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Severe air pollution in China and India threatens the health of over one-third of the global population. When it comes to air pollution governance, the two countries have vastly different approaches. China's approach features centralized target-setting and implementation, with policies enforced primarily through top-down administrative lines. While India's approach reflects the division of power among central and state governments and relies substantially on legislative and judiciary systems for accountability. We conduct a detailed review of the trends and sources of six air pollutants in China and India, and make a structured comparison of China and India's air pollution policy frameworks. An extensive literature review is conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of policies in each country. The studies show that China's policy efforts have achieved significant improvements in air quality, while India's policies have been largely ineffective. Nevertheless, both approaches have the potential to lead to effective air pollution governance, if a country can build strong political will and clearly defined accountability systems. We further identify key lessons learned from the two countries for air pollution policymaking in developing countries, including taking good advantage of "post-crisis policy window", and targeting "low-hanging fruits" to make incremental improvements in a cost-effective way. • We systematically reviewed and compared air pollution governance in China and India. • China and India have similar policy frameworks but different implementation approaches. • Strong political will and clearly defined accountability systems are key to success. • We provide insights into effective air pollution control in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the occurrence of important foodborne pathogens in shellstock Pacific oysters in the food markets in South China. Methods: From July 2007 to June 2008, retail oysters were collected in different seasons from South China and analyzed for the prevalence and levels of Listeria monocytogenes, Vibrio vulnificus and Vibrio parahaemolyticus. Results: None of L. monocytogenes could be detected in any of the 202 oyster samples tested, while V. vulnificus and V. parahaemolyticus could be detected in 67 (54.9%) and 109 (89.3%) of the 122 oyster samples analyzed, respectively, with an MPN (most probable number) value greater than or equal to 3. V. vulnificus and V. parahaemolyticus with a more than 102 MPN/g were found in 36 (29.5%) and 59 (48.4%) of the 122 oyster samples, respectively. The tdh and trh genes were detected in 4 (0.3%) and 8 (0.6%) of the 1 349 V. parahaemolyticus isolates, respectively. Of the 122 samples, 4 (3.3%) was positive for either tdh or trh. The levels of V. vulnificus and total V. parahaemolyticus in oysters in South China varied in different seasons. Conclusion: V. vulnificus and pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus are frequently found in oysters in south China, which may pose a potential threat to public health. Data presented here will be useful for the microbiological risk assessment in oysters in China. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objectives To determine the molecular characteristics and antimicrobial susceptibility of healthcare-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (HA-MRSA) in Zhejiang Province. Methods A total of 391 HA-MRSA isolates were collected from 12 hospitals in five cities of Zhejiang Province, between January 2012 and May 2013. Susceptibility to vancomycin, teicoplanin, linezolid, tigecycline, and daptomycin was determined. Resistant isolates were screened for resistance mutations. Ten isolates from each hospital were then chosen at random for molecular typing. Results The isolates showed good susceptibility to all five anti-MRSA agents; only five sporadic non-susceptible isolates were detected. CC5/ST5-MRSA-II-t311 (39/120, 32.5%) was found to be the predominant HA-MRSA clone and was spread between the different hospitals in Hangzhou. CC5/ST5-MRSA-II-t002 was the most prevalent clone in Ningbo, while CC239/ST239-MRSA was epidemic only in certain hospitals in Wenzhou and Shaoxing. Fifteen ST59 isolates (15/120, 12.5%) were identified among the HA-MRSA isolates. Conclusions CC5/ST5-MRSA-II-t311 has become the predominant HA-MRSA clone in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. ST59 MRSA has spread into hospitals. The isolates showed good susceptibility to all five anti-MRSA agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]