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Soil water-holding capacity decreases due to long-term mineral fertilizer application. The objective of this study was to determine how replacing mineral fertilizer with maize straw affected the soil water retention curve, soil water content, soil water availability, and soil equivalent pore size. Replacement treatments in which 25% (S25), 50% (S50), 75% (S75), and 100% (S100) of 225 kg ha−1 nitrogen from mineral fertilizer (CK) was replaced with equivalent nitrogen from maize straw were conducted for five years in the Loess Plateau of China. The Gardner model was used to fit the soil water retention curve and calculate the soil water constant and equivalent pore size distribution. The results indicated that the Gardner model fitted well. Replacing nitrogen from mineral fertilizer with nitrogen from straw increased soil specific water capacity, soil readily available water, soil delayed available water, soil available water, soil capillary porosity, and soil available water porosity over time. S25 increased field capacity and wilting point from the fourth fertilization year. S50 enhanced soil readily available water, soil delayed available water, soil available water, and soil available water porosity from the fifth fertilization year, whereas S25 and S75 increased these from the third fertilization year or earlier. Soil specific water capacity, soil readily available water, soil delayed available water, soil available water, soil capillary porosity, and soil available water porosity could better reflect soil water-holding capacity and soil water supply capacity compared with field capacity and wilting point. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The long-term and excessive use of mineral fertilizers in a semi-arid region with severe water shortage will lead to soil compaction and poor water-holding capacity. The fertilization method of manure instead of mineral fertilizer has attracted wide attention. It has adverse consequences for the growth and development of crops. Hence, the objective of this study was to determine how replacing mineral fertilizer with manure affects the soil water retention curve, soil water constant, soil water availability, and soil equivalent pore size distribution, and to seek the best scheme of applying manure in semi-arid area and provide theoretical a basis for improving soil water retention capacity. Here, 0% (CK), 25% (M25), 50% (M50), 75% (M75), and 100% (M100) of 225 kg ha−1 nitrogen from mineral fertilizer were replaced with equivalent nitrogen from manure in the Loess Plateau of China under semi-arid conditions. The centrifuge method was used to determine the soil volumetric water content under different water suction levels, and the Gardner model was used to fit and draw its soil water retention curve, and then calculate the soil water constant and equivalent pore size distribution. The results showed that the Gardner model fitted well. The soil saturated water content with the M100 treatment was the highest, whereas the specific water capacity, water availability, and soil porosity with the M75 treatment were the highest. The soil saturated water content showed a downward trend with the increase in nitrogen from manure instead of nitrogen from mineral fertilizer in the partial replacement treatments. This downward trend slowed down over time. The M75 treatment increased field capacity. The M100 treatment increased soil capillary porosity, soil available water porosity, and soil water availability compared with CK from the fifth fertilization. Replacement treatments increased the specific water capacity, soil saturated water content, soil water availability, soil porosity, and reduced the wilting point over time. In the replacement treatments, specific soil water capacity, soil water availability, and soil porosity first rose and then declined with the increase in nitrogen provided by manure replacing that provided by mineral fertilizer. Therefore, the soil water holding capacity and water supply capacity with the M75 treatment were the best. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Naotic dissepiments are special structures of rugose corals, characterized by a column of distally arched plates at peripheral parts of thick septa or within the cystozone. In this study, naotic‐dissepimented colonial rugose corals Gyanyimaphyllum crassiseptatum and Ipciphyllum naoticum and their associated microfacies were documented from the Late Permian Gyanyima section in Tibet, southwestern China. The morphology of the Gyanyima naotic‐dissepimented corals is cerioid massive forms or fasciculate forms with connected individuals, with broken skeletons. Between coral colonies and/or skeletons, the interspaces are occupied by highly fragmented bioclasts and sparry calcite. These biotic and sedimentary characteristics suggest that the Gyanyima naotic‐dissepimented corals could have developed in high water‐energy environments above fair‐weather wave‐base. This implies that the development of naotic dissepiments was probably related to an enhanced hydrodynamic force. According to a review on the Permian naotic‐dissepimented rugose corals in China, they are mainly composed of massive colonial forms with a few fasciculate colonial and solitary forms. Current available data indicate that they could occur in bioclastic grainstones and oncoid limestones with eroded skeletons, which also support a conclusion that naotic dissepiments formed in turbulent environments. Based on the ontogenic studies on naotic‐dissepimented rugose corals, naotic dissepiments occur sporadically in the neanic stage and are well developed but not permanently and uniformly in adult stage. Furthermore, different species in the same genus have different degrees of development of naotic dissepiments, which might imply that naotic dissepiments are not suitable to be an important taxonomic character in higher than species level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nucleic acid amplification testing (NAT) for blood screening has been previously performed in some countries to determine NAT yields. The current study sought to explore the non-discriminating reactive NAT yields using individual-NAT (ID-NAT) and characteristics of HBV NAT yields through a 10-year retrospective analysis in Zhejiang, China.Methods: Blood donations were analyzed using individual-NAT mode by the transcription-mediated amplification (TMA) method. Supplementary HBV serological tests were performed using chemiluminescent immunoassay, and HBV viral load assay was performed by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Follow-up studies were performed in partial donors with low HBV viral loads.Results: Non-discriminating reactive NAT yields and HBV NAT yields varied in different years. The yields ranged from 853.73 per million to 2018.68 per million and 624.60 per million to 1669.50 per million, respectively. In the 476 NAT yields, 19 were probable window periods (WP), 33 probable occult hepatitis B virus infections (OBIs), 409 were confirmed OBIs and 15 were chronic HBV infections. ID-NAT results were categorized in four groups, and the findings showed that the levels of HBV DNA viral loads were different in the four different groups (χ2 = 275.02, p < 0.01). HBV viral load distribution was significantly different between anti-HBs positive and anti-HBc positive samples (χ2 = 49.429, p < 0.01). Notably, only 42.03% donors were NAT repeated positive in the 138 repeat donors' follow up tests.Conclusion: NAT screening of blood donations can reduce the risk of transfusion-transmitted HBV infections. Positive proportions of anti-HBs and anti-HBc are correlated with the HBV viral load level. However, low level of viral load donors pose risks in HBV NAT assays, and show fluctuating state for HBV viral load and leads to non-repeated NAT results during follow up studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China has experienced dramatic warming in summer mean temperature since the early 1990s, leading to precipitation variation across the region. We have studied the variation of rainy‐season (April–September) precipitation in eastern China during 1961–2016. Overall, we found that rainy‐season precipitation increased in the south and decreased in the north during 1992–2016 (PII) compared to 1961–1991 (PI). By defining rainfall‐belt indices of intensity and central location, we found that the southern rainfall‐belt during the main rainy‐season tends to produce much more‐intense precipitation during PI relative to PII, in contrast to the northern rainfall‐belt, which tends to have less‐intense precipitation during PII. Despite some fluctuations, the central positions of neither the northern nor the southern rainfall‐belts exhibit a statistically significant difference between the two periods. Unlike during PI, during PII, there is an obvious anticyclone over the Lake Baikal region. This anticyclone has caused anomalous north winds flowing from north‐central to southwestern China, leading to weakening of the northward moisture transport. Also, regions such as northeastern, north‐central, and southwestern China have been controlled by negative geopotential height anomalies and weak vertical air‐motion anomalies, resulting in drying from north to southwestern China. At the same time, the enhanced water‐vapour convergence in the southeastern coastal region of China favours increased precipitation there. These processes working in concert created the drying‐north–wetting‐south pattern in the main rainy‐season during 1961–2016. The change in rainfall‐belt intensity in eastern China has also shown a close relationship with the change in vapour transport from low latitudes. The weakened land‐sea thermal difference in the East Asia–Northwest Pacific region, which has weakened water‐vapour and atmospheric circulation, has also played a role in the change of rainfall‐belt intensity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To evaluate in vitro activity of the novel β-lactamase boronate inhibitor taniborbactam (VNRX-5133) combined with cefepime or meropenem against 500 urinary Gram-negative bacilli.Methods: Cefepime/taniborbactam and 14 comparators were tested by broth microdilution or agar dilution methods. A total of 450 Enterobacteriaceae and 50 Pseudomonas aeruginosa were selected from 2017 to 2019 based on different β-lactamase-producing or resistance phenotypes. For carbapenem-non-susceptible isolates, the modified carbapenem inactivation method (mCIM), EDTA-CIM (eCIM) and amplification of carbapenemase genes were performed. For NDM-producing isolates and those with cefepime/taniborbactam MICs >8 mg/L, the MICs of meropenem/taniborbactam and/or mutations in PBP3 were investigated.Results: Taniborbactam improved cefepime activity with the same efficiency as avibactam improved ceftazidime activity against 66 KPC-2 producers, 30 non-carbapenemase-producing carbapenem-non-susceptible Enterobacteriaceae and 28 meropenem-susceptible P. aeruginosa. However, cefepime/taniborbactam exhibited more potent activity than ceftazidime/avibactam against 56 ESBL-producing, 61 AmpC-producing, 32 ESBL and AmpC co-producing, 87 NDM-producing and 21 MBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae predicted by phenotypic mCIM and eCIM, 82 Enterobacteriaceae that were susceptible to all tested β-lactams and 22 carbapenem-non-susceptible P. aeruginosa. A four-amino acid 'INYR' or 'YRIN' insertion, with or without a one/two-amino acid mutation in PBP3, may have caused cefepime/taniborbactam MICs >8 mg/L among 96.6% (28/29) of the NDM-5-producing Escherichia coli, which accounted for the majority of isolates with cefepime/taniborbactam MICs >8 mg/L (76.1%, 35/46).Conclusions: Taniborbactam's superior breadth of activity, when paired with cefepime or meropenem, suggests these β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor combinations could be promising candidates for treating urinary tract infections caused by ESBL and/or AmpC, KPC or NDM-producing Enterobacteriaceae or P. aeruginosa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solidago canadensis is one of the most destructive invasive plants in the East of China, yet nothing is known about its photosynthetic ability at the molecular level. In order to examine the mechanism aiding invasion from the photosynthetic and molecular perspective, transcriptome sequencing and de novo assembly of S. canadensis and its congener S. decurrens (native, non-invasive species) were compared in a bioassay experiment. Results showed that S. canadensis has higher biomass and net photosynthetic rates than those of the native plant, S. decurrens (P < 0.05). Based on RNA-seq data, the genes which are closely related to light absorption and electron transfer in S. canadensis were observed to be up-regulated compared with those from S. decurrens, including the process of photosystems I and II, such as PsbP, PsbQ, Psb27, PsbW, PsaG, PetE, and light-harvesting complexes (LHCs). The RT-qPCR verification results of key genes were similar to those from transcriptome. Therefore, our results might partly explain the successful invasion of S. canadensis in China at the level of transcriptome, leading to its enhanced photosynthetic capability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the performance of Beijing Climate Center's Climate System Model (BCC_CSM) is analysed in terms of China summer rainfall prediction, especially its capability to reproduce the spatial structure and temporal variation of the leading modes of empirical orthogonal function decomposition. Results show that the BCC_CSM has predictability for the summer mean rainfall pattern, namely, reproducing more rainfall in South China and maritime area, and less rainfall in North China and inland area. The model can reproduce the spatial pattern of the first two leading modes of observed summer rainfall; however, it fails to show correct interannual variability of the first two principle components, which may lead to a low skill in summer rainfall anomaly prediction over most parts of China. The leading mode‐based correction (LMC) method is then applied for the post processing procedure to correct prediction errors. Cross validation confirms that the LMC method can integrate the historical spatial pattern information of observed summer rainfall with the original model prediction, making the corrected model output better reflect spatial structure of the leading modes and their interannual variation. Compared with the original model output, the positive temporal correlation coefficient area for the corrected China summer rainfall anomalies is thus increased, and the average spatial correlation coefficient during 1991–2015 is improved from −0.01 before the correction to 0.17. The LMC method shows its potential for improving the prediction skill of BCC_CSM, which can be used in operational prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) strains are a major threat to global health. The development of effective control measures requires more detailed phenotypic and genotypic characterization of CRE. Methods CRE isolates were collected from 65 hospitals in 25 provinces across China between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2016. The isolates were characterized by antimicrobial susceptibility testing and multilocus sequence typing. Genes encoding carbapenemases, mobilized colistin resistance (mcr-1), and β-lactamases were detected by polymerase chain reaction and DNA sequencing. Results A total of 1801 independent CRE isolates (1201 Klebsiella pneumoniae, 282 Escherichia coli, and 179 Enterobacter cloacae) were collected during the study period. Overall, 96.9%, 89.7%, 54.5%, 49.9%, and 40% of CRE strains were susceptible to colistin, tigecycline, amikacin, minocycline, and fosfomycin, respectively. Notably, 1091/1201 (91%) K. pneumoniae, 225/282 (80%) E. coli, and 129/179 (72%) E. cloacae harbored carbapenemase gene. K. pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC) was predominant in K. pneumoniae (77%), whereas New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM) was predominant in E. coli (75%) and E. cloacae (53%). The mcr-1 gene was detected in 13 NDM-carrying E. coli isolates (4.6%). Sequence type (ST)11 and ST167 were predominant among the 100 K. pneumoniae and 47 E. coli STs, respectively. KPC-ST11, which accounted for 64% of K. pneumoniae isolates, had higher levels of resistance than non-ST11 strains to aztreonam, fosfomycin, and amikacin (P <.001). The proportions of KPC and NDM enzymes in CRE increased from 2012 to 2016 (54%–59% and 12%–28%, respectively). Conclusions The number of CRE strains harboring carbapenemase is increasing. KPC-ST11 K. pneumoniae, the predominant strain, shows a reduced susceptibility to most available antibiotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PRRSV-1 has caused more clinical infections in pigs in Chinese swine herds in recent years, however, the pathogenicity of PRRSV-1 in China is unclear. In order to study the pathogenicity of PRRSV-1, in this study, a PRRSV-1 strain, 181187-2, was isolated in primary alveolar macrophage (PAM) cells from a farm where abortions had been reported in China. The complete genome of 181187-2 was 14932 bp excluding Poly A, with 54-amino acid continuous deletion in the Nsp2 gene and 1 amino deletion in ORF3 gene compared with LV. Additionally, the piglets inoculated with strain 181187-2 by intranasal and intranasal plus intramuscular injection, animal experiments showed clinical symptoms including transient fever and depression, with no death. The obvious histopathological lesions including interstitial pneumonia and lymph node hemorrhage, and there were no significant differences in clinical symptoms and histopathological lesions with different challenge ways. Our results indicated that PRRSV -1 181187-2 was a moderately pathogenic strain in piglets. • The full genome sequence of the Chinese PRRSV-1 181187-2 strain is determined.. • 181187-2 strain exhibited low pathogenicty. • Demonstrated low pathogenicity of the 181187-2 strain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abrupt climate events profoundly impact human societies, both environmentally and socially. However, existing research predominantly concentrates on immediate responses, overlooking long-term consequences. This study, centered on the Guojiazaoyuan site in the southern Loess Plateau, explores the enduring effects of a 5.3-ka BP climate event that transformed the local subsistence system. Through detailed analysis of archaeobotanical evidence, specifically floral remains dating to 4800–4300 BP obtained via flotation, significant post-event shifts in agricultural practices and food strategies are revealed. Notably, there is a clear prioritization of foxtail millet cultivation, a shift towards diversified food sources, and the introduction of new livestock. These changes represent strategic adaptations aimed at bolstering resilience and reducing vulnerability to future climatic challenges. The southern Loess Plateau developed an agricultural pattern with foxtail millet as the dominant crop, although different patterns were observed in surrounding regions during the early Longshan period (4800–4300 BP). Emphasizing the importance of a long-term perspective, particularly in agriculture and food security, the findings contribute to a broader understanding of how ancient societies coped with environmental changes. These insights are pertinent to ongoing discussions on climate resilience and sustainable agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whether chromosomal and transmissible mechanisms contribute simultaneously to colistin resistance in Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli remains unknown. This study aims to identify the underlying mechanisms of colistin resistance in inpatient and avian K. pneumoniae and E. coli in China. We retrospectively screened 2353 Enterobacteriaceae isolates from inpatients at multiple centers during 2011–2014, and 168 avian isolates from one slaughterhouse in 2013 for the presence of MCR-1/MCR-2. Mutations and transcriptional levels of the chromosomal RamA, PhoPQ, and PmrAB genes were determined by PCR and RT-qPCR. The transferability and genetic characteristics of the underlying colistin-resistance genes were detected by conjugation and whole-genome sequencing. The MIC 90 for colistin in colistin-resistant K. pneumoniae (ColRKP, 128 mg/L, N = 17) was 16-fold higher than in colistin-resistant E. coli (ColREC, 8 mg/L, N = 33). The dominant sequence types of ColRKP were ST2018 and ST37, whereas ColREC displayed diversity. The chromosomal genes ramA , pmrB , and phoQ were not associated with colistin resistance in ColRKP. The transcriptional levels of PmrB in ColREC were 7.5-fold greater than in colistin-susceptible isolates. The carrying rates of MCR-1 in ColREC and ColRKP were 100% (33/33) and 23.5% (4/17), respectively. Plasmid IncI2 (~60 kb) carrying MCR-1 could be transferred to recipient E. coli EC600 with frequencies ranging from 8.74 × 10 −6 to 1.31 × 10 −4 . No transferable genes were identified in mcr-1 -negative ColRKP. MCR-1 combined with upregulated PmrB was associated with low-level colistin resistance in ColREC. However, two-thirds of the ColRKP isolates were mcr -negative and need to be studied further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hu sheep is an excellent short fat-tailed breed in China. Fat deposition in Hu sheep tail affects carcass quality and consumes a lot of energy, leading to an increase in feed cost. The objective of this study was to analyze the effects of HMGA1 polymorphism on tail fat weight in Hu sheep. Partial coding and non-coding sequences of HMGA1 were amplified with PCR and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) of HMGA1 in 1163 Hu sheep were detected using DNA sequencing and KASPar technology. RT-qPCR analysis was performed to test HMGA1 expression in different tissues. The results showed that the expression of HMGA1 was higher in the duodenum, liver, spleen, kidney, and lung than in the heart, muscle, rumen, tail fat, and lymph. A mutation, g.5312 C > T, was detected in HMGA1; g.5312 C > T was significantly associated with tail fat weight, relative weight of tail fat (body weight), and relative weight of tail fat (carcass) (p < 0.05). The tail fat weight of the TT genotype was remarkably higher than that of the CC and TC genotypes. Therefore, HMGA1 can be used as a genetic marker for marker-assisted selection of tail fat weight in Hu sheep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Field experiments were conducted in 2008–2010 in the Loess Plateau of China to study the effects of straw incorporation on maize growth and biomass water use efficiency (WUE) under semi-arid condition in dark loessial soil. Low (LS 4.5 t ha −1 ), medium (MS 9.0 t ha −1 ), and high (HS 13.5 t ha −1 ) levels of straw were incorporated into the surface soil combined with fixed levels of inorganic fertilizers (CK) as control. Straw incorporation compared with CK significantly improved biomass yield at the tasseling–maturity stage of maize and WUE at the jointing–ten leaf collar and the tasseling–grain filling stages. WUEs with LS and MS treatments were significantly lower than that with CK at the ten leaf collar–tasseling stage, although the WUEs with MS and HS treatments were significantly higher in the whole growth period. HS treatment compared with LS treatment significantly increased biomass yield at the ten leaf collar–maturity stage and WUE at the jointing–tasseling stage. Meanwhile, MS and HS treatments compared with LS treatment significantly increased the biomass yield at the late grow period. Straw incorporation significantly improved WUE at the sowing–jointing stage and soil organic carbon relative to CK. Biomass yield at the ten leaf collar stage and WUE in whole growth period with LS treatment were significantly higher compared with CK. WUE at the ten leaf collar–tasseling and the grain filling–maturity stages were significantly higher with HS treatment compared with CK. In the long term, the rational straw incorporation level in improving maize biomass yield and WUE was 9.0 t ha −1 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assessed the prevalence, species and subtypes of Cryptosporidium in goats from Guangdong Province, Hubei Province, Shandong Province, and Shanghai City of China. Six hundred and four fecal samples were collected from twelve goat farms, and the overall infection rate was 11.4% (69/604). Goats infected with Cryptosporidium were found in eleven farms across four provincial areas, and the infection rate ranged from 2.9% (1/35) to 25.0% (9/36). Three Cryptosporidium species were identified. Cryptosporidium xiaoi (45/69, 65.2%) was the dominant species, followed by C. parvum (14/69, 20.3%) and C. ubiquitum (10/69, 14.5%). The infection rate of Cryptosporidium spp. was varied with host age and goat kids were more susceptible to be infected than adult goats. Subtyping C. parvum and C. ubiquitum positive samples revealed C. parvum subtype IIdA19G1 and C. ubiquitum subtype XIIa were the most common subtypes. Other C. parvum subtypes were detected as well, such as IIaA14G2R1, IIaA15G1R1, IIaA15G2R1 and IIaA17G2R1. All of these subtypes have also been detected in humans, suggesting goats may be a potential source of zoonotic cryptosporidiosis. This was the first report of C. parvum subtypes IIaA14G2R1, IIaA15G1R1 and IIaA17G2R1 infecting in goats and the first molecular identification of C. parvum and its subtypes in Chinese goats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A total of 1,870 nonduplicate clinical Enterobacteriaceae from 13 teaching hospitals located in 11 provinces of mainland China from 2011 to 2012 were screened for the presence of the blaNDM gene. The high-throughput MiSeq sequencing method and comparative genomics were used to analyze the genetic environment of blaNDM among these isolates. Three blaNDM-1-carrying Klebsiella pneumoniae (0.16%, 3/1,870), isolated from a teaching hospital in Xi'an, exhibited high levels of resistance to all β-lactams, but remained susceptible to amikacin, tigecycline, and polymyxin B. These three isolates, belonging to ST147, presented an identical pulsed-field gel electrophoresis pattern. The IncX3 plasmid, pNDM-SX04 (KC876051) showed 99% identity with plasmid pNDM-HN380 (JX104760). Comparative analysis of the genetic environment of blaNDM-1 with previously published plasmids revealed the same 7,830-bp basic mobile element, which may have been derived from Acinetobacter spp. Partial IS Aba125, IS Aba125 promoter, blaNDM-1, and bleMBL could serve as the minimal mobile vehicle facilitating horizontal transfer of the blaNDM-1 gene. To our knowledge, this is the first report of an outbreak of blaNDM-1-carrying ST147 K. pneumoniae. Although the prevalence spread by the blaNDM-1 gene prevalence is at a low frequency in mainland China, a dynamic national surveillance of this gene is needed due to its potential transferability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence, species and subtypes of Cryptosporidium infecting yaks in the Qinghai Province of Northwestern China. The prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. was detected by microscopy and nested-PCR. A total of 586 fecal samples were collected from yaks in 6 counties, of which 142 (24.2%) samples tested positive for Cryptosporidium. The small subunit (SSU) rRNA gene of fifty-five samples were amplified and sequenced successfully and demonstrated that Cryptosporidium bovis (31/55, 56.4%) was the most common species, followed by C. parvum (16/55, 29.1%) and C. ryanae (5/55, 9.0%). Mixed infections of C. parvum and C. bovis (n = 2), C. ryanae and C. bovis (n = 1) were also detected. All three species were found in yaks ranging in age from <1 year, 1–2 years, to >2 years. Cryptosporidium was most commonly detected in spring (28.4%), followed by summer (20.9%), then winter (17.5%). Cryptosporidium parvum positive samples were subtyped using the 60 kDa glycoprotein (gp60) gene. Subtypes IIaA15G2R1 (n = 8), IIaA16G2R1 (n = 2), IIaA14G1R1 (n = 1), IIaA14G2R1 (n = 1) and IIaA16G3R1 (n = 1) were detected. All of these subtypes are zoonotic, and may pose a potential threat to human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Much less attention has been paid to medium and small carnivores than to large ones, leading to a shortfall of knowledge regarding their ecological roles. It is particularly necessary to improve the research on the ecological roles of medium and small carnivores in the context of the massive decline in the number of large carnivores around the world. For this purpose, a study on the ecological roles of medium and small carnivores was conducted in Liancheng Reserve, China. On the basis of constructing a spatial association network of species, we analyzed the status of medium and small carnivores in the network, characterized their association, and assessed their contribution to the maintenance of the community in the absence of large carnivores, such as gray wolf (Canis lupus) and brown bear (Ursus arctos). Furthermore, the development trends of the community were predicted in order to act as a guide for the direction and focus of conservation efforts. It is vitally important to understand the ecological roles of medium and small carnivores in the context of the massive decline in the number of large carnivores around the world. Based on a spatial association network of terrestrial birds and mammals, this study analyzed the ecological roles of medium and small carnivores in the community in Liancheng National Nature Reserve. From October 2019 to June 2020, we obtained 3559 independent detections of 20 terrestrial birds and mammals from 112 camera traps. There are seven species that are medium and small carnivores present in the study area, including red fox (Vulpes vulpes), leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis), Chinese mountain cat (Felis bieti), stone marten (Martes foina), Asian badger (Meles leucurus), Siberian weasel (Mustela sibirica) and mountain weasel (Mustela altaica). By calculating the Phi coefficient of all species pairs, a spatial association network composed of twelve species was constructed. We analyzed the characterization of spatial associations by the Shannon–Wiener index and Lambda statistic. The results showed that: (1) the status of the network reflects the changes of community composition and structure after the decline in large carnivores and other species; (2) with the exception of the Chinese mountain cat and stone marten, the other five medium and small carnivores were located in the network, which played an important role in the complexity of the network and the maintenance of the community; (3) the medium and small carnivores could not take the place of the large carnivores in order to control the population of herbivores, such as Siberian roe deer (Capreolus pygargus) and Himalayan marmot (Marmota himalayana). The results of this study provide guidance for determining the direction and focus of conservation efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is a forage legume of world-wide importance used in agriculture. The genetic relationship and distance among cultivars is of great interest for breeding programs. Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) was used in the current study to evaluate genetic variability of 7 alfalfa cultivars in Northwest China. A total of 132 discernible loci were obtained for all populations using 10 primers, and 88.64% of these loci were polymorphic, which indicated that a high diversity existed in the cultivars from Northwest China. Analysis of molecular variation (AMOVA) showed that the majority of the genetic variation was within cultivars (60.4%), with a relatively smaller proportion being due to the differences between cultivars (39.6%). The smallest genetic distance (0.0813) was estimated between cultivars Gannong-2 and Zhonglan-1, while the largest (0.2840) was between cultivars Gannong-1 and Tianshui. Cluster analysis using the UPGMA method based on Nei's similarity coefficient divided studied populations into five groups. The RAPD-derived diversity data were in correspondence with habitat heterogeneity of 7 alfalfa cultivars in Northwest China, which suggesting that alfalfa cultivars in Northwest China tended to be divergent to adapt to different stress environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laumontite cement's genesis and impacts on reservoir quality in sedimentary basins have long been studied in sedimentology and petroleum geology. This study aims to analyze the petrological and geochemical properties of laumontite in the Shaximiao Formation, Sichuan Basin, China, and to determine the evolutionary process behind the formation of laumontite. Approximately 175 million years ago, huge volume of volcanic materials filled the Sichuan Basin. During the burial diagenesis phase, the hydrolysis of volcanic particles and alteration of plagioclase provided the necessary ions—Ca2+, Al3+, Si4+, Fe3+—facilitating the formation of laumontite. Simultaneously, the hydrolysis of volcanic substances released ions like Ca2+, Mg2+, and Na+, elevating the PH of pore fluids, and fostering the requisite alkaline conditions for laumontite. Additionally, the dehydration of smectite to illite in nearby mudstones generated Ca2+-rich fluids, migrating into sandstones. The hydrolysis of volcanic particles combined with the Ca2+-rich fluids migrating into sandstones led to the abundant formation of laumontite within temperatures ranging from 60 to 100 °C. During this phase, the formation of laumontite accelerates the densification of the reservoir, leading to a reduction in porosity. In the meso-diagenetic period, organic acids from the underlying formations penetrate the sandstones through fractures, creating secondary pores and dissolution-related grain-edge fractures, significantly enhancing reservoir permeability. • The volcanic activity provided the material basis for the formation of laumontite. • Summarizes the evolution process of laumontite and its impact on reservoir quality. • The dissolution of laumontite increase the reservoir permeability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study Question: Does luteal phase estrogen valerate pretreatment improve oocyte yield and clinical outcomes in patients with low ovarian response during ovarian stimulation with the antagonist protocol?Summary Answer: Pretreatment with oral estrogen valerate from Day 7 after ovulation to Day 2 of the next menstrual cycle did not increase oocyte yield in patients with a low ovarian response compared to no pretreatment.What Is Known Already: Previous studies showed that patients with a normal ovarian response can obtain better clinical outcomes after pretreatment with estrogen in the antagonist protocol. For patients with advanced age and low ovarian response, it remains unclear if estrogen valerate pretreatment with the antagonist protocol yields more oocytes and improves pregnancy outcomes.Study Design, Size, Duration: This non-blinded randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted between November 2017 and March 2021. Participants were 552 women with low response who requested IVF treatment. The primary endpoint was comparison of the total number of retrieved oocytes between the two groups. The secondary endpoints were the total number of retrieved metaphase II (MII) oocytes, duration and total dosage of recombinant FSH (rFSH), good-quality embryo rate and clinical pregnancy rate.Participants/materials, Setting, Methods: The study was conducted at a reproductive center. The RCT enrolled 552 infertile women with a low ovarian response (according to the Bologna criteria) who were undergoing IVF. In the study group, on Day 7 after ovulation patients were administered oral estrogen valerate (2 mg twice a day) until Day 2 of their next menstruation. Ovary stimulation was performed using rFSH, and a GnRH antagonist (0.25 mg/day) was started when a dominant follicle had a mean diameter ≥13 mm.Main Results and the Role Of Chance: No significant difference was observed in the number (mean [SD]) of oocytes retrieved from the estrogen valerate pretreatment and control group (3.2 [2.8] versus 3.4 [2.6], respectively). The treatment difference was -0.18 (95% CI -0.67, 0.32, P = 0.49). No significant differences were observed in the number of MII oocytes (2.9 [2.5] versus 3.1 [2.4], mean difference -0.23, 95% CI (-0.69, 0.23), P = 0.16) and good-quality embryos (1.0 [1.3] versus 1.20 [1.6], mean difference -0.23, 95% CI (-0.50, 0.04), P = 0.19) between the two groups. The duration of rFSH treatment was significantly longer in the estrogen valerate pretreatment group than in the control group (10.3 [2.2] versus 8.6 [2.1] days, mean difference 1.7, 95% CI (1.3, 2.2), P = 0.00), and the total rFSH dosage was significantly higher in the estrogen valerate pretreatment group than in the control group (3081 [680] versus 2548 [649] IU, mean difference 553.7, 95% CI (405.8, 661.6), P = 0.00). The clinical pregnancy rate in the pretreatment group (19.3% [23/119]) was not significantly different from that in the control group (28.7% [43/150]). The mean difference was -0.09, 95% CI (-0.20, 0.01), P = 0.08.Limitations, Reasons For Caution: The major limitation was the high dropout rate of patients. Some patients did not return to the hospital for treatment because of predicted low success rates and for economic reasons. In addition, it is possible that the fixed dose of 300 IU rFSH was not sufficient to see differences in oocyte yield between the groups.Wider Implications Of the Findings: Estrogen valerate pretreatment with an antagonist protocol did not increase oocyte yield in patients with low ovarian response. Similar to the number of retrieved oocytes, there was no significant difference in clinical pregnancy rate between estrogen pretreatment group and control group. More research is needed on whether patients with low ovarian response need pretreatment and which pretreatment is more appropriate.Study Funding/competing Interest(s): This study was supported in part by a research grant from the Investigator-Initiated Studies Program of MSD (China) Holding Co., Ltd. and Organon (Shanghai) Pharmaceutical Technology Co., Ltd. (Grant number: IIS 56284). The authors declare that they have no competing interests regarding authorship or publication of this study.Trial Registration Number: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03300518.Trial Registration Date: 28 September 2017.Date Of First Patient’s Enrolment: 15 November 2017. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Since 2010, the Blood Center of Zhejiang province, China, has conducted a pilot nucleic acid amplification testing (NAT) screening of blood donors for Hepatitis B virus (HBV), Hepatitis C virus (HCV), and Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This study aims to assess the results of NAT testing over 10 years to establish the effects and factors influencing NAT yields of HBV, HCV, and HIV.Methods: Blood donations from seven different blood services were screened for HBV DNA, HCV RNA, and HIV RNA using 6 mini pools (6MP) or individual donation (ID)-NAT method between August 1, 2010, and December 31, 2019, at the NAT centralized screening center. We compared 3 transcription-mediated amplification (TMA) assays and 2 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays. Further, HBV, HCV, and HIV NAT yields were calculated and donor characteristics and prevalence of HBV NAT yields analyzed. Donors with HCV and HIV NAT yield were also followed up.Results: 1916.31 per million donations were NAT screening positive overall. The NAT yields for HBV, HCV, HIV and non-discriminating reactive were 1062.90 per million, 0.97 per million, 1.45 per million, and 850.99 per million, respectively, which varied in the seven blood services and different years. HBV NAT yields were higher than those of HCV and HIV and varied across demographic groups. Risk factors included being male, old age, low education level, and first-time donors. We found no differences in NAT yields of HBV, HCV, and HIV between the 3 TMA and 2 PCR assays; nonetheless, statistically, significant differences were noted between the five assays.Conclusion: In summary, NAT screening in blood donations reduces the risk of transfusion-transmitted infections and shortens the window period for serological marker screening. Therefore, a sensitive NAT screening method, ID-NAT workflow, and recruitment of regular low-risk donors are critical for blood safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stress urinary incontinence is a distressing and burdensome condition affecting approximately one third of pregnant women and pelvic floor muscle training is recommended as the first-line treatment. Convenient and cost-effective regimen of pelvic floor muscle training is required to facilitate the treatment of stress urinary incontinence and improve the adherence to treatment in pregnant women. To determine the effectiveness of app-based audio guidance pelvic floor muscle training on the treatment of stress urinary incontinence in primiparas. The study was a two-arm, parallel, randomized controlled clinical trial. The study was conducted in the obstetric clinic of a tertiary maternity hospital in Hangzhou, China. A total of 108 eligible primiparas were enrolled from January to April 2018. Participants were randomly allocated (1:1) to the audio group or the control group. Primary outcomes included severity of stress urinary incontinence and adherence to pelvic floor muscle training assessed by the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Urinary Incontinence Short Form and the Broome Pelvic Muscle Self-Efficacy Scale, respectively. Secondary outcomes included pelvic floor muscle strength, bladder neck mobility and sexual function measured by vaginal palpation and pelvic floor muscle surface electromyography, perineal ultrasound and Female Sexual Function Index, respectively. Data analysis followed the intention-to-treat principle. Generalized estimation equation model, t -test and chi-square test were used to examine intervention effect on primary outcomes and secondary outcomes, respectively. Participants showed significant improvement in symptom severity across the study, which was most significant at 6 weeks postpartum (β = −4.245, p < 0.001). No significant difference was found in symptom severity between groups (β = −0.344, p = 0.168). The interaction effect between intervention and time on adherence was significant. Compared with the control group, greater self-efficacy was shown in the audio group at 6 weeks (β = 4.425, p = 0.009), 3 months (β = 3.204, p < 0.001) and 6 months (β = 4.457, p < 0.001) postpartum. Participants in the audio group indicated less bladder neck descent (16.5 vs. 19.5, p = 0.020) at 6 weeks postpartum, better pelvic floor muscle strength (12.5% vs. 34.0%, p = 0.012; 4.2% vs. 18.0%, p = 0.030) and sexual function (22.2 vs. 17.3, p = 0.007) at 6 months postpartum. The app-based audio guidance pelvic floor muscle training was more effective and much easier to comply for treatment of stress urinary incontinence in primiparas than the conventional home-based pelvic floor muscle training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Genetic polymorphisms of 35 Y-STR loci in the Guizhou Gelao group were investigated. • Multi-copy and rapidly mutating Y-STR loci had higher diversity than common loci. • The Gelao group had a close genetic relation to the Han and Miao groups in Guizhou. In this research, 35 Y-chromosomal short tandem repeat (Y-STR) loci were analyzed in 286 unrelated healthy Gelao male individuals from Guizhou Province, China. Allelic and haplotype frequencies, haplotype diversity (HD), haplotype match probability (HMP), and discrimination capacity (DC) values were computed. Pairwise Rst values were assessed by AMOVA analysis and visualized through multidimensional scaling and neighbor-joining tree construction. A total of 609 alleles were detected at the 35 Y-STR loci, and the allelic frequencies ranged from 0.0035 to 0.8322. The HD, HMP, and DC were 0.9999, 0.0036, and 0.9825, respectively. A total of 281 haplotypes were found at 35 loci in the 286 Gelao individuals, 98.25% of which were unique. Related forensic parameters revealed that this panel of 35 loci had a high level of genetic polymorphisms in the Gelao group. However, the use of multi-copy and rapidly mutating Y-STR loci could significantly increase the discrimination power of a common Y-STR panel. Analyses of population differentiation with the same set of common Y-STR loci demonstrated that the Gelao group has a closer genetic relationship with the Guizhou Han and Guizhou Miao groups than other groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In China multidrug-resistant bacteria pose a considerable threat to public health. Antimicrobial resistance has weakened the effectiveness of many medicines widely used today. Thus, discovering new antibacterial drugs is paramount in the effort to treat emerging drug-resistant bacteria.Methods: Eravacycline, tigecycline and other clinical routine antibiotics were tested by reference broth micro-dilution method against 336 different strains collected from 11 teaching hospitals in China between 2012 and 2016. These isolates included Enterobacteriaceae, non-fermentative, Staphylococcus spp., Enterococcus, and a number of fastidious organisms. The strains involved in this study possess the most important drug resistance characteristics currently known in China. Drug resistant bacteria such as those producing extended spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL) and carbapenemases (KPC-2 and NDM-1), and those exhibiting colistin resistance (mcr-1) and tigecycline were included in this study. Additionally, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), β-lactamase positive Haemophilus influenzae, and penicillin resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae (PRSP) were also included.Results: Eravacycline exhibited good efficacy against all the strains tested, especially for organisms with ESBLs, carbapenemases, and mcr-1 gene compared with tigecycline and other antibiotics tested. The MIC values of eravacycline against carbapenemase producing Enterobacteriaceae and OXA-23-producing A. baumannii were much lower than the MIC values of other antibiotics. MRSA, VRE, β-lactamase positive Haemophilus influenza, and PRSP were sensitive to eravacycline in every strain tested. Furthermore, in most strains tested, the MICs of eravacycline were two to four-fold lower than the MICs of tigecycline.Conclusions: Eravacycline has shown potent antibacterial activity against common and clinically important antibiotic-resistant pathogens. The MIC distribution of eravacycline was generally lower than that of tigecycline which demonstrates that this new drug is potentially more effective than the existing medications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kochia prostrata is a good forage plant, which has important economic and ecological value in arid and semi-arid regions of China. Drought is one of the main factors affecting its productivity. At present, there are few studies on the mechanism of drought resistance. In order to reveal the changes of physiological and biochemical indexes, stomatal structure and gene expression profiles of Kochia prostrata under drought treatment, the classical determination method and high-throughput Illumina Hiseq sequencing platform were applied to the control group (CK) and drought treatment group of Kochia prostrata. The results showed that under the condition of moderate to mild drought stress, the SOD activity reached the maximum value of 350.68 U/g min on the 5th day of stress, and under the condition of severe drought stress, the SOD activity reached the maximum on the 2nd day of stress. The accumulation of Proline remained at a high level on the 5th day of stress, and there was at least one epidermal cell interval between the two adult stomatal of the leaf epidermis, so that the evaporation shell of each stomatal did not overlap, it ensures the efficient gas exchange of the stomatal, indicating that the Kochia prostrata has strong drought resistance. A total of 1,177.46 M reads were obtained by sequencing, with a total of 352.25 Gbp data and Q30 of 85%. In the differential gene annotation to the biological process (BP), a total of 261 GO terms were enriched in the up-regulated genes, and a total of 231 GO terms were enriched in the down-regulated genes. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were obtained in 27 KEGG metabolic pathways, which laid a foundation for revealing the molecular mechanism of drought tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: This study examined the prevalence of overactive bladder (OAB) and investigated the impact of OAB on quality of life (QOL) in patients with type 2 diabetes in Mainland China.Methods: A total of 1025 patients with type 2 diabetes were surveyed. Patients were grouped into no OAB, dry OAB, and wet OAB groups according to the presence of OAB and urge incontinence. Descriptive analyses, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and multivariable regression models were conducted to assess the prevalence of OAB and the effect of OAB on QOL.Results: The prevalence of OAB among patients with type 2 diabetes was 13.9% (with dry OAB, 6.1%; with wet OAB, 7.8%). Multivariable regression models showed that OAB symptoms caused significant deterioration of the physical and mental aspects of QOL. Compared with dry OAB, wet OAB further decreased the mental aspect of QOL. Moreover, the effect sizes of the impacts of dry and wet OAB on QOL were larger than those of diabetic neuropathy or retinopathy, diabetes duration, or urinary tract infection history.Conclusions: OAB is more common in patients with type 2 diabetes than in the general population and substantially decreases patient QOL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Although multiple actionable genes have been identified in melanoma, 38–42% of patients are still not druggable based on current research. In our study, DNA-NGS and RNA-NGS were utilized to construct molecular profiles of a Chinese cohort of 469 melanoma patients. Up to 11.7% (7/60) of patients in the undruggable group could be recognized as actionable by DNA and RNA sequential sequencing. Additionally, the use of RNA-NGS enhanced the proportion of druggable fusions from 2.56% to 17.27%. In total, the use of RNA-NGS increased the druggable proportion from 75% to 78%. Our study systemically analyzed the genetic landscape of Asian melanoma and demonstrated how DNA and RNA sequential sequencing is essential in bringing clinical benefits to more melanoma patients. Background: In contrast to Caucasian melanoma, which has been extensively studied, there are few studies on melanoma in Asian populations. Sporadic studies reported that only 40% of Asian melanoma patients could be druggable, which was much lower than that in Caucasians. More studies are required to refine this conclusion. Methods: Chinese melanoma patients (n = 469) were sequentially sequenced by DNA-NGS and RNA-NGS. The genomic alterations were determined, and potentially actionable targets were investigated. Results: Patients with potential druggable targets were identified in 75% of Chinese melanoma patients by DNA-NGS based on OncoKB, which was much higher than in a previous Asian study. NRG1 fusions were first identified in melanoma. In addition, up to 11.7% (7/60) of patients in the undruggable group could be recognized as actionable by including RNA-NGS analysis. By comparing the fusion detection rate between DNA-NGS and RNA-NGS, all available samples after DNA-NGS detection were further verified by RNA-NGS. The use of RNA-NGS enhanced the proportion of druggable fusions from 2.56% to 17.27%. In total, the use of RNA-NGS increased the druggable proportion from 75% to 78%. Conclusions: In this study, we systemically analyzed the actionable landscape of melanoma in the largest Asian cohort. In addition, we first demonstrated how DNA and RNA sequential sequencing is essential in bringing clinical benefits to more patients with melanoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) is useful for difficult to cultivate pathogens. Here, we use cerebrospinal fluid mNGS to diagnose invasive meningococcal disease. The complete genome sequences of Neisseria meningitidis were assembled using N. meningitidis of ST4821-serotype C isolated from four patients. To investigate the phylogeny, 165 CC4821 N. meningitidis genomes from 1972 to 2017 were also included. The core genome accumulated variation at a rate of 4.84×10−8 substitutions/nucleotide site/year. CC4821 differentiated into four sub-lineages during evolution (A, B, C, and D). While evolving from sub-lineage A (early stage) to sub-lineage D (late stage), the ST and CC4821 serotype converged into the ST4821-serotype C clone. Most strains of sub-lineage D were isolated from invasive meningococcal disease, with increasing resistance to quinolones. Phylogeographic analysis suggests that CC4821 has spread across 14 countries. Thus, the selective pressure of quinolones may cause CC4821 to converge evolutionarily, making it more invasive and facilitating its spread. Metagenomic data from cerebrospinal fluid was used to genotype Neisseria meningitidis in patients with invasive meningococcal disease and trace the origin of the pathobiont, providing a phylogeographic analysis of the strain's evolution in China and its global spread. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the change of myopic prevalence in students with different demographic characteristics before and after the COVID-19 pandemic in Suqian, China. Methods: A retrospective, cross-sectional study was conducted. Student data from 52 schools in 2019 and 2020 were collected from the electronic medical records database through cluster sampling. Ophthalmic examinations were conducted on students from September to December in 2019 and 2020. Measurements of uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) and noncycloplegic autorefraction were included to obtain the spherical equivalent refraction (SER) and prevalence of myopia. The difference in the rate of myopia and SER of students ages 6 to 18 with various demographic characteristics was compared between the two years. Results: Records from 118,479 students in 2019 and the 121,881 students in 2020 were obtained. In 2019 and 2020, the prevalence of overall myopia increased from 43.1% to 48.9% (5.8 percentage point), and a substantial shift in myopic rate occurred in grades 4 to 6 (6.9 percentage point). The change in the prevalence of myopia in girls (5.9 percentage point) was approximately equal to that in boys (5.8 percentage point) and it was more common in rural students (5.9 percentage point) than in urban students (5.1 percentage point). The prevalence of low myopia increased more in children, and the prevalence of moderate myopia increased more in adolescents. The mean spherical equivalent refraction (SER) (-1.34±2.03 D) was lower in 2020 than in 2019 (-1.16±1.92 D), while SER decreased mainly at ages 7 to 15. The SER presented myopic status at the age of 9 (-0.55±1.26 D in 2019, -0.71±1.42 D in 2020), and attained moderate myopia at the age of 15 (-3.06±2.41 D in 2019, -3.22±2.40 D in 2020). Conclusions: After the COVID-19 pandemic, myopia increased in this population with variable rates of increase in different demographic groups. The change of myopia in children was comparatively greater than that in adolescents. Therefore, we should take measures to prevent and control the development of myopia after the COVID-19 pandemic, especially for younger students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To characterize a novel plasmid-mediated tigecycline resistance-related gene, tet(Y), in a clinical Acinetobacter baumannii isolate from China.Methods: The tet(Y)-encoded tigecycline-resistant A. baumannii 2016GDAB1 was screened through antimicrobial susceptibility testing and WGS. The function of tet(Y) was verified by complementation of tet(Y). The plasmid transferability and stability were detected via plasmid conjugation and in vitro bacterial passaging. The 3D structure of Tet(Y) was predicted and docked using tFold and AutoDock Vina.Results: The tigecycline-resistant A. baumannii 2016GDAB1 was isolated from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of a patient with hospital-acquired pneumonia. However, this strain did not harbour any common tigecycline resistance genes, determinants or mutations. 2016GDAB1 belongs to the non-epidemic clone ST355 (Oxford scheme), which has been mainly reported in animals. The tet(Y) gene was located on a 72 156 bp plasmid and genomic environment analysis revealed that Tn5393 may play a role in tet(Y) transmission, whereas phylogenetic analysis indicated the origin of tet(Y) as from Aeromonas. Overexpression of tet(Y) resulted in a 2- to 4-fold increase in tigecycline MIC. Introduction of the tet(Y)-harbouring plasmid p2016GDAB1 via electroporation resulted in a 16-fold increase in tigecycline MIC but failed to transfer into the tigecycline-susceptible A. baumannii recipient via conjugation. Isolates carrying the tet(Y) gene were vulnerable to tigecycline pressure and exhibited decreased susceptibility to tigecycline. A tet(Y)-carrying plasmid was stably maintained in the host strains.Conclusions: This study identified the tigecycline resistance-related gene tet(Y) in A. baumannii. This gene conferred an increased tigecycline MIC and the transposable element Tn5393 may play a role in its transmission across isolates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a major nosocomial pathogen subdivided into lineages termed sequence types (STs). Since the 1950s, successive waves of STs have appeared and replaced previously dominant lineages. One such event has been occurring in China since 2013, with community-associated (CA-MRSA) strains including ST59 largely replacing the previously dominant healthcare-associated (HA-MRSA) ST239. We previously showed that ST59 isolates tend to have a competitive advantage in growth experiments against ST239. However, the underlying genomic and phenotypic drivers of this replacement event are unclear. Methods: Here, we investigated the replacement of ST239 using whole-genome sequencing data from 204 ST239 and ST59 isolates collected in Chinese hospitals between 1994 and 2016. We reconstructed the evolutionary history of each ST and considered two non-mutually exclusive hypotheses for ST59 replacing ST239: antimicrobial resistance (AMR) profile and/or ability to colonise and persist in the environment through biofilm formation. We also investigated the differences in cytolytic activity, linked to higher virulence, between STs. We performed an association study using the presence and absence of accessory virulence genes. Results: ST59 isolates carried fewer AMR genes than ST239 and showed no evidence of evolving towards higher AMR. Biofilm production was marginally higher in ST59 overall, though this effect was not consistent across sub-lineages so is unlikely to be a sole driver of replacement. Consistent with previous observations of higher virulence in CA-MRSA STs, we observed that ST59 isolates exhibit significantly higher cytolytic activity than ST239 isolates, despite carrying on average fewer putative virulence genes. Our association study identified the chemotaxis inhibitory protein (chp) as a strong candidate for involvement in the increased virulence potential of ST59. We experimentally validated the role of chp in increasing the virulence potential of ST59 by creating Δchp knockout mutants, confirming that ST59 can carry chp without a measurable impact on fitness. Conclusions: Our results suggest that the ongoing replacement of ST239 by ST59 in China is not associated to higher AMR carriage or biofilm production. However, the increase in ST59 prevalence is concerning since it is linked to a higher potential for virulence, aided by the carriage of the chp gene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quartz cement is an essential authigenic mineral in the tight sandstones of the Shaximiao Formation in the Sichuan Basin, China. Accurately identifying its sources and investigating its impact on reservoir quality is important for understanding diagenetic fluid evolution and pore development in these reservoirs. To address this, we conducted a systematic analysis of the silicon sources in quartz cement employing mineralogical, fluid inclusion, and geochemical data. Quartz cement is characterized by two phases of quartz overgrowth and pore-filling authigenic quartz. Homogenization temperatures of fluid inclusions range from 60 to 150 °C, indicating that quartz cementation occurred from the early diagenetic phase (B stage) to the late mesodiagenetic phase. During the early diagenetic stage, volcanic material was dissolved by meteoric water, resulting in the formation of the earliest quartz cement and smectite. At temperatures of approximately 70–100 °C, smectite illitization, accompanied by K-feldspar consumption and SiO 2 precipitation. In the mesodiagenetic stage (temperature approximately 100–130 °C), organic acids led to the dissolution of minerals like feldspar and laumontite, releasing SiO 2. In the deep burial stage, clastic quartz grains experienced dissolution due to high stress, providing a limited source of SiO 2. Smectite alteration and the dissolution of aluminosilicate minerals represent the primary sources of silicon for quartz cementation, while contributions from volcanic material hydrolysis and pressure solution are relatively minor. The presence of chlorite films inhibits the development of quartz overgrowths, and the limited precipitation of authigenic quartz within the primary porosity has a minimal impact on reservoir quality. Consequently, sandstones rich in chlorite films represent a favorable lithology for the development of high-quality reservoirs. • The precipitation of quartz cement was a prolonged and complex diagenetic process. • The illitization of smectite and dissolution of aluminosilicate minerals provide a significant supply for quartz cementation. • The hydrolysis of volcanic materials and pressure dissolution provide limited sources for the formation of quartz cement. • Chlorite films inhibit quartz overgrowths, and authigenic quartz has little effect on reservoir quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: SPR206 is a novel polymyxin analogue. Activity against clinical isolates is little documented.Methods: A collection of 200 MDR, carbapenem-resistant, tigecycline-resistant, colistin-resistant and non-MDR clinical isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Enterobacter cloacae and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia was obtained from 50 centres across China (2016-17). All isolates were derived from respiratory tract, urine and blood samples. Strains were purposely selected on the basis of phenotypes, genotypes and specimen origins. MICs of SPR206 and other antimicrobials were determined.Results: SPR206 was active against all bacteria tested except colistin-resistant isolates. The MIC50/90 values of SPR206 for colistin-resistant strains were comparable to known polymyxins (16/128 versus 8/128 mg/L). SPR206 exhibited potent activity against colistin-susceptible OXA-producing A. baumannii (MIC50/90 = 0.064/0.125 mg/L), NDM-producing Enterobacteriaceae (MIC50/90 = 0.125/0.25 mg/L) and KPC-2-producing Enterobacteriaceae (MIC50/90 = 0.125/0.5 mg/L). In fact, SPR206 was the most potent agent tested, with 2- to 4-fold lower MICs than colistin and polymyxin B for A. baumannii, P. aeruginosa and Enterobacteriaceae. Additionally, MIC values of SPR206 (MIC50/90 = 0.064/0.125 mg/L) were 16- to 32-fold lower than those of tigecycline (MIC50/90 = 2/2 mg/L) for tigecycline-susceptible carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii.Conclusions: SPR206 showed good in vitro activity against MDR, tigecycline-resistant and non-MDR clinical isolates of Gram-negative pathogens. SPR206 also exhibited superior potency to colistin and polymyxin B, with 2- to 4-fold lower MIC50/90 values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A two-step econometric model and a nonlinear mediating effect model are employed. • There is an inverted U-shaped association between environmental regulation and green technology. • A U-shaped association between environmental regulation and carbon intensity is investigated. • Green technology is a mediator of the impact of environmental regulation on carbon intensity. • There are prominent differences in mediating effect between developed and developing regions. Environmental regulation and green technology are important to mitigate global warming, whereas few studies explored the role of green technology in environmental regulation on carbon intensity. This paper systematically reviews the literature on the relationship among environmental regulation, green technology, and carbon intensity, and assumes that green technology is a potential mediator of the impact of environmental regulation on carbon intensity. The advanced SBM model and the factor analysis method were performed to measure the relationships. To explore the mediating effect of green technology, the two-step econometric model and the nonlinear mediating effect model were applied to a panel dataset of 30 provinces in China spanning the period 2005–2016. The results show that there is an inverted U-shaped relationship between environmental regulation and green technology, and a U-shaped relationship between environmental regulation and carbon intensity. Green technology has a significant negative impact on carbon intensity. This proves that green technology is an important mediating variable on the relationship between environmental regulation and carbon intensity. Moreover, the current environmental regulation intensity lies before the inflection point of both the inverted U-shaped and the U-shaped curves. The effects of environmental regulation on green technology and carbon intensity in developed and developing regions follow an inverted U-shaped, and a U-shaped curve, respectively. Furthermore, the mediating effect in developing regions is significantly larger than that in developed regions. Finally, policy implications are given to reduce carbon intensity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ceftazidime-avibactam was approved in China in 2019 for treating complicated intra-abdominal infections, hospital-acquired pneumonia, ventilator-associated pneumonia, and infections caused by Enterobacterales and Pseudomonas aeruginosa for which treatment options are limited. However, no currently available commercial systems have been approved for antimicrobial susceptibility testing of ceftazidime-avibactam in China. Here, we evaluated the Etest and disk diffusion method for detecting the activity of ceftazidime-avibactam against Enterobacterales and P. aeruginosa in China. Results: In total, 194 Enterobacterales and 77 P. aeruginosa isolates, which were divided into a random selection group (140 Enterobacterales and 46 P. aeruginosa isolates) and stock group (54 Enterobacterales and 31 P. aeruginosa isolates), were assessed by the Etest, disk diffusion and broth microdilution methods. Minimum inhibitory concentrations and zone diameters were interpreted according to the CLSI supplement M100 30th edition. For all 271 tested isolates, no very major errors were found by using Etest, whereas the overall major error rate was 2.0% (4/203). The overall categorical agreement rates of Etest for Enterobacterales and P. aeruginosa were 99.5% (193/194) and 96.1% (74/77), respectively, and the essential agreement rates were 95.9% (186/194) and 94.8% (73/77), respectively. The disk diffusion method showed that the very major error and major error rates were 1.5% (3/204) and 2.5% (5/203), respectively. Overall categorical agreement rates values of the disk diffusion method for Enterobacterales and P. aeruginosa were 98.5% (191/194) and 93.5% (72/77) compared with broth microdilution, respectively. Conclusions: For Enterobacterales and P. aeruginosa, both the Etest and disk diffusion method showed acceptable performance as alternatives to the standard broth microdilution method for clinical treatment interpretation. Application of the disk diffusion method in Enterobacterales was slightly better than that in P. aeruginosa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sequence type (ST) 398 is the most prevalent clone of livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). To evaluate the molecular characteristics and phylogeny of Chinese ST398 isolates, 4 MRSA ST398 strains and 4 methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) ST398 strains were collected from patients with bacteremia at 6 teaching hospitals in China between 1999 and 2016. Moreover, 689 ST398 genome sequences were downloaded from the GenBank database for comparison. The 4 MRSA ST398 strains were resistant to β-lactam antibiotics, and 2 strains were also resistant to erythromycin. Among the 4 MSSA ST398 strains, 2 strains displayed multidrug resistance (MDR) and were resistant to penicillin, erythromycin, tetracycline, and gentamicin. The accessory genome of MSSA ST398 was more diverse than that of MRSA ST398. All 4 MRSA ST398 strains carried type V staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec elements; however, MSSA ST398 carried more resistance genes than MRSA ST398. These 4 MRSA ST398 strains carried hemolysin, along with virulence genes associated with immune invasion and protease. Phylogenic analysis showed that the 4 MRSA ST398 strains clustered in 1 clade. The global ST398 phylogeny showed that ST398 was divided into an animal clade and a human clade, and the ST398 strains of this study clustered in the human clade. A small number of human strains were also present in the animal clade and vice versa, suggesting transmission of ST398 between animals and humans. In conclusion, livestock-associated MRSA ST398 has caused severe infections in Chinese hospitals, and it should therefore be paid more attention to and monitored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Carbapenem-resistant hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (CR-hvKP) have been increasingly reported in China. Here, a multicentre, longitudinal surveillance study on CR-hvKP is described.Methods: We retrospectively investigated carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae (CRKP) in 56 centres across China during 2015-17 and screened the virulence genes (iucA, iroN, rmpA and rmpA2) for the presence of virulence plasmids. Hypermucoviscosity, serum killing and Galleria mellonella lethality experiments were conducted to identify CR-hvKP among strains with all four virulence genes. Capsule typing, fitness and plasmid features of CR-hvKP were also investigated.Results: A total of 1052 CRKP were collected. Among these, 34.2% (360/1052) carried virulence genes and 72 of them had all four of the virulence genes tested. Fifty-five (76.4%) were considered to be CR-hvKP using the G. mellonella infection model, with KPC-2-producing K64-ST11 being the most common type (80%, 44/55). Prevalence of CR-hvKP differed greatly between regions, with the highest in Henan (25.4%, 17/67) and Shandong (25.8%, 25/97). A significant increase in CR-hvKP among KPC-2-producing ST11 strains was observed, from 2.1% (3/141) in 2015 to 7.0% (23/329) in 2017 (P=0.045). Alarmingly, compared with classic CRKP, no difference in growth was found among CR-hvKP (P=0.7028), suggesting a potential risk for dissemination. The hybrid virulence and resistance-encoding plasmid evolved from pLVPK and the resistance plasmid harbouring blaKPC-2, indicating evolution existed between the hypervirulence and hyper-resistance plasmid.Conclusions: CR-hvKP were more frequently detected than previously assumed, especially among KPC-2-producing ST11. Dissemination of hypervirulence could be extremely rapid due to limited fitness cost. Also, the evolution of resistance genes into hypervirulence plasmids was identified, presenting significant challenges for public health and infection control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Male-specifically inherited Y-STRs, harboring the features of haploidy and lack of crossing over, have gained considerable attention in population genetics and forensic investigations. Goldeneye® Y-PLUS kit was a recently developed amplification system focused on the genetic diversity of 36 Y-chromosomal short tandem repeats (Y-STRs) in East Asians. However, no population data and corresponding forensic features were reported in China. Here, 36 Y-STRs were first genotyped in 400 unrelated healthy Tai-Kadai-speaking Bouyei male individuals. A total of 371 alleles and 396 haplotypes could be detected, and the allelic frequencies ranged from 0.0025 to 0.9875. The haplotype diversity, random match probability and discrimination capacity values were 0.9999, 0.0026 and 0.9900, respectively. The gene diversity (GD) of 36 Y-STR loci in the studied group ranged from 0.0248 (DYS645) to 0.9601 (DYS385a/b). Population comparisons between the Guizhou Bouyei and 80 reference groups were performed via the AMOVA, MDS, and phylogenetic relationship reconstruction. The results showed that the population stratification was almost consistent with the geographic distribution and language-family, both among Chinese and worldwide ethnic groups. Our newly genotyped Bouyei samples show a close affinity with other Tai-Kadai-speaking groups in China and Southeast Asia. Our data may provide useful information for paternal lineage in the forensic application and population genetics, as well as evidence for archaeological and historical research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Overactive bladder is more common in patients with type 2 diabetes than in those without diabetes. Many patients with diabetes adopt unhealthy toileting behaviors to empty their bladder that may contribute to the onset or worsening of overactive bladder. Objective To investigate whether an education program targeting toileting behaviors is effective for helping overactive bladder patients with type 2 diabetes in terms of adopting healthy toileting behaviors, improving bladder symptoms, and enhancing quality of life. Design The study was a parallel, pragmatic, open-label randomized trial. Settings The trial was conducted in a hospital-based endocrinology outpatient department in Jinan, China. Participants A total of 104 patients were randomly assigned to a 6-week education program or a control group. Methods Primary outcomes included toileting behaviors and bladder symptoms, including dry/wet overactive bladder and severity of urgency. Secondary outcomes were overactive bladder-specific and general quality of life. The patients were reassessed on the outcome variables at the end of the intervention and at 3 months and 6 months following the intervention. The analysis followed the intent-to-treat principle. To account for the longitudinal data with repeated measures, group comparisons for continuous outcomes were evaluated using linear mixed models. Group differences in binary outcomes were examined using mixed-effects logit models. Results Compared with the control group, the education program group showed significant changes in three unhealthy toileting behaviors: premature voiding (−0.7, p < 0.001), place preference for voiding (−0.5, p = 0.007), and delayed voiding (−0.2, p = 0.011). The program significantly relieved the bladder symptoms (−2.2, p < 0.001) and decreased the probability of having wet overactive bladder (−0.3, p < 0.001) and the severity of urgency (−0.4, p < 0.001). It also significantly improved the overactive bladder-specific quality of life by 10.8 points (p = 0.001). Regarding patients' general quality of life, the physical aspect was enhanced by 3.0 points (p = 0.049); however, no effect on the mental well-being aspect was observed. Conclusions Among overactive bladder patients with type 2 diabetes, the 6-week education program targeting toileting behaviors resulted in the adoption of healthy toileting behaviors, relief of bladder symptoms and improvement in quality of life in the 6 months following the intervention compared with routine care alone. The education program was highly successful and may represent an effective, acceptable, feasible, and safe intervention for improving bladder health and quality of life during diabetes care, given that the toileting behavioral changes were maintained during the 6-month follow-up period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing colistin resistance is a global concern because colistin is used as a last resort for the treatment of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae infections. The plasmid-mediated colistin resistance gene, mcr-1 was found in distinct bacterial species isolated from humans, animals, and the environment. In this study, farms in four different agricultural provinces in China were investigated to determine the occurrence of the antimicrobial resistance and related genes. A total of 373 Escherichia coli and 54 Klebsiella pneumoniae were isolated from 510 non-duplicated samples. Of the E . coli and K . pneumoniae isolates, 72.7% and 66.7%, respectively, were susceptible to colistin. Isolates resistant to colistin comprised 46.6% of the samples isolated from Shandong, and 17.8% and 16.4% of the samples from Jilin and Henan, respectively. Twenty-six carbapenem-resistant E . coli isolates were resistant to colistin, in which both mcr-1 and bla NDM were present. Specifically, the co-existence was found in isolates from animals and sewage. Most of the resistance genes were located on plasmids and were 40–244 kilobases. Growth curves of transconjugants carrying mcr-1 , bla NDM-1 , bla NDM-4 , bla NDM-5 , and bla NDM-9 showed a low fitness cost compared with the recipient. In conclusion, mcr-1 was widespread in E . coli and K . pneumoniae isolated from farms in China. Co-existence of mcr-1 and bla NDM-9 was identified in different sequence types of E . coli with low fitness cost from various origins, indicating an urgent need to take measures for decreasing dissemination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study identified and characterized mcr-1-positive Enterobacteriaceae (MCRPE) and carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) in hospital sewage water.Methods: Influent and effluent sewage samples were collected from five tertiary hospitals in Beijing in December 2016. Samples were screened for MCRPE and CPE using antibiotic selection media. Results were confirmed by PCR amplification of β-lactamase and colistin resistance (mcr-1 and mcr-2) genes and by sequencing. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing, MLST, conjugation and plasmid typing and S1-nuclease-PFGE/Southern blotting were performed for all MCRPE and CPE isolates.Results: Nine MCRPE and 12 CPE isolates were obtained. All mcr-1-positive isolates (n = 9) were Escherichia coli and belonged to eight different STs. The blaKPC-2-positive Enterobacteriaceae included Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 4), Enterobacter cloacae (n = 4) and Citrobacter freundii (n = 1) isolates. Two C. freundii isolates and one E. cloacae isolate harboured the blaNDM-1 gene. MLST analysis revealed distinct genetic relatedness among all ST11 K. pneumoniae but not among any other carbapenemase-producing isolates. Conjugation and plasmid typing confirmed that three MCRPE isolates harboured mcr-1 on the self-transmissible IncX4 plasmid and the blaNDM-1 gene on the IncX3 plasmid. The sizes of the plasmids harbouring mcr-1, blaNDM-1 and blaKPC-2 were ∼33 to ∼240, ∼40 to ∼75 and ∼30 to ∼90 kb, respectively.Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of mcr-1-positive E. coli and blaNDM-1-carrying E. cloacae and C. freundii in hospital sewage water. These findings, especially the diversity of MCRPE and K. pneumoniae ST11 that harbour the blaKPC-2 gene, suggest that monitoring and management of hospital sewage water should be enhanced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives To examine whether and how stigma influences attitudes towards seeking treatment for urinary incontinence, and whether its effect varies by symptom severity. Background Urinary incontinence is prevalent among women, but few seek treatment. Negative attitudes towards urinary incontinence treatment inhibit from seeking care. Urinary incontinence is a stigmatised attribute. However, the relationship between stigma and attitudes towards seeking treatment for urinary incontinence has not been well understood. Design This was a cross-sectional community-based study. Methods We enrolled a sample of 305 women aged 40-65 years with stress urinary incontinence from three communities in a Chinese city between May-October in 2011. Data were collected on socio-demographic characteristics, urinary incontinence symptoms, stigma and attitudes towards seeking treatment for urinary incontinence using a self-reported questionnaire. Effects of stigma were analysed using path analysis. Results Attitudes towards seeking treatment for urinary incontinence were generally negative. For the total sample, all the stigma domains of social rejection, social isolation and internalised shame had direct negative effects on treatment-seeking attitudes. The public stigma domain of social rejection also indirectly affected treatment-seeking attitudes through increasing social isolation, as well as through increasing social isolation and then internalised shame. The final model accounted for 28% of the variance of treatment-seeking attitudes. Symptom severity influenced the strength of paths: the effect of internalised shame was higher in women with more severe urinary incontinence. Conclusions Stigma enhances the formation of negative attitudes towards seeking treatment for urinary incontinence; public stigma affects treatment-seeking attitudes through internalisation of social messages. Relevance to clinical practice Stigma reduction may help incontinent women to form positive treatment-seeking attitudes and engage them in treatment. Interventions should specifically target the self-stigma domains of social isolation and internalised shame in women with urinary incontinence to most efficiently increase their use of health care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Earlier, we reported that ST239 was the 15-year predominant methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) clone in China. In this study, MRSA strain CN79 belonging to ST239 and isolated from blood was used to determine the whole genome sequence. Comparative genomics analysis was done between MRSA CN79 and 25 sequenced S. aureus in the NCBI GenBank database. A total of 2,734 protein-encoding genes were identified in the MRSA CN79 genome, which carries 11 antibiotic resistance genes and 65 virulence genes. Two prophages phiCN79A and phiNM3-like were found on the MRSA CN79 genome. MRSA CN79 carries 30 specific genes that are absent from the 25 sequenced S. aureus genomes. Most of them were prophage-related genes. Several antibiotic resistance genes, such as β-lactamase and ABC-type multidrug transport system gene, were located on the genomic island νSaβ. The antibiotic resistance genes, such as tet ( M), ermA1, and blaZ, were also located on different transposons. The virulence genes sea, map, hlb, and sak are located on phiNM3-like prophage and the exotoxin genes are carried on the genomic island νSaα. These results suggest that ST239 MRSA strains are widespread owing to horizontal acquisition of the mobile genetic elements harbored antibiotic resistance genes and virulence genes in response to environmental selective pressures, such as antibiotics and the human immune system during evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Staphylococcus aureus from bacteraemia at multiple hospitals in China were genetically characterised to improve understanding of its epidemiology. A total of 236 consecutive, non-duplicate S. aureus bacteraemia isolates were collected at 16 Chinese hospitals. Isolates were characterised by antimicrobial resistance, 19 toxin genes, agr alleles, multilocus sequence typing and spa typing. The prevalence of meticillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) was 47.5% (112/236). Forty-two sequence types (STs) and 63 spa types were identified, including 14 STs and 14 spa types for MRSA. Clonal complex (CC) 8, CC5, ST7 and CC188 accounted for 67.4% of the isolates. ST239–t030/t037–SCCmecIII–agrI was the predominant MRSA genotype (50%), followed by ST5–t002/t570–SCCmecII–agrII (8%). A vancomycin MIC ≥ 1mg/L was detected significantly more often in ST5–SCCmecII and ST239–t037–SCCmecIII, whereas rifampicin resistance was overwhelmingly associated with ST239–t030–SCCmecIII (P <0.001). Oxacillin MICs were relatively low for ST59-MRSA. Major genotypes of meticillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) were ST7–t091/t796–agrI (16.1%), ST188–t189–agrI (12.1%) and ST398–t571/t034–agrI (5.6%). Toxin genes were identified in 95.8% of isolates and formed 89 toxin gene profiles. The toxin genes sea, selk, selq and sell were significantly more common in MRSA, whilst tsst-1, seb, sed, selm, seln, selp and selj were more prevalent in MSSA (P <0.001). The pvl gene was more commonly detected in CC59, whereas tsst-1 was more frequent in CC15, CC188 and ST398 (P <0.001). The major genotypes were associated with specific antimicrobial resistance and toxin gene profiles. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• China's evolving food safety regulations generally restrict trade. • Regulations have a larger trade impeding effect on exporters with lower food safety standards compared to exporters with higher-food safety standards. • The size of the negative trade growth effect depends critically on the importing firms' ownership structure and the type of import refusals. • SOE import purchases in China are more affected by import refusal measures due to safety and hygiene reasons, whereas SOE imports are little impacted by refusals for non-safety and hygiene reasons. Recent food safety incidents, such as melamine in infant milk powder, have contributed to Chinese consumers' growing food safety concerns. Spurred by these challenges, the Chinese government passed a series of laws and regulations to enhance food safety, which have the potential to impact China's food imports. In this paper, we provide a detailed overview and quantification of the impact of China's evolving food safety regulations on food imports. Specifically, we document the landscape of non-tariff measures driven by changes in China's food safety regulations and demonstrate that China has been building a more comprehensive regulatory system with food safety legislations becoming more stringent and cohesive. We then quantify the impact of food safety regulations on China's food imports using a novel dataset of China's import refusals. Our results show that China's evolving food safety regulations generally restrict trade, reducing imports by 2.24%, on average, for countries with low food safety regulations compared to 0.78% for countries with higher food safety standards. Further, the asymmetry between countries with lower food safety standards and China's evolving food safety standards is growing over time. At the firm level, China's border rejections have also had a significant and negative impact on the growth rate of import value. A 1% increase in the number of import refusals caused by safety and hygiene reasons decreases the average growth rate of import value by 4.51%. Importantly, because state-owned enterprises (SOEs) assume more social responsibilities and value their reputation within the context of Chinese policy, they are more affected by China's import refusal measures than non-SOEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Hepatitis E is a worldwide public health problem, particular in areas where hygiene conditions are poor. Hepatitis E virus (HEV) has at least four genotypes: genotypes 1 and 2 exclusively infect human; while genotypes 3 and 4, are considered to be a zoonotic agent, infecting both humans and animals. This study was aimed at determining why genotype 3 and 4 HEV strains isolated from swine are able to cross species borders, whereas genotype1 and 2 strains isolated from humans are not. The full length genome of the swine HEV isolate CHN-XJ-SW13 was amplified as overlapping fragments using reverse-transcription-nested polymerase chain reaction (RT-nPCR) and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE). The sequence of CHN-XJ-SW13 was compared with those of 90 HEV strains covering genotype 1–4 retrieved from GenBank. Possible regions of the viral genome, specifying the host range of HEV or associated with the severity of hepatitis E disease, were then screened for with the aid of the ALIGNX sequences alignment software package. The CHN-XJ-SW13 swine HEV isolate was determined to be a novel subtype of genotype 4, whose sequence provided several valuable clues for tracing the sources of human HEV infection. 25 specific nucleotide positions were identified to possibly being involved specifying the host range of HEV or determining the severity of hepatitis E disease. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Among 228 carbapenem-nonsusceptible Enterobacteriaceae isolated in China, 65 were carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE). Among them, 41, 22, 1, and 1 produced KPC-2, IMP-4, IMP-8, and IMP-1, respectively. KPC-2-producing CPE showed higher resistance than IMP-4-producing ones. Furthermore, the first outbreak of ST11 KPC-2-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae in a Beijing second-degree hospital was identified. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Green development and low-carbon economy play important roles to achieve sustainable society. Since agricultural production is the foundation of the Chinese national economy, agricultural green production acts as the driving force in green economy development, as well as a prerequisite to realize green behavior and sustainable ecology. Different from traditional agricultural production, the idea of agricultural green production also put many factors including economy, environment, and social development into comprehensive consideration. It provides the future directions of China's agriculture. This research aims to systematically sort the agricultural green production goals from five dimensions: supply capacity, resource utilization, environment quality, ecosystem maintenance, and farmers' lives. An agricultural green production assessment index system was constructed based on national agricultural census data indicators. Furthermore, the gap between China's agricultural green production status and target value, as well as the vertical and spatial evolution of agricultural green production levels in China have been determined empirically relying on the data from three national agricultural censuses and additional statistical data from national statistical yearbooks and coefficient manuals. Moreover, key recommendations were provided for path optimizing and China's agricultural green production upgrading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]