 patients with breast cancer during rehabilitation was recruited from one hospital in China. Data were collected from April to August 2022 using a self-report questionnaire, including the demographic and clinical information, Appraisal of Self-Care Agency Scale-Revised, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale-10 item, and Patient Health Questionnaire-9. The mediation analysis was conducted using the SPSS Process macro. RESULTS: Self-care ability was positively associated with social support (ß = .229) and resilience (ß = .290), and negatively associated with depression (ß = -.208). The relationship between social support and self-care ability was mediated by resilience and depression, respectively, and together in serial. The multiple mediating effects accounted for 34.0% of the total effect of social support on self-care ability. CONCLUSION: Our findings identify resilience and depression as multiple mediators between social support and self-care ability and highlight the important roles of social support, resilience and depression in improving self-care ability. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Healthcare providers should pay great attention to the underlying mechanisms of how social support affects patients' self-care ability during breast cancer rehabilitation. Integrated intervention programmes targeted at enhancing social support, building resilience and alleviating depression might be beneficial to the improvement of self-care ability. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No patient or public contribution. REPORTING METHOD: The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) checklist for cross-sectional studies was applied to report the results.

Effects of exercise interventions on physical, psychological and social outcomes in frail older adults: An overview of systematic reviews.

AIMS: To comprehensively synthesise existing evidence from systematic reviews regarding the effects of exercise interventions on physical, psychological and social outcomes in frail older adults to provide reference for clinical practice. BACKGROUND: Frailty is highly prevalent in older adults and associated with increased adverse health outcomes. Some systematic reviews have assessed the effectiveness of exercise interventions in frail older adults with varied inclusion criteria, methodology quality, types of exercise and outcome measures. DESIGN: An overview of systematic reviews reported following the PRISMA checklist. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science and Cochrane database were searched from inception until June 2023 to identify relevant systematic reviews with or without meta-analysis of randomised controlled trails. Two reviewers independently selected articles, extracted data, assessed quality and summarised findings. RESULTS: A total of 17 systematic reviews were included, with methodology quality varying from moderate to critically low. The most frequent types of exercise were multicomponent exercise and resistance-based exercise in community and long-term care facilities, respectively. Exercise interventions had positive effects on most physical outcomes and depression, but inconsistent effects on cognitive function and quality of life. The quality of the evidence for most outcomes was low and very low. CONCLUSIONS: This overview highlights the importance of exercise interventions to improve physical, psychological and social aspects in frail older adults and provides evidence on characteristics of exercise interventions for frailty in various settings. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Multicomponent exercise and resistance-based exercise should be recommended for frail older adults. There is a need of more well-designed research with large sample size and validated definition of frailty. Long-term effects, adherence during and after exercise interventions, adverse events and cost-effectiveness should be emphasised in future studies. TRIAL AND PROTOCOL REGISTRATION: The overview protocol was registered on the International Prospective Register of Systematic reviews (CRD 42021281327). PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No patient or public contribution. REPORTING METHOD: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines were applied to report the results.

Identifying quality indicators for home care services: a modified Delphi and Analytic Hierarchy Process study.

BACKGROUND: As the recipients of home care services, patients have the most direct and profound experience of service quality. There is limited knowledge as to quality indicators for home care services from patients' perspective. This study aimed to identify quality indicators for home care services based on the Service Quality model and determine the weights of these indicators. METHODS: A two-round Delphi survey and Analytic Hierarchy Process consultation were conducted to gather opinions from national experts on quality indicators for home care services developed on the basis of the Service Quality model. Consensus was defined as at least 80% agreement on the importance (important and very important) of indicators among experts. The Analytic Hierarchy Process was used to calculate the weight coefficients of the identified indicators. RESULTS: The response rate was 95.0% and 97.4% in the first and second round, respectively. After two rounds, five first-level (tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy) and 23 second-level indicators were identified. The Kendall's W values were 0.54 and 0.40 for the first-level and second-level indicators (p < 0.001). The weight coefficients for the first-level and second-level indicators were 0.110-0.298 and 0.019-0.088, respectively. CONCLUSION: Quality indicators for home care services were identified based on the Service Quality model. These indicators can be used to evaluate the service quality of home care from patients' perspective and facilitate to determine work priorities and improve the quality of home care.

Exercise interventions for frail older adults with diabetes: A scoping review.

There is a paucity of evidence on exercise interventions for frail older adults with diabetes. This scoping review aims to identify the scope of the current literature on the characteristics and effects of exercise interventions for frail older adults with diabetes. A search without time limitation was conducted in eight databases. 14 studies were finally included. Resistance exercise and multicomponent exercise were the most common types of exercise. There was considerable variation in the frequency, duration and intensity of exercise interventions. Studies reported improvements in frailty status, physical function, blood glucose and lipid levels and economic effectiveness. The most frequent combined interventions involved nutrition and education. Although evidence was limited, the potential benefits of exercise interventions for frail older adults with diabetes were substantial. Further high-quality studies are needed to explore the most effective and cost-saving exercise interventions for frail older adults with diabetes.

Comparative proteomic and physiological analyses reveal tribenuron-methyl phytotoxicity and nontarget-site resistance mechanisms in Brassica napus.

The application of herbicides is the most effective strategy for weed control and the development of herbicide-resistant crops will facilitate the weed management. The acetolactate synthase-inhibiting herbicide, tribenuron-methyl (TBM), is broadly used for weed control. However, its application in rapeseed field is restricted since rapeseed is sensitive to TBM. Herein, an integrated study of cytological, physiological and proteomic analysis of the TBM-resistant rapeseed mutant M342 and its wild-type (WT) plants was conducted. After TBM spraying, M342 showed improved tolerance to TBM, and proteins implicated in non-target-site resistance (NTSR) to herbicides had a significantly higher level in M342 as compared with the WT. Differentially accumulated proteins (DAPs) between these two genotypes were enriched in glutathione metabolism and oxidoreduction coenzyme metabolic process, which protected the mutant from oxidative stress triggered by TBM. Important DAPs related to stress or defence response were up-accumulated in M342 regardless of the TBM treatment, which might serve as the constitutive part of NTSR to TBM. These results provide new clues for further exploration of the NTSR mechanism in plants and establish a theoretical basis for the development of herbicide-resistant crops.

Prevalence and risk factors of cognitive frailty in community-dwelling older adults with diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIMS: Cognitive frailty can increase the risk of adverse health outcomes in older adults. Estimates of the prevalence of cognitive frailty among older adults with diabetes varied widely in literature. This study aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the pooled prevalence of cognitive frailty and risk factors in community-dwelling older adults with diabetes, providing evidence for healthcare professionals to better understand the status of cognitive frailty and help develop effective interventions. METHODS: Databases of PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Embase, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health, Proquest, China National Knowledge Infrastructure and China Biology Medicine were searched from inception to February 10th, 2022. The reviewers independently selected studies, extracted data and assessed the quality of studies. Pooled prevalence of cognitive frailty and risk factors were estimated. Subgroup analysis, meta-regression analysis, sensitivity analysis and publication bias were also conducted. RESULTS: A total of 15 studies with 6391 participants were included in this review. The pooled prevalence of cognitive frailty was 11% (95%CI = 7.9-14%) in community-dwelling older adults with diabetes. Pooled estimates showed that increasing age, higher level of HbA1c, shorter night sleep duration and depression were risk factors, and regular exercise was the protective factor of cognitive frailty in community-dwelling older adults with diabetes. CONCLUSION: Cognitive frailty was common in community-dwelling older adults with diabetes. Routine screening of cognitive frailty and effective interventions should be implemented for this population in community settings. REGISTRATION: PROSPERO ID CRD42021276973.

Prevalence and factors associated with smartphone addiction among nursing postgraduates during the COVID-19 pandemic: a multilevel study from China's mainland.

BACKGROUND: Smartphone addiction is prevalent among college students, and there is a concern that the COVID-19 pandemic may bring an increased prevalence of smartphone addiction due to constant online classes and repeat quarantine policies. This study aims to assess the prevalence and influencing factors of smartphone addiction among Chinese nursing postgraduates during the pandemic by examining variables, including loneliness, perceived stress, resilience, and sense of security. METHODS: This online cross-sectional survey recruited 224 nursing postgraduates in four cities in 2022, using Smartphone Addiction Scale for College Students, the Chinese version of Perceived Stress Scale, UCLA Loneliness Scale Version 3, Chinese version of the 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and the Security Questionnaire. Hierarchical regression analysis and logistic regression analysis were performed to explore the associated factors and predictors of smartphone addiction. RESULTS: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the prevalence of smartphone addiction was 10.41%. There was a positive correlation between smartphone addiction and loneliness, perceived stress (P < 0.001), and a negative relationship with resilience and sense of security (P < 0.001). The logistic regression analysis identified five risk factors that contribute to smartphone addiction, including daily duration of using a smartphone (3-5 h) (OR = 11.085, 95%CI = 1.21-101.79), numbers of smartphone (OR = 3.704, 95%CI = 1.33-10.30), perceived stress (OR = 1.163, 95%CI = 1.06-1.28), loneliness (OR = 1.071, 95%CI = 1.01-1.13), age of using a smartphone first time (OR = 0.754, 95%CI = 0.60-0.95). Two protective factors, resilience (OR = 1.098, 95%CI = 1.01-1.20) and sense of security (OR = 0.950, 95%CI = 0.90-1.00), were identified. CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, our study found that during the COVID-19 pandemic, smartphone addiction was prevalent among nursing postgraduates, and loneliness and perceived stress are important risk factors for smartphone addiction. Therefore, administrators should adopt targeted interventions to reduce smartphone addiction and the negative impacts on the psychological well-being of nursing postgraduates during a sudden outbreak of a national epidemic crisis.

Diagnostic accuracy of the FRAIL scale for frailty screening in community-dwelling older adults with diabetes: A cross-sectional study.

There is limited evidence on the diagnostic accuracy of the FRAIL scale in community-dwelling older adults with diabetes. This study aimed to validate the diagnostic accuracy and determine the optimal cutoff point of the FRAIL scale in community-dwelling older adults with diabetes using the Fried Frailty Phenotype as the reference standard. A total of 489 community-dwelling older adults with diabetes aged 60 or above were recruited in this cross-sectional study. The FRAIL scale showed good diagnostic accuracy for frailty screening. The optimal cutoff point for frailty screening in older adults with diabetes was 2. The agreement between the FRAIL scale and the Fried Frailty Phenotype was substantial. The FRAIL scale classified more participants as frail (29.24%) than the Fried Frailty Phenotype (22.09%). These findings provide evidence that the FRAIL scale is a valid tool that can be applied to community-dwelling older adults with diabetes.

Mediating role of career self-efficacy between clinical learning environment and professional identity in nursing students.

AIMS: To explore whether the clinical learning environment (CLE) has an indirect effect on professional identity through the mediation of career self-efficacy (CSE) in nursing students. BACKGROUND: The shortage of nurses has become a universal problem worldwide. Improving nurses' professional identity is considered an effective way to reduce the turnover rate of nurses. However, little is known about the relationship between the CLE, CSE and professional identity. DESIGN: An observational, questionnaire-based, cross-sectional study. METHODS: A web-based survey was completed by 212 undergraduate nursing students from June to August 2018. Measures included Chinese translations of the CLE, the Career Self-Efficacy Scale, and the Professional Identity Scale. RESULTS: Both the CLE (r = 0.552, p < 0.01) and CSE (r = 0.868, p < 0.01) correlated positively with professional identity. The indirect effect of the CLE on professional identity through CSE was positive (ß = 0.342, p < 0.05) and the effect was 77.2%. CONCLUSIONS: A better CLE and higher scores in CSE were associated with professional identity in nursing students, and a better CLE had an indirect effect on the professional identity of students through CSE.

Has the COVID-19 pandemic affected nursing students' career self-efficacy and professional calling? The mediating impact of professional identity.

BACKGROUND: Professional calling (PC) is crucial for ascertaining their professional goals and fulfilling career choices in nursing students. Thus, understanding its antecedents and helping schools improve PC among nursing students is critical. This study aims to explore whether professional identity (PI), as a crucial antecedent of PC, acts as an intermediary between career self-efficacy (CSE) and professional calling during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A sample of 565 nursing students were selected by a web-based survey through convenience sampling. The study was conducted from October to November 2020. Measures of CSE, PI, and PC were assessed during the COVID-19 pandemic. We analyzed demographic data and the correlation of the research variables. The significance of the mediation effect was assessed using a bootstrap method with SPSS. RESULTS: CSE during the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak (r = 0. 359, p < 0. 01) and PI (r = 0. 670, p < 0. 01) were both relevant to PC among nursing students. In addition, CSE had a positive indirect effect on PC through PI (ß = 0. 288, p < 0. 05). CONCLUSIONS: Higher scores in CSE and a better PI were associated with PC in nursing students. Furthermore, a better CSE had an indirect effect on the PC of students through PI. The favorable evidence in our study confirms that nursing educators can adopt PI interventions to improve the sense of PC among nursing students.

Illness uncertainty, self-perceived burden and quality of life in patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia: A cross-sectional study.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To investigate the relationship between illness uncertainty, self-perceived burden and quality of life and explore the mediating role of self-perceived burden between illness uncertainty and quality of life in patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia. BACKGROUND: Patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia need long-term, potentially lifelong therapy to control the disease, which affects their quality of life. There is a need for exploring potentially changeable factors to develop interventions. Little is known about the effects of illness uncertainty and self-perceived burden on quality of life in this population. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. METHODS: A convenience sample of 248 patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia was recruited from four university hospitals from February to August 2020. Participants were assessed with the Mishel Uncertainty in Illness Scale, Self-Perceived Burden Scale, and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire. The STROBE checklist was used to report the results. RESULTS: Illness uncertainty and self-perceived burden were negatively associated with quality of life in patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia. Self-perceived burden partially mediated the relationship between illness uncertainty and quality of life. The indirect effect was -0.101, accounting for 22.9% of the total effect. CONCLUSION: The findings revealed the relationship between illness uncertainty, self-perceived burden and quality of life in patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia. Self-perceived burden exerted a mediating role between illness uncertainty and quality of life in this population. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: This study alerts healthcare providers to pay attention to patients' illness uncertainty and self-perceived burden, which can contribute to develop effective interventions to improve the quality of life among patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia in the clinical practice.

Analysis of Risk Perceptions and Related Factors Concerning COVID-19 Epidemic in Chongqing, China.

OBJECTIVE: To assess perceptions of risk and related factors concerning COVID-19 epidemic among residents in Chongqing city, China. METHODS: With convenience sampling, a web questionnaire survey was conducted among 476 residents living in Chongqing on February 13rd to 14th in 2020, when citizens just started to get back to work. RESULTS: Residents' estimated perceived risks were (4.63 ± 0.57), (4.19 ± 0.76), (3.23 ± 0.91) and (2.29 ± 0.96) for the infectivity, pathogenicity, lethality and self-rated infection possibility of COVID-19, respectively. Females (OR = 4.234), people with income ≥ 2000 yuan (2000-4999 yuan: OR = 5.052, 5000-9999 yuan: OR = 4.301, ≥ 10,000 yuan: OR = 23.459), the married status (OR = 1.811), the divorced status, widows or widowers (OR = 3.038), people living with families including children (OR = 5.085) or chronic patients (OR = 2.423) had a higher perceived risk level, as well as people who used free media websites (OR = 1.756), community workers (OR = 4.064) or community information platforms (OR = 2.235) as main media information sources. The perceived risk increased by 4.9% for every one-year increase of age. People who used WeChat contacts (OR = 0.196) as the main media information source, reported a lower perceived risk. CONCLUSION: Residents reported a high level of risk perception towards COVID-19 in Chongqing and it was impacted by the population demographic characteristics. Media information sources, including community information platforms and community workers may cause the increase of public risk perceptions.

Psychological distress and self-management behaviours among patients with chronic hepatitis B receiving oral antiviral therapy.

AIMS: To assess the prevalence and associated factors of psychological distress among patients with chronic hepatitis B receiving oral antiviral therapy and explore the association between psychological distress and self-management behaviours among this population. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. METHODS: A convenience sample of 188 patients with chronic hepatitis B receiving oral antiviral therapy was recruited from March-October 2018 to complete a self-report questionnaire including the Chinese version of Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 and Chronic Hepatitis B Self-Management Scale. Logistic regression analysis and hierarchical multiple regression analysis were used to determine the factors associated with psychological distress and the association between psychological distress and self-management behaviours respectively. RESULTS: The prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms were 33.0%, 38.3% and 17.6% respectively. Depression was associated with older age, female gender, lower education level and longer treatment duration; anxiety was associated with female gender and longer treatment duration; and stress was associated with age of 31-40 years, female gender and unmarried status. There were significant associations between depression and anxiety symptoms and self-management behaviours. CONCLUSION: Psychological distress was prevalent among patients with chronic hepatitis B receiving oral antiviral therapy and had a negative impact on self-management. Interventions targeting depression and anxiety symptoms may be beneficial to improve self-management behaviours for this population. IMPACT: This study explored the factors associated with psychological distress in patients with chronic hepatitis B receiving oral antiviral therapy. The findings showed psychological distress was more common in patients who were with older age, female, less educated, unmarried and receiving longer duration of treatment and psychological distress was significantly associated with self-management behaviours. Nurses and other healthcare providers should provide interventions to reduce the risk of psychological distress and improve self-management behaviours for this population.

Perceived social support, resilience and health self-efficacy among migrant older adults: A moderated mediation analysis.

Migrant older adults become more disadvantaged in health due to aging and migration-related problems. This study aimed to examine the mediating role of resilience in the relationship between perceived social support and health self-efficacy, and to test whether gender moderated the mediating effect of resilience between perceived social support and health self-efficacy among migrant older adults. A total of 184 migrant older adults were recruited from five communities. Resilience played a partial mediating role in the relationship between perceived social support and health self-efficacy. Moreover, age moderated the relationship between resilience and health self-efficacy. The relationship between resilience and health self-efficacy was stronger in male older adults than female ones. These findings provide a better understanding of the effects of perceived social support and resilience on health self-efficacy, which could guide targeted interventions for community health nurses to promote health self-efficacy among migrant older adults.

Relationship of social support and health-related quality of life among migrant older adults: The mediating role of psychological resilience.

Migrant older adults are influenced by an accumulation of aging and adversities related to migration. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of psychological resilience and social support on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among migrant older adults, and examine the mediating effect of psychological resilience between social support and HRQOL. A total of 149 migrant older adults were recruited from five communities in Chongqing, China. Social support and psychological resilience were positively associated with physical and mental HRQOL among migrant older adults. Psychological resilience had a partial mediating effect on the relationship between social support and physical and mental HRQOL. These findings provide a better understanding of how social support and psychological resilience work together to affect HRQOL, and it could guide the interventions to promote HRQOL among migrant older adults in the community.

Molybdenum disulfide nanosheets-based fluorescent "off-to-on" probe for targeted monitoring and inhibition of ß-amyloid oligomers.

A novel and simple "off-to-on" fluorescent sensing platform for ß-amyloid oligomers (Aßo) was developed based on dye (FAM)-labeled single-strand DNA (FAM-ssDNA)-conjugated molybdenum disulfide nanosheets (MoS2 NSs). Due to strong adsorption of ss-DNA to the surface of MoS2 NSs, the fluorescence of FAM was quenched remarkably, leading to a fluorescent "off" state. However, in the presence of Aßo, a hybrid structure between Aßo and FAM-ssDNA resulted in the dissociation of FAM-ssDNA from MoS2 NSs and an obvious fluorescence recovery transformed the fluorescence to an "on" state. The developed fluorescence sensing assay showed a good linear relationship toward Aßo ranging from 0.01 to 20 µM (R2 = 0.994) with a satisfactory detection limit of 3.1 nM. Practical samples of hippocampus and cortex tissues from APP/PS1 double transgenic AD mice were applied to demonstrate feasibility of the assay. Moreover, we found that similar to MoS2 nanoparticles, MoS2 NSs possessed therapeutic effects on Alzheimer's disease (AD) by inhibiting Aß aggregations and degrading the previously formed Aß fibrils. Collectively, the high sensitivity, specificity, and good biocompatibility along with an efficient anti-aggregation ability, the presented fluorescent strategy with MoS2 NSs demonstrated their promising potential for future AD-related research.

A familial cluster of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by one family member during his asymptomatic incubation period.

An ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has rapidly spread in the world, whereas asymptomatic carriers may also play a critical role in the pandemic. We report a familial cluster of COVID-19 caused by one family member before his onset of illness, indicating that it seems to be potentially infectious during the incubation period, even earlier than we expected. Close contact, especially in a small enclosed space, might be the cause of familial transmission. The unsynchronized changes in the clinical symptoms and COVID-19 nucleic acid were found in this case, so consecutive nucleic acid detection of pretty suspected cases was recommended. Family members, especially of whom the confirmed cases contacted with since one incubation period before onset rather than 2 days before onset, should be regarded as close contact and centrally isolated in case of asymptomatic infection already existed in the family.

Effect of peer support intervention on diabetes distress in people with type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIMS: To assess the effect of peer support intervention on diabetes distress in people with type 2 diabetes. BACKGROUND: Diabetes distress may be decreased by peer support intervention, but findings about the effect of peer support on diabetes distress have been mixed. DESIGN: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies. DATA SOURCES: PubMed, Embase, CENTRAL, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and CINAHL databases were searched for randomized controlled trials from inception to 30 June 2018. REVIEW METHODS: Investigators assessed eligibility, extracted data, and assessed methodological quality. Standardized mean difference and 95% confidence intervals were calculated for pooled effect size. RESULTS: A total of 13 studies included in systematic review and 10 in meta-analysis. In the random-effects model, the pooled effect size showed current peer support intervention did not significantly reduce diabetes distress in type 2 diabetes population compared with usual care. CONCLUSION: High quality and well-designed studies targeting at reducing diabetes distress are needed to further test the effect of peer support intervention on diabetes distress.

HBV-Pol is crucial for HBV-mediated inhibition of inflammasome activation and IL-1ß production.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is the most critical factor underlying liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma worldwide. IL-1ß and IL-18, generated by activation of the inflammasome/caspase-1 signaling pathway, play important roles in the control and clearance of HBV. However, the specific relationship between the inflammasome response and IFN-α resistance or viral persistence is yet to be established. METHODS: Blood samples of patients and supernatant fractions of HBV cell lines were collected for analysis and the effects on inflammasome activation and IL-1ß production evaluated via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), western blot, quantitative RT-PCR and immunofluorescence. RESULTS: IL-1ß and IL-18 levels produced in sera of IFN-α non-responders were significantly lower than those of responders and normal donors. Additionally, expression of IL-1ß and inflammasome components was decreased in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of non-responders, compared with those of responders. In vitro experiments on HepG2, HepG2.2.15 and HepAD38 cell lines showed that HBV induces a significant decrease in IL-1ß production through inhibiting activation of the NF-κB signaling and inflammasome/caspase-1 pathways. And hepatitis B virus polymerase (HBV-Pol) appeared crucial for these inhibitory effects of HBV. CONCLUSION: IL-1ß production is suppressed in HBV carriers and IFN-α non-responders. HBV induces a significant decrease in IL-1ß production through inhibiting the NF-κB signaling and inflammasome pathways, for which HBV-Pol is a crucial requirement. Trial approval number: 20 173 402.