BackgroundHuman immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) are among the most complex health problems in the world. Young people are at high risk of HIV and AIDS infections and are, therefore, in need of targeted prevention. School-based HIV/AIDS health education may be an effective way to prevent the spread of AIDS among adolescents.MethodsThe study was a school-based intervention conducted in three middle schools and two high schools in Wuhan, China, which included 702 boys and 766 girls, with ages from 11 to 18 years old. The intervention was a one-class education program about HIV/AIDS for participants. HIV/AIDS knowledge, attitude, and high-risk behaviors were investigated using an anonymous self-administered questionnaire before and after the education intervention. Chi-square test was used to compare differences before and after the intervention. Non-conditional logistic regression analysis was used to identify the factors that affect HIV/AIDS knowledge.ResultsMisconceptions about basic medical knowledge and non-transmission modes of HIV/AIDS among all the students prevail. Approximately 10% to 40% of students had negative attitudes about HIV/AIDS before the intervention. After the intervention, all of the students had significant improvements in knowledge and attitude about HIV/AIDS (P<.05), indicating that educational intervention increased the students’ knowledge significantly and changed their attitudes positively. Logistic regression analyses indicated that before the intervention the students’ level of knowledge about HIV/AIDS was significantly associated with grade, economic status of the family, and attitudes toward participation in HIV/AIDS health information campaigns.ConclusionsHIV/AIDS education programs were welcomed by secondary students and positively influenced HIV/AIDS-related knowledge and attitudes. A systematic and long-term intervention among secondary school students must be conducted for the prevention of HIV.

Background As the country with the largest aging population, China faces an enormous challenge with its elderly support and care. One of the proposed solutions is the development of volunteerism for elderly care. The Senior Care Volunteers Training Program (SCVTP) was initiated by the Red Cross Society of China with the purpose of training volunteers to care for community seniors. As one of the four pilot provinces, Jiangsu Province launched the program since 2017. Aims The present study was conducted to investigate the dropout rate of trained volunteer group leaders, the characteristics of the retained trained volunteer group leaders and the activities that their groups conducted. Additionally, the exploration of the factors influencing the SCVTP's performance was listed as another aim. Methods A cross-sectional study was designed. The study used purposive sampling to select participants who meet the criteria from all the trained volunteer group leaders (n = 623). Demographic questionnaire, volunteer role identity (VRI) scale, attitude toward helping others (AHO) scale, team climate and atmosphere (TCA) scale, and volunteer program performance evaluation (VPPE) questionnaire were used to collect the data online. Descriptive statistics were used to determine the dropout rate and general characteristics of the retained volunteers and the activities. A multiple linear regression equation was developed to study the factors that influence program performance.

Oxidative stress is a key feature in both chronic inflammation and cancer. P38 regulated/activated protein kinase (PRAK) deficiency can cause functional disorders in neutrophils and macrophages under high oxidative stress, but the precise mechanisms by which PRAK regulates reactive oxygen species (ROS) elimination and its potential impact on CD4+ T helper subset function are unclear. The present study reveals that the PRAK-NF-E2-related factor 2(NRF2) axis is essential for maintaining the intracellular redox homeostasis of T helper 17(Th17) cells, thereby promoting Th17 cell differentiation and antitumor effects. Through mechanistic analysis, we identify NRF2 as a novel protein substrate of PRAK and find that PRAK enhances the stability of the NRF2 protein through phosphorylation NRF2 Serine(S) 558 independent of protein ubiquitination. High accumulation of cellular ROS caused by loss of PRAK disrupts both glycolysis and PKM2-dependent phosphorylation of STAT3, which subsequently impairs the differentiation of Th17 cells. As a result, Prak knockout (KO) mice display significant resistance to experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) but impaired antitumor immunity in a MC38 tumor model. This work reveals that the PRAK-NRF2-mediated antioxidant pathway is a metabolic checkpoint that controls Th17-cell glycolysis and differentiation. Targeting PRAK is a promising strategy for maintaining an active ROS scavenging system and may lead to potent Th17 cell antitumor immunity.

Once challenged by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the human host immune system triggers a dynamic process against infection. We constructed a simplistic mathematical model to describe host innate and adaptive immune response to viral challenge. Based on the dynamic properties of viral load and immune response, we classified the resulting dynamics into four modes, corresponding to the increasing severity of COVID-19 disease. We found immune efficacy against viral attack, clearance of infected cells, and IL-6 levels to be prognostic determinants, especially for severe and critical patients. We also investigated vaccine-induced protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection. Results strongly suggested that immune efficacy based on memory T cells, as well as neutralizing antibody titers, could be true indicators of vaccine protection rates. Finally, we analyzed infection dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 variants within the construct of our mathematical model. Overall, our results provide a systematic framework for understanding the dynamics of host response upon challenge by SARS-CoV-2 infection, and this framework can be used to predict vaccine protection and perform clinical diagnosis.

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