BackgroundChina is experiencing a dynamic HIV/AIDS epidemic. While serology based surveillance systems have reported the spread of HIV/AIDS, detailed tracking of its transmission in populations and regions is not possible without mapping it at the molecular level. We therefore conducted a nationwide molecular epidemiology survey across the country.MethodsHIV-1 genotypes were determined from 1,408 HIV-positive persons newly diagnosed in 2006. The prevalence of each genotype was estimated by weighting the genotype’s prevalence from each province- and risk-specific subpopulation with the number of reported cases in the corresponding subgroups in that year.ResultsCRF07_BC (35.5%), CRF01_AE (27.6%), CRF08_BC (20.1%), and subtype B' (9.6%) were the four main HIV-1 strains in China. CRF07_BC and CRF08_BC were the primary drivers of infection among injecting drug users in northeastern and southeastern China, respectively, and subtype B' remained dominant among former plasma donors in central China. In contrast, all four strains occurred in significant proportions among heterosexuals nationwide, pointing to an expansion of the HIV-1 epidemic from high-risk populations into the general population. CRF01_AE also replaced subtype B as the principal driver of infection among men-who-have-sex-with-men.ConclusionsOur study provides the first comprehensive baseline data on the diversity and characteristics of HIV/AIDS epidemic in China, reflecting unique region- and risk group-specific transmission dynamics. The results provide information critical for designing effective prevention measures against HIV transmission.

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Absence epilepsy is believed to be associated with the abnormal interactions between the cerebral cortex and thalamus. Besides the direct coupling, anatomical evidence indicates that the cerebral cortex and thalamus also communicate indirectly through an important intermediate bridge–basal ganglia. It has been thus postulated that the basal ganglia might play key roles in the modulation of absence seizures, but the relevant biophysical mechanisms are still not completely established. Using a biophysically based model, we demonstrate here that the typical absence seizure activities can be controlled and modulated by the direct GABAergic projections from the substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr) to either the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN) or the specific relay nuclei (SRN) of thalamus, through different biophysical mechanisms. Under certain conditions, these two types of seizure control are observed to coexist in the same network. More importantly, due to the competition between the inhibitory SNr-TRN and SNr-SRN pathways, we find that both decreasing and increasing the activation of SNr neurons from the normal level may considerably suppress the generation of spike-and-slow wave discharges in the coexistence region. Overall, these results highlight the bidirectional functional roles of basal ganglia in controlling and modulating absence seizures, and might provide novel insights into the therapeutic treatments of this brain disorder.

Abstract. Fine particulate matter with aerodynamic diameters ≤2.5 µm (PM2.5) has adverse effects on human health and the atmospheric environment. The estimation of surface PM2.5 concentrations has made intensive use of satellite-derived aerosol products. However, it has been a great challenge to obtain high-quality and high-resolution PM2.5 data from both ground and satellite observations, which is essential to monitor air pollution over small-scale areas such as metropolitan regions. Here, the space–time extremely randomized trees (STET) model was enhanced by integrating updated spatiotemporal information and additional auxiliary data to improve the spatial resolution and overall accuracy of PM2.5 estimates across China. To this end, the newly released Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer Multi-Angle Implementation of Atmospheric Correction AOD product, along with meteorological, topographical and land-use data and pollution emissions, was input to the STET model, and daily 1 km PM2.5 maps for 2018 covering mainland China were produced. The STET model performed well, with a high out-of-sample (out-of-station) cross-validation coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.89 (0.88), a low root-mean-square error of 10.33 (10.93) µg m−3, a small mean absolute error of 6.69 (7.15) µg m−3 and a small mean relative error of 21.28 % (23.69 %). In particular, the model captured well the PM2.5 concentrations at both regional and individual site scales. The North China Plain, the Sichuan Basin and Xinjiang Province always featured high PM2.5 pollution levels, especially in winter. The STET model outperformed most models presented in previous related studies, with a strong predictive power (e.g., monthly R2=0.80), which can be used to estimate historical PM2.5 records. More importantly, this study provides a new approach for obtaining high-resolution and high-quality PM2.5 dataset across mainland China (i.e., ChinaHighPM2.5), important for air pollution studies focused on urban areas.

Clofazimine has been repurposed for the treatment of tuberculosis, especially for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). To test the susceptibility to clofazimine of Mycobacterium tuberculosis clinical isolates, MICs of clofazimine were determined using the microplate alamarBlue assay (MABA) method for 80 drugresistant isolates and 10 drug-susceptible isolates for comparison. For five clofazimineresistant strains isolated from previously treated pre-extensively drug-resistant TB (pre-XDR-TB) and XDR-TB patients without prior exposure to clofazimine or bedaquiline, clofazimine MICs were Ն1.2 g/ml. Four isolates with cross-resistance to bedaquiline had Rv0678 mutations. The other isolate with no resistance to bedaquiline had an Rv1979c mutation. This study adds to a recent study showing that 6.3% of MDR-TB patients without prior clofazimine or bedaquiline exposure harbored isolates with Rv0678 mutations, which raises concern that preexisting resistance to these drugs may be associated with prior TB treatment. Furthermore, we propose a tentative breakpoint of 1.2 g/ml for clofazimine resistance using the MABA method. Morewidespread surveillance and individualized testing for clofazimine and bedaquiline resistance, together with assessment of their clinical usage, especially among previously treated and MDR-TB patients, are warranted.

Soft neural electrode arrays that are mechanically matched between neural tissues and electrodes offer valuable opportunities for the development of disease diagnose and brain computer interface systems. Here, a thermal release transfer printing method for fabrication of stretchable bioelectronics, such as soft neural electrode arrays, is presented. Due to the large, switchable and irreversible change in adhesion strength of thermal release tape, a low‐cost, easy‐to‐operate, and temperature‐controlled transfer printing process can be achieved. The mechanism of this method is analyzed by experiments and fracture‐mechanics models. Using the thermal release transfer printing method, a stretchable neural electrode array is fabricated by a sacrificial‐layer‐free process. The ability of the as‐fabricated electrode array to conform different curvilinear surfaces is confirmed by experimental and theoretical studies. High‐quality electrocorticography signals of anesthetized rat are collected with the as‐fabricated electrode array, which proves good conformal interface between the electrodes and dura mater. The application of the as‐fabricated electrode array on detecting the steady‐state visual evoked potentials research is also demonstrated by in vivo experiments and the results are compared with those detected by stainless‐steel screw electrodes.

Background:There are some fertility-sparing treatments in patients with early endometrial cancer (EEC) or atypical complex hyperplasia (ACH), and the objective is to compare them by evaluating the oncologic and reproductive outcomes.Methods:We searched the published literature using Medline, Cochrane, EMBASE, and Google Scholar databases up to January 3, 2017, with various combinations of keywords fertility-sparing treatments, progesterone, progestin, intrauterine devices, early endometrial cancer, and atypical complex hyperplasia. The primary endpoint is the complete response (CR) rate, and the secondary endpoints are the partial response (PR) rate, relapse rate (RR), pregnancy rate, and live birth rate.Results:Twenty-eight studies containing 1038 women with EEC or ACH were included for review and meta-analysis. The results demonstrated that women with EEC or ACH managed with progestin had a pooled CR rate of 71% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 63–77%). The pooled pregnancy outcomes showed that 34% of women taking progestin treatment for EEC or ACH became pregnant (95% CI: 30–38%); however, only 20% of them delivered live newborns. The pooled CR rate for women using intrauterine device (IUD) was 76% (95% CI: 67–83%), and pooled RR was 9% (95% CI: 5–17%). The pregnancy rate for women whom underwent IUD was 18% (95% CI: 7–37%), and 14% of them delivered live newborns. In patients using progestin plus IUD, the pooled CR rate was 87% (95% CI: 75–93%); among those patients, 40% became pregnant (95% CI: 20–63%), and 35% delivered live newborns. There is no publication bias for the CR rate.Conclusion:For patients with EEC and ACH, treatments with progestin, with or without IUD, or IUD alone can reach good CR rate; however, the pregnancy outcomes might be worse in patients treated with IUD alone. Further randomized-controlled studies are warranted to find out a better solution.

Particulate matter with aerodynamic diameters ≤1 μm (PM 1 ) has a greater impact on the human health but has been less studied due to fewer ground observations. This study attempts to improve the retrieval accuracy and spatial resolution of satellite-based PM 1 estimates using the new ground-based monitoring network in China. Therefore, a space-time extremely randomized trees (STET) model is first developed to estimate PM 1 concentrations at a 1 km spatial resolution from 2014 to 2018 across mainland China. The STET model can derive daily PM 1 concentrations with an average across-validation coefficient of determination of 0.77, a low rootmean-square error of 14.6 μg/m 3 , and a mean absolute error of 8.9 μg/m 3 . PM 1 concentrations are generally low in most areas of China, except for the North China Plain and Sichuan Basin where intense human activities and poor natural conditions are prevalent, especially in winter. Moreover, PM 1 pollution has greatly decreased over the past 5 years, benefiting from emission control in China. The STET model, incorporating the spatiotemporal information, shows superior performance in PM 1 estimates relative to previous studies. This high-resolution and high-quality PM 1 data set in China (i.e., ChinaHighPM 1 ) can be greatly useful for air pollution studies in medium-or small-scale areas.