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Inland aquaculture ponds, as an important land use type, have brought great economic benefits to local people but at the same time have caused many environmental problems threatening regional ecology security. Therefore, understanding the spatiotemporal pattern of aquaculture ponds and its potential influence on water quality is vital for the sustainable development of inland lakes. In this study, based on Landsat5/8 images, three types of land features, namely spectral features, index features, and texture features, and five machine learning algorithms, namely random forest (RF), extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), artificial neural network (ANN), k-nearest neighbor (KNN), and Gaussian naive Bayes (GNB), were combined to identify aquaculture ponds and some other primary land use types around a typical inland lake of China. The results demonstrated that the XGBoost algorithm that integrated the three features performed the best among all groups of the five machine learning algorithms and the three features, with an overall accuracy of up to 96.15%. In particular, the texture features provided additional useful information besides the spectral features to allow more accurately separation of aquaculture ponds from other land use types and thus improve the land use mapping ability in complex inland lakes. Next, this study examined the tendency of aquaculture ponds and found a segmented increase mode, namely sharp increase during 1984–2003 and then slow elevation since 2003. Further positive correlation detected between the area of aquaculture ponds and the phytoplankton population dynamics suggest a likely influence of aquaculture activity on the lake water quality. This study provides an important scientific basis for the sustainable management and ecological protection of inland lakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lined seahorse (Hippocampus erectus) is an aquacultural species in China and has important economic and ornamental value. However, the species is affected by disease, which restricts their large-scale cultivation. In 2021, a disease was observed in cultured seahorses in Tianjin, China, with a cumulative mortality rate of 20%. The symptoms observed in the moribund seahorse included a weak swimming capacity, discolored body surface, enlarged liver and kidneys, and numerous white nodules in the parenchymatous organs. The strains HM-2021-1 and HM-2021-2 were isolated from diseased seahorses and were identified as being responsible for the disease. It demonstrated the potential to infect seahorse, and the cumulative mortalities of the seahorses artificially infected with strains HM-2021-1 and HM-2021-2 were 93.3% and 90.0%. The pathogen was identified as Mycobacterium chelonae based on physiological and biochemical tests, and 16S rDNA, rpoB, and Hsp65 gene sequence analysis. To our knowledge, this study is the first report of M. chelonae associated with diseased seahorses in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: COVID-19 is a global pandemic. The purpose of this study is to explore correlations between the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and meteorological indicators from cities across China. Methods: We collected daily data of the cumulative number of infected, recovered and death cases, and the meteorological indicators including average temperature, wind speed, relative humidity, precipitation and air quality index (AQI) from 12 cities in China during the period of Jan 23 to Feb 22, 2020. Correlation tests were chosen for data analysis. Results: The average temperature and AQI showed significant association with the mortality rate of COVID-19. The mortality rate was not correlated with wind speed, relative humidity or precipitation. Meanwhile, higher average temperatures and more precipitation were beneficial for the recovery rate of COVID-19, but the recovery rate was not correlated with wind speed, relative humidity or AQI. Conclusions: Our study provides a new basis for correlations between COVID-19, meteorological indicators and air quality index, which can help authorities to combat COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to determine the environmental and ecological factors influencing the planktonic prokaryotic community profiles in the composite ecosystem comprising Taihu Lake, Taipu River and Jinze Reservoir in the Taihu Watershed in China. A total of 42 water samples were intermittently collected from different sites in 6 months across four seasons. Physicochemical characteristics of the ecosystem, bacterioplankton diversity and composition, the presence of co-occurrence patterns, and environmental predictors of ecological modules in the bacterioplankton network were determined. The central species played a more important role in regulating the structure and function of the bacterioplankton community and in responding to environmental contamination than the entire community. The relative abundance of the phylum Proteobacteria and the class Betaproteobacteria varied significantly between months and locations, which were identified as core functional taxa. A non-random co-occurrence pattern and function-driven modular structure were observed in the bacterioplankton co-occurrence network. Dissolved oxygen and ammonium nitrogen were the major and mutual environmental predictors of the bacterioplankton community composition, functional attributes and relative abundance of ecological modules. The results improve our understanding of the impact of anthropogenic contamination on bacterioplankton diversity and biogeochemical cycles and the formulation of strategies for bioremediation of the Taihu Watershed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hearing loss is one of the most common sensory disorders in newborns and is mostly caused by genetic factors. Autosomal recessive nonsyndromic hearing loss (ARNSHL) is usually characterized as a severe-to-profound congenital sensorineural hearing loss and later can cause various degrees of defect in the language and intelligent development of newborns. The mutations in LOXHD1 gene have been shown to cause DFNB77, a type of ARNSHL. To date, there are limited reports about the association between LOXHD1 gene and ARNSHL. In this study, we reported six patients from four Chinese families suffering from severe-to-profound nonsyndromic hearing loss. We performed targeted next generation sequencing in the six affected members and identified five novel pathogenic mutations in LOXHD1 including c.277G>A (p.D93N), c.611-2A>T, c.1255+3A>G, c.2329C>T (p.Q777 ∗ ), and c.5888delG (p.G1963Afs ∗ 136). These mutations were confirmed to be cosegregated with the hearing impairment in the families by Sanger sequencing and were inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern. All of the five mutations were absent in 200 control subjects. There were no symptoms of Fuchs corneal dystrophy in the probands and their blood-related relatives. We concluded that these five novel mutations could be involved in the underlying mechanism resulting in the hearing loss, and this discovery expands the genotypic spectrum of LOXHD1 mutations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Huiying Huang and Xiuji Liang contributed equally to this work. B Correction to: Journal of Environmental Health Science and Engineering. b https://doi.org/10.1007/s40201-020-00564-y The word "first" was removed from page 6 of 2nd paragraph of discussion section. [Extracted from the article]

Conclusion: In this cohort of 156 non-syndromic hearing-impaired subjects of Tengzhou area, the most common deafness-associated genesGJB2,SLC26A4andmtDNA 12S rRNAwere investigated by SNPscan efficiently.GJB2c.235delC andSLC26A4c.IVS7-2A > G were the most common mutation sites.Objectives: Until now, there is no systematic gentic analysis in patients with non-syndromic hearing loss for Tengzhou area, so we evaluated the molecular etiology to investigate the hot-sports.Methods: Peripheral blood samples were obtained from 156 patients with severe-to-profound non-syndromic deafness in Tengzhou. The SNP scan assay technique was performed for a rapid multiplex genetic screening to detect the 115 mutations of the most common three genes. All results were statistically analyzed with SPSS software.Results: Among the 156 analyzed patients, 60 patients were demonstrated with deafness genes, accounting for 38.46% (60/156), includingGJB2(22.44%, 35/156),SLC26A4(13.66%, 22/156), andmtDNA 12S rRNA(2.56%, 4/156). In this study, we confirmed 23 deafness-causing mutations and 27 different allelic combinations includingGJB2(eight variants, 11 allelic combinations),SLC26A4(13 variants, 16 allelic combinations) andmtDNA 12S rRNA(two variants). The occurrence rates of these deafness-causing mutationsGJB2c.235delC andSLC26A4c.IVS7-2A > G were significantly higher than other mutation sites (p < 0.01). [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Hearing loss is a common sensory disorder, and at least 50% of cases are due to a genetic etiology. Although hundreds of genes have been reported to be associated with nonsyndromic hearing loss, GJB2, SLC26A4, and mtDNA12SrRNA are the major contributors. However, the mutation spectrum of these common deafness genes varies among different ethnic groups. The present work summarized mutations in these three genes and their prevalence in 339 patients with nonsyndromic hearing loss at three different special education schools and one children’s hospital in Linyi, China. A new multiplex genetic screening system “SNPscan assay” was employed to detect a total of 115 mutations of the above three genes. Finally, 48.67% of the patients were identified with hereditary hearing loss caused by mutations in GJB2, SLC26A4, and mtDNA12SrRNA. The carrying rate of mutations in the three genes was 37.76%, 19.75%, and 4.72%, respectively. This mutation profile in our study is distinct from other parts of China, with high mutation rate of GJB2 suggesting a unique mutation spectrum in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This study explored the importance of hepatitis B virus infection in cholangiocarcinoma pathogenesis in northern China. The clinical data of 66 patients with cholangiocarcinoma were analyzed. The hepatitis B virus gene was amplified using nested polymerase chain reaction, and the hepatitis B virus–related antigen was detected using immunohistochemistry in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue from patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (n = 23) and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (n = 43). Hepatitis B surface antigen seropositivity was found in 52.2% (12/23) of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma cases and 13.9% (6/43) of extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma cases. Hepatitis B virus DNA (X region) was detectable in 34.8% (8/23) of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma cases. Hepatitis B surface antigen and/or hepatitis B core antigen was detectable in 30.4% (7/23) of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma cases. All cases with detected viral protein were also positive for hepatitis B virus DNA. In contrast, no hepatitis B virus antigens or hepatitis B virus gene was detected in any of the 43 extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma cases. Our findings strongly suggest that chronic hepatitis B virus infection is a significant risk factor for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, but not for extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, in northern China. Hepatitis B virus infection is potentially independently associated with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Cynoglossus semilaevis Günther is an important marine aquaculture fish in coastal areas of Northern China, produced by high-density, intensive factory aquaculture. However, large-scale deaths of fish have been associated with clinical signs, including an enlarged abdomen, body surface ulceration, and greyish-white nodules in the spleen and kidney. Strain BS123 was isolated from diseased C. semilaevis , and shown in infection experiments to be associated with 93.3% cumulative mortality, including clinical signs similar to those in naturally diseased fish. The identification, whole-genome sequencing, and comparative genome analysis were carried out in this study. Strain BS123 was identified as Mycobacterium ulcerans ecovar Liflandii based on physiological and biochemical characteristics and genome evolution analysis. It had a full-length genome of 6,228,372 bp and carried a plasmid of 105,858 bp. The genome contained 5934 coding genes, three CRISPR sequences, 28 pathogenic gene islands, and 228 copies of insertion sequence IS 2404 gene. Multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) and ribosomal (r)MLST analysis suggested that the types of strain BS123 were ST123 and rMLST 31,973, respectively. Collinearity analysis showed a good collinear relationship between strain BS123 and M. ulcerans ecovar Liflandii strain 128FXT. A phylogenetic tree showed that the BS123 was closely related to M. ulcerans ecovar Liflandii 128FXT and belonged to the same evolutionary branch as M. ulcerans. Compared with M. marinum (E11), M. ulcerans ecovar Liflandii (128FXT), and M. ulcerans (Agy99) strains, the strain BS123 had 33 unique gene clusters. In summary, M. ulcerans ecovar Liflandii was found to be the cause of disease outbreak in C. semilaevis. This is the first report of an aquaculture marine fish being infected by M. ulcerans ecovar Liflandii. In addition, the genome sequence of this bacterium provides the scientific basis for epidemiological and genetic evolution studies, and for the development of vaccines against M. ulcerans ecovar Liflandii. Thus, this study lays the foundation for the scientific prevention and control of mycobacterial diseases in C. semilaevis. • Mycobacterium ulcerans ecovar Liflandii is the pathogen of the outbreak of farmed Chinese tongue sole. • The whole genome of strain BS123 was sequenced and analyzed. • A large number of CAZy gene families were identified in genome of strain BS123. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Compared coking and heat transfer of RP-3 in the corrugated and smooth channels. • Identified heat transfer deterioration in corrugated channel due to coke deposition. • Observed periodic wavy structures at fluid-solid interface in corrugated channel. • Obtained heat transfer correlation for RP-3 reacting flow in corrugated channel. Coking and heat transfer deterioration of supercritical aviation kerosene pose grave challenges to regenerative cooling of scramjet engines. In the present study, reaction and heat transfer characteristics of supercritical China aviation kerosene No. 3, RP-3 undergoing simultaneous pyrolysis and steam reforming reactions in a corrugated channel are numerically studied. Compared with reacting flow of RP-3 in the smooth channel, temperature and coke deposition are much lower in majority part of the corrugated channel. The maximum temperature difference between the smooth and corrugated channels is up to 300K. The maximum heat transfer coefficient in the corrugated channel is almost three times of that in the smooth channel under the same condition. However, low-velocity and high-temperature zones are formed near the corrugated micro-structures and cause coke accumulation and heat transfer deterioration along the flow direction of the corrugated channel. With the increase of wall heat flux, both temperature and velocity increase significantly in the corrugated channel. The conversion of RP-3 and formation of coke are also enhanced with increasing wall heat flux. Moreover, the total heat transfer coefficient first increases and then decreases with wall heat flux. The maximum total heat transfer coefficient increases from 4000W/m2∙K to 18,000W/m2∙K with wall heat flux increasing from 0.3MW/m2 to 1.8MW/m2. Periodic wavy structures are found at the interface between the corrugated micro-structure and the bulk flow, which is pronounced when wall heat flux is 1.3MW/m2 or above. With the increase of flow time, local turbulent kinetic energy decreases due to the interaction between the corrugated micro-structures and the wavy structures. The interaction between the corrugated structures and complex reaction and heat transfer leads to intersection of the distributions of temperature and coke in the smooth and the corrugated channels. An empirical heat transfer correlation formula is obtained as Nu =0.1 Re 0.65 Pr 1.94 for RP-3 reacting flow in the corrugated channel. The study provides better insight into interaction mechanism between chemically reacting flow and micro corrugated structures. Comparison of temperature, coke mass fraction and heat transfer coefficient between the smooth cooling channel and the corrugated cooling channel [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Milky disease of Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis caused by Metschnikowia bicuspidata is a novel disease with high mortality. No effective treatment is currently available, but a rapid, accurate detection method is required for the prevention and control of the disease. In this study, the genome-sequencing results of M. bicuspidata and similar species were used for comparative genomic analysis for genes specific to M. bicuspidata. A quantitative PCR (qPCR) detection method for M. bicuspidata was then established using the specific primers and probes designed according to the sequence of a hypothetical protein gene specific to M. bicuspidata. The assay was found to have a high degree of repeatability and reproducibility, with a linear dynamic range (R2 = 0.998) extending over 9 log10 dilutions and a high efficiency (100.7%). Furthermore, the method showed high sensitivity, being able to detect at least 11.3 copies μl-1 of recombinant plasmid, and strong specificity, without any cross-reaction with any of the 9 species of yeast that are closely related to M. bicuspidata or any of 16 species of pathogenic bacteria commonly observed in aquatic animals. The established method was used to examine 138 apparently healthy crabs collected from 22 farms, with 21 samples (15.2%) found to be M. bicuspidata-positive. Thus, the developed qPCR assay is a specific, sensitive, stable, and rapid diagnostic method for the detection and quantification of M. bicuspidata DNA from E. sinensis tissues.

Mutations in the mitochondrial tRNAs have been reported to be the important cause of hearing loss. However, only a few cases have been identified thus far and the prevalence of mitochondrial tRNA mutations in hearing-impaired patients remain unclear. Here we performed the mutational analysis of 22 mitochondrial tRNA genes in a large cohort of 887 Han Chinese subjects with hearing loss by Sanger sequencing. The systemic evaluation of putative pathogenic variants was further carried out by frequency in controls (<1%), phylogenetic analysis, structural analysisandfunctionalprediction. As a result, a total of 147 variants on 22 tRNA genes were identified. Among these, 39 tRNA mutations (10 pathogenic and 29 likely pathogenic) which absent or present <1% in 773 Chinese controls, localized at highly conserved nucleotides, or changed the modified nucleotides, could have potential structural alterations and functional significance, thereby considered to be deafness-associated mutations. Furthermore, 44 subjects carried one of these 39 pathogenic/likely pathogenic tRNA mutations with a total prevalence of 4.96%. However, the phenotypic variability and incomplete penetrance of hearing loss in pedigrees carrying these tRNA mutations indicate the involvement of modifier factors, such as nuclear encoded genes associated with mitochondrion biogenesis, mitochondrial haplotypes, epigenetic and environmental factors. Thus, our data provide the evidence that mitochondrial tRNA mutations are the important causes of hearing loss among Chinese population. These findings further increase our knowledge on the clinical relevance of tRNA mutations in the mitochondrial genome, and should be helpful to elucidate the pathogenesis of maternal hearing loss., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Few studies have focused on PD-L1 expression in medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). Expressions of PD-1 and PD-L1 and their clinicopathologic and prognostic relevance were therefore further investigated on a relatively large population of MTC patients., Materials and Methods: Surgical specimens were obtained from 87 MTC patients during a median follow-up of 37.7 months. PD-1 and PD-L1 expressions on tumor and associated immune cells were studied immunohistochemically using >1% positive cells as a threshold for positivity. Their correlations with clinicopathologic and prognostic feature were analyzed., Results: PD-1 and PD-L1 were positively stained in 22 and 19 MTC patients. Most PD-L1-positive cases (18/19) showed weak to moderate staining intensity. PD-1 and PD-L1 were co-expressed in 11 patients. PD-L1 positivity was significantly correlated with distant metastases at surgery (21.1% vs 1.5%, P = 0.007). Coexpression of PD-1 and PD-L1 in MTC was correlated with advanced pathologic TNM stage III/IV (P = 0.040) and distant metastases at surgery (P = 0.013). However, there was no other clinicopathologic and prognostic relevance regarding to PD-1, PD-L1 or their coexpression in our MTC patients., Conclusion: PD-1/PD-L1 pathway was expressed in MTC patients and was significantly correlated with the distant metastases at surgery, which may shed light on PD-1/PD-L1 as a promising therapeutic target in MTC. Future better understanding of PD-1/PD-L1 expression and their relationship with immunotherapy response may provide direct evidence for management of refractory MTC., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd, BASO ~ The Association for Cancer Surgery, and the European Society of Surgical Oncology. All rights reserved.)

Hearing impairment is one of the most common sensory disease, of which more than 50% is attributed to a genetic etiology. The goal of this research is to explore the genetic cause of a Chinese deafness pedigree who was excluded of GJB2 , SLC26A4 , or MtDNA12SrRNA variants. Three variants, c.3971C>A (p.A1324D), c.4011insA (p.Q1337Qfs ∗ 22), and c.9690+1G>A, in the MYO15A gene were identified by targeted capture sequencing and Sanger sequencing, and the first two of them were novel. These variants were cosegregated with the disease in this family and absent in 200 normal hearing persons. They were concluded to be pathogenic mutations by phylogenetic analysis and structure modeling. Thus, the combined use of SNPScan assay and targeted capture sequencing is a high-efficiency and cost-effective screening procedure for hereditary hearing loss. Genetic counseling would be important for this family, and our finding would be a great supplement to the mutation spectrum of MYO15A .

The mutations of GJB2, SLC26A4, and mtDNA12SrRNA are the most common inherited causes of nonsyndromic sensorineural hearing loss (NSHL) in China, yet previous genetic screenings were mainly carried on patients with moderate-to-profound impairment. We aimed to detect the mutation frequencies in NSHL population within a more specified range of severity. Patients with profound NSHL who had undergone cochlear implantation in the Shandong Provincial Hospital (Shandong, China) were recruited. The majority (n  =  472) were between 0.7 and 6 years old, and the remaining (n  =  63) were between 6 and 70 years old. In total, 115 mutation alleles of the three genes were screened with SNP scan assay. Of the patients, 19.44% (104/535) were found to have GJB2 mutations, and the most common allele was c.235delC, followed by c.299&#95;300delAT and c.109G>A. SLC26A4 mutations were detected in 13.46% patients (72/535), and the most common allele was c.919-2A>G (IVS7-2A>G), followed by c.1174A>T and c.2168A>G. Seven patients (1.31%) carried mutations in mtDNA12SrRNA, with the alleles of m.1555A>G and m.1494C>T. We found the allele frequency of c.109G>A (GJB2) was relatively lower in the profound NSHL population in comparison to the moderate-to-profound ones, and the c.1174A>T (SLC26A4) relatively higher. It suggests those mutations may be connected with the degree of deafness, which needs more observations and analyses to support., (© 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd/University College London.)

Objective: To investigate the genetic causes of hearing loss in a two generation Chinese family with enlarged vestibular aqueduct syndrome (EVAS)., Methods: Clinical and genetic evaluations were conducted in a deaf proband and her normal-hearing parents. Sanger sequencing analysis of all the 21 exons, the exon-intron boundaries and the promoter in SLC26A4 gene was performed to detect the pathogenic mutations. PCR-restricted fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) was used to further identify the mutation. Phylogenetic analysis was carried out with multiple sequence alignment using BioEdit software. Three-dimensional (3D) modeling of the human wild-type and mutant SLC26A4 (NP&#95;000432.1) was carried out using I-TASSER (http://zhanglab.ccmb.med.umich.edu/)., Results: Clinical examinations showed that the proband suffered from typical features of sensorineural hearing loss with enlarged vestibular aqueduct. A novel nonsense mutation c.2118C>A (p.C706X) in exon 19 was identified in compound heterozygosity with the splice-site mutation c.919-2A>G in the proband by using Sanger sequencing. The mother was a heterozygous carrier of c.919-2A>G in intron 7, while the father was a heterozygous carrier of c.2118C>A. The mutation c.2118C>A was not found in 200 unrelated controls using Sanger sequencing. PCR-RFLP showed the PCR product of the proband was not digested at 2110 by Fau I because of the c.2118C>A mutation. 3D-structure modeling indicated that the mutation c.2118C>A resulted in a truncate Pendrin protein. Protein alignment indicated high conservation of p.C706 residue in healthy Homo, Nomascus, Pan, Macaca, Canis, Sus, Mus, Rattus, Cricetulus and Xenopus., Conclusions: This study revealed a novel heterozygous mutation c.2118C>A (p.C706X) compound with c.919-2A>G in SLC26A4 gene in a patient with EVAS., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Mutations in MYO7A gene have been reported to be associated with Usher Syndrome type 1B (USH1B) and nonsyndromic hearing loss (DFNB2, DFNA11). Most mutations in MYO7A gene caused USH1B, whereas only a few reported mutations led to DFNB2 and DFNA11. The current study was designed to investigate the mutations among a Chinese family with autosomal recessive hearing loss., Methods: In this study, we present the clinical, genetic and molecular characteristics of a Chinese family. Targeted capture of 127 known deafness genes and next-generation sequencing were employed to study the genetic causes of two siblings in the Chinese family. Sanger sequencing was employed to examine those variant mutations in the members of this family and other ethnicity-matched controls., Results: We identified the novel compound heterozygous mutant alleles of MYO7A gene: a novel missense mutation c.3671C>A (p.A1224D) and a reported insert mutation c.390&#95;391insC (p.P131PfsX9). Variants were further confirmed by Sanger sequencing. These two compound heterozygous variants were co-segregated with autosomal recessive hearing loss phenotype. The gene mutation analysis and protein sequence alignment further supported that the novel compound heterozygous mutations were pathogenic., Conclusion: The novel compound heterozygous mutations (c.3671C>A and c.390&#95;391insC) in MYO7A gene identified in this study were responsible for the autosomal recessive sensorineural hearing loss of this Chinese family., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Conclusion: The novel compound heterozygous mutation in PAX3 was the key genetic reason for WS1 in this family, which was useful to the molecular diagnosis of WS1., Purpose: Screening the pathogenic mutations in a four generation Chinese family with Waardenburg syndrome type I (WS1)., Methods: WS1 was diagnosed in a 4-year-old boy according to the Waardenburg syndrome Consortium criteria. The detailed family history revealed four affected members in the family. Routine clinical, audiological examination, and ophthalmologic evaluation were performed on four affected and 10 healthy members in this family. The genetic analysis was conducted, including the targeted next-generation sequencing of 127 known deafness genes combined with Sanger sequencing, TA clone and bioinformatic analysis., Results: A novel compound heterozygous mutation c.[169&#95;170insC;172&#95;174delAAG] (p.His57ProfsX55) was identified in PAX3, which was co-segregated with WS1 in the Chinese family. This mutation was absent in the unaffected family members and 200 ethnicity-matched controls. The phylogenetic analysis and three-dimensional (3D) modeling of Pax3 protein further confirmed that the novel compound heterozygous mutation was pathogenic.

Two waterworks, with source water derived from the Huangpu or Yangtze River in Shanghai, were investigated, and the effluents were plate-screened for antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) using five antibiotics: ampicillin (AMP), kanamycin (KAN), rifampicin (RFP), chloramphenicol (CM) and streptomycin (STR). The influence of water treatment procedures on the bacterial antibiotic resistance rate and the changes that bacteria underwent when exposed to the five antibiotics at concentration levels ranging from 1 to 100 μg/mL were studied. Multi-drug resistance was also analyzed using drug sensitivity tests. The results indicated that bacteria derived from water treatment plant effluent that used the Huangpu River rather than the Yangtze River as source water exhibited higher antibiotic resistance rates against AMP, STR, RFP and CM but lower antibiotic resistance rates against KAN. When the antibiotic concentration levels ranged from 1 to 10 μg/mL, the antibiotic resistance rates of the bacteria in the water increased as water treatment progressed. Biological activated carbon (BAC) filtration played a key role in increasing the antibiotic resistance rate of bacteria. Chloramine disinfection can enhance antibiotic resistance. Among the isolated ARB, 75% were resistant to multiple antibiotics. Ozone oxidation, BAC filtration and chloramine disinfection can greatly affect the relative abundance of bacteria in the community., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Community diversity and abundance of biofilms from a full-scale drinking water distribution system in Shanghai were characterized by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis of 16S rRNA sequences and heterotrophic plate count (HPC), respectively. Bacteria affiliated to the Beta- and Gamma-Proteobacteria were dominating in both in-situ and HPC-culturable bacterial communities. Other bacteria present included members of Alphaproteobacteria, Bacteroides, Actinobacteria, Nitrospirae and Firmicutes. Acidovorax, Ralstonia and Acinetobacter were common species in biofilms. Klebsiella pneumoniae and Enterobacter sp. were detected in the local distribution system. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC), residual disinfectant and temperature were the most important factors influencing both bacterial abundance and composition. HPC for biofilm sample was not correlated with its community diversity.

The paper describes the quality of water source in Shanghai, China and its water supply system. The effect of purification by traditional water treatment process and the effluent biological stability were evaluated by measuring quality parameters in the water supply system. The data showed that the main pollutants in the water source of Huangpu River were organics and ammonia. The conventional water treatment process is not effective to remove these pollutants. Concentrations of nitrite, nitrate, ammonia and UV254 are affected by the water distribution system (DS). The effect is more obvious especially for nitrate and UV254. In addition, the turbidity and chroma increased along the water supply system. The data obtained in this study show the extent of biological instability of drinking water in Shanghai.