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Incorporation of external information is becoming increasingly common when designing clinical trials. Availability of multiple sources of information has inspired the development of methodologies that account for potential heterogeneity not only between the prospective trial and the pooled external data sources but also between the different external data sources themselves. Our approach proposes an intuitive way of handling such a scenario for the continuous outcomes setting by using propensity score-based stratification and then utilizing robust meta-analytic predictive priors for each stratum to incorporate the prior data to distinguish among different external data sources in each stratum. Through extensive simulations, our approach proves to be more efficient and less biased than the currently available methods. A real case study using clinical trials that study schizophrenia from multiple different sources is also included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Matching and pickup processes are core features of ride-sourcing services. Previous studies have adopted abundant analytical models to depict the two processes and obtain operational insights; while the goodness of fit between models and data was dismissed. To simultaneously consider the fitness between models and data and analytically tractable formations, we propose a data-driven approach based on the additive Gaussian Process Model (AGPM) for ride-sourcing market modelling. The framework is tested based on real-world data collected in Hangzhou, China. We fit analytical models, machine learning models, and AGPMs, in which the number of matches or pickups are used as outputs and spatial, temporal, demand, and supply covariates are utilized as inputs. The results demonstrate the advantages of AGPMs in recovering the two processes in terms of estimation accuracy. Furthermore, we illustrate the modelling power of AGPM by utilizing the trained model to design and estimate idle vehicle relocation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To develop symptom networks and examine the longitudinal relationships of depressive symptoms among middle-aged and older adults in China. This study used three-wave data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (2013 (T1), 2015 (T2), and 2018 (T3)). Depressive symptoms were measured by the 10-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). A multilevel vector autoregression model (VAR) was used to identify ten depressive symptoms dynamically interacting with each other over time. A total of 3,558 participants were included in the final analysis. The strongest direct effects were 'D10: felt fearful' -> 'D6: felt everything I did was an effort' (β = 0.14). 'D10: felt fearful' reported the largest value of out-predictability (r = 0.064) and out-strength (r = 0.635). 'D3: felt depressed' reported the largest value of in-predictability (r = 0.077) and in-strength (r = 0.545). Substantial heterogeneity in the network may stem from an individual's sex and place of residence. 'Felt fearful' was the strongest predictor compared to the other nine depressive symptoms based on node centrality. Our study suggests that, after understanding the causes of fear, strategies to reduce fear should be incorporated into multimodal interventions for middle-aged and older adults with depressive symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to explore and visualize relationships among multiple psychological symptoms among people living with HIV (PLWH) with different HIV-positive durations and to compare centrality indices and densities of psychological symptom networks. We used subsets of data collected from five designated HIV/AIDS hospitals in China. Networks were constructed among 16 psychological symptoms. Centrality properties, including strength and closeness, were adopted to describe relationships among symptoms. The results showed that PLWH with longer HIV-positive durations had denser emotional networks, which indicated that they had more emotional neuroticism than their newly diagnosed counterparts. Sadness, self-abasement, and self-loathing were the most central psychological symptoms across different HIV-positive durations. Our study suggests the need to provide psychosocial support services targeting PLWH according to changing symptom severity and neuroticism trajectories. Interventions should focus on increasing empathy for PLWH and enhancing the ability to consider the situation from different perspectives to avoid the development of neuroticism in long-term survivors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Middle-aged and older persons living with HIV (PLWH) suffer from sleep distress and cognitive disorders due to HIV infection and aging. We aim to explore the relationship between sleep satisfaction and cognitive complaints, and the mediating role of anxiety and fatigue in this relationship among middle-aged and older PLWH. We used data from a multicenter cross-sectional study in China (Shanghai, Kunming, Nanning, Hengyang, and Changning) conducted in 2017. The data analysis included 435 PLWH aged 45 years and over. Multiple linear regression models showed that worse sleep satisfaction was significantly associated with lower cognitive complaints after controlling for anxiety, fatigue, demographic variables, and clinical variables (β = −0.246, p < 0.01). Both anxiety and fatigue were significant partial mediators in the relationship between sleep satisfaction and cognitive complaints. The serial multiple mediation models of sleep satisfaction–anxiety (M1)–fatigue (M2)–cognitive complaints were supported and the alternative model of sleep satisfaction–fatigue (M2)–anxiety (M1)–cognitive complaints were both supported. Our study indicates that it is important to improve sleep quality to promote cognitive function among Chinese middle-aged and older PLWH. Prevention and treatment programs for sleep satisfaction and cognitive function should include the assessment and reduction of fatigue and anxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perceived discrimination is significantly associated with mental health symptoms among persons living with HIV (PLWH). However, little is known about the factors mediating this relationship. We aimed to examine the mediating role of social isolation and loneliness in the association between perceived discrimination and mental health symptoms among PLWH. A multicenter (Shanghai, Kunming, Nanning, Hengyang, and Changning in China) cross-sectional study was conducted in 2017. Data from 883 PLWH were used for statistical analysis. Perceived discrimination, mental health symptoms, loneliness and social isolation were assessed through self-report questionnaires. Structural equation modeling (SEM) showed a satisfactory model fit (CMIN/DF = 2.676, GFI = 0.998, CFI = 0.997, NFI = 0.995, TLI = 0.985, RMSEA = 0.044 [0.000, 0.090]) and a significant total indirect effect (β = 0.058, SE = 0.009, Z = 6.444, p < 0.01). Both loneliness (β = 0.042, SE = 0.008, Z = −5.250, p < 0.01) and social isolation (β = 0.016, SE = 0.004, Z = −4.000, p < 0.01) were determined to be significant mediators of the association between perceived discrimination and mental health symptoms. Interventions that combat loneliness and social isolation may help ameliorate the adverse consequences of perceived discrimination on mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal ablation is a potentially curative therapy for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Early recurrence after thermal ablation necessitates our attention. The invasion and migration abilities of NSCLC after sublethal heat stimulus were observed in vitro and in vivo. Sublethal thermal stimulus molecular changes were identified by RNA sequencing. A xenograft model of NSCLC with insufficient ablation was established to explore the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and metastasis-related phenotypes alteration of residual tumors. In vitro, the invasion and migration abilities of NSCLC cells were enhanced 72 h after 44 °C and 46 °C thermal stimulus. Epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) phenotypes were also upregulated under these conditions. RNA sequencing revealed that the expression of carboxypeptidase A4 (CPA4) was significantly upregulated after thermal stimulus. Significant upregulation of CPA4 and EMT phenotypes was also found in the xenograft model of insufficient NSCLC ablation. The EMT process and invasion and migration abilities can be reversed by silencing CPA4. This study demonstrates that sublethal heat stimulus caused by insufficient ablation can promote EMT and enhance the metastatic capacity of NSCLC. CPA4 plays an important role in these biological processes. Inhibition of CPA4 might be of great significance for improving early-stage NSCLC survival after ablation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of microencapsulated olfactory ensheathing cells (MC-OECs) transplantation on neuropathic pain (NPP) caused by sciatic nerve injury in rats, and its relationship with the expression levels of P2X2 receptor (P2X2R) in the L4–5 spinal cord segment. Olfactory bulb tissue was removed from a healthy Sprague-Dawley (SD) rat for culturing olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs). Forty-eight SD rats were randomly divided into four groups (12 per group): the sham, chronic constriction injury (CCI), olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs), and MC-OECs groups. On days 7 and 14 after surgery, the mechanical withdrawal thresholds (MWT) were measured by using behavioral method. The expression levels of P2X2R in the L4–5 spinal cord segment were detected by in situ hybridization and Western blotting. On days 7 and 14 post-surgical, the MWT of rats from high to low were the sham, MC-OECs, OECs, and CCI groups, the MWT of rats in the MC-OECs groups were higher than that in OECs groups. The expression levels of P2X2R in the L4–5 spinal cord segment from high to low were the CCI, OECs, MC-OECs, and sham groups, the expression levels of P2X2R were lower than that in OECs groups. All differences between groups were statistically significant (p value <.05). OECs and MC-OECs transplantation can reduce the expression levels of P2X2R genes in the L4–5 spinal cord segment, and relieve NPP. The therapeutic efficacy of MC-OECs transplantation was better than the transplantation of OECs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past a few decades, a large number of researchers have worked on embedding mathematical methods into the prediction of traffic conditions. However, a lot of previous work only considered the temporal and spatial covariates as static explanatory variables. Different from previous studies, this paper investigates the conditional probability of freeway travel speed based on its lag values. Such conditional probability can be regarded as an attribute for each road segment. Based on this attribute, this paper proposes a conditional cumulative distribution function (CCDF)-based travel speed prediction approach. A real-world case study is conducted to predict short-term freeway speeds. The proposed CCDF-based model is compared with the Neural Networks (NN) model and the Support Vector Regression (SVR) model. The proposed model is faster in model training. Moreover, it can significantly improve the prediction accuracy, with 7.11% accuracy increase, compared to traditional NN and SVR prediction approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Middle-aged and older adults with HIV experience double discrimination and cognitive impairment due to both their HIV status and their age. However, the relationship between perceived discrimination and self-reported cognitive ability in middle-aged and older people living with HIV (PLWH) is less clear. We measured self-reported perceived discrimination and cognitive ability using the Expanded Everyday Discrimination Scale and the subscale of the AIDS Health Assessment Questionnaire (AIDS-HAQ). The study sample included 324 middle-aged and older PLWH (over 45 years old) from five designated HIV hospitals in three regions (east coast, middle, and southwest regions) of China. The descriptive analysis showed that 45.37% of the participants reported perceiving discrimination at least once in the past twelve months, and 47.22% reported having at least one type of cognitive impairment. Multiple linear regression results showed that higher levels of perceived discrimination (β = −0.121, P = 0.036) were significantly associated with lower levels of self-reported cognitive ability after controlling for several covariates, including sociodemographic variables, mental health status, health behaviors, and social support. A longer duration of HIV was also related to a lower level of self-reported cognitive ability. Our findings indicate that perceived discrimination is related to self-reported cognitive ability and suggest that counseling services and support systems should be developed to reduce age- and disease-associated discrimination. A reduction in perceived discrimination would improve not only overall wellbeing but also cognitive ability in later life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The poor prognosis for patients with esophageal cancer (EC) requires evolving current treatment regimens. Immune checkpoint inhibitors show clinical efficacy and a great safety profile in multiple tumors. And the monoclonal antibodies that target programmed death receptor-1/programmed death receptor ligand-1 or the cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 pathway has shown potential curable effect of EC. Areas covered: This review article covers the prognostic significance of immune checkpoint expression, the accumulating current clinical studies of checkpoint inhibitors in esophageal cancer patients, and future directions. Expert opinion: Many clinical studies have reported favorable survival results with manageable toxicity of anti-programmed death receptor-1/programmed death receptor ligand-1 and anti-cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 treatment. More results are expected from future clinical studies. It is believed that combining chemoradiotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors can induce safe and efficient anti-tumor immune responses and can be a promising therapeutic strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate, cost-effective methods are needed for rapid assessment of traffic-related air pollution (TRAP). Typically, real-time data of particulate matter (PM) from portable sensors have been adjusted using data from reference methods such as gravimetric measurement to improve accuracy. The objective of this study was to create a correction factor or linear regression model for the real-time measurements of the RTI's Micro Personal Exposure Monitor (MicroPEM™) and AethLab's microAeth® black carbon (AE51) sensor to generate accurate real-time data for PM2.5 (PM2.5RT) and black carbon (BCRT) in Cincinnati metropolitan homes. The two sensors and an SKC PM2.5 Personal Modular impactor were collocated in 44 indoor sampling events for 2 days in residences near major roadways. The reference filter-based analyses conducted by a laboratory included particle mass (SKC PM2.5 and MicroPEM™ PM2.5) and black carbon (SKC BC); these methods are more accurate than real-time sensors but are also more cumbersome and costly. For PM2.5, the average correction factor, a ratio of gravimetric to real time, for the MicroPEM™ PM2.5 and SKC PM2.5 utilizing the PM2.5RT and was 0.94 and 0.83, respectively, with a coefficient of variation (CV) of 84% and 52%, respectively; the corresponding linear regression model had a CV of 54% and 25%. For BC, the average correction factor utilizing the BCRT and SKC BC was 0.74 with a CV of 36% with the associated linear regression model producing a CV of 56%. The results from this study will help ensure that the real-time exposure monitors are capable of detecting an estimated PM2.5 after an appropriate statistical model is applied. Copyright © 2019 American Association for Aerosol Research [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transit-oriented development (TOD) is a popular planning strategy used to maximize accessibility to transit for various trip purposes. The quantitative effects of TOD on travel mode shift and traffic congestion have not been extensively tested in the current literature. This paper utilizes a seemingly unrelated regressions (SUR) mode share model and a mesoscopic dynamic traffic assignment (DTA) model to analyze the impact of a planned TOD in Maryland. The proposed model aims at improving the understanding of the quantitative impacts of such a TOD on mode share and traffic congestion. The main result of the mode share model indicates that the increase in transit ridership for a transit accessible shopping center is not that significant. Local traffic conditions will deteriorate due to a lack of investment in road infrastructure planned for the TOD area. The proposed method could be a valuable tool for other indicative land development or transportation policy analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ride-sourcing services have become increasingly vital in meeting on-demand mobility needs. However, safety issues and public health concerns are obstacles for passengers' trust in ride-sourcing service providers. In this paper, we propose a stochastic evolutionary dynamic game approach to modeling and managing the ride-sourcing market with limited platform reputation, and interpret some intriguing phenomena in terms of passengers' and drivers' travel behavior, e.g. survivor bias, reciprocity, and tragedy of the commons. A stochastic state dynamic game model is formulated to capture complicated interactions among three games/states, i.e. trust game, complaint game, and rating-based game. The stationary distribution of each state and transitional probabilities are deducted from the stochastic game theory. We analyze the ride-sourcing system's evolution and reveal its intrinsic mechanism based on the model. We found that, if the governmental support for complaints is inadequate and passengers bear the high complaint costs, drivers will be more inclined to compensate passengers privately (i.e. reciprocity) to escape punishment for unqualified service. As a result, the service quality will deteriorate in the long run. To prevent the deterioration of service quality, we explore adaptive pricing strategies for the ride-sourcing platform and suggest managerial strategies for the government. This paper bridges the gap between the dynamic evolution and the mechanism of trust in ride-sourcing services, which has been seldom studied in the literature. All of the analytical results are illustrated by numerical experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops a new autonomous incremental visual servo control law for the robotic manipulator to capture a non-cooperative target, where the control input is the incremental joint angle to avoid the multiple solutions in the existing inverse kinematics. The position and motion of the non-cooperative target are estimated by an eye-to-hand vision system in real time by integrated photogrammetry and extended Kalman filter. The estimated position and motion of the target are fed into the newly developed position-based visual servo control law to drive the manipulator incrementally towards the dynamically predicted interception point between trajectories of the end effector and the target. To validate the proposed approach, a hardware-in-the-loop simulation has been conducted where the position and motion of the target is estimated by a real eye-to-hand camera and fed into the simulation of the robotic manipulator. The simulation results show the proposed incremental visual servo control law is stable and able to avoid the multiple solutions in the total inverse kinematics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Cochrane Library. 6032 patients were included. There was no significant difference in survival between LND and NLND (non-lymph node dissection) among the patients. However, the patients in the LND group had more advanced tumour stages and grades (p < 0.001). In addition, among the muscle-invasive patients, LND demonstrated remarkable CSS improvement compared with NLND (HR: 2.19; 95% CI: 1.26-3.80; p = 0.005). Moreover, subgroup analyses found that patients with muscle-invasive UTUC had better CSS (HR: 1.22; 95% CI: 1.02-1.45; p < 0.001) than those patients with pN0 compared to pNx (NLND). In terms of RFS, the results showed no difference in the survival rates between pN0 and pNx patients in the subgroup of patients with muscle-invasive UTUC (HR: 1.40; 95% CI: 0.84-2.23; p = 0.19). Our meta-analysis supports that LND may prolong the CSS and RFS of UTUC, especially for patients with muscle-invasive UTUC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Correct dosing of antimicrobial drugs in septic patients receiving continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) is complex. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of dosing adjustments performed by pharmacists on the length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay, ICU cost, and antimicrobial adverse drug events (ADEs). Methods: A single-center, 2-phase (pre-/post-intervention) study was performed in an ICU of a university-affiliated hospital. Septic patients receiving CRRT in the post-intervention phase received a specialized antimicrobial dosing service from critical care pharmacists, whereas patients in the pre-intervention phase received routine medical care without involving pharmacists. The 2 phases were compared to evaluate the outcomes of pharmacist interventions. Results: Pharmacists made 183 antimicrobial dosing adjustment recommendations for septic patients receiving CRRT. Changes in CRRT-related variables (116, 63.4%) were the most common risk factors for dosing errors, and β-lactams (101, 55.2%) were the antimicrobials most commonly associated with dosing errors. Dosing adjustments were related to a reduced length of ICU stay from 10.7 ± 11.1 days to 7.7 ± 8.3 days ( p = 0.037) in the intervention group, and to cost savings of $3525 (13,463 ± 12,045 vs. 9938 ± 8811, p = 0.038) per septic patient receiving CRRT in the ICU. Suspected antimicrobial adverse drug events in the intervention group were significantly fewer than in the pre-intervention group (19 events vs. 8 events, p = 0.048). Conclusions: The involvement of pharmacists in antimicrobial dosing adjustments in septic patients receiving CRRT is associated with a reduced length of ICU stay, lower ICU costs, and fewer ADEs. Hospitals may consider employing clinical pharmacists in ICUs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Present study critically investigates the cinematic depiction of leading Chinese masculine figures in Hollywood film productions, with a specific focus on how the positioning of white female characters romantically involved with Chinese martial arts fighters serves to construct Chinese masculinity. In noted films such asThe Tuxedo(2002),Kiss of the Dragon(2001), andDragon: Bruce Lee Story(1993), Chinese martial arts fighters not only managed to fight off white antagonists but also succeeded in winning the ‘heart’ of white heroines. Drawing on Gestner's theoretical assertion that white women's falling for a man of color signifies the invasive movement of a new masculine discourse into the space traditionally bounded by the ideal of white masculinity, and grounded on Hall's conception of articulation, my critical examination of these three film texts revealed how the privileged cultural and racial position of whiteness was reformulated and rejustified via the strategic dramatic construction of romantic encounters between Chinese martial artists and their white partners. More importantly, the current study sheds light on an emerging form of cultural politics that transformed conventional mediated construction of interracial romance and yet perpetuated the racial hierarchy sustained through racist assumption and ideology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A pair of stereoisomers of magnesium Schiff base complexes, [Mg(C18H16N3O2)2·2CH3OH]n(1) (C18H16N3O2: 2-acetylpyridine-l-tryptophan) and [Mg(C18H16N3O2)2·2CH3OH]n(2) (C18H16N3O2: 2-acetylpyridine-d-tryptophan), was synthesized and characterized by IR, UV, elemental analysis,1H NMR, and X-ray diffraction single crystal analysis. The analyses of the structures indicate that they all crystallize in the tetragonal crystal system, space groupP43212andP41212, respectively. The two magnesium complexes have similar crystal structures. Mg(II) is six-coordinate with two nitrogens from C=N, two nitrogens from pyridine, and two carboxylic oxygens in different ligands forming a distorted octahedral geometry. Through N–H···O intermolecular hydrogen bonds a 2-D layer structure was formed. The interaction between1and calf thymus DNA was also investigated by UV absorption spectra, fluorescence emission spectra and viscometry. The results indicate that1interacts with DNA very strongly (Kb = 2.01 × 107 L mol−1andKsq = 0.195). The nature of the binding seems to be mainly an electrostatic interaction between DNA and the magnesium complex. Other binding modes, such as hydrogen bonds, may also exist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new triterpenoid saponin, silenoviscoside F (1), was isolated from the roots of Silene viscidula, together with three known saponins, dianchinenoside D (2), sinocrassuloside I (3) and sinocrassuloside II (4). The structure of compound 1 was elucidated by spectroscopic data, GC–MS and chemical methods. The structures of compounds 2–4 were determined on the basis of spectroscopic data comparison with the literature values, which were isolated from the genus Silene for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background. Increasing evidences have been obtained that immune activation and inflammation play critical roles in the pathogenesis of chronic heart failure (CHF). T helper (Th) 17 cells are a newly found pro-inflammatory T cell subtype. We therefore assessed the hypothesis that circulating Th17 cells increased in patients with CHF. Hypothesis. Th17 cells and its cytokine might be elevated in patients with CHF. Methods. A total of 92 patients with CHF and 59 healthy donors were enrolled in the study. The frequencies of circulating Th17 cells were determined by flow cytometry. The interleukin (IL)-17 protein levels in the serum and supernatant of phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulated periphery blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were detected using ELISA and the mRNA expression of retinoic acid-related orphan receptor (ROR)γt, which is the key transcription factor of Th17 cells was measured by RT-PCR. Results. There were no significant differences in the frequency of circulating Th17 cells, serum level of IL-17, and expression of RORγt in PBMCs between CHF patients and healthy controls. IL-17 protein level in the supernatants of PHA-stimulated PBMCs was also comparable between CHF patients and health donors. Conclusions. Circulating Th17 cells are not elevated in patients with CHF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of clinicopathological and treatment factors on survival in gastric cancer patients with distant metastasis after gastrectomy. Methods: From 1990 to 2002, 111 gastric cancer patients with distant metastasis underwent nonpalliative gastrectomy at the Department of Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, China. Variables including demographic data, clinicopathological characteristics, and type of surgery were analyzed for survival by using univariate and multivariate methods. Results: The median overall survival for all patients was 11.8 months. The overall survival at one-, three-, and five-year was 48.5%%, 12.4%%, and 5.8%%, respectively. Univariate analysis demonstrated that five-year survival of patients without liver metastasis was significantly longer than that of those with liver metastasis (5.3%% versus 0%%, p == .006). But, multivariate analysis showed that the status of liver metastasis, as well as the other variables including gender, age, location of tumor, Borrmann type, depth of tumor invasion, lymph node involvement, peritoneal dissemination, number of metastatic sites, pathological differentiation, and types of gastrectomy, was not an independent prognostic factor associated with survival. Conclusions: Long-term survival for gastric cancer patients with distant metastasis is very poor after gastrectomy. The multivariate analysis failed to determine the independent factors of improved survival. So, only highly selected candidates should be considered for management with surgical resection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new procedure for trace tungsten W(VI) in soil by fluorescence quenching method coupled with cloud point extraction (CPE) as the separation-preconcentration method was described. The Triton X-100 CPE behavior of W(VI)-salicylfluorone (SAF)was investigated. Under the optimized conditions, the fluorescence quenched intensity (ΔF) was linearly with W(VI). The range of linear was 0.8 ∼ 20.0 μg · L-1, the detection limit (DL) was 0.14 ng · mL-1 (3σ), the relative standard deviation 3.3% (c = 10.0 μg · L-1, n = 5) and the recovery was 101.0-102.2%. The proposed method applied to the analysis of W(VI) in certified reference materials and real samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractReducing monosaccharides and their phosphates are critical metabolites in the central carbon metabolism pathway of living organisms. Variations in their content can indicate abnormalities in metabolic pathways and the onset of certain diseases, necessitating their analysis and detection. Reducing monosaccharides and their phosphates exhibit significant variations in content within biological samples and are present in many isomers, which makes the accurate quantification of reducing monosaccharides and their phosphates in biological samples a challenging task. Various analytical methods such as spectroscopy, fluorescence detection, colorimetry, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, sensor-based techniques, chromatography, and mass spectrometry are employed to detect monosaccharides and phosphates. In comparison, chromatography and mass spectrometry are highly favored for their ability to simultaneously analyze multiple components and their high sensitivity and selectivity. This review thoroughly evaluates the current chromatographic and mass spectrometric methods used for detecting reducing monosaccharides and their phosphates from 2013 to 2023, highlighting their efficacy and the advancements in these analytical technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about gender differences in the symptom burden of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) on antiretroviral therapy in China. This study was conducted based on a biopsychosocial-medical model to describe gender differences in symptom burden among 1035 PLWHA in Yunnan Province, China. After propensity score matching, 798 PLWHA were included in this analysis. Feeling stressed, poor sleep, and memory loss were the most burdensome symptoms among men, while feeling stressed, memory loss, and dizziness were the most burdensome symptoms among women. Among men PLWHA, factors associated with symptom burden were being of the ethnic minority, CD4 count ≥ 500 cells/mm3, physical functioning, and social support. Among women PLWHA, factors associated with symptom burden were being an inpatient, physical functioning, psychological functioning, and social support. Our findings suggest that healthcare providers need to take into account gender differences when developing optimal prevention, treatment, and care programs that provide individualized care to reduce patients’ symptom burden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]