We developed a novel pinless augmented reality (AR)-based portable navigation system for total hip arthroplasty (THA) in the supine position to eliminate pin-site complications and intraoperative navigation abandonment, and to reduce registration time. This study compared the measurement accuracy of this new pinless portable navigation system with that of a conventional AR-based portable navigation system requiring pin insertion. This retrospective cohort study compared primary unilateral THAs performed using the novel pinless AR-based navigation system and a conventional AR-based navigation system. The primary outcome was the absolute difference between the acetabular cup angles displayed on the navigation screen and those measured on postoperative computed tomography. Secondary outcomes included target achievement rates within 5° and 10°. Pin-site complications, intraoperative navigation abandonment, and dislocations were also recorded. A total of 228 hips were analyzed (Pinless: n = 115; Conventional: n = 113). While there was no significant difference in the median absolute difference for inclination (2.5° vs 2.4°; p = 0.366), the median absolute difference for anteversion was significantly larger in the pinless group than in the conventional group (2.9° vs 1.9°; p = 0.011). There were no significant differences in the percentages within 5° (80.0
Gain-of-function screening in Drosophila melanogaster provides a powerful approach for identifying genes that modulate lifespan; however, induction strength and environmental stress can substantially influence phenotypic outcomes. Here, we performed a pilot Gene Search (GS)–based overexpression screen using a heat-inducible hs-GAL4 driver and compared lifespan analyses at 25 °C and 30 °C to evaluate the impact of induction conditions on the detectability of lifespan-modulating genes. Induction at 30 °C caused uniformly shortened lifespans across genotypes and did not reveal robust lifespan-extending candidates. In contrast, screening at 25 °C, where moderate hs-GAL4 induction produces robust and detectable transgene expression, revealed multiple longevity-promoting lines. Lifespan measurements at the two temperatures were poorly correlated, indicating that elevated temperature imposes a dominant physiological burden that masks gene-specific effects. Using this strategy, we characterized a candidate line overexpressing Drosophila Ankyrin repeat and MYND domain–containing protein 2 (dAnkmy2). Overexpression of dAnkmy2 significantly extended adult lifespan and enhanced resistance to oxidative stress without detectable changes in canonical antioxidant gene expression. In contrast, loss of dAnkmy2 caused larval lethality, indicating an essential developmental function. Given the conserved role of Ankmy2 in ciliary biology, our results raise the possibility that cilia-associated processes may be involved in lifespan regulation. Collectively, this study establishes a proof-of-principle framework for detecting subtle genetic modulators of aging in genetically robust systems.
Lipoic acid is an essential cofactor for mitochondrial multienzyme complexes involved in central metabolism. In humans, mutations in the lipoyl transferase LIPT2 impair mitochondrial protein lipoylation and cause severe metabolic disease. Here, we investigated the Drosophila homolog, lipT2, in vivo. lipT2 mutants exhibited locomotor defects and shortened lifespan, accompanied by markedly reduced lipoylation of pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) and 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase (OGDH). Loss of lipT2 impaired glucose oxidation and disrupted tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle activity, leading to reduced mitochondrial energy production. Metabolomic analysis revealed altered amino acid homeostasis, including a marked reduction in aspartate, a key TCA cycle-derived metabolite. These findings demonstrate that defective lipoylation disrupts central metabolic processes and energy homeostasis.
BACKGROUND:Incentive-based strategies are widely used to promote physical activity. However, behavioural responses around predefined targets and their long-term persistence remain insufficiently understood. The aim of this study was to examine changes in daily step count distributions following the introduction of a non-financial incentive and their persistence over long-term application use. METHODS:This observational study used large-scale data from users of Pa-League Walk, a baseball fandom-based gamified smartphone application in Japan. Daily step-count data from March 2016 to December 2022 were analysed. A non-financial incentive in the form of a digital player photo reward for achieving 10,000 steps per day was introduced in October 2016. Changes in the proportion of days achieving the 10,000-step goal and daily step count distributions were examined using bunching estimation. Analyses were conducted according to application use duration (<1 year to ≥6 years). RESULTS:Among 49,008 users with 11,129,438 daily observations, excess mass at the 10,000-step threshold was not significant prior to the introduction of the incentive. However, a clear accumulation of observations around the threshold emerged after the incentive was introduced. Additionally, the proportion of days achieving the 10,000-step goal increased. These distributional features persisted across application usage durations and were sustained for more than six years among long-term users. CONCLUSIONS:In a gamified smartphone application, the introduction of a non-financial, repeated incentive was associated with sustained behavioural adjustments toward a predefined step-count target. These findings suggest that well-designed non-financial incentives may support long-term physical activity behaviours in a subset of users.
Objective Municipal public health nurses (PHNs) provide diverse community health services, including the planning, implementation, and evaluation of local health policies. A well-planned and continuous recruitment system is essential for performing these duties effectively and efficiently; however, many municipalities face difficulties in securing adequate full-time PHNs amid increasing workloads, and establishing sustainable recruitment measures remains a challenge. In this context, supervisory PHNs are expected to possess the ability to establish systems for recruiting and training local government PHNs and are considered to play a crucial role in these processes. However, a quantitative evaluation of the relationship between assignment of supervisory PHNs and number of PHN recruits has not been conducted. This study aimed to clarify this association.Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted by analyzing the data of 1,733 municipalities in the fiscal year 2020. Data on the presence of supervisory PHNs, number of full-time PHNs, annual PHN recruits, and the total population of each municipality were obtained from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's Survey on Public Health Nurse Activities by Area of Work and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications' Population Census, and other official statistics. The outcome was the annual number of PHN recruits, and the main explanatory variable was the presence of a supervisory PHN. Multivariable negative binomial regression analysis was used to calculate incidence rate ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), with adjustments for variables related to regional characteristics.Results Of the 1,733 municipalities analyzed, 865 (49.9%) had a supervisory PHN. After adjusting for municipality size, retirements, and other covariates, municipalities with a supervisory PHN had 1.167 times more PHN recruits than those without a supervisory PHN (95% CI: 1.040-1.310).Conclusions Municipalities with supervisory PHNs tended to have more PHN recruits than those without supervisory PHNs. This suggests that supervisory PHNs play a crucial role in securing PHN personnel through their involvement in recruitment planning, enhancing workplace attractiveness, and promoting strategic recruitment activities. This result may have important implications for the development of stable and continuous recruitment strategies for municipal PHNs.
