Factors associated with voluntary HIV counseling and testing among young students engaging in casual sexual activity: a cross-sectional study from Eastern China.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the factors associated with voluntary HIV counseling and testing (VCT) among young students engaging in casual sexual activity and to establish a scientific rationale for developing targeted intervention strategies for preventing HIV/AIDS in this population. METHODS: Stratified cluster sampling was used to conduct a survey using questionnaires to collect demographic and behavioral information for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Data from 611 young students, who reported engaging in casual sexual activity, were included in the statistical analysis. Among these, 68 (11.13%) students underwent the VCT. Among young students who engaged in casual sexual activity, those who were non-Zhejiang residents (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 2.11; 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 1.17-3.80), those who had received AIDS-themed lectures or health education courses from the school in the past year (aOR = 3.96, 95% CI = 1.49-10.50), those who had received HIV risk self-assessment conducted by the school in the past year (aOR = 2.31, 95% CI = 1.17-4.59), and those who had engaged in commercial sex activity in the past year (aOR = 1.98, 95% CI = 1.07-3.66) were more inclined to have undergone VCT. Male students (aOR = 0.37, 95% CI = 0.18-0.77) and those who used condoms consistently during casual sexual activity (aOR = 0.45, 95% CI = 0.21-0.97) were less likely to undergo VCT. CONCLUSION: Casual sexual activity was relatively prevalent among young students, posing a potential risk for HIV transmission. These findings will be instrumental in the development more effective HIV prevention and control strategies for young students. Additionally, it highlights the necessity of promoting and popularizing VCT among young students without Zhejiang province residency, who are involved in commercial sexual activity, and/or those who lacking HIV education. Moreover, additional research and implementation of refined HIV behavioral interventions specifically tailored to young students are necessary to enhance their awareness and knowledge of HIV prevention.

Transcription factor Tox2 is required for metabolic adaptation and tissue residency of ILC3 in the gut.

Group 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3) are the major subset of gut-resident ILC with essential roles in infections and tissue repair, but how they adapt to the gut environment to maintain tissue residency is unclear. We report that Tox2 is critical for gut ILC3 maintenance and function. Gut ILC3 highly expressed Tox2, and depletion of Tox2 markedly decreased ILC3 in gut but not at central sites, resulting in defective control of Citrobacter rodentium infection. Single-cell transcriptional profiling revealed decreased expression of Hexokinase-2 in Tox2-deficient gut ILC3. Consistent with the requirement for hexokinases in glycolysis, Tox2-/- ILC3 displayed decreased ability to utilize glycolysis for protein translation. Ectopic expression of Hexokinase-2 rescued Tox2-/- gut ILC3 defects. Hypoxia and interleukin (IL)-17A each induced Tox2 expression in ILC3, suggesting a mechanism by which ILC3 adjusts to fluctuating environments by programming glycolytic metabolism. Our results reveal the requirement for Tox2 to support the metabolic adaptation of ILC3 within the gastrointestinal tract.

The relationship between serum resolvin D1, NLRP3, cytokine levels, and adolescents with first-episode medication-naïve major depressive disorder.

BACKGROUND: Inflammation has become a critical pathological mechanism of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). NLRP3 is a critical inflammatory pathway to maintain the immune balance. Recently, preclinical evidence showed that Resolvin D1 might potentially offer a new option for antidepressant treatment due to its protective effects through the inhibition of neuroinflammation. However, whether they have clinical value in the diagnosis and treatment evaluation of adolescent depression was unclear. METHODS: Forty-eight untreated first-episode adolescent patients with moderate to severe major depressive disorder, as well as 30 healthy adolescents (HCs, age and gender-matched), were enrolled for this study. Their ages ranged from 13 to 18 (15.75 ± 1.36) years. The patients were treated with fluoxetine for 6-8 weeks. HDRS-17 was used to evaluate the severity of depressive symptoms. Venous blood samples were collected at baseline for the two groups and at the time-point of post-antidepressant treatment for the patients. Serum concentrations of RvD1, NLRP3, IL-1ß, IL-18, and IL-4 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) pre- and post-fluoxetine treatment. RESULTS: Serum levels of RvD1 and anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-4 were significantly elevated in adolescents with MDD compared to healthy adolescents, but no significant difference in NLRP3, IL-1ß, and IL-18 between the two groups. Meanwhile, RvD1 (positively) and IL-4 (negatively) were correlated with the severity of symptoms (HDRS-17 scores) after adjusting age, gender, and BMI. Interestingly, fluoxetine treatment significantly reduced the serum levels of RvD1, NLRP3, IL-1ß, and IL-18 in MDD adolescents but increased the levels of IL-4 relative to baseline. Furthermore, we observed that serum levels of RvD1 might be an excellent distinguishing indicator for depression and healthy adolescents. CONCLUSIONS: Our study is the first to compare RvD1 and NLRP3 between adolescent MDD and HCs. Our findings of reactive increase of RvD1 in adolescent MDD comprised a novel and critical contribution. Our results showed the presence of inflammation resolution unbalanced in adolescents with MDD and indicated that RvD1 might be an ideal biomarker for diagnosing and treating adolescent MDD.

Characteristics of men who have casual sex with men among Chinese university students: A cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: The characteristics of men who have sex with men (either exclusively or with both men and women; MSM) who engaged in casual sex among Chinese male university students have not been compared with the characteristics of men who have sex with only women (MSW). This information is important for tailoring targeted behavioral interventions to prevent human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/sexually transmitted infection (STI) transmission in this subgroup of MSM. METHODS: Data were derived from a large cross-sectional electronic questionnaire survey conducted at 13 universities in Zhejiang Province, China, in 2018. Bivariate analyses were used to compare demographic, HIV-related psychosocial, and behavioral characteristics between MSM and MSW students who engaged in casual sex during the previous year. Proportion differences between the two groups and their 95% confidence intervals were analyzed. RESULTS: Among the 583 sexually active male students who engaged in casual sex during the previous year, 128 and 455 were MSM and MSW, respectively. Compared with MSW students, larger proportions of MSM students reported knowing that male-to-male sexual behavior was the main mode of HIV transmission among Chinese students (62.5% vs. 45.5%), consenting to commercial sex (67.2% vs. 53.4%), wanting to know the HIV serostatus of partners before casual sex (65.8% vs. 51.3%), feeling at risk of HIV infection (40.5% vs. 11.8%), high condom-decision scale scores (55.3% vs. 42.6%), engaging in sex with ≥ 5 casual sex partners (44.6% vs. 25.9%), searching for casual partners online (89.2% vs. 51.3%), consuming alcohol before casual sex (64.8% vs. 45.0%), engaging in sex with regular partners (83.1% vs. 67.0%), engaging in commercial sex (54.2% vs. 26.4%), and visiting a clinic for voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) (16.4% vs. 8.4%). However, compared with MSW students, smaller proportions of MSM students reported knowing that consistent condom use could prevent HIV transmission (80.5% vs. 95.2%) and that VCT should be actively sought after risky sexual behavior (78.9% vs. 93.8%), using condoms sometimes/often (26.4% vs. 44.3%), and consistently using condoms (28.9% vs. 40.1%) while engaging in sex with casual partners. CONCLUSIONS: MSM students who engaged in casual sex were at a greater risk of HIV/STI transmission, compared with MSW students. Comprehensive interventions to address the risks of unprotected male-to-male sex, searching for casual sex partners online, and non-use of HIV testing services are needed to reduce the burden of HIV/STI transmission among this subgroup of MSM.

Intercalation chemistry engineering strategy enabled high mass loading and ultrastable electrodes for High-Performance aqueous electrochemical energy storage devices.

Aqueous electrochemical energy storage devices (AEESDs) are considered one of the most promising candidates for large-scale energy storage infrastructure due to their high affordability and safety. Developing electrodes with the merits of high energy density and long lifespan remains a challenging issue toward the practical application of AEESDs. Research attempts at electrode materials, nanostructure configuration, and electronic engineering show the limitations due to the inherent contradictions associated with thicker electrodes and ion-accessible kinetics. Herein, we propose an intercalation chemistry engineering strategy to enhance the electrolyte ion (de)intercalation behaviors during the electrochemical charge-discharge. To validate this strategy, the prototypical model of a high-mass-loading MnO2-based electrode is used with controlled intercalation of Na+ and H2O. Theoretical and experimental results reveal that an optimal content of Na+ and H2O on the MnO2-based electrode exhibits superior electrochemical performance. Typically, the resultant electrode exhibits an impressive areal capacitance of 1551 mF/cm2 with a mass loading of 9.7 mg/cm2 (at 1 mA/cm2). Furthermore, the assembled full-cell with obtained MnO2-based electrode delivers a high energy density of 0.12 mWh/cm2 (at 20.02 mW/cm2) and ultra-high cycling stability with a capacitance retention percentage of 89.63 % (345 mF/cm2) even after 100,000 cycles (tested over 72 days).

Factors Associated with HIV Testing among Male Students Who Have Engaged in Sexual Behaviour in Zhejiang Province, China.

Objective: This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing, identify factors associated with HIV testing among male students who have engaged in sexual behaviour in Zhejiang province, and provide a scientific basis for the prevention and control of HIV infection on campus. Methods: Stratified cluster random sampling analysis was performed, which included general characteristics, sexual attitudes, sexual behaviours, information on HIV testing, and self-risk assessment for HIV infection. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify the influencing factors. Results: Among 2734 male students who have engaged in sexual behaviour, 319 (11.7%) had undergone HIV antibody testing in the previous year. The results of multivariate analysis demonstrated that the participants who were in the junior grade level (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.59, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.10-2.30) exhibited acceptance to male homosexual behaviour (AOR = 1.73, 95% CI: 1.19-2.52), had been exposed to testing publicity in the previous year (AOR = 1.51, 95% CI: 1.06-2.15), had been exposed to self-risk assessment for HIV infection (AOR = 2.66, 95% CI: 1.99-3.55), had male or bisexual partners (AOR = 1.60, 95% CI: 1.05-2.46), had a score for the scale indicating awareness of different testing methods between 2 and 5 (AOR = 2.19, 95% CI: 1.51-3.16) or greater than 6 (AOR = 1.49, 95% CI: 1.01-2.66), and had a score for the scale indicating knowledge of different testing facilities between 3 and 5 (AOR = 1.63, 95% CI: 1.00-2.66) were inclined to engage in HIV testing. Conclusions: In this study, the proportion of HIV-testing among male students who have engaged in sexual behaviour was low. This study revealed that students who exhibited acceptance to male homosexual behaviours had been exposed to publicity for HIV testing or a self-risk assessment for HIV infection which were more inclined to engage in HIV testing. Our study underscores the urgent need to enhance educational interventions concerning HIV risks and warnings as part of the health education curriculum on campus. The graveness of the AIDS epidemic among students necessitates this emphasis. Moreover, we recommend deploying condom-dispensing machines or HIV testing facilities across the campus for easy access to preventive and testing services for HIV.

Disseminated Talaromyces Marneffei in a Patient with Newly Diagnosed HIV Co-Infection with Syphilis.

BACKGROUND: This article reports on a young male with respiratory symptoms as the first presentation. METHODS: We identified the suspected pathogen by microscopic examination of blood smears, which was subsequently confirmed by blood culture. RESULTS: The patient was confirmed to be infected with Talaromyces marneffei, and further testing revealed that he was a patient with HIV co-infected with syphilis. CONCLUSIONS: With heavy fungemia the organisms may be seen on the peripheral blood smear, which can facilitate prompt diagnosis and treatment.

Factors associated with the choice of having multiple sexual partners among male college students with casual heterosexual sex in Zhejiang Province, Eastern China.

BACKGROUND: Young students infected with HIV have become a significant public health issue in China, this study aimed to understand the factors influencing the choice of having multiple sexual partners among male college students who had casual heterosexual sex in Zhejiang Province and to scientifically justify developing HIV/AIDS intervention strategies among them. METHODS: A stratified cluster sampling method was used for the survey of students from 13 colleges or universities in Zhejiang Province between October and November 2018. The questionnaire collected information on general demographic characteristics, knowledge of HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment, sexual attitudes and risk awareness, sexual behavioural characteristics, and acceptance of interventions. The univariable and multivariable analyses were conducted in this study. RESULTS: Study participants included 362 male college students who exhibited casual heterosexual sex and were aware of the number of sexual partners they had. Among them, 222 students engaged in casual heterosexual sex with multiple sexual partners (61.33%). The results of the multivariable analysis revealed several factors associated with male students' choice to have multiple sexual partners: monthly living expenses greater than or equal to 1501 CNY (adjusted OR = 2.24, 95% CI = 1.21-4.16), sexual behavior after consuming alcohol (adjusted OR = 2.19, 95% CI = 1.32-3.63), whose casual partner types were non-student (adjusted OR = 2.51, 95% CI = 1.45-4.22), and those who discussed using condoms during sexual intercourse (adjusted OR = 0.50, 95% CI = 0.28-0.89). CONCLUSION: The choice to engage in casual heterosexual sex with multiple partners was found to be associated with several factors among male college students, including economic status, engaging in sexual behavior after consuming alcohol, the type of the casual partner, and using condoms. These findings highlight the significance of implementing targeted interventions and comprehensive sexual health education programs within college settings in order to encourage safer sexual practices among students.

D-mannose is a rapid inducer of ACSS2 to trigger rapid and long-lasting antidepressant responses through augmenting BDNF and TPH2 levels.

The potentiation of synaptic plasticity and serotonin generation by brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (TPH2) is well characterized to facilitate rapid and long-lasting antidepressant actions. Therefore, the identification of the key protein that simultaneously controls both BDNF and TPH2 is important for the treatment of depression. We show here that a lack of acetyl-CoA synthetase short-chain family member 2 (ACSS2) causes impairments in BDNF-dependent synaptic plasticity and tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (TPH2)-mediated serotonin generation, thereby contributing to spontaneous and chronic restraint stress (CRS)-induced depressive-like behavior in mice. Conversely, D-mannose is identified as a rapid ACSS2 inducer and thus mediates rapid and long-lasting antidepressant-like effects. Mechanistically, acute and chronic D-mannose administration inhibits the phosphorylation of EF2 to increase BDNF levels and reverse the reduction of TPH2 histone acetylation and transcription. We reveal that ACSS2 promotes TPH2 histone acetylation and transcription with the requirement of AMPK activation. To elevate nuclear ACSS2 levels, D-mannose can rapidly and persistently activate AMPK via Ca2+-CAMKK2 and the lysosomal AXIN-LKB1 pathway to facilitate its fast-acting and persistent antidepressant responses. Taken together, the results presented here reveal that ACSS2 functions as a novel target to link rapid and persistent antidepressant actions and further suggest that D-mannose is a potential therapeutic agent to resist depression through its augmentation of the ACSS2 dependent BDNF and TPH2 pathways.

Zfp335 establishes eTreg lineage and neonatal immune tolerance by targeting Hadha-mediated fatty acid oxidation.

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are instrumental in maintaining immune tolerance and preventing destructive autoimmunity, but how heterogeneous Treg populations are established remains largely unknown. Here, we show that Zfp335 deletion in Tregs failed to differentiate into effector Tregs (eTregs) and lose Treg-suppressive function and that KO mice exhibited early-onset lethal autoimmune inflammation with unrestricted activation of conventional T cells. Single-cell RNA-Seq analyses revealed that Zfp335-deficient Tregs lacked a eTreg population and showed dramatic accumulation of a dysfunctional Treg subset. Mechanistically, Zfp335-deficient Tregs displayed reduced oxidative phosphorylation and dysfunctional mitochondrial activity. Further studies revealed that Zfp335 controlled eTreg differentiation by regulating fatty acid oxidation (FAO) through direct targeting of the FAO enzyme Hadha. Importantly, we demonstrate a positive correlation between ZNF335 and HADHA expression in human eTregs. Our findings reveal that Zfp335 controls FAO-driven eTreg differentiation to establish immune tolerance.

A resting-state electroencephalographic microstates study in depressed adolescents with non-suicidal self-injury.

Neuroimaging studies have revealed abnormal brain activities in depressed teenagers who engage in non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). We used resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) microstate analysis, which indicates the brief overlap of brain network activation for exploring the characteristics of large-scale cortical activities in depressed adolescents engaged with NSSI to clarify the underlying temporal mechanism. A modified k-means cluster algorithm was used to segment 64-channel resting-state EEG data into microstates. Data from 27 healthy adolescents, 37 adolescents with major depressive disorder (MDD), and 53 adolescents with both MDD and NSSI were examined in this study. The resting-state microstate parameters were compared among groups using the one-way ANOVA and Spearman correlation. Then the associations between significantly different microstate parameters and the depressive severity and self-harming data in the patient groups were further analyzed. The MDD group had higher contribution (p < 0.01), occurrence (p < 0.01) of microstate A, and higher microstate E→A transition (p < 0.05) than the HC and the NSSI group. The MDD group showed a distinctly longer duration (p < 0.05) of microstate A and microstate A→C transition than the HC. The transition probability from B to C was increased in the NSSI group compared to the HC. In the MDD group, the HAMD correlated with the duration of microstate A (Spearman's rho = 0.34, p = 0.044), as the PHQ-9 correlated with its occurrence (Spearman's rho = 0.37, p = 0.028). This research revealed that whereas depressive adolescents with NSSI and MDD displayed similar patterns with healthy controls in EEG microstate, the MDD group did not. Additionally, the non-random transition from microstate E→A may protect against recent self-harm in adolescents with MDD.

TGF-ß uncouples glycolysis and inflammation in macrophages and controls survival during sepsis.

Changes in metabolism of macrophages are required to sustain macrophage activation in response to different stimuli. We showed that the cytokine TGF-ß (transforming growth factor-ß) regulates glycolysis in macrophages independently of inflammatory cytokine production and affects survival in mouse models of sepsis. During macrophage activation, TGF-ß increased the expression and activity of the glycolytic enzyme PFKL (phosphofructokinase-1 liver type) and promoted glycolysis but suppressed the production of proinflammatory cytokines. The increase in glycolysis was mediated by an mTOR-c-MYC-dependent pathway, whereas the inhibition of cytokine production was due to activation of the transcriptional coactivator SMAD3 and suppression of the activity of the proinflammatory transcription factors AP-1, NF-κB, and STAT1. In mice with LPS-induced endotoxemia and experimentally induced sepsis, the TGF-ß-induced enhancement in macrophage glycolysis led to decreased survival, which was associated with increased blood coagulation. Analysis of septic patient cohorts revealed that the expression of PFKL, TGFBRI (which encodes a TGF-ß receptor), and F13A1 (which encodes a coagulation factor) in myeloid cells positively correlated with COVID-19 disease. Thus, these results suggest that TGF-ß is a critical regulator of macrophage metabolism and could be a therapeutic target in patients with sepsis.

Criticality and Neuromorphic Sensing in a Single Memristor.

Resistive random access memory (RRAM) is an important technology for both data storage and neuromorphic computation, where the dynamics of nanoscale conductive filaments lies at the core of the technology. Here, we analyze the current noise of various silicon-based memristors that involves the creation of a percolation path at the intermediate phase of filament growth. Remarkably, we find that these atomic switching events follow scale-free avalanche dynamics with exponents satisfying the criteria for criticality. We further prove that the switching dynamics are universal and show little dependence on device sizes or material features. Utilizing criticality in memristors, we simulate the functionality of hair cells in auditory sensory systems by observing the frequency selectivity of input stimuli with tunable characteristic frequency. We further demonstrate a single-memristor-based sensing primitive for representation of input stimuli that exceeds the theoretical limits dictated by the Nyquist-Shannon theorem.

The correlation between upper body grip strength and resting-state EEG network.

Current research in the field of neuroscience primarily focuses on the analysis of electroencephalogram (EEG) activities associated with movement within the central nervous system. However, there is a dearth of studies investigating the impact of prolonged individual strength training on the resting state of the brain. Therefore, it is crucial to examine the correlation between upper body grip strength and resting-state EEG networks. In this study, coherence analysis was utilized to construct resting-state EEG networks using the available datasets. A multiple linear regression model was established to examine the correlation between the brain network properties of individuals and their maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) during gripping tasks. The model was used to predict individual MVC. The beta and gamma frequency bands showed significant correlation between RSN connectivity and MVC (p < 0.05), particularly in left hemisphere frontoparietal and fronto-occipital connectivity. RSN properties were consistently correlated with MVC in both bands, with correlation coefficients greater than 0.60 (p < 0.01). Additionally, predicted MVC positively correlated with actual MVC, with a coefficient of 0.70 and root mean square error of 5.67 (p < 0.01). The results show that the resting-state EEG network is closely related to upper body grip strength, which can indirectly reflect an individual's muscle strength through the resting brain network.

Dendrite-free zinc metal anodes enabled by electrolyte additive for high-performing aqueous zinc-ion batteries.

Rechargeable aqueous zinc (Zn)-ion batteries are regarded as a suitable candidate for large-scale energy storage due to their high safety and the natural abundance of Zn. However, the Zn anode in the aqueous electrolyte faces the challenges of corrosion, passivation, hydrogen evolution reaction, and the growth of severe Zn dendrites. These problems severely affect the performance and service life of aqueous Zn ion batteries, making it difficult to achieve their large-scale commercial applications. In this work, the sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) additive was introduced into the zinc sulfate (ZnSO4) electrolyte to inhibit the growth of Zn dendrites by promoting uniform deposition of Zn ions on the (002) crystal surface. This treatment presented a significant increase in the intensity ratio of (002) to (100) from an initial value of 11.14 to 15.31 after 40 cycles of plating/stripping. The Zn//Zn symmetrical cell showed a longer cycle life (over 124 h at 1.0 mA cm-2) than the symmetrical cell without NaHCO3. Additionally, the high capacity retention rate was increased by 20% for Zn//MnO2 full cells. This finding is expected to be beneficial for a range of research studies that use inorganic additives to inhibit Zn dendrites and parasitic reactions in electrochemical and energy storage applications.

TGF-ß controls development of TCRγδ+CD8αα+ intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes.

γδ intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) constitute the majority of IELs with unique CD8αα+ homodimers that are distinct from γδT cells in other tissues. However, it remains largely unclear how those cells develop. Here we show that transforming growth factor beta (TGF-ß) signaling controls the development of TCRγδ+CD8αα+ IELs. Deletion of TGF-ß receptors or Smad3 and Smad2 in bone marrow stem cells caused a deficiency of TCRγδ+CD8αα+ IELs in mixed bone marrow chimeric mice. Mechanistically, TGF-ß is required for the development of TCRγδ+CD8αα+ IELs thymic precursors (CD44-CD25- γδ thymocytes). In addition, TGF-ß signaling induced CD8α in thymic γδT cells and maintained CD8α expression and survival in TCRγδ+CD8αα+ IELs. Moreover, TGF-ß also indirectly controls TCRγδ+CD8αα+ IELs by modulating the function of intestinal epithelial cells (IECs). Importantly, TGF-ß signaling in TCRγδ+CD8αα+ IELs safeguarded the integrity of the intestinal barrier in dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis.

Predicting Responses to Electroconvulsive Therapy in Adolescents with Treatment-Refractory Depression Based on Resting-State fMRI.

OBJECTS: The efficacy of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in the treatment of adolescents with treatment-refractory depression is still unsatisfactory, and the individual differences are large. It is not clear which factors are related to the treatment effect. Resting-state fMRI may be a good tool to predict the clinical efficacy of this treatment, and it is helpful to identify the most suitable population for this treatment. METHODS: Forty treatment-refractory depression adolescents were treated by ECT and evaluated using HAMD and BSSI scores before and after treatment, and were then divided into a treatment response group and a non-treatment group according to the reduction rate of the HAMD scale. We extracted the ALFF, fALFF, ReHo, and functional connectivity of patients as predicted features after a two-sample t-test and LASSO to establish and evaluate a prediction model of ECT in adolescents with treatment-refractory depression. RESULTS: Twenty-seven patients achieved a clinical response; symptoms of depression and suicidal ideation were significantly improved after treatment with ECT, which was reflected in a significant decrease in the scores of HAMD and BSSI (p < 0.001). The efficacy was predicted by ALFF, fALFF, ReHo, and whole-brain-based functional connectivity. We found that models built on a subset of features of ALFF in the left insula, fALFF in the left superior parietal gyrus, right superior parietal gyrus, and right angular, and functional connectivity between the left superior frontal gyrus, dorsolateral-right paracentral lobule, right middle frontal gyrus, orbital part-left cuneus, right olfactory cortex-left hippocampus, left insula-left thalamus, and left anterior cingulate gyrus-right hippocampus to have the best predictive performance (AUC > 0.8). CONCLUSIONS: The local brain function in the insula, superior parietal gyrus, and angular gyrus as well as characteristic changes in the functional connectivity of cortical-limbic circuits may serve as potential markers for efficacy judgment of ECT and help to provide optimized individual treatment strategies for adolescents with depression and suicidal ideation in the early stages of treatment.

Correlates of condom use among male university students from eastern China who engage in casual sex.

Consistent condom use with casual partners is critical for preventing the transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) among male university students. This study aimed to determine the level of consistent condom use and explore the correlates of condom use consistency in male university students in eastern China. A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted in 13 universities in Zhejiang Province, which involved the recruitment of 31,674 students by stratified random sampling. Among them, 545 male students who engaged in casual sex in the year prior to this study were included. Adjusted and unadjusted logistic regression models were used to examine the correlates associated with consistent condom use. Among the 545 male university students, only 205 (37.6%) consistently used condoms in the previous year. The following correlates were associated with higher rates of consistent condom use: 1) Knowledge, specifically, the number of correct answers to "HIV infection can be determined by appearance" (AOR: 2.06, 95% CI: 1.21-3.49); 2) never finding casual partners on the internet during the past over the prior year (AOR: 0.63; 95% CI: 0.40-0.99); 3) never drinking alcohol before casual sex during the last over the prior year (AOR: 0.30; 95% CI: 0.20-0.46); 4) never engaging in commercial sex (AOR: 0.57; 95% CI: 0.34-0.96); and 5) high condom self-efficacy score (AOR: 2.55; 95% CI: 1.44-4.49). The study found a low level of consistent condom use among male university students. Promoting condom self-efficacy, reducing web-based casual sex, drinking before sex, and commercial sex are essential to improving the level of consistent condom use among male university students to reduce the transmission of HIV.

A propensity score matching study: The prevalence of mental health problems among pregnant women at first antenatal care increased in Chongqing during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: The 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic increased the risks of mental health challenges, especially anxiety and depression. However, the impact of COVID-19 on mental health during pregnancy has not been fully established. Therefore, we investigated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on maternal mental health. Methods: Two cohorts of pregnant women at their first antenatal care in the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University were enrolled in this study. One cohort was enrolled before the COVID-19 outbreak, from 1 June to 31 December 2019 (n = 5,728, pre-COVID-19 group), while the other was enrolled during the COVID-19 pandemic, from 24 January to 23 March 2020 (n = 739, COVID-19 pandemic group). Symptoms of depression, anxiety, and somatization disorders were assessed by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and Patient Health Questionnaire-15 (PHQ-15), with a cutoff point of 10 for moderate-to-severe depression, anxiety, and somatoform symptoms. The propensity score matching method (1:1) was used to balance differences in demographic characteristics between groups. A chi-square analysis was performed to compare differences in demographic characteristics between the groups. Results: Prevalence of moderate-to-severe depression, anxiety, and somatoform symptoms among pregnant women at their first antenatal care visit during the COVID-19 pandemic (9.5, 2.2, and 20.8%, respectively) was significantly lower than those before the pandemic (16.3, 4.4, and 25.7%, respectively) (p < 0.05). Compared with the same period before the pandemic, during the pandemic, the number of women newly registered for antenatal care decreased by nearly 50%. There were significant differences in the distributions of demographic characteristics between the groups (p < 0.05). After matching the demographic characteristics, differences in the prevalence of maternal mental health disorders between the groups reversed dramatically. Prevalence of moderate-to-severe depression, anxiety, and somatoform symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic in this population (2.3, 9.6, and 20.8%, respectively) was significantly higher than those before the pandemic (0.3, 3.9, and 10%, respectively) (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic increased mental health risks among pregnant women. As a large proportion of pregnant women with mental health challenges delay their prenatal care or change healthcare facilities after the outbreak of public health emergencies, there is a need to establish a balanced healthcare system in medical institutions at all levels.

Prospective study on Maresin-1 and cytokine levels in medication-naïve adolescents with first-episode major depressive disorder.

Background: Inflammation and immune activation may play a role in the pathological mechanism of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Evidence from cross-sectional and longitudinal studies of adolescents and adults has shown that MDD is associated with increased plasma pro-inflammatory cytokines (e.g., IL-1ß, IL-6). It has been reported that Specialized Pro-resolving Mediators (SPMs) mediate inflammation resolution, and Maresin-1 can activate the process of inflammation and promote inflammation resolution by promoting macrophage phagocytosis. However, no clinical studies have been conducted to evaluate the relationship between the levels of Maresin-1 and cytokine and the severity of MDD symptomatology in adolescents. Methods: 40 untreated adolescent patients with primary and moderate to severe MDD and 30 healthy participants as the healthy control (HC) group aged between 13 and 18 years old were enrolled. They received clinical and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS-17) evaluation and then, blood samples were collected. Patients in the MDD group were re-evaluated for HDRS-17, and blood samples were taken after a six to eight-week fluoxetine treatment. Results: The adolescent patients with MDD had lower serum levels of Maresin-1 and higher serum levels of interleukin 6 (IL-6) compared with the HC group. Fluoxetine treatment alleviated depressive symptoms in MDD adolescent patients, which was reflected by higher serum levels of Maresin-1 and IL-4 and lower HDRS-17 scores, serum levels of IL-6, and IL-1ß. Moreover, the serum level of Maresin-1 was negatively correlated with the depression severity scores on the HDRS-17. Conclusion: Adolescent patients with primary MDD had lower levels of Maresin-1 and higher levels of IL-6 compared with the HC group, implying that the peripheral level of pro-inflammatory cytokines may be elevated in MDD, resulting in the insufficiency of inflammation resolution. The Maresin-1 and IL-4 levels increased after anti-depressant treatment, whereas IL-6 and IL-1ß levels decreased significantly. Moreover, Maresin-1 level negatively correlated with depression severity, suggesting that reduced levels of Maresin-1 promoted the progression of MDD.