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BackgroundIn 2005, China established an internet-based Tuberculosis Information Management System (TBIMS) to monitor changes in tuberculosis (TB). Many scholars have conducted epidemiological research using TBIMS; however, few studies assessing control strategies have been performed based on this platform data. Henan province is a high TB incidence area in China where, in addition to following the nationwide TB strategies, a series of local intervention combinations have been implemented. ObjectiveOur study aims to evaluate the impact of nationwide TB intervention combinations on epidemiological changes and determine whether Henan province can achieve the World Health Organization’s (WHO) goal of reducing TB incidence by 50% and TB mortality by 75% by the year 2025. MethodsWe used descriptive statistical methods to show the spatial and temporal distribution of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) reported to the TBIMS database from 2005 to 2018, and logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the risk factors of bacteriological-positive TB. The dynamic compartmental model and Bayesian melding approach was adopted to estimate the burden of TB under the impact of different TB control policies. ResultsIn total, 976,526 PTB cases were notified to the TBIMS in Henan in a period of 14 years. Although the overall incidence of PTB declined from 91.4/105 to 58.5/105, and the overall incidence of bacteriological-positive PTB declined from 44.5/105 to 14.7/105, the WHO’s 2025 goal could not be met. The distribution of high incidence and poverty-stricken counties were basically overlapped. Men, farmers and herdsmen (in rural areas), and subjects aged ≥60 years were more likely to develop bacteriological-positive PTB. The increasing treatment success for drug-susceptible tuberculosis and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis has not provided the desired reduction in incidence and mortality. ConclusionsTo achieve the targeted goal, while improving the cure rate of TB, new active (rather than passive) detection and intervention strategies should be formulated based on epidemiological characteristics in Henan province.

BackgroundIn 2013, a tuberculosis (TB) outbreak occurred in a middle school in Henan province of China. An outbreak survey was carried out in the school.ObjectivesThis study was undertaken to investigate the detection rate of TB cases and those with strong Mantoux positive (SMP), defined as tuberculin skin test (TST) indurations of 15mm or larger and/or blisters, necrosis or lymphangitis, and to identify their risk factors.MethodsThe TST, chest x-ray/radiography, and TB-suspicious symptoms interview were used to screen for TB cases. Their diagnosis was made by sputum smear microscopy, liquid culture, computed tomography (CT), and diagnostic therapy if necessary. We retrospectively analyzed the outbreak survey data of 4082 students and 278 staff in the school. Logistic regression models were used to identify the risk factors associated with SMP and TB disease.ResultsApproximately 3.55% of students and 16.55% of staff were SMP. SMP rate in students was significantly lower than that in staff (p

The sliding of roof snow may result in surcharges of snow load on lower roofs or the injury of pedestrians on the ground. It is therefore of great significance to study the mechanism of roof snow sliding, such that prevention or control measures can be developed to manage the risk. Considering four commonly used roofing materials, glass, steel, membrane, and concrete, two types of experiments were carried out in this study to possibly reveal the influence of roofing materials on the shear strength of the roof–snow interface: one is the critical angle tests where the angle at which the snow starts to slide off from the roof is tested, and the other is the shearing tests which aim to test the shear strength of the roof–snow interfaces at specific temperatures. The results showed that the critical angle for roof snow sliding, as well as the shear strength of the roof–snow interface for the four considered roofing materials, show a U-shape trend with the increase in surface roughness and that the shear strength of the roof–snow surface ranges from 0.15 kPa to 2 kPa for the cases considered, while the strength reaches its maximum at certain temperatures near −5 °C for a specific roofing material and snow thickness. These findings could be a useful reference for future experimental or simulation studies on roof snow sliding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recent study published data on the growth performance, relative weights of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract, liver histology, serum biochemistry, and hematological parameters for turkey poults fed an experimental diet contaminated with aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and humic acids (HA) extracted from vermicompost. The negative effects of AFB1 (250 ng AFB1/g of feed) were significantly reduced by HA supplementation (0.25% w/w), suggesting that HA might be utilized to ameliorate the negative impact of AFB1 from contaminated diets. The present study shows the results of the remaining variables, as an extension of a previously published work which aimed to evaluate the impact of HA on the intestinal microbiota, gut integrity, ileum morphometry, and cellular immunity of turkey poults fed an AFB1-contaminated diet. For this objective, five equal groups of 1-day-old female Nicholas-700 turkey poults were randomly assigned to the following treatments: negative control (basal diet), positive control (basal diet + 250 ng AFB1/g), HA (basal diet + 0.25% HA), HA + AFB1 (basal diet + 0.25% HA + 250 ng AFB1/g), and Zeolite (basal diet + 0.25% zeolite + 250 ng AFB1/g). In the experiment, seven replicates of ten poults each were used per treatment (n = 70). In general, HA supplementation with or without the presence of AFB1 showed a significant increase (p < 0.05) in the number of beneficial butyric acid producers, ileum villi height, and ileum total area, and a significant reduction in serum levels of fluorescein isothiocyanate–dextran (FITC-d), a marker of intestinal integrity. In contrast, poults fed with AFB1 showed a significant increase in Proteobacteria and lower numbers of beneficial bacteria, clearly suggesting gut dysbacteriosis. Moreover, poults supplemented with AFB1 displayed the lowest morphometric parameters and the highest intestinal permeability. Furthermore, poults in the negative and positive control treatments had the lowest cutaneous basophil hypersensitivity response. These findings suggest that HA supplementation enhanced intestinal integrity (shape and permeability), cellular immune response, and healthier gut microbiota composition, even in the presence of dietary exposure to AFB1. These results complement those of the previously published study, suggesting that HA may be a viable dietary intervention to improve gut health and immunity in turkey poults during aflatoxicosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • GOS selectively enriched intestinal L. delbrueckii , L. johnsonii and L. reuteri in piglets and mice. • Strain-specific properties of GOS-enriched Lactobacilli were identified for the promotion of gut health. • Preventative administration of L. delbrueckii strain alleviated intestinal barrier damage by reducing the inflammation in macrophages. • Continuous administration of L. johnsonii strain inhibited Salmonella adhesion and invasion through competitive exclusion. • L. reuteri strain failed to protect against Salmonella infection in this study. Galactooligosaccharides (GOS) are lactogenic prebiotics that exert health benefits by stimulating the growth of different Lactobacillus strains in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. This study aimed to investigate the mechanism of action of different GOS-enriched lactobacilli in intestinal health. Piglets and mice were supplemented with GOS to identify specific enrichment of Lactobacillus. The protective effects of individual GOS-enriched lactobacilli were investigated in Salmonella -infected mice. Macrophage depletion and transcriptome analysis were further performed to assess the involvement of macrophages and the underlying mechanisms of individual lactobacilli. An in vitro cell co-culture system was also used to evaluate the anti-adhesive and anti-invasive activities of lactobacilli against Salmonella in epithelial cells. GOS markedly increased the relative abundance of three lactobacilli including L. delbrueckii , L. johnsonii , and L. reuteri in both piglets and mice. Supplementation with GOS further alleviated Salmonella infection in mice. L. delbrueckii (ATCC®BAA 365™), but not L. johnsonii or L. reuteri , enhanced propionate production in the intestinal tract and ameliorated Salmonella -induced intestinal inflammation and barrier dysfunction by suppressing the JAK2-STAT3 signaling and M1 macrophage polarization. L. johnsonii (BNCC 186110), on the other hand, inhibited Salmonella adhesion and invasion of epithelial cells through competitive exclusion. However, L. reuteri (BNCC 186135) failed to protect mice against Salmonella infection. GOS-enriched lactobacilli show a differential role in protecting against Salmonella -induced intestinal barrier dysfunction and inflammation. Our results provide novel insights into the mechanism of action of GOS and individual Lactobacillus strains in the control and prevention of intestinal inflammatory disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]