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Understanding urban dynamics requires comprehensive building analysis, yet current methods focusing on specific aspects hinder the production of unified and large-scale inventories. This study introduces a multi-task deep learning network with a flexible architecture for simultaneously extracting spatial and attributional building information from high-resolution satellite images. This method efficiently segments rooftops and classifies buildings by urban function and architectural style of rooftops. Moreover, a strategic spatial sampling scheme from a data-centric perspective, informed by geographic and environmental diversity, optimizes the selection of representative samples to improve training efficiency and predictive accuracy. Comparative analyses demonstrate the framework's superior performance, achieving an F1 score of 84.30% and an intersection over union of 72.86% in rooftop segmentation, and Kappa scores of 74.67% and 70.04% in classifying urban functions and architectural types, outperforming other advanced models by 2% to 25% across various metrics. Additionally, the adaptability of the network ensures that the framework meets diverse accuracy and efficiency requirements. By applying the proposed methodology to Shanghai, a unified city-scale dataset is generated. This dataset underscores the practical applicability and potential influence of the proposed methods in the fields of urban studies and sustainable development. • A multi-task network extracting diverse building details from high-resolution satellite images is proposed. • Spatial sampling from a data centric perspective for representative sample selection is designed. • Large-scale applications prove generalization, and building-related datasets are released. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Male infertility may be caused by genetic and/or environmental factors that impair spermatogenesis and sperm maturation. High-altitude (HA) hypoxic environments represent one of the most serious challenges faced by humans that reside in these areas. To assess the influence of the plateau environment on semen parameters, 2,798 males, including 1,111 native Tibetans and 1,687 Han Chinese individuals living in the plains (HCILP) who underwent pre-pregnancy checkups, were enrolled in this study. The semen samples of males were evaluated to determine conventional sperm parameters, sperm morphology, and sperm movement. Reproductive endocrine hormones (REHs) were detected in 474 males, including 221 Tibetans and 253 HCILP. Due to recurrent abortions in partners, the DNA fragmentation index (DFI) of 133 native Tibetans and 393 HCILP individuals was further compared. Luteinizing hormone (LH) (4.94 ± 2.12 vs. 3.29 ± 1.43 U/L), prolactin (11.34 ± 3.87 vs. 8.97 ± 3.48 nmol/L), E2/T (0.22 ± 0.11 vs 0.11 ± 0.05), median total sperm motility (61.20% vs. 51.56%), and DFI (23.11% vs. 7.22%) were higher in males from plateau areas while median progressive motility (PR) (35.60% vs. 41.12%), total number of PR sperms (51.61 vs. 59.63 mil/ejaculate), percentage of normal form sperms (3.70% vs. 6.00%), curvilinear velocity (36.10 vs. 48.97 μm/s), straight-line (rectilinear) velocity (14.70 vs. 31.52 μm/s), estradiol (103.82 ± 45.92 vs. 146.01 ± 39.73 pmol/L), progesterone (0.29 ± 0.27 vs. 2.22 ± 0.84 nmol/L), testosterone (4.90 ± 1.96 vs. 14.36 ± 5.24 nmol/L), and testosterone secretion index (ratio of testosterone to LH) (33.45 ± 22.86 vs 145.78 ± 73.41) were lower than those in males from the plains. There was no difference in median total sperm number (157.76 vs. 151.65 mil/mL), sperm concentration (52.40 vs. 51.79 mil/mL), volume (3.10 vs. 3.10 mL), total normal form sperms (5.91 vs. 6.58 mil/ejaculate, p50), and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels (4.13 ± 2.55 U/L vs 3.82 ± 2.35 U/L) between the two groups of males. The REH and sperm parameters of males from HA hypoxic environments were adaptively altered. Although the total number of PR sperm decreased and DFI increased, the Tibetan population that lives at HAs has been found to grown continuously and rapidly. These results supplement prior findings regarding the impact of HA on male reproductive function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban infrastructure (UI), subject to ever-increasing stresses from artificial activities of human beings and natural disasters due to climate change, assumes a key role in modern cities for maintaining their functional operations. Therefore, understanding UI resilience turns essential. Based on the Pressure-State-Response (PSR) model, this paper built a comprehensive evaluation index system for urban infrastructure resilience evaluation. Four municipalities, including Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, and Chongqing in China, were selected for the case study, given their specific significance in terms of geographical location and urban infrastructure scale. Temporal differences of UI resilience in those four cities during 2002–2018 were explored. The results showed that: (1) The various stages of PSR relative importance for the urban infrastructure resilience development in the four cities were different. The infrastructure status, primarily resource environmental benefit, had the most significant effect on urban infrastructure resilience, accounting for 38.73%. (2) While Shanghai ranked first, the levels of urban infrastructure resilience in four cities were generally poor in 2002–2018 with continuously low resilience. (3) Significant differences were found in the resilience levels associated with the three stages of pressure, state and response failing to form a positive development cycle, with the poorest pressure resilience. This paper puts forward some recommendations for providing scientific support for urban resilient infrastructure development in four municipalities in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a special socio-ecosystem, urban sustainability has been challenged by frequent human activities and natural disasters. Including climate into the socio-ecosystem evaluation framework, this paper constructed the climate, eco-environmental, and socio-economic evaluation index, respectively, to evaluate the core cities' socio-ecology in China's three economic circles. An improved entropy-TOPSIS method was subsequently employed to identify the contribution made by each indicator of the compound system, and a modified ternary Coupling Coordination Degree (CCD) model was developed to probe into the CCD levels among the three systems during the study. The results showed that: (1) The climate system's composite scores were characterized by inter-annual fluctuation without a time trend. However, the system's risk increased, manifesting in an increased probability of extreme weather events, especially in Shanghai. (2) The eco-environmental system witnessed an enormous stride, rising above the level of socio-economic development after 2007. Besides, the gap between the eco-environment and the socio-economy was gradually enlarged since 2014. (3) The eco-environment made the most contribution to the CCD's improvement, meaning enhancing the eco-environmental performance was of paramount significance. The findings can help the government formulate more effective measures to balance climate, eco-environment, and socio-economy to achieve sustainable urban development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate species diversity and prevalence of antifungal resistance among clinical isolates of Aspergillus spp. in Shanghai, China. Patients and Methods: In this study, the Aspergillus spp. isolates were analyzed by multilocus sequence typing (MLST) targeting the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions, and partial β-tubulin (BenA) and calmodulin (CaM) genes. The susceptibilities of these isolates to nine antifungal agents were determined according to the protocol in document M38-A3 established by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI). Results: The most common Aspergillus spp. was A. fumigatus (58.2%), followed by the A. flavus complex (23.5%), and A. niger complex (15.3%). Isolates belonging to A. tamarii and A. effusus of the A. flavus complex and A. tubingensis and A. awamori of the A. niger complex were identified. Moreover, several mutations were found in the azole target cyp51A gene (TR46/Y121F/T289A and F46Y, G89G, M172V, N248T and D255E) in azole-resistant isolates of A. fumigatus. Conclusion: The results of our study revealed a diversity of species in the lower respiratory tract of inpatients in Shanghai and approximately 9% of our isolates were resistant to at least one of the triazole antifungals. Formulation of local treatment strategies to combat emerging azole resistance and species diversity in clinically relevant Aspergillus spp. is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information on the burden of disease due to foodborne pathogens in China is quite limited. To understand the incidence of foodborne gastroenteritis due to non-typhoidal Salmonella enterica and Vibrio parahaemolyticus, population survey and sentinel hospital surveillance were conducted during July 2010 to June 2011 in Shanghai, east China, and a model for calculating disease burden was established. The multiplier for gastroenteritis caused by these pathogens was estimated at 59 [95% confidence interval (CI) 30–102]. Annual incidence per 100,000 population in Shanghai was estimated as 48 (95% CI 24–83) and 183 (95% CI 93–317) cases for foodborne non-typhoidal salmonellosis and V. parahaemolyticus gastroenteritis, respectively, illustrating that bacterial gastroenteritis due to these two pathogens poses a substantial health burden. There is a significant difference between our simulated incidence and the data actually reported for foodborne diseases, indicating significant underreporting and underdiagnosis of non-typhoidal S. enterica and V. parahaemolyticus gastroenteritis in the surveillance area. The present research demonstrates basic situation of the health burden caused by major foodborne pathogens in the surveillance area. Enhanced laboratory-based sentinel hospital surveillance is one of the effective ways to monitor food safety in east China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A selection of haematological and serum biochemical profile was first presented from the 81 samples of Chinese water deer (Hydropotes inermis). The deer health assessment database was initially established, especially in relation to determining potential effects associated with diseases diagnosis. Results: Blood samples were analyzed for different haematological parameters viz. white blood cells (WBC), red blood cells (RBC), haemoglobin (HGB), packed-cell volume (PCV), platelet count (PLT), mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean red blood cells distribution width coefficient of variation (RDW) and different hematological parameters viz. total protein (TP), albumin (ALB), globulin (GLB), albumin to globulin ratio (A/G), total bilirubin (TBIL), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), γ-glutamyl transferase (GGT), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), AST/ALT, creatinine, urea (BUN), uric acid, total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride, creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and cortisol. The adult females had higher values than adult males in albumin, mean corpuscular volume, packed-cell volume, and hemoglobin content values. The deer from Shanghai had higher urea nitrogen values than those from Zhoushan. Conclusion: To our knowledge this is the first report about the haematological and serum biochemical parameters in Chinese water deer. We had initially established a profile of Chinese water deer on haematological and serum biochemical parameters based on 81 samples we had collected. The findings can serve as a primary reference for health monitoring and disease prevention in this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Allergic diseases have become a worldwide public health concern. A defining feature of allergic diseases is they often coexist in children from birth to adolescence. Objective: To investigate the prevalence of comorbid allergic diseases in allergic children in Shanghai, China. Methods: A retrospective study of 333 029 children diagnosed with allergic diseases aged 0 to 12 years (mean age: 3.04 years, 59.3% boys) was conducted using the electronic medical records of Shanghai Children's Hospital from January 2013 to July 2018. Comorbidity of allergic diseases is defined as the coexistence of 2 or 3 following diseases in the same child such as asthma (AS)/wheezing, allergic rhinitis (AR), or eczema (EC). Results: The proportion of children with comorbid allergic diseases was 6.7% (22 351/333 029). Among them, EC + AS/wheezing was the most common (61.3%, 13 711/22 351). Children with a comorbidity had significantly earlier disease onset age than subjects with only 1 disease (2.72 vs 3.06, P <.05). The serum total immunoglobulin E (tIgE) levels of children with comorbid allergic diseases were higher than those with only 1 disease. In children with a disease onset age of 0 to 9 years, the levels of tIgE for children with AS/wheezing + EC were higher than children with AS/wheezing only or EC only; in children with disease onset age of 2 to 5 and 10 to 12 years, the levels of tIgE for children with AS/wheezing + AR were higher than children with AS/wheezing only or AR only; in children with a disease onset age of 2 to 5 years, the levels of tIgE for children with AR + EC were higher than children with AR only or EC only. Conclusion: Comorbidity of allergic diseases is common in children in Shanghai, China. The onset age of comorbidity is earlier than that of only 1 disease, and the levels of serum tIgE are higher in patients with an allergic comorbidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular typing of Candida albicans is important for studying the population structure and epidemiology of this opportunistic yeast, such as population dynamics, nosocomial infections, multiple infections and microevolution. The genetic diversity of C. albicans has been rarely studied in China. In the present study, multilocus sequence typing (MLST) was used to characterize the genetic diversity and population structure of 62 C. albicans isolates collected from 40 patients from Huashan Hospital in Shanghai, China. A total of 50 diploid sequence types (DSTs) were identified in the 62 C. albicans isolates, with 41 newly identified DSTs. Based on cluster analysis, the 62 isolates were classified into nine existing clades and two new clades (namely clades New 1 and New 2). The majority of the isolates were clustered into three clades, clade 6 (37.5%), clade 1 (15.0%) and clade 17 (15.0%). Isolates of clade New 2 were specifically identified in East Asia. We identified three cases of potential nosocomial transmission based on association analysis between patients’ clinical data and the genotypes of corresponding isolates. Finally, by analyzing the genotypes of serial isolates we further demonstrated that the microevolution of C. albicans was due to loss of heterozygosity. Our study represents the first molecular typing of C. albicans in eastern China, and we confirmed that MLST is a useful tool for studying the epidemiology and evolution of C. albicans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the third generation synchrotron light source Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility (SSRF), the first infrared beamline BL01B has been successfully constructed. The infrared beamline collects both bending magnet and edge radiation. A brief introduction of the infrared beamline design has been given in this article. The infrared microspectroscopy station is equipped with a Nicolet 6700 FTIR spectrometer and a Nicolet Continuum Microscope. The flux at the entrance of the FTIR spectrometer, the intensity profile, the signal to noise ratio (SNR) with different apertures, and the focused spot size of the infrared microspectroscopy station have been measured. The performances with synchrotron radiation infrared source and internal globar source have been compared. The results indicate that the infrared microspectroscopy station at SSRF has the ability of analysis samples in a small area with diffraction limited spatial resolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility (SSRF) is the first third-generation synchrotron facility in China and operated at an electron energy of 3.5 GeV. One of the seven beamlines in the first construction phase is devoted to soft x-ray spectromicroscopy and is equipped with an elliptically polarized undulator light source, a plane grating monochromator, and a scanning transmission x-ray microscope end station. Initial results reveal the high performance of this beamline, with an energy resolving power estimated to be over 10 000 at the argon L-edge and a spatial resolution better than 30 nm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PURPOSE: The study aims to evaluate the value of panoramic films in diagnosis of condylar fractures. METHODS: Panoramic films of 163 cases (220 joints) diagnosed as condylar fractures by CT were examined. Panoramic films of all types of condylar fractures classified by CT were analyzed. According to the position of fracture, the samples were divided into two groups, intracapsular fractures and extracapsular fractures(condylar neck fractures and subcondylar fractures). The detection of fractures in two groups were compared and statistically analyzed with SAS6.12 software package. RESULTS: All 163 condylar fractures (220 joints) could be classified by CT as intracapsular fractures (155 joints), neck fractures (45 joints) and subcondylar fractures (20 joints). Panoramic films showed 38 joints without fractures and 182 joints with fractures. Among them, 33 joints without fractures and 122 joints with fractures were in the group of intracapsular fractures. The detection rate of intracapsular fractures group was significantly lower than that of condylar neck fractures and subcondylar fractures group (P=0.0149). CONCLUSION: Panoramic films can initially diagnose condylar fractures, but the misdiagnosis rate is high for intracapsular fractures, particularly for minor fractures and fractures without fragment displacement. CT should be considered for positioning of fracture lines and confirming the displacement angle of fragment on coronal plane. Supported by Research Fund of Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality (Grant No.08DZ2271100). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PURPOSE: To evaluate the role of MR Sialography (MRS) in diagnosis of submandibular sialolithiasis. METHODS: Twenty-one patients with submandibular sialolithiasis were scanned by MRS, the results of MRS were compared with those after proper treatment. RESULTS: The results of MRS were consistent with those after proper treatment. CONCLUSION: MRS has high diagnostic accuracy in diagnosis of sialolithiasis including submandibular sialadenitis. Supported by Shanghai Leading Academic Discipline Project (Grant No.Y0203). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: The purpose of the present study was to estimate the prevalence of high-risk human papillomavirus infection and the viral load in different age groups, to describe the distribution of human papillomavirus prevalence in women enrolled in two hospitals. Study design: We retrospectively investigated 17,148 cases undergoing hybrid capture II between January 2005 and February 2007. The prevalence of human papillomavirus infection and the level of viral load were estimated in different age groups to describe the distribution in the cases. Results: Human papillomavirus was detected in 5173 of 17,148 women (30.2%) aged 17–79 years. The highest prevalence appeared in the ≤20-year age group (45.2%). After age 20, the prevalence declined rapidly and then ascended slowly from 28.5% in the 21–30-year age group to 38.0% in the ≥61-year group. The mean viral load was 294.12±511.66 relative light units/positive control in total human papillomavirus positive cases. The viral load of the 21–30-year age group was the lowest (271.99±499.24 relative light units/positive control) and the highest was found in the ≥61-year interval (560.30±672.87 relative light units/positive control). No significant correlation was found between viral load and the severity of cervical lesions. Conclusions: Our study showed a “U” shape of age-specific prevalence of high-risk human papillomavirus infection occurring in women attending hospitals in Shanghai, China, similar to worldwide figures. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: The emergence and wide global spread of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) isolates are of great concern, and the aim of this study was to investigate drug resistance, molecular epidemiology, and genetic relationship of CRKP isolates from patients in Shanghai, China. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted from April 2018 to July 2019, and a total of 133 CRKP isolates were collected. Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined by VITEK-2 automated microbiology analyzer platform (bioMérieux, France) and the broth microdilution method. Polymerase chain reaction assays were used to investigate the presence of drug resistance genes. A modified carbapenem inactivation method was performed to detect carbapenemases. Multilocus sequence typing and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) were conducted for genetic relatedness of 50 CRKP isolates selected. Results: Among 670 isolates of K. pneumoniae, 133 (19.9%) strains were identified as CRKP, of which, 76.7% (102/133) strains were isolated from intensive care units (ICUs). All the 133 CRKP isolates were found to be carbapenemase-producers and harbor blaKPC-2 gene. No other carbapenemase genes of blaNDM, blaOXA-48, blaVIM, and blaIMP were detected. Furthermore, β-lactamase genes of blaSHV, blaCTX, and blaTEM were the most common resistance-associated genes among these KPC-2 producing isolates. All the 133 CRKP strains displayed >95% of resistance to cephalosporins and carbapenems, except for gentamicin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, amikacin, tigecycline and colistin, and ceftazidime-avibactam. The most common sequence type was ST11, accounting for 90.0% of the 50 CRKP selected, followed by ST15 (10.0%). PFGE analysis clustered the 50 KPC-2-producing isolates into seven (A–G) distinct clonal clusters at 85% cutoff. Of which, A and G were the two major clusters, accounting for the majority of the strains collected in emergency ICU and neurosurgical ICU. And all the strains of clusters D and E were collected in cardiothoracic surgery ICU, except for one strain collected in one outpatient. Conclusion: The KPC-2-producing K. pneumoniae belonged to ST11 was widely disseminated in ICUs, and active and effective surveillance of infection control strategies was initiated to limit the spread of CRKP strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Remarkable increase of emm 1 proportion in GAS population. • Continuous data of ongoing scarlet fever outbreaks in China. • Average GAS carriage rate of 7.6% in school-aged children. • Characteristic mobile genetic elements harboured by Chinese emm 1 isolates. Scarlet fever epidemics caused by group A Streptococcus (GAS) have been ongoing in China since 2011. However, limited data are available on the dynamic molecular characterizations of the epidemic strains. Epidemiological data of scarlet fever in Shanghai were obtained from the National Notifiable Infectious Disease Surveillance System. Throat swabs of patients with scarlet fever and asymptomatic school-age children were cultured. Illumina sequencing was performed on 39 emm 1 isolates. The annual incidence of scarlet fever was 7.5–19.4/100,000 persons in Shanghai during 2011–2015, with an average GAS carriage rate being 7.6% in school-age children. The proportion of emm 1 GAS strains increased from 3.8% in 2011 to 48.6% in 2014; they harbored a superantigen profile similar to emm 12 isolates, except for the speA gene. Two predominant clones, SH001- emm 12, and SH002- emm 1, circulated in 66.9% of scarlet fever cases and 44.8% of carriers. Genomic analysis showed emm 1 isolates throughout China constituted distinct clades, enriched by the presence of mobile genetic elements carrying the multidrug-resistant determinants ermB and tetM and virulence genes speA, speC, and spd1. A significant increase in the proportion of emm 1 strains occurred in the GAS population, causing scarlet fever in China. Ongoing surveillance is warranted to monitor the dynamic changes of GAS clones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the antimicrobial susceptibility of Shigella isolated in Shanghai, China and to determine the genetic basis of its resistance to fluoroquinolones. Materials and Methods: A total of 402 strains of Shigella, including 145 Shigella flexneri and 257 Shigella sonnei isolates, were analyzed. The Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion method was used to determine the susceptibility of the strains to 13 antimicrobials. Minimum inhibitory concentration of ciprofloxacin was determined by E-test. Mutations within the quinolone resistance-determining regions (QRDRs) of gyrA and parC and in the plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) genes, including qnrA, qnrB, qnrS, and aac (6′)-Ib-cr, were detected by polymerase chain reaction. All the products were then sequenced. Results: Most of the Shigella isolates were found to be resistant to nalidixic acid (96.4%), streptomycin (96.4%), ampicillin (86.2%), tetracycline (79.8%), and sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim (80.6%). S. flexneri isolates showed a significantly higher resistance to cefepime (33.6%), ciprofloxacin (54.2%), norfloxacin (34.1%), and levofloxacin (12.1%) compared with that observed for the S. sonnei strains (χ2 analysis, p < 0.05). Three mutations (Ser83, Asp87, and His211) in gyrA and one mutation (Ser80) in parC were detected. Of 257 S. sonnei isolates, 11.7% possessed gyrA mutations and 2% had parC mutations. Of 145 S. flexneri isolates, 98.6% possessed gyrA mutations and 97.9% had parC mutations. The plasmid-mediated resistance genes of qnrS and aac (6′)-Ib-cr were detected among 17 strains (4.2%). Conclusions: The mutation percentage within the QRDR of S. flexneri was as high as 98.6 in gyrA and 97.9 in parC. The significant abundance of mutations within QRDRs conferred high levels of fluoroquinolone resistance. Moreover, the PMQR genes, particularly qnrS, played an important role in the decreased susceptibility of Shigella to fluoroquinolones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• First report of the complete shift from ptxP1 to ptxP3 in a large city in China. • Genomic analysis of a novel erythromycin-resistant ptxP3 Bordetella pertussis clone in China. • First report of PRN-deficient B. pertussis isolates in China. • Proof of the circulation of the same B. pertussis clone among households. The number of cases of pertussis has been increasing since 2014 in China, with high prevalence of macrolide resistance in ptxP1 isolates and low prevalence in ptxP3 isolates. This study aimed to investigate the dynamic changes in the B. pertussis population from paediatric patients and household contacts in Shanghai between 2018 and 2022. Clinical data of laboratory-confirmed cases of pertussis were analysed, while isolates recovered from hospitalized children and household contacts were characterized by antimicrobial susceptibility testing, whole-genome sequencing, vaccine antigen gene typing and phylogenetical analysis. Among 640 laboratory-confirmed cases, 340 (53.1%) were fully vaccinated with DTaP and 114 (17.8%) were hospitalized for treatment. The frequency of erythromycin resistance in the 103 B. pertussis isolates from inpatients (n =73) and household contacts (n =30) was 78.6% (81/103), increasing from 65% (13/20) in 2018 to 100% (26/26) in 2022. The proportion of ptxP3 isolates increased from 35% (7/20) in 2018 to 100% (26/26) in 2022. Based on genomic analysis, a novel ptxP3 clone (MT28-Shanghai) belonging to sublineage IVd was discovered and dominated in 2021–2022, which was characterized with ptxP3 , erythromycin resistance and prn 150. Twelve (11.7%) predicted pertactin-deficient isolates were found; of these, nine were ptxP3 isolates and three were ptxP1 isolates. A complete shift from ptxP1 to ptxP3 in Shanghai, China, which may have been accelerated by the domination of a novel erythromycin-resistant MT28 clone, challenges the pertussis vaccines used at present in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to assess the influence of meteorological conditions on the variability of haze in Shanghai during 1981-2013. Based on the observational data of haze and air quality in Shanghai during this period and on the National Centers for Environmental Prediction final analysis data, the long-term variability and the spatial distribution of the haze was analyzed as well as with relationship between haze and atmospheric variables, including visibility, relative humidity, and air quality. Temporal evolution showed that the annual number of haze days in Shanghai represented a rapid decline in the last decade, which was caused by the direct effects of relative humidity and visibility. Global warming-induced changes, such as a warmer temperature, lower relative humidity, and wind speed in winter, were other important factors in the decline. Spatial distribution showed that the annual number of haze days in mid-western Shanghai was higher than those in the southeastern suburbs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Limb preference, associated with behavioural laterality and hemispheric lateralization, has long received high attention from both ethologists and psychologists. Chinese red pandas in Shanghai Zoo perform natural unimanual actions in two different ways during food handling, making it an appropriate subject to investigate the effect of food handling on pawedness. In this study, we estimated the direction and the strength of pawedness in spontaneous feeding behaviours in zoo-housed Chinese red pandas. All the subjects exclusively used the preferred paw when handling fruit pieces throughout the observational period, with three of them preferred the left paw while the other two the right paw. By contrast, both paws were found to be used alternately in consuming bamboo. Our results indicate that different food manipulations have effects on pawedness in the Chinese red panda where more complex handling could probably enhance its pawedness. • Chinese red pandas used exclusively the preferred paw to handle fruit pieces. • Chinese red pandas use both paws alternately to handle bamboo clippings. • Stronger pawedness emerged from the more complex handling of fruits than bamboo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The hematotoxic effects of benzene exposure may be important in the occurrence of subsequent health effects. We sought to provide further information on peripheral blood effects by studying 928 workers in five factories in and around Shanghai, China exposed to a wide range of benzene concentrations. Specifically, we sought to investigate which blood indices are more strongly related to benzene exposure and which concentration levels of benzene result in peripheral blood changes. Lifestyle habits and demographic information was obtained via questionnaire, and potentially important genetic influences were determined by assessing single nucleotide polymorphisms in four genes (NQO1, MPO, CYP2E1, GSTT1). Weekly benzene exposure estimated from individual monitoring results ranged from 0.07 to 872mg/m3 with a median value of 7.4mg/m3. Twelve peripheral blood indices were examined. Stronger effects on peripheral blood were seen for red cell indices such as anemia and macrocytosis, albeit at higher (>10ppm) exposure levels. The most sensitive parameters to benzene appeared to be neutrophils and the mean platelet volume (MPV), where effects were seen for benzene air concentrations of 7.8–8.2ppm. Toluene exposure is a potential confounder for some peripheral blood effects, pointing to the need to scrutinize levels of both compounds in the occupational environment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]