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ObjectiveTo investigate the serotype distribution and antimicrobial resistance characteristics of Salmonella isolated from retail chicken in Beijing City.MethodsA total of 135 Salmonella strains were isolated from retail chicken meat collected from three large wholesale markets in Fengtai District in Beijing City from 2014 to 2015. The serotype of these Salmonella strains was identified using both a Luminex serotyping kit and a traditional serum agglutination method. Multilocus sequence typing was performed according to the recommended conditions of the Enterobase database. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing plates were used to determine the susceptibility of the isolates against 12 classes of drugs representing 25 antimicrobial agents. PCR was used to detect the prevalence of the 10 mobile colistin resistance genes （mcr） and three NDM-type carbapenemases genes （blaNDM）.ResultsAmong the 135 Salmonella strains， 6 serogroups were detected， with D1 and B being the main serogroups； 20 serotypes were detected， in which Enteritidis， Indiana， and Thompson were the dominant ones with percentages of 50.4%， 15.6%， and 8.1%， respectively； 21 ST types were obtained， and a good correspondence was observed between serotypes and ST types. 91.9% of all tested isolates showed resistance to the tested drugs and showed the highest resistance to nalidixic acid， ampicillin， ampicillin-sulbactam， tetracycline. Multi-drug resistant strains accounted for 71.1% of all strains and were resistant to as many as 18 kinds of antimicrobial compounds belonging to 10 categories. Among the 17 strains co-resistant to 8 or more classes of drugs， 16 were of the Indiana serotype. The proportion of strains with high multi-drug resistance was different in different packaging methods， different seasons， and different wholesale markets. All strains were negative for the mcr and blaNDM genes.ConclusionThe serotypes of Salmonella isolates from chicken meat in wholesale markets in Beijing City from 2014 to 2015 were complex， with the dominant serotype of Salmonella Enterititis， and the overall antimicrobial resistance level of all isolates was high. To assess the possible food safety risks， continuous monitoring for Salmonella Indiana with high levels of antimicrobial resistance must be carried out and their drug resistance and transmission mechanisms must be studied to help develop first-line and ultimate drugs for clinical treatment of Salmonella diseases.

The microbial control in broiler chicken slaughtering and processing is essential in ensuring food safety and human health. Scalding， washing， and cooling are crucial stages for controlling microbial contamination during broiler chicken processing， and a combined use of multiple measures can effectively reduce microbial load on broiler chicken carcasses. Among these antimicrobial agents， sodium hypochlorite， cetylpyridinium chloride， and acidified sodium chlorite are effective in reducing contamination by pathogens such as Salmonella， Escherichia coli， and Campylobacter on broiler chicken carcasses. However， the effectiveness of reducing microbes depends on the stages of microbial control and the amount and duration of antimicrobial agent application. This article provides an overview of the control measures for microbial contamination at various stages of broiler chicken slaughtering and processing. Additionally， this study systematically elucidates the microbial reduction effects of various antimicrobial agents in these process stages. This review aims to provide data references for preventing and controlling microbial contamination during broiler chicken slaughtering and processing in domestic industries， thereby promoting the healthy development of the broiler production industry and safeguarding consumer health.

The lithology and hardness of the coal seam roof are directly related to the stability and water permeability of the roadway and the safe production of the coal mine. It has become a common method to predict gas content based on AVO inversion, but the conventional AVO inversion formula is a simplified approximation of Zoeppritz equation in different degrees under certain conditions, which affects the inversion accuracy to some extent. On the basis of petrophysical analysis of the roof, the pre-stack inversion of quasi-linear Zoeppritz equation with the smallest overall angle error was employed to lithology and hardness prediction of coal seam roof in Yangquan Mining Area, Shanxi Province. The results show that the expression of quasi-linear Zoeppritz equation is simple, and through the AVO characteristic analysis of different Zoeppritz approximate formulas, found that the precision of quasi-linear Zoeppritz equation is the highest, second only to that of accurate Zoeppritz equation. The analysis of rock mechanics characteristics shows that Young’s modulus multiplied by density is the most sensitive to hardness, and pseudo-gamma P-wave velocity can effectively reflect roof lithology. The lithology and hardness characterization parameters obtained from inversion are combined with the parameter well data and geological data to comprehensively evaluate the roof stability, provide geological evidence for roadway excavation and reduce the coal mine production risk.

ObjectiveA dual real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method for simultaneous detection of two virulence genes tdh and trh of Vibrio parahaemolyticus was established, and the virulence genes carried by 2 771 strains of foodborne Vibrio parahaemolyticus in China were comprehensively detected.MethodsAccording to the tdh and trh virulence genes of Vibrio parahaemolyticus, PCR primers and fluorescent probes were designed respectively, the real-time PCR reaction system and reaction procedure were optimized, and a dual real-time PCR detection method which can detect the two virulence genes at the same time was established. The virulence genes carried by 2 771 strains of foodborne Vibrio parahaemolyticus isolated in 2015 and 2016 were detected by the established method, and compared with the result of PCR method to evaluate the sensitivity, accuracy and specificity of the method.ResultsThe established dual fluorescence PCR method could detect both tdh and trh virulence genes at the same time, and its sensitivity was 1.5×10-4 ng/μL. The accuracy and specificity were 100%. In 2015, the carrying rates of tdh and trh genes in foodborne Vibrio parahaemolyticus in China were 0.26% (3/1 137) and 1.67%(19/1 137) respectively, and were 0.24%(4/1 634) and 0.43%(7/1 634) in 2016 respectively.ConclusionIn this study, a dual real-time PCR method for simultaneous detection of tdh and trh virulence genes of Vibrio parahaemolyticus was established, which could quickly and accurately screen the virulence genes of Vibrio parahaemolyticus. The carrying rate of tdh and trh virulence genes of Vibrio parahaemolyticus isolated from food in China was low. The dual real-time PCR method can be applied to the study of the pathogenicity of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in food, and provide scientific data for the risk assessment of dietary exposure to Vibrio parahaemolyticus in China.

ObjectiveWhole genome sequencing and analysis was conducted on a Burkholderia gladiolus pv. cocovenenans strain, isolated from raw corn flour sample which caused family agglutinative bongkrekic acid poisoning. The genetic characteristics of its virulence and pathogenicity were analyzed as well.MethodsGenomic DNA was extracted from DBJ isolate, the whole genome sequencing was carried out. Bioinformatics method were used to mine and analyze the data obtained from sequencing.ResultsTwo independent chromosomes (G1 and G2) and one plasmid (P) were found in DBJ isolate. The lengths of the chromosomes and plasmid were about 4 Mb and 300 kb respectively. The GC content of the two chromosomes was both around 68.0%, and that of the plasmid was slightly lower at 63.0%. The bon gene cluster was found on chromosome G2. The phylogenetic analysis showed that DBJ isolate and UCD-UG_CHAPALOTE stain which was isolated from corn sample in Canada were in the same clade. Among 255 strains, 31 carrying bon gene cluster and they had obvious genetic evolutionary tendency.ConclusionThe bon gene cluster was located on the chromosome of Burkholderia gladiolus pv. cocovenenans DBJ, and it was the main pathogenic gene causing food poisoning in human.

Objective Campylobacter species are the main causes of foodborne illness worldwide, posing significant threats to public health. This study aimed to investigate the antibiotic resistance and genomic characterization of C. jejuni/C.coli from retail chickens in Beijing. Methods Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was conducted on 126 C. jejuni/C. coli isolated from retail chickens in Beijing, following CLSI protocols. Whole genomes of all isolates were sequenced using the Illumina platform. Results More C. coli (83.82%) showed multi-drug resistance than C. jejuni (8.62%). Genomic analysis demonstrated 42 sequence types (STs) and 12 clonal complexes (CCs), from which CC828 and CC52 were dominant. cdtA, cdtB and cdtC encoding cytotoxic protein were present spontaneously in most C. jejuni but not found in any C. coli isolates. The abundances of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and virulence genes (VGs) in C. jejuni and C. coli were significantly different, with ARGs numbered in C. coli and VGs in C. jejuni. Conclusions High prevalence of multi-drug resistance C. coli and C. jejuni isolated from Beijing chickens were challenging clinical antibiotic usages in the treatment of Campylobacter infection. The surveillance of particular C. jejuni and C. coli STs correlated with higher resistance and virulence needs to be strengthened in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Burkholderia gladioli pv. cocovenenans (B. cocovenenans) and its lethal toxin, bongkrekic acid (BA), have been causing frequent incidents of food poisoning in China, resulting in increased attention. The toxin is produced by B. cocovenenans under appropriate temperature and humidity, and mainly targets the inner mitochondrial membrane to cause toxic effects. At present, there are methods available for detecting BA, but the detoxification mechanism is not perfect. This review summarizes the naming process, biological characteristics, toxin production conditions, and sources of B. cocovenenans, as well as the physical and chemical properties, poisoning mechanism, clinical presentation, detection methods, and detoxification of BA. Additionally, the review provides recommendations for preventing bongkrekic acid poisoning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radiotherapy destroys cancer cells and inevitably harms normal human tissues, causing delayed effects of acute radiation exposure (DEARE) and accelerating the aging process in most survivors. However, effective methods for preventing premature aging induced by ionizing radiation are lacking. In this study, the premature aging mice of DEARE model was established after 6 Gy total body irradiation (TBI). Then the therapeutic effects and mechanism of nicotinamide riboside on the premature aging mice were evaluated. The results showed that 6 Gy TBI induced premature aging of the hematopoietic system in mice. Nicotinamide riboside treatment reversed aging spleen phenotypes by inhibiting cellular senescence and ameliorated serum metabolism profiles. Further results demonstrated that nicotinamide riboside supplementation alleviated the myeloid bias of hematopoietic stem cells and temporarily restored the regenerative capacity of hematopoietic stem cells probably by mitigating the reactive oxygen species activated GCN2/eIF2α/ATF4 signaling pathway. The results of this study firstly indicate that nicotinamide riboside shows potential as a DEARE therapeutic agent for radiation‐exposed populations and patients who received radiotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intestinal injuries caused by ionizing radiation (IR) are a major complication of radiotherapy. Ferrostatin-1 (Fer-1) exerts antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. We investigated the influence of Fer-1 on IR-induced intestinal damage and explored the possible mechanisms. IEC-6 cells were administrated with Fer-1 for 30 min and subsequently subjected to 9.0 Gy-irradiation. Flow cytometry, qPCR, and WB were used to detect changes. For in vivo experiments, Fer-1 was given intraperitoneally to mice at 1 h before and 24 h after 9.0 Gy total body irradiation (TBI) respectively. Three days after TBI, the small intestines were isolated for analysis. The diversity and composition of the gut microbiota were analyzed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. In vitro, Fer-1 protected IEC-6 cells from IR injury by reducing the production of ROS and inhibiting both ferroptosis and apoptosis. In vivo, Fer-1 enhanced the survival rates of mice subjected to lethal doses of IR and restored intestinal structure and physiological function. Further investigation showed that Fer-1 protected IEC-6 cells and mice by inhibiting the p53-mediated apoptosis signaling pathway and restoring the gut-microbe balance. This study confirms that Fer-1 protects intestinal injuries through suppressing apoptosis and ferroptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address safety problems caused by goaf and water accumulation in open-pit mines, the shallow three-dimensional seismic method and transient electromagnetic method were integrated and applied to detect the mining goaf distribution scope and the water accumulation conditions. In view of the special topographic conditions of an ultrashallow layer and high drop in an open-pit mine, we proposed utilizing bin homogenization and multidomain joint denoising to improve the reliability of seismic data. By using seismic-sensitive attributes to predict the goaf, the transient electromagnetic method was employed to further predict the water accumulation in the goaf. The results show that the shallow seismic method could clearly reflect the reflected-wave variation features of the goaf. The features of a junction between a normal seam and goaf vary obviously, and the prediction effect of the goaf boundary with high resolution is in line with the actual situation. Furthermore, taking the goaf scope prediction with the shallow three-dimensional seismic method as a base, targeted transient electromagnetic detection was deployed, with a detailed analysis of the survey-line repeated areas of the shallow seismic and transient electromagnetic methods. Making full use of the advantages of the shallow seismic and transient electromagnetic methods, we propose a reasonable data interpretation method in combination with the special topographic conditions of open-pit mines, which greatly improves the prediction effect of goaf and water accumulation conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The objective of the present study was to determine the prevalence, antimicrobial resistance, virulence profiles, and molecular characteristics of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) obtained from ready-to-eat (RTE) foods in China. Methods: Two hundred seventy-six RTE food-associated S. aureus isolates were collected from 25 provinces across China in 2018, then characterized by antimicrobial susceptibility testing, virulence factors detecting, multilocus sequence typing (MLST), spa typing, SCCmec typing and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Results: Two hundred fifty isolates (90.6%) were resistant to at least one antimicrobial agent; 73 (26.4%) isolates were multi-drug resistant (MDR). Thirty MRSA isolates were identified, among which nine toxin genes (sea, seb, sec, sed, seh, selk, sell, selq, and tsst-1) were detected. Sixty percent (18/30) of the MRSA isolates harbored multiple toxin genes. Four virulence gene patterns were identified, with seb-selk-selq (30/30) being the most common pattern. Thirteen sequence types, as well as 13 spa and 4 SCCmec types were found among 30 MRSA isolates. The most prevalent MRSA lineages were CC59-t437-SCCmecIV/V (23.3% [7/30]), CC398-t011-SCCmecV (23.3% [7/30]), and CC1-t114-SCCmecIV (16.7% [5/30]). Conclusions: Our findings highlight the importance for the identification of prevalent clones, assessment of drug-resistance and virulence, and formulation of food safety measures for public health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) is a major cause of human salmonellosis globally. Food animals are major NTS reservoirs. An increase in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in foodborne NTS has led to clinical treatment failures. Here, to examine the prevalence and perform characterization of foodborne NTS with AMR in China, we tested the antimicrobial susceptibility of 1,256 NTS isolates cultured from retail foods in 2020 in China. Methods: The antimicrobial susceptibility of 26 antimicrobial agents representing 12 classes was evaluated with the broth-microdilution method; the presence of ten mcr genes was screened with multi-PCR. The complete closed genomes of mcr-gene-carrying isolates were generated by hybrid assembly through whole genome sequencing on both the PacBio and Illumina platforms. Genomic features and genetic environments of the mcr-1 gene were analysed. Results: The overall drug resistance rate was 92.28%, and the multi-drug resistance (MDR) rate was 76.53%. A total of 341 AMR profiles were determined, and resistance was highest to nalidixic acid (63.38%). Among 887 NTS isolates with MDR, 232 showed co-resistance to cefotaxime and ciprofloxacin, and 25 were resistant to ten classes of antimicrobial agents. The resistance of NTS isolated from different regions varied. Isolates from raw chicken sources most frequently showed resistance. Four NTS carried the mcr-1 gene and represented four different serotypes. Four mcr-1 gene-bearing plasmids from the four Salmonella isolates were classified into two replicon types (IncI2 and IncHI2A). Two mcr-1 genes in IncI2 type plasmids were found to be located between a PAP2 family protein-encoding gene and a relaxaseencoding gene, whereas the other two mcr-1 gene structures in IncHI2A type plasmids showed variations in the presence of insertion sequences. Conclusion: Our data demonstrated severe AMR among foodborne NTS isolated from food in China, thus highlighting the importance of antimicrobial susceptibility surveillance to decrease the spread of AMR, particularly to critical drugs in human medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gynecological diseases threaten women's health, and vaginal microecological testing is a common method for detecting gynecological diseases. Efficient and accurate microecological testing methods have always been the goal pursued by gynecologists.Objective: In order to automatically identify different types of microbial images in vaginal micromorphology detection, this paper proposes a vaginal microecological image recognition method based on Gabor texture analysis combined with long and short-term memory network (LSTM) model.Method: Firstly, we denoise the microecological morphological im-ages, which selects the area of interest and sets the label of the microorganism according to the doctors label. Secondly, texture analysis is carried out for the region of interest, which uses Gabor filters with 8 directions and 5 scales to filter the region of interest to extract the texture features on the image. Comparing the differences between different microbial image features, and screening suitable features to reduce the number of features. Then, we design an LSTM model to analyze the relationship of image features in different categories of microorganisms. Finally, we use the full connection layer and Softmax function to realize the automatic recognition of different microbial images.Results: The experimental results show that the image classification accuracy of 8 common microorganisms is 81.26%.Conclusion: Texture analysis combined with LSTM network strategy can identify different kinds of vaginal micro ecological images. Gabor-LSTM model has better classification effect on imbalanced data sets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a progressive interstitial lung disease with limited treatment options. The incidence and prevalence of PF is increasing with age, cell senescence has been proposed as a pathogenic driver, the clearance of senescent cells could improve lung function in PF. FOXO4‐D‐Retro‐Inverso (FOXO4‐DRI), a synthesis peptide, has been reported to selectively kill senescent cells in aged mice. However, it remains unknown if FOXO4‐DRI could clear senescent cells in PF and reverse this disease. In this study, we explored the effect of FOXO4‐DRI on bleomycin (BLM)‐induced PF mouse model. We found that similar as the approved medication Pirfenidone, FOXO4‐DRI decreased senescent cells, downregulated the expression of senescence‐associated secretory phenotype (SASP) and attenuated BLM‐induced morphological changes and collagen deposition. Furthermore, FOXO4‐DRI could increase the percentage of type 2 alveolar epithelial cells (AEC2) and fibroblasts, and decrease the myofibroblasts in bleomycin (BLM)‐induced PF mouse model. Compared with mouse and human lung fibroblast cell lines, FOXO4‐DRI is inclined to kill TGF‐β‐induced myofibroblast in vitro. The inhibited effect of FOXO4‐DRI on myofibroblast lead to a downregulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) receptor interaction pathway in BLM‐induced PF. Above all, FOXO4‐DRI ameliorates BLM‐induced PF in mouse and may be served as a viable therapeutic option for PF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Screening drugs and compounds to fight against Cronobacter sakazakii (C. sakazakii), one of the most common pathogens that can cause fatal necrotizing enterocolitis, septicema and meningitis, is still needed. We found that p -coumaric acid (pCA) has an inhibitory effect on C. sakazakii in vitro and in vivo. Proteomic changes of C. sakazakii BAA-894 exposed to pCA were studied to reveal the antibacterial mechanisms involved. A total of 1,553 proteins were identified in C. sakazakii BAA-894 by label-free proteomics analysis. Fuzzy cluster analysis showed that 33 were up-regulated, and 110 were down-regulated with pCA treatment. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis concluded that pCA caused the change of metabolic state of bacteria and generally in the state of metabolic inhibition. KEGG Enrichment Analysis (KEGG) analysis showed that pCA inhibited energy metabolism and distorted the balance of amino acid metabolism. Posttranslational modification analysis showed that pCA affected the deamidation of three proteins, including Elongation factor Tu, one of the vital proteins in bacteria. Molecular docking suggested the hydrogen bond between the pCA carboxyl group and Elongation factor Tu Asn-64 might contribute to deamidation. Overall, we found that pCA interfered with cellular energy and amino acid metabolism and promoted elongation factor Tu deamidation, suggesting that pCA can be an effective natural substitute to control C. sakazakii. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clostridium botulinum is the causative pathogen of botulism. Laboratory detection of C. botulinum is essential for clinical therapy treatment of botulism due to the difficulty in diagnosis, especially in infant botulism. The extreme toxicity of botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) requires a sensitive detection method. Due to the detection limit of real-time quantitative PCR (q-PCR), a more sensitive detection method, micro-drop digital PCR (ddPCR) was applied in C. botulinum main serotypes A and B. The following performance criteria were evaluated by ddPCR: analytical sensitivity; repeatability; and diagnostic specificity. The limit of detection (LOD) was 0.84 and 0.88 copies/μl for BoNT A and B genes, respectively, by ddPCR with high specificity, compared to 5.04×102 and 6.91×102 copies/μl by q-PCR. It was increased 10 times compared with q-PCR in spiked stool samples. This improvement in sensitivity was especially important in clinical samples as more positive samples were detected by digital PCR compared with q-PCR. Meanwhile, enrichment time for low bacteria content samples was shortened by four hours both in serotypes A and B C. botulinum by ddPCR compared with q-PCR, which are important for laboratory diagnosis and epidemiology work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) elements are highly diverse and have been classified into 14 types. Novel SCCmec variants have been frequently detected from humans and animals but rarely from food.Objectives: To characterize a novel SCCmec type and two SCCmec variants identified from food-associated MRSA in China.Methods: Three MRSA (NV_1, NT_611 and NT_8) collected from retail foods in China were subjected to WGS and the SCCmec elements were determined.Results: The novel SCCmecXV identified in NV_1 carried the mec gene complex class A (mecI-mecR1-mecA-IS431) and the ccr gene complex 7 (ccrA1B6), and a Tn558-mediated phenicol exporter gene fexA was detected in this SCCmecXV cassette. The pseudo-SCCmec elements ΨSCCmecNT_611 and ΨSCCmecNT_8 showed a truncated SCCmec pattern, carrying the class C2 mec gene complex but missing the ccr genes. The ΨSCCmecNT_611 element shared more similarities with those of Staphylococcus haemolyticus (AB478934.1) and carried a heavy metal resistance gene cluster cadD-cadX-arsC-arsB-arsR-copA. The ΨSCCmecNT_8 MRSA exhibited a highly resistant phenotype, showing the absence of a 19.3 kb segment compared with the reference SCCmecXII element (CP019945.1). Notably, a 46 kb region containing multiple transposons encoding antimicrobial or metal resistance genes flanked by IS431 or IS256 was identified ∼30 kb downstream from the mec gene complex in ΨSCCmecNT_8, which might explain such high resistance in MRSA NT_8.Conclusions: Our finding of novel and pseudo-SCCmec elements reflected the ongoing intra/interspecies genetic rearrangements in staphylococci. Further study will be needed to investigate the biological significance and prevalence of those SCCmec variants along the food chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assesses changes of circulating leukocyte subpopulations and the expression of checkpoint receptors in T cells in patients undergoing radiochemotherapy. Fifty-seven patients with either esophageal cancer or cervical cancer who received radiochemotherapy were recruited into this study. Serial blood collection was carried out before and during treatments. Leukocyte subpopulations and the level of PD-1 and CTLA-4 in T cells were determined by flow cytometry. The plasma concentrations of 34 human cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors were quantified. Significant decreases of lymphocyte count and percentage of T cells and B cells were observed during radiochemotherapy. Percentages of PD-1hi and CTLA-4hi populations in T cells increased after treatments. Proportion of activated T cells showed no significant difference. No significant changes in the plasma concentrations of the 34 humoral mediators except mild decreases of six cytokines. Elevated expression of PD-1 and CTLA-4 in T cells in patients receiving radiochemotherapy, which suggests that exhaustion-like T-cell dysfunction develops during cancer cytotoxic treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ionizing radiation (IR)‐induced intestinal damage is the major and common injury of patients receiving radiotherapy. Urolithin A (UroA) is a metabolite of the intestinal flora of ellagitannin, a compound found in fruits and nuts such as pomegranates, strawberries and walnuts. UroA shows the immunomodulatory and anti‐inflammatory capacity in various metabolic diseases. To evaluate the radioprotective effects, UroA(0.4, 2 and 10 mg/kg) were intraperitoneally injected to C57BL/6 male mice 48, 24, 1 h prior to and 24 h after 9.0Gy TBI. The results showed that UroA markedly upregulated the survival of irradiated mice, especially at concentration of 2 mg/kg. UroA improved the intestine morphology architecture and the regeneration ability of enterocytes in irradiated mice. Then, UroA significantly decreased the apoptosis of enterocytes induced by radiation. Additionally, 16S rRNA sequencing analysis showed the effect of UroA is associated with the recovery of the IR‐induced intestinal microbacteria profile changes in mice. Therefore, our results determinated UroA could be developed as a potential candidate for radiomitigators in radiotherapy and accidental nuclear exposure. And the beneficial functions of UroA might be associated with the inhibition of p53‐mediated apoptosis and remodelling of the gut microbes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mcr-1 gene mediating mobile colistin resistance in Escherichia coli was first reported in China in 2016 followed by reports among different species worldwide, especially in E. coli and Klebsiella. However, data on its transmission in Salmonella are still lacking. This study analyzed the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) profiles and the mcr-1 gene presence in 755 foodborne Salmonella from 26 provinces of mainland, China in 2016. Genomic features of two mcr-1- carrying isolates, genome sequencing, serotypes and further resistance profiles were studied. Among the 755 Salmonella tested, 72.6% were found to be resistant to at least one antimicrobial agent and 10% were defined as multi-drug resistant (MDR). Salmonella Derby CFSA231 and Salmonella Typhimurium CFSA629 were mcr-1 -harboring isolates. Both expressed an MDR phenotype and included a single circular chromosome and one plasmid. Among the 22 AMR genes identified in S. Derby CFSA231, only the mcr-1 gene was localized on the IncX4 type plasmid pCFSA231 while 20 chromosomal AMR genes, including four plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) genes, were mapped within a 64 kb Salmonella genomic island (SGI) like region. S. Typhimurium CFSA629 possessed 11 resistance genes including an mcr-1.19 variant and two ESBL genes. Two IS 26 -flanked composite-like transposons were identified. Additionally, 153 and 152 virulence factors were separately identified in these two isolates with secretion system and fimbrial adherence determinants as the dominant virulence classes. Our study extends our concern on mcr-1 -carrying Salmonella in regards to antimicrobial resistance and virulence factors, and highlight the importance of surveillance to mitigate dissemination of mcr -encoding genes among foodborne Salmonella. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hematopoietic system is sensitive to radiation. In this research, new aryl sulfone derivatives (XH-201 and XH-202) containing a nitrogen heterocycle were designed and synthesized and their radio-protective efficacies with regard to the hematopoietic system were evaluated. XH-201 administration significantly increased the survival rate of mice after 8.0 Gy total body irradiation (TBI). The results showed that XH-201 treatment not only increased the white blood cells, platelets counts and the percentage of hematopoietic progenitor cells and hematopoietic stem cells in mice exposed to 4.0 Gy TBI but also decreased DNA damage, as determined by flow cytometric analysis of histone H2AX phosphorylation. In addition, our data demonstrated that XH-201 decreased the mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in hematopoietic cells. Overall, these data suggest that XH-201 is beneficial for the protection of the hemoatopoietic system against radiation-induced injuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to assess the effect of nanoparticle albumin‐bound paclitaxel (nab‐PTX) chemotherapy regimens in elderly patients (≥70 years old) with advanced squamous non‐small‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Patients and Methods: The clinical records of elderly patients aged ≥70 years with advanced squamous NSCLC were reviewed retrospectively. All of these patients received nab‐PTX, with or without combination of chemotherapy in Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute between 1 July 2012 and 30 June 2017. We analyzed the toxicity profiles, progression‐free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), objective response rate (ORR), and disease control rate (DCR). Results: Totally, 52 elderly patients with squamous NSCLC were included in the analysis. For all patients, the ORR was 34.6%, the DCR was 80.8%, median PFS was 5.9 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.0‐7.8 months), and median OS was 14.3 months (95% CI: 11.0‐17.8 months). Combination with chemotherapy significantly prolonged OS (19.3 vs 11.2 months, P =.016), despite a nonsignificant improvement in PFS (7.1 vs 4.2 months, P =.060) vs monotherapy. For patients who received nab‐PTX as first‐line treatment, the median PFS and OS were 6.7 months and 17.2 months, respectively, and the median OS in combination therapy subgroup was significantly higher than that in monotherapy group (20.3 vs 11.2 months, P =.013). Meanwhile, the median PFS and OS of patients with nab‐PTX as second‐ or later‐line treatment were 4.4 months and 13.3 months, respectively, but no survival benefit was achieved by the combination chemotherapy when compared with single‐agent chemotherapy. Hematologic toxicities were the most common adverse events (AEs), which include grade 3 or 4 neutropenia (13.7%), thrombocytopenia (4.1%), and anemia (6.8%). The main nonhematologic toxicities were peripheral sensory neuropathy (39.7%), followed by anorexia and nausea/vomiting. Conclusion: In elderly advanced squamous NSCLC patients, the treatment of nab‐PTX was effective and well tolerated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intestinal injury is the primary toxicity of radiotherapy for pelvic and abdominal tumors, and it is also one of the common acute complications of radiotherapy. At present, there are no effective drugs to prevent intestinal injury in the clinic. Zingerone is a natural product with radioprotective effects. In this study, a novel compound (thiazolidine hydrochloride, TZC01) was synthesized by structural modification of zingerone. The effects of TZC01 on preventing intestinal injury from radiation were further investigated in this study. C57BL/6N mice were exposed to a lethal dose of abdominal irradiation (ABI) with and without TZC01 treatments. The morphological changes of the intestine and various makers of intestinal crypt cells were investigated. Treatment with TZC01 improved the survival rate of mice exposed to 12 Gy ABI. Moreover, TZC01 protected the intestinal morphology of mice, decreased the apoptotic rate of intestinal crypt cells, maintained cell regeneration and promoted crypt cell proliferation and differentiation. This study suggests that TZC01 has preventive and therapeutic effects on radiation enteritis by promoting the proliferation and differentiation of crypt cells to protect the small intestine from the toxic effects of ionizing radiation. Furthermore, the study of TCZ01 lays a strong foundation for developing novel radioprotectors with multiple properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Our aim was to determine the antimicrobial susceptibilities of 2862 Listeria monocytogenes cultured from various foods in China and to use WGS to characterize the antimicrobial resistance and virulence genotypes of those expressing a resistance phenotype.Methods: The susceptibilities of 2862 L. monocytogenes were determined by broth microdilution. Twenty-eight L. monocytogenes were found to be resistant to one to four antibiotics. All 28 resistant isolates were subsequently sequenced using short-read high accuracy protocols. The corresponding genomes were assembled and further analysis was carried out using appropriate bioinformatics pipelines.Results: All 28 resistant L. monocytogenes were classified into five STs (ST3, ST8, ST9, ST155 and ST515). Both ST9 and ST155 were dominant and their genotypes correlated with their resistance phenotypes. All ST9 isolates were MDR and could be phylogenetically classified into two clusters. One was relatively close to clinical origins and one to food. Downstream analysis of the genetic contexts in which these resistance genotypes were found suggested that these may have been acquired from other bacteria by horizontal transfer or insertion into the chromosome. All isolates harboured Listeria pathogenicity island (LIPI)-1 and LIPI-2, and only two harboured LIPI-3.Conclusions: This study reported on the antimicrobial susceptibilities of 2862 foodborne L. monocytogenes along with the genomic characterization of 28 resistant isolates, 11 of which expressed an MDR phenotype. These data showed that this bacterium can acquire resistance by horizontal gene transfer in and between species. This study may necessitate a re-evaluation of risk to public health, associated with this bacterial species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radiation‐induced intestinal injury is one of the major side effects in patients receiving radiation therapy. There is no specific treatment for radiation enteritis in the clinic. We designed and synthesized a new compound named XH‐105, which is expected to cleave into polyphenol and aminothiol in vivo to mitigate radiation injury. In the following study, we describe the beneficial effects of XH‐105 against radiation‐induced intestinal injury. C57BL/6J mice were treated by gavage with XH‐105 1 hour before total body irradiation (TBI), and the survival rate was monitored. Histological changes were examined, and survival of Lgr5+ intestinal stem cells Ki67+ cells, villi+ enterocytes and lysozymes was determined by immunohistochemistry. DNA damage and cellular apoptosis in intestinal tissue were also evaluated. Compared to vehicle‐treated mice after TBI, XH‐105 treatment significantly enhanced the survival rate, attenuated structural damage of the small intestine, decreased the apoptotic rate, reduced DNA damage, maintained cell regeneration and promoted crypt proliferation and differentiation. XH‐105 also reduced the expression of Bax and p53 in the small intestine. These data suggest that XH‐105 is beneficial for the protection of radiation‐induced intestinal injury by inhibiting the p53‐dependent apoptosis signalling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]