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Rhododendron henanense subsp. lingbaoense (hereafter referred to as R. henanense) is an endemic species naturally distributed in the Henan province, China, with high horticultural, ornamental and medicinal value. Herein, we report a de novo genome assembly for R. henanense using a combination of PacBio long read and Illumina short read sequencing technologies. In total, we assembled 634.07 Mb with a contig N50 of 2.5 Mb, representing ~96.93% of the estimated genome size. By applying Hi‐C data, 13 pseudochromosomes of R. henanense genome were assembled, covering ~98.21% of the genome assembly. The genome was composed of ~65.76% repetitive sequences and 31,098 protein‐coding genes, 88.77% of which could be functionally annotated. Rhododendron henanense displayed a high level of synteny with other Rhododendron species from the Hymenanthes subgenus. Our data also suggests that R. henanense genes related to stress responses have undergone expansion, which may underly the unique abiotic and biotic stress resistance of the species. This alpine Rhododendron chromosome‐scale genome assembly provides fundamental molecular resources for germplasm conservation, breeding efforts, evolutionary studies, and elucidating the unique biological characteristics of R. henanense. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The HIV epidemic among former plasma donors (FPDs) in rural Central China in the early-mid 1990s is likely the largest known HIV-infected cohort in the world related to commercial plasma donation but has never been fully described. The objectives of this study are to estimate the timing and geographic spread of HIV infection in this cohort and to demonstrate the impact of antiretroviral therapy on survival outcomes. Methodology/Principal Findings: HIV-infected FPDs were identified using the national HIV epidemiology and treatment databases. Locations of subjects were mapped. Dates of infection and survival were estimated using the midpoint date between initial-final plasma donation dates from 1985-2008 among those with plasma donation windows ≤2 years. Among 37084 FPDs in the two databases, 36110 were included. 95% were located in focal areas of Henan Province and adjacent areas of surrounding provinces. Midpoint year between initial-final plasma donation dates was 1994 among FPDs with known donation dates. Median survival from infection to AIDS was 11.8 years and, among those not treated, 1.6 years from AIDS to death. Among those on treatment, 71% were still alive after five years. Using Cox proportional hazard modeling, untreated AIDS patients were 4.9 times (95% confidence interval 4.6-5.2) more likely to die than those on treatment. Conclusions/Significance: The epidemic of HIV-infected FPD in China was not widespread throughout China but rather was centered in Henan Province and the adjacent areas of surrounding provinces. Even in these areas, infections were concentrated in focal locations. Overall, HIV infections in this cohort peaked in 1994, with median survival of 13.4 years from infection to death among those not treated. Among AIDS patients on treatment, 71% were still alive after five years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]