The Influence of Irradiation and Accelerated Aging on the Mechanical and Tribological Properties of the Graphene Oxide/Ultra-High-Molecular-Weight Polyethylene Nanocomposites

Graphene oxide/ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (GO/UHMWPE) nanocomposite is a potential and promising candidate for artificial joint applications. However, after irradiation and accelerated aging, the mechanical and tribological behaviors of the nanocomposites are still unclear and require further investigation. GO/UHMWPE nanocomposites were successfully fabricated using ultrasonication dispersion, ball-milling, and hot-pressing process. Then, the nanocomposites were irradiated by gamma ray at doses of 100 kGy. Finally, GO/UHMWPE nanocomposites underwent accelerated aging at 80°C for 21 days in air. The mechanical and tribological properties of GO/UHMWPE nanocomposites have been evaluated after irradiation and accelerated aging. The results indicated that the incorporation of GO could enhance the mechanical, wear, and antiscratch properties of UHMWPE. After irradiation, these properties could be further enhanced, compared to unirradiated ones. After accelerated aging, however, these properties have been significantly reduced when compared to unirradiated ones. Moreover, GO and irradiation can synergistically enhance these properties

Delineating Interpersonal Communication Networks: A Study of the Diffusion of an Intervention Among Female Entertainment Workers in Shanghai, China

Diffusion of innovation (DOI) is widely cited in the HIV behavior change literature; however there is a dearth of research on the application of DOI in interventions for sex workers. Following a randomized-controlled trial of HIV risk reduction among female entertainment workers (FEWs) in Shanghai, China, we used qualitative approaches to delineate potential interpersonal communication networks and contributing factors that promote diffusion of information in entertainment venues. Results showed that top-down communication networks from the venue owners to the FEWs were efficient for diffusion of information. Mammies/madams, who act as intermediaries between FEWs and clients form an essential part of FEWs\u27 social networks but do not function as information disseminators due to a conflict of interest between safer sex and maximizing profits. Diffusion of information in large venues tended to rely more on aspects of the physical environment to create intimacy and on pressure from managers to stimulate communication. In small venues, communication and conversations occurred more spontaneously among FEWs. Information about safer sex appeared to be more easily disseminated when the message and the approach used to convey information could be tailored to people working at different levels in the venues. Results suggest that safer sex messages should be provided consistently following an intervention to further promote intervention diffusion, and health-related employer liability systems in entertainment venues should be established, in which employers are responsible for the health of their employees. Our study suggests that existing personal networks can be used to disseminate information in entertainment venues and one should be mindful about the context-specific interactions between FEWs and others in their social networks to better achieve diffusion of interventions

The impact of subclinical hypothyroidism on growth and development in infants and young children aged 0 to 5 years

Introduction: The objective was to investigate the growth and development of infants and young children with mild subclinical hypothyroidism aged 0 to 5 years, especially those aged 0 to 2 years. Material and methods: The study was a retrospective analysis of the birth status, physical growth, and neuromotor development of patients aged 0 to 5 years, who were diagnosed with subclinical hypothyroidism during newborn screening (NBS) in Zhongshan between 2016 and 2019. Based on preliminary results, we compared 3 groups: with thyroid-stimulating factor (TSH) value of 5–10 mIU/L (442 cases), TSH value of 10–20 mIU/L (208 cases), and TSH above 20 mIU/L (77 cases). Patients with TSH value above 5 mIU/L were called back for repeat testing and were divided into 4 groups as follows: mild subclinical hypothyroidism group 1 with a TSH value of 5–10 mIU/L in both initial screening and repeat testing; mild subclinical hypothyroidism group 2 with TSH value above 10 mIU/L in initial screening; and TSH value of 5–10 mIU/L in repeat testing; the severe subclinical hypothyroidism group with TSH value of 10–20 mIU/L in both the initial screening and repeat testing and the congenital hypothyroidism group. Results: There were no significant differences in the maternal age, type of delivery, gender, length, and weight at birth between the preliminary groups; however, the gestational age at birth was significantly different (F = 5.268, p = 0.005). The z-score for length at birth was lower in the congenital hypothyroidism group compared to the other 3 groups but showed no difference at 6 months of age. The z-score for length in mild subclinical hypothyroidism group 2 was lower compared to the other 3 groups but showed no difference at 2–5 years of age. At 2 years of age there was no significant difference in the developmental quotient (DQ) of the Gesell Developmental Scale between the groups. Conclusion: The gestational age at birth affected the neonatal TSH level. Intrauterine growth in infants with congenital hypothyroidism was retarded compared to that of infants with subclinical hypothyroidism. Neonates with a TSH value of 10–20 mIU/L in the initial screening and a TSH value of 5–10 mIU/L in the repeat testing showed developmental delay at 18 months but caught up at age 2 years. There was no difference in neuromotor development between the groups. Levothyroxine in patients with mild subclinical hypothyroidism is not required, but we recommend that the growth and development of such infants and young children continues to be monitored

Wild-Type and Non-Wild-Type Mycobacterium tuberculosis MIC Distributions for the Novel Fluoroquinolone Antofloxacin Compared with Those for Ofloxacin, Levofloxacin, and Moxifloxacin.

Antofloxacin (AFX) is a novel fluoroquinolone that has been approved in China for the treatment of infections caused by a variety of bacterial species. We investigated whether it could be repurposed for the treatment of tuberculosis by studying its in vitro activity. We determined the wild-type and non-wild-type MIC ranges for AFX as well as ofloxacin (OFX), levofloxacin (LFX), and moxifloxacin (MFX), using the microplate alamarBlue assay, of 126 clinical Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains from Beijing, China, of which 48 were OFX resistant on the basis of drug susceptibility testing on Löwenstein-Jensen medium. The MIC distributions were correlated with mutations in the quinolone resistance-determining regions of gyrA (Rv0006) and gyrB (Rv0005). Pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) data for AFX were retrieved from the literature. AFX showed lower MIC levels than OFX but higher MIC levels than LFX and MFX on the basis of the tentative epidemiological cutoff values (ECOFFs) determined in this study. All strains with non-wild-type MICs for AFX harbored known resistance mutations that also resulted in non-wild-type MICs for LFX and MFX. Moreover, our data suggested that the current critical concentration of OFX for Löwenstein-Jensen medium that was recently revised by the World Health Organization might be too high, resulting in the misclassification of phenotypically non-wild-type strains with known resistance mutations as wild type. On the basis of our exploratory PK/PD calculations, the current dose of AFX is unlikely to be optimal for the treatment of tuberculosis, but higher doses could be effective.The work was supported by the research funding from Infectious Diseases Special Project, Minister of Health of China (2016ZX10003001-12) and Beijing Municipal Administration of Hospitals Clinical Medicine Development of Special Funding Support (ZYLX201304). The strains used in this project were obtained from the ‘Beijing Bio-Bank of clinical resources on Tuberculosis’ (D09050704640000), Beijing Chest Hospital. In addition, this study was supported by the Health Innovation Challenge Fund (HICF-T5-342 and WT098600), a parallel funding partnership between the UK Department of Health and Wellcome Trust. T. S. was supported by grants from the Swedish Heart and Lung Foundation and Marianne and Marcus Wallenberg Foundation. The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Department of Health, Public Health England, or the Wellcome Trust. C. U. K. is a Junior Research Fellow at Wolfson College, Cambridge.This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from American Society for Microbiology at http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/AAC.00393-16

What has affected the governance effect of the whole population coverage of medical insurance in China in the past decade? Lessons for other countries

ObjectiveThis study aimed to explore the current state of governance of full population coverage of health insurance in China and its influencing factors to provide empirical references for countries with similar social backgrounds as China.MethodsA cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted nationwide between 22 January 2020 and 26 January 2020, with descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, and logistic regression models via SPSS 25.0 to analyze the effectiveness and influencing factors of the governance of full population coverage of health insurance in China.ResultsThe effectiveness of the governance relating to the total population coverage of health insurance was rated as good by 59% of the survey respondents. According to the statistical results, the governance of the public's ability to participate in insurance (OR = 1.516), the degree of information construction in the medical insurance sector (OR = 2.345), the government's governance capacity (OR = 4.284), and completeness of the government's governance tools (OR = 1.370) were all positively correlated (p < 0.05) on the governance effect of the whole population coverage of health insurance.ConclusionsThe governance of Chinese health insurance relating to the total population coverage is effective. To effectively improve the effectiveness of the governance relating to the total population coverage of health insurance, health insurance information construction, governance capacity, and governance tools should be the focus of governance to further improve the accurate expansion of and increase the coverage of health insurance

Synthesis and Chemical Properties of Metallabenzynes

Metallabenzynes are an interesting class of metallaraomatics. They can be regarded as transition-metal analogs of benzyne in which a C atom is replaced by an isolobal transition metal fragment. The chemistry of this class of compounds has received much recent attention. A series of metallabenzynes containing osmium and rhenium have been isolated. It has also been demonstrated both experimentally and theoretically that metallabenzynes can have properties of both aromatic organic compounds and organometallic compounds. For example, metallabenzynes, like organic aromatic compounds, could undergo electrophilic substitution reactions to give new metallabenzynes; react with nucleophiles to generate metallabenzene species through addition of nucleophiles at the carbyne carbons of metallabenzynes and undergo reductive elimination to give carbene complexes

The Influence of Irradiation and Accelerated Aging on the Mechanical and Tribological Properties of the Graphene Oxide/Ultra-High-Molecular-Weight Polyethylene Nanocomposites

Graphene oxide/ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (GO/UHMWPE) nanocomposite is a potential and promising candidate for artificial joint applications. However, after irradiation and accelerated aging, the mechanical and tribological behaviors of the nanocomposites are still unclear and require further investigation. GO/UHMWPE nanocomposites were successfully fabricated using ultrasonication dispersion, ball-milling, and hot-pressing process. Then, the nanocomposites were irradiated by gamma ray at doses of 100 kGy. Finally, GO/UHMWPE nanocomposites underwent accelerated aging at 80°C for 21 days in air. The mechanical and tribological properties of GO/UHMWPE nanocomposites have been evaluated after irradiation and accelerated aging. The results indicated that the incorporation of GO could enhance the mechanical, wear, and antiscratch properties of UHMWPE. After irradiation, these properties could be further enhanced, compared to unirradiated ones. After accelerated aging, however, these properties have been significantly reduced when compared to unirradiated ones. Moreover, GO and irradiation can synergistically enhance these properties