Knowledge of Infection Prevention and Attitudes Towards HIV/AIDS Among Chinese Dental Bachelor Interns: An Appeal for Educational Intervention.

PURPOSE: The present study aimed to assess the current situation of Chinese dental bachelor interns on HIV/AIDS-related knowledge and their attitudes towards HIV/AIDS patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional, paper-based survey involving 147 dental students from three Chinese dental schools was conducted. Students were recruited to complete the questionnaire regarding their knowledge, awareness and attitudes concerning HIV/AIDS anonymously and voluntarily. RESULTS: A total of 144 students responded to the study, generating a response rate of 98.0%. Although 97.0% of the dental students believed dentists were at high risk of HIV infection, 97.2% of students expressed no prejudice towards HIV/AIDS patients and stated their willingness to provide oral healthcare service for such patients. No statistically significant differences in the responses on attitudes and some basic knowledge were found between students who had received the relevant education about infection control and the students who had not. However, regarding most questions about oral manifestations in adult and paediatric patients living with AIDS, the students who received relevant education showed more knowledge than the students who did not (p <0.05). The cognitive level about respecting HIV/AIDS patients' autonomy and privacy was generally low in all the students. CONCLUSIONS: Most of the dental students in this survey held positive attitudes towards HIV/AIDS patients and good grasp of some basic knowledge about HIV/AIDS. On the other hand, the questionnaire results reflected gaps in education, such as respecting HIV/AIDS patients' privacy.

Role of the autophagy-related marker LC3 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3), an autophagic gene, has been reported as a vital marker for many diseases and cancers. However, the role of LC3 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was not still investigated. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis to examine the association of LC3 with its clinicopathological and prognostic in HCC. METHODS: We consulted the PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, EMBASE, China National Knowledge Infrastructure and Wan Fang databases for published studies on LC3 in HCC. Newcastle-Ottawa scale was used to screen the quality of the literature. The statistical analysis was calculated by STATA 14.2. RESULTS: Of the 1329 titles identified, 10 articles involving 949 patients in HCC were included in this meta-analysis. The results of our study show that increased LC3 expression is related to size of tumor, but not to gender, age, number of tumor, liver cirrhosis, HBsAg, TNM stage, alpha fetoprotein, vascular invasion and histological grade. Positive LC3 expression was associated with overall survival by pooled hazard ratio. CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis indicated that positive LC3 expression was related to size of tumor, and could predict prognosis in human hepatocellular carcinoma.

Vibrio gangliei sp. nov., a novel member of Vibrionaceae isolated from sawdust in a pigpen.

A Gram-stain-negative, rod-shaped, catalase- and oxidase-positive, facultatively anaerobic, and motile bacterium, designated strain SZDIS-1T, was isolated from pigpen sawdust bedding in Xiamen, Fujian Province, China. Cells grew at 10-50 °C, pH 6.0-9.0, up to 12 % (w/v) NaCl, resisted vibriostatic agent O/129 and were negative for gelatin and alginate hydrolysis. No growth on thiosulfate citrate bile salts sucrose agar medium. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequences and multilocus sequence analysis, this strain should be assigned to the genus Vibrio, with the closest relatives being Vibrio aphrogenes CA-1004T (97.7 % 16S rRNA gene sequence pairwise similarity), Vibrio algivorus SA2T (96.6 %), Vibrio casei WS 4539T (96.3 %), Vibrio rumoiensis S-1T (96.1 %) and Vibrio litoralis MANO22DT (95.5 %), but separate from them by large distances in different phylogenetic trees. Based on whole genome analysis, the orthologous average nucleotide identity and in silico DNA-DNA hybridization values against the five relatives were 76.1-78.7 and 20.1-28.7 %. The major fatty acids were summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c/C16 : 1ω6c), C16 : 0, summed feature 2 (one or more of C12 : 0 aldehyde, C14 : 0 3OH and/or iso-C16 : 1) and summed feature 8 (C18 : 1ω6c and/or C18 : 1ω7c). The DNA G+C content was 43.0 mol% from whole genomic sequence analysis. Therefore, phylogenetic, genotypic, phenotypic and chemotaxonomic characteristics showed that the isolate represented a novel species of the genus Vibrio, for which the name Vibrio gangliei sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is SZDIS-1T (=DSM 104291T=CGMCC 1.15236T).

Microbacterium sorbitolivorans sp. nov., a novel member of Microbacteriaceae isolated from fermentation bed in pigpen.

Two bacterial strains SZDIS-1-1T and GZDIS-1-1 were isolated from fermentation bed of a pigpen in Fujian Province, China. Cells were Gram-stain-positive, facultatively anaerobic, short rods without flagellum. Their nearest phylogenetic neighbours were Microbacterium amylolyticum N5T (16S rRNA gene sequence similarity 98.2 %), Microbacterium indicum BBH6T (97.9 %) and Microbacterium gubbeenense DPC 5286T (97.8 %) with the DNA-DNA hybridization values to strain SZDIS-1-1T as 20.0±1.2, 14.3±5.8 and 19.1±1.6 %, respectively. The DNA G+C content of the new isolates was 67.6-71.1 mol% and anteiso-C15 : 0, anteiso-C17 : 0 and iso-C16 : 0 were their predominant cellular fatty acids. These results were consistent with classification into the genus Microbacterium. However, cell-wall sugars and characteristic amino acid were rhamnose, glucose, galactose and ornithine. Major menaquinones were MK-11 and MK-10. The polar lipids consisted of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, glycolipids, unknown phospholipid and unknown lipids. These characteristics constructed a distinct profile of the two isolates. Therefore, based on polyphasic taxonomic characteristics, strains SZDIS-1-1T and GZDIS-1-1 represented a novel species of genus Microbacterium, for which the name Microbacterium sorbitolivorans sp. nov. is proposed, with strain SZDIS-1-1T (=CGMCC 1.15228T=DSM 103422T) as the type strain.