Background Despite a recent upsurge of HIV/AIDS epidemic among young people in China, youth-specific HIV data were limited. Methods Altogether 56621 HIV/AIDS cases, aged 15–24, registered in the Case Reporting System of China between 2005 and 2012 and having complete spatial information were included in the present analysis. Spatial autocorrelation (general and local) and space-time scanning were performed using ArcGIS10.2 and SaTScan 9.3 software, respectively. Results During 2005–2012, the number of reported HIV/AIDS cases and proportion of HIV cases increased while proportion of AIDS cases decreased. Sexual contact evolved as the pre-dominant route of transmission in later years. Spatial analysis showed marked geographic variations of HIV infection among young people throughout China during 2005–2012. The number of new hotspots increased over years. They were mainly localized in southeast coastal areas and southwest bordering provinces or autonomous regions of Guangxi, Yunnan and Sichuan and Beijing municipality. Later these hotspots shifted towards northeastern part. Significant clusters of HIV positive cases were identified in three different time-periods, which indicated high HIV transmission among young Chinese in the recent past. The risk of HIV was highest in the first cluster (2009–2012, largest in size) covering Guizhou and Yunnan province, Chongqing municipality, Guangxi and Sichuan province. The second cluster (2010–2012) was mostly located in Shanghai, South Jiangsu, Zhejiang and South Anhui area while the third cluster (2010–2012) was in Beijing and Tianjin. Conclusions Target-specific comprehensive behavioral interventions were urgently needed to contain further spread of HIV epidemic among young people.

Forensic DNA analysis of sexual assault evidence requires unambiguous differentiation of DNA profiles in mixed samples. To investigate the feasibility of magnetic bead-based separation of sperm from cell mixtures using a monoclonal antibody against MOSPD3 (motile sperm domain-containing protein 3), 30 cell samples were prepared by mixing 10(4) female buccal epithelial cells with sperm cells of varying densities (10(3), 10(4), or 10(5) cells/mL). Western blot and immunofluorescence assays showed that MOSPD3 was detectable on the membrane of sperm cells, but not in buccal epithelial cells. After biotinylated MOSPD3 antibody was incubated successively with the prepared cell mixtures and avidin-coated magnetic beads, microscopic observation revealed that each sperm cell was bound by two or more magnetic beads, in the head, neck, mid-piece, or flagellum. A full single-source short tandem repeat profile could be obtained in 80% of mixed samples containing 10(3) sperm cells/mL and in all samples containing ≥10(4) sperm cells/mL. For dried vaginal swab specimens, the rate of successful detection was 100% in both flocked and cotton swabs preserved for 1 day, 87.5% in flocked swabs and 40% in cotton swabs preserved for 3 days, and 40% in flocked swabs and 16.67% in cotton swabs preserved for 10 days. Our findings suggest that immunomagnetic bead-based separation is potentially a promising alternative to conventional methods for isolating sperm cells from mixed forensic samples.

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To assess the patterns and predictors of AIDS-related mortality and identify its correlates among adult people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in China, a retrospective record-based cohort study was conducted among 18 years or older PLWHA, who had at least one follow up reported to the national database between January-1989 and June-2012. Cumulative Incidence Function was used to calculate AIDS-related mortality rate. Gray’s test was used to determine the variation in cumulative incidence across strata. The Fine and Gray model was used to measure the burden of cumulative incidence of AIDS-related mortality and strength of its association with potential correlates. Among 375,629 patients, 107,634 died during study period, of which 54,759 (50.87%) deaths were AIDS-related. Cumulative mortality rates of AIDS-related death at one, two, five, 10 and 15 years post-diagnosis were 5.7%, 8.2%, 14.3%, 22.9% and 30.9%, respectively. Among PLWHA, male gender, ethnic minority and having AIDS were associated with significantly higher mortality. Further, homosexual transmission, being on ART and increasing CD4-testing frequency were associated with lower mortality. To reduce mortality among PLWHA, efficient interventions targeting males, ethnic minority, heterosexually infected and AIDS patients should be combined with immunologic monitoring, enhancement of coverage of HIV-testing and ART.

Inside Front Cover In article number 2200171, Sun, Wang, and coworkers focused on the nucleation and growth mechanism of nanocrystals. The dynamic transformation of a solid‐phase model platinum precursor was investigated at atomic resolution. Those findings shall provide a deeper understanding of the solid‐phase nucleation mechanism. The in‐situ method can be applied to study the nucleation process of other systems.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the impact of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) on left ventricular (LV) diastolic function in hospitalized elderly patients.MethodsThis was a case–control observational study of 148 consecutive hospitalized elderly patients (≥65 years old): 73 subjects without COPD as controls and 75 patients with COPD. Mild-to-moderate COPD was defined as stages 1 and 2, while severe and very severe COPD was defined as stages 3 and 4, according to the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease guidelines. Clinical characteristics and echocardiographic parameters were analyzed and compared.ResultsCompared with the control group, patients with COPD had a higher frequency of LV diastolic dysfunction and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. Smoking frequency, frequency of cerebrovascular diseases and diabetes, and serum N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels were higher in the COPD group (all P<0.05). COPD patients showed more abnormalities in diastolic function (E/e′: 11.51±2.50 vs 10.42±3.25, P=0.047), but no differences in systolic function and right ventricular function (all P>0.05). Patients with severe/very severe COPD showed no differences in LV diastolic function compared to patients with mild/moderate COPD (P>0.05), but serum NT-proBNP levels were higher in severe/very severe COPD (P<0.05).ConclusionResults suggest that early-stage COPD may have an impact on the LV diastolic function. Severe COPD mainly affected right ventricular function. In hospitalized elderly patients with COPD, LV diastolic dysfunction should be taken into account together with right ventricular function.

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