Analysis of influencing factors of HPV vaccination willingness of female sex workers in urban entertainment venues based on the IMB model in Guangxi, China.

OBJECTIVE: Understanding HPV vaccination willingness and its influencing factors among female sex workers (FSWs) in entertainment venues in an urban area of Guangxi, China. METHODS: From 15 August to 15 October 2022, FSWs in entertainment venues with commercial sex trade in an urban area of Guangxi were selected as the study subjects for the questionnaire survey using the method of intentional sampling. The questionnaire based on the information-motivation-behavior (IMB) skills model was used to collect the basic characteristics, HPV and HPV vaccine-related information and cognition, motivation to vaccinate, behavioral skills and willingness to vaccinate from the research targets. A multifactor logistic regression model was used to analyze the factors influencing the research targets' willingness to receive HPV vaccination. RESULTS: Of the 921 research targets, 712 (77.31%) were willing to receive HPV vaccination. The higher the level of knowledge regarding HPV and HPV vaccine-related information, the higher the motivation for HPV vaccination. In addition, the higher the behavioral skills score, the higher the willingness of FSWs in entertainment venues to receive HPV vaccination (P<0.001). FSWs in entertainment venues with lower venue grades [OR(95% CI)=0.693 (0.539, 0.891), P=0.004] were more reluctant to receive HPV vaccination. Those who favored the effectiveness of the vaccine in preventing the disease [OR(95% CI)=2.144 (1.449, 3.174), P<0.001] and those who had heard of HPV vaccine [OR(95% CI)=2.105 (1.451, 3.054), P<0.001], were able to perceive the benefits of HPV vaccination [OR(95% CI)=1.134 (1.045, 1.230), P=0.002]. These individuals acquired greater behavioral skills i.e., self-decision making for HPV vaccination [OR(95% CI)=1.130 (1.008, 1.267), P=0.036] and self-efficacy [OR(95% CI)=1.135 (1.081, 1.191), P<0.001] and they were more willing to receive HPV vaccine. CONCLUSIONS: There was a relatively high HPV vaccination willingness among FSWs in entertainment venues in an urban area of Guangxi, China. Attention should be focused on introducing the benefits of primary prevention measures such as the HPV vaccine for individuals and behavioral skills for HPV vaccination in order to increase their willingness to be vaccinated thus increasing their HPV vaccination rate.

[The effect of Streptococcus mutans luxS gene on mixed-species biofilm communities].

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of S.mutans luxS gene on mixed-species biofilms communities. METHODS: Biofilms were formed by S. mutans (wild type strain, its luxS overexpression strain and luxS knockout strain) and Lactobacillus acidophilus (ATCC4356) with a ratio of 1:1 at 37℃ for 4 h, 14 h and 24 h. MTT assay was used to detect the quantification of the biofilms formed. The structures of biofilms were observed under confocal laser scanning microscopy after 24 h, and expression of biofilm-related genes (ftf, smu630, brpA, gbpB, gtfB, vicR, comDE and relA) was investigated by real-time PCR. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS17.0 software package. RESULTS: The results showed that biofilm formed by S. mutans(wild type strain, its luxS overexpression strain and luxS knockout strain) and L.acidophilus after 14 h were 0.481±0.024, 0.591±0.023 and 0.279±0.019, respectively. The same findings were present after 24 h, the biofilm formed by S.mutans overexpression strain with L.acidophilus was higher than wild type strain, and the biofilm formed by knockout strain significantly decreased; but there was no significant difference at 4 h time points. CLSM images revealed that both S.mutans overexpression strain and its wild type strain tended to aggregate into distinct clusters and dense structures, whereas the luxS knockout strain appeared relatively sparse. Compared with wild type strain, all of the genes examined were upregulated in the biofilms formed by the overexpression strain, and were downregulated in the biofilms formed by the luxS mutant strain in mixed-species biofilm. CONCLUSIONS: S.mutans luxS gene can affect mixed-species biofilm formation with L.acidophilus, which provides evidences for further study.

Melatonin Receptor Agonists as the "Perioceutics" Agents for Periodontal Disease through Modulation of Porphyromonas gingivalis Virulence and Inflammatory Response.

AIM: "Perioceutics" including antimicrobial therapy and host modulatory therapy has emerged as a vital adjunctive treatment of periodontal disease. Melatonin level was significantly reduced in patients with periodontal diseases suggesting melatonin could be applied as a potential "perioceutics" treatment of periodontal diseases. This study aims to investigate the effects of melatonin receptor agonists (melatonin and ramelteon) on Porphyromonas gingivalis virulence and Porphyromonas gingivalis-derived lipopolysaccharide (Pg-LPS)-induced inflammation. METHODS: Effects of melatonin receptor agonists on Porphyromonas gingivalis planktonic cultures were determined by microplate dilution assays. Formation, reduction, and viability of Porphyromonas gingivalis biofilms were detected by crystal violet staining and MTT assays, respectively. Meanwhile, biofilms formation was also observed by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). The effects on gingipains and hemolytic activities of Porphyromonas gingivalis were evaluated using chromogenic peptides and sheep erythrocytes. The mRNA expression of virulence and iron/heme utilization was assessed using RT-PCR. In addition, cell viability of melatonin receptor agonists on human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs) was evaluated by MTT assays. After pretreatment of melatonin receptor agonists, HGFs were stimulated with Pg-LPS and then release of cytokines (IL-6 and lL-8) was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: Melatonin and ramelteon did exhibit antimicrobial effects against planktonic culture. Importantly, they inhibited biofilm formation, reduced the established biofilms, and decreased biofilm viability of Porphyromonas gingivalis. Furthermore, they at sub-minimum inhibitory concentration (sub-MIC) concentrations markedly inhibited the proteinase activities of gingipains and hemolysis in a dose-dependent manner. They at sub-MIC concentrations significantly inhibited the mRNA expression of virulence factors (kgp, rgpA, rgpB, hagA, and ragA), while increasing the mRNA expression of ferritin (ftn) or hemolysin (hem). They did not show obvious cytotoxicity toward HGFs. They inhibited Pg-LPS-induced IL-6 and IL-8 secretion, which was reversed by luzindole, the melatonin receptor antagonist. CONCLUSION: Melatonin receptor agonists can inhibit planktonic and biofilm growth of Porphyromonas gingivalis by affecting the virulent properties, as well as Pg-LPS-induced inflammatory response. Our study provides new evidence that melatonin receptor agonists might be useful as novel "perioceutics" agents to prevent and treat Porphyromonas gingivalis-associated periodontal diseases.

Diagnostic value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound in solid thyroid nodules with and without enhancement.

We aimed to investigate different enhancement patterns of solid thyroid nodules on contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and then to evaluate the corresponding diagnostic performance in the differentiation of benign and malignant nodules with and without enhancement. 229 solid thyroid nodules in 196 patients who had undergone both conventional ultrasound and CEUS examinations were classified into enhancement and non-enhancement groups. Besides, different enhancement patterns in the enhancement group were characterised with five indicators including arrival time, mode of entrance, echo intensity, homogeneity, and washout time. Then aforementioned indicators were compared between benign and malignant nodules of different sizes (<10 mm and >10 mm), and diagnostic performance of significant enhancement indicators was calculated. As for the enhancement group, there were statistically significant differences of <10 mm subgroup among three CEUS indicators including arrival time, mode of entrance, and washout time between malignant and benign thyroid nodules (p < 0.05), while all CEUS indicators showed statistically significant differences in the total group and ≥10 mm subgroup (p < 0.05). All the five CEUS indicators displayed better diagnostic performance with specificity (92.86, 92.14, 95.71, 90.71, and 90.71 %, respectively) and diagnostic accuracy (80.79, 79.48, 74.67, 75.11, and 81.66 %, respectively), while the sensitivity and negative predictive value of non-enhancement were 95.51 and 95.83 %, respectively, with an accuracy of 77.29 %. CEUS is a very promising diagnostic technique that could improve the diagnostic accuracy of identifying benign thyroid lesions to spare a large number of patients an unnecessary invasive procedure.

[Construction of luxS gene knockout mutant of Enterococcus faecalis].

PUPPOSE: To construct quorum sensing luxS knockout mutants of Enterococcus faecalis through homologous recombination. METHODS: The upstream and downstream flank DNA fragments of E. faecalis luxS gene (up, dn) and erythromycin resistance gene (erm) were amplified by PCR. In order to construct recombination plasmid Puemrd, these DNA fragments were inserted into the plasmid pUC18 by corresponding double digests. After allelic exchange, the luxS knockout mutants strains were selected on 30 µg/mL erythromycin plates. RESULTS: With endonuclease reaction and DNA sequencing, it was proved that the objective plasmid, Puemrd, was constructed correctly. The luxS knockout mutants strains were confirmed by PCR. CONCLUSIONS: Enterococcus faecalis luxS gene has been successfully disrupted with homologous recombination. This mutant strain sets a good foundation for further functional study.

[Exploring the stem cell surface markers expressed in human dental pulp stem cells].

PURPOSE: To explore the stem cell surface markers expressed in human dental pulp stem cells which were selected and isolated by magnetic beads. METHODS: Human dental pulp cells (hDPCs) were separated and cultured from dental pulp of healthy third molars for orthodontic purpose. HDPSCs were isolated from cultured hDPCs by magnetic-activated cell sorting's (MACS) indirect magnetic cell labeling and positive selection strategy with antibody STRO-1 in the 2nd generation. Then the stem cell surface markers (CD73, CD90, CD105, CD166 and STRO-1) were respectively detected in 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 generation of dental pulp stem cells. HDPSCs were induced to differentiation by adipogenic medium and osteogenic medium in the 3rd generation. Adipogenic differentiation was assessed by oil red O staining in day 21, and osteogenic differentiation was assessed by alizarin red staining in day 21. RESULTS: HDPSCs could differentiate into adipocyte and osteoblasts. Oil red O staining and alizarin red staining were positively expressed after induction of HDPSCs. STRO-1's expression was decreased with the increase of generation. The expressions of CD73, CD90, CD105 and CD166 were relatively stable. CONCLUSIONS: The expression of STRO-1 is declined with the increase of generation, and the expressions of CD73, CD90, CD105 and CD166 are relatively stable with the changes of generation. Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (81070826/81371143) and Shanghai Rising-Star Program (12QH1401400).

[The efficacy of cold-light tooth bleaching on the formation of bacteria biofilm on the enamel surfaces].

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of Beyond cold-light tooth bleaching on the formation of main cariogenic bacteria biofilm on enamel surfaces. METHODS: Twenty enamel discs with the size of 4 mm×4 mm×1 mm in size, were made. The enamel discs were divided into 4 groups randomly: cold-light bleaching group, bleaching gel group, cold-light group and control group. Five discs were in each group. Cold-light bleaching group was whitened 3 times with bleaching gel and cold-light, and 12 min per session. Bleaching gel was smeared on the surface of enamel in bleaching gel group for 3 times and 12 min per session. Enamel discs of cold-light group were treated with cold-light for 12 min and 3 sessions. Control group was treated without any processing. The 4 groups were incubated in mixed bacteria liquid, including Streptococcus mutans(SM), Actinomyces viscosus (Av) and Fusobacterium nucleatum (Fn), within the artificial oral cavity model. After 36 h, the samples were observed under confocal laser scanning microscopy(CLSM). The data was analyzed with SAS8.2 software package. RESULTS: The biofilms in 3 experimental groups were sparser than the control group under CLSM, and the thickness significantly decreased after treatment (P<0.05), while no significant difference was found among 3 experimental groups (P>0.05).Compared with the control group, the percentage of vital bacteria in biofilm of the experimental groups decreased significantly after treatment (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Cold-light tooth bleaching can inhibit the formation of mixed bacteria biofilm, damage the structure of biofilm and reduce the number of vital bacteria. Supported by Research Fund of Ninth People's Hospital of Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine (2013-06).

[Immortalization of human dental pulp stem cells caused by transferring hTERT gene].

PURPOSE: To establish an immortalized human dental pulp stem cell line used for basic and clinical research of oral science. METHODS: Human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) cDNA was transferred into human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) by lentivirus. The resultant stable clones reproduced successively and the expression of hTERT was identified. RESULTS: The hTERT gene was transferred into human dental pulp stem cells successfully. The transformed cells expressed telomerase activity and divided vigorously. p35 had been obtained so far. CONCLUSIONS: The hDPSCs can be immortalized by transferring exogenous hTERT gene to constitute telomerase activity.

The impact of various time intervals on the supragingival plaque dynamic core microbiome.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the influence of various time intervals on the composition of the supragingival plaque microbiome, especially the dynamic core microbiome, and to find a suitable observation interval for further studies on oral microbiota. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Eight qualified volunteers whose respective age ranges from 25 to 28 years participated in the present study. The supragingival plaque was collected from the buccogingival surface of the maxillary first molar at eight time slots with different intervals (day 0, 1 day, 3 days, 1 week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks, 1 month, and 3 months). Bioinformatic analyses was performed based on 16S rDNA pyrosequencing (454 sequencing platform) targeting at the hypervariable V4-V5 region, in order to assess the diversity and variation of the supragingival plaque microbiome. RESULTS: A total of 359,565 qualified reads for 64 samples were generated for subsequent analyses, which represents 8,452 operational taxonomic units identified at 3% dissimilarity. The dynamic core microbiome detected in the current study included five phyla, 12 genera and 13 species. At the genus level, the relative abundance of bacterial communities under the "1 day," "1 month," and "3 months" intervals was clustered into sub-category. At the species level, the number of overlapping species remained stable between the "1 month" and "3 months" intervals, whereas the number of dynamic core species became stable within only 1 week. CONCLUSIONS: This study emphasized the impact of different time intervals (days, weeks and months) on the composition, commonality and diversity of the supragingival microbiome. The analyses found that for various types of studies, the time interval of a month is more suitable for observing the general composition of the supragingival microbiome, and that a week is better for observing the dynamic core microbiome.

Prospective evaluation of 3T MRI findings for primary adnexal lesions and comparison with the final histological diagnosis.

PURPOSE: We prospectively investigated the diagnostic accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 3.0 Tesla (3T) for the detection of suspected primary adnexal masses in a large cohort of patients. METHODS: This prospective clinical study included 223 patients with suspected gynaecological disease who were referred for 3T MRI assessments before laparoscopy or laparotomy. Fifty-nine patients were excluded. All detected adnexal pathologies on MRI were categorized into the four groups (endometric cysts, teratomas, benign tumours and malignant tumours). Histological findings were used as the comparative reference standard. As measures to detect or rule out primary adnexal masses, accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive values (PPV) and negative predictive values (NPV) were determined by lesion-based evaluations. RESULTS: The reference standard method detected 141 primary adnexal lesions in 125 patients. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the lesion-based evaluations for endometric cysts, teratomas, benign lesions and malignant lesions were 92.8, 93.6, 95.1 and 94.4 %. Lesion-based evaluation yielded an accuracy of 90.3 %, sensitivity of 92.7 %, specificity of 89.3 %, PPV of 77.6 % and NPV of 96.8 % in differentiating malignancies from non-malignant lesions. The diagnostic value of 3T MRI for detecting malignancies was superior to that for benign tumours. CONCLUSIONS: 3T MRI well categorize the characteristics of primary adnexal lesions and may be a reliable modality for distinguishing malignancies from benign tumours.

[Effect of different stress conditions on growth and biofilm formation capability of Enterococcus faecalis].

OBJECTIVE: To study the changes of growth and biofilm formation capability of Enterococcus faecalis (Ef) in different stress conditions. METHODS: The changes of growth of Ef in stress conditions were observed by measuring the A600 value with ultraviolet spectrophotometer. Ef was incubated on glass slide in stress conditions, biofilm formation capability of cells was investigated by colony-forming unit (CFU) counting of the culturable bacteria and fluorescence confocal laser scanning microscopy. RESULTS: Ef couldn't growth under the conditions of 2%, 5%NaClO, pH = 11 and 12, the A600 value was unchanged in 96 hours. But the growth curve changed at different levels in other stress conditions: under 1%NaClO, the A600 value peaked at 1.461 at 16 hour (the peaked level was 1.238 at 6 hours in control group) ; under 0,0.05%,0.15% glucose, it peaked at 0.645,0.890, 1.173, respectively, at 6 hour (it was maximized to 1.195 at 6 hours in control group); the A600 value peaked at 1.704 at 6 hours at pH = 9 and 1.225 at 10 hours at pH = 10 (the peak level was 1.732 at 6 hours at pH = 7) . Biofilm assay showed that Ef were able to form biofilm in these stress conditions except 5%NaClO and pH = 12. CONCLUSIONS: Ef could growth and form biofilms in energy starvation, low concentrations of sodium hypochlorite and weak alkaline stress.

Evaluation of primary adnexal masses by 3T MRI: categorization with conventional MR imaging and diffusion-weighted imaging.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the 3.0-Tesla (3 T) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) characteristics of primary adnexal lesions for discriminating benign from malignant lesions. METHODS: One hundred thirty-nine patients with pathologically proven primary adnexal masses referred for 3 T MRI assessment preoperatively were included. Baseline characteristics, components, and conventional MRI and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI-MRI) signals were recorded and compared. RESULTS: There were 22 ovarian cysts, 33 endometriomas, 43 benign tumors and 42 malignant tumors. When ovarian cyst and endometrioma were excluded, there were no significant differences in patients' age between benign and malignant tumor (P = 0.235). There were no significant differences (P = 0.606) in the conventional MRI signals and significant difference (P = 0.008) in DWI-MRI signal between the non-malignant and malignant lesions. There was a significant difference (P = 0.000) in the apparent diffusion coefficient values (ADCs) between the non-malignant and malignant lesions. CONCLUSIONS: 3 T MRI categorized the characteristics of primary adnexal lesions. Conventional MRI signals were not useful for characterizing between benign and malignant lesions. DWI-MRI and ADCs were helpful for distinguishing malignant from benign ovarian lesions.

Removal of Cu2+ from aqueous solution by chitosan-coated magnetic nanoparticles modified with alpha-ketoglutaric acid.

Chitosan-coated magnetic nanoparticles (CCMNPs), modified with a biodegradable and eco-friendly biologic reagent, alpha-ketoglutaric acid (alpha-KA), was used as a magnetic nanoadsorbent to remove toxic Cu(2+) ions from aqueous solution. The prepared magnetic nanoadsorbents were characterized by FTIR, TEM, VSM, XRD, and EDS. Factors influencing the adsorption of Cu(2+), e.g., initial metal concentration, initial pH, contact time and adsorbent concentration were investigated. TEM images show that the dimension of multidispersed circular particles is about 30 nm and no marked aggregation occurs. VSM patterns indicate superparamagnetic properties of magnetic nanoadsorbents. EDS pictures confirm the presence of the Cu(2+) on the surface of magnetic nanoadsorbents. Equilibrium studies show that Cu(2+) adsorption data follow Langmuir model. The maximum adsorption capacity (q(max)) for Cu(2+) ions was estimated to be 96.15 mg/g, which was higher than that of pure CCMNPs. The desorption data show no significant desorption hysteresis occurred. In addition, the high stability and recovery capacity of the chitosan-coated magnetic nanoparticles modified with alpha-ketoglutaric acid (alpha-KA-CCMNPs) suggest that these novel magnetic nanoadsorbents have potential applications for removing Cu(2+) from wastewater.

Removal of Cu2+ from aqueous solution by adsorption onto a novel activated nylon-based membrane.

A novel activated nylon-based membrane was prepared and applied as an adsorbent for the removal of Cu2+ from aqueous solutions. It involved three stages: (i) deposition of a chitosan layer that functionalized the nylon membrane, (ii) cross-linking with epichlorohydrin to stabilize the polymer layer and enabling grafting, and (iii) iminodiacetic acid grafting. SEM and EDX techniques were used to characterize the composition of the membranes. Dynamic adsorption experiments on membranes were carried out at various pH values, contact times, adsorption dosages and initial metal concentrations to determine optimum membrane adsorption properties. The adsorption isotherm relating to Cu2+ fitted the Langmuir equation and an adsorption equilibrium constant and adsorption capacity of 2.345x10(-3)mg/ml and 10.794mg/g were determined, respectively. The experimental data was analyzed using two adsorption kinetic models, pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order with the latter system providing the best fit. Finally complete regeneration of the activated nylon membrane was possible using 100mmol/l Na2EDTA.

[Comparison of 18F-FDG coincidence SPECT imaging and computed tomography in the initial staging and therapeutic evaluation of lymphomas].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical value of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) coincidence SPECT imaging versus computed tomography (CT) for malignant lymphoma in the initial staging, early response to therapy, evaluation after completion of therapy and long-term follow-up. METHODS: 18F-FDG SPECT scans was performed on 61 patients with pathologically proven malignant lymphoma. The mean age of this series was 55 years ranged from 12 to 85 years. The data of these patients were retrospectively analyzed, and the result of 18F-FDG SPECT scan was compared with the CT imaging result performed within 2 weeks before or after FDG scan. 161 18F-FDG SPECT scans were performed for initial tumor staging (n=61), early response to therapy (n=42), evaluation after completion of therapy (n=26) and long-term follow-up (n=32). Each patient had a follow-up >6 months. RESULTS: (1) Compared with CT scan, 18F-FDG SPECT imaging accurately upstaged the disease for 34.4% (21/61) of these patients at initial staging. It detected the lesions which were undetected by CT including bone marrow infiltration (n=17), foci of lymph node (n=3) and liver involvement (n=1). However, 3 patients were incorrectly staged, either downstaged or upstaged by 18F-FDG SPECT imaging. Of 212 lesions in 61 patients, 18-FDG SPECT imaging detected more lesions than CT (P < 0.01). The correspondence rate of '18-FDG SPECT imaging with marrow histology was 80.3% (49/61). (2) In early evaluation of the response to treatment, the accuracy, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of 18F-FDG SPECT imaging was 85.7%, 92.0% and 76.5% respectively, which is much higher than that of CT (64.3%, 75.0% and 50.0%), therefore, the therapeutic scheme in 21.4% (9/42) of these patients was changed by 18F-FDG SPECT imaging. Of 17 cases with negative 18F-FDG SPECT scan in early evaluation of therapy, clinical remission (13 complete remission and 3 partial remission) were achieved in 16 patients. Of the 25 patients with positive ones, 13 were considered as having progressive disease. (3) In the evaluation at the end of therapy or during follow-up, 58 18F-FDG SPECT imagings were performed in 26 patients. The specificity and positive predictive value were 85.7% and 68.4% versus 59.5% and 43.3%, respectively, by CT scan. Of 14 patients with residual masses detected by CT scan, 8 were diagnosed as complete remission (CR) by 18F-FDG SPECT imaging based on persistently negative FDG scans; The other 6 were interpreted as CR (n=1), partial remission (PR, n=2), non-remission (n=1) and progressive disease (n=2), thus there was only one false-positive FDG scan in these 14 patients. CONCLUSION: 18F-FDG imaging is quite effective and superior to CT scan for malignant lymphoma in initial staging, evaluation of early response to therapy and after completion of therapy, and long-term follow-up, especially for evaluating the residual masse.