No abstract

This study examines the impact of HIV-related stigma on families living with HIV/AIDS in China. In-depth, semistructured interviews were conducted with 30 people living with HIV/AIDS and with 15 of their family members, including spouses, parents, and siblings. Findings show that HIV-related stigma is associated with bringing shame to the family, losing family "face," and damaging withinfamily relations and broader family social networks. HIV/AIDS stigma was reported to have major impacts on family identity and interactions. In order to cope with these pressures, families reported joining self-support programs, educating family members, and helping other families. This study illustrates that HIV-related stigma is an issue faced by entire families in China, points to specific aspects of family life in which these impacts take place, and suggests the importance of including families in HIV/AIDS and stigma reduction interventions.

Background Exposure to mass media related to HIV/AIDS has been linked to attitudinal and behavioral changes. This study aims to identify the source(s) of HIV information for the general Chinese population and examine their association with HIV transmission knowledge and stigmatizing attitude towards people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). Method A total of 3,716 market workers in Fuzhou, China participated in a face-to-face survey. Multiple regression models were used to describe correlations among respondents' HIV/STD information sources, HIV transmission knowledge, and stigmatizing attitude towards PLWHA. Results Mass media sources, such as TV programs, newspapers and magazines, were more frequently identified as the channels for HIV information than interpersonal sources, such as friends and service providers. Exposure to multiple sources of HIV information (where at least one source is mass media) was significantly related to HIV knowledge and less stigmatizing attitude towards PLWHA. Discussion Mass media in China has been a major source of HIV information to the public. Enhancing the content and penetration of HIV/AIDS campaigns within various channels of the media can be an important strategy in disseminating HIV knowledge and reducing HIV related discrimination.

Endothelial dysfunction plays a vital role during the initial stage of atherosclerosis. Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) induces vascular endothelial injury and vessel wall inflammation. Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) exerts numerous vasoprotective effects by binding to diverse S1P receptors (S1PRs; S1PR1-5). A number of studies have shown that in endothelial cells (ECs), S1PR2 acts as a pro-atherosclerotic mediator by stimulating vessel wall inflammation through the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling pathway. Scavenger receptor class B member I (SR-BI), a high-affinity receptor for apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I)/high-density lipoprotein (HDL), inhibits nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) translocation and decreases the plasma levels of inflammatory mediators via the PI3K/Akt pathway. We hypothesized that the inflammatory effects of S1P/S1PR2 on ECs may be regulated by apoA-I/SR-BI. The results showed that ox-LDL, a pro-inflammatory factor, augmented the S1PR2 level in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in a dose- and time-dependent manner. In addition, S1P/S1PR2 signaling influenced the levels of inflammatory factors, including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and IL-10, aggravating inflammation in HUVECs. Moreover, the pro-inflammatory effects induced by S1P/S1PR2 were attenuated by SR-BI overexpression and enhanced by an SR-BI inhibitor, BLT-1. Further experiments showed that the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway was involved in this process. Taken together, these results demonstrate that apoA-I/SR-BI negatively regulates S1P/S1PR2-mediated inflammation in HUVECs by activating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

In order to study the effects of different concentrations of sulfate on the strength of fly ash-based coal mine filling paste, using variable control, mechanical analysis, and other means, the changes in the uniaxial compressive strengths of filling paste blocks soaked in different concentrations of sodium sulfate solution for different durations are studied, and their stress-strain curves are discussed. e hydrated products of each block are analyzed at different stages by XRD, and the results indicate that different concentrations of sodium sulfate solution have different effects on the strength of the filling paste after soaking for different durations. A sodium sulfate solution with a concentration of 5% had an activator effect on the fly ash-based filling paste and enhanced the strength of the filling paste. A sodium sulfate solution with a concentration of 10% and 15% increased the early strength of the paste test block faster, but after 60 d, the strength decreased. e stress-strain curves for these blocks show that the elastic moduli of the filling paste test blocks change irregularly, and it was found that with the increase in soaking time, the blocks soaked in the 10% and 15% sodium sulfate solutions developed fissures in the later stage that adversely affected the strength of the filling paste. e XRD results show that the filling paste test block hydration products are hydrated calcium silicate (C-S-H) based and that ettringite (AFt), beneficial to strength of the filling paste in proper quantities, appeared in the main product of the filling paste test blocks that were soaked in the sodium sulfate solution. With the increase in the concentration of the sodium sulfate solution, the AFt is generated in larger quantities, and gypsum crystals begin to appear, which is not conducive to the filling paste block strength.