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China has now embraced the information era, which has had a significant impact on everyday life, employment, and educational practices. Information technology has also had a significant impact on the growth of the education sector, resulting in a fast-paced and resource-rich setting for student interaction. Through the network platform, various interactive software can improve students' learning methods, especially language teaching software. English audio-visual speaking is software for training English language listening and speaking, which can carry out relevant oral activities and topic discussions according to the imported materials. As a result, you can assist pupils in using the vocabulary and knowledge associated with the subject, which will increase their interest in learning. English teachers can fully prepare for speaking and listening tasks in the classroom by using audio-visual speaking. At the same time, through the learning of TV and movie trailers, English audio-visual speaking can provide readers with background knowledge, which is ready for readers to fully understand the language and content in the video materials. Based on information technology, this paper constructs English audio-visual and oral mobile teaching software, which depends on interactive digital media algorithms. Through the mobile teaching software for English audio-visual speaking, students can form good English listening and reading habits, which will provide important help for English language learning.First, this essay examines the value and benefits of mobile applications for providing English instruction orally and visually, which might help to illustrate the need for software development. The research then suggests various algorithms for English that are related to audio, visual, and oral input that can detect, assess, and correct students' learning mistakes. Finally, this work develops the fundamental methodology of the audio-visual and verbal mobile software for instruction in English. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Continued SDSL shrinkage was exhibited in northern China from 2010 to 2020. • The western and eastern changed SDSL areas showed an opposite changing trend. • Western SDSL areas with aeolian activity intensified in 2015–2020 deserve attention. • Multiple factors' co-driving dominated the aeolian activity change in SDSL areas. • MAAI was superior to MFVCT in aeolian activity intensified SDSL areas. Timely monitoring of the sandy desert and sandy land (SDSL) dynamics and their driving factors is vital for ecological restoration policy-making to combat the expansion of the SDSL. Northern China, being the principal implementation area of ecological restoration projects, is ecologically fragile and encompasses almost all of the SDSL regions in China. To explore and compare the dominant driving factors for SDSL changes by extracting both aeolian activity information and vegetation indices, the SDSL datasets in northern China from 2010 to 2020 were first constructed in this study by the human–computer interactive interpretation method based on the series Landsat image data. The spatiotemporal dynamic characteristics of SDSL were subsequently analyzed, and the dominant driving factors of SDSL changes were further explored via the geodetector model by the fractional vegetation cover trend and the difference of aeolian activity index. The results showed a net decrease of 3,780.25 km2 in the total SDSL area between 2010 and 2020, and the decrease rate was 2.44 times higher in the shorter period of 2015–2020 compared to 2010–2015. The spatial differentiation between the western and eastern parts of the Helan Mountains was prominently exhibited by the relatively higher changed SDSL area in the eastern part (62.74% for aeolian activity weakened and 83.32% for aeolian activity intensified) and the increasingly changed SDSL area in the western part (from 33.09% to 39.60% in aeolian activity weakened and from 13.02% to 19.60% in aeolian activity intensified). Especially, the increased aeolian activity intensified SDSL area has happened on the southern edge of the Gurbantunggut Desert and along both sides of the Tarim River from 2015 to 2020 deserve attention. The co-driving of the multiple driving factors dominated the change of SDSL from 2010 to 2020, with the county mean value of the difference in aeolian activity index (MDAAI) and the county mean value of the trend in fractional vegetation cover (MFVCT) as dependent variables, respectively. Climatic factors of the mean annual average temperature, the mean annual cumulative precipitation, and the mean annual aridity index have a relatively larger explanatory power for the change of SDSL in both MDAAI and MFVCT. Anthropogenic factors of the mean annual afforestation area and the mean annual number of large livestock and sheep and goats (year-end) have a greater explanatory power in MDAAI, while the mean annual number of large livestock and sheep and goats (year-end) and the mean annual population density in MFVCT. In particular, the dependent variable MDAAI is better at identifing the dominant drivers of aeolian activity intensified SDSL area compared to MFVCT, with anthropogenic factors playing a stronger dominant role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous studies have examined the pathogenesis of osteoporosis. The causes of osteoporosis include endocrine factors, nutritional status, genetic factors, physical factors, and immune factors. Recent osteoimmunology studies demonstrated that the immune system and immune factors play important regulatory roles in the occurrence of osteoporosis, and people should pay more attention to the relationship between immunity and osteoporosis. Immune and bone cells are located in the bone marrow and share numerous regulatory molecules, signaling molecules, and transcription factors. Abnormal activation of the immune system alters the balance between osteoblasts and osteoclasts, which results in an imbalance of bone remodeling and osteoporosis. The incidence of osteoporosis is also increasing with the aging of China's population, and traditional Chinese medicine has played a vital role in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis for centuries. Chinese medicinal plants possess unique advantages in the regulation of the immune system and the relationships between osteoporosis and the immune system. In this review, we provide a general overview of Chinese medicinal plants in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis, focusing on immunological aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper documents a 7800-year proxy record from the Shenjiadian peatland on the Sanjiang Plain in Northeast China. High-resolution plant macrofossil and colorimetric humification methods were used to reconstruct the vegetation and hydrologic history from a 193 cm-long sedimentary profile. Detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) was applied to transform the raw plant macrofossil data into latent indices of peatland water level. The vegetation community transited from an Equisetum fluviatile community to a Carex lasiocarpa community at approximately 3800 cal yr BP and was followed by a Carex-shrub community at approximately 480 cal yr BP. Based on the plant macrofossil DCA axis 1 scores and humification values, we distinguished four hydrologic periods: a wet period from 7800 cal yr BP to 4500 cal yr BP, dry periods up to 1600 cal yr BP, drier periods until 300 cal yr BP, and the driest period from 300 cal yr BP until the present. Through a comparison with other climate records, we suggest that the East Asian summer monsoon (EAM) was the main driving force for vegetation and water level changes to the Shenjiadian peatland through its impacts on precipitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is becoming increasingly clear that China experienced significant hydrological changes during the mid‐to‐late Holocene transition—a period characterized by societal changes. However, the nature of the hydroclimate anomaly as well as the direct consequences on societies in Southeast China remains unclear. Here, we present a leaf wax record from the Shuizhuyang peat deposit in Southeast China spanning the Holocene. The δD values of C29n‐alkane (δDC29) showed a large positive shift up to 24‰ from 4.7 to 3.8 ka, which changed independent of vegetation proxies and could not be solely explained by precipitation δD variations. It is thus most likely to reflect abrupt drying, which is probably shaped by a more El Niño‐like mean state in the tropical Pacific Ocean. We hypothesize that such a significant change in hydroclimate might have promoted the development of mixed rice and millet farming on the southeast coast of China. Plain Language Summary: The mid‐to‐late Holocene transition with significant changes in climate and agriculture‐based civilization affords a valuable insight into abrupt climate changes and human adaption. Increasing studies have shown large shifts in hydrological regime in China during this critical transition. However, the hydrological expression and its potential impact on the agriculture practice in Southeast China remains unclear. In this study, we utilize the hydrogen isotope compositions (δD) of leaf waxes from the Shuizhuyang peat deposit on the southeast coast of China to reconstruct hydrological changes during the mid‐to‐late Holocene transition. We find that the mid‐to‐late Holocene transition on the southeast coast of China is characterized by an abrupt drying, which is primarily modulated by a more El Niño‐like mean state over the tropical Pacific Ocean. Such a significant change in hydroclimate might have promoted the development of mixed rice and millet farming on the southeast coast of China coeval to the mid‐to‐late Holocene hydrological shift. Key Points: Increasing aridity on the southeast coast of China from 4.7 to 3.8 ka captured by the hydrogen isotope compositions (δD) of leaf waxesThe abrupt drying is mainly shaped by a more El Niño‐like state over the tropical Pacific Ocean during the mid‐to‐late Holocene transitionSuch a shift in hydroclimate might have promoted the development of mixed rice and millet farming on the southeast coast of China [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: With the development of domestic animal husbandry, the spread of brucellosis has accelerated, and the scope of the epidemic has expanded. The timely and accurate diagnosis of human brucellosis continues to challenge clinicians in endemic areas. Droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) technology can quickly and accurately determine DNA load in samples, providing laboratory evidence for diagnosis, prognosis and management of brucellosis patients. In this study, a ddPCR method was established to accurately quantify Brucella DNA load in whole blood samples, and its diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic value for human brucellosis was evaluated. Methods: Annealing temperature, primers, and probe targeting the Brucella bcsp31 gene were optimised, and the sensitivity, specificity and repeatability of the ddPCR assay were assessed using 94 whole blood samples from 61 confirmed and 33 suspected cases. Results were compared with those of quantitative PCR (qPCR). Nine follow-up brucellosis patients were also analysed by the two methods after 2 and 6 months of treatment. Results: Optimal primer and probe concentrations were 800 nmol/L and 400 nmol/L, respectively, and the optimal annealing temperature was 55.3 °C. The ddPCR results showed that the limit of detection was 1.87 copies per reaction, with high repeatability. The positive rates for ddPCR and qPCR were 88.5% and 75.4% among 61 serum agglutination test (SAT) positive patients. In addition, 57.6% (19/33) of suspected sero-negative samples were positive by ddPCR, but only 36.3% (12/33) were positive by qPCR. Analysis of nine post-therapy follow-up brucellosis patients revealed that the Brucella DNA load in the whole blood samples decreased after 2 and 6 months of treatment, and was slightly increased following relapse and continuous exposure. Conclusion: The ddPCR assay showed good accuracy for whole blood samples, and could be a potential diagnostic and prognostic tool for detecting Brucella. Author summary: Brucellosis is an important zoonosis, it is still a global public health issue. Based on an evaluation from the World Health Organization (WHO), brucellosis cases have been reported in more than 170 countries, with ~500,000 new cases reported each year. During the past decade, outbreaks of human brucellosis have been reported in increasing numbers, and with an apparent geographic expansion from the historically affected north of China to southern provinces, due to increased movement of humans, animals, and animal food products from brucellosis-endemic regions. In recent years, advanced molecular detection methods have improved laboratory diagnosis, and could serve as important alternatives to culture and serological methods. In this study, a ddPCR method was established to accurately quantify Brucella DNA load in whole blood samples, and its diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic value for human brucellosis was evaluated. The ddPCR results showed that the limit of detection was 1.87 copies per reaction, with high repeatability. The positive rates for ddPCR was 88.5% among 61 SAT positive patients. In addition, 57.6% (19/33) of suspected sero-negative samples were positive by ddPCR. The ddPCR assay showed good accuracy for whole blood samples, and could be a potential diagnostic and prognostic tool for detecting Brucella. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effective use of nutrient-rich crop straw is an important way to use resources efficiently and to sustain agricultural development. This meta-analysis study collected and analyzed the data of 6788 observations published in 238 peer-reviewed papers to investigate differences in soil C-N fractions and yields of paddy soils under different straw-return amounts. This large dataset was also used to quantify the degree of influence of factors such as climate characteristics, soil properties, N fertilizer application rates, straw-rotting agent addition, rice varieties, and straw return methods. The results showed that straw return amounts improved soil alkaline-hydrolysable N (7%), total N (10%), organic C (11%), the C:N ratio (8%), rice N accumulation (12%), and overall yield (18%). The most significant effect was in northeast China fields for total soil nitrogen (TN) content and yield with increases of 13% and 22%, respectively. We also found more effective N utilization and a greater rice yield when 220–260 kg ha−1 N fertilizer was applied with 20–30 kg ha−1 straw-rotting agent with the total amount of straw return. These findings have important implications for choosing appropriate conditions and field management practices and to improve rice yield in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Soil bacterial richness and communities differed with altitude and vegetation type. • Soil bacterial richness was mainly controlled by MAAT and MAP. • Soil C/P and MAP were the most important regulators of soil bacterial community. • Soil pH significantly affected bacterial diversity and community but to a less extent. • Soil SMC and C-limitation of microbial metabolism are important regulators of soil SOC. Peatlands are crucial carbon (C) sinks, and the combined activities of soil bacteria and soil abiotic properties play an essential role in regulating the C cycle. However, mountain peatlands are particularly vulnerable to global change, which could lead to a change from C sink to source. Understanding how variations in soil bacterial communities and diversity along an altitude gradient affect C storage through changes in enzyme stoichiometry ratios is essential. To address this issue, this study collected soil samples from six peatlands at different altitudes in the Changbai Mountains, China, which were dominated by either sedge or shrub/ Sphagnum species. The study examined a range of soil physical and chemical properties, quantified bacterial community diversity and structure, and assessed enzyme stoichiometry. The results indicated that bacterial communities varied with altitude and vegetation, with bacterial α-diversity (richness) being higher at lower altitudes and in sedge-dominated peatlands. Mean annual air temperature (MAAT) and mean annual precipitation (MAP) were the primary drivers of bacterial diversity, and soil bacterial community composition was significantly influenced by soil carbon/phosphorus (C/P) ratio and MAP. On the other hand, soil pH had only minor effected in mountain peatlands. Path analysis emphasized the greater importance of soil moisture and microbial C limitations than bacterial richness and community on soil organic carbon (SOC) in mountain peatlands. The study also suggested that increasing bacterial richness and relative abundances of rare phyla could increase soil C concentration in peatlands. Overall, this study provided valuable insights into the regulation of C cycling in mountain peatlands and could help mitigate global climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasingly high frequency of heavy air pollution in most regions of China signals the urgent need for the transition to an environmentally friendly production performance by socioeconomic sectors for the sake of people's health and sustainable development. Focusing on CO 2 and major air pollutants, this paper presents a comprehensive environmental efficiency index based on evaluating the environmental efficiency of major socioeconomic sectors, including agriculture, power, industry, residential and transportation, at the province level in China in 2010 based on a slack-based measure DEA model with non-separable bad output and weights determined by the coefficient of variation method. In terms of the environment, 5, 16, 6, 7 and 4 provinces operated along the production frontier for the agricultural, power, industrial, residential and transportation sectors, respectively, in China in 2010, whereas Shanxi, Heilongjiang, Ningxia, Hubei and Yunnan showed lowest efficiency correspondingly. The comprehensive environmental efficiency index varied from 0.3863 to 0.9261 for 30 provinces in China, with a nationwide average of 0.6383 in 2010; Shanghai ranked at the top, and Shanxi was last. Regional disparities in environmental efficiency were identified. A more detailed inefficiency decomposition and benchmarking analysis provided insight for understanding the source of comprehensive environmental inefficiency and, more specifically, the reduction potential for CO 2 and air pollutants. Some specific research and policy implications were uncovered from this work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emissions of the fine particulate matters (diameter of 2.5 μm or less) caused by both the primary particle emissions and the precursor emission sources such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, have contributed significantly to poor urban air quality in China, and have attracted tremendous public attention over the past few years. This study provides an interdisciplinary study to investigate the key contributors driving air pollution emissions changes in China from 1997 to 2012, by applying the Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index method. The decomposition results are presented in both multiplicative and additive approaches to show the relative and absolute contribution of each factor in affecting emission changes. Changes in total particulate matter emissions are attributed to variations in primary particle, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides emissions. It is manifested that the economic growth effect and energy intensity effect have always been the two key drivers in affecting the changes in air pollutant emissions over the period. The effects of emission efficiency, production structure and population growth contribute less significantly to overall emission changes, and the impacts of different factors vary among different pollutants. Since current strategies and policies in combatting particulate matter emissions are inefficient, this paper provides a guideline for the Chinese Government to deal with the air pollution problem for sustainable development in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Steroids with alkyl groups at C-2 and C-3 are not known yet in any living organism, while 4-methylsteranes are previously thought specific to 4-methylsteroids bio-synthesized by limited types of organisms, such as dinoflagellates, microalgae, and certain bacteria. Here we investigate the occurrence of C 30 2α-, 3β-, 4α-methyl-24-ethylcholestanes, C 31 3β,24-diethylcholestanes, and 3,4-dimethyl-24-ethylcholestane, which are tentatively identified in fourteen fossil conifer Protophyllocladoxylon trunk samples from the upper Permian Wutonggou and Guodikeng formations in northwest China. In contrast to the paucity of alkyl steranes in the background sediments, abundant C 30 4α-methyl-24-ethylcholestanes in fossil conifers from diverse fluvial–lacustrine environments suggest that conifers were the most likely biological origin for the 4-methyl steranes in conifer trunk samples, although origins from associated fungi might also be possible. Alternatively, these C-4 methyl steranes might have possible algal or prokaryotic origins. It is noteworthy that diagenetic methylation or bacterial alkylation at early stages of diagenesis during burial may have caused a re-arrangement of classical 24-ethylsterols that were bio-synthesized by plants to generate C-2 and C-3 alkylated steranes. This study reports the presence of 4-methylsteranes in conifer fossils for the first time, pointing toward a likely origin from higher plants. This study also provides the first report of C-2 and C-3 alkylated steranes in plant fossils, a.llowing for the possibility that plants may produce functionalised sterol precursors of orphan alkylsteranes that are abundant in geological sediments but whose functionalised precursors are not known from any living organisms. [Display omitted] • Occurrence of C 30 2α-, 3β-, and 4α-methyl-24-ethylcholestanes in fossil conifers. • Occurrence of C 31 3β,24-diethylcholestanes in fossil conifers. • First report of 4-methyl and 2-, 3-alkyl steranes in plant fossils. • C 30 4-methylsteranes were most likely from conifer, possibly fungi, algae, or bacterium. • C-2 or C-3 alkyl steranes are likely products from microbial and diagenetic modification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nearly three-quarters of the growth in global carbon emissions from the burning of fossil fuels and cement production between 2010 and 2012 occurred in China. Yet estimates of Chinese emissions remain subject to large uncertainty; inventories of China's total fossil fuel carbon emissions in 2008 differ by 0.3 gigatonnes of carbon, or 15 per cent. The primary sources of this uncertainty are conflicting estimates of energy consumption and emission factors, the latter being uncertain because of very few actual measurements representative of the mix of Chinese fuels. Here we re-evaluate China's carbon emissions using updated and harmonized energy consumption and clinker production data and two new and comprehensive sets of measured emission factors for Chinese coal. We find that total energy consumption in China was 10 per cent higher in 2000-2012 than the value reported by China's national statistics, that emission factors for Chinese coal are on average 40 per cent lower than the default values recommended by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and that emissions from China's cement production are 45 per cent less than recent estimates. Altogether, our revised estimate of China's CO2 emissions from fossil fuel combustion and cement production is 2.49 gigatonnes of carbon (2 standard deviations = ±7.3 per cent) in 2013, which is 14 per cent lower than the emissions reported by other prominent inventories. Over the full period 2000 to 2013, our revised estimates are 2.9 gigatonnes of carbon less than previous estimates of China's cumulative carbon emissions. Our findings suggest that overestimation of China's emissions in 2000-2013 may be larger than China's estimated total forest sink in 1990-2007 (2.66 gigatonnes of carbon) or China's land carbon sink in 2000-2009 (2.6 gigatonnes of carbon). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Rapid industrialization, increasing population urbanization, and improved living standards have all contributed to greatly increasing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in urban areas of developing countries. This situation is especially true for China, where fossil fuel depletion is a critical issue from its contribution to GHG emissions, and in terms of resources being consumed. To address these issues the Chinese government has supported application of ground source heat pumps (GSHP) technology. This focus is meant to alleviate the dependence on fossil fuels and improve the country''s energy structure. Several Chinese cities have embraced GSHP technology, and currently achieved some results. Shenyang, in Liaoning province, is one pioneering municipality. The city has become a champion of GSHP projects. However, the international energy research community has not been made aware of this important regional effort. The aim of this paper is to introduce and review the progress of GSHP technology diffusion within this region of China. This practical review will include policies, benefits and challenges facing the region and their adoption of GSHP technology. Recommendations for improvement of regional application on GSHP technologies given regional conditions are also made. These recommendations include strong leadership, appropriate policy incentives, effective enforcement mechanisms, and roundtable-based management. Relevant experience and lessons learned can be shared by other, globally locations, to help in GSHP technology diffusion. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Aim of the study: Tripterygium wilfordii multiglycoside (GTW), an authorized Chinese patent drug, is used for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and other immune disease. This study was to determine whether GTW induced different toxic reactions in adjuvant arthritis rats (AA rats) compared to those in normal rats. Materials and methods: To prepare arthritic rat model, male Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats were immunized by injecting complete Freund''s Adjuvant into right hind footpad. And then, GTW was given to rats intragastrically at dosage of 7 or 105mgkg−1 day−1 from day 15 to day 28 after immunization. Routine clinical parameters and histopathologic changes of liver, kidney and testis were examined. Metabolic profiling in serum of groups was analyzed by LC–MS. A principal component analysis (PCA) and partial-least-squares discriminate analysis (PLS-DA) were carried out combined with mass spectrometry (MS) data set. All the quantitative data were performed by two-way ANOVA analysis following Student''s t-test. Results and conclusions: Treatment with GTW at both doses could diminish the right and left hind paws swelling. There was slight lipoid degeneration in hepatic tissue of normal rats treated by high dose of GTW, but there were not distinctly pathological changes in hepatic tissue of AA rats treated by GTW. Compared normal rats administered with GTW, no statistically significant difference in the serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), creatinine (CRE), and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels were observed. However, the serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) level was significant decreased in AA rats under exposure GTW compared with normal rats in the same conditions (p <0.05), which indicated that GTW could offer a different liver toxic reaction in normal and AA rats. The metabolic analysis showed that a clear separation of PCA and PLS-DA score spot in normal rats, but not separation was seen in AA rats perturbed with low dosage GTW. The result indicated low dosage GTW might arouse a general toxic in normal rats but not in AA rats. The biomarker analysis showed that the level of lysophosphatidylcholines (LPCs) was down-regulated, but the level of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) and chenodexycholic acid (CDCA) was up-regulated in AA rats compared with normal rats under exposure GTW. According to pathway analysis of metabolic markers, we conceived that LPC, UDCA and CDCA were the critical intermediates of choline and fatty acid metabolism. And the lipid metabolism was a correlative outcome of GTW induced toxicity in the liver in physiological condition animals. Taken together, GTW could induce different toxic reactions between normal and AA rats, and the lipid metabolism might be part of the mechanism for the hepatic lipidosis or the other liver injury. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Investigating the net effects of foreign trade on the local environment requires a multiscale perspective. Increasingly, scholars have been investing effort to establish a global–national–local system of linkages or a local–nonlocal division of linkages. However, analysis at the megaregion level has somehow been overlooked, although megaregions play a substantial role in the context of accelerating regional integration and increasing regional pollution. This study incorporated megaregions into the existing multiscale input-output model and constructed a four-level analytical framework to analyze the emissions embodied in exports (EEE) in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region. Since this region pioneered the economic transition in China, this study further applies structural decomposition analysis (SDA) to investigate the structural changes in EEE. The empirical results show that EEE in the YRD region was mainly affected by local and cross-border linkages, which account for 85.1% and 9.8% of the total EEE in the region. The increase in local EEE linkages needs to be reduced by local technological innovation in sectors such as light industry and energy. To prevent the YRD from becoming a pollution haven for developed countries, the cross-border EEE linkage must be reduced by adjusting the production and consumption structure of light industry. Cross-regional EEE linkage can be reduced through technology upgrades in the construction sector. The trend of a decrease in intraregional linkage and an increase in cross-regional linkage indicates that YRD exports tend to be outward rather than inward oriented. The four-level framework for examining EEE offers new detailed insights into the mitigation of regional air pollution. • A four-linkage framework based on MRIO was developed to trace the sources of EEE. • Local and cross-border linkages accounted for most of the total EEE in the YRD. • The pollution haven trend from developed countries to China's coastal regions became weaker. • EEE in the YRD was mainly influenced by the energy and metal manufacturing sectors. • Local emission reduction relied on technology upgrade and structure optimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Human brucellosis is endemic in China and commonly occurs through contact with infected animals from working with livestock or consumption of unpasteurized dairy products. Although rare, human-to-human, and possible sexual transmission, of Brucella has been reported. In this report, we describe a case of likely mother-to-child transmission of Brucella in Hunan Province, China.Case Presentation: Between June and October 2016, a 28-year old man sought care for testicular swelling and pain at several health facilities. His 26-year old wife developed intermittent fever along with right thigh and hip pain between November 2016 and February 2017 respectively. On April 5, 2017, the female patient delivered a male neonate at 34 weeks of gestation through natural labor. The child's venal blood sample was cultured on April 5, 2017. Brucella was isolated and identified on April 12, 2017. On the same date, serum antibodies of the father and mother were above 1:100 (based on the serum agglutination test [SAT]). The strains isolated from the mother and neonate were identified as Brucella melitensis biotype 1.Conclusions: This report highlights a family cluster of brucellosis. Culture results strongly support mother-to-child transmission, and a high probability of sexual transmission from husband to wife. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]