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Most genotype XII newcastle disease viruses (NDVs) were isolated from poultry, chickens, or geese, with the exception of one subtype, XIIa NDV, which was isolated from a peacock. Here, two subtype XIIb NDVs, francolin/China/GX01/2017 and francolin/China/GX02/2017 (GX01 and GX02 hereafter), were isolated from francolins, which are resident birds in southern China. GX01 and GX02 were characterized as velogenic NDVs. Based on the weaker pathogenicity of these viruses in chickens, the amino acid sequences of seven proteins from genotype XII NDVs were compared, which revealed 17, 40, 15, 7, 32, 25, and 31 variations in the NP, P, M, F, HN, L, and V proteins, respectively, some of which could be responsible for this decreased pathogenicity. Epidemiological and phylogenetic analyses suggest that subtype XIIb NDVs have multiple transmission chains, and that resident birds may be involved in this process as intermediate hosts in which viruses keep evolving. Because of the increased pathogenicity of subtype XIIb NDVs, the protective efficacy of GX01 as an inactivated vaccine was evaluated and compared with that of two commercial inactivated vaccines in chickens. The results showed that the subtype XIIb NDVs could be candidate genotype-matched vaccine strains against genotype XII NDVs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low pathogenic avian influenza viruses (LPAIVs) have been widespread in poultry and wild birds throughout the world for many decades. LPAIV infections are usually asymptomatic or cause subclinical symptoms. However, the genetic reassortment of LPAIVs may generate novel viruses with increased virulence and cross-species transmission, posing potential risks to public health. To evaluate the epidemic potential and infection landscape of LPAIVs in Guangxi Province, China, we collected and analyzed throat and cloacal swab samples from chickens, ducks and geese from the live poultry markets on a regular basis from 2016 to 2019. Among the 7,567 samples, 974 (12.87%) were LPAIVs-positive, with 890 single and 84 mixed infections. Higher yearly isolation rates were observed in 2017 and 2018. Additionally, geese had the highest isolation rate, followed by ducks and chickens. Seasonally, spring had the highest isolation rate. Subtype H3, H4, H6 and H9 viruses were detected over prolonged periods, while H1 and H11 viruses were detected transiently. The predominant subtypes in chickens, ducks and geese were H9, H3, and H6, respectively. The 84 mixed infection samples contained 22 combinations. Most mixed infections involved two subtypes, with H3 + H4 as the most common combination. Our study provides important epidemiological data regarding the isolation rates, distributions of prevalent subtypes and mixed infections of LPAIVs. These results will improve our knowledge and ability to control epidemics, guide disease management strategies and provide early awareness of newly emerged AIV reassortants with pandemic potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water conservation is an important service function of ecosystems. A timely understanding of dynamic changes in the water conservation function is important for the protection and reconstruction of water resources. Based on remote sensing data, meteorological data, land cover data, and the "Technical Criterion for Ecosystem Status Evaluation" issued by the Ministry of Environmental Protection of the People's Republic of China, a comprehensive evaluation system was designed to assess the water conservation function of the Xiongan New Area from 2005 to 2015. The system created from four aspects, including ecological structure, ecological stress, water balance and landscape ecology. The results showed that from 2005 to 2015, the water conservation function of the Xiongan New Area first decreased and then increased, and the overall trend was upward. The increasing areas were mainly concentrated around Baiyangdian and near the grassland. Among all evaluated indicators, the precipitation compliance rate index fluctuated the most from -16.62 in 2010 to 6.70 in 2015. The evapotranspiration index was the largest in 2010 (6.47) and the smallest in 2005 (3.52). The Temperature Vegetation Dryness Index (TVDI) showed that the drought was the severest in 2010 and the least severe in 2015. However, the other indicators remain relatively stable. From the perspective of the spatial distribution, the water conservation function of the Xiongan New Area was gradually enhanced from north to south. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evaluation of mortality in earthquake-stricken areas is vital for the emergency response during rescue operations. Hence, an effective and universal approach for accurately predicting the number of casualties due to an earthquake is needed. To obtain a precise casualty prediction method that can be applied to regions with different geographical environments, a spatial division method based on regional differences and a zoning casualty prediction method based on support vector regression (SVR) are proposed in this study. This study comprises three parts: (1) evaluating the importance of influential features on seismic fatality based on random forest to select indicators for the prediction model; (2) dividing the study area into different grades of risk zones with a strata fault line dataset and WorldPop population dataset; and (3) developing a zoning support vector regression model (Z-SVR) with optimal parameters that is suitable for different risk areas. We selected 30 historical earthquakes that occurred in China's mainland from 1950 to 2017 to examine the prediction performance of Z-SVR and compared its performance with those of other widely used machine learning methods. The results show that Z-SVR outperformed the other machine learning methods and can further enhance the accuracy of casualty prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study develops a conceptual framework of multidimensional energy poverty by using a multidimensional poverty index that considers energy accessibility, affordability, and service availability. The index is then utilized to evaluate the extent, depth, and intensity of multidimensional energy poverty (MEP) in China. Specifically, this study aims to identify factors that contribute to the urban-rural and regional MEP disparities in China. The results reveal that (1) MEP is widespread in China; (2) Rural areas experience 2.5 times more MEP compared to urban areas, while inland regions have 1.5 times higher MEP rates than coastal regions; and (3) these disparities are primarily caused by low-income levels, lack of non-agricultural employment opportunities, and educational attainment. Therefore, policies targeting low-income, unemployed, and less-educated individuals are necessary to address this issue. In addition, promoting urbanization and eliminating the household registration system are crucial steps to address MEP disparities in China. Furthermore, improving energy infrastructure and increasing knowledge dissemination can also help reduce reliance on traditional energy sources. • Designed multifaceted poverty index mattering energy access, affordability, service. • Energy Poverty gaps stem from income shortage, non-agricultural jobs, education gaps. • Rural (inland) MEP is 2.5 (1.5) times higher than that in urban (coastal) areas. • The study offers crucial policy insights for alleviating energy poverty in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Avian parvoviruses cause several enteric poultry diseases that have been increasingly diagnosed in Guangxi, China, since 2014. In this study, the whole-genome sequences of 32 strains of chicken parvovirus (ChPV) and 3 strains of turkey parvovirus (TuPV) were obtained by traditional PCR techniques. Phylogenetic analyses of 3 genes and full genome sequences were carried out, and 35 of the Guangxi ChPV/TuPV field strains were genetically different from 17 classic ChPV/TuPV reference strains. The nucleotide sequence alignment between ChPVs/TuPVs from Guangxi and other countries revealed 85.2-99.9% similarity, and the amino acid sequences showed 87.8-100% identity. The phylogenetic tree of these sequences could be divided into 6 distinct ChPV/TuPV groups. More importantly, 3 novel ChPV/TuPV groups were identified for the first time. Recombination analysis with RDP 5.0 revealed 15 recombinants in 35 ChPV/TuPV isolates. These recombination events were further confirmed by Simplot 3.5.1 analysis. Phylogenetic analysis based on full genomes showed that Guangxi ChPV/TuPV strains did not cluster according to their geographic origin, and the identified Guangxi ChPV/TuPV strains differed from the reference strains. Overall, whole-genome characterizations of emerging Guangxi ChPV and TuPV field strains will provide more detailed insights into ChPV/TuPV mutations and recombination and their relationships with molecular epidemiological features., (© 2023. Springer Nature Limited.)

Background: Chicken anemia virus (CAV) causes chicken infectious anemia, which results in immunosuppression; the virus has spread widely in chicken flocks in China., Objectives: The aim of this study was to understand recent CAV genetic evolution in chicken flocks in Guangxi Province, southern China., Methods: In total, 350 liver samples were collected from eight commercial broiler chicken farms in Guangxi Province in southern China from 2018 to 2020. CAV was detected by conventional PCR, and twenty CAV complete genomes were amplified and used for the phylogenetic analysis and recombination analysis., Results: The overall CAV-positive rate was 17.1%. The genetic analysis revealed that 84 CAVs were distributed in groups A, B, C (subgroups C1-C3) and D. In total, 30 of 47 Chinese CAV sequences from 2005-2020 belong to subgroup C3, including 15 CAVs from this study. There were some specific mutation sites among the intergenotypes in the VP1 protein. The amino acids at position 394Q in the VP1 protein of 20 CAV strains were consistent with the characteristics of a highly pathogenic strain. GX1904B was a putative recombinant., Conclusions: Subgroup C3 was the dominant genotype in Guangxi Province from 2018-2020. The 20 CAV strains in this study might be virulent according to the amino acid residue analysis. These data help improve our understanding of the epidemiological trends of CAV in southern China., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (© 2022 The Korean Society of Veterinary Science.)

To establish an effective nomogram for predicting in-hospital mortality of COVID-19, a retrospective cohort study was conducted in two hospitals in Wuhan, China, with a total of 4,086 hospitalized COVID-19 cases. All patients have reached therapeutic endpoint (death or discharge). First, a total of 3,022 COVID-19 cases in Wuhan Huoshenshan hospital were divided chronologically into two sets, one (1,780 cases, including 47 died) for nomogram modeling and the other (1,242 cases, including 22 died) for internal validation. We then enrolled 1,064 COVID-19 cases (29 died) in Wuhan Taikang-Tongji hospital for external validation. Independent factors included age (HR for per year increment: 1.05), severity at admission (HR for per rank increment: 2.91), dyspnea (HR: 2.18), cardiovascular disease (HR: 3.25), and levels of lactate dehydrogenase (HR: 4.53), total bilirubin (HR: 2.56), blood glucose (HR: 2.56), and urea (HR: 2.14), which were finally selected into the nomogram. The C-index for the internal resampling (0.97, 95% CI: 0.95-0.98), the internal validation (0.96, 95% CI: 0.94-0.98), and the external validation (0.92, 95% CI: 0.86-0.98) demonstrated the fair discrimination ability. The calibration plots showed optimal agreement between nomogram prediction and actual observation. We established and validated a novel prognostic nomogram that could predict in-hospital mortality of COVID-19 patients.

Objective: Noninvasive and simple tests to forecast cirrhosis is in great need clinically. This study aimed to assess the clinical significance of several noninvasive indices in predicting cirrhosis in Chinese patients with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH)., Materials and Methods: Liver function test and blood cell analysis were conducted in 76 AIH patients and 75 paired healthy subjects to calculate aspartate aminotransferase to alanine aminotransferase ratio(AAR), aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index (APRI), fibrosis index based on the four factors (FIB-4), gamma-glutamyl transferase to platelet ratio (GPR), red blood cell distribution width (RDW), neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), lymphocyte to monocyte ratio (LMR), and platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR). Binary logistic regression was performed to analysis the risk factors of liver cirrhosis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was conducted to evaluate the diagnostic value of each index and compare their diagnostic performance with serum biomarkers commonly used in the clinical setting for liver fibrosis assessing including hyaluronic acid (HA), laminin(LN), procollagen III N terminal peptide (PIIINP) and type IV collagen (ColIV)., Results: AAR, APRI, FIB-4, GPR, NLR and RDW were elevated remarkably in AIH patients with cirrhosis; AAR, FIB-4 and RDW were identified to be independent risk factors of cirrhosis with OR (95%CI) of 3.517 (1.300-9.514), 1.247(1.032-1.506) and 1.414 (1.086-1.842) respectively; ROC analysis showed that the area under the ROC curve (AUC) of AAR, FIB-4 and RDW were 0.801,0.82 and 0.739, with moderate diagnostic value and better than HA, LN, PIIINP and ColIV in identifying those with cirrhosis from AIH patients., Conclusion: AAR, FIB-4 and RDW were independent risk factors of AIH cirrhosis and can be served as reference indices to monitor disease course in AIH., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Infections with low pathogenic avian influenza viruses (LPAIVs) can be mild or asymptomatic in poultry; however, in humans, LPAIVs can cause severe infections and death, as demonstrated by the H7N9 and H10N8 human infection outbreaks in 2013 in China. In this study, we conducted an epidemiological survey of LPAIVs at live poultry markets (LPMs) in Guangxi Province, Southern China, which is near several Southeast Asian countries. From January 2012 to December 2015, we collected 3,813 swab samples from poultry at LPMs in Guangxi. Viral isolation, hemagglutination inhibition assay and viral sequencing were utilized to identify LPAIVs in the collected samples. Among the samples, 622 (16.3%) were positive for LPAIVs. Six subtypes (H1, H3, H4, H6, H9 and H11) were individually isolated and identified. Of these subtypes, H3, H6 and H9 were predominant in ducks, geese and chickens, respectively. Among the 622 positive samples, 160 (25.7%) contained more than one subtype, and H8, H10, H12, H13, and H16 were identified among them, which highlights the continuous need for enhanced surveillance of AIVs. These results provide detailed information regarding the epidemic situation of LPAIVs in the area, which can aid efforts to prevent and control AIV transmission in humans and animals.