This article examines the contextual effects of community environment on individual stigmatizing attitudes toward people with HIV/AIDS in China. Multilevel logistic regression models are used to analyze data on 5,658 respondents aged 15-49 from 66 communities in the Baseline Information, Education, and Communication Survey for HIV/AIDS Prevention in China, conducted by the State Family Planning Commission in 2000. The results show that a high level of HIV/AIDS-related risk behavior in the community and a low level of community development are associated with increased HIV/AIDS-related stigma, after controlling for respondents' sociodemographic characteristics, including extent of knowledge about HIV/AIDS. The findings suggest that interventions for reducing HIV/AIDS-related stigma in China should take into account community characteristics, such as level of HIV/AIDS-related risk behavior and level of development in the community.

Mycoplasma capricolum subsp. capripneumoniae (Mccp) is a common pathogen of goats that causes contagious caprine pleuropneumonia. We closed the gap and corrected rRNA operons in the draft genome of Mccp M1601: a strain isolated from an infected goat in a farm in Gansu, China. The genome size of M1601 is 1,016,707 bp with a GC content of 23.67%. We identified 915 genes (occupying 90.27% of the genome), of which 713 are protein-coding genes (excluding 163 pseudogenes). No genomic islands and complete insertion sequences were found in the genome. Putative determinants associated with the organism’s virulence were analyzed, and 26 genes (including one adhesion protein gene, two capsule synthesis gene clusters, two lipoproteins, hemolysin A, ClpB, and proteins involved in pyruvate metabolism and cation transport) were potential virulence factors. In addition, two transporter systems (ATP-binding cassette [ABC] transporters and phosphotransferase) and two secretion systems (Sec and signal recognition particle [SRP] pathways) were observed in the Mccp genome. Genome synteny analysis reveals a good collinear relationship between M1601 and Mccp type strain F38. Phylogenetic analysis based on 11 single-copy core genes of 31 Mycoplasma strains revealed good collinearity between M1601 and Mycoplasma capricolum subsp. capricolum (Mcc) and close relationship among Mycoplasma mycoides cluster strains. Our genome-wide analysis of Mccp M1601 provides helpful information on the pathogenic mechanisms and genetics of Mccp.

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Mycoplasma bovis (M. bovis) causes various chronic inflammatory diseases, including mastitis and bronchopneumonia, in dairy and feed cattle. It has been found to suppress the host immune response during infection, leading to the development of chronic conditions. Both in vitro and in vivo studies have confirmed that M. bovis can induce proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines in the host. This consists of an inflammatory response in the host that causes pathological immune damage, which is essential for the pathogenic mechanism of M. bovis. Additionally, M. bovis can escape host immune system elimination and, thus, cause chronic infection. This is accomplished by preventing phagocytosis and inhibiting key responses, including the neutrophil respiratory burst and the development of nitric oxide (NO) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) that lead to the creation of an extracellular bactericidal network, in addition to inhibiting monocyte and alveolar macrophage apoptosis and inducing monocytes to produce anti-inflammatory factors, thus inducing the apoptosis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), inhibiting their proliferative response and resulting in their invasion. Together, these conditions lead to long-term M. bovis infection. In terms of the pathogenic mechanism, M. bovis may invade specific T-cell subsets and induce host generation of exhausted T-cells, which helps it to escape immune clearance. Moreover, the M. bovis antigen exhibits high-frequency variation in size and expression period, which allows it to avoid activation of the host humoral immune response. This review includes some recent advances in studying the immune response to M. bovis. These may help to further understand the host immune response against M. bovis and to develop potential therapeutic approaches to control M. bovis infection.