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Whether the phosphorus removal chemical in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) can be accurately dosed not only affects the compliance of the effluent total phosphorus but also has a huge impact on sludge production and energy consumption during the wastewater treatment process. For the effluent from the secondary sedimentation tank of a wastewater treatment plant in southern China, based on experimental screening of the optimal pH value, chemical types and concentrations of chemicals, coagulation time, etc., a dynamic dosage prediction feedforward model for chemical phosphorus removal agents in the effluent from the secondary sedimentation tank of the WWTPs was developed to predict the most economical dosage of the chemicals. Meanwhile, combined with the adaptive fuzzy neural network P feedback control algorithm, dynamic real-time control of chemical dosing was achieved. Through micro-control design, a software model for signal collection and feedback in a specific phosphorus removal scenario was formed, and an automatic control system for chemical dosing was ultimately developed for a WWTP in a city in southern China. After stable operation for two months, the system achieved a 100% compliance rate for effluent total phosphorus (TP) concentration and a 67% improvement in effluent stability, helping the wastewater treatment plant achieve stable and precise control of the phosphorus removal process in the secondary sedimentation tank effluent, which is conducive to further promoting its implementation of low-carbon pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: A new species of snail-eating snake in the genus Pareas is described, from the Youjiang District, Baise City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China, based on one male and three juvenile specimens. The maximum likelihood analyses based on Cytochrome b (Cyt b) and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 4 (ND4) indicated the new taxon is different from its congeners. Morphologically, the new species can be diagnosed from the other species by a combination of seven characters. The recognition of the new species brings the number of described Pareas species to 30. We described a new species of genus Pareas from Baise City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China, based on morphological and molecular evidence. Pareas baiseensis sp. nov. is distinguished from its congeners by the combination of (1) Yellowish-brown body colouration; (2) Frontal subhexagonal to diamond-shaped with its lateral sides converging posteriorly; (3) The anterior pair of chin shields is longer than it is broad; (4) Loreal not in contact with the eye, prefrontal in contact with the eye, two or three suboculars; (5) Rows of 15–15–15 dorsal scales, five rows of mid-dorsal scales keeled at the middle of the body, one vertebral scale row enlarged; (6) 187–191 ventrals, 89–97 subcaudals, all divided, cloacal plate single; (7) Two postocular stripes, the nuchal area forming a dark black four-pointed fork collar with the middle tines shorter than the outside tines. The genetic divergence (uncorrected p-distance) between the new species and other representatives of Pareas ranged from 13.9% to 24.4% for Cytochrome b (Cyt b) and 12.1% to 25.5% for NADH dehydrogenase subunit 4 (ND4). Phylogenetic analyses of mitochondrial DNA gene data recovered the new species from being the sister taxon to (P. boulengeri + P. chinensis) from China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Fruit intake is beneficial to several chronic diseases, but controversial in diabetes. We aimed to investigate prospectively the associations of whole fresh fruit intake with risk of incident type 2 diabetes (T2D) in subjects with different glucose regulation capacities. Methods: The present study included 79,922 non-diabetic participants aged ≥ 40 years from an ongoing nationwide prospective cohort in China. Baseline fruit intake information was collected by a validated food frequency questionnaire. Plasma HbA1c, fasting and 2 h post-loading glucose levels were measured at both baseline and follow-up examinations. Cox proportional hazards models were used to calculate hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for incident diabetes among participants with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) and prediabetes, after adjusted for multiple confounders. Restricted cubic spline analysis was applied for dose–response relation. Results: During a median 3.8-year follow-up, 5886 (7.36%) participants developed diabetes. Overall, we identified a linear and dose-dependent inverse association between dietary whole fresh fruit intake and risk of incident T2D. Each 100 g/d higher fruit intake was associated with 2.8% lower risk of diabetes (HR 0.972, 95%CI [0.949–0.996], P = 0.0217), majorly benefiting NGT subjects with 15.2% lower risk (HR 0.848, 95%CI [0.766–0.940], P = 0.0017), while not significant in prediabetes (HR 0.981, 95%CI 0.957–4.005, P = 0.1268). Similarly, the inverse association was present in normoglycemia individuals with a 48.6% lower risk of diabetes when consuming fruits > 7 times/week comparing to those < 1 time/week (HR 0.514, 95% CI [0.368–0.948]), but not in prediabetes (HR 0.883, 95% CI [0.762–1.023]). Conclusion: These findings suggest that higher frequency and amount of fresh fruit intake may protect against incident T2D, especially in NGT, but not in prediabetes, highlighting the dietary recommendation of higher fresh fruit consumption to prevent T2D in normoglycemia population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Naturalized plants play pivotal roles in local plant biodiversity and ecological functions; however, the drivers of naturalization remain poorly understood at a fine scale. Thus, understanding the processes of the development and dominance of alien plants in local natural habitats is of paramount importance. In the present study, we report for the first time the naturalization of Cydonia oblonga in China based on community structure and population dynamics at a fine scale. We conducted a comprehensive survey of the species through field community investigations, interviews, and a literature review. Cydonia oblonga is an ancient fruit tree with a long introduction history of over 4500 years worldwide and a cultivation history of over 2500 years in China. We analyzed C. oblonga community structure using the spatiotemporal substitution method and quantitatively analyzed population dynamics using a static life table, survivorship curve, and time series model to explore the naturalization processes. The following results were obtained. (i) The community comprised 31 coexisting vascular plant species (16 woody and 15 herbaceous species) belonging to 28 genera in 20 families. Rosaceae and Asteraceae were the two most dominant families. (ii) All individuals in the shrub layer as well as the C. oblonga population exhibited a roughly inverted J‐shaped basal diameter distribution. A complete age structure was noted, and the survival curve was classified as Deevey type II. According to time series analysis, the population is estimated to increase in the future, specifically of medium and large individuals. (iii) Religious exchange, potent resource competitiveness, and similarity with the native habitat may be the major drivers of the introduction and successful naturalization of C. oblonga. These results suggest that alien species closely related to native ones are more likely to invade, naturalize, and dominate communities in local habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Determination of evaporation (E) and transpiration (T) in tea fields separately is important in developing precise irrigation scheduling and enhancing water use efficiency. In this study, the Shuttleworth–Wallace (S-W) model was applied to simulate the variations of E and T based on the data from 2015 to 2018 in a tea field in southeast China. The dual crop coefficient (D-K) method recommended by FAO-56 was also applied to calculate E and T, using the same data set to compare with the S-W model. The measured crop coefficient (Kc) ranged from 0.43 to 1.44 with the average value was 0.90 during 1–150 DOY (days of year), and the measured Kc tended to be stable with the average value of 0.83 during 151–365 DOY in 2015. The S-W model estimated ETc with root mean square error (RMSE) and R2 of 0.45 mm d−1 and 0.97, while for the D-K method the values were 0.61 mm d−1 and 0.95. Therefore, both approaches could estimate the E and T separately in tea fields in southeast China, however, the D-K method had a slightly poorer accuracy compared to the S-W model in the estimation of ETc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel bacterium, WQ 047T, was isolated from the faeces of Rhinopithecus bieti, a highly endangered primate endemic to China. The cells were aerobic, oval/rod-shaped, Gram-stain-negative, non-motile, catalase positive, and produced yellow pigmented colonies on Columbia Agar. The taxonomic position of WQ 047T was clarified by applying a polyphasic study based on 16S rRNA gene sequence phylogenetic analysis, extensive biological typing, and whole genome sequencing. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that stain WQ 047T belonged to the genus Sphingobacterium and its 16S rRNA gene sequence exhibited 96.47% pairwise similarity with that of the closest relatives Sphingobacterium nematocida M-SX103T. The calculated whole genome average nucleotide identity (ANI) value between strain WQ 047T and strain M-SX103 was 72.3%. The digital DNA-DNA hybridization value of strain WQ 047T and M-SX103T was 15.73%, which was obtained by calculating the genome-to-genome distance. The major fatty acids were C15:0 iso, C17:0 iso 3-OH, Summed Feature 3 (C16:1 ω7c/C16:1 ω6c) and Summed feature 9 (iso-C17:1ω9c and/or 10-methyl C16:0). The predominant polar lipids were PE, PL and APL. MK-7 was the predominant menaquinone. The G + C content of WQ 047T was 34.89 mol% according to genome analysis. All these characteristics were consistent with those of the genus of Sphingobacterium. Therefore, based on these results, we propose a novel species for which the name Sphingobacterium rhinopitheci sp. Nov. is proposed, with the type strain WQ 047T (= CCTCC AA 2020026T = KCTC82393T). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We conducted phylogenetic analyses to identify the closest related living relatives of the Xizang and Sichuan hot-spring snakes (T. baileyi and T. zhaoermii) endemic to the Tibetan Plateau, using mitochondrial DNA sequences (cyt b, ND4) from eight specimens, together with sequences from 95 additional caenophidian and five henophidian genera that were downloaded from GenBank. Phylogenetic trees were obtained using Bayesian Inference and Maximum likelihood methods. Results suggest that hot-spring snakes, which are adapted to high and cold environments, were clustered in the monophyletic Xenodontinae. Xenodontinae is one of the largest subfamilies of colubrid snakes, with about 90 genera and more than 500 species known, and are primarily tropical snakes previously thought to be restricted to the New World. Our data failed to provide any evidence that the New World xenodontines diverged from Thermophis and dispersed into the New World, also failed to suggest a colonization of Asia by New World xenodontines by dispersal from the New World. An alternative plausible scenario may be that Thermophis and the New World xenodontines evolved independently in Asia and America, respectively, after the divergence of their common ancestor. The divergence of the two species in Thermophis was caused by the barrier of the Hengduan Mountains, and the speciation had almost occurred when Tibetan Plateau attained present elevation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Using phylogenetic and population genetic approaches, the present study reports the phylogeographic structure of the sharp-snouted pitviper (Deinagkistrodon acutus), a threatened snake species with commercial and medicinal importance in China. The entire mitochondrial ND2 gene (NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2) sequences of 86 individuals of D. acutus from 14 localities across its range in China were determined. Based on the results of phylogenetic analyses, distribution of diagnostic sites, haplotype network, and AMOVA hierarchical analysis, an east–west division of the whole D. acutus population could be observed. Geographically, a line formed by a lake, river, and mountain chain (the Poyang Lake, Gan River to the southern end of the Wuyi Mountains), results in vicariance and approximately vertically splits the range into two and the whole population into two main lineages (western and eastern). The bifurcating tree suggested generally west to east dispersal trend. The data fit the isolation by distance (IBD) model well. Star-like clusters in haplotype network, significantly negative values of Fs statistics, and unimodal mismatch distributions all suggest recent demographic expansions in four areas. The results show that isolation, dispersal, bottleneck, and expansion jointly constitute the history of D. acutus. In a haplotype network, the excessive predominance of central haplotypes, few medium-frequency haplotypes, predominance (73.1%) of the singletons among the derived haplotypes, most of which are connected to the central haplotype by only one mutational step, unsymmetrical campanulate unimodal curve of mismatch distributions and leftwards shift of the peaks, all suggest that the whole D. acutus population is a young population with low genetic diversity. Based on the data, the first priority for conservation action should be given to the Huangshan unit. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Papenfuss' Rock Agama Laudakia papenfussi is an endemic species in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. The complete mitochondrial genome sequence of this species was determined by shotgun sequencing. The total length of mitogenome is 17,005 bp and its base composition was 37.3% for A, 23.9% for T, 12.5% for G, and 26.3% for C, which contains 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, 2 ribosome RNA genes, and 2 control regions. The phylogenetic tree of L. papenfussi and 15 other related species was reconstructed using maximum likelihood (ML) methods. The mitogenome sequence presented here will be useful to understand the phylogenetic relationships of Laudakia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims To investigate the distribution of CYP3A activity in the Chinese population, and to test for gender-related differences in CYP3A activity. Methods Using midazolam as a probe drug, CYP3A activity in 202 Chinese healthy subjects (104 men) was measured by plasma 1′-hydroxymidazolam:midazolam (1′-OH-MDZ:MDZ) ratio at 1 h after oral administration of 7.5 mg midazolam. The different phases of the menstrual cycle including preovulatory, ovulatory and luteal phases of 66 women phenotyped with midazolam were recorded. The concentrations of 1′-OH-MDZ and MDZ in plasma were measured by HPLC Results A 13-fold variation of CYP3A activity (log1′-OH-MDZ:MDZ: range -0.949–0.203) was shown. The CYP3A activity was normally distributed as indicated by the frequency distribution histogram, the probit plot and the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test (P > 0.05). The CYP3A activity of women was higher than that of men (median: -0.36 vs -0.43, P < 0.05; 95% CI for difference: -0.127, -0.012). There was a significant difference in CYP3A activity between the three phases of the menstrual cycle. The activity was highest in the preovulatory phase and decreased sequentially in the ovulatory and luteal phases (P < 0.05). Conclusions A normal distribution of CYP3A activity was observed in the Chinese population. The CYP3A activity is higher in female subjects than in males. CYP3A activity differed across the phases of the menstrual cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Chung-an ground lizard Takydromus sylvaticus is an endemic and long-lost reptile species in China. In this study, its mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) sequence was firstly determined by long PCR and primer walking methods. The genome is 17,838 bp long and contains 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes and 2 main noncoding regions (the control region and the putative L-strand replication origin). The gene order and contents in the T. sylvaticus mitogenome is identical to that found in typical vertebrates, suggesting that it represents an ancestral arrangement. Within the control region, typical conserved domains and distinct repeat regions were identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a clinical pathological syndrome of hepatic parenchymal cell steatosis caused by excessive lipid deposition, which is the chronic liver disease with the highest incidence in China. Asperuloside (ASP), a kind of iridoid compound, possesses natural pharmacological effects of anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-obesity. However, whether ASP can improve NAFLD remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the effect of ASP on NAFLD mice induced by high-fat diet (HFD), and explore its mechanism in vivo and in vitro. Pharmacodynamics of ASP was studied by HFD induction in NAFLD mice. HepG2 cells were induced by palmitic acid (PA) as cell model to investigate the effect of ASP on lipid deposition and inflammatory infiltration. Expression of Adenosine monophosphate - activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling pathway and NOD-like receptor pyrin containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome were detected by Western blot and RT-PCR. Cytokines IL-1β and TNF-α were detected by ELISA. ASP alleviated liver injury and inflammatory damage in mice with NAFLD. In addition, ASP improved lipid deposition as well as inflammatory response in HFD-induced NAFLD mice and PA-stimulated HepG2 cells. ASP ameliorated lipid deposition and inflammatory response by regulating the p-AMPK/SREBP-1c signaling pathway and NLRP3 inflammasome. Our results suggest that ASP improve lipid deposition and inflammatory infiltration in NAFLD mice via regulating the AMPK/SREBP-1c signaling pathway and NLRP3 inflammasome, which may be an effective candidate for the treatment of NAFLD. • Asperuloside (ASP) alleviates HFD-induced NAFLD through suppressing lipid deposition and inflammatory. • ASP affects the protein level of p-AMPK and NLRP3 in HepG2 cells. • ASP attenuates lipid deposition through suppressing AMPK/SREBP-1 signaling pathway. • ASP attenuates inflammation through suppressing NLRP3 inflammasome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Jiashan-Lujiang, Yishu and Bohai segments have been the most tectonically active parts of the Tan-Lu fault system since the Mesozoic. Any analysis of faulting processes in the Tan-Lu system is highly dependent on the relationships among the three segments. Here we divide the Tan-Lu system into three styles of faulting; strike-slip faulting, regional extensional faulting and listric normal faulting on the basis of EMAP data, seismic profiles and geological evidence. We suggest that: (1) the strike-slip faults, which formed in the Late Jurassic, include mainly the Jiashan-Lujiang fault, the deep parts of the Chihe-Taihu Fault and the Guhe-Sanbing fault; these three faults have had the most dramatic effect on the Jiashan-Lujiang segment. The strike-slip style of faulting produced a huge positive-flower structure that extends between the deep section of the Chihe-Taihu fault and the Guhe-Sanbing fault, and overlaps with the position of the Zhangbaling ductile shear zone; (2) the regional extensional style of faulting, whose characteristics are reflected best in the Yishu fault zone, is composed of the Changyi-Dadian, Anqiu-Quxian, Yishui-Yangtou and Tangwu-Gegou faults, all of which were active during the Early Cretaceous. These extension-dominated faults extend southwards to the Jiashan and Hefei Basins and die out in front of the Dabie Mountains; to the north, the faults penetrate the deeper parts of the Weibei depression where they controlled Cretaceous deposition in “graben-horst-graben” structures; (3) the listric normal faults, which were initiated in the Paleogene, generally occur around the Bohai Bay Basin, and include a series of NE-trending faults in the Weibei depression, such as the Tandong and Tanxi faults. These listric faults differ from the regional extensional faults in their localized occurrence and association with basin formation. Our study indicates that these three styles of faulting varied not only in timing and mechanical properties but developed at different levels at different locations, resulting in different tectonic relationships and the formation of different geologic features in the different segments of the Tan-Lu master system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Actual evapotranspiration (λET) can be estimated with meteorological parameters using the Penman-Monteith (PM) model where the canopy resistance (r c) plays an important role but is difficult to determine. The Katerji-Perrier (KP) and Todorovic (TD) models are widely used to determine the r c. A comparative study was conducted to evaluate the performances of two models, on hourly and daily scales, in simulating the λET for a tea and a wheat field in southeast China. The estimated λET was compared with the measured λET by the Bowen ratio energy balance (BREB) method. The results indicated that the KP model simulated the λET of tea and wheat well for both hourly and daily scales, while the TD model simulated the λET well for the wheat for both time scales but significantly overestimated the tea λET by 44.9%. Therefore, the KP model was preferred to estimate λET for both crops, the TD model should be avoided in tea fields. • Two canopy resistance models（KP and TD）were evaluated for the λET estimation. • The KP model was the superior method for predicting λET of tea and wheat. • The TD model was suitable for simulating λET of wheat, but not for λET of tea. • The different calculation methods of aerodynamic resistance were not responsible for the error of TD model. • The estimation error of TD model was closely related to VPD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A unified multilocus marker system for snake systematics was developed. • A comprehensive systematic framework of the snakes in China was constructed. • The marker system enables better understanding of the snake evolutionary histories. • The snake divergence times were estimated with the substantial new molecular data. Snakes are one of the most diverse groups of terrestrial vertebrates, with approximately 3500 extant species. A robust phylogeny and taxonomy of snakes is crucial for us to know, study and protect them. For a large group such as snakes, broad-scale phylogenetic reconstructions largely rely on data integration. Increasing the compatibility of the data from different researches is thus important, which can be facilitated by standardization of the loci used in systematic analyses. In this study, we proposed a unified multilocus marker system for snake systematics by conflating 5 mitochondrial markers, 19 vertebrate-universal nuclear protein coding (NPC) markers and 72 snake-specific noncoding intron markers. This marker system is an addition to the large squamate conserved locus set (SqCL) for studies preferring a medium-scale data set. We applied this marker system to over 440 snake samples and constructed the currently most comprehensive systematic framework of the snakes in China. Robust snake phylogenetic relationships were recovered at both deep and shallow evolutionary depths, demonstrating the usefulness of this multilocus marker system. Discordance was revealed by a parallel comparison between the snake tree based on the multilocus marker system and that based on only the mitochondrial loci, highlighting the necessity of using multiple types of markers to better understand the snake evolutionary histories. The divergence times of different snake groups were estimated with the nuclear data set. Our comprehensive snake tree not only confirms many important nodes inferred in previous studies but also contributes new insights into many snake phylogenetic relationships. Suggestions are made for the current Chinese snake taxonomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe a new species of the genus Achalinus Peters, 1869 from Daming Mountain, Shanglin County, Nanning City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China, based on a single adult male specimen. It can be distinguished from all the other species in Achalinus by a combination of the following morphological characters: (1) a bright yellow collar around the neck, extending forward to the ventral of the head; (2) tail length comparatively long, TaL/Tol ratio 0.25; (3) DSR 23-23-23, moderately keeled; (4) VS 3+162; (5) SC 74, unpaired; (6) cloacal plate entire; (7) SPL 6, the fourth and fifth in contact with the eye; (8) IFL 6, the first three touching the first pair of chin shields; (9) a single loreal; (10) length of suture between internasal significantly longer than that between prefrontal, LSBI/LSBP ratio 1.34; (11) two pairs of chin shields; (12) longitudinal vertebral line absent. In addition, the uncorrected p-distances between the new species and other known congeners ranged from 6.3% to 25.4% for the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (CO1). With the addition of the new species the total number of described Achalinus species is increased to 23 of which 17 are found in China.

A new species of the genus Hebius Thompson, 1913 is described from Youjiang District, Baise City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China, based on a single adult female specimen. It can be distinguished from its congeners by the following combination of characters: (1) dorsal scale rows 19-17-17, feebly keeled except the outermost row; (2) tail length comparatively long, TAL/TL ratio 0.30 in females; (3) ventrals 160 (+ 3 preventrals); (4) subcaudals 112; (5) supralabials 9, the fourth to sixth in contact with the eye; (6) infralabials 10, the first 5 touching the first pair of chin shields; (7) preocular 1; (8) postoculars 2; (9) temporals 4, arranged in three rows (1+1+2); (10) maxillary teeth 30, the last 3 enlarged, without diastem; (11) postocular streak presence; (12) background color of dorsal brownish black, a conspicuous, uniform, continuous beige stripe extending from behind the eye to the end of the tail; (13) anterior venter creamish-yellow, gradually fades to the rear, with irregular black blotches in the middle and outer quarter of ventrals, the posterior part almost completely black. The discovery of the new species increases the number of species in the genus Hebius to 51.

Hybridization is widely recognized as promoting both species and phenotypic diversity. However, its role in mammalian evolution is rarely examined. We report historical hybridization among a group of snub-nosed monkeys ( Rhinopithecus ) that resulted in the origin of a hybrid species. The geographically isolated gray snub-nosed monkey Rhinopithecus brelichi shows a stable mixed genomic ancestry derived from the golden snub-nosed monkey ( Rhinopithecus roxellana ) and the ancestor of black-white ( Rhinopithecus bieti ) and black snub-nosed monkeys ( Rhinopithecus strykeri ). We further identified key genes derived from the parental lineages, respectively, that may have contributed to the mosaic coat coloration of R. brelichi , which likely promoted premating reproductive isolation of the hybrid from parental lineages. Our study highlights the underappreciated role of hybridization in generating species and phenotypic diversity in mammals.

A new species of odd-scaled snake in the genus Achalinus is described from Ningshan County, Shaanxi Province, China, based on seven female specimens. Morphologically, the new species can be distinguished from its congeners by the following combination of characters: (1) dorsum iridescent and uniformly dark brown in preservative, longitudinal vertebral line absent; (2) light brown beneath; (3) dotted black streak in the middle of the subcaudals absent; (4) tail length relatively short, TaL/ToL 12-16%, in females; (5) fewer subcaudals, 41-46 in females; (6) dorsal scales 23 rows throughout, strongly keeled; the outer-most rows on both sides are also keeled and slightly enlarged; (7) one loreal; (8) internasal not fused to prefrontal; (9) suture between internasals is similar in size when compared to the suture between prefrontals; (10) preocular and postocular absent; (11) 6 supralabials; (12) 5 infralabials, the first 3 (rarely 2) touching the first pair of chin shields; (13) 3 pairs of chin shields. A phylogenetic analysis using mitochondrial gene, cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (CO1), showed that this new species forms a monophyletic group with strong support. In addition, the uncorrected p-distances between the new species and other known congeners ranged from 3.4% to 13.0%. The recognition of the new species increases the number of described Achalinus species to 21.

Samples of peach and plum fruits with brown rot symptoms were collected from Tibet in 2019 and 2020, and the causal agent was identified as Monilia yunnanensis , which represents the first characterization of Monilia spp. on peach and plum in Tibet. Morphological investigation showed that some conidia from naturally diseased fruits were larger than those observed in previously isolated M. yunnanensis . Some conidia of M. yunnanensis isolates from Tibet produced more than two, even up to six germ tubes from different parts of each conidium, instead of one or two germ tubes developing from the pointy sides of each conidium. The alignment of ribosomal internal transcribed spacer region sequences revealed that some isolates from Tibet displayed a mutation at the 374th position from adenine (A) to cytosine (C). Although abovementioned differences were observed between isolates from Tibet and other regions, phylogenetic analysis indicated that all of the M. yunnanensis isolates from different stone fruits and different regions in China were clustered together without obvious genetic differentiation. These results revealed that hosts and geographic environments did not play a major role in the evolution of M. yunnanensis .

A new species of the soft-shelled turtle genus Pelodiscus is described based on seven specimens from Huangshan, southern Anhui Province, China. The new species, Pelodiscus huangshanensis sp. nov., is distinguished from other species in the genus Pelodiscus by the following characteristics: (1) Small size (maximum carapace length of 101.16 mm and maximum body length of 190 mm); (2) keel high; (3) tiny yellowish-white spots on the throat; (4) no black pinstripes around the eyes; (5) white longitudinal bands on both sides of the neck in juveniles, absent in adults; (6) plastron yellowish-white, and only a dark patch on each side of the armpit; (7) many tubercles on the dorsal surface, but indistinct in the center; and (8) entoplastron ⌒ shaped. The phylogenetic relationships of the species in Pelodiscus were reconstructed using the sequences of cytochrome b (cyt b) and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 4 (ND4) genes. The new species formed a monophyletic clade with strong support. The uncorrected pairwise distances between the new species and other representatives of Pelodiscus ranged from 5.4% to 9.2% for cyt b and 4.1% to 7.6% for ND4. The new species brings the number of species of the genus Pelodiscus to six; five species are distributed in China, with three species endemic to China.

A novel Gram-stain-negative strain, WQ 117 T , isolated from the faeces of Rhinopithecus bieti collected at Yunnan Snub-nosed Monkey National Park, Yunnan province, PR China, was subjected to a polyphasic taxonomic study. The results of phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that the isolate represented a member of the genus Faecalibacter , sharing 97.64 % sequence similarity with the type strain Faecalibacter macacae YIM 102668 T . The G+C content of the genomic DNA of WQ117 T was 30.5 mol%. The predominant isoprenoid quinone was MK-6. The major cellular fatty acids was iso-C 15 : 0 . The whole genome average nucleotide identity (gANI) values and the digital DNA-DNA hybridization values between WQ 117 T and YIM 102668 T were 79.66 % and 22.20 %, respectively. Growth occurred at 0-50 °C (optimally at 28-35 °C), pH 7.0-9.0 (optimally at pH 8.0) and with 0-2 % (w/v) NaCl (optimally without NaCl). On the basis of the taxonomic evidence, a novel species, Faecalibacter rhinopitheci sp. nov., is proposed. The type strain is WQ 117 T (=KCTC 82394 T =CCTCC AA 2020027 T ).

One juvenile and one adult female wolf snake (Colubridae: Lycodon) were sampled at Yixian and Fuxi, Huangshan, Anhui, China in the summer of 2011 and 2012, respectively. The two specimens were identified as Lycodon liuchengchaoi based on external morphology and molecular data. This is a new reptile record in Anhui Province. In our laboratory, four eggs were laid and three neonates were hatched successfully. This is the first record of the laying and incubation of L. liuchengchaoi eggs. The five specimens were deposited at the Museum of Huangshan University (HUM20140001) and Guangdong Entomological Institute (HB-lcfsp12613, HB-lcfsp-ch1~3).

To characterize the CBFP reaction in the modern era, we analyzed the results of parallel rapid plasma reagin (RPR) and Treponema pallidum particle agglutination (TPPA) tests from a total of 63,765 blood samples obtained at Zhongshan Hospital in the Medical College of Xiamen University from May 2008 to February 2013. Among the 63,765 tested blood samples, 206 (0.32%) had the CBFP reaction. In multivariate analysis, an increased likelihood of the CBFP reaction was associated with female subjects, subjects ≥80years old, and subjects between 16 and 35years old (P<0.05). The CBFP reaction occurred in association with 17 categories of disease, including 60 types of diseases, in the 206 subjects. To our knowledge, a number of these diseases had not been previously reported to be associated with the CBFP in the RPR test, including false labor, megaloblastic anemias, aplastic anemias, redundant prepuce, congenital malformation of heart, and salpingitis. Among the 206 patients with the CBFP reaction, 35 patients were subjected to follow-up for five years. 26 out of 35 these patients were at a 1:1 initial RPR titer, 8 out of 35 patients were at a 1:2 initial RPR titer, and 1 out of 35 patients were at a 1:4 initial RPR titer. 30 subjects had their RPR seroreverted. In our opinion, additional CBFP research using a large sample population will contribute to the identification of additional underlying serious disorders that are not related to syphilis. Such results could be useful for the prediction and diagnosis of these diseases., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Aims and Objectives: To compare sexually active Chinese high school students in three major Asian cities with their non-sexually active counterparts in order to determine prevalence and associations with selected health outcomes., Background: There have been limited studies to date on the association between sexual activity and substance use in Chinese high schools. While the role of the school nurse in the development of sexual health and harm reduction education in secondary schools has been well documented in international studies, this has received little attention in Asia., Design: Cross-sectional survey., Methods: This study was administered in 2003/2004 to 13,895 Grades 6 to 12 high school students in Hong Kong (3498), Macau (6286) and Taipei (4111). Descriptive analysis was conducted followed by univariate analysis comparing sexual behaviour with (1) substance use including alcohol, smoking, illicit drugs; (2) feeling depressed for greater than or equal to two weeks in last 12 months; contemplating suicide during the last 12 months; and (3) perception of poor health/academic performance., Results: The students (8%) reported being sexually active had marked differences in selected health outcomes when compared with the nonsexually experienced students. More than 90% of the sexually active students had tried alcohol, with more than 50% being regular drinkers, more than 30% testifying to binge drinking and nearly 50% reported depression in the past 12 months. Substance use, poorer perception of health and academic performance were also significantly higher in the sexually experienced students relative to their nonexperienced counterparts., Conclusions: Sexually experienced Chinese high school students surveyed were at higher risk of substance abuse, poorer psychological health and academic performance., Relevance to Clinical Practice: Community and public health nursing needs to address Asian adolescent sexual health education needs, in particular provide culturally targeted interventions for associated substance abuse and psychological health within the context of high school sex education., (© 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: The evolution of the Yunnan Plateau's drainages network during the Pleistocene was dominated by the intense uplifts of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. In the present study, we investigated the association between the evolutionary histories of three main drainage systems and the geographic patterns of genetic differentiation of Poropuntius huangchuchieni., Methodology/principal Findings: We sequenced the complete sequences of mitochondrial control region for 304 specimens and the sequences of Cytochrome b gene for 15 specimens of the species P. huangchuchieni and 5 specimens of Poropuntius opisthoptera. Phylogenetic analysis identified five major lineages, of which lineages MK-A and MK-B constrained to the Mekong River System, lineages RL and LX to the Red River System, and lineage SW to the Salween River System. The genetic distance and network analysis detected significant divergences among these lineages. Mismatch distribution analysis implied that the population of P. huangchuchieni underwent demographic stability and the lineage MK-B, sublineages MK-A1 and LX-1 underwent a recent population expansion. The divergence of the 5 major lineages was dated back to 0.73-1.57 MYA., Conclusions/significance: Our results suggest that P. opisthoptera was a paraphyletic group of P. huangchuchieni. The phylogenetic pattern of P. huangchuchieni was mostly associated with the drainage's structures and the geomorphological history of the Southwest Yunnan Plateau. Also the differentiation of the major lineages among the three drainages systems coincides with the Kunlun-Yellow River Movement (1.10-0.60 MYA). The genetic differentiation within river basins and recent demographical expansions that occurred in some lineages and sublineages are consistent with the palaeoclimatic oscillations during the Pleistocene. Additionally, our results also suggest that the populations of P. huangchuchieni had keep long term large effective population sizes and demographic stability in the recent evolutionary history, which may be responsible for the high genetic diversity and incomplete lineages sorting of Poropuntius huangchuchieni.

Background: Neurosyphilis (NS) may present with neuropsychiatric disorders characterized by cognitive impairment, personality disorders, and confusion, among others. Very few studies have focused on neuropsychiatric disorders secondary to NS in elderly people., Method: A retrospective chart review was performed to characterize the psychiatric findings, clinical signs and symptoms, laboratory findings, and brain magnetic resonance imaging results of ten elderly inpatients with NS., Results: In these ten patients, the most common presenting symptoms included a wide variety of psychiatric manifestations. The serum rapid plasma regain (RPR) and Treponema pallidum particle agglutination assay (TPPA) of the ten patients were positive, with positive CSF TPPA and RPR rates of 100% and 60%, respectively. In addition, 90% of the patients demonstrated abnormal imaging, including cerebral atrophy, infarct ischemic stroke, and hydrocephalus., Conclusions: Our findings support the importance of serological tests for syphilis as a routine component of the evaluation of patients with clinically evident neurological or psychiatric symptoms. If the serology is positive, all of the patients should be examined with a lumbar puncture. Moreover, psychiatric illnesses secondary to NS in the elderly also deserve medical attention.

Inactivated severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV) has been tested as a candidate vaccine against the re-emergence of SARS. In order to understand the efficacy and safety of this approach, it is important to know the antibody specificities generated with inactivated SARS-CoV. In the current study, a panel of twelve monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) was established by immunizing Balb/c mice with the inactivated BJ01 strain of SARS-CoV isolated from the lung tissue of a SARS-infected Chinese patient. These mAbs could recognize SARS-CoV-infected cells by immunofluorescence analysis (IFA). Seven of them were mapped to the specific segments of recombinant spike (S) protein: six on S1 subunit (aa 12-798) and one on S2 subunit (aa 797-1192). High neutralizing titers against SARS-CoV were detected with two mAbs (1A5 and 2C5) targeting at a subdomain of S protein (aa 310-535), consistent with the previous report that this segment of S protein contains the major neutralizing domain. Some of these S-specific mAbs were able to recognize cleaved products of S protein in SARS-CoV-infected Vero E6 cells. None of the remaining five mAbs could recognize either of the recombinant S, N, M, or E antigens by ELISA. This study demonstrated that the inactivated SARS-CoV was able to preserve the immunogenicity of S protein including its major neutralizing domain. The relative ease with which these mAbs were generated against SARS-CoV virions further supports that subunit vaccination with S constructs may also be able to protect animals and perhaps humans. It is somewhat unexpected that no N-specific mAbs were identified albeit anti-N IgG was easily identified in SARS-CoV-infected patients. The availability of this panel of mAbs also provided potentially useful agents with applications in therapy, diagnosis, and basic research of SARS-CoV.

Objective: To identify the risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Chinese chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients., Methods: As part of a multicenter Chinese cohort study, the clinical data associated with CVD of 1239 patients with CKD (stage 2 - 5) hospitalized in 7 grade 3A hospitals distributed in 5 regions of China 2002 - 2003 were collected. Logistic regression model was used to analyze the association between CVD and the demographic variables, lifestyle, medical history, medication, physical examination, and laboratory variables., Results: (1) Increase of serum C-reactive protein (CRP, cut off > 10 mg/L) was an independent risk factor for development of coronary artery disease (CAD) (OR 2.13; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.32 - 3.43). 21.5% of the patients in this group showed a value of CRP > 10 mg/L. (2) Being female, anemia, and systolic hypertension were the major determinants of the development of left ventricular hypertrophy (OR 2.99, CI 2.09 - 4.26; OR 2.66, CI 1.19 - 3.57; and OR 1.02, CI 1.00 to -1.02). 54.2% of the patients in this group had their systolic pressure controlled under 140mmHg, and only 15% of the patients in this group had their hemoglobin remain at the level >or= 110 g/L. (3) There was a significant interaction between the calcium-phosphate product and congestive heart failure (CHF) (OR 1.023, CI 1.01 - 1.03). 25.9% of the patients in this cohort had their calcium-phosphate product >or= 55. (4) Hypoalbuminemia (OR 6.01, CI 1.25 - 28.96) and diastolic hypertension (OR 1.05, CI 1.00 - 1.09) played major role in determining cerebrovascular accidents (CVA). In these cohort the prevalence of hypoalbuminemia was 37.3%. (5) Diabetes was associated with CAD (OR 2.34), CHF (OR 1.97), and CVA (OR 4.40), although its prevalence was lower in Chinese CKD patients (20%). Age was the risk factors of CAD (OR 1.04) and CVA (OR 1.22). Hypertension was associated with LVH (OR 1.016), CHF (OR 1.02), and CVA (OR 1.04)., Conclusion: CKD is associated with nontraditional risk factors for the development of CVD, including chronic inflammation, malnutrition and calcium-phosphate disorders. Particular care must be taken to give optimal treatment for the most important CVD risk factors active in Chinese CKD patients, e.g. anemia and hypertension.

Objective: Cardiovascular (CV) disease (CVD) is the single most important cause of death among Chinese dialysis patients, accounting for 51% of overall mortality. The study was performed to investigate the prevalence and the spectrum of CVD in Chinese chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients., Methods: The multicenter Chinese cohort study examined 1239 CKD patients from 7 main medical centers (distributed in 5 regions of China) who were hospitalized between 2002 and 2003., Results: (1) The most prevalent pathological form of CVD was left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy (LVH), accounting for 58.5% of total patients. The prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD), congestive heart failure (CHF), and cerebrovascular accidents (CVA) was 16.5%, 27.7% and 5.6%, separately. (2) The cohort with minor renal dysfunction (stage 2-3) had higher prevalence of CAD (5.9%) and CVA (1.0%) compared with general population in the same regions. Up to 41.2% of minor CKD patients were complicated with LVH, and 13.8% of them had clinical evidence of CHF. The prevalence of CAD, LVH and CHF increased as glomerular filtration decline. (3) The prevalence of CAD (20.0%) was much lower and the prevalence of CVA (5.4%) was higher in Chinese dialysis patients than that in American dialysis population. There was significant geographical variations in CAD prevalence, but it was not different between genders., Conclusion: The CV risk is significantly increased in patients with CKD. Even minor CKD has a major impact on the CV risk. The prevalence of CAD in Chinese dialysis patients is markedly lower than that in American dialysis population.

Background: Breast cancer is the most frequent type of tumor in women. The main cause of breast cancer remains unknown. Extensive studies have shown that endogenous steroid hormones, especially estrogens, are important in the development and the progression of breast cancer, and the carcinogenesis of estrogens is related to their major oxidative metabolites, 16alpha-hydroxyestrogens and 4-hydroxyestrogens. CYP3A plays a major role in the 4- and 16alpha-hydroxylation of estrogens. Furthermore, CYP3A is present in human mammary epithelial cells and expressed higher and more frequently in malignant breast cells than in the adjacent normal breast tissue. Hence, it will be significant to perform more work to determine the association between CYP3A activity and breast cancer susceptibility., Aims: To evaluate the relationship of CYP3A activity to breast cancer susceptibility in Chinese Han women using the plasma 1-hydroxymidazolam (1-OHMDZ) to midazolam (MDZ) ratio as the marker of CYP3A activity., Methods: One hundred and twenty-nine Chinese Han female breast tumor patients and 121 healthy unrelated female volunteers were enrolled in the current study. After an overnight fast, each subject was administered a single oral dose (7.5 mg) of midazolam. Blood samples (5 ml) were drawn at 1 h after the drug administration. The concentration of parent MDZ and its major metabolite 1-OH-MDZ was measured in all the plasma samples using high-performance liquid chromatography., Results: Complete chromatographic data on plasma ratios of 1-OHMDZ to MDZ for 103 cases of breast cancer and 114 controls were available. The plasma concentration ratios of 1-OHMDZ to MDZ were 0.4520+/-0.2318 and 0.3298+/-0.1610 for the malignant cases and the controls, respectively. A higher CYP3A activity was found in the breast cancer cases than in the controls ( P<0.001), and the CYP3A activity of patients with lymph-node metastasis was higher than that of patients without lymph-node metastasis ( P=0.028). CYP3A activity in estrogen receptor or progesterone receptor positive cases was the same as in estrogen receptor or progesterone receptor negative cases ( P=0.124, 0.175)., Conclusions: Our results indicate that high CYP3A activity may contribute to breast cancer disease genesis and may promote breast cancer to lymph-node metastasis.

Objective: This study was designed to define the effect of low-dose aspirin administration on the activity of cytochrome P450 (CYP) in normal human subjects., Methods: Aspirin, 50 mg daily, was given for 14 days to 18 nonsmoking healthy male volunteers. A modified 5-drug cocktail procedure consisting of caffeine, mephenytoin, metoprolol, chlorzoxazone, and midazolam was performed to simultaneously assess in vivo activity of CYP1A2, CYP2C19, CYP2D6, CYP2E1, and CYP3A, respectively. The activities were assessed on 4 occasions including at baseline, after 7 and 14 daily doses of aspirin, and at 7 days after discontinuation of aspirin. Concentrations of parent drugs and corresponding metabolites in biologic samples were assayed by reversed-phase HPLC., Results: Both 7-day and 14-day aspirin intake increased the activity of CYP2C19 significantly, as indicated by 4-hydroxymephenytoin urinary recovery (P <.001). Induction of low-dose aspirin on CYP2C19 was time-dependent. CYP3A activity indices increased moderately but significantly by both 7-day and 14-day aspirin treatment (P <.05), but the percentage changes in CYP3A activity indices were not significant. Low-dose aspirin had no effect on CYP1A2, CYP2D6, and CYP2E1 in vivo activity by either 7-day or 14-day treatment., Conclusions: The effect of low-dose aspirin on CYPs was enzyme-specific. Both 7-day and 14-day low-dose aspirin induced the in vivo activities of CYP2C19 but did not affect the activities of CYP1A2, CYP2D6, and CYP2E1. The effect of low-dose aspirin on CYP3A activity awaits further confirmation. When low-dose aspirin is used in combination with drugs that are substrates of CYP2C19, doses of the latter should be adjusted to ensure their efficacy.