Explore the vast range of titles available.

In this study, we report a high-performance acetone gas sensor utilizing a bilayer structure composed of a ZnO nanorod top layer and a ZnFe2O4 nanoparticle-decorated ZnO nanorod bottom layer. ZnO nanorods were synthesized via a water-bath method, after which the ZnFe2O4 nanoparticle-decorated ZnO nanorods were prepared using a simple immersion and calcination method. SEM and TEM revealed the porous morphology of the samples and the formation of ZnO-ZnFe2O4 heterojunctions. XPS analysis demonstrated an increase in oxygen vacancy content with the introduction of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles. Compared to pure ZnO nanorods, ZnFe2O4-decorated ZnO nanorods showed a 3.9-fold increase in response to 50 ppm acetone. Covering this layer with ZnO nanorods further increased the response by an additional 1.6 times, and simultaneously enhanced the selectivity to acetone. The top layer improves gas sensing performance by introducing heterojunctions with the bottom layer, partially blocking acetone gas at the bottom layer to facilitate a more complete reaction, and filtering ethanol interference.

The increasing use of antiviral drugs, combined with an aging population, has resulted in a growing number of older adults living with HIV. Unfortunately, high-risk sexual behavior among older individuals with HIV has led to HIV retransmission. Our study aimed to analyze the sexual behavior of elderly men with HIV in Chongqing and evaluate the factors influencing high-risk sexual behavior using a logistic regression model. The study involved 774 participants with an average age of 62 years. Of the participants, 45.74% ( N  = 354) reported having sex in the past year, and 13.70% ( N  = 106) reported high-risk sexual behavior in the same period. Our study identified several factors associated with high-risk sexual behavior, such as low education level, commercial and temporary sexual partners, and lack of awareness and use of condoms. The results highlight the significant prevalence of high-risk sexual behavior among HIV-infected older men in Chongqing, and the potential risk of secondary transmission. Therefore, targeted interventions and education programs are needed, particularly for men over 50 years old, those with low education level, and those who engage in commercial or temporary sexual partnerships. Specifically, promoting condom use and increasing awareness of HIV/AIDS knowledge should be prioritized to decrease the prevalence of high-risk sexual behavior and prevent further transmission of the virus.

Despite the proven virological advantages, there remains some controversy regarding whether first-line integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs)-based antiretroviral therapy (ART) contributes to reducing mortality of people living with HIV (PLHIV) in clinical practice. Here we report a retrospective study comparing all-cause mortality among PLHIV in China who were on different initial ART regimens (nevirapine, efavirenz, dolutegravir, lopinavir, and others [including darunavir, raltegravie, elvitegravir and rilpivirine]) between 2017 and 2019. A total of 41,018 individuals were included across China, representing 21.3% of newly reported HIV/AIDS cases collectively in the country during this period. Only the differences in all-cause mortality of PLHIV between the efavirenz group and the nevirapine group, the dolutegravir group and the nevirapine group, and the lopinavir group and the nevirapine group, were observed in China. After stratifying the cause of mortality, we found that the differences in mortality between initial ART regimens were mainly observed in AIDS-related mortality. First-line integrase strand transfer inhibitors are commonly used for people with HIV. Here, Wu et al. report results from a multicenter cohort study in China observing significant differences in all-cause mortality among patients between various treatment groups.

Background A substantial number of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections have been diagnosed and reported, yet not all reported patients have received treatment, leading to uncertainties in the progression of the virus within these cases. This study aimed to assess the rate of HCV RNA positivity in the reported cases in Chongqing, China and identify key groups. Methods An investigation was conducted on 6,333 hepatitis C cases who were reported in the China Information System for Disease Control and Prevention in 17 districts of Chongqing, China from 2004 to 2021. The process involved collecting venous blood for HCV RNA and genotype testing, as well as gathering case information through a questionnaire. The analysis focused on comparing the HCV RNA positive rates among patients with different characteristics to identify key groups. Results The HCV RNA positive rate was 37.7% among 6,333 cases. Patients who had never received treatment (47.6%) and those treated with interferon (25.6%) showed higher positive rates than those treated with DAAs (8.1%). HCV RNA positive rates were generally higher in the following groups: males, aged 40–49 years and 50–59 years, farmers or manual laborers and the unemployed or job-seeking. Patients with higher income exhibited lower HCV RNA positive rate. Conclusions A considerable portion of reported hepatitis C cases in Chongqing remained HCV RNA positive. Multiple factors contributed to HCV RNA positivity among these patients, necessitating comprehensive interventions to promote adherence to treatment.

Background Chongqing reportedly has a large MSM population and a high STI prevalence in previous studies. However, most studies are attributed to independent cross-sectional studies, few studies have investigated trends in the prevalence of syphilis and HIV, as well as behavioural characteristics among MSM using serial surveillance surveys. Methods Data were collected in Chongqing through face-to-face questionnaire interview and laboratory testing in Chongqing. The respondents were recruited among MSM by snowball sampling from May 2013 to December 2017. The self-report questionnaire primarily included socio-demographics, HIV knowledge, and HIV-related behaviour characteristics over the year. Blood specimens were tested to diagnose HIV and syphilis infection by Chongqing CDC. Cochran-Armitage trend test and multivariate logistic regression were conducted to compare the changes in STI prevalence and independent behavioural factors among MSM. Results There were 6568 eligible participants (98.4%). The overall HIV prevalence was 20.5% among MSM in Chongqing, with a decrease from 23.0% in 2013 to 19.2% in 2017. The overall syphilis prevalence was 5.8%, with an increase from 3.2% in 2013 to 6.7% in 2017. The proportion of consistent condom use (CCU) during anal intercourse (46.3 to 57.7%, P <0.001),CCU with regular male partners(47.7 to 59.7%, P <0.001), CCU with casual male partners (51.5 to 62.3%, P <0.001) and drug use during anal intercourse (0.3 to 1.4%, P <0.05) were increasing. By contrast, a significant decrease was reported in the percentage of MSM with more than two regular male partners (66.0 to 21.4%, P <0.001) and more than two casual male partners (38.3 to 20.7%, P <0.001). A significant difference was observed in syphilis infection, testing for HIV antibodies and drug use during anal intercourse in the past years between the HIV-positive and HIV-negative respondents. Conclusion A decreasing trend of HIV prevalence was showed during among MSM from 2013 to 2017 in Chongqing. While gradual reduction of high-risk behaviors along with HIV prevalence supported development of STI counselling and testing, increasing syphilis infection and drug use during anal intercourse warrants further understanding.

Background Over the past few years, HIV transmission among men who have sex with men (MSM) in China has increased significantly. Chongqing, located in the southwest of China, has the highest prevalence of HIV among MSM in the country. Methods Blood samples were taken from 894 MSM in Chongqing who had recently been diagnosed with HIV-1 infection and had not yet started getting treatment. In order to determine the distribution of HIV-1 subtypes, transmitted drug resistance, and assessments of molecularly transmitted clusters, we sequenced the Pol genes and employed them in phylogenetic analysis. The genetic distance between molecular clusters was 1.5%. To find potential contributing factors, logistic regression analyses were performed. Results Of the 894 HIV-1 pol sequences acquired from study participants, we discovered that CRF07_BC (73.6%) and CRF01_AE (19.6%) were the two most prevalent HIV-1 genotypes in Chongqing among MSM, accounting for 93.2% of all infections. In addition, CRF08_BC (1.1%), B subtype (1.0%), CRF55_01B (3.4%), and URF/Other subtypes (1.3%) were less frequently observed. Among MSM in Chongqing, transmitted drug resistance (TDR) was reported to be present at a rate of 5.6%. 48 clusters with 600 (67.1%, 600/894) sequences were found by analysis of the molecular transmission network. The distributions of people by age, sexual orientation, syphilis, and genotype were significantly differentially related to being in clusters, according to the multivariable logistic regression model. Conclusion Despite the low overall prevalence of TDR, the significance of genotypic drug resistance monitoring needs to be emphasized. CRF07_BC and CRF01_AE were the two main genotypes that created intricate molecular transmission networks. In order to prevent the expansion of molecular networks and stop the virus’s spread among MSM in Chongqing, more effective HIV intervention plans should be introduced.

Objective This study aimed to investigate the causal relationship between inflammatory cytokines and oral cavity cancer risk using Mendelian randomization analysis and experimental validation. Methods Two-sample Mendelian randomization was conducted using summary-level genome-wide association study data on 41 inflammatory cytokines and oral cavity cancer risk in Europeans. Single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with cytokines (p < 5 × 10–6) and oral cancer were selected as instrumental variables, excluding those in linkage disequilibrium. Inverse-variance weighted analysis was used as the primary method, supplemented by MR Egger, weighted median, simple and weighted mode methods. Sensitivity analyses included heterogeneity, horizontal pleiotropy, leave-one-out, and funnel plot assessments. Multivariable MR analysis adjusted for smoking, alcohol, periodontitis and malnutrition was performed. The findings were further validated through expression analysis in TCGA database and clinical samples, as well as functional studies in oral cancer cells. Results In univariate MR analysis, increased beta-nerve growth factor (OR: 1.53, 95% CI: 1.06–2.20), and decreased macrophage colony stimulating factor (OR: 0.87, 95% CI: 0.78–0.98) and interleukin-18 (OR: 0.80, 95% CI: 0.65–0.98) were causally associated with higher oral cancer risk. In multivariable MR analysis, the effects remained significant after adjusting for exposures. No reverse causation was found. Expression analysis revealed significant upregulation of NGF in oral cancer tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues, while CSF1 and IL-18 showed no significant differences. Functional studies demonstrated that NGF overexpression promoted cell proliferation, colony formation, invasion, and migration while inhibiting apoptosis in oral cancer cells. Conclusions This integrated study combining MR analysis and experimental validation provides evidence for causal effects of increased beta-nerve growth factor along with decreased macrophage colony stimulating factor and interleukin-18 on higher oral cavity cancer risk, independent of known risk factors. The oncogenic role of NGF was further confirmed through functional studies, suggesting these inflammatory cytokines may represent etiologic targets for oral cancer prevention.

IntroductionExisting studies on sexual health generally focus on younger populations, while the sexual well-being of older adults has received insufficient attention. This protocol describes the design of a study on sexual well-being and its correlates among older adults in China.Methods and analysisWe present the protocol for a multicentre observational study to investigate sexual well-being among Chinese older adults (SWELL). Eligible participants are men and women aged 50 years and older from East, West, South and North China, including older adults living in the community and older adults living with HIV. A multistage sampling approach is used in the SWELL Study. We will collect a questionnaire about sexual health (sexual knowledge, sexual attitude, sexual behaviours, sexually transmitted infections, etc). Blood specimens will be tested for sex hormones (estradiol for women, testosterone for men), biochemical items (eg, cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, urea, creatinine and uric acid) and syphilis (determined by toluidine red unheated serum test and Treponema pallidum particle agglutination test). The primary analysis will elucidate the current status of sexual health among older adults in China and its correlates. Secondary analyses will compare sexual well-being among older adults in four regions across China. Approximately 3540 older adults will be recruited into the SWELL Study.Ethics and disseminationThis study was approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee of the School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University (approval number SYSU-PHS[2019]006). Verbal informed consent will be obtained from all participants before any study procedure. Data will be anonymised, and participants will not be identified through any data, transcripts or publications. Findings from the SWELL Study will be disseminated widely through peer-reviewed scientific journals and at national and international conferences.

The morbidity of oral cancer is high in the world. Oridonin is a traditional Chinese medicine that can effectively inhibit oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) growth, but its mechanism remains unclear. Our previous data showed that oridonin inhibited CAL-27 cell proliferation and promoted apoptosis. Herein, we explored the mechanism and target of oridonin in human OSCC through RNA sequencing and integration of multiple bioinformatics analysis strategies. Differences in gene expression can be analyzed with RNA sequencing. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), Gene Ontology (GO), gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), Disease Ontology (DO), and other enrichment analyses were used to evaluate differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Protein–protein interaction (PPI) networks were built via the STRING database. It was found that tumor necrosis factor (TNF) signaling pathway, cytokine–cytokine receptor interaction, and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB) signaling pathway were associated with the therapeutic effects of oridonin in OSCC. Three key genes (BIRC3, TNFSF10, and BCL6) were found to associate with cell apoptosis in OSCC cells treated with oridonin. Quantitative PCR assays verified the expression of apoptosis-related DEGs: TNFSF10, BIRC3, AIFM2, BCL6, BCL2L2, and Bax. Western blots were employed for verifying proteins expression associated with DEGs: cleaved caspase 3, Bax, Bcl-w, anti-cIAP2, and anti-TRAIL. In conclusion, our findings reveal the molecular pathways and targets by which oridonin can treat and induce cytotoxic effects in OSCC: by affecting the signaling including TNF, NF-κB, and cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction and by regulating the key gene BIRC3, TNFSF10, and BCL6. It should be noted that further clinical trial validation is very necessary. Combined with current research trends, our existing research may provide innovative research drugs for the treatment of OSCC.

Background In 2003, China implemented free antiretroviral therapy (ART) for people living with HIV (PLHIV), establishing an eligibility threshold of CD4 < 200 cells/μl. Subsequently, the entry criteria were revised in 2012 (eligibility threshold: CD4 ≤ 350 cells/μl), 2014 (CD4 ≤ 500 cells/μl), and 2016 (treat-all). However, the impact of treat-all policy on HIV care and treatment indicators in China is unknown. We aimed to elucidate the immediate and long-term impact of the implementation of treat-all policy in China. Methods Anonymized programmatic data on ART initiation and collection in PLHIV who newly started ART were retrieved between 1 January 2015 and 31 December 2019, from two provincial and municipal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and ten major infectious disease hospitals specialized in HIV care in China. We used Poisson and quasi-Poisson segmented regression models to estimate the immediate and long-term impact of treat-all on three key indicators: monthly proportion of 30-day ART initiation, mean CD4 counts (cells/μl) at ART initiation, and mean estimated time from infection to diagnosis (year). We built separate models according to gender, age, route of transmission and region. Results Monthly data on ART initiation and collection were available for 75,516 individuals [gender: 83.8% males; age: median 39 years, interquartile range (IQR): 28–53; region: 18.5% Northern China, 10.9% Northeastern China, 17.5% Southern China, 49.2% Southwestern China]. In the first month of treat-all, compared with the contemporaneous counterfactual, there was a significant increase in proportion of 30-day ART initiation [+ 12.6%, incidence rate ratio (IRR) = 1.126, 95% CI : 1.033–1.229; P  = 0.007] and mean estimated time from infection to diagnosis (+ 7.0%, IRR = 1.070, 95% CI : 1.021–1.120; P  = 0.004), while there was no significant change in mean CD4 at ART initiation (IRR = 0.990, 95% CI : 0.956–1.026; P  = 0.585). By December 2019, the three outcomes were not significantly different from expected levels. In the stratified analysis, compared with the contemporaneous counterfactual, mean CD4 at ART initiation showed significant increases in Northern China (+ 3.3%, IRR = 1.033, 95% CI : 1.001–1.065; P  = 0.041) and Northeastern China (+ 8.0%, IRR = 1.080, 95% CI : 1.003–1.164; P  = 0.042) in the first month of treat-all; mean estimated time from infection to diagnosis showed significant increases in male (+ 5.6%, IRR = 1.056, 95% CI : 1.010–1.104; P  = 0.016), female (+ 14.8%, IRR = 1.148, 95% CI : 1.062–1.240; P  < 0.001), aged 26–35 (+ 5.3%, IRR = 1.053, 95% CI : 1.001–1.109; P  = 0.048) and > 50 (+ 7.8%, IRR = 1.078, 95% CI : 1.000–1.161; P  = 0.046), heterosexual transmission (+ 12.4%, IRR = 1.124, 95% CI : 1.042–1.213; P  = 0.002) and Southwestern China (+ 12.9%, IRR = 1.129, 95% CI : 1.055–1.208; P  < 0.001) in the first month of treat-all. Conclusions The implementation of treat-all policy in China was associated with a positive effect on HIV care and treatment outcomes. To advance the work of rapid ART, efforts should be made to streamline the testing and ART initiation process, provide comprehensive support services, and address the issue of uneven distribution of medical resources.