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Interfacial modulation has been considered an effective strategy to enhance the thermoelectric (TE) performance by decoupling thermal and electrical parameters. However, inappropriate interfacial heterojunctions can significantly deteriorate electrical transport while enhancing phonon scattering, which causes no substantial improvement in TE performance. Herein, we introduce two-dimensional graphene or MXene into the Mg3.2Sb0.5Bi1.49Te0.01 matrix by ball mixing combined with rapid sintering to modify the composition and structure at the interface. The differences in morphology, size and distribution of interfacial graphene and MXene lead to distinct results which show that incorporated graphene flakes with larger size hinder the carrier transport, while the homogeneously dispersed tiny MXene provides improved carrier channels and boosts the mobility. On the other hand, such uniformly diffused heterogeneous MXene structures create stronger scattering on phonons compared to enriched graphene phases, resulting in a low lattice thermal conductivity of ∼0.66 W m−1 K−1 and enhanced zT of ∼1.0 at 513 K in Mg3.2Sb0.5Bi1.49Te0.01-0.6 wt% MXene with good component stability in air. This work highlights the importance of size, concentration, and distribution in the interfacial modulation strategy, demonstrating an effective method for developing high TE performance Mg3(Sb, Bi)2-based near-room-temperature materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: In this study, researchers investigated the demographic and clinical characteristics of AIDS patients who died in hospitals, analyzed the specific causes of death, and looked for the correlation between specific cause of death and their clinical characteristics., Methods: Data of clinical characteristics of patients and their specific causes AIDS of death who died in the seven hospitals from 2009 to 2010 were collected retrospectively. All the specific causes of death were classified according to the Cause of Death (CoDe) project protocol. Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to find the association between some categorical variables and the risk for AIDS patients died from AIDS related illnesses., Results: Clinical characteristics and the cause of death of the 381 deceased in seven hospitals in this study were collected. 82.4% were male, with priority as 30-45 years old. 123 (32.3%) death patients had received ART before death. In all death cases, the cause of death of 252 patients (66.1%) were due to AIDS related diseases, with opportunistic infections the most (92.4%). Tubercle bacillus, infection of Penicillium marneffei and Pneumocystis jiroveci were the three leading causes of opportunistic infection deaths. Of 129 patients who died of non-AIDS related disease, non-AIDS infection (29.5%), hepatitis (22.5%), and non-AIDS malignancy(10.1%)were the first three causes of death. The cause of death in patients who had injecting drug use behavior within one year, had not received ART or not long enough, with opportunistic infections, without hepatitis, with the last low CD4 cell counts before death etc. were tend to due to AIDS related disease., Conclusion: Opportunistic infections, non-AIDS related infections and hepatitis were the three leading causes of death in this study. The duration of time on ART had impact on the patient's cause of death. The HIV infected patients who had received ART before death had more risk to die of non-AIDS related disease, compared to patients who had not. The longer time they had accessed to ART, the less likely they would die on non-AIDS related illnesses.

Objective: To study the expression of CD38 and HLA-DR on CD8(+) T cells in pediatric AIDS patients receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and the relationship of immune activation and disease progression., Methods: A cross-section study of 194 pediatric AIDS patients receiving HAART was carried out and 52 age-matched healthy children were recruited as control. The percentage of CD4(+), CD8(+), CD8(+)/CD38(+) and CD8(+)/HLA-DR(+) T cells was tested using flow cytometry, and HIV-RNA in plasma was detected by quantitative RT-PCR., Results: One hundred and ninety-four pediatric AIDS patients were divided into two groups according to the viral load: 59 patients with VL ≥ 400 copies/ml and 135 patients with VL < 400 copies/ml. The percentage of CD8(+)/CD38(+) and CD8(+)/HLA-DR(+) T cells of patients with VL ≥ 400 copies/ml was significantly higher than that of patients with VL < 400 copies/ml (P < 0.05). Of patients with VL < 400 copies/ml, the percentage of CD8(+)/CD38(+) T cells was nearly normal, and the percentage of CD8(+)/HLA-DR(+) T cells was higher than normal level (P < 0.05). There was a positive correlation between percentage of CD8(+)/CD38(+) and of CD8(+)/HLA-DR(+)T cells and viral load (R = 0.403, P = 0.03 for the former and R = 0.569, P = 0.09 for the later)., Conclusions: Effective HAART could decrease immune activation of HIV-infected children significantly. And there was a positive correlation between percentage of CD8(+)/CD38(+) and of CD8(+)/HLA-DR(+)T cells and viral load, suggesting that the two indicators might be used as the substitution of viral load in resource-limited areas.

Objective: To determine the effect of national free highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART) on reduction of mortality and relevant risk factors among adult Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients., Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted and all AIDS patients diagnosed before Aug. 30th, 2008 in Zhumadian, Henan province, and Fuyang, Anhui province were enrolled in this study, where HAART initiated in early time. The data and information were collected such as AIDS progress, diagnosis, treatment, death and et al., Results: Among 10,394 AIDS patients, the mean age was (41.7 +/- 9.3) year-old, 50.3% (5233/10,394) were male, 85.0% (8808/10,394) were married, 95.1% (9880/10,394) were farmers, and 81.2% (8438/10,394) were former plasma donors (FPDs). The coverage of HAART increased from 5.2% in 2002 to 66.5% in 2008. Conversely, the overall mortality declined from 35.4/100 person-years in 2002 to 5.9/100 person-years in 2008. In a multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis, the greatest risk factor for mortality was non-HAART, with a hazard ratio (HR) 4.3 (95%CI: 4.0 - 4.7). Among treated patients, compared with higher CD(4)(+) T cell counts (> 200 cells/microl), those initiating therapy with lower CD(4)(+) T cell counts, were at greater risk to death (< 50 cells/microl, HR = 7.9; 50 - 199 cells/microl, HR = 2.8). Number of opportunistic infections (OIs) was risk to mortality (HR = 2.1). In addition, other risk factors included male, age (>or= 50 years old), and other infection way except FPDs (HR were 1.4, 1.6 and 1.8)., Conclusion: The national free treatment program has significantly reduced the AIDS mortality rate among HIV-infected FPDs through the use of generic antiretroviral drugs in rural clinical settings. The effective reduction of AIDS mortality could be realized through increased coverage of therapy.

Objective: Studing the main influencing risk factors to provide evidence for improving the quality of life among people living with HIV., Methods: The quality of life on 758 patients with HIV was evaluated by the Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) and some potential risk factors as personal characteristics and disease condition were studied. Means and standard deviations of data were calculated and differences among groups and variances were tested using Student's t test, followed by step-wise multivariate regression., Results: The SF-36 two summary scores of 758 patients with HIV appeared to be 45.34 +/- 8.77 and 41.92 +/- 12.01 respectively. The physical component summary scores (PCS) had a gradual decrease with the increase of age. However, mental component summary scores (MCS) had a gradual decrease with the increase of time receiving the treatment. Male patients reported having a better quality of life (QOL) than female, and patients who were infected through injecting drug use and sexual transmission reported to have had better QOL than patients who were infected through paid blood plasma donation. Compare to patients having low CD4+ count, those having higher CD4+ count reported to have better QOL., Conclusion: Patients being young, female, infected through paid blood plasma donation, having low CD+ count, or treated for longer period, would have unsatisfactory QOL.

Objective: To study the clinical features of pediatric acquired immunodeficiency syndrome(AIDS)., Methods: The epidemiological, clinical and laboratory data of 66 children with AIDS were retrospectively studied., Results: Of the 66 patients, 46 (69.7%) were male and 20 (30.3%) were female, with a mean age of 8.7 years (ranged 2-16 years). The mean age at diagnosis was 7.7 years (ranged 2-15 years). Vertical transmission as the route of infection was documented in 48 cases (72.7%). Fourteen children (21.2%) were infected through blood or blood products. The route of infection could not be identified in 4 cases (6.1%). Body weight loss was noted in 43 cases (65.2%), anemia in 42 cases (63.7%), fever in 40 cases (60.6%), fatigue in 38 cases (57.6%), rash in 31 cases (47.0%), chronic cough in 28 cases (12.1%), chronic diarrhea in 24 cases (36.4%), CNS involvement in 16 cases (24.2%), oral thrush in 13 cases (19.7%), and hepatosplenomegaly in 12 cases (18.2%). Body height of 30 cases (45.4%) and body weight of 26 cases (39.4%) ranked the lower level. The immune system was severely suppressed in 59 cases (89.4%) and moderately suppressed in 7 cases (10.6%)., Conclusions: Vertical transmission remained the most common route of pediatric HIV infection. There were various clinical manifestations in children with AIDS. The immune systems of the majority of children with this disorder were severely suppressed.

Objective: To investigate HIV survival time and it's influencing factors among former commercial blood and plasma donors engaged in unsafe blood donation practices in China., Methods: HIV/AIDS cases from 8 counties (districts) in 4 provinces confirmed prior to January 24, 2006 related with former commercial blood and plasma donors were selected and data regarding infection, AIDS progression, death, and influencing factors were retrospectively collected., Results: In 530 cases of HIV infection, 334 (63.0%) cases had developed AIDS, 168 (50.3%) had received antiretroviral therapy (ART), and 152 (29.0%) had died. For the 530 cases, there was an average (10.1 +/- 1.8) years of observation from time of infection. Among 166 AIDS patients not receiving ART, average survival was 9.1 years (95% CI: 9.1 - 9.4), with an 8 year survival rate of 52.0%. Among 168 AIDS patients receiving ART, average survival was 12.1 years (95% CI: 11.9 - 12.3), with a 12-year survival rate of 80.0%. In 3 years of ART, average survival was longer in the treatment group as compared to the no treatment group with a hazard ratio for death of 12.2. Univariate analysis showed a significant difference (P < 0.05) in AIDS patient average survival based on gender, age, location, ART status, and baseline CD(4)(+) T cells count. Results from multivariate COX-regression showed that highly active ant iretroriral therapy (HAART) was the strongest protective factor for prolonging AIDS patients' survival (HR = 13.3, P = 0.00)., Conclusion: Although there are many factors influencing AIDS patients survival, intervention with HAART is the principle measure to prolong survival and decrease the risk of death.

Objective: Discussing the natural history and the influencing factors of HIV infection among former commercial blood and plasma donors engaged in unsafe blood donation practices in China., Methods: Using ambispective cohort study, with data obtained from ten counties (districts) from six provinces in the National AIDS Control Demonstration Area. HIV/AIDS cases were found and confirmed prior to July 24, 2006 being former commercial blood. Plasma donors were selected and data regarding infection, incidence, death, and influencing factors was collected. Analysis was performed using SPSS 12.0 statistical analysis software., Results: (1) In 7551 cases of HIV infection, there were 6533 typical progressors (86.52%, 4757 cases of AIDS), 108 rapid progressors (1.43%), 910 long-term non-progressors (12.05%) with 4865 cases progressed to AIDS (64.43%). The median incubation period for HIV progression to AIDS was nine years (95% CI:8.96-9.04). (2) According to data, from a total of 1157 AIDS cases without ARV therapy (23.78% of total AIDS cases), there were 283 confirmed AIDS-related deaths, of which the median survival time was 6 months (95% CI:4-7) and the two and three year fatality rates were 95% and 99%, respectively. (3) The duration of HIV incubation period was irrespective to gender and age at the time of HIV infection (P > 0.05). Length of survival for untreated AIDS showed correlation to gender (P < 0.05) but no correlation with culture, marital status or age at the time of diagnosis of AIDS (P > 0.05)., Conclusion: Compared with the UNAIDS theory regarding slow disease progressors among adults, our study showed a longer AIDS incubation period and shorter outlook for untreated survival, but a similar incubation period for other routes of HIV infection.

Objective: To study the genotypic resistance profiles of HIV-1 children failing highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) so as to provide helpful information for the treatment regime of Chinese children infected with HIV-1., Methods: Peripheral venous blood samples were collected from 20 HIV-1 infected children of Henan province, aged 9 (3 - 14). Nested RT-PCR was used to amplify part of the RT (40 -250 aa) gene. The PCR products of RT gene underwent nucleotide sequencing, the resulting nucleotide sequences were analyzed by the HIVdb data offered by the Stanford University web site to find the drug resistance mutations., Results: (1) Phylogenetic analysis revealed that 20 of the RT sequences were classified as subtype B. (2) According to the genotypic analysis, 20 , 15, and 13 children showed high level resistance to the nevirapine. (NVP), delavirdine (DLV), and efavirenz (EFV) respectively; 7 and 5 children showed high and intermediate level resistance to azidothymidine (AZT) respectively. Five children showed potential low-level and intermediate level resistance to lamivudine (3TC), and 11 showed high level resistance to 3TC; 11 showed intermediate and high level resistance to stavudine (d4T) and didanoside (ddI) respectively; and 19 and 12 children showed resistance to abacavir (ABC) and tenofovir (TDF) which had never been taken by these children., Conclusion: The emergence of HIV resistant strains during antiretroviral therapy is one of the main reasons for treatment failure in HIV-infected children.

Objective: To study the effect of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) on plasma levels of MSP and MCP-1 in AIDS patients., Methods: Forty Chinese AIDS patients were treated with HAART for 3 months and 84 German AIDS patients with HAART for 3 to 6 years. The pre-treatment and post-treatment plasma levels of MSP and MCP-1 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and their correlations with CD4+ cell counts and viral loads were analyzed., Result: The mean levels of MCP-1 were significantly higher and MSP were significantly lower in HIV-infected patients compared with the HIV-negative controls (P <0.01). After HAART for three months, there were no significant changes in the levels of these cytokines. But after long-term HAART (for 3 to 6 y), the level of MCP-1 was increased and that of MSP decreased significantly (P<0.01). There was a negative correlation between MSP and MCP-1 levels, and the same for MSP level and CD4+ cell counts; while there was a positive correlation between MCP-1 levels and CD4+ cell counts., Conclusion: The changed plasma levels of MSP and MCP-1 are associated with HIV-1 infection and HAART may reverse the levels of these two cytokines.

Objective: To compare the immunological profiles of pediatric and adult patients with AIDS in China., Methods: Totally 103 pediatric AIDS patients, 38 adult patients, 88 healthy children, and 72 healthy adults were enrolled. CD4 + T lymphocyte counts were determined by four-color flow cytometer and HIV-RNA levels were measured in EDTA plasma by quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Plasma levels of interleukin (IL)-10, IL-16, IL-18, regulated upon activation, normal T-cell expressed and secreted (RANTES), monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1), stromal cell-derived factor-(SDF-1) alpha, SDF-1 beta, and macrophage stimulate protein (MSP) were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The levels of beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2-MG) and soluble Fas (sFas) were measured to indicate the activation of immune system., Results: The mean CD4 + T cell count in pediatric patients with AIDS was significantly lower than in healthy children (P < 0.01), as between the adult AIDS patients and healthy adults (P < 0.01). The mean levels of these cytokines in pediatric patients were significantly higher than in healthy children (P < 0.01). The level of MSP in adult patients was significantly lower than in healthy adults and other cytokines were significantly higher (P < 0.01). The mean levels of these cytokines, except SDF1 alpha and beta 2-MG, were significantly higher in pediatric patients than in adult patients (P < 0.01)., Conclusion: Abnormal immune activation is induced in both pediatric and adult patients with HIV-1 infection. The level of immune activation is higher in pediatric patients than in adult patients.

Objective: To investigate the epidemiology of pediatric human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in six provinces of China., Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in six provinces with the highest HIV prevalence. Surveys on demographics and HIV-related questions (transmission modes, time of diagnosis, clinical stage, laboratory test) were distributed to clinicians in these provinces. Descriptive and bivariate analyses were performed on the completed surveys., Results: Survey results of 650 children [405 males and 245 females; average age: (7.9 +/- 3.2) years] were eligible for analysis. The interval between possible transmission and diagnosis was (7.1 +/- 3.2) years. The location distribution was as follows: 570 cases (87.7%) in Henan Province, 23 cases (3.5%) in Guangxi Province, 21 cases (3.2%) in Yunnan Province, 19 cases (2.9%) in Hubei Province, 10 cases (1.5%) in Anhui Province, and 7 cases (1.1%) in Shanxi Province. Transmission routes included mother-to-child transmission (75.1%), blood transfusion/ plasma donation (15.7 %), and injecting drug use (IDU, 0.5%). Former plasma donation (FPD) was the main transmission route in some provinces (Henan, Shanxi, Hubei, and Anhui), while IDU was the main transmission route in other provinces (Guangxi and Yunnan). The average age in the FPD provinces was significantly higher than that in IDU provinces [(8.1 +/- 3.2) vs. (5.4 +/- 2.2) years, P <0.001]. Among 178 patients in all six provinces who required treatment (on the basis of CD4 count or WHO staging), 133 (74.7%) did not receive treatment and 45 (25.3%) received antiretroviral therapy., Conclusion: Mother-to-child transmission is the main transmission mode in pediatric patients. Efforts should be made to strengthen the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric HIV/AIDS patients.

Objective: To observe the pathology of AIDS-related lymphadenopathy and its relationship to the expression and distribution of CD4 + CD25 + regulatory T cells in lymphoid node tissue., Methods: Totally 22 biopsy and 13 autopsy lymphoid node tissues from HIV-positive patients were examined under microscopy and pathological staging was performed. Specific marker for CD4 + CD25 + regulatory T cells in lymphoid node tissue was detected with anti-Foxp3 monoclonal antibody by immunohistochemistry., Results: Among all the 35 specimens, 5, 4, 14, and 12 specimens were histopathologically staged from 1 to 4, respectively. FoxP3 were detected in all lymphoid node tissues. The distribution of FoxP3-positive lymphocytes were mainly in intermediate zone of follicle and cortical area in stages 1 and 2. The counts of FoxP3-positive lymphocytes remarkably decreased in stages 3 and 4, following depletion of lymphocytes., Conclusions: CD4 + CD25 + regulatory T cells exist in lymphoid node tissue of patients with HIV infection. Their amounts decrease or deplete along with the progression of AIDS-related lymphadenopathy.

Objective: To explore the impacts of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) on CD4 + T cell counts and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) viral loads during the course of structured treatment interruption (STI) in highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART)., Methods: Nineteen HIV/ADIS patients were treated for 14 months as follows: initiated with zidovudine/lamivudine + efavirdine for 6 months, then discontinued the therapy and treated with TCM instead for 2 months. HAART was then reinitiated for another 3 months, and then discontinued and replaced with TCM for another 3 months. The changes of CD4 + T cell counts and HIV viral loads were measured., Results: During the first STI of HAART, 43.8% of patients had no viral rebounds one month later, and 62.6% had stable or increased immune functions; 18.8% had no viral rebounds two months later, and 43.8% had stable or increased immune functions. Changes of viral loads were not significantly different between these two months (P = 0.097), while CD4 + T cell counts significantly decreased two months later compared with one month later (P = 0.043). During the second STI of HAART, 33.3% of patients had no viral rebounds one month later, and 64.3% had stable or increased immune functions; 13.3% had no viral rebounds 3 months later and 46.6% had stable or increased immune functions. Changes of viral loads had significant difference (P = 0. 017), while CD4 + T cell counts at month 12 elevated significantly compared with the baseline (P = 0.014)., Conclusions: TCM can suppress the viral rebounds during STI-HAART, maintain immune functions. However, this effect may decrease along with the prolongation of STI-HAART.

Objective: To study the pathological changes of the liver tissues of patients with HIV infection., Methods: 14 biopsy and 12 autopsy liver tissues were examined histologically. HIV-1 related antigen of outer membrane protein gp120 and capsid protein p24 were examined with their corresponding monoclonal antibodies by immunohistochemistry., Results: In the biopsy group, cytomegalic virus (CMV) infection was found in one (1/14) case, outer membrane protein gp120 and/or capsid protein p24 antigen were detected in Kupffer cells and in some of the lymphocytes in 11 cases. All the hepatocytes were negative for outer membrane protein gp120 and capsid protein p24 antigens. In the autopsy group, there were 5 (5/12) cases of liver tissues with CMV infection and 5 cases each with mycobacterium and Toxoplasma gondii infection. Capsid protein p24 was detected in liver tissues in 3 cases., Conclusion: There is HIV infection in liver tissue of patients with HIV. The rate of opportunistic infections in liver biopsy samples was lower than that in the autopsy liver tissues of patients with HIV.