Resilience of infertile families undergoing in vitro fertilization: An application of the double ABC-X model.

BACKGROUND: Family resilience plays a crucial role in protecting the mental health and family stability of infertile patients. However, information associated with infertile families resilience is scarce. The double ABC-X model provides a roadmap for this, helps organize knowledge, and lays the foundation for knowledge development. AIMS: To describe the current situation of family resilience of infertile women, and to test the predictive theoretical model of family resilience based on infertility stigma, individual resilience, coping style, and posttraumatic growth. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. METHODS: A convenience sample of 372 infertile women undergoing in vitro fertilization were recruited between April and August 2020. The Chinese-Family Resilience Assessment Scale, Infertility Stigma Scale, Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire, Chinese version of Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and Chinese version of Post Traumatic Growth Inventory were used to measure family resilience, infertility stigma, individual resilience, coping style, and posttraumatic growth. Structural equation models were used to analyze the relationship among these variables. RESULTS: The results showed that family resilience was related to infertility stigma, positive coping, and individual resilience. Moreover, the path analysis indicated that positive coping and individual resilience mediated the effects of infertility stigma on family resilience. CONCLUSIONS: A high level of stigma among infertile women should be identified. Interventions for targeting positive coping and individual resilience might ultimately increase their family resilience.

Sexual Function, Self-Esteem, and Quality of Life in Infertile Couples Undergoing in vitro Fertilization: A Dyadic Approach.

Purpose: Infertility has adverse effects on the quality of life (QoL) of infertile couples. Previous studies found important associations between sexual function, self-esteem and QoL, but mainly focused on one individual's approach rather than both partners. This study adopted a dyadic approach to evaluate the relationship between sexual function and QoL in couples with infertility through mediation and improving self-esteem. Patients and Methods: Between October 2020 and January 2021, 428 couples with infertility (n=856) undergoing in-vitro fertilization (IVF) at a tertiary hospital in Hefei, China, were registered for the current descriptive cross-sectional research. The dyads' sociodemographic and clinical features, as well as their sexual function, self-esteem, and QoL were evaluated. The Fertility quality of life scale (FertiQoL), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), and International Index of Erectile Function-15 (IIEF-15) were used to evaluate the participants. The Actor-Partner Interdependence Mediation Model (APIMeM) was utilized to examine data from the dyadic relationships. Results: According to the APIMeM analysis, sexual function of individuals with infertility was directly and indirectly connected with their QoL, mediated through their self-esteem. The women's sexual function was found to be positively associated with their partner's QoL, with the women's self-esteem acting as a complete mediator. The men's sexual function was found to be positively associated with partner's QoL, with the men's self-esteem acting as a complete mediator. Conclusion: The findings suggest that boosting participants' self-esteem can help them and their partners have a better QoL. Also, therapies aimed at improving and sustaining self-esteem of couples with infertility could help mitigate the negative influence of low sexual function on their QoL.

Clinical, genetic, and pathological characterization of GNE myopathy in China.

BACKGROUND: GNE myopathy is the most common distal myopathy in China. We summarized the clinical, genetic, and pathological characteristics of 125 Chinese patients with GNE myopathy. METHODS: We collected clinical data of 21 patients diagnosed at our hospital and 104 patients from previous reports. Clinical, genetic, and pathological characteristics were summarized. According to the location of mutations, patients were classified into groups to analyze genotype-phenotype correlation. We reviewed the pathological features and studied the expressions of neural cell adhesion molecule. RESULTS: The severity of involvement of lower limb muscles was in the following order: tibialis anterior > biceps femoris > gastrocnemius > iliopsoas > quadriceps femoris. Mutation p.D207V was the most common variant in China. Patients carrying p.D207V tended to show later disease onset. In the epimerase/epimerase group, men had earlier disease onset than women (p < 0.05). In other groups, age at disease onset in females was earlier than that in males. Protein analysis showed decreased sialylation of NCAM and upregulation of LC3 in patients with different mutations. CONCLUSIONS: Mutation p.D207V is the most common GNE variant in China. Involvement of flexor muscles in lower limbs was more obvious than extensor muscles. NCAM expression in patients with various mutations may be a useful diagnostic biomarker in GNE myopathy.

Predictive Model of Psychological Distress in Patients With Lung Cancer: A Cross-sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Patients with lung cancer suffer from significant psychological distress. The underlying theoretical model that may explain what predicts or mediates the degree of psychological distress has not been elucidated. OBJECTIVES: To describe the incidence of psychological distress in patients with lung cancer and to test a predictive theoretical model of psychological distress based on symptom burden, type D personality, social support, and intrusive thoughts. METHODS: Three hundred eighty-nine patients with stages I to IV lung cancer were recruited. Participants completed a battery of scales, including measures of psychological distress, symptom burden, type D personality, perceived social support, intrusive thoughts, and demographic and clinical characteristics. The predictive theoretical model was tested using structural equation modeling. RESULTS: Experiencing clinically significant psychological distress was reported by 63.75% of participants. Consistent with the social cognitive processing model, symptom burden, type D personality, social support, and intrusive thoughts all significantly and directly predicted the level of psychological distress in patients with lung cancer. Moreover, intrusive thoughts mediated the effects of type D personality and symptom burden on psychological distress; social support and symptom burden mediated the effects of type D personality on psychological distress. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of the participants experienced psychological distress at a clinically significant level. Intrusive thoughts and social support mediated the effects of type D personality and symptom burden on psychological distress. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Patients with type D personality and symptom burden should be identified. Interventions for targeting social support and intrusive thoughts might ultimately reduce their psychological distress.

Validation of a Chinese version of the short-form Cataldo lung cancer stigma scale.

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer stigma is a widespread psychosocial problem. We developed a short form of the Cataldo lung cancer stigma scale for Chinese people with lung cancer (CLCSS-C-SF) and compared its psychometric properties with those of the full and short versions. METHODS: This was a secondary analysis using data from the full CLCSS-C, distress thermometer and perceived social support of Chinese people with lung cancer (N = 394). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used to identify factor structure and assess construct validity. The internal consistency and concurrent and known-group validity were evaluated. RESULTS: The 22-item CLCSS-C-SF comprised four factors. The convergent validity evaluated using average variance extracted and discriminant validity were acceptable. Cronbach's alphas, concurrent and known-group validity were satisfactory for three versions. Only the four-factor model proposed was validated by CFA. CONCLUSION: The CLCSS-C-SF is reliable and valid and can be used in Chinese lung cancer populations.

Predictive model of psychological distress in family caregivers of patients with cancer: a cross-sectional study.

PURPOSE: To examine a predictive theoretical model of psychological distress based on the following variables reflected on family caregivers of patients with cancer: the unmet supportive care needs, subjective caregiving burden, social support, and the positive aspects of caregiving. METHODS: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on a sample of 484 dyads of patients and their family caregivers. The caregivers completed structured questionnaires designed to measure psychological distress, unmet supportive care needs, subjective caregiving burden, positive aspects of caregiving, and social support. Patients' demographic variables and medical data were collected from a medical record review. We used a structural equation modeling to test the predictive theoretical model. RESULTS: Path analysis results partially supported the proposed model with satisfactory fit indices. Specifically, family caregivers with an increasing number of unmet needs or a heavier caregiving burden were more likely to have more severe psychological distress. Bootstrapping results supported that the caregiving burden and social support were significant mediators. Greater unmet supportive care needs predicted higher psychological distress through increasing caregiving burden. Stronger social support predicted lower psychological distress through decreasing caregiving burden. Positive aspects of caregiving predicted lower caregiving burden through the increasing perceived social support, which in turn eliminated psychological distress. CONCLUSIONS: Unmet supportive care needs could cause psychological distress through increasing caregiving burden. The positive aspects of caregiving reduced caregiving burden through increasing social support, which subsequently alleviated psychological distress. Interventions that aim to satisfy supportive care needs, to reduce caregiving burden, and to strengthen social support ties may boost the mental health of family caregivers.

Enterovirus infection in febrile neonates: A hospital-based prospective cohort study.

AIM: This study aims to investigate clinical characteristics and microbiological results and to assess the predictors for enterovirus infection in febrile neonates. METHODS: A prospective cohort study was conducted on 334 febrile patients (age: 0.33-28 days) in 2011-2012 years. Enterovirus RNA was detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction on faeces or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Clinical characteristics were compared, and non-conditional logistic regression analysis was performed to determine independent predictors for enterovirus infection. RESULTS: There were 131 episodes of neonatal enterovirus infection (39.22%). Forty-eight (36.64%) developed respiratory symptoms, 69 (52.67%) had diarrhoea, 22 (16.79%) had poor feeding and 34 (25.95%) had rash. Eighteen (13.74%) had lower platelet counts, and CSF specimens were positive for enterovirus RNA in 44.27% (58/131) whose CSF revealed a mean white blood cell counts of 100.38 ± 147.97 cells/mm(3) (range: 2-668 cells/mm(3) ). The positivity of stool 38.92% (130/334) was significantly higher than that of CSF specimens 26.24% (58/221) for enterovirus RNA (P < 0.01). By logistic regression analysis, the following independently predicted enterovirus infection: abnormal CSF test (odds ratio (OR): 12.426, 95% confidence interval (CI): 5.633-27.413), thrombocytopenia (OR: 3.647, 95% CI: 1.312-10.136), duration of fever >3.25 (d) (OR: 2.293, 95% CI: 1.279-4.113), highest temperature >38.35 (°C) (OR: 2.094, 95% CI: 1.342-4.123) and negative bacterial culture (OR: 5.073, 95% CI: 1.504-17.114). CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicated that enteroviruses should be routinely considered in the differential diagnosis of febrile neonates. The factors, which may predict the risk of neonatal enterovirus infection, were abnormal CSF test, thrombocytopenia, duration of fever >3.25 (d), highest temperature >38.35 (°C) and negative bacterial culture.

Four new sesquiterpenoids from the fruits of Alpinia oxyphylla.

Two new norsesquiterpenoids, oxyphyllenotriol A (1) and oxyphyllone G (2), and two new sesquiterpenoids, oxyphyllol D (3) and oxyphyllol E (4), together with two known compounds (5, 6) were isolated from the fruits of Alpinia oxyphylla. Their structures were determined on the basis of spectroscopic analysis, including high resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HR-ESI-MS), 1D- and 2D-NMR, and the absolute configurations of 2 and 4 were determined by theoretical calculation of electronic circular dichroism (ECD) and comparison with the experimental ECD spectra.

Repression of Slc24a5 can reduce pigmentation in chicken.

Slc24a5 is a putative cation transporter, which is a member of the potassium-dependent sodium-calcium ion exchanger family. Association of the Slc24a5 gene with pigmentation has been established in Zebrafish, mice and humans. Despite these findings, its function in chicken remains unknown. The intent of this study was to describe the association of Slc24a5 with respect to melanin deposition in the chicken using RNAi. The objective was to detect the variety of melanin deposition caused by the down-regulation of Slc24a5 in chicken retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells. Nine siRNAs that targeted against Slc24a5 mRNA were found to be effective in suppressing Slc24a5 gene expression in 293FT cells. The most effective target tested effectively inhibited Slc24a5 expression in mRNA and subsequently reduced protein levels in RPE cells. These results show that down-regulation of Slc24a5 results in a reduction of melanin content, as well as a decrease of melaeneous type ß and type χ melanosomes simultaneously. Taken together, this work suggests that Slc24a5 function is conserved in the chicken, and necessary for melanin synthesis.