Providing HIV-related services in China for men who have sex with men.

PROBLEM: In China, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) care provided by community-based organizations and the public sector are not well integrated. APPROACH: A community-based organization and experts from the Guangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention developed internet-based services for men who have sex with men, in Guangzhou, China. The internet services were linked to clinical services offering HIV testing and care. LOCAL SETTING: The expanding HIV epidemic among men who have sex with men is a public health problem in China. HIV control and prevention measures are implemented primarily through the public system. Only a limited number of community organizations are involved in providing HIV services. RELEVANT CHANGES: The programme integrated community and public sector HIV services including health education, online HIV risk assessment, on-site HIV counselling and testing, partner notification, psychosocial care and support, counting of CD4+ T-lymphocytes and treatment guidance. LESSONS LEARNT: The internet can facilitate HIV prevention among a subset of men who have sex with men by enhancing awareness, service uptake, retention in care and adherence to treatment. Collaboration between the public sector and the community group promoted acceptance by the target population. Task sharing by community groups can increase access of this high-risk group to available HIV-related services

A tri-responsive dual-drug delivery system based on mesoporous silica nanoparticles@polydopamine@graphene oxide nanosheets for chemo-photothermal therapy of osteosarcoma

A pH, redox and near infrared (NIR) irradiation tri-responsive dual-drug delivery system (DDDS) is constructed for the treatment of osteosarcoma. Methotrexate (MTX) is encapsulated into the mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) by polydopamine (PDA), and then the core–shell structured MTX/MSNs@PDA is embedded into the graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets to further enhance the photothermal conversion capability of this system. The resultant MTX/MSNs@PDA@GO is co-encapsulated with naringin (Nar) into the hydrogels of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and cystamine (Cys) generated through amidation reaction. The disulfide linkage (–S–S–) in Cys can be reduced to sulphydryl groups (–SH) by glutathione (GSH), resulting in the degradation of the hydrogels; on the other hand, both PDA and the amide linkage between CMC and Cys are pH-sensitive. Therefore, the constructed DDDS can be used for pH-, redox- and NIR irradiation-responsive delivery of MTX and Nar. Finally, the validity of the developed DDDS is evaluated by cytotoxicity test

Investigation of bioaccessibility of Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn in market vegetables in the colon using PBET combined with SHIME

Abstract The in vitro bioaccessibility of trace metals associated with oral ingestion of market vegetables (lettuce, pak choi, cole, and leaf lettuce) of Beijing, China was studied. The physiologically based extraction test (PBET) combined with the Simulator of Human Intestinal Microbial Ecosystem (SHIME) was applied to simulate stomach, small intestine, and colon of human. In the gastro-intestinal phases, the bioaccessibility of Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn varied within 5.7–75.5%, 17.3–50.4%, 13.3–49.1%, and 19.9–63.7%, respectively. There was no significant difference in the metal bioaccessibility between the gastric and small intestinal phases, except for higher Cu bioaccessibility in the small intestine. Besides, the bioaccessibility of the four trace metals in the colon phase was first ever reported. A significant decline in Cu bioaccessibility (1.8–63.7%) and slight increases in the bioaccessibility of Fe (16.7–56.4%), Mn (21.2–71.6%), and Zn (15.7–69.7%) were revealed, which could mainly be attributed to the effect of colon microbiota. In addition, the estimated daily intakes (EDIs) of Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn were worked out to be 0.7, 8.8, 2.7, and 4.5 μg kg−1 body weight d−1, based on which the potential influences of these trace metals in vegetables on the health of the local consumers was demonstrated

A direct microcontact printing induced supramolecular interaction for creating shape-tunable patterned polymeric surfaces

Multifunctional patterned polymeric surfaces are of significant importance to numerous surface-based researches. We demonstrated that a commercial polymer of polyethylenimine (PEI) with rich amino groups can be used as a versatile ink for the direct fabrication of patterned PEI surfaces via a supramolecular interaction between amino groups in PEI and -OH on a silicon wafer induced by micro-contact printing (mu CP). The thicknesses and shapes of the formed PEI surfaces can be finely tuned by changing the molecular weight and/or the concentration of PEI. The obtained patterned polymeric surfaces could be amplified further to grow other polymer brushes, or explored as novel surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) active materials by electrostatic adsorption with negatively charged gold nanoparticles (AuNPs)

<i>In Vitro</i> Method To Assess Soil Arsenic Metabolism by Human Gut Microbiota: Arsenic Speciation and Distribution

Arsenic (As) speciation and distribution are two important factors in assessing human health risk from As-contaminated soil. In this study, we used the combination of physiologically based extraction test (PBET) and Simulator of Human Intestinal Microbial Ecosystem (SHIME) to determine soil As metabolism by human gut microbiota. The results showed that the percentage of soil arsenate [As­(V)] transformation reached 22.1–38.2%, while that of arsenite [As­(III)] attained 66.5–92.0%; 30.1–56.4% of As­(V) transformed was attached to the soil solid phase. In comparison to sequential extraction results, almost all amorphous Fe/Al-oxide-bound As was liberated in the colon phase. An X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) showed that the As­(III) percentage in the soil solid phase reached 16.6–26.9% and reached 73.4% (soil 1) in the colon phase. Additionally, plenty of As­(III) and different extents of methylation were also observed in colon extraction solution. As bioaccessibility in the colon phase was 1.8–2.8 times that in the small intestinal phase. Our results indicated that human gut microbiota increased As bioaccessibility, and large amounts of As­(III) were adsorbed onto the soil solid phase as a result of microbial reduction. Determining As speciation and distribution in extraction solution and soil solid phases will allow for an accurate assessment of the risk to human health upon soil As exposure

N-n-Butyl Haloperidol Iodide Ameliorates Cardiomyocytes Hypoxia/Reoxygenation Injury by Extracellular Calcium-Dependent and -Independent Mechanisms

N-n-butyl haloperidol iodide (F2) has been shown to antagonize myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury by blocking calcium channels. This study explores the biological functions of ERK pathway in cardiomyocytes hypoxia/reoxygenation injury and clarifies the mechanisms by which F2 ameliorates cardiomyocytes hypoxia/reoxygenation injury through the extracellular-calcium-dependent and -independent ERK1/2-related pathways. In extracellularcalcium-containing hypoxia/reoxygenation cardiomyocytes, PKCα and ERK1/2 were activated, Egr-1 protein level and cTnI leakage increased, and cell viability decreased. The ERK1/2 inhibitors suppressed extracellular-calcium-containing-hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced Egr-1 overexpression and cardiomyocytes injury. PKCα inhibitor downregulated extracellularcalcium-containing-hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced increase in p-ERK1/2 and Egr-1 expression. F2 downregulated hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced elevation of p-PKCα, p-ERK1/2, and Egr-1 expression and inhibited cardiomyocytes damage. The ERK1/2 and PKCα activators antagonized F2’s effects. In extracellular-calcium-free-hypoxia/reoxygenation cardiomyocytes, ERK1/2 was activated, LDH and cTnI leakage increased, and cell viability decreased. F2 and ERK1/2 inhibitors antagonized extracellular-calcium-free-hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced ERK1/2 activation and suppressed cardiomyocytes damage. The ERK1/2 activator antagonized F2’s above effects. F2 had no effect on cardiomyocyte cAMP content or PKA and Egr-1 expression. Altogether, ERK activation in extracellular-calcium-containing and extracellular-calcium-free hypoxia/reoxygenation leads to cardiomyocytes damage. F2 may ameliorate cardiomyocytes hypoxia/reoxygenation injury by regulating the extracellular-calcium-dependent PKCα/ERK1/2/Egr-1 pathway and through the extracellular-calcium-independent ERK1/2 activation independently of the cAMP/PKA pathway or Egr-1 overexpression

Synthesis of Flame-Retardant Polypropylene/LDH-Borate Nanocomposites

New nanocomposites have been prepared using unmodified polypropylene (PP) and a new type of highly dispersed [Zn₂Al­(OH₆)]­[B₄O₅(OH)₄]_0.5 (Zn₂Al-borate) and [Mg₃Al­(OH)₈]­[B₄O₅(OH)₄]_0.5 (Mg₃Al-borate) layered double hydroxides (LDHs). PP/LDHs nanocomposites with LDH loadings of 1, 3, 6, 9, 15, and 30 wt % have been prepared by a novel solvent mixing method. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis shows that the precipitated nanocomposites materials form spherical particles with an average size of ca. 10 μm and that the LDH nanoparticles were well dispersed within the PP matrix. XRD analysis of the nanocomposites indicates that the LDHs are completely exfoliated. The thermal stability and flame retardancy properties of these new materials have been evaluated as a function of the nature of LDH and the LDH loadings. Cone calorimetry analysis indicates that PP/Zn₂Al-borate nanocomposites exhibited superior performance than the equivalent PP/Mg₃Al-borate nanocomposites; a 15 wt % of the highly dispersed Zn₂Al-borate LDH in PP was found to be the optimal loading. The 15% Zn₂Al-borate LDH in pristine (unmodified) PP resulted in reduction of the PHRR (peak heat release rate) (Rdctn) by 63.7%. We also demonstrated that the solvent mixing is superior to a melt mixing method. With a 6 wt % LDH loading, the reduction in PHRR is 23.8% for the melt mixing sample, which is lower than that of solvent mixing sample (29.9%), this behaviour can be attributed to the severe aggregation and poor dispersion of LDH particles

Mass Spectrometry Imaging Revealed Sulfatides Depletion in Brain Tissues of Rats Exposed in Real Air with High Fine Particulate Matter

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure remains a great health risk worldwide. Epidemiological evidence suggests a possible association between neurodegeneration and PM2.5 exposure. In the present study, cutting-edge mass spectrometry imaging techniques were implemented to investigate the spatial distribution of lipids in rat brains after real ambient exposure to air with high PM2.5 levels. For the first time, a significant reduction of sulfatides in the brain stem and corpus callosum of PM-exposed rats was observed. Further validation using isolated corpus callosum tissues showed that in addition to decreased sulfatides expression levels of neuroinflammation markers including cytokines, microglial, and astrocyte activation markers were significantly upregulated in the PM-exposure group. Our data, therefore, provides a possible association between PM exposure and neurological damage, via sulfatides reduction and associated neuroinflammation in the corpus callosum region of PM-exposed rat brains