Correlates of Consistent Condom Use Among Female Entertainment Workers in Shanghai, China: A Repeated Measures Analysis

Female entertainment workers (FEWs) in China are at increased risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, but correlates of their risky sexual behaviour remain poorly understood. Using data from a series of four surveys, this paper employs repeated measures analysis to identify individual and social correlates of consistent condom use among FEWs in Shanghai. Results reveal that both individual cognitive and social influence factors are statistically significant in their bivariate relationships to consistent condom use with a stable or non-stable partner; only prevention motivation and perceived self-efficacy in condom use remain significant in the multiple regressions. When individual and social correlates are examined together, only peer support for condom use remains a significant and independent correlate of consistent condom use in sex with a non-stable partner. Behavioural intervention is urgently needed and should take a multilevel approach, emphasizing individual prevention motivation and behavioural skills training and promoting peer/social support

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

Progress in the synthesis and reactivity studies of metallabenzenes

Metallabenzenes are metallacyclohexatriene complexes that are derived by replacement of one of the CH groups in benzene with a transition-metal fragment. Their synthesis and aromatic properties have recently attracted considerable attention. This paper summarizes the progress in the synthesis, aromatic property, and reactivity studies of metallabenzenes. We will describe the synthesis and reactivity of typical metallabenzenes with various metals (e.g. osmium, iridium, and ruthenium, etc.), the synthesis and structure of a recent reported example of metallanaphthalene and several rare examples of novel and stable metallabenzynes. Finally, the possible future developments in this field have also been suggested

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

Method for Preparing Polyaluminocarbosilane

Polyaluminocarbosilane (PACS) was synthesized directly by the one-pot reaction of polydimethylsilane (PDMS) with aluminum acetylacetonate [Al(acac)(3)] in an autoclave. In this closed system, all the aluminum in Al(acac)(3) was converted into PACS. Therefore, the content of aluminum could be readily controlled quantitatively. On the basis of Fourier transform infrared, H-1-NMR, C-13-NMR, Si-29-NMR, and Al-27 magic-angle spinning NMR analysis, the reaction mechanism was proposed as follows: PDMS dissociated during pyrolysis to generate silicon free radicals, and then they reacted with Al(acac)(3) to yield PACS containing (Si-O)(n)Al groups (n = 4, 5, or 6). Mean while, these reactions resulted in the cleavage of O-C and/or O=C bonds in Al(acac)(3). Some of the free-radical fragments generated by this cleavage continued to react with the silicon free radicals and were incorporated into the structural units of PACS; the rest of them may have been converted into small oxygen-containing compounds, which were removed in the subsequent processing after the reactions. (C) 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 113:3725-3731, 200

Comparative efficacy and safety of thirteen biologic therapies for patients with moderate or severe psoriasis: A network meta-analysis

Purpose: This network meta-analysis was aimed to enhance the corresponding evidence with respect to the efficacy and safety of biologic treatments. Methods: PubMed and EMBASE database searches were conducted. Odds ratios were used to evaluate multi-aspect comparisons. SUCRA was used to analyze the ranking of treatments in each endpoint. Psoriasis Area and Severity Index 50%, 75%, 90%, 100%, PGA, dermatology quality of life index were considered as outcomes while adverse events and discontinuation were adopted to evaluate safety. Results: For safety issues, briakinumab was associated with least headache and itolizumab had the lowest risk of infection. Ustekinumab performed best in discontinuation. SUCRA ranked briakinumab, brodalumab, Infliximab and ixekizumab as the favorable efficacy therapies, while briakinumab and brodalumab seemed to have mild side effects. No heterogeneity was observed between these comparisons. Conclusions: Briakinumab performed relatively stable under efficacy and safety outcome. Infliximab can be a good choice for its lower risk of infection. Brodalumab present very good potential in efficacy outcome like PASI and PGA. More clinical trials are required to supply more data about discontinuation of infliximab and infection of brodalumab and larger RCT for assessment of briakinumab. Keywords: Psoriasis, Network meta-analysis, Antibodies, Monoclonal, PubMed, Biological product

Synthesis and Characterization of a Propargyl-Substituted Polycarbosilane with High Ceramic Yield

A propargyl-substituted polycarbosilane (PCS), namely, propargyl-substituted hyperbranched hydrodipolycarbosilane (PHPCS), was prepared by a modified synthesis route, which involved Grignard coupling of partially methoxylated Cl(3)SiCH(2)Cl and CH CCH(2)Cl, followed by reduction with lithium aluminum hydride. The resultant PHPCSs were characterized by gel permeation chromatography, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and NMR. Moreover, the thermal properties of the PHPCSs were investigated by thermogravimetric analysis. The ceramic yield of PHPCS at 1400 degrees C was about 82.5%, which was about 10 wt % higher than that of hyperbranched hydrodipolycarbosilane without the substitution of propargyl groups. The PHPCS-derived ceramics were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), FTIR spectroscopy, and elemental analysis. The XRD and FTIR results indicate that the heat treatment significantly influenced the evolution of crystalline beta-SiC. It can be convenient to get near-stoichiometric ceramics from PHPCS through the control of feed ratios of the starting materials. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 121: 3400-3406, 2011National Natural Science Foundation of China[50802079, 20925208

Preparation of a hyperbranched polycarbosilane precursor to SiC ceramics following an efficient room-temperature cross-linking process

Room-temperature cross-linking of a hyperbranched polycarbosilane (HBPCS) with divinylbenzene (DVB) in the presence of the cyclohexanone peroxide-cobaltous naphthenate (CHP-CN) initiator system was studied. According to the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and H-1 nuclear magnetic resonance (H-1 NMR) results, the cross-linking reaction occurred via the vinyl polymerization. The GPC analysis confirmed the molecular weight of the cross-linked HBPCS significantly increased. Thermal behaviors of cross-linked HBPCS and original HBPCS were investigated by thermal gravimetric analysis-differential thermal analysis (TGA-DTA). The TGA results indicated that the ceramic yield of HBPCS remarkably increased by the cross-linking treatment. For the HBPCS/10 wt% DVB system, the maximum of reaction degree of HBPCS was obtained, which might be responsible for the highest ceramic yield of 70.1 wt% at 1000 A degrees C. However, the ceramic yield of the non-crosslinked HBPCS was only 45 wt% at 1000 A degrees C. The evolution of crystal structure of SiC as a function of pyrolysis temperature was traced by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and FT-IR. With the pyrolysis temperature increasing, the beta-SiC peaks became sharper and the grain size also grew larger. As the DVB content increased, the intensity of beta-SiC peaks significantly reduced, indicating smaller beta-SiC grain size.National Natural Science Foundation of China [50802079, 20925208, 50532010]; Natural Science Foundation of Fujian Province of China [2008J0165