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Background: Elizabethkingia meningoseptica infections have gradually emerged as life-threatening nosocomial infections worldwide, accompanied by increasing incidence, multidrug resistance and poor outcomes. However, the epidemiology and clinical features of E. meningoseptica infection are still limited in mainland China. Methods: Patients with E. meningoseptica infections from 2011 to 2019 in southwestern China were retrospectively analyzed. The clinical features, infection patterns and outcomes were extracted from medical records and analyzed. A comprehensive systematic review was performed in accordance with PRISMA guidelines from conception to August 23, 2021. Results: Ninety-two patients were ultimately included, with the prevalence rapidly rising from 0 in 2011 to 0.19 per 1000 inpatients in 2019. A total of 93.48% of E. meningoseptica isolates were multidrug resistant, including 100% resistance to carbapenem. Furthermore, 75% of E. meningoseptica infections were concomitant with other pathogens. The mortality of our cohort was 36.96%, with risk factors for mechanical ventilation (OR=9.51, P=0.004), male sex (OR=0.27, P=0.031) and more concomitant pathogens. After propensity score matching, central venous catheters, exposure to carbapenem and antifungal drugs, and underlying tumors were associated with E. meningoseptica infection. Sixteen articles were also summarized, with reported mortality rates ranging from 11.0% to 66.6%. Blood and respiratory tract were the common sources. Piperacillin/tazobactam, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, fluoroquinolone and minocycline were the most sensitive antibiotics. Inappropriate antibiotic treatment was the most commonly reported risk factor for mortality. Conclusion: Nosocomial infection with E. meningoseptica has become an emerging problem with high mortality in southwestern China. Inappropriate antibiotic treatment and central venous catheters are risk factors for infection and death and should receive adequate attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aqueduct, one kind of bridge structure overpassing a long space, is a significant structure for water delivery for the purpose of agricultural or domestic usage. Aqueduct has quite different loads from other forms of bridges, of which temperature effects due to the environment temperature change, such as seasonal weather or radiation from sunshine, are of great importance. With water flowing inside, the temperature boundary of aqueducts, especially for steel aqueducts, is much more complicated, and relevant researches are limited. In this paper, a 3D Finite Element Method (FEM) simulation process is presented to analyze temperature distribution on the cross-section of a new-type steel truss aqueduct, which belongs to the Water Transfer Project from Yangtze River to Huai River in China. ASHRAE clear-sky model is used to calculate the solar-radiation variation, including direct radiation, diffuse sky radiation, and ground reflected radiation on steel surfaces. The time-dependent sunshine radiation angle of incidence and shielding effect of steel trusses are considered. The water inside the aqueduct is also included in this model, which significantly influences the temperatures of the inner surfaces of the aqueduct. Several temperature distributions under critical conditions of winter and summer are shown in this study, and results of the empty aqueduct under the same circumstances are also provided as a comparison. The effects of wind speed, geographic latitude, and direction of the aqueduct are examined. The conclusions and approach provided by this study could serve as significant references for thermal design and control of similar steel truss aqueducts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Explosions always lead to serious public health, social, and economic problems. We investigated the epidemiology, outcomes, and costs of burn patients caused by explosion accident in Southwest China to explore more effective prevention and treatment strategies. This retrospective study included 497 inpatients with burns during explosion accident admitted to the Institute of Burn Research of Army Medical University from 2002 to 2016. A total of 497 cases (77.78% males) were found, accounting for 2.37% of the total burn patients. The average age was 34.38 ± 15.02 years. The most common etiology was gas explosions (51.51%). Most of the cases were caused by work-related activities. The average TBSA was 31.30 ± 28.32%. The median length of stay (LOS) was 31 days. The LOS was correlated with TBSA, full-thickness burns, older age, number of operations and outcome. The major factors determining the cost were larger TBSA, full-thickness burns, and higher cure rate. The mortality was 6.44%. Larger TBSA and older age were the most important risk factors for the mortality. This study suggested that special attention should be paid to prevent burns during explosion accident in adult males with occupational exposure. In the future, more effective and practical strategies for preventing and treating burns during explosion accident based on related risk factors should be implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Climate change increased the surface runoff in Zhangye City during 2016–2030. • Total water consumption increased by 8.11% with a small GDP expansion of 0.12%. • Agricultures benefited most. Contrarily, export-oriented sectors damaged most. • Underground and other water's demand rise due to the agricultural sectors' expansion. • Land mostly transferred from economic crops to grain crops. Zhangye City is a representative agricultural city in China where agriculture depends heavily on precipitation in the Heihe River Basin; water use for agriculture plays a key role in the sustainable development of total water resources. This study, based on the predicted surface runoff by GCM, uses a CGE model with a water-land resources account, to analyze the impact of climate change on Zhangye City's economy and agricultural water consumption. The results show that climate change increases surface runoff by 8.84%. The increasing surface runoff contributes most to the total water consumption, increasing by 8.11% accompanied by a small GDP expansion of 0.12%. Relative to the industrial structure, agricultural sectors benefit most. Contrarily, export-oriented industrial sectors see a decrease in benefit, resulting in employment migrating to lower value-added agricultural sectors. From the water types, the consumption for underground and other water also rise by 6.69% and 5.73% respectively, due to the economic scale expansion effect of the agricultural sectors. For varieties of crops, grain crops consume more water because of its greater water intensity. And the land is mostly transferred from economic crops to grain crops. Therefore, the government should pay attention to changes in the consumption propensity of water resources, continue to promote agricultural water-saving measures and the adjustment of agricultural planting structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethnopharmacological relevance Dendrobium aurantiacum var. denneanumis widespread in southern China, locally known as “Shihu”, “Huangcao” or “Fengdou”, has long been used in traditional Chinese medicine for antipyretic, immunomodulatory, anti-aging effects and eye benefiting. Aim of this study To investigate the effects of gigantol extracted from the stem of D. aurantiacum var. denneanum on the formation of galactose-induced cataractogenesis and the potential mechanisms underlying these effects. Materials and methods Cataract lens models were induced by d -galactose both in vitro and in vivo . The transparency of the rat lenses in vitro and in vivo was observed with an anatomical microscope and a slit lamp microscope. The differential protein and action targets of gigantol were determined and compared among the control group, model group, and gigantol group using two-dimensional electrophoresis and mass spectrometry (MS). Enzyme kinetics was used to show the ability of gigantol to respress aldose reductase (AR) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). Quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR). was used to detect repression of the expression of AR and iNOS genes. Molecular docking and dynamic simulation were used to predict the interaction points and combination patterns between gigantol, AR, and iNOS. Results Gigantol was found to prevent galactose-induced damage to the rat lenses both in vitro and in vivo , to delay lens turbidity, and to keep the lenses transparent. Differential proteomes, MS, and RT-qPCR showed AR and iNOS to be the target proteins of gigantol. Gigantol reduced the galactose-induced AR and iNOS mRNA expression by 51.2% and 60.9%, respectively. The IC50 of gigantol for inhibition of AR and iNOS activities were 65.67 μg/mL and 8.768 μg/mL, respectively. Gigantol–AR binding sites were Trp111, His110, Tyr48, and Trp20, and gigantol–iNOS binding sites were Ile195 and Gln257. The main forms of interaction were hydrophobic forces, hydrogen bonds, and van der Waals forces. Conclusion Gigantol extracted from D. aurantiacum var. denneanum was found to inhibit galactose-induced formation of cataracts through repression of the gene expression and activity of AR and iNOS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change would pose a direct and severe challenge to China's rice production and self-sufficiency. Here we use Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP) model to evaluate the impacts of climate change on the self-sufficiency of rice in China due to 2 °C rise in temperature, and further analyze the impact and transmission mechanisms of climate change through market and trade. Our simulation method switches different regional mechanisms in the GTAP model by employing alternative closures and scenarios. Our results suggest that the fluctuation in rice price is much larger than that of rice production. The active regional feedback mechanism has much larger effects than the passive one in assessing climate change impacts. With the passive regional feedback mechanism (Single Regional General Equilibrium, SRGE and Multi-Regional General Equilibrium with China's shock, MRGE_C), China's rice export would decrease by more than 8%, and import would increase by over 5%, which leads to a decrease in rice self-sufficiency by more than 0.06 percentage points. With the active regional feedback mechanism (Multi-Regional General Equilibrium with global shock, MRGE_W), climate change will increase China's rice export by 2.7% as rising rice exports to South Korea overweight the export decrease to other countries, concurrently, China's rice import would decrease by 0.04%, which leads to a slight increase in rice self-sufficiency. As a whole, climate change will not severely threaten China's rice self-sufficiency. By the decomposition analysis, climate change impacts on China's rice self-sufficiency mainly depend on the changes in China's domestic rice production. Interestingly, the source of China's rice import will switch from Vietnam to Pakistan under MRGE_W, which derives from the input structure of paddy rice and rice sectors in different countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• HPLC fingerprint and chemometric methods were combined. • Changes in composition and origins of fried licorice were predicted. • Quality of different batches of fried licorice from different areas was examined. • Results provide theoretical support for quality control of fried licorice. • Results can be used for the development and utilization of licorice resources. Fried licorice is obtained by frying licorice without using any auxiliary materials, and it is widely used both as food and medicine in China. To explore the influence of licorice origin on the quality of fried licorice, a method based on fingerprinting and chemometrics was developed. Twenty batches of licorice were selected from four locations. The reference chromatograms of each location were established via similarity analysis. Chemometric methods, such as cluster, principal component, and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analyses were used to evaluate the changes in the composition of fried licorice, predict its origin, and reflect its quality. Mass spectrometry was used to identify the chemical components. Finally, an origin prediction function was established via discriminant analysis to trace the origin of licorice. The model was demonstrated to be stable, reliable, and accurate in predicting licorice origin and to provide a reference for origin traceability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Healthy aquatic ecosystems can offer basic ecological services for the sustainable development of humans and society. Water quality greatly influences the macroinvertebrate community in aquatic ecosystems and can alter the aquatic ecosystem's health status. However, the quantitative relationship between macroinvertebrate community and water quality factors in rivers remains unclear, particularly in urban rivers, which are strongly affected by human activities. Therefore, a new framework for the quantitative analysis between macroinvertebrate community and key water quality driving factors was developed in the study, meanwhile, the aquatic ecosystem health conditions were evaluated and validated by different methods. The framework was applied to a typical urban river, the North Canal River, which is regarded as the "mother river" of Beijing. Combined with the redundancy analysis (RDA) and the threshold indicator taxa analysis (TITAN), the water quality driving factors and their indicator species were identified and the corresponding response threshold was determined. Based on the benthic index of biotic integrity (B-IBI), the multi-metric rapid bioassessment method, and the biological monitoring working party (BMWP) score, the aquatic ecosystem health condition in the basin was comprehensively evaluated. The results show that fluoride, biochemical oxygen demand, ammonia-nitrogen and total phosphorus were the key water quality driving factors influencing the community structure of macroinvertebrates. Four indicator species of ammonia-nitrogen were identified by the TITAN method with a threshold range of 1.09-6.94 mg L -1 , and three indicator species of total phosphorus were identified with a threshold range of 0.48-1.27 mg L -1 . According to the results of the aquatic ecosystem health assessment, the river ecosystem was generally unhealthy and the upstream was better than downstream; the health condition in the mountainous areas of Changping district was the best, while that in Chaoyang district and the central city area was the worst. The framework could provide a strong basis for ecological restoration and pollution control of the urban rivers and become an important tool for the rehabilitation of aquatic ecosystems., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

BACKGROUND This retrospective study aimed to investigate the epidemiology of burns to the hand, including the causes, demographic data, management, and outcome in a single center in Southwest China between 2012 and 2017. MATERIAL AND METHODS A retrospective study included 470 patients with hand burns who were treated at a single hospital in Southwest China between 2012 and 2017. Demographic, injury-related, and clinical data were obtained from the clinical electronic data collection system. RESULTS In 470 patients, men were more commonly admitted to hospital with hand burns (73.62%). Children under 10 years (29.57%) were the main patient group. Hospital admissions occurred in the coldest months, from December to March (55.11%). In 60.21% of cases, hand burns occurred outside the workplace. Fire (40.42%), electricity (30.85%), and hot liquids (20.21%) were the main causes of hand burns. Data from 428 patients showed that burns with a larger total body surface area and deeper burns were associated with surgery and amputation. Burn depth was a risk factor for skin grafting, and lack of burn cooling before hospital admission increased the risk of amputation. Data from 117 patients with localized burns showed that full-thickness burns and lack of cooling before admission were associated with an increased hospital stay. CONCLUSIONS The findings suggest that in Southwest China, prevention programs for children aged 0-9 years, injuries occurring in winter and non-workplace sites, and fire burns were imperative.

Chinese strong-flavored liquor (CSFL) accounts for more than 70% of all Chinese liquor production. Microbes in pit mud play key roles in the fermentation cellar for the CSFL production. However, microbial diversity, community structure, and cellar-age-related changes in pit mud are poorly understood. Here, we investigated the prokaryotic community structure and diversity in pit-mud samples with different cellar ages (1, 10, 25, and 50 years) using the pyrosequencing technique. Results indicated that prokaryotic diversity increased with cellar age until the age reached 25 years and that prokaryotic community structure changed significantly between three cellar ages (1, 10, and 25 years). Significant correlations between prokaryotic communities and environmental variables (pH, NH4(+), lactic acid, butyric acid, and caproic acid) were observed. Overall, our study results suggested that the long-term brewing operation shapes unique prokaryotic community structure and diversity as well as pit-mud chemistry. We have proposed a three-phase model to characterize the changes of pit-mud prokaryotic communities. (i) Phase I is an initial domestication period. Pit mud is characterized by abundant Lactobacillus and high lactic acid and low pH levels. (ii) Phase II is a transition period. While Lactobacillus abundance decreases dramatically, that of Bacteroidetes and methanogens increases. (iii) Phase III is a relative mature period. The prokaryotic community shows the highest diversity and capability to produce more caproic acid as a precursor for synthesis of ethyl caproate, the main flavor component in CSFL. This research provides scientific evidence to support the practical experience that old fermentation cellars produce high-quality liquor.

The pediatric epileptic spectrum and seizure control in surgical patients have been defined in developed countries. However, corresponding data on school-aged children from developing countries are insufficient. We summarized epileptic surgical data from four centers in China, to compare surgical outcomes of school-aged children with intractable partial epilepsy from China and those from developed countries, and introduce surgical candidate criteria. Data from 206 children (aged 6-14 years) undergoing surgical resection for epilepsy between September 2001 and January 2007 were selected. Postoperative freedom from seizures was achieved in 173 cases (84.0%) at 1 year, 149 (72.3%) at 3 years, and 139 (67.5%) at 5 years. Patients with focal magnetic resonance imaging abnormalities and a short history of seizure were most likely to become seizure-free postoperatively. Those with preoperative low intelligence quotients who became seizure-free postoperatively achieved improvements in full memory quotients, intelligence quotients, and overall quality of life at 2 years. Significant differences were evident in mean changes of full intelligence quotient, full memory quotient, and overall quality of life between patients with preoperative low intelligence quotients who received corpus callosotomies and those with a normal preoperative intelligence quotient, and between seizure-free children and those with continual seizures., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the blood lead level of 3 - 5 year old children living in the cities in China and to provide scientific data for making policy on environmental lead pollution for children health protection., Methods: Six thousand five hundred and two vein blood samples from 3 - 5 year old children in nineteen cities of nine provinces were sampled. Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) were employed to determine lead level in whole blood after microwave digestion for sample preparation and questionnaire survey was also performed. Data were analyzed with multiple regression on factors which affecting blood lead levels., Results: Results showed that mean blood lead level was 88.3 micro g/L for 3 - 5 year old children living in the cities in China and mean blood lead level of boys (91.1 micro g/L) was higher than that of girls (87.3 micro g/L). Twenty-nine point nine one per cent of the children's blood lead level exceeded 100 micro g/L. The research finding showed: (1) higher blood lead levels had negative effects on children's physical growth, language ability etc. (2) behavior of parents had certain effects on children's blood lead levels. (3) blood lead levels of children were affected by unhealthy habits., Conclusions: Problem of childhood lead poisoning in China has become more serious. During the past ten years, blood lead levels of children has been increased in China while decreasing in developed countries. Blood lead levels of children in China are higher than that of developed countries, which called for special concern by government and society.