Investigation of Presumptive HIV Transmission Associated with Receipt of Platelet-Rich Plasma Microneedling Facials at a Spa Among Former Spa Clients - New Mexico, 2018-2023.

HIV transmitted through cosmetic injection services via contaminated blood has not been previously documented. During summer 2018, the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) was notified of a diagnosis of HIV infection in a woman with no known HIV risk factors who reported exposure to needles from cosmetic platelet-rich plasma microneedling facials (vampire facials) received at a spa in spring 2018. An investigation of the spa's services began in summer 2018, and NMDOH and CDC identified four former spa clients, and one sexual partner of a spa client, all of whom received HIV infection diagnoses during 2018-2023, despite low reported behavioral risks associated with HIV acquisition. Nucleotide sequence analysis revealed highly similar HIV strains among all cases. Although transmission of HIV via unsterile injection practices is a known risk, determining novel routes of HIV transmission among persons with no known HIV risk factors is important. This investigation identified an HIV cluster associated with receipt of cosmetic injection services at an unlicensed facility that did not follow recommended infection control procedures or maintain client records. Requiring adequate infection control practices and maintenance of client records at spa facilities offering cosmetic injection services can help prevent the transmission of HIV and other bloodborne pathogens and ensure adequate traceback and notification in the event of adverse clinical outcomes, respectively.

Potential oral VEGFR2 inhibitors: Treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration.

Wet age-related macular degeneration (w-AMD) is one of the leading causes of vision loss in industrialized countries. A large body of evidence suggests that inhibitors targeting VEGFR2 may be effective in the treatment of w-AMD. The identification of an oral VEGFR2 inhibitor for the treatment of w-AMD provides an opportunity for a route of administration other than intravitreal injection. While screening potent VEGFR2 inhibitors at the enzyme and cellular levels, ensuring the safety of the compounds was our primary strategy for screening optimal compounds. Finally, compound 16 was identified, exhibiting enhanced inhibition of VEGFR2 enzyme and proliferation of BaF3-TEL-VEGFR2 cells compared to Vorolanib. Compound 16 had a weak inhibitory effect on human Ether-a-go-go-related gene (hERG) channel currents, showing a cardiac safety profile similar to Vorolanib. Compound 16 showed no significant toxicity to human liver cell LX-2, indicating a liver safety profile similar to Vorolanib. The water solubility of compound 16 was found to be higher than that of Vorolanib when tested at pH = 7.4. In addition, compound 16 was found to inhibit VEGFR2 phosphorylation in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in a dose-dependent manner by WB assay. Furthermore, the in vitro preliminary evaluation of the drug-like properties of compound 16 showed remarkable plasma stability and moderate liver microsomal stability. Based on in vivo pharmacokinetic studies in ICR mice, compound 16 exhibited acceptable oral bioavailability (F = 20.2 %). Overall, these findings provide evidence that compound 16 is a leading potential oral drug candidate for w-AMD.

Design and synthesis of hemicyanine-based NIRF probe for detecting Aß aggregates in Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD), a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, has garnered increased attention due to its substantial economic burden and the escalating global aging phenomenon. Amyloid-ß deposition is a key pathogenic marker observed in the brains of Alzheimer's sufferers. Based on real-time, safe, low-cost, and commonly used, near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging technology have become an essential technique for the detection of AD in recent years. In this work, NIRF probes with hemicyanine structure were designed, synthesized and evaluated for imaging Aß aggregates in the brain. We use the hemicyanine structure as the parent nucleus to enhance the probe's optical properties. The introduction of PEG chain is to improve the probe's brain dynamice properties, and the alkyl chain on the N atom is to enhance the fluorescence intensity of the probe after binding to the Aß aggregates as much as possible. Among these probes, Z2, Z3, Z6, X3, X6 and T1 showed excellent optical properties and high affinity to Aß aggregates (Kd = 24.31 âˆ¼ 59.60 nM). In vitro brain section staining and in vivo NIRF imaging demonstrated that X6 exhibited superior discrimination between Tg mice and WT mice, and X6 has the best brain clearance rate. As a result, X6 was identified as the optimal probe. Furthermore, the docking theory calculation results aided in describing X6's binding behavior with Aß aggregates. As a high-affinity, high-selectivity, safe and effective probe of targeting Aß aggregates, X6 is a promising NIRF probe for in vivo detection of Aß aggregates in the AD brain.

Influence of lifestyle patterns on depression among adults with diabetes: a mediation effect of dietary inflammatory index.

BACKGROUND: Lifestyle has become a crucial modulator in the management of diabetes and is intimately linked with the development and exacerbation of comorbid depression. The study aimed to analyze lifestyle patterns and their impact on depression in individuals with diabetes and to explore the role of the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) in the relationship between lifestyle patterns and depression. METHODS: Data was attained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 2009 and 2020. A latent class analysis (LCA) was performed on 3,009 diabetic adults based on lifestyle behaviors. A generalised linear model (GLM) was employed to analyse the effects of different lifestyle patterns on depression. The mediation effect model was utilised to examine the relationship between lifestyle patterns, DII and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) scores. RESULTS: The cohort was divided through LCA into unhealthy lifestyle (44.53%), unhealthy but non-alcohol use (48.06%) and healthy but smoking (7.41%) groups of lifestyle behaviors, the unhealthy but non-alcohol use group was identified as a risk factor for depression (OR = 1.379, 95%CI = 1.095 ~ 1.735, P = 0.006). The DII partially mediated the relationship between the unhealthy but non-alcohol use group and PHQ-9, and fully mediated the relationship between the healthy but smoking group and PHQ-9, with effect coefficients of - 0.018 (95%CI: -0.044 ~ - 0.001) and - 0.035 (95%CI: -0.083 ~ - 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Lifestyle patterns significantly influence the occurrence of depression among diabetes patients. The dietary inflammation plays a varying mediating role between different lifestyle patterns and depression. Restricting pro-inflammatory diets or encouraging anti-inflammatory diets, combined with the promotion of healthy lifestyle practices, may be an effective method for preventing and alleviating symptoms of depression among patients with diabetes.

Gauge Field Induced Chiral Zero Mode in Five-Dimensional Yang Monopole Metamaterials.

Owing to the chirality of Weyl nodes characterized by the first Chern number, a Weyl system supports one-way chiral zero modes under a magnetic field, which underlies the celebrated chiral anomaly. As a generalization of Weyl nodes from three-dimensional to five-dimensional physical systems, Yang monopoles are topological singularities carrying nonzero second-order Chern numbers c_{2}=±1. Here, we couple a Yang monopole with an external gauge field using an inhomogeneous Yang monopole metamaterial and experimentally demonstrate the existence of a gapless chiral zero mode, where the judiciously designed metallic helical structures and the corresponding effective antisymmetric bianisotropic terms provide the means for controlling gauge fields in a synthetic five-dimensional space. This zeroth mode is found to originate from the coupling between the second Chern singularity and a generalized 4-form gauge field-the wedge product of the magnetic field with itself. This generalization reveals intrinsic connections between physical systems of different dimensions, while a higher-dimensional system exhibits much richer supersymmetric structures in Landau level degeneracy due to the internal degrees of freedom. Our study offers the possibility of controlling electromagnetic waves by leveraging the concept of higher-order and higher-dimensional topological phenomena.

Intrinsic Triple Degeneracy Point Bounded by Nodal Surfaces in Chiral Photonic Crystal.

In periodic systems, band degeneracies are typically protected and classified by spatial symmetries. However, in photonic systems, the Γ point at zero frequency is an intrinsic degeneracy due to the polarization degree of freedom of electromagnetic waves. For chiral photonic crystals, such an intrinsic degeneracy carries ±2 chiral topological charge while having linear band dispersions, different from the general perception of charge-2 nodes being associated with quadratic dispersions. Here, we show that these topological characters originate from the spin-1 Weyl point at zero frequency node of triple degeneracy, due to the existence of an electrostatic flat band. Such a topological charge at zero frequency is usually buried in bulk band projections and has never been experimentally observed. To address this challenge, we introduce space-group screw symmetries in the design of chiral photonic crystal, which makes the Brillouin zone boundary an oppositely charged nodal surface enclosing the Γ point. As a result, the emergent Fermi arcs are forced to connect the projections of these topological singularities, enabling their experimental observation. The number of Fermi arcs then directly reveals the embedded topological charge at zero frequency.

Design, synthesis, and evaluation of N-methyl-propargylamine derivates as isoform-selective monoamine oxidases inhibitors for the treatment of nervous system diseases.

A novel series of N-methyl-propargylamine derivates were designed, synthesized, and evaluated as isoform-selective monoamine oxidases (MAO) inhibitors for the treatment of nervous system diseases. The in vitro studies showed some of the compounds exhibited considerable MAO-A selective inhibitory activity (IC50 of 14.86-17.16 nM), while some of the others exhibited great MAO-B selective inhibitory activity (IC50 of 4.37-17.00 nM). Further studies revealed that compounds A2 （IC50 against MAO-A: 17.16 ± 1.17 nM） and A5 (IC50 against MAO-B: 17.00 ± 1.10 nM) had significant abilities to protect PC12 cells from H2O2-induced apoptosis and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. The parallel artificial membrane permeability assay showed A2 and A5 would be potent to cross the blood-brain barrier. The results indicated that A2 showed potential use in the therapy of MAO-A related diseases, such as depression and anxiety; while A5 exhibited promising ability in the treatment of MAO-B related diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.

Design, synthesis and evaluation of OA-tacrine hybrids as cholinesterase inhibitors with low neurotoxicity and hepatotoxicity against Alzheimer's disease.

A series of OA-tacrine hybrids with the alkylamine linker was designed, synthesized, and evaluated as effective cholinesterase inhibitors for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Biological activity results demonstrated that some hybrids possessed significant inhibitory activities against acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Among them, compounds B4 (hAChE, IC50 = 14.37 ± 1.89 nM; SI > 695.89) and D4 (hAChE, IC50 = 0.18 ± 0.01 nM; SI = 3374.44) showed excellent inhibitory activities and selectivity for AChE as well as low nerve cell toxicity. Furthermore, compounds B4 and D4 exhibited lower hepatotoxicity than tacrine in cell viability, apoptosis, and intracellular ROS production for HepG2 cells. These properties of compounds B4 and D4 suggest that they deserve further investigation as promising agents for the prospective treatment of AD.

Establishment and identification of six wheat-Thinopyrum ponticum disomic addition lines derived from partial amphiploid Xiaoyan 7430.

KEY MESSAGE: Six wheat-Thinopyrum ponticum disomic addition lines derived from partial amphiploid Xiaoyan 7430 were identified using in situ hybridization and SNP microarray, the homoeologous group and stripe rust resistance of each alien chromosome were determined, and Th. ponticum chromosome-specific markers were developed. Xiaoyan 7430 is a significant partial amphiploid, which is used to set up a bridge for transferring valuable genes from Thinopyrum ponticum (Podp.) Barkworth & D.R. Dewey into common wheat. To accelerate the application of these useful genes in enriching the genetic variability of cultivated wheat by chromosome engineering, a complete set of derived addition lines has been created from Xiaoyan 7430. The chromosome composition of each line was characterized by the combination of genomic in situ hybridization and multicolor fluorescence in situ hybridization (mc-FISH), and the homoeology of each alien chromosome was determined by wheat SNP microarray analysis. Addition line WTA55 with alien group-6 chromosome was evaluated resistant to stripe rust isolates at both the seedling and grain-filling stages (Zadoks scale at z.11 and z.73). Diagnostic marker analysis proved that it could carry a novel stripe rust resistance gene derived from Th. ponticum. Furthermore, a FISH probe and 45 molecular markers specific for alien chromosomes were developed based on specific-locus amplified fragment sequencing (SLAF-seq). Of which 27 markers were separately located on single alien chromosome, and some of them could be used to identify the derived translocation lines. This set of addition lines as well as the molecular markers and the FISH probe will promote the introgression of abundant variation from Th. ponticum into wheat in wheat improvement programs.

Different roles of the RAAS affect bone metabolism in patients with primary aldosteronism, Gitelman syndrome and Bartter syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Components of the RAAS may influence bone metabolism. Different roles of the RAAS are found in patients with primary aldosteronism (PA), Gitelman syndrome (GS) and Bartter syndrome (BS). We collected inpatient medical records including 20 patients with Gitelman syndrome (GS group), 17 patients with Bartter syndrome (BS group) and 20 age-matched patients with primary aldosteronism (PA group). We found the following results. (1) PA patients had significantly higher serum magnesium, potassium, plasma aldosterone, serum parathyroid hormone, urinary calcium and BMI (p<0.05) while significantly lower serum calcium and phosphorus (P < 0.05) than GS and BS patients. (2) Total hip and femoral neck bone mineral density (BMD) in PA patients were significantly lower than those in GS and BS patients (P<0.05). (3) GS patients had lower serum magnesium and urinary calcium than BS patients (P < 0.05). (4) Compared with BS patients, the vertebral BMD in GS patients were significantly higher (P < 0.05). So we believe higher aldosterone and PTH levels may be the reason that PA patients have lower hip BMD. Lower urinary calcium and inactivation of the NCC gene (Na-Cl cotransporter) in GS patients may have protective effects on vertebral bone mineral density. CONCLUSIONS: With persistence disordered RAAS, PA patients have lower BMD, especially hip BMD as compared with GS and BS patients. We presumed the lower renin and higher aldosterone level may be the reason. With the same level of renin and aldosterone, BS patients have lower vertebrate BMD than GS patients. Decreased urinary calcium excretion may be the reason.

Design, synthesis and antitumor activity evaluation of novel indole acrylamide derivatives as IMPDH inhibitors.

Inosine 5'-monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDH; EC1.1.1.205) is the rate-limiting enzyme of GMP biosynthesis. The inhibition of IMPDH limits the growth and survival of tumors. Based on the systematic summary of clinical IMPDH inhibitors, 38 acrylamide derivatives with differently substituted indoles at the 3-position as the core scaffold were designed and synthesized. In addition, the actions of these compounds at the enzyme and cellular levels were evaluated. An MTT assay with different kinds of cells was used to assess the cytotoxic activities of compounds 14e and 14n, which displayed potent hIMPDH2 inhibitory activities (IC50 = 4.207 and 2.948 µM, respectively). Biological evaluation indicated that target compounds 14e and 14n displayed the most significant effects on SW480 human colon cancer cells (IC50 = 15.34 ± 0.06 and 15.31 ± 0.09 µM, respectively), and it was determined that these compounds are effective and valuable IMPDH inhibitors for cancer intervention.

Biomechanical evaluation of percutaneous cement discoplasty by finite element analysis.

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous cement discoplasty (PCD) is a minimally invasive treatment for degenerative lumbar spine disease, but the relationship between decompression effect on the nerve root and different doses of bone cement is uncertain. PURPOSE: To investigate the indirect decompression effect of cement with different doses on nerve roots and the biomechanical changes on the spine during PCD using finite element analysis (FEA). METHODS: FEA was adapted to analyze the mechanical changes in the lumbar vertebrae before and after the application of PCD.CT scan images of adult males were utilized to establish a finite element model of the lumbar vertebral body using mimics and Pro/E software. The images were divided into four models: the normal model (normal, model N), the disc degeneration model (high, model H), the intervertebral disc injected with 3 mL of bone cement (model H1), and the intervertebral disc injected with 5 mL of bone cement (model H2). All models were analyzed using the ABAQUS6.14.2 software. The normal physiological movements were simulated, and the mechanical changes in the lumbar vertebrae were observed prior to and after the cement filling application. RESULTS: The stress of the nerve root in model H was the largest. The nerve root stress in the model H2 was the smallest during flexion, extension, left bending, right bending, left rotation, and right rotation at 90%, 44%, 25%, 56%, 56%, and 51% of the normal benchmark, respectively. After the injection of bone cement, the nerve root stress is reduced. The greater the amount of cement, the lesser the nerve root stress. The motion was reduced in models H, H1, and H2, and there were differences between models H1 and H2. Cartilage endplate stress was less in model H2 than in model H1. CONCLUSIONS: The nerve root stress increased after degeneration and decreased after intervertebral height recovery through cement injection, resulting in a significant indirect decompression effect.The stress of the nerve root decreased with the increase in the amount of cement injection.

[Comparison of different obesity indicators with dyslipidemia and hypertension in adults of Guangxi Yao ethnic group].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between obesity indicators and dyslipidemia and hypertension in the Yao population of Guangxi. METHODS: In 2015, we examined the body composition data of 784 Yao residents aged 18 years or older in Guangxi using a multi-stage whole-group random sampling method, analyzed the association between 10 indicators responding to the degree of obesity and dyslipidemia and hypertension, and analyzed the predictive value of each obesity indicator for dyslipidemia and hypertension by receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curves. RESULTS: There were 58.80% of Yao adults with dyslipidemia, with no difference between men and women(χ~2=0.24, P>0.05); 15.94% of Yao adults had hypertension, with a higher prevalence in men than in women(χ~2=4.76, P<0.05). ROC curves plotted with dyslipidemia as the dependent variable showed that the best predictor of risk of dyslipidemia prevalence in the Yao adult population was waist-to-hip ratio(WHR)(AUC=0.62, 95% CI 0.56-0.68) with a cut point of 0.86 in men and waist circumference(AUC=0.64, 95% CI 0.59-0.69) with a cut point of 75.50 cm in women. The ROC curves were plotted with hypertension as the dependent variable, and the result showed that the best predictor of risk of hypertension in the Yao adult population was: visceral fat content(AUC=0.62, 95% CI 0.56-0.68) with a cut point of 0.65 kg in men and WHR(AUC=0.67, 95% CI 0.62-0.72) with a cut point of 0.82 in women. CONCLUSION: Compared with indicators reflecting general obesity such as body mass index and percentage of body fat, indicators reflecting abdominal obesity such as waist circumference, WHR and visceral fat content are more closely related to two metabolic diseases such as dyslipidemia and hypertension in the Yao population.

Synthesis and Reactivity of N-Heterocyclic Silylene Stabilized Disilicon(0) Complexes.

Synthesis and reactivity of disilicon(0) complexes are of fundamental and application importance. Herein, we report the development of an N-heterocyclic imino-substituted silylene (1), which has strong σ-donating ability and is significantly sterically hindered. The one-pot reaction of this silylene with [IPr→SiCl2 ] (IPr=1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-imidazol-2-ylidene) and KC8 (2 equiv) in THF at -30 °C leads to a silylene-ligated disilicon(0) complex (2), isolated as red crystals in 60 % yield. Characterization data and DFT calculations show that the trans-bent Si4 skeleton in 2 features a Si0 =Si0 double bond with significant π-π bonding and one lone pair of electrons on each of these two Si0 atoms. Complex 2 reacts readily with phenylacetylene, producing a structurally intriguing silatricyclic complex 6,8-diaza-1,2,5-trisilatricyclo-[3.2.1.02,7 ]-oct-3-ene (3), and revealing new aspects of low-valent silicon chemistry.

Evaluating distal renal tubular acidification function in primary hyperparathyroidism and its effects on bone mineral density.

BACKGROUND: Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is a common endocrinopathy that may increase fracture risk and decrease bone mineral density (BMD). Some patients develop distal renal tubular acidification dysfunction under conditions of hyperchloraemia or hyperchloraemic acidosis. To examine whether this dysfunction influences the clinical outcome, we explored the distal renal tubular acidification function in patients with PHPT and its effects on the clinical manifestations of the disease. METHODS: We retrospectively analysed 75 PHPT patients with regard to renal tubular acidification and blood gas analysis. The patients were divided into two groups, the renal tubular acidification dysfunction group and normal function group. RESULTS: Serum phosphate level and total hip bone density were significantly decreased and 25OHD level was significantly increased in the renal tubular acidification dysfunction group in comparison to the normal function group. Female patients in the renal tubular acidification dysfunction group showed significantly decreased femoral neck and total hip BMD and increased susceptibility to fracture. However, there were no such differences in male patients between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: About 54.6 % of PHPT patients in our study population had abnormal distal renal tubular acidification. PHPT patients with abnormal distal renal tubular acidification may have lower hip bone density. Female PHPT patients with abnormal distal renal tubular acidification showed increased susceptibility to fractures and the development of osteoporosis.

Opioid Use Fueling HIV Transmission in an Urban Setting: An Outbreak of HIV Infection Among People Who Inject Drugs-Massachusetts, 2015-2018.

Objectives. To describe and control an outbreak of HIV infection among people who inject drugs (PWID).Methods. The investigation included people diagnosed with HIV infection during 2015 to 2018 linked to 2 cities in northeastern Massachusetts epidemiologically or through molecular analysis. Field activities included qualitative interviews regarding service availability and HIV risk behaviors.Results. We identified 129 people meeting the case definition; 116 (90%) reported injection drug use. Molecular surveillance added 36 cases to the outbreak not otherwise linked. The 2 largest molecular groups contained 56 and 23 cases. Most interviewed PWID were homeless. Control measures, including enhanced field epidemiology, syringe services programming, and community outreach, resulted in a significant decline in new HIV diagnoses.Conclusions. We illustrate difficulties with identification and characterization of an outbreak of HIV infection among a population of PWID and the value of an intensive response.Public Health Implications. Responding to and preventing outbreaks requires ongoing surveillance, with timely detection of increases in HIV diagnoses, community partnerships, and coordinated services, all critical to achieving the goal of the national Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative.

Investigation of Presumptive HIV Transmission Associated with Hospitalization Using Nucleotide Sequence Analysis - New York, 2017.

Since implementation of Standard Precautions* for the prevention of bloodborne pathogen transmission in 1985, health care-associated transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the United States has been rare (1). In October 2017, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYCDOHMH) and the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) were notified by a clinician of a diagnosis of acute HIV infection in a young adult male (patient A) without recognized risk factors (i.e., he was monogamous, had an HIV-negative partner, and had no injection drug use) who had recently been hospitalized for a chronic medical condition. The low risk coupled with the recent hospitalization and medical procedures prompted NYSDOH, NYCDOHMH, and CDC to investigate this case as possible health care-associated transmission of HIV. Among persons with known HIV infection who had hospitalization dates overlapping those of patient A, one person (patient B) had an HIV strain highly similar to patient A's strain by nucleotide sequence analysis. The sequence relatedness, combined with other investigation findings, indicated a likely health care-associated transmission. Nucleotide sequence analysis, which is increasingly used for detecting HIV clusters (i.e., persons with closely related HIV strains) and to inform public health response (2,3), might also be used to identify possible health care-associated transmission of HIV to someone with health care exposure and no known HIV risk factors (4).

ADST: Forecasting Metro Flow Using Attention-Based Deep Spatial-Temporal Networks with Multi-Task Learning.

Passenger flow prediction has drawn increasing attention in the deep learning research field due to its great importance in traffic management and public safety. The major challenge of this essential task lies in multiple spatiotemporal correlations that exhibit complex non-linear correlations. Although both the spatial and temporal perspectives have been considered in modeling, most existing works have ignored complex temporal correlations or underlying spatial similarity. In this paper, we identify the unique spatiotemporal correlation of urban metro flow, and propose an attention-based deep spatiotemporal network with multi-task learning (ADST-Net) at a citywide level to predict the future flow from historical observations. ADST-Net uses three independent channels with the same structure to model the recent, daily-periodic and weekly-periodic complicated spatiotemporal correlations, respectively. Specifically, each channel uses the framework of residual networks, the rectified block and the multi-scale convolutions to mine spatiotemporal correlations. The residual networks can effectively overcome the gradient vanishing problem. The rectified block adopts an attentional mechanism to automatically reweigh measurements at different time intervals, and the multi-scale convolutions are used to extract explicit spatial relationships. ADST-Net also introduces an external embedding mechanism to extract the influence of external factors on flow prediction, such as weather conditions. Furthermore, we enforce multi-task learning to utilize transition passenger flow volume prediction as an auxiliary task during the training process for generalization. Through this model, we can not only capture the steady trend, but also the sudden changes of passenger flow. Extensive experimental results on two real-world traffic flow datasets demonstrate the obvious improvement and superior performance of our proposed algorithm compared with state-of-the-art baselines.

Spontaneous Emission and Resonant Scattering in Transition from Type I to Type II Photonic Weyl Systems.

Spontaneous emission and scattering behavior of an emitter or a resonant scatterer strongly depend on the density of states of the surrounding medium. It has been shown that the resonant scattering cross section (RSC) may diverge at the Weyl frequency of a type I Weyl system due to the diminishing density of states. Here we study the spontaneous emission (SE) and RSC in a photonic metacrystal across the critical transition between type I and type II Weyl systems. Theoretical results show that the SE rate of an emitter in a type I Weyl system diminishes to zero at the Weyl frequency. When the system is tuned towards the transition point between type I and type II Weyl point, the dip in the SE spectrum at the Weyl frequency becomes infinitely sharp. The dip vanishes at the critical transition, and transforms into a peak when the system changes into a type II Weyl system. We further show that the resonant scattering cross section also exhibits dramatically different spectral features across the transition. Our study demonstrates the ability to tune SE and RSC through altering the dispersion of the Weyl medium between type I and type II, which provides a fundamentally new route in manipulating light-matter interactions.

Detailed Transmission Network Analysis of a Large Opiate-Driven Outbreak of HIV Infection in the United States.

In January 2015, an outbreak of undiagnosed human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections among persons who inject drugs (PWID) was recognized in rural Indiana. By September 2016, 205 persons in this community of approximately 4400 had received a diagnosis of HIV infection. We report results of new approaches to analyzing epidemiologic and laboratory data to understand transmission during this outbreak. HIV genetic distances were calculated using the polymerase region. Networks were generated using data about reported high-risk contacts, viral genetic similarity, and their most parsimonious combinations. Sample collection dates and recency assay results were used to infer dates of infection. Epidemiologic and laboratory data each generated large and dense networks. Integration of these data revealed subgroups with epidemiologic and genetic commonalities, one of which appeared to contain the earliest infections. Predicted infection dates suggest that transmission began in 2011, underwent explosive growth in mid-2014, and slowed after the declaration of a public health emergency. Results from this phylodynamic analysis suggest that the majority of infections had likely already occurred when the investigation began and that early transmission may have been associated with sexual activity and injection drug use. Early and sustained efforts are needed to detect infections and prevent or interrupt rapid transmission within networks of uninfected PWID.