Investigating the generation and propagation evolution of orange optical vortices using continuous-wave KGW Raman lasers with astigmatic mode transformations.

Various high-order orange beams (HOBs) at 588 nm are produced via off-center pumped Nd:YVO4/KGW Raman lasers. We experimentally confirm that the HOBs can be fairly sustained at the incident pump power of 2.88 W, where the average output powers are overall from 300 mW to 160 mW with increasing the off-center displacements from 0.14 mm to 0.21 mm. The HOBs are further transformed by using an astigmatic mode converter to generate a variety of structured lights with optical vortices. Moreover, theoretical wave functions are analytically derived to characterize the propagation evolution of the converted HOBs. The experimental patterns for all propagating positions are excellently reconstructed by the derived wave functions, and the evolution of phase structures is numerically calculated to manifest the robust optical vortices.

[Differences of brain functional alterations between subtypes of Cushing's syndrome patients].

Objective: To compare the differences of brain functional damage of subtypes of patients with Cushing's syndrome (CS). Methods: A total of 11 adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)-dependent CS patients and 29 ACTH-independent CS patients were recruited from Chinese PLA General Hospital between September 2015 and March 2017 with confirmed CS. The psychiatric scales and brain task functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) were evaluated. Results: A total of 40 patients (34 females, 6 males) with a mean age of (39.20±12.10) years and a median education level of 12 (9, 16) years were enrolled. ACTH-dependent patients had significantly worse performance than the ACTH-independent patients in response to the depression evaluation (64.6±6.1 vs 56.2±12.8, P=0.008), positive emotion (17.8±4.2 vs 24.3±7.2, P=0.008) and CS life quality [31(29,33) vs 42(29,51), P=0.040]. In the reaction to positive target pictures, ACTH-dependent CS patients showed stronger activation in left superior temporal gyrus compared with patients in ACTH-independent group, while the activation degree of their bilateral dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, bilateralsuperior frontal gyrus and left middle frontal gyrus was much worse. In the reactions to negative target pictures, ACTH-dependent CS patients had weaker activation in bilateral cerebellum, left superior frontal gyrus, left middle frontal gyrus, left precuneus and right postcentral gyrus, compared with patients in the ACTH-independent CS group (P<0.01, AlphaSim corrected). The activation degree of some regions whose brain function was different between the two groups was correlated to the cortisol level, ACTH level, 24 h urinary free cortisol (UFC) level, depression evaluation and negative emotion assessment (all P<0.05). Conclusions: The severity of the depression and the life quality of patients in ACTH-dependent group are worse than ACTH-independent CS patients. The brain function of ACTH-dependent CS patients is much weaker.

[The hybridization and integration in the treatment of cerebral vascular diseases].

Multi-modalities integration is important in improving the outcome of patients with neurovascular diseases.Based on hybrid operation, this mode also integrates modern intraoperative image and monitoring techniques such as neuronavigation and intraoperative electrophysiological monitoring, providing safe, effective and cost-efficient therapies to certain diseases with the cooperation of neurosurgery and neurology department, which has been becoming the direction of modern individualized precise neurosurgery development.

[The application of hybrid operation suite in the management of cerebral and spinal vascular diseases and intracranial hypervascular tumors].

Objective: To evaluate the effect of hybrid operation suite in the treatment of cerebral and spinal vascular diseases and intracranial hypervascular tumors. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on 132 patients with various cerebral and spinal vascular diseases and intracranial hypervascular tumors who were treated by hybrid surgery at Department of Neurosurgery, Huashan Hospital from October 2016 to December 2017.There were 70 male and 62 female patients with a mean age of 48.33 years (range: 14-78 years), including 64 cases of intracranial aneurysm (41 complicated aneurysm cases), 28 cases of brain arteriovenous malformation (BAVM), 12 cases of hypervascular tumor, 12 cases of dural arteriovenous fistula (DAVF), 6 cases of carotid artery stenosis, 5 cases of Moyamoya disease, 3 cases of intracranial aneurysm or BAVM combined with tumor, 1 case of scalp arteriovenous fistula and 1 case of critical brain trauma in which a foreign metal stick approached the basal vascular circuit.Abnormalities were found in 16 cases in intraoperative angiography. The clinical data of all patients was collected as a perspective cohort. The success rate of hybrid surgery, intra-operative and post-operative complications, morbidity, mortality, rate of infection, the length of hospital stay were all analyzed to illustrate the effect of hybrid operation mode to traditional surgical pattern. Results: For 64 cases with intracranial aneurysms, the immediate complete occlusion rate was 90.5%, with a mortality of 4.7% and a morbidity of 14.0%. For 28 cases of BAVM and 12 cases of DAVF, all patients achieved total obliteration and favorable social independent outcomes after hybrid surgery, with no complication.For 6 cases of carotid artery stenosis and 5 cases of Moyamoya, intra-operative confirmed good cerebral reperfusion without any new post-operative neurologic deficits. After tumor vessels embolization, 4 out of 12 cases of hypervascular tumor needed intra-operative blood transfusion, and all patients achieved total tumor resection in a single stage. Only one patient with medulla oblongata hemangioblastoma died 6 months after operation due to respiratory deficit related pneumonia. Compared to traditional surgeries, the hybrid operation pattern did not significantly increase the total infection rate, central nervous system infection rate, hospital stay days and post-operative hospital stay days (all P>0.05) while the in-patient cost increased mildly (119 332 yuan vs.98 215 yuan, t=2.38, P=0.02). Conclusions: The operations of complex cerebral and spinal vascular diseases and intracranial hypervascular tumors can be performed in hybrid operation suite safely.This surgical mode can ensure the quality of operation and promote the development of innovative and complicated surgical procedures.

Expression and role of cyclophilin B in stomach cancer.

We elucidated the expression of ciclosporin protein B (cyclophilin B) in stomach cancer tissue and the correlation between cyclophilin B and clinicopathological parameters, and determined the effect of cyclophilin B on growth and proliferation of stomach cancer cells. Pathological sections of stomach cancer and paracancerous tissue were collected for detecting the expression and distribution of cyclophilin B, using immunohistochemistry, and for analyzing the relationship between the expression levels of cyclophilin B in stomach cancer and the clinical pathological parameters of the patients. A cyclophilin BsiRNA lentiviral (LV-cyclophilin B-siRNA) and corresponding control vector (LV-siRNA-con) were constructed. MTT and cell cycle assays were used to detect the effect of downregulation of cyclophilin B expression on in vitro growth and proliferation and clone formation capacity of BGC823 and SGC7901 cells. The cyclophilin B-positive rate of stomach cancer tissue was 84.29% (59/70) and that of paracancerous tissue was 56.00% (28/50). The expression of cyclophilin B in stomach cancer tissue was significantly higher than that in paracancerous tissue (P < 0.05). Staining for cyclophilin B was primarily present in the cytoplasm and was seldom present in the cell nuclei. Downregulation of cyclophilin B significantly inhibited growth and proliferation of stomach cancer cells, cell cycle progression, and in vivo tumorigenicity capacity. Cyclophilin B has a high diagnostic value for stomach cancer and its downregulation can effectively inhibit the growth of stomach cancer cells. Thus, cyclophilin B may be a potential therapeutic target for stomach cancer treatment.

Downregulation of microRNA-630 inhibits cell proliferation and invasion and enhances chemosensitivity in human ovarian carcinoma.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a family of small non-coding RNAs (approximately 21-23 nt long) that can target genes for either degradation of mRNA or inhibition of translation. miRNAs have not been comprehensively studied in human epithelial ovarian carcinoma (EOC). MicroRNA-630 (miR-630) has been frequently observed to be aberrantly expressed in various types of tumors. The present study explored the functions of miR-630 in the proliferation, apoptosis, chemosensitivity, and invasion of EOC. Using real-time polymerase chain reaction, we detected the miR-630 expression in cancerous, benign, and normal human ovarian tissues. Then, we evaluated the role of miR-630 in cell proliferation, chemosensitivity, apoptosis, and invasion by using the Cell Counting Kit-8, Annexin-V/FITC, and transwell assay on A2780 and SKOV3 cells. Western blotting was performed for analyzing the phosphatase and tensin homolog gene (PTEN) protein expression. The miR-630 expression level was higher in ovarian cancerous tissues than in benign and normal ovarian tissues. Decreased expression of miR-630 suppressed EOC cells' proliferation, migration, and invasion as well as significantly enhanced cell apoptosis and chemosensitivity to cisplatin. Furthermore, PTEN expression was increased in A2780 cells transfected by miR-630 inhibitor in comparison with inhibitor-negative control-transfected cells. In conclusion, downregulation of miR-630 dramatically increased apoptotic cell death chemosensitivity to cisplatin and decreased the proliferation, invasion, and migration of EOC cells. MiR-630 may thus play an important role in the biological behaviors of EOC cells through negative control of the PTEN expression.

Correlation between transcription factor activator protein-2ß (TFAP-2ß) and endometrial carcinoma.

AIMS: To investigate the correlation between transcription factor activator protein-2ß (TFAP-2ß) and endometrial carcinoma (EC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study comprised 60 randomly selected patients diagnosed and treated at the 2nd Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University from November 2011 to June 2012 for endometrial carcinoma (n = 30) and myoma of uterus (n = 30). The expression of TFAP-2Pß mRNA in endometrial carcinoma was analyzed by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and venous blood samples were obtained before abdominal surgery clinically. RESULTS: The expression of TFAP-2ß mRNA in endometrial tissue of patients with EC was higher than that of normal endometrium (p < 0.05). The expression of TFAP-2ß mRNA in endometrial tissue of patients with metabolism syndrome was higher than that of lean ones (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the expression of TFAP-2ß mRNA in endometrial tissue between patients with both EC and metabolism syndrome and in those with EC only. The expression levels of TFAP-2ß mRNA had positive correlation with triglyceride (r = 0.271, p < 0.05) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) (r = 0.314, p < 0.05). There was no significant correlation between the expression of TFAP-2ß mRNA and CA125, fasting plasma glucose, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), waist circumference, total cholesterol, and BMI. CONCLUSIONS: TFAP-2ß constituted promoter activity in EC and also contributed to the development of the metabolic syndrome. TFAP-2ß may influence the oc- currence and development of EC through regulating the expression of various adipokines and lipoprotein metabolism. Probably TFAP-2ß can be a candidate tumor marker for EC.

Effects of Post-harvest Storage Duration and Variety on Nutrient Digestibility and Energy Content Wheat in Finishing Pigs.

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of post-harvest storage duration and wheat variety on the digestibility and energy content of new season wheat fed to finishing pigs. Two wheat varieties (Shi and Zhong) were harvested in 2013 and stored in the warehouse of the Fengning Pig Experimental Base at China Agricultural University for 3, 6, 9, or 12 mo. For each storage period, 12 barrows were placed in metabolism crates and allotted to diets containing 1 of the 2 wheat varieties in a randomized complete block design. The experimental diets contained 97.34% wheat and 2.66% of a vitamin and trace mineral premix. With an extension of storage duration from 3 mo to 12 mo, the gross energy (GE) and crude protein (CP) of the wheat decreased by 2.0% and 12.01%, respectively, while the concentration of neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF) and starch content increased by 30.26%, 19.08%, and 2.46%, respectively. Total non-starch polysaccharide, total arabinose, total xylose and total mannose contents decreased by 46.27%, 45.80%, 41.71%, and 75.66%, respectively. However, there were no significant differences in the chemical composition between the two wheat varieties with the exception of ADF which was approximately 13.37% lower in Shi. With an extension of storage duration from 3 mo to 12 mo, the digestible energy (DE), metabolizable energy (ME) content and the apparent total tract digestibility of GE, CP, dry matter, organic matter, ether extract, ADF and metabolizability of energy in wheat decreased linearly (p<0.01) by 5.74%, 7.60%, 3.75%, 3.88%, 3.50%, 2.47%, 26.22%, 27.62%, and 3.94%, respectively. But the digestibility of NDF changed quadratically (p<0.01). There was an interaction between wheat variety and storage time for CP digestibility (p<0.05), such that the CP digestibility of variety Zhong was stable during 9 mo of storage, while the CP digestibility of variety Shi decreased (p<0.05). In conclusion, the GE, DE, and ME of wheat was stable during the first 3 to 6 mo of post-harvest storage, and decreased during the following 6 to 12 mo of storage under the conditions of this study.

Chromosomal analysis in pregnant women of advanced maternal age: indications for prenatal diagnosis.

The demographic of women of advanced maternal age (AMA), defined as those over 35 years, is expanding in response to the liberalization of China's three-child policy. A significant proportion of these women are electing to undergo noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT). Nonetheless, next-generation sequencing (NGS) is the recommended method for prenatal screening among women of AMA in the world. Consequently, the decision between opting for NIPT or NGS has emerged as topic of considerable debate and interest within the medical community. The objective was to explore which prenatal screening and diagnosis is suitable for women of AMA with different comorbidities. In this retrospective study, 326 pregnant women with AMA were divided into 9 groups to investigate clinically significant copy number variation (CNV) in different amniocentesis indications by amniocentesis and NGS. Clinically significant chromosomal abnormalities were identified in 84 cases (25.8%). Among the 119 detected segmental imbalances, 16 cases (13.4%) exhibited pathogenic or likely pathogenic microdeletions or micro-duplications. The incidence of pathogenic or likely pathogenic CNVs was significantly higher in the AMA with soft ultrasound markers group compared to the general AMA group (11.5% vs. 1.1%; P=0.016). Additionally, the incidence of pathogenic or likely pathogenic CNVs was significantly higher in the AMA with NIPT group compared to the general AMA group (48.7% vs. 1.1%; P<0.001). The incorporation of soft ultrasound markers and NIPT significantly enhanced the detection rate of clinically significant CNVs in women of AMA by 10.4% and 47.6%, respectively. Furthermore, the detection rate of clinically significant CNVs increased by 37% in women of AMA who underwent NIPT, when soft ultrasound markers were present. The positive predictive value of NIPT in detecting sex chromosome aneuploidy notably improved from 57.9% to 80% with the inclusion of soft ultrasound markers. Therefore, the combination of NIPT and soft ultrasound markers in women of AMA should be strongly considered and recommended for prenatal diagnosis.

[Analysis on the use of HIV post-exposure prophylaxis and related factors in men who have sex with men in Qingdao].

Objective: To understand the use of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) and analyze related factors among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Qingdao, and provide a reference for the AIDS prevention and control in this population. Methods: A cross-sectional survey conducted from April 2022 to February 2023. Relying on MSM social groups in Qingdao, a snowball sampling method was applied to recruit research subjects who met the inclusion criteria of age ≥18 years old, having had homosexual anal or oral sex in the past six months, and HIV-negative or infection status unknown. The sample size was estimated at 566. Data on demographic characteristics, sexual behavior characteristics, PEP use, and others of the research subjects was collected through on-site questionnaires. The logistic regression model was used to analyze the factors associated with using PEP. Results: A total of 811 participants were recruited, mainly aged 25-34 (53.6%, 435/811), unmarried (74.7%, 606/811), with an average monthly income of ≥5 000 yuan (52.2%, 423/811), and having lived in Qingdao for ≥10 years (75.6%, 613/811). The proportion of those who knew the HIV status of their sexual partners in the last six months was 67.1% (544/811), and those with HIV-positive partners were 3.6% (29/811). In the last six months, the proportion of participants who had group sex (86.4%, 701/811), unprotected anal sex (98.2%, 796/811), and use of club drugs (80.3%, 651/811) was high. Moreover, 28.4% (230/811) had used PEP. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the factors related to the use of PEP included divorced or widowed (aOR=5.46,95%CI:1.96-15.17), average monthly income ≥5 000 yuan (aOR=2.04,95%CI:1.44-2.89), same-sex sexual orientation (aOR=0.40,95%CI:0.22-0.71), having HIV-positive sexual partners in the last six months (aOR=2.54,95%CI:1.13-5.71) and having been tested for HIV ≥3 times in the last six months (aOR=1.46,95%CI:1.04-2.06). Conclusions: The prevalence of risk behaviors among MSM in Qingdao was high, and the use of PEP was low. In the future, it is essential to increase HIV/AIDS prevention education among MSM, promote MSM to know the HIV status of their sexual partners, and reduce the prevalence of risk behaviors among this population. Additionally, explore medical insurance reimbursement plans for PEP to reduce utilization costs and promote the use of PEP by MSM after HIV exposure occurs as soon as possible.

[Survey on the awareness rate of mpox knowledge and related factors among men who have sex with men in China].

Objective: To understand the awareness rate of mpox knowledge and related factors among men who have sex with men (MSM) in China. Methods: The survey was conducted among men aged ≥18 years who had sex with men in the past year, using the convenience sampling method. The estimated sample size was 4 312. With the assistance of social organizations of MSM in 30 provinces in China, an online questionnaire survey was conducted using anonymous self-designed questionnaires powered by www.wjx.cn during 10-14 August 2023 to collect information on socio-demographic characteristics, awareness of mpox knowledge, travel history, and sexual behaviors of the respondents. The software SAS 9.4 was used for statistical analysis. Results: There were 7 725 respondents, and the age of the respondents was (31.6±9.0) years. The results revealed that the awareness rate of mpox knowledge was 50.1% (3 872/7 725). The main routes to acquire mpox knowledge were mainly new media, including WeChat, Weibo, TikTok, and Blued social software (88.4%,6 827/7 725), while official media report was the most trusted way to acquire related knowledge (79.3%,6 129/7 725). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the factors indicated a higher awareness rate of mpox knowledge, including living in the western region or the eastern region, people were over 26 years old in early adulthood and midlife, college-educated or with higher degrees, living in towns or urban periphery, being in homosexual or in bisexual relationships, 1-5 homosexual times/months in the past 3 months, knowing their HIV infection status, paying attention to mpox knowledge very often, occasionally or rarely, and convenient ways to acquire mpox knowledge from new media and social organizations. Conclusions: The awareness rate of mpox knowledge was low among MSM in China. Efforts should be made to improve the awareness rate of mpox knowledge among those who are young, less educated, or sexually active, with targeted health education via new media and social organizations.

[Clinical characteristics of hospitalized children with respiratory syncytial virus infection and risk prediction of severe illness during the post-COVID-19 era in Kunming].

Objective: To compare the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of hospitalized children with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection in Kunming among the pre-and post-COVID-19 era, and to establish a prediction model for severe RSV infection in children during the post-COVID-19 period. Methods: This was a retrospective study. Clinical and laboratory data were collected from 959 children hospitalized with RSV infection in the Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Kunming Children's Hospital during January to December 2019 and January to December 2023. Patients admitted in 2019 were defined as the pre-COVID-19 group, while those admitted in 2023 were classified as the post-COVID-19 group. Epidemiological and clinical characteristics were compared between the two groups. Subsequently, comparison of the clinical severity among the two groups was performed based on propensity score matching (PSM). Furthermore, the subjects in the post-COVID-19 group were divided into severe and non-severe groups based on clinical severity. Chi-square test and Mann-Whitney U test were used for pairwise comparison between groups, and multivariate Logistic regression was applied for the identification of independent risk factors and construction of the prediction model. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and calibration curve were employed to evaluate the predictive performance of this model. Results: Among the 959 children hospitalized with RSV infection, there were 555 males and 404 females, with an onset age of 15.4 (7.3, 28.5) months. Of which, there were 331 cases in the pre-COVID-19 group and 628 cases in the post-COVID-19 group. The peak period of RSV hospitalization in the post-COVID-19 group were from May to October 2023, and the monthly number of inpatients for each of these months were as follows: 72 cases (11.5%), 98 cases (15.6%), 128 cases (20.4%), 101 cases (16.1%), 65 cases (10.4%), and 61 cases (9.7%), respectively. After PSM for general data, 267 cases were matched in each group. The proportion of wheezing in the post-COVID-19 group was lower than that in the pre-COVID-19 group (109 cases (40.8%) vs. 161 cases (60.3%), χ2=20.26, P<0.001), while the incidences of fever, tachypnea, seizures, severe case, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 levels were all higher than those in the pre-COVID-19 group (146 cases (54.7%) vs. 119 cases (44.6%), 117 cases (43.8%) vs. 89 cases (33.3%), 37 cases (13.9%) vs. 14 cases (5.2%), 69 cases (25.8%) vs. 45 cases (16.9%), 3.6 (1.9, 6.4) vs. 2.3 (1.8, 4.6), 9.9 (7.1, 15.2) vs. 7.8 (4.5, 13.9) mg/L, 20.5 (15.7, 30.4) vs. 17.2 (11.0, 26.9) ng/L, χ2=5.46, 6.36, 11.47, 6.42, Z=4.13, 3.06, 2.96, all P<0.05). There were 252 cases and 107 cases with co-infection in the post-and pre-COVID-19 groups, respectively. The proportion of triple and quadruple infection in the post-COVID-19 group was higher than that in the pre-COVID-19 group (59 cases (23.4%) vs. 13 cases (12.1%), 30 cases (11.9%) vs. 5 cases (4.7%), χ2=5.94, 4.46, both P<0.05). Among the 252 cases with co-infection in post-COVID-19 group, the most prevalent pathogens involving in co-infections, in order, were Mycoplasma pneumoniae 56 cases (22.2%), Influenza A virus 53 cases (21.0%), Rhinovirus 48 cases (19.0%), Parainfluenza virus 35 cases (13.9%), and Adenovirus 28 cases (11.1%).The result of multivariate Logistic regression showed that age (OR=0.70, 95%CI 0.62-0.78, P<0.001), underlying diseases (OR=10.03, 95%CI 4.10-24.55, P<0.001), premature birth (OR=6.78, 95%CI 3.53-13.04, P<0.001), NLR (OR=1.85, 95%CI 1.09-3.15, P=0.023), and co-infection (OR=1.28, 95%CI 1.18-1.38, P<0.001) were independently associated with the development of severe RSV infection in the post-COVID-19 group. The ROC curve of the prediction model integrating the above five factors indicated an area under the curve of 0.85 (95%CI 0.80-0.89, P<0.001), with an optimal cutoff of 0.21, a sensitivity of 0.83 and a specificity of 0.80. The calibration curve showed that the predicted probability in this model did not differ significantly from the actual probability (P=0.319). Conclusions: In the post-COVID-19 era in Kunming, the peak in pediatric hospitalizations for RSV infection was from May to October, with declined incidence of wheezing and increased incidence of fever, tachypnea, seizures, severe cases, and rates of triple and quadruple co-infections. Age, underlying diseases, premature birth, NLR, and co-infection were identified as independent risk factors for severe RSV infection in the post-COVID-19 period. In this study, a risk prediction model for severe pediatric RSV infection was established, which had a good predictive performance.

[HIV self-testing and related factors in men who have sex with men in Shijiazhuang].

Objective: To understand HIV self-testing and related factors in men who have sex with men (MSM) in Shijiazhuang. Methods: From August to September 2020, convenient sampling was used to recruit MSM in Shijiazhuang. Online questionnaires were used to collect information about their demographic characteristics, sexual behaviors and HIV self-testing. logistic regression model was used to analyze the related factors associated with HIV self-testing. Results: In the 304 MSM respondents, 52.3% (159/304) had HIV self-testing in the past 6 months, and 95.0% (151/159) used fingertip blood HIV detection reagent. Self-purchase was the main way to obtain HIV testing reagents (45.9%, 73/159), followed by supply from MSM social organization (44.7%, 71/159). The reasons for having HIV self-testing were non-specific testing time (67.9%, 108/159) and privacy protection (62.9%,100/159), the reasons for having no HIV self-testing included inability of using (32.4%, 47/145), being unaware of HIV self-testing reagent (24.1%, 35/145), and worry about inaccurate self-testing results (19.3%, 28/145). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that being 18-29 years old (aOR=2.68, 95%CI: 1.20-5.94), obtaining free HIV self-testing kits in recent 6 months (aOR=8.61, 95%CI: 4.09-18.11) and making friends through Internet and social software (aOR=2.68, 95%CI: 1.48-4.88) were positive factors for having HIV self-testing. Conclusion: HIV self-testing is a more flexible and convenient way to detect HIV in MSM, and the promotion of HIV self-testing in MSM should be strengthened to further increase the HIV detection rate in this population.

[A cohort study of incidence of club drug abuse in men who have sex with men in Qingdao].

Objective: To understand and analyze the incidence of club drug abuse and influencing factors in men who have sex with men (MSM) in Qingdao, and provide reference for the AIDS prevention and intervention in this population. Methods: From March 2017 to July 31, 2022, MSM who did not abuse club drug were recruited by snowball sampling of MSM social organizations in Qingdao, a prospective cohort was established, and a follow-up survey was conducted every 6 months. The survey collected the information about the MSM's demographic characteristics, sexual characteristics, club drug abuse and others. The incidence of club drug abuse was the outcome dependent variable and the interval between the recruitment into the cohort and the incidence of club drug abuse was the time dependent variable. Cox regression analysis was conducted to identify the influencing factors for club drug abuse. Results: A total of 509 MSM were recruited at baseline survey, and 369 eligible MSM were enrolled in this cohort. A total of 62 MSM began to abuse club drug during the study period, and the cumulative follow-up time was 911.54 person-years, the incidence of club drug abuse was 6.80/100 person-years. All the club drug abusers shared drugs with others in the first club drug abuse, and 16.13% (10/62) had mix-use of club drugs. The multivariate Cox proportional risk regression analysis showed that being students (aHR=2.17, 95%CI: 1.15-4.10), receiving no HIV testing or receiving 1 HIV testing during past 6 months (aHR=4.57, 95%CI:1.80-11.60; aHR=5.15, 95%CI: 2.83-9.36), having sex only with regular sexual partners during past 6 months (aHR=4.75,95%CI:2.32-9.75), having more than 4 homosexual partners (aHR=1.70, 95%CI:1.01-2.87) and abuse of club drug of sexual partners during past 6 months (aHR=12.78, 95%CI:3.06-53.35) were significantly associated with club drug abuse in the MSM. Conclusions: The incidence of club drug abuse was at a high level in the MSM cohort in Qingdao, indicating a high risk for HIV infection. Being student, receiving less HIV testing, having sex only with regular sexual partners, having more homosexual partners and abuse of club drug of sexual partners during past 6 months were risk factors for the incidence of club drug abuse in the MSM. Targeted surveillance and intervention measures should be strengthened to reduce the risk of club drug abuse in MSM.

[A cohort study of HIV infection in club drug abusers among men who have sex with men in Qingdao].

Objective: To understand and analyze the incidence of HIV infection in club drug abusers among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Qingdao and provide a reference for the prevention and intervention of this population. Methods: From March 2017 to July 2022, club drug abusers among MSM who are HIV-negative were recruited by snowball sampling of MSM social organizations in Qingdao, a prospective cohort was established, and a follow-up survey was conducted every six months, with the sample size estimated to be 436. The survey contents included demographic characteristics, sexual characteristics, AIDS knowledge awareness, club drug abuse, HIV testing, and other information. HIV infection was the outcome-dependent variable, and the interval between the recruitment into the cohort and the HIV infection was the time-dependent variable. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was conducted to identify the related factors for HIV infection. Results: A total of 987 participants of club drug abusers among MSM were recruited during the baseline survey and 826 eligible participants were enrolled in this cohort. A total of 46 HIV infection cases were found, and the cumulative follow-up time was 1 960.68 person-years. The incidence of HIV infection was 2.35/100 person-years. The multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that <30 (aHR=3.04, 95%CI: 1.62-5.71) non-Shandong residents (aHR=2.29,95%CI:1.20-4.39) found their partners through offline (aHR=4.62,95%CI:2.05-10.41), homosexual sexual partners >4 (aHR=3.06,95%CI:1.59-5.88), condom broken during sex (aHR=2.24,95%CI:1.21-4.17) and hemorrhage sexual intercourse (aHR=2.56,95%CI:1.31-5.03) were significantly associated with HIV infection in this cohort. Conclusions: The incidence of HIV infection in club drug abusers among MSM in Qingdao is generally low, but knowledge and practice have separated, and the risk of HIV infection is high. The related factors of HIV infection included younger age, non-Shandong residents, finding their partners offline, multiple sexual partners, condom break during sex, and hemorrhage sexual intercourse; HIV-related behavioral intervention should be strengthened.

Prevotella intermedia Aggravates Subclinical Hypothyroidism.

Subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) has been shown to be associated with microbiota. However, the association between SCH and oral microbiota has not yet been elucidated. The results of our previous clinical studies showed that Prevotella intermedia was abundant in the oral microbiota of SCH patients. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between SCH and oral microbiota, verify the pathogenicity of P. intermedia in SCH, and preliminarily explore the possible mechanism. The SCH mouse model with oral application of P. intermedia was established, and the variance in the mouse oral microbiota and changes in thyroid function and metabolism were detected in mice. Student's t test and analysis of variance were used for statistical analysis. Oral application of P. intermedia changed the composition of the oral microbiota of SCH mice, which enhanced the damage to the thyroid and decreased the expression of functional genes of the thyroid. Moreover, P. intermedia decreased oxygen consumption and aggravated glucose and lipid metabolism disorders in SCH mice. Glucose tolerance and insulin tolerance decreased, and the triglyceride content of the liver and inflammatory infiltration in adipose tissue increased in SCH mice after P. intermedia stimulation. Mechanistically, P. intermedia increased the proportion of CD4+ T cells in cervical lymph nodes and thyroids in SCH mice. Th1 cells were suggested to play an important role in the pathogenesis of SCH involving P. intermedia. In conclusion, P. intermedia aggravated SCH manifestations, including thyroid dysfunction and glucose and lipid metabolism disorders, by causing immune imbalance in mice. This study sheds new light on the pathogenesis of SCH from the perspective of oral microbiota.

Effect of periodic fluctuation in the osmotic environment on the adaptation of Salmonella.

The growth of Salmonella from different osmotic histories was studied in low water activity conditions. Cell cultures were successively diluted and grown in batch, in minimal medium, without and then with added NaCl, several times and from different inoculum levels. The viable count curves obtained in low water activity conditions showed an initial decline after which the culture either died out or recovered and entered the exponential phase. After the first batch with NaCl added, the subsequent curves at low water activity showed progressively smaller initial decline and shorter lag time as the number of transfers from high to low water activity conditions increased. The observed curves were analyzed by F-tests applying an extension of the model of Baranyi and Roberts (1994). The results suggest that periodic, systematic "training" can improve the adaptation capability of the organism without resulting in higher specific growth rate.

Lag phase of Salmonella enterica under osmotic stress conditions.

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium was grown at salt concentrations ranging from 0.5 to 7.5% in minimal medium with and without added osmoprotectant and in a rich medium. In minimal medium, the cells showed an initial decline period, and consequently the definition of the lag time of the resultant log count curve was revised. The model of Baranyi and Roberts (Int. J. Food Microbiol. 23:277-294, 1994) was modified to take into account the initial decline period, based on the assumption that the log count curve of the total population was the sum of a dying and a surviving-then-growing subpopulation. The lag time was defined as the lag of the surviving subpopulation. It was modeled by means of a parameter quantifying the biochemical work the surviving cells carry out during this phase, the "work to be done." The logarithms of the maximum specific growth rates as a function of the water activity in the three media differed only by additive constants, which gave a theoretical basis for bias factors characterizing the relationships between different media. Models for the lag and the "work to be done" as a function of the water activity showed similar properties, but in rich medium above 5% salt concentrations, the data showed a maximum for this work. An accurate description of the lag time is important to avoid food wastage, which is an issue of increasing significance in the food industry, while maintaining food safety standards.