Challenges facing HIV-positive persons who use drugs and their families in Vietnam

It is hypothesized that persons who use drugs (PWUD) in Vietnam who are also HIV-positive may face additional challenges in psychosocial outcomes, and these challenges may extend to their family members. In this study, we examined depressive symptoms, stigma, social support, and caregiver burden of HIV-positive PWUD and their family members, compared to the outcomes of HIV-negative PWUD and their family members. Baseline, 3-month, and 6-month assessment data were gathered from 83 PWUD and 83 family members recruited from four communes in Phú Th? Province, Vietnam. For PWUD, although we observed a general decline in overall stigma over time for both groups, HIV-positive PWUD consistently reported significantly higher overall stigma for all three periods. Depressive symptoms among family members in both groups declined over time; however, family members of HIV-positive PWUD reported higher depressive symptoms across all three periods. In addition, family members of HIV-positive PWUD reported lower levels of tangible support across all three periods. Caregiver burden among family members of HIV-positive PWUD increased significantly over time, whereas the reported burden among family members of HIV-negative PWUD remained relatively unchanged. The findings highlight the need for future interventions for PWUD and family members, with targeted and culturally specific strategies to focus on the importance of addressing additional stigma experienced by PWUD who are HIV-positive. Such challenges may have direct negative impact on their family members' depressive symptoms, tangible support, and caregiver burden.     

小汤山地区0-3岁儿童喂养情况及母亲孕期贫血情况与贫血的关系

目的了解北京市小汤山地区儿童贫血分布情况,并指出合理化预防措施。方法采用日本产西斯美康xs-800i全血细胞分析仪,检测0-3岁儿童末梢血的血红蛋白含量。结果 2013年儿保门诊0~3岁儿童体检人数为1334人,其中贫血患儿为176名,贫血的发病率是13.19%。其中,本地儿童616人,贫血发病率是9.42%;流动儿童718人,贫血发病率是16.43%,二者间有统计学差异(P0.01);男性儿童贫血发病率为13.02%,女性贫血发病率13.46%,二者间无统计学差异(P0.01);6个月-1岁儿童贫血发病率为35.79%,1-2岁为4.48%,2-3岁为2.61%,三组间有统计学差异(P0.01),纯母乳喂养儿童贫血人数为47人,贫血的发病率是6.15%,混合喂养儿童贫血人数为29人,贫血的发病率是8.19%,人工喂养喂养儿童贫血人数为100人,贫血的发病率是46.30%,三者差异存在统计学意义(P0.01);母孕期贫血儿童贫血人数为97人,贫血的发病率是18.29%,母孕期无贫血儿童贫血人数为79人,贫血的发病率是10.75%,三者差异存在统计学意义(P0.01)。结论本地区0~3岁儿童贫血患病比6个月-1岁儿童显著增高,流动儿童比本市儿童贫血患病率显著增高,此外母孕期贫血及婴儿喂养方式的不同也是影响儿童贫血的原因,加强流动儿童管理,正确指导6个月后婴儿家长的喂养方法及加强预产妇孕期营养指导应成为今后工作的重点。     

Biomechanical behavior of brain injury caused by sticks using finite element model and Hybrid-III testing

Objective: To study the biomechanical mechanism of head injuries beaten with sticks, which is common in the battery or assaultive cases. Methods: In this study, the Hybrid-III anthropomorphic test device and finite element model (FEM) of the total human model for safety (THUMS) head were used to determine the biomechanical response of head while being beaten with different sticks. Total eight Hybrid-III tests and four finite element simulations were conducted. The contact force, resultant acceleration of head center of gravity, intracranial pressure and von Mises stress were calculated to determine the different biomechanical behavior of head with beaten by different sticks. Results: In Hybrid-III tests, the stick in each group demonstrated the similar kinematic behavior under the same loading condition. The peak values of the resultant acceleration for thick iron stick group, thin iron stick group, thick wooden stick group and thin wooden stick group were 203.4 g, 221.1 g, 170.5 g and 122.2 g respectively. In finite element simulations, positive intracranial pressure was initially observed in the frontal comparing with negative intracranial pressure in the contra-coup site. Subsequently the intracranial pressure in the coup site was decreasing toward negative value while the contra-coup intracranial pressure increasing toward positive values. Conclusions: The results illustrated that the stiffer and larger the stick was, the higher the von Mises stress, contact force and intracranial pressure were. We believed that the results in the Hybrid-III tests and THUMS head simulations for brain injury beaten with sticks could be reliable and useful for better understanding the injury mechanism.     

Unexpected Return for Follow-up During the First Year of Multidisciplinary Care May Be Predictive of Rapid Deterioration of Renal Function

Multidisciplinary predialysis education and team care (MDC) may slow the decline in renal function in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, associations between unexpected return during MDC and progression of renal dysfunction have not been characterized in patients with CKD. Our study aimed to determine the association between exacerbation of renal dysfunction and the frequency of unexpected return during follow-up.A total of 437 patients with CKD receiving multidisciplinary care between January 2009 and June 2013 at the Shin-Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital were included in this retrospective observational cohort study, and multiple imputations were performed for missing data. The predictor was the frequency of unexpected return for follow-up during the first year after entering MDC. Main outcome was monthly declines in estimated glomerular filtration rates (eGFR). Moreover, the demographic data, comorbidities, history of medication, and routine laboratory data for patients with CKD were collected.Among all patients, 59.7% were male, the mean age at initiation of MDC was 69.4 ± 13.2 years, and the duration of follow-up was 21.4 ± 3.3 months. The subjects were divided into 2 groups according to frequencies of follow-up (≤4 and > 4 visits) during the 1st year of MDC. The patients with CKD were regularly followed up every 3 months as a part of MDC in our hospital, and patients who returned for more than 4 follow-up visits were included in the unexpected return group. In crude regression analyses, unexpected return was significantly associated with higher monthly declines of eGFR (β = 0.092, 95% confidence interval, 0.014–0.170). This association remained after adjustments for multiple variables, and subgroup analyses of unexpected return showed that male gender, older age, CKD stage 1 to 3, hypertension, history of coronary artery disease, and use of renin–angiotensin system blockade were significantly associated with declines in renal function.In conclusion, unexpected return for follow-up during the 1st year of MDC was significantly associated with the deterioration of renal function.     

亮氨酸氨基肽酶在妊娠妇女血清中的水平变化及其意义

目的:探讨血清亮氨酸氨基肽酶(LAP)在妊娠妇女不同时期血清中的变化规律及其临床意义。方法:选取2011年1月~2013年12月在该院产检的正常妊娠妇女180例,根据孕周分为早期组、中期组和晚期组,每组各60例,另选取60例健康未孕妇女为未孕组;同时选取该院收治的妊娠期高血压疾病妇女33例为妊娠期高血压疾病组、早产孕妇22例为早产组,采用速率法分别检测各组孕妇血清LAP水平并进行比较。结果:未孕组、早期组、中期组、晚期组妇女的血清LAP、血清肝胆酸(CG)、碱性磷酸酶(ALP)、α-L-岩藻糖苷酶(AFU)水平比较,差异有统计学意义(P均<0.05)。妊娠期高血压疾病组的CG、ALP、AFU、LAP水平显著高于早期组、中期组和晚期组(P均<0.05);早产组的CG、ALP、AFU、LAP水平显著高于早期组、中期组(P均<0.05),仅CG水平高于晚期组(P<0.05)。结论:随着妊娠周期的增加,妊娠妇女的血清LAP水平逐步升高,在合并妊娠期高血压疾病时LAP升高更加显著,结合CG、ALP、AFU水平的变化能够对妊娠期高血压疾病的发病情况进行动态监测。     

Characterization of membrane occupation and recognition nexus repeat containing 3, meiosis expressed gene 1 binding partner,in mouse male germ cells

Mammalian spermatogenesis is a well-organized process of cell development and differentiation. Meiosis expressed gene 1 (MEIG1) plays an essential role in the regulation of spermiogenesis. To explore potential mechanisms of MEIG1''s action, a yeast two-hybrid screen was conducted, and several potential binding partners were identified; one of them was membrane occupation and recognition nexus repeat containing 3 (MORN3). MORN3 mRNA is only abundant in mouse testis. In the testis, Morn3 mRNA is highly expressed in the spermiogenesis stage. Specific anti-MORN3 polyclonal antibody was generated against N-terminus of the full-length MORN3 protein, and MORN3 expression and localization was examined in vitro and in vivo. In transfected Chinese hamster ovary cells, the antibody specifically crossed-reacted the full-length MORN3 protein, and immunofluorescence staining revealed that MORN3 was localized throughout the cytoplasm. Among multiple mouse tissues, about 25 kDa protein, was identified only in the testis. The protein was highly expressed after day 20 of birth. Immunofluorescence staining on mixed testicular cells isolated from adult wild-type mice demonstrated that MORN3 was expressed in the acrosome in germ cells throughout spermiogenesis. The protein was also present in the manchette of elongating spermatids. The total MORN3 expression and acrosome localization were not changed in the Meig 1-deficient mice. However, its expression in manchette was dramatically reduced in the mutant mice. Our studies suggest that MORN3 is another regulator for spermatogenesis, probably together with MEIG1.