The effects of meteorological factors and air pollutants on the incidence of tuberculosis in people living with HIV/AIDS in subtropical Guangxi, China.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown the association between tuberculosis (TB) and meteorological factors/air pollutants. However, little information is available for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), who are highly susceptible to TB. METHOD: Data regarding TB cases in PLWHA from 2014 to2020 were collected from the HIV antiviral therapy cohort in Guangxi, China. Meteorological and air pollutants data for the same period were obtained from the China Meteorological Science Data Sharing Service Network and Department of Ecology and Environment of Guangxi. A distribution lag non-linear model (DLNM) was used to evaluate the effects of meteorological factors and air pollutant exposure on the risk of TB in PLWHA. RESULTS: A total of 2087 new or re-active TB cases were collected, which had a significant seasonal and periodic distribution. Compared with the median values, the maximum cumulative relative risk (RR) for TB in PLWHA was 0.663 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.507-0.866, lag 4 weeks) for a 5-unit increase in temperature, and 1.478 (95% CI: 1.116-1.957, lag 4 weeks) for a 2-unit increase in precipitation. However, neither wind speed nor PM10 had a significant cumulative lag effect. Extreme analysis demonstrated that the hot effect (RR = 0.638, 95%CI: 0.425-0.958, lag 4 weeks), the rainy effect (RR = 0.285, 95%CI: 0.135-0.599, lag 4 weeks), and the rainless effect (RR = 0.552, 95%CI: 0.322-0.947, lag 4 weeks) reduced the risk of TB. Furthermore, in the CD4(+) T cells < 200 cells/µL subgroup, temperature, precipitation, and PM10 had a significant hysteretic effect on TB incidence, while temperature and precipitation had a significant cumulative lag effect. However, these effects were not observed in the CD4(+) T cells ≥ 200 cells/µL subgroup. CONCLUSION: For PLWHA in subtropical Guangxi, temperature and precipitation had a significant cumulative effect on TB incidence among PLWHA, while air pollutants had little effect. Moreover, the influence of meteorological factors on the incidence of TB also depends on the immune status of PLWHA.

Cation Chain Length of Nonhalogenated Ionic Liquids Matters in Enhancing SERS of Cytochrome c on Zr-Al-Co-O Nanotube Arrays.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a remarkably powerful analytical technique enabling trace-level detection of biological molecules. The interaction of a probe molecule with the SERS substrate shows important distinctions in the SERS spectra, providing inherent fingerprint information on the probe molecule. Herein, nonhalogenated phosphonium-based ionic liquids (ILs) containing cations with varying chain lengths were used as trace additives to amplify the interaction between the cytochrome c (Cyt c) and Zr-Al-Co-O (ZACO) nanotube arrays, strengthening the SERS signals. An increased enhancement factor (EF) by 2.5-41.2 times compared with the system without ILs was achieved. The improvement of the SERS sensitivity with the introduction of these ILs is strongly dependent on the cation chain length, in which the increasing magnitude of EF is more pronounced in the system with a longer alkyl chain length on the cation. Comparing the interaction forces measured by Cyt c-grafted atomic force microscopy (AFM) probes on ZACO substrates with those predicted by the extended Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (XDLVO) theory, the van der Waals forces became increasingly dominant as the chain length of the cations increased, associated with stronger Cyt c-ZACO XDLVO interaction forces. The major contributing component, van der Waals force, stems from the longer cation chains of the IL, which act as a bridge to connect Cyt c and the ZACO substrate, promoting the anchoring of the Cyt c molecules onto the substrate, thereby benefiting SERS enhancement.

CD4/CD8 Ratio Recovered as a Predictor of Decreased Liver Damage in Adults Infected With HIV: 16-Year Observational Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: As the life expectancy of individuals infected with HIV continues to increase, vigilant monitoring of non-AIDS-related events becomes imperative, particularly those pertaining to liver diseases. In comparison to the general population, patients infected with HIV experience a higher frequency of liver-related deaths. The CD4/CD8 ratio is emerging as a potential biomarker for non-AIDS-related events. However, few existing studies have been specially designed to explore the relationship between the CD4/CD8 ratio and specific types of non-AIDS-related events, notably liver damage. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the potential association between the CD4/CD8 ratio and the development of liver damage in a sizable cohort of patients infected with HIV receiving antiretroviral treatment (ART). Additionally, the study sought to assess the effectiveness of 3 antiretroviral drugs in recovering the CD4/CD8 ratio and reducing the occurrence of liver damage in this population. METHODS: We conducted an observational cohort study among adults infected with HIV receiving ART from 2004 to 2020 in Guangxi, China. Propensity score matching, multivariable Cox proportional hazard, and Fine-Gray competing risk regression models were used to determine the relationship between the CD4/CD8 ratio recovered and liver damage. RESULTS: The incidence of liver damage was 20.12% among 2440 eligible individuals during a median follow-up period of 4 person-years. Patients whose CD4/CD8 ratio did not recover to 1.0 exhibited a higher incidence of liver damage compared to patients with a CD4/CD8 ratio recovered (adjusted hazard ratio 7.90, 95% CI 4.39-14.21; P<.001; subdistribution hazard ratio 6.80, 95% CI 3.83-12.11; P<.001), findings consistent with the propensity score matching analysis (adjusted hazard ratio 6.94, 95% CI 3.41-14.12; P<.001; subdistribution hazard ratio 5.67, 95% CI 2.74-11.73; P<.001). The Efavirenz-based regimen exhibited the shortest time for CD4/CD8 ratio recovery (median 71, IQR 49-88 months) and demonstrated a lower prevalence of liver damage (4.18/100 person-years). CONCLUSIONS: Recovery of the CD4/CD8 ratio was associated with a decreased risk of liver damage in patients infected with HIV receiving ART, adding evidence for considering the CD4/CD8 ratio as a potential marker for identifying individuals at risk of non-AIDS-related diseases. An efavirenz-based regimen emerged as a recommended choice for recovering the CD4/CD8 ratio and mitigating the risk of liver damage.

Effect and Mechanism of Cotrimoxazole Against Talaromyces marneffei in vitro.

BACKGROUND: Talaromyces marneffei (formerly Penicillium marneffei) is an important thermally dimorphic fungus endemic which is characterized by one of the most frequent opportunistic infections in HIV/AIDS patients, mainly prevalent in Southeast Asia, southern China, and northeastern India. Cotrimoxazole(CTX) inhibits folic acid synthesis which is important for the survival of many bacteria, protozoa, and fungi, thereby commonly used to prevent several opportunistic infections among HIV/AIDS patients. In addition to preventing other HIV-associated opportunistic infections, CTX prophylaxis are considered to have the potential to prevent T. marneffei infection in HIV/AIDS patients receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART). However, the effect of cotrimoxazole towards T. marneffei fungus in vitro remains unclear. METHODS: Human THP-1 macrophages were used as cell model in vitro to explore the effect and mechanism of cotrimoxazole resistance towards T. marneffei. Cell viability assay and drug sensitivity colony forming units (CFU) experiments were conducted to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of cotrimoxazole inside and outside THP-1 macrophages respectively. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (Elisa) was used to measure the concentration of Dihydropteroic acid synthetase (DHPS), Dihydrofolate synthetase (DHFS) and Dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) between T. marneffei adding TMP/SMX and without adding TMP/SMX group respectively. Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR(qPCR) was performed to detect the mRNA expression levels in Dectin-1 mediated signaling pathway and downstream inflammatory cytokines including IL-6, IL-10, IL-23A, CXCL8 and TNF-α released by T. marneffei-infected macrophages between adding TMP/SMX and without adding TMP/SMX group respectively. RESULTS: Cotrimoxazole can inhibit the proliferation of T. marneffei within safe concentration inside and outside THP-1 macrophages. Drug susceptibility results showed the minimal inhibit concentration(MIC) of 1:5 TMP/SMX was ranging from 14/70 to 68/340 µg/ml. The MIC of SMX was ranging from 100 to 360 µg/ml. The MIC of TMP was ranging from 240 to 400 µg/ml outside macrophages. The MIC of TMP/SMX was ranging from 36/180 to 68/340 µg/ml. The MIC of SMX was ranging from 340 to 360 µg/ml. The MIC of TMP was ranging from 320 to 400 µg/ml inside macrophages. The synergistic interaction of 1:5 TMP/SMX was more effective in inhibiting T. marneffei than separate SMX and TMP. DHPS, DHFS and DHFR can be inhibited by cotrimoxazole within safe and effective concentration. Dectin-1 expression is increased following T. marneffei infection, leading to the increase of IL-6, IL-10, IL-23A and the decrease of CXCL8 and TNF-α. Conversely, cotrimoxazole decrease the levels of Dectin-1, IL-6, IL-10, IL-23A and increase the levels of CXCL8 and TNF-α, thereby enhancing the intracellular killing-T. marneffei capacity of macrophages. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicated that cotrimoxazole directly inhibited T. marneffei growth by blocking DHPS, DHFS and DHFR and indirectly inhibited T. marneffei growth perhaps by regulating the Dectin-1 signaling pathway, which may effectively interfere with the defense ability of the host against T. marneffei infection.

Acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination and influencing factors among people living with HIV in Guangxi, China: a cross-sectional survey.

BACKGROUND: Vaccination has been proven to be an effective approach against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This study aimed to determine the acceptance rate and factors influencing acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination among people living with HIV (PLWH) in Guangxi, China. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was carried out in five cities in Guangxi, China from May 7 to June 1, 2021. Questionnaires on the acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination and the related factors were conducted among PLWH recruited by simple random sampling. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination. RESULTS: Of all valid respondents (n = 903), 72.9% (n = 658) were willing to receive COVID-19 vaccination. Fear of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection was the main reason for being willing to receive vaccination (76.0%), while the main reasons for not willing were the concerns about vaccine safety (54.7%) and the vaccination's effect on antiretroviral therapy (ART) (50.6%). The most important factors influencing acceptance were the perception that vaccination is unsafe for HIV-infected people (aOR = 0.082, 95% CI = 0.024-0.282) and the poor efficacy in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection in HIV-infected people (aOR = 0.093, 95% CI = 0.030-0.287). Other factors associated with acceptance included Zhuang ethnicity (aOR = 1.653, 95% CI = 1.109-2.465), highest education level of middle school, high school or above (aOR = 1.747, 95% CI = 1.170-2.608; aOR = 2.492, 95% CI = 1.326-4.682), and the vaccination having little effect on ART efficacy (aOR = 2.889, 95% CI = 1.378-6.059). CONCLUSIONS: Acceptance rate of the COVID-19 vaccination is relatively low among PLWH compared to the general population in China, although some patients refused vaccination due to concerns about vaccine safety and vaccination affecting ART efficacy. More research is needed to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 vaccines on ART efficacy and the effectiveness in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection among PLWH.

Association Between CD4/CD8 Ratio Recovery and Chronic Kidney Disease Among Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Patients Receiving Antiretroviral Therapy: A 17-Year Observational Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: CD4/CD8 ratio is considered as an emerging biomarker for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-related diseases. However, the relationship of CD4/CD8 ratio recovery and chronic kidney disease (CKD), and whether cumulative antiretroviral therapy (ART) is effective in the CD4/CD8 ratio recovery and in reducing CKD incidence among HIV patients remain unclear. METHODS: A 17-year observational cohort study was conducted on all HIV-infected patients receiving ART in Guangxi, China. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to investigate the cumulative CKD incidence. Cox regression and propensity score matching (PSM) were used to evaluate the association between CD4/CD8 ratio recovery and CKD incidence, and the effect of ART regimens on CD4/CD8 ratio recovery and CKD incidence. RESULTS: A total of 59,268 eligible individuals contributing 285,143 person-years of follow-up, with an overall CKD incidence of 9.65%. After ART, patients who developed CKD showed higher mortality than those with normal kidney function (12.48 vs. 7.57%, p < 0.001). Patients whose CD4/CD8 ratio did not recover to 0.7 had a higher CKD incidence than the patients who recovered (aHR = 2.84, 95% CI 2.63-3.07), similar to the PSM analysis (aHR = 3.13, 95% CI 2.85-3.45). Compared with the PI-based and INSTI-based regimens, NNRTI-based regimen had a better CD4/CD8 ratio recovery rate (27.04, 16.16, and 29.66%, respectively) and a lower CKD incidence (17.43, 16.16, and 7.31%, respectively). CONCLUSION: This large-scale real-world setting provide new evidence that the CD4/CD8 ratio recovery is associated with lower CKD incidence in HIV-infected patients receiving ART. NNRTI-based is a better choice for CD4/CD8 ratio recovery and reducing the risk of CKD.

High HIV prevalence, low awareness of and willingness to use HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis among male migrant workers in Southwestern, China: a short report.

Little is known about pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) awareness and willingness among male rural-to-urban migrant workers, a high-risk population of HIV infection and transmission in China. The aim of this study was to assess the awareness of and willingness to use PrEP among this vulnerable population in two cities in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, a province in southwestern China. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among male rural-to-urban migrant workers in Guangxi province, during June to August, 2015. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to examine the factors related to PrEP acceptance. Among 669 male rural-to-urban migrant workers surveyed, the HIV prevalence was 1.79%. Among the 657 HIV-negative participants, 23.0% had heard of PrEP, 1.2% had used PrEP, and 64.7% were willing to use PrEP. Being afraid of HIV/AIDS (OR = 2.08, 95%CI: 1.04-4.19) and willing to have an HIV test (OR = 3.74, 95%CI: 1.64-8.52) were associated with willingness to use PrEP. The findings suggest that among male migrant workers in Southwestern China, the awareness of and willingness to use PrEP were relatively low. Given the fact that the HIV prevalence was high among this population, more educational campaigns about PrEP and targeted interventions are necessary for this high-risk population in Guangxi.

Effect of AIDS-defining events at initiation of antiretroviral therapy on long-term mortality of HIV/AIDS patients in Southwestern China: a retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of AIDS-defining events (ADE) on long-term mortality of HIV positive individuals on antiretroviral therapy (ART), a retrospective HIV/AIDS treatment cohort study performed in Southwestern China. METHODS: The retrospective cohort was conducted among 6757 HIV/AIDS patients on ART (2NRTIs + 1NNRTI, 2NRTIs + 1PI and Single or two drugs) recruited in Guigang city, Guangxi, China, from January 2004 to December 2018. Participants were divided into ADE and non-ADE groups, and were followed-up every six months to observe treatment outcomes. Comparison of mortality between groups was performed using the log-rank test and Kaplan-Meier analysis. Cox proportional hazard regression was used to explore the risk factors of mortality. 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) was used to balance confounding factors and adjust the mortality risk. RESULTS: Of 6757 participants with 29,096.06 person-years of follow-up, 16.86% (1139/6757) belonged to ADE group while the others (83.14%) belonged to the non-ADE group. The most common cause of death by ADE was disseminated mycosis (31.65%), followed by recurrent severe bacterial pneumonia (28.48%), herpes zoster (17.72%), and extra-pulmonary tuberculosis (8.86%). The mortality of the ADE group was significantly higher than that of the non-ADE group [3.45/100 person-years (95% CI 2.92-3.97) vs. 2.34/100 person-years (95% CI 2.15-2.52), P<0.001]. The death risk of the ADE group was also higher than that of the non- ADE group [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) = 1.291, 95% CI 1.061-1.571, P = 0.011], which was confirmed by PSM analysis (aHR = 1.581, 95% CI 1.192-2.099, P = 0.002). Cox analysis indicated that ADE, older age, male gender, previous non-use of cotrimoxazole, advanced WHO clinical stage, and low baseline CD4+ cell count were the risk factors for death. CONCLUSIONS: Even on ART, the mortality risk of HIV positive individuals with ADE was higher than those without ADE. Active testing, earlier diagnosis, and timely therapy with ART may reduce the death risk of ADE.

Synthesis of Novel Pd Nanosponges for Non-Enzymatic Glucose Sensor.

A unique nanostructured electrocatalyst based on Palladium (Pd) nanosponge architecture is synthesized by one-step dealloying of the amorphous alloy precursor with low Pd concentration. The sponge-like nanostructure with hollow interiors enables sufficient contact between reactants andboth the interior and exterior surfaces. The results of cyclic voltammetry reveal that the as-prepared Pd nanosponge exhibits high sensitivity of 32 µA mM-1 cm-2 in a wide linear range (1-18 mM), and long-term stability toward glucose electro-oxidation. The Pd nanosponge also manifests detection limit as low as 2.0 µM (S/N = 3) and high selectivity for glucose sensing. The enhanced catalytic activity of the Pd nanosponge is attributed to the bimetallic synergistic effect and the large active surface area of the high-uniformity porous structure. The facile synthesis of the cost-effective Pd nanosponge with superior electrocatalytic performance makes it hold great potentials for biosensor and other catalysis applications.

Refinement of Nanoporous Copper with Poly(vinyl alcohol) During Dealloying Amorphous Mg65Cu25Y10 Precursors.

Ultrafine nanoporous copper (UNP Cu) with a characteristic pore size of about 12 nm and a ligament size of about 14 nm was fabricated from amorphous Mg65Cu25Y10 precursor alloys after dealloying in a 0.1 M H2SO4 solution modified by poly(vinyly alcohol) polymers with a molecular weight of 105000 g/mol (PVA-124). The suppression of the surface diffusion from PVA-124 reduced the size of the nanopores and ligaments to 20 nm when the concentration of the added PVA-124 exceeded 0.1 g L-1. When the concentration of the added PVA-124 exceeded 2 g L-1, PVA-124 triggered the polymerization process. The resultant polymer surface layer on the fcc Cu ligaments was shown to reduce the rate of selective dissolution. It was also shown that extending the immersion time resulted in a suppression of coarsening. The introduction of PVA-124 polymer into acids resulted in a higher viscosity of the dealloying solutions, particularly when the concentration of PVA-124 was higher than 1.0 g L-1. This viscosity was shown not only to reduced rate of diffusion of Cu adatoms in PVA-124 solutions, but also forced the accumulation of Cu adatoms to form small scale UNP Cu.

Effects of cotrimoxazole prophylaxis on Talaromyces marneffei infection in HIV/AIDS patients receiving antiretroviral therapy: a retrospective cohort study.

The dimorphic fungus Talaromyces marneffei (TM) is a common cause of HIV-associated opportunistic infections in Southeast Asia. Cotrimoxazole (CTX) inhibits folic acid synthesis which is important for the survival of many bacteria, protozoa, and fungi and has been used to prevent several opportunistic infections among HIV/AIDS patients. We question whether CTX is effective in preventing TM infection. To investigate this question, we conducted an 11-year (2005-2016) retrospective observational cohort study of all patients on the Chinese national antiretroviral therapy (ART) programme in Guangxi, a province with high HIV and TM burden in China. Survival analysis was conducted to investigate TM cumulative incidence, and Cox regression and propensity score matching (PSM) were used to evaluate the effect of CTX on TM incidence. Of the 3359 eligible individuals contributing 10,504.66 person-years of follow-up, 81.81% received CTX within 6 months after ART initiation, and 4.73% developed TM infection, contributing 15.14/1,000 person-year TM incidence rate. CTX patients had a significantly lower incidence of TM infection than non-CTX patients (4.11% vs. 7.53%; adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) = 0.50, 95% CI 0.35-0.73). CTX reduced TM incidence in all CD4+ cell subgroups (<50 cells/µL, 50-99 cells/µL, 100-199 cells/µL), with the highest reduction observed in patients with a baseline CD4+ cell count <50 cells/µL in both Cox regression and the PSM analyses. In conclusion, in addition to preventing other HIV-associated opportunistic infections, CTX prophylaxis has the potential to prevent TM infection in HIV/AIDS patients receiving ART.

Asynchronous Evolution of Nanoporous Silver on Dual-Phase Ag⁻Sn Alloys by Potentiostatic Dealloying in Hydrochloric Acid Solution.

Evolution behavior of the nanoporous architectures has been investigated via potentiostatic electrochemical dealloying of dual-phase AgxSn100-x (x = 20, 30, 40 at.%) alloys, which consist of ß-Sn and ε-Ag3Sn phases with different volume fractions in 1.2 M HCl solution. The results show that the open-circuit potentials and corrosion potentials of dual-phase Ag-Sn alloys are determined by the less noble ß-Sn phases rather than chemical compositions of the Ag-Sn precursor alloys. The potentiodynamic polarization curves show that the anodic dissolution of Ag-Sn alloys is divided into two stages including the first preferential dissolution of ß-Sn phases and secondary dealloying of ε-Ag3Sn phases, which is associated with the order of the nanoporous evolution. Nanoporous silver (NPS) can be fabricated by potentiostatic dealloying of dual-phase Ag-Sn alloys in HCl solution. The dealloying of two phases is asynchronous: The less noble ß-Sn phases are preferentially etched to generate the larger pores, and then the more noble ε-Ag3Sn phases are dealloyed to form the finer nanoporous structure. The significant surface diffusion of Ag adatoms at the applied potential higher than the pitting potential of ε-Ag3Sn phases during the dealloying results in the coarsening of nanoporous ligaments with a time dependence of d(t) ∝ t0.1. The fractions and the difference in electrochemical stabilities of the ß-Sn and ε-Ag3Sn phases in dual-phase AgxSn100-x (x = 20, 30, 40 at.%) precursor alloys determines the final nanoporous structure.

An optimal BMI range associated with a lower risk of mortality among HIV-infected adults initiating antiretroviral therapy in Guangxi, China.

Previous studies investigating HIV-infected patients suggested a direct link between underweight and the mortality rate of AIDS. However, there was a lack of evidence showing the optimal range of initial body mass index (BMI) patients maintain during antiretroviral therapy (ART). We aimed to evaluate associations of the BMI values pre-ART and during the entire ART duration with mortality among HIV-positive individuals. In total, 5101 HIV/AIDS patients, including 1439 (28.2%) underweight, 3047 (59.7%) normal-weight, 548 (10.7%) overweight and 67 (1.3%) obese patients, were included in this cohort. The cumulative mortality of underweight, normal-weight, and overweight were 2.4/100 person-years (95% CI 1.9-2.9), 1.1/100 person-years (95% CI 0.9-1.3), and 0.5/100 person-years (95% CI 0.1-0.9), respectively. Cumulative mortality was lower in both the normal-weight and overweight populations than in the underweight population, with an adjusted hazard ratio (AHR) of 0.5 (95% CI 0.4-0.7, p < 0.001) and 0.3 (95% CI 0.1-0.6, p = 0.002), respectively. Additionally, in the 1176 patients with available viral load data, there was significant difference between the underweight and normal-weight groups after adjustment for all factors, including viral load (p = 0.031). This result suggests that HIV-infected patients in Guangxi maintaining a BMI of 19-28 kg/m2, especially 24-28 kg/m2, have a reduced risk of death.

Liver damage in patients living with HIV on antiretroviral treatment with normal baseline liver function and without HBV/HCV infection: an 11-year retrospective cohort study in Guangxi, China.

OBJECTIVE: To characterise the association between duration of exposure to antiretroviral treatment (ART) and liver damage in HIV patients with an initially normal baseline liver function and without hepatitis B virus (HBV)/hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted in HIV-infected individuals with normal liver function parameters at ART initiation and without HBV/HCV infection, from 14 April 2004 to 13 April 2015 in Guigang city, Guangxi, China. The association between duration of ART and liver damage (grade II-IV liver enzyme elevation [LEE] and/or total bilirubin elevation [TBE]), was analysed. Cox regression was used to examine the factors related to liver damage. RESULTS: Of 2119 eligible patients, 12.41% (263/2119) developed liver damage (grade II-IV LEE/TBE) and contributed 4.11/100 person-years crude incidence rate. The highest liver damage incidence was observed in patients with 6-12 months' ART (15.16/100 person-years). The incidence decreased to 5.56/100 person-years in patients with 12-18 months' ART and 3.13/100 person years in patients with 18-24 months' ART, and then maintained at a relatively low and stable level in patients with 2 years' ART or longer (average of 3.65/100 person-years). Cox regression analysis revealed that current WHO disease stage II, III or IV (compared with stage I) were the risk factors for liver damage, while baseline disease stage II, III (compared with stage I) and current regimen 3TC+AZT+NVP were the protective factors for liver damage. CONCLUSIONS: Liver damage always exists among HIV-infected patients on ART with normal baseline liver function and without HBV/HCV infection. Nevertheless, cumulative ART duration does not increase the risk of liver damage. ART could tend to be long-term, however, monitoring and management of liver damage among patients on ART are also important in clinical therapy.

Non-Enzymatic Electrochemical Glucose Sensor Based on Ti-Cu-O Nanotubes Prepared from TiCu Amorphous Alloy.

Novel Ti-Cu-O nanotubes with the diameter of approximately 22 nm, the length of about 360 nm and the wall thickness of approximately 6 nm, were in-situ fabricated by one-step anodic oxidation of Ti60Cu40 amorphous alloy in the ethylene glycol containing F-. The Ti-Cu-O nanotubes exhibited superior electrocatalytic performance for glucose oxidation with an ultrahigh sensitivity of 403.9 µA cm-2 mM-1 in a linear range covering from 10 µM to 0.2 mM and low detection limit of 1.40 µM (at signal/noise ratio (S/N) = 3) at the potential of 0.6 V (vs. SCE). Moreover, the Ti-Cu-O nanotubes demonstrated a long-term stability and a good selectivity to uric acid and ascorbic acid. The superior catalytic performance of Ti-Cu-O nanotubes is attributed to the synergistic effect of Cu species existence in different valences and the tubular microstructure with large specific area. All results suggest that the Ti-Cu-O nanotubes could be potential materials for non-enzymatic glucose sensor.

Alcohol-induced autophagy via upregulation of PIASy promotes HCV replication in human hepatoma cells.

Both alcohol and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection could induce cellular autophagy in liver cells, which is considered to be essential for productive HCV replication. However, whether alcohol-induced autophagy is involved in the pathogenesis of HCV infection is still poorly understood. Alcohol treatment could induce autophagy in Huh7 cells (a hepatoma cell line that supports HCV JFH-1 replication), evidenced by the increase of LC3B-II levels, the conversion of LC3B-I to LC3B-II, and the formation of GFP-LC3 puncta as well as the decrease of p62 level in alcohol-treated cells compared with control cells. Alcohol treatment also significantly increased PIASy (a member of the PIAS family) expression, which can act as a SUMO (small ubiquitin-like modifier protein) E3 ligase to regulate a broader range of cellular processes including autophagy. Overexpression or the silencing expression of PIASy in alcohol-treated Huh7 cells could increase or decrease autophagic activation caused by alcohol treatment, respectively, and thus affect HCV replication correspondingly. In the absence of alcohol, overexpression or silencing expression of PIASy increase or decrease the level of cellular autophagy, judged by the changes of LC3B-II and p62 levels in the presence or absence of chloroquine (CQ), a lysosome inhibitor. More importantly, in the presence of 3-methyladenine (3-MA), an inhibitor in the early stage of autophagy, the effects of overexpression or silencing expression of PIASy on HCV replication were largely blocked. Furthermore, PIASy could selectively drive the accumulation of SUMO1-conjugated proteins, along with upregulation of the expression of several important autophagy factors, including ATG7 and ATG5-ATG12. In conclusion, alcohol promotes HCV replication through activation of autophagy in Huh7 cells, which partly attributes to its induction of PIASy expression. PIASy-enhanced accumulation of SUMO1-conjugated proteins may contribute to its inducing effect of autophagy. Our findings provide a novel mechanism for the action of alcohol-promoting HCV replication in the context of cellular autophagy.

Evolution of Nanoporous Surface Layers on Gas-Atomized Ti60Cu39Au1 Powders during Dealloying.

Nanoporous golf ball-shaped powders with a surface porous layer consisting of fcc Cu and Cu3Au phases have been fabricated by selectively dissolving gas-atomized Ti60Cu39Au1 powders in 0.13 M HF solution. The distribution profiles of the Ti2Cu and TiCu intermetallic phases and powder size play an important role of the propagation of the selective corrosion frontiers. The final nanoporous structure has a bimodal characteristic with a finer nanoporous structure at the ridges, and rougher structure at the shallow pits. The powders with a size of 18⁻75 m dealloy faster due to their high crystallinity and larger powder size, and these with a powder size of smaller than 18 m tend to deepen uniformly. The formation of the Cu3Au intermetallic phases and the finer nanoporous structure at the ridges proves that minor Au addition inhibits the fast diffusion of Cu adatoms and decreases surface diffusion by more than two orders. The evolution of the surface nanoporous structure with negative tree-like structures is considered to be controlled by a percolation dissolution mechanism.

HIV prevalence among female sex workers in Guigang City, Guangxi, China: an 8-year consecutive cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Female sex workers (FSW) are a population that are at high risk for HIV infection, and their HIV/AIDS knowledge levels and sexual behaviors are of concern. This study describes changes in HIV prevalence and factors associated among female sex workers in Guigang City, Guangxi, one of the highest HIV prevalence areas in China. METHODS: Data were derived from an annual cross-sectional venue-based survey, 2008 to 2015, in the form of sentinel surveillance. The participants were recruited using cluster sampling. FSW aged 16 years and above who completed a questionnaire and HIV testing. Both descriptive and multi-level analyses were used to explore factors associated with changes in HIV prevalence. RESULTS: Seven thousand four hundred ninety-six FSW were recruited in this study. HIV prevalence among FSW in Guigang City fell into two periods, one with an increasing trend (2008-2011) and one with a decline (2012-2015). Differences between these time periods included age, relationship status, HIV knowledge, consistent condom use, lifetime illicit drug use, history of sexually transmitted infection in the past year, HIV testing, receipt of a condom distribution and education program or HIV counseling and testing, and peer education services. CONCLUSIONS: Since 2012, a reduction in HIV prevalence among FSW in Guigang City has been observed. The decline of HIV prevalence was associated with coinciding changes in demographic characteristics of FSW, improvement of HIV knowledge and safer sexual behaviors, and a program that promotes condom use, HIV counseling & testing, and peer education.

mircoRNA-3162-3p is a potential biomarker to identify new infections in HIV-1-infected patients.

BACKGROUND: Identification of new HIV infections (HIV incidence) is critical for monitoring AIDS epidemic and assessing the effectiveness of intervention measures. However, current methods for distinguishing new infections from newly diagnosed HIV-1 patients are still imperfect. We explored utilizing miRNAs as biomarker to identify HIV new infections. METHODS: According to the HIV-1 status and the estimated duration of infection (EDI), we enrolled participants and divided them into three groups: healthy control, new infection (within 1 year), and old infection (longer than 1 year). Participants were assigned into screening set or validation set. miRNA microarray was performed in screening set and the differentially expressed miRNAs were screened out. The differentially expressed miRNAs were further confirmed in validation set and HIV-1 IIIB-MT2 cells infection system. RESULTS: In screening set, 5 miRNAs including miR-1291, miR-3609, miR-3162-3p, miR-874-5p and miR-4258 were screened out for their differential expression in plasma among three groups. In validation set, down- trend of miR-3162-3p was validated from healthy control, new infection to old infection groups. In HIV-1 IIIB-MT2 system, the levels of miR-3162-3p also decreased along with infection duration in vitro. Sensitivity and specificity for miR-3162-3p to distinguish new infection from old infection were 100.0% and 71.43%, respectively, with the cut-off value of 0.916. CONCLUSION: miR-3162-3p in plasma could be a potential microRNA biomarker to identify HIV new infections in HIV-1 infected patients.

Facile Fabrication of Cu2O Nanobelts in Ethanol on Nanoporous Cu and their Photodegradation of Methyl Orange.

Thin cupric oxide (Cu2O) nanobelts with width of few tens of nanometers to few hundreds of nanometers were fabricated in anhydrous ethanol on nanoporous copper templates that was prepared via dealloying amorphous Ti40Cu60 ribbons in hydrofluoric acid solutions at 348 K. The Cu2O octahedral particles preferentially form in the water, and nanobelts readily undergo the growth along the lengthwise and widthwise in the anhydrous ethanol. The ethanol molecules serve as stabilizing or capping reagents, and play a key role of the formation of two-dimensional Cu2O nanobelts. Cu atoms at weak sites (i.e., twin boundary) on the nanoporous Cu ligaments are ionized to form Cu2+ cations, and then react with OH- to form Cu2O and H2O. The two-dimensional growth of Cu2O nanostructure is preferred in anhydrous ethanol due to the suppression of random growth of Cu2O nanoarchitectures by ethanol. Cu2O nanobelts have superior photodegradation performance of methyl orange, three times higher than nanoporous Cu.