Search

The gut microbiota of rodents is essential for survival and adaptation and is susceptible to various factors, ranging from environmental conditions to genetic predispositions. Nevertheless, few comparative studies have considered the contribution of species identity and geographic spatial distance to variations in the gut microbiota. In this study, a random sampling survey encompassing four rodent species (Apodemus agrarius, Cricetulus barabensis, Tscherskia triton and Rattus norvegicus) was conducted at five sites in northern China's farming–pastoral ecotone. Through a cross‐factorial comparison, we aimed to discern whether belonging to the same species or sharing the same capture site predominantly influences the composition of gut microbiota. Notably, the observed variations in microbiome composition among these four rodent species match the host phylogeny at the family level but not at the species level. The gut microbiota of these four rodent species exhibited typical mammalian characteristics, predominantly characterized by the Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes phyla. As the geographic distance between populations increased, the number of shared microbial taxa among conspecific populations decreased. We observed that within a relatively small geographical range, even different species exhibited convergent α‐diversity due to their inhabitation within the same environmental microbial pool. In contrast, the composition and structure of the intestinal microbiota in the allopatric populations of A. agrarius demonstrated marked differences, similar to those of C. barabensis. Additionally, geographical environmental elements exhibited significant correlations with diversity indices. Conversely, host‐related factors had minimal influence on microbial abundance. Our findings indicated that the similarity of the microbial compositions was not determined primarily by the host species, and the location of the sampling explained a greater amount of variation in the microbial composition, indicating that the local environment played a crucial role in shaping the microbial composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the long-term changes in nutritional status in children with solid tumors during treatment and the relationship between nutritional status and clinical outcomes. Methods: This study was a retrospective medical records review of data from children who were diagnosed with solid tumors and followed up for more than 3months from January 2016 to December 2021 in China. Patient demographics and clinical information, including nutritional status, parenteral nutrition use, intensive care unit (ICU) transfers, infection during hospitalization, hospitalization frequency, length of stay, hospitalization costs and antibiotic costs, were collected to analyze the nutritional status of children with different types of solid tumors, the dynamic changes in nutritional status during treatment, and the relationship between nutritional status and clinical outcomes. Results: Among the 764 patients (383 males (50.1%); 381 females (49.9%); mean age: 2.58 years), 41.6% of the solid tumors were neuroblastomas, 17.1% were hepatoblastomas, and Wilms tumors as the third most common solid tumors (8.9%). The median follow-up duration was 6months (range: 3–40months). At diagnosis, the proportion of children who were undernourished (underweight and wasting) versus overweight or obese were 26.71% versus 5.21% (25.86% vs. 2.89% in the third month; 29.77% vs. 2.28% in the sixth month; 24.77% vs. 3.27% in the 12th month). The body mass index Z scores decreased from the initial values after the first month (−0.56 (−1.47, 0.23) vs. −0.44 (−1.29, 0.41)) but improved later and decreased again at 6months. The children in the undernutrition group had longer hospital stays (p<0.001), higher hospitalization costs (p<0.001), higher antibiotic costs (p<0.001), a higher risk of neutropenia (OR=4.781 (95% CI: 1.571–14.553), p=0.006), and a higher risk of ICU transfers (OR=1.498 (95% CI: 1.010–2.224), p=0.044). No significant differences in those associations by malnutrition and infection, ICU duration, or length of parenteral nutrition were observed. Conclusion: There is a considerable prevalence of malnutrition in children with solid tumors. Malnutrition is related to adverse clinical outcomes and increases in total hospital expenses and antibiotic costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The investigation of the coupling and coordination association between scientific and technological innovation and the eco-environmental system is of vital practical significance for promoting the high-quality economic development of China's Gansu province. The evaluation index system is constructed based on the explanation of the coupling and coordination mechanism of a "Binary system". Subsequently, a comprehensive evaluation model is developed using the entropy method, whereas the coupling coordination relationship between "Binary systems" is analyzed in the context of the coupling coordination degree model. The study findings indicate that the innovation drive has become the primary driving force that leads the high-quality economic development in Gansu province. Furthermore, the comprehensive development level and coupling and coordination degree of all systems in Gansu province demonstrate a sound trend of steadily rising. Additionally, there is an issue of uncoordinated development between scientific and technological innovation and eco-environment systems in Gansu province. Thus, this research study proposes certain policy suggestions, such as optimizing the environment of Sci-tech innovation, insisting on the priority of ecology, increasing the input of Sci-tech innovation, and building up a contingent of talents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Sika deer is a rare livestock resource in China, and the main purpose of breeding is to obtain antlers that can be used as medicinal herbs. As an important limiting amino acid for ruminants, the dietary level of methionine greatly affects the utilization efficiency of protein in feed. In this study, we investigated the effects of different dietary methionine levels on antler-bearing sika deer by supplementing methionine. The results of the study showed that methionine supplementation improved the quality of Sika deer antlers and increased the efficiency of the animals utilizing acid detergent fiber and neutral detergent fiber in the feed. In addition, methionine supplementation altered the composition of free amino acids in the rumen fluid and the composition of fecal bacteria in sika deer. Amino acid balance is central to improving the efficiency of feed protein utilization and for reducing environmental pollution caused by intensive farming. In previous studies, supplementation with limiting amino acids has been shown to be an effective means of improving animal nutrient utilization and performance. In this experiment, the effects of methionine on the apparent digestibility of nutrients, antler nutrient composition, rumen fluid amino acid composition, fecal volatile fatty acids and intestinal bacteria in antler-growing sika deer were investigated by randomly adding different levels of methionine to the diets of three groups of four deer at 0 g/day (CON), 4 g/day (LMet) and 6 g/day (HMet). Methionine supplementation significantly increased the apparent digestibility of organic matter, neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) in the LMet group (p < 0.05). The crude protein and collagen protein of antlers were significantly higher in the LMet and HMet groups compared to the CON group and also significantly higher in the HMet group compared to the LMet group, while the calcium content of antlers was significantly lower in the HMet group (p < 0.05). Ruminal fluid free amino acid composition was altered in the three groups of sika deer, with significant changes in aspartic acid, citrulline, valine, cysteine, methionine, histidine and proline. At the phylum level, Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes were highest in the rectal microflora. Unidentified bacterial abundance was significantly decreased in the HMet group compared to the CON group. Based on the results of principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) and Adonis analysis, there was a significant difference in the composition of the intestinal flora between the CON and HMet groups (p < 0.05). At the genus level, compared with the CON group, the abundance of Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group and Lachnospiraceae_UCG-010 in the LMet group increased significantly (p < 0.05), the abundance of dgA-11_gut_group in the HMet group decreased significantly (p < 0.05) and the abundance of Lachnospiraceae_UCG-010, Saccharofermentans and Lachnospiraceae_NK3A20_group increased significantly. Taken together, the results showed that methionine supplementation was beneficial in increasing the feed utilization efficiency and improving antler quality in sika deer, while affecting the composition of fecal bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The role of palliative care for end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients have been proven in some developed countries, but it is still unclear in the mainland of China. In fact, patients with ESRD experience many unmet palliative care needs, such as physical, psychological, social and spiritual needs, but the factors influencing these needs have not investigated. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at two hemodialysis centers in the mainland of China from January to September 2022. Convenience sampling was used to collect data on the participants' socio-demographics, clinical characteristics, the Palliative Care Outcome Scale (POS), the Dialysis Symptom Index (DSI), the Karnofsky Performance Status Scale (KPS), the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 item (PHQ-9), and the Social Support Rate Scale (SSRS). Data were analyzed using latent profile analysis, Kruskal–Wallis test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), the chi-square test and multinomial logistic regression analysis. Results: Three hundred five participants were included in this study, and divided palliative care needs into three categories: Class 1, mild palliative care needs (n = 154, 50.5%); Class 2, moderate palliative care needs (n = 89, 29.2%); Class 3, severe palliative care needs (n = 62, 20.3%). Based on the analysis of three profiles, the influencing factors of unmet needs were further analyzed. Compared with Class 3, senior high school education, the household per capita monthly income < 2,000, low KPS scores, high PHQ-9 scores, and low SSRS scores were less likely to be in Class 1 (OR = 0.03, P = 0.012; OR = 0.003, P < 0.001; OR = 1.15, P < 0.001; OR = 0.55, P < 0.001; OR = 1.35, P = 0.002; respectively) and Class 2 (OR = 0.03, P = 0.007; OR = 0.05, P = 0.011; OR = 1.10, P = 0.001; OR = 0.60, P = 0.001; OR = 1.32, P = 0.003; respectively), and high symptom severity were less likely to be in Class 1 (OR = 0.82, P = 0.001). Moreover, compared with Class 1, the household per capita monthly income < 2,000 (OR = 16.41, P < 0.001), high symptom severity scores (OR = 1.12, P = 0.002) and low KPS scores (OR = 0.95, P = 0.002) were more likely to be in Class 2. Conclusions: This study showed that almost half of ESRD patients receiving MHD presented moderate to severe palliative care needs, and the unmet needs were mainly affected by education level, financial pressure, functional status, symptom burden and social support. In the future, it is important to identify the populations with the greatest need for palliative care and consider the influencing factors of unmet needs from a comprehensive perspective, so as to help them improve health-related quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: The impacts of nutritional status on clinical outcomes in children receiving umbilical cord blood stem cell transplantation (UCBT) are not fully described. We evaluated the risk for malnutrition before transplantation admission and influence of weight loss during hospitalization on short-term clinical outcomes in children with UCBT. Methods and Study Design: We conducted a retrospective study of pediatric patients up to age 18 years who received UCBT and were treated at the Children’s Hospital of Fudan University between January 2019 and December 2020. Results: The mean age of the 91 patients was 1.3 years, with 78 (85.7%) men and 13 (14.3%) women (p<0.001). UCBT was performed mostly for primary immunodeficiency disease (PID) (83, 91.2%). The weight loss differences among children with different primary diseases were statistically significant (p=0.003). Children with a large amount of weight loss during hospitalization (n = 24) had higher risks of skin graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) (multivariate OR=5.01, 95% CI: 1.35-18.65), intestinal GVHD (multivariate OR=7.27, 95% CI: 1.74-30.45), a longer median hospital stay (p=0.004), higher antibiotic costs (p=0.008) and higher total hospitalization costs (p=0.004). Malnutrition on admission was significantly positively correlated with longer parenteral nutrition (PN) time (p=0.008). Early nutritional intervention effects on clinical outcomes need further assessment. Conclusions: Underweight recipient child and excessive weight loss during transplantation increases the length and cost of hospital stay, and is associated with a high incidence of GVHD, which affects the prognosis of transplantation and medical resources consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food authenticity has become increasingly important as a result of food adulteration. To identify the authenticity of sweet potato starch noodles, the ladder-shape melting temperature isothermal amplification (LMTIA) method of determining cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) DNA in sweet potato starch noodles was used. A set of primers targeted at the internal transcription spacer (ITS) of cassava was designed, genomic DNA was extracted, the LMTIA reaction temperature was optimized, and the specificity of the primer was verified with the genomic DNAs of cassava, sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.), Solanum tuberosum L., Zea mays L., Vigna radiate L., Triticum aestivum L., and Glycine max (L.) Merr. The sensitivity with the serially diluted genomic DNA of cassava and the suitability for the DNA extracted from sweet potato starch adulterated with cassava starch were tested. The LMTIA assay for identifying the cassava component in sweet potato starch noodles was established. At the optimal temperature of 52 °C, the primers could specifically distinguish a 0.01% (w/w) cassava component added to sweet potato starch. Additionally, the LMTIA method was applied to the cassava DNA detection of 31 sweet potato starch noodle samples purchased from retail markets in China. Of these, 14 samples were positive. The LMTIA assay could be a reliable method for the rapid detection of cassava components in sweet potato starch noodles, to protect the rights of consumers and to regulate the sale market order of starch noodles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the reliable uncapacitated facility location problem in which facilities are subject to uncertain disruptions. A two-stage distributionally robust model is formulated, which optimizes the facility location decisions so as to minimize the fixed facility location cost and the expected transportation cost of serving customers under the worst-case disruption distribution. The model is formulated in a general form, where the uncertain joint distribution of disruptions is partially characterized and is allowed to have any prespecified dependency structure. This model extends several related models in the literature, including the stochastic one with explicitly given disruption distribution and the robust one with moment information on disruptions. An efficient cutting plane algorithm is proposed to solve this model, where the separation problem is solved respectively by a polynomial-time algorithm in the stochastic case and by a column generation approach in the robust case. Extensive numerical study shows that the proposed cutting plane algorithm not only outperforms the best-known algorithm in the literature for the stochastic problem under independent disruptions but also efficiently solves the robust problem under correlated disruptions. The practical performance of the robust models is verified in a simulation based on historical typhoon data in China. The numerical results further indicate that the robust model with even a small amount of information on disruption correlation can mitigate the conservativeness and improve the location decision significantly. Summary of Contribution: In this paper, we study the reliable uncapacitated facility location problem under uncertain facility disruptions. The problem is formulated as a two-stage distributionally robust model, which generalizes several related models in the literature, including the stochastic one with explicitly given disruption distribution and the robust one with moment information on disruptions. To solve this generalized model, we propose a cutting plane algorithm, where the separation problem is solved respectively by a polynomial-time algorithm in the stochastic case and by a column generation approach in the robust case. The efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed algorithm are validated through extensive numerical experiments. We also conduct a data-driven simulation based on historical typhoon data in China to verify the practical performance of the proposed robust model. The numerical results further reveal insights into the value of information on disruption correlation in improving the robust location decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The days that precede Valentine's Day are characterized by extensive gift shopping activities all across the globe. In China, where much shopping takes place online, there has been an explosive growth in e-commerce sales during Valentine's Day over the recent years. This exploratory study investigates the extent to which each product category and each shopper group can exhibit romantic love within China's e-market throughout the 2 weeks leading up to 2019 Valentine's Day. Massive data from Alibaba, the biggest e-commerce retailer worldwide, are utilized to formulate an innovative romance index (RI) to quantitatively measure e-romantic values for products and shoppers. On this basis, millions of shoppers, along with their millions of products purchased around Valentine's Day, are analyzed as a case study to demonstrate their love consumption and romantic gift-giving. The results of the analysis are then illustrated to help understand Chinese e-romance based on the perspectives of different product categories and shopper groups. This empirical information visualization also contributes to improving the segmentation, targeting, and positioning of China's e-market for Valentine's Day. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zhundong coal as a high quality steam coal has not been widely utilized due to severe fouling and slagging problems during combustion. It is crucial to reveal the slagging and fouling mechanisms in a boiler burning Zhundong coal. In this paper, the properties of ash deposits collected from various heat transfer surfaces in a 330 MW boiler were characterized by ICP-OES, SEM−EDX, and XRD. These results were also verified by an experiment burning Zhundong coal in a drop-tube furnace and thermodynamic calculation by the software FactSage. The results indicated the ash deposited on different heat transfer surfaces in 330 MW boiler burning Zhundong coal could be classified into silicates and sulfates based on their elemental and mineral analysis. Further, the ash deposited on the division panel superheater is obviously divided into three layers. In the first layer, wollastonite and sodium silicate are the main minerals with the contents of quartz and feldspar being relatively small. The types of mineral in the second layer are the same with the first layer, but their contents are different from the first layer. Meanwhile, the amount of crystalline phase in the third layer is lower than that of the first and second layer. In addition, the temperature of the flue gas or the tube played an important role in the mechanism of ash deposition. Thermodynamics calculation also shows CaSO 4 can be formed at all temperatures and there only exists CaSiO 3 formed in the range 900–1200 °C. The ash deposits along the flue gas flow attributes to sulfates, silicates and sulfates, respectively. The result of the thermodynamic calculation is in accordance with the experiment results obtained in the drop-tube furnace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: Several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the X-ray cross-complementing group 1 (XRCC1) gene have been shown to influence DNA repair and to modify cancer susceptibility. To investigate the role of these loci further, we examined the association of three XRCC1 polymorphisms with the risk of gliomas in a Han population in northeastern China. Methods: Using a PCR–RFLP method, XRCC1 Arg194Trp, Arg280His and Arg399Gln were genotyped in 624 glioma patients and 580 healthy controls. Results: Significant differences in the distribution of the Arg399Gln allele were detected between glioma patients and healthy controls by a logistic regression analysis (OR=1.35, 95%CI 1.17–1.68, P =0.001). Our data also revealed that the Arg399Gln variant (allele A) carriers had an increased glioma risk compared to the wild-type (allele G) homozygous carriers (OR=1.40, 95%CI 1.12–1.76, P =0.003). Conclusions: These results suggest that the XRCC1 Arg399Gln might influence the risk of developing glioma in a Han population in northeastern Chinese. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We measured the target strength (TS) of three commercial fish species: whitespotted spinefoot ( Siganus canaliculatus), black porgy ( Acanthopagrus schlegelii), and creek red bream ( Lutjanus argentimaculatus), in the South China Sea. The TS of caged or tethered fish ( n=76 total) was measured using a Simrad EY60 portable scientific echosounder at 120 kHz. We evaluated the relationship between TS and total length (TL, cm) for the three species. This is the first attempt to use split-beam acoustics to measure single-fish TS in the South China Sea by Chinese researchers. Our results will improve the accuracy and precision of acoustic abundance estimates of commercially important species and further the development of underwater acoustic survey techniques in fisheries in the South China Sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of economy, environmental pollution is becoming more and more serious. Whether the environment and economy can achieve a win-win situation has always been a controversial issue. This paper conducts an empirical study on the correlation between environmental performance and financial performance of 16 heavy polluting industries in China. The evaluation index system is constructed by closely following the characteristics of high energy consumption and high pollution in heavy pollution industry, and the projection pursuit model based on RAGA is applied to measure the environmental performance and financial performance of enterprises, which can overcome the interference and limitation of artificial assignment of data structure by traditional methods and has the characteristics of strong anti-interference and high accuracy. On this basis, the relationship between the two is investigated by establishing a multiple regression equation, and the results show that the environmental performance of listed companies in China’s heavy pollution industry has a negative relationship with financial performance, and the improvement of environmental performance does not bring about an overall improvement in financial performance. Finally, this paper makes an in-depth analysis of the causes of this result and puts forward some corresponding suggestions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spike length (SL) is one of the most important agronomic traits affecting yield potential and stability in wheat. In this study, a major stable quantitative trait locus (QTL) for SL, i.e., qSl-2B, was detected in multiple environments in a recombinant inbred line (RIL) mapping population, KJ-RILs, derived from a cross between Kenong 9204 (KN9204) and Jing 411 (J411). The qSl-2B QTL was mapped to the 60.06–73.06 Mb region on chromosome 2B and could be identified in multiple mapping populations. An InDel molecular marker in the target region was developed based on a sequence analysis of the two parents. To further clarify the breeding use potential of qSl-2B, we analyzed its genetic effects and breeding selection effect using both the KJ-RIL population and a natural mapping population, which consisted of 316 breeding varieties/advanced lines. The results showed that the qSl-2B alleles from KN9204 showed inconsistent genetic effects on SL in the two mapping populations. Moreover, in the KJ-RILs population, the additive effects analysis of qSl-2B showed that additive effect was higher when both qSl-2D and qSl-5A harbor negative alleles under LN and HN. In China, a moderate selection utilization rate for qSl-2B was found in the Huanghuai winter wheat area and the selective utilization rate for qSl-2B continues to increase. The above findings provided a foundation for the genetic improvement of wheat SL in the future via molecular breeding strategies. Key message: A major stable QTL for spike length was identified in wheat, and its genetic effect on yield related-traits as well as its potential use value in molecular breeding programs were characterized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geothermal power generation (GPG) is a technology that need to be promptly developed due to the high capacity factor and the low environmental impacts. In the year of 2020, as the pivotal juncture of China's 13th Five-Year Plan, it is necessary to summarize the GPG history of China in the past 60 years and comprehend its technological status to secure a promising future of the GPG in China. In this regard, this paper aims to reveal the challenges, opportunities and outlooks of GPG technologies in China from the perspective of the above-ground strategies. The possibility of realizing the planned GPG goal in 2020 in China was firstly discussed. In addition, a technical analysis was done to obtain the main technical obstacles, including the poor energy endowment of the geothermal resources and the immature technology of GPG systems. It is evident that the poor matching between the geothermal fluid and the adopted thermal power cycle hinders the development of GPG, especially for the technologies using the organic Rankine cycle(ORC). Nevertheless, there are many opportunities for improving the level of GPG in China, which may be based on transforming abandoned oil wells into geothermal wells, exploiting dry hot rocks, or developing multi-energy complementary systems. Except for the above, by interpreting the experimental research and the energic, economic and environmental optimization of ORC-GPG systems worldwide, crucial recommendations are provided for the promotion of the GPG technologies in China. These include the performance decoupling based on thermodynamic process, multi-objective optimization based on Pareto's non-inferior solution, comprehensive utilization based on cascading principle, environmental impact assessment based on life cycle assessment, as well as experimental studies on Flash-ORC. • 60 years' research progress in geothermal power generation of China has been reviewed. • An advanced power cycle is imperative to be developed for matching the low-medium temperature geothermal resource in China. • Conjugated consideration of energic, economic and environmental impacts is proposed for the optimization of geothermal ORC. • Opportunities and challenges as well as future recommendations of geothermal power in China are analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Cobalt is enriched (up to 962 ppm) in the paleo-karstic bauxite deposit at Yunfeng. • Cobalt is positively correlated with sulfur. • Cobalt occurs mainly as Co-bearing pyrites and Co-rich sulfides/sulfoarsenides. Cobalt can be enriched in a variety of different geologic settings, while it is mainly produced as a by-product of sediment-hosted stratiform Cu deposits and magmatic Ni-Cu deposits associated with mafic and ultramafic rocks. In this study, we report elevated Co concentrations in a paleo-karstic bauxite deposit at Yunfeng, Guizhou Province. Whole-rock chemical analyses indicate that Co is concentrated in carbonaceous ferruginous clay layers (167–962 ppm, average 383 ppm, n = 5) and siderite layers (47–439 ppm, average 213 ppm, n = 7) within the bauxite deposit. The positive correlation between Co and S, together with petrographic and EPMA analyses, suggests that Co occurs primarily as Co-rich/bearing sulfides/sulfoarsenides rather than cobaltiferous oxides/hydroxides as in most lateritic Ni-Co deposits. Many of the Co concentrations measured in this study are higher than the minimum grade (300 ppm) or cut-off grade (200 ppm) for economic exploitation of Co from sulfides or arsenides. Basing on these results, we put forward the scientific significance of Co enrichment in paleo-karstic environments and the potential importance of Co resources (as by-products of aluminum production) in bauxite deposits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The subgroup J avian leukosis virus (ALV-J), a retrovirus, uses its gp85 protein to bind to the receptor, the chicken sodium hydrogen exchanger isoform 1 (chNHE1), facilitating viral invasion. ALV-J is the main epidemic subgroup and shows noteworthy mutations within the receptor-binding domain (RBD) region of gp85, especially in ALV-J layer strains in China. However, the implications of these mutations on viral replication and transmission remain elusive. In this study, the ALV-J layer strain JL08CH3-1 exhibited a more robust replication ability than the prototype strain HPRS103, which is related to variations in the gp85 protein. Notably, the gp85 of JL08CH3-1 demonstrated a heightened binding capacity to chNHE1 compared to HPRS103-gp85 binding. Furthermore, we showed that the specific N123I mutation within gp85 contributed to the enhanced binding capacity of the gp85 protein to chNHE1. Structural analysis indicated that the N123I mutation primarily enhanced the stability of gp85, expanded the interaction interface, and increased the number of hydrogen bonds at the interaction interface to increase the binding capacity between gp85 and chNHE1. We found that the N123I mutation not only improved the viral replication ability of ALV-J but also promoted viral shedding in vivo. These comprehensive data underscore the notion that the N123I mutation increases receptor binding and intensifies viral replication. Author summary: Attachment is a critical initial step in retroviral infections. The RBD of gp85 in ALV-J is critical for binding to the cell membrane receptor, chNHE1. This investigation establishes a strong link between the heightened replication ability of the layer strain JL08CH3-1 and the enhanced binding capacity exhibited by gp85 toward chNHE1 compared to the prototype strain HPRS103. We found for the first time that the N123I mutation within the RBD region of gp85 increased the binding capacity between gp85 and chNHE1 and enhanced the replication ability of ALV-J. Our results provide important information on the implications of mutations within the RBD region of gp85 and highlight the importance of monitoring variations in the RBD region of ALV-J to prevent future outbreaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) noodles are a traditional Chinese food with a high nutritional value; however, starch adulteration is a big concern. The objective of this study was to develop a reliable method for the rapid detection of cassava (Manihot esculenta) components in sweet potato noodles to protect consumers from commercial adulteration. Five specific Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) primers targeting the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) of cassava were designed, genomic DNA was extracted, the LAMP reaction system was optimized, and the specificity of the primers was verified with genomic DNA of cassava, Ipomoea batatas, Zea mays, and Solanum tuberosum; the detection limit was determined with a serial dilution of adulterated sweet potato starch with cassava starch, and the real-time LAMP method for the detection of the cassava-derived ingredient in sweet potato noodles was established. The results showed that the real-time LAMP method can accurately and specifically detect the cassava component in sweet potato noodles with a detection limit of 1%. Furthermore, the LAMP assay was validated using commercial sweet potato noodle samples, and results showed that 57.7% of sweet potato noodle products (30/52) from retail markets were adulterated with cassava starch in China. This study provides a promising solution for facilitating the surveillance of the commercial adulteration of sweet potato noodles from retail markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Procambarus clarkii is the most widely distributed freshwater shrimp in China, with important economic value and great potential for development. The forkheadboxL2 (Foxl2) gene has been found to be involved in the reproductive development of many crustaceans. To understand the role of the Foxl2 gene in the gonad development of P. clarkii, we designed CDS-specific primers for the P. clarkii Foxl2 (PcFoxl2) gene and cloned its CDS sequence using RT-PCR. The nucleotide and protein sequence information was then analyzed through bioinformatics analysis. The expression and subcellular localization of PcFoxl2 in various tissues were detected using qRT-PCR and in situ hybridization. The effects of PcFoxl2 knockdown on gonad development were investigated using RNA interference. The results showed that the CDS length of the PcFoxl2 gene was 1614 bp and encoded 537 amino acids. Protein sequence comparison and phylogenetic analysis showed that PcFoxl2 was the closest relative to Crayfish. qRT-PCR analysis indicated that the expression level of PcFoxl2 in the testis was significantly higher (>40 fold) than that in the ovary (p < 0.01). The in situ hybridization results showed that PcFoxl2 was expressed in both the cytoplasm and the nucleus of egg cells, and that the expression was strongest in egg cells at the early stage of yolk synthesis, while weak in the secondary oocytes. The positive signal was strongest in the spermatocyte nucleolus, while only a trace signal was observed in the cytoplasm. After interfering with the PcFoxl2 gene using dsRNA, the expression of PcFoxl2 in the RNA interference group was significantly lower than that in the control group, and this interference effect lasted for one week. Moreover, the gonad index of the experimental group was significantly lower than that of the control group (p < 0.05) after 10 days of P. clarkii cultivation following PcFoxl2 knockdown. The expression levels of the nanos and S3a genes, which are related to gonad development, decreased significantly after PcFoxl2 gene interference. The results suggest that the Foxl2 gene is involved in the growth and development of gonads, particularly in the development of testis, and is related to the early development of oocytes. This study provides a theoretical basis for the artificial breeding of P. clarkii. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To match for the different temperature of the geothermal resource and strengthen the flexibility of organic Rankine cycle, a variable capacity power generation superstructure based on flash and organic Rankine cycle for geothermal energy was proposed. A combined flash-binary experimental prototype is newly established to investigate thermodynamic performance both on system and equipment in this paper. Pressured hot water is adopted as the extensive worldwide existed hydrothermal geothermal resource, eliminating the influence of the used heat transfer oil on evaporating process. The experimental results show that there is an optimal mass-flow rate of R245fa under the condition of different heat source temperature. Flash and binary power subsystem dominate the flash-binary power system, respectively, when the heat source temperature is 120 °C and 130 °C. The isotropic efficiency of modified compressor just between 0.2 and 0.25. The power output of per ton geofluid are 0.78 kWh/t and 1.31 kWh/t, respectively, when the heat source temperature are 120 °C and 130 °. These results will predict the operation data of flash-binary power plant driven by the low-medium temperature geothermal water for construction in western of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Enrofloxacin (EF) is an important antibiotic in global aquaculture. Due to the abuse and the emergence of drug resistance, the excess use of EF has occurred in recent years to result in residue exceeding in the edible tissues of aquatic animals. Withdrawal time (WT) is a red line to ensure food safety for humans. However, there is no related report of WT for EF in yellow catfish (Pelteobagrus fulvidraco). In addition to yellow catfish being sensitive to temperature, it can alter the disposition and elimination of EF and its main metabolite in fish bodies, ciprofloxacin (CF), thereby changing the WT in tissues. Therefore, we will conduct a WT estimation of EF in yellow catfish at different temperatures to establish related regulations to help residue surveillance in fish products. The objective of the present study was to investigate the residue depletion of EF and CF in yellow catfish to estimate its WTs in plasma and tissues after multiple oral doses for 3 days at 20 mg/kg at 15, 20, and 25 °C. Samples were collected at pre-designed time points after oral doses. A validated method was performed to quantify EF and CF in plasma and tissues by high-performance liquid chromatography. Statistical differences were conducted using one-way ANOVA analysis. According to the maximum residue limit of China and Europe considering 95% percentile with 95% confidence, the WTs were estimated to be 44, 72, 66, 99, and 95 days at 15 °C; 32, 66, 65, 86, and 73 days at 20 °C; and 32, 61, 64, 55, and 59 days at 25 °C in the plasma, muscle and skin, gill, liver, and kidney, respectively. We found that increased temperature shortened the WTs in plasma and tissues. Therefore, this study can help the risk assessment of EF in aquatic products for human health at different temperatures to avoid residue violation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Disability weights are crucial for quantifying health loss associated with non-fatal outcomes and were not well assessed in different countries, especially for specific cancer. Therefore, this study aimed to identify disability weights with a focus on specific cancer in a large Chinese population. Two types of web surveys were conducted, and 254 health states, including 30 new states for specific cancer, were investigated using paired comparison methods. The years lived with disability (YLDs) of cancer were calculated as the sum of the prevalence of each sequela of cancer multiplied by its relative disability weight. In total, 44,069 participants were eligible for the disability weights study. The disability weights of 254 health states were estimated. Among those, the disability weights of 18 specific cancer types varied greatly at diagnosis and primary treatment stage, with the value ranging from 0.619 (95% uncertainty interval (UI) 0.606–0.632) for brain cancer to 0.167 (95% UI 0.158–0.176) for oropharyngeal cancer. The discrepancy in YLDs calculated by different disability weights was high, and the largest gap for all cancer combined was approximately 30.14%. When calculated using the cancer-specific disability weights, a total of 1,967,830 (95% UI 1,928,880–2,008,060) YLDs of cancer were recorded in China. The disability weights of cancer varied greatly among cancer types and populations, which had considerable influence on the estimation of the disease burden. Cancer-specific disability weights could provide a more accurate evaluation of the cancer burden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copy number variation (CNV) is a type of genomic structural variation, and the research on it has flourished in recent years. According to the high-throughput sequencing data, we found that the copy number variation region of the GAL3ST1 gene was correlated with the growth traits of bovine. It is significant that we study the CNV of GAL3ST1 gene and process the association analysis between results of Q-PCR and growth traits of Chinese cattle. In this research, SPSS software was used to detect the distribution of GAL3ST1 gene copy number in four cattle breeds and the correlation of growth traits was analyzed. Correlation analysis showed that GAL3ST1 CNV had positive effects on some growth traits of bovine (p < 0.05). In addition, the study detects the expression of GAL3ST1 gene in different tissues of Xia'nan cattles on mRNA level. The result showed that GAL3ST1 gene has different expression conditions in different tissues, results showed that the expression level was high in intestine and low in liver tissue. In a word, we speculated that the GAL3ST1 gene can be used as a molecular marker and this study confirmed that the CNV of it can provide theoretical basis for molecular breeding of cattle in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sharply increased beef consumption is propelling the genetic improvement projects of beef cattle in China. Three-dimensional genome structure is confirmed to be an important layer of transcription regulation. Although genome-wide interaction data of several livestock species have already been produced, the genome structure states and its regulatory rules in cattle muscle are still limited. Results: Here we present the first 3D genome data in Longissimus dorsi muscle of fetal and adult cattle (Bos taurus). We showed that compartments, topologically associating domains (TADs), and loop undergo re-organization and the structure dynamics were consistent with transcriptomic divergence during muscle development. Furthermore, we annotated cis-regulatory elements in cattle genome during myogenesis and demonstrated the enrichments of promoter and enhancer in selection sweeps. We further validated the regulatory function of one HMGA2 intronic enhancer near a strong sweep region on primary bovine myoblast proliferation. Conclusions: Our data provide key insights of the regulatory function of high order chromatin structure and cattle myogenic biology, which will benefit the progress of genetic improvement of beef cattle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cross breeding is an important way to improve livestock performance. As an important livestock and poultry resource in Henan Province of China, Bohuai goat was formed by crossing Boer goat and Huai goat. After more than 20 years of breeding, BoHuai goats showed many advantages, such as fast growth, good reproductive performance, and high meat yield. In order to better develop and protect Bohuai goats, we sequenced the whole genomes of 30 BoHuai goats and 5 Huai goats to analyze the genetic diversity, population structure and genomic regions under selection of BoHuai goat. Furthermore, we used 126 published genomes of world-wide goat to characterize the genomic variation of BoHuai goat. Results: The results showed that the nucleotide diversity of BoHuai goats was lower and the degree of linkage imbalance was higher than that of other breeds. The analysis of population structure showed that BoHuai goats have obvious differences from other goat breeds. In addition, the BoHuai goat is more closely related to the Boer goat than the Huai goat and is highly similar to the Boer goat. Group by selection signal in the BoHuai goat study, we found that one region on chromosome 7 shows a very strong selection signal, which suggests that it could well be the segment region under the intense artificial selection results. Through selective sweeps, we detected some genes related to important traits such as lipid metabolism (LDLR, STAR, ANGPTL8), fertility (STAR), and disease resistance (CD274, DHPS, PDCD1LG2). Conclusion: In this paper, we elucidated the genomic variation, ancestry composition, and selective signals related to important economic traits in BoHuai goats. Our studies on the genome of BoHuai goats will not only help to understand the characteristics of the crossbred but also provide a basis for the improvement of cross-breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although post-combustion carbon capture (PCC) has been regarded as a near-commercial technology, the scale-up development of PCC the technology remains hindered by its severe thermodynamic and economic penalties. As a consequence, the solar-assisted carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology is emerging recently, which poses a promising possibility to offset the power generation loss caused by the intensive energy consumption from PCC process. Nevertheless, the application potential of the solar-assisted CCS technology would highly depend on its realistic greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation benefit as well as its cost relative to alternative low carbon technologies. Thus, it is required to apply an improved assessment practice to recognize solutions for such sustainable power supply chains, considering an increasing threatening from climate change. In this study, solar-assisted post-combustion CCS processes are analyzed trough a life cycle approach, combing life cycle GHG assessment and life cycle cost analysis. A typical 300MWe coal-fired power plant in China is taken as the case study. Three scenarios are further analyzed: (1) base case integrated with CCS process; (2) base case integrated with CCS and solar-assisted reboiler heating process; (3) base case extended to CCS and solar-assisted repowering process. Results show that the solar-assisted repowering case has considerable advantage in both GHG mitigation potential and cost aspect with superior life cycle GHG reduction rate and life cycle cost of energy removed (LCOR) at 73.7% and 37.2$/ t c o 2 − e q respectively. While the solar-assisted reboiler heating case does not have evident competition superiority. It is further highlighted that the GHG emissions from the upstream and transportation stages are also critical for Chinese CCS chains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Endoscopic screening is the widely accepted screening strategy for esophageal squmaous cell carcinoma (ESCC). However, massive endoscopic screening is expensive and not cost-efficient, and novel pre-endoscopy detection used as a preliminary screening method arouses new concerns. We are planning to launch an artificial intelligence (AI) assisted sponge cytology for detecting esophageal squmaous high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia (HGIN) and above lesions. The aim of this trail is to investigate the efficiency of AI-assisted sponge cytology in population-based screening of early esophageal squmaous epithelial lesions.Methods: The study will be prospectively conducted in five regions with a high prevalence of ESCC. AI-assisted sponge cytology and endoscopic examination will be sequentially performed. Based on our previous data, at least 864 patients with esophageal HGIN and above lesions are needed to achieve enough statistical power. And, a calculated 112,500 individuals with high risks of ESCC will be recruited. In the first stage, each 24,000 participants who meet the inclusion criteria will be recruited on a voluntary basis. Setting pathological results as standard reference, diagnostic threshold and according performance of AI-assisted detection will be evaluated. A prediction model will be constructed by co-analyzing cytological results and relevant risk factors. Then, an external validation cohort will be used for validation of the model efficiency. Also, cost-efficiency analysis will be performed. This study protocol was registered on chineseclinicaltrial.gov (ChiCTR1900028524).Discussion: Our study will determine whether this AI-assisted sponge cytology can be used as an effective pre-endoscopy detection tool for large-scale screening for ESCC in high-risk areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of the important spike components, spikelet number is closely related to wheat yield. In the present study, a major stable QTL for spikelet number per spike (SNPS), qSnps-7D, was identified using a recombinant inbred line mapping population derived from the cross between Kenong 9204 (KN9204) and Jing 411 (J411) (KJ-RILs). To decipher its genetic effects on yield-related traits and selection effects in wheat breeding process, phenotype data together with genotype data from KJ-RILs and a natural mapping population were collected. qSnps-7D was mapped to the interval of 1.63 Mb on chromosome 7D in the KN9204 genome assembly in 4 of the 6 datasets. The favored alleles from KN9204 could significantly increase SNPS, kernel number per spike (KNPS). The diagnostic markers for SNPS were further developed and validated. The selection utilization rate of the favored haplotype in foreign varieties was lower than that in China, and it showed an increasing trend with time passage, with the ratio reaching more than 50% since the 1990s. In addition, loci for yield-related traits co-located with qSnps-7D were sorted out. Meanwhile, the relationship between SNPS and its components as well as other important yield-related traits were also discussed. Taken together, the studies will lay foundation for gene cloning and molecular breeding utilization of qSnps-7D. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • 30 m3 anaerobic/aerobic/anoxic pilot-scale SBR system was first set up with sewage. • Total nitrogen and phosphate in effluent were 10.9 and 0.1 mg/L at 15.7℃. • The relative abundance of Competibacter and Tetrasphaera rose to 1.25% and 1.52%. • The contribution rate by endogenous denitrification was more than 43.3%. • Sludge reduction (17.1 %) and short aerobic time (6.0 h) helped to save energy. Removing nitrogen and phosphorus from low ratio of chemical oxygen demand to total nitrogen and temperature municipal wastewater stays a challenge. In this study, a pilot-scale anaerobic/aerobic/anoxic sequencing batch reactor (A/O/A-SBR) system first treated 15 m3/d actual municipal wastewater at 8.1–26.4 °C for 224 days. At the temperature of 15.7 °C, total nitrogen in influent and effluent were 45.5 and 10.9 mg/L, and phosphorus in influent and effluent were 3.9 and 0.1 mg/L. 16 s RNA sequencing results showed the relative abundance of Competibacter and Tetrasphaera raised to 1.25 % and 1.52 %. The strategy of excessive, no and normal sludge discharge enriched and balanced the functional bacteria, achieving an endogenous denitrification ratio more than 43.3 %. Sludge reduction and short aerobic time were beneficial to energy saving contrast with a Beijing municipal wastewater treatment. This study has significant implications for the practical application of the AOA-SBR process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The H9N2 subtype avian influenza viruses (AIVs) have been circulating in China for more than 20 years, attracting more and more attention due to the potential threat of them. At present, vaccination is a common prevention and control strategy in poultry farms, but as virus antigenicity evolves, the immune protection efficiency of vaccines has constantly been challenged. In this study, we downloaded the hemagglutinin (HA) protein sequences of the H9N2 subtype AIVs from 1994 to 2019 in China—with a total of 5138 sequences. The above sequences were analyzed in terms of time and space, and it was found that h9.4.2.5 was the most popular in various regions of China. Furthermore, the prevalence of H9N2 subtype AIVs in China around 2006 was different. The domestic epidemic branch was relatively diversified from 1994 to 2006. After 2006, the epidemic branch each year was h9.4.2.5. We compared the sequences around 2006 as a whole and screened out 15 different amino acid positions. Based on the HA protein of A/chicken/Guangxi/55/2005 (GX55), the abovementioned amino acid mutations were completed. According to the 12-plasmid reverse genetic system, the rescue of the mutant virus was completed using A/PuertoRico/8/1934 (H1N1) (PR8) as the backbone. The cross hemagglutination inhibition test showed that these mutant sites could transform the parental strain from the old to the new antigenic region. Animal experiments indicated that the mutant virus provided significant protection against the virus from the new antigenic region. This study revealed the antigenic evolution of H9N2 subtype AIVs in China. At the same time, it provided an experimental basis for the development of new vaccines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copy number variations (CNVs) were similar to single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and insertion-deletion (InDel), regarded as genetic variations in many species. CNV is defined as the variable change of DNA segment length compared with the reference genome, including gains or losses from 50 bp to several mega bases. The functions of USP16 gene are diverse, such as regulating the cell cycle, DNA damage, histone H2A deubiquitination or mitotic nuclear division. To analyze the relationship between CNV of USP16 gene and milk traits in Chinese Holstein, we used qPCR to detect the individuals of Chinese Holstein (n = 180). The results showed that the effect of USP16 gene CNV on daily milk yield and fat percentage had significant difference (p < 0.05). The gain was the advantage type in daily milk yield and the loss was the advantage type in fat percentage. Therefore, CNV of USP16 gene is an important factor of milk traits in Chinese Holstein. Meanwhile, it may be used as a molecular marker for assisted selection of milk traits in Chinese Holstein, which provides a theoretical basis for the genetic improvement of cow breeds in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dietary patterns and symptoms research among Chinese with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and its precursor lesions is limited, especially as it relates to multiple food consumption and multiple co-occurring symptoms. The aim of our study was to identify the dietary patterns and severity of symptom classes with the risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and its histological precursor lesions, and develop a risk prediction model for different stages of esophageal disease.Methods: We analyzed data from a multicenter cross-sectional study carried out in ESCC high incidence areas between 2017 and 2018, which included 34,707 individuals aged 40-69 years. Dietary patterns and severity of symptom classes were derived by applying a latent class analysis (LCA). A multiple logistic regression model was used to derive the odds ratio (ORs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for ESCC and the different stages of esophageal disease according to the dietary patterns and severity of symptom classes identified. We built the risk prediction model by using a nomogram.Results: We identified five dietary patterns and three severity of symptom classes. The dietary patterns were classified as follows: "Healthy", "Western", "Lower consumers-combination", "Medium consumers-combination" and "Higher consumers-combination" patterns based on the intake of foods such as red meat, vegetables and fruits. The severity of symptoms was categorized into "Asymptomatic", "Mild symptoms" and "Overt symptoms" classes based on health-related symptoms reported by the participants. Compared to the "Healthy" pattern, the other four patterns were all associated with an increased risk of esophageal disease. Similarly, the other two symptom classes present different degrees of increased risk of esophageal disease compared to the "Asymptomatic". The nomograms reflect the good predictive ability of the model.Conclusion: Among individuals aged 40-69 years in high incidence regions of upper gastrointestinal cancer, the results supplied that subjects with diets rich in livestock and poultry meat and low in fruits and vegetables and subjects with typical symptoms were at increased ESCC risk. The findings highlight the importance of considering food and symptom combinations in cancer risk evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Livestock manure is known to be a significant reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), posing a major threat to human health and animal safety. ARGs are found in both intracellular and extracellular DNA fractions. However, there has been no comprehensive analysis of these fractions in commercial organic fertilizers (COFs). The present study conducted a systematic survey of the profiles of intracellular ARGs (iARGs) and extracellular ARGs (eARGs) and their contributing factor in COFs in Northern China. Results showed that the ARG diversity in COFs (i.e., 57 iARGs and 53 eARGs) was significantly lower than that in cow dung (i.e., 68 iARGs and 69 eARGs). The total abundance of iARGs and eARGs decreased by 85.7% and 75.8%, respectively, after compost processing, and there were no significant differences between iARGs and eARGs in COFs (P > 0.05). Notably, the relative abundance of Campilobacterota decreased significantly (99.1–100.0%) after composting, while that of Actinobacteriota and Firmicutes increased by 21.1% and 29.7%, respectively, becoming the dominant bacteria in COFs. Co-occurrence analysis showed that microorganisms and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) were more closely related to eARGs than iARGs in COFs. And structural equation models (SEMs) further verified that microbial community was an essential factor regulating iARGs and eARGs variation in COFs, with a direct influence (λ = 0.74 and 0.62, P < 0.01), following by similar effects of MGEs (λ = 0.59 and 0.43, P < 0.05). These findings indicate the need to separate eARGs and iARGs when assessing the risk of dissemination and during removal management in the environment. [Display omitted] • The study explored the profiles of eARGs and iARGs in commercial organic fertilizers. • There was no significant difference between iARGs and eARGs in COFs. • MGEs played a key role in structuring ARGs in COFs under different bacterial contexts. • Microorganism, eMGEs and eARGs had stronger correlation than that of intracellular ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hypothesis of an anammox hotspot in river riparian zones was put forward based on our investigation on freshwater ecotones for over 25 years and previous anammox research. Here we used a complementary array of methods including isotope-pairing technique, quantitative PCR assays, and 16S rRNA and hydrazine synthase gene (hzsB) clone libraries to document the spatiotemporal evidence for a high abundance zone of anammox bacteria in river riparian sediment with observed abundance of 1.3-12 x 106 (summer) and 1.4-20 x 108 (winter) hydrazine synthase gene copies g-1, which is the highest abundance in natural environments recorded so far. Meanwhile high anammox bacterial biodiversity were detected with 'Brocadia' and 'Kuenenia' dominating. However, the high anammox bacterial abundances were not related with high activities and contributions for nitrogen gas generation. The anammox activities ranged from 0.07 to 0.15 nmol N cm-3 h-1 (summer) to 1.0-2.6 nmol N cm-3 h-1 (winter) with high temporal heterogeneity. The retrieval of archaeal and bacterial amoA sequences indicated that nitrifying microbes might be the major source of nitrite for anammox bacteria in winter, while in summer the anaerobic nitrate reduction is more likely the main source. On the basis of 15N tracing technology, it was estimated that a total loss of 0.67-9.62 g N m-2 yr-1 is linked to anammox in the riparian zone while denitrification contributed 96.2-170.3 g N m-2 yr-1 in Pearl River riparian sediments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rabies is a reemerging disease in China. The high incidence of rabies leads to numerous concerns: a potential carrier-dog phenomenon, undocumented transmission of rabies virus from wildlife to dogs, counterfeit vaccines, vaccine mismatching, and seroconversion testing in patients after their completion of postexposure prophylaxis (PEP). These concerns are all scientifically arguable given a modern understanding of rabies. Rabies reemerges periodically in China because of high dog population density and low vaccination coverage in dogs. Mass vaccination campaigns rather than depopulation of dogs should be a long-term goal for rabies control. Seroconversion testing after vaccination is not necessary in either humans or animals. Human PEP should be initiated on the basis of diagnosis of biting animals. Reliable national systemic surveillance of rabiesrelated human deaths and of animal rabies prevalence is urgently needed. A laboratory diagnosis--based epidemiologic surveillance system can provide substantial information about disease transmission and effective prevention strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite research efforts, the causative factors that contribute to esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in high-risk areas have not yet been understood. In this study, we, therefore, aimed to describe the risk factors associated with ESCC and its precursor lesions.Methods: We performed an endoscopic examination of 44,857 individuals aged 40-69 years from five high incidence regions of China in 2017-2018. Participants were classified as 4 groups of normal control, esophagitis, low-grade intraepithelial neoplasia (LGIN) and high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia/esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (HGIN/ESCC) using an unconditional logistic regression determine risk factors.Results: We identified 4890 esophagitis, 1874 LGIN and 437 HGIN/ESCC cases. Crude odds ratios (ORs) and adjusted odds ratios were calculated using unconditional logistic regression. Drinking well and surface water, salty diet, and positive family history of cancer were the common risk factors for esophagitis, LGIN and HGIN/ESCC. History of chronic hepatitis/cirrhosis was the greatest risk factor of esophagitis (adjusted OR 2.96, 95%CI 2.52-3.47) and HGIN/ESCC (adjusted OR 1.91, 95%CI 1.03-3.22). Pesticide exposure (adjusted OR 1.20, 95%CI 1.05-1.37) was essential risk factor of LGIN.Conclusions: Among individuals aged 40-69 years in high incidence regions of upper gastrointestinal cancer, the results provided important epidemiological evidence for the prevention of different precancerous lesions of ESCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Halophilic Archaea are widely distributed globally in hypersaline environments. However, little is known of how dominant halophilic archaeal genera are distributed across environments and how they may co-associate across ecosystems. Here, the archaeal community composition and diversity from hypersaline environments (> 300 g/L salinity; total of 33 samples) in the Qaidam Basin of China were investigated using high-throughput Illumina sequencing of 16S rRNA genes. The archaeal communities (total of 3,419 OTUs) were dominated by the class Halobacteria (31.7–99.6% relative abundances) within the phylum Euryarchaeota (90.8–99.9%). Five predominant taxa, including Halorubrum, Halobacterium, Halopenitus, Methanothrix, and Halomicrobium, were observed across most samples. However, several distinct genera were associated with individual samples and were inconsistently distributed across samples, which contrast with previous studies of hypersaline archaeal communities. Additionally, co-occurrence network analysis indicated that five network clusters were present and potentially reflective of interspecies interactions among the environments, including three clusters (clusters II, III, and IV) comprising halophilic archaeal taxa within the Halobacteriaceae and Haloferacaceae families. In addition, two other clusters (clusters I and V) were identified that comprised methanogens. Finally, salinity comprising ionic concentrations (in the order of Na+ > Ca2+ > Mg2+) and pH were most correlated with taxonomic distributions across sample sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypersaline lakes and saltern areas are important industrial and biodiversity resources in the Qaidam Basin of China that reside at > 2600 m asl. Most hypersaline environments in this area are characterized by saturated salinity (~ 300 g/L salinity), nearly neutral pH, intense ultraviolet radiation, and extremely variable temperature fluctuations. The core bacterial communities associated with these stressful environments have nevertheless remained uninvestigated. 16S rRNA gene Illumina sequencing analyses revealed that the bacterial communities were dominated by core lineages including the Proteobacteria (39.4–64.6%) and the Firmicutes (17.0–42.7%). However, the relative abundances of common lineages, and especially the five most abundant taxa of Pseudomonas, Lactococcus, Anoxybacillus, Acinetobacter, and Brevundimonas, were highly variable across communities and closely associated with hypersaline characteristics in the samples. Network analysis revealed the presence of co-occurrence high relative abundance taxa (cluster I) that were highly correlated across all hypersaline samples. Additionally, temperature, total organic carbon, K+, and Mg2+ correlated highest with taxonomic distributions across communities. These results highlight the potential mechanisms that could underlie survival and adaptation to these extreme hypersaline ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chaka sheep, named after Chaka Salt Lake, are adapted to a harsh, highly saline environment. They are known for their high-grade meat quality and are a valuable genetic resource in China. Furthermore, the Chaka sheep breed has been designated a geographical symbol of agricultural products by the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture. Results: The genomes of 10 Chaka sheep were sequenced using next-generation sequencing, and compared to that of additional Chinese sheep breeds (Mongolian: Bayinbuluke and Tan; Tibetan: Oula sheep) to explore its population structure, genetic diversity and positive selection signatures. Principle component analysis and a neighbor-joining tree indicated that Chaka sheep significantly diverged from Bayinbuluke, Tan, and Oula sheep. Moreover, they were found to have descended from unique ancestors (K = 2 and K = 3) according to the structure analysis. The Chaka sheep genome demonstrated comparable genetic diversity from the other three breeds, as indicated by observed heterozygosity (Ho), expected heterozygosity (He), runs of homozygosity (ROH), linkage disequilibrium (LD) decay. The enrichment analysis revealed that in contrast to Mongolian or Tibetan lineage groups, the genes annotated by specific missense mutations of Chaka sheep were enriched with muscle structure development (GO:0061061) factors including insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1), growth differentiation factor 3 (GDF3), histone deacetylase 9 (HDAC9), transforming growth factor beta receptor 2 (TGFBR2), and calpain 3 (CAPN3), among others. A genome-wide scan using Fst and XP-CLR revealed a list of muscle-related genes, including neurofibromin 1 (NF1) and myomesin 1 (MYOM1), under potential selection in Chaka sheep compared with other breeds. Conclusions: The comprehensive genome-wide characterization provided the fundamental footprints for breeding and management of the Chaka sheep and confirmed that they harbor unique genetic resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Qinchuan cattle's meat performance is good. • LncRNA sequencing of adipose tissue in Qinchuan cattle, 3716 lncRNA detected. • We screened 119 differentially expressed lncRNAs, and quantified 6 of them. • GO and KEGG analysis were used to reveal functions and effects on fat development. Qinchuan cattle is one of the five yellow cattle breeds in China with good performance of meat. The proliferation and differentiation level of muscle and fat are closely related to the growth and development of the organism and are the key factors affecting the quality of meat. In order to study the effect of lncRNA on the fat tissues of Qinchuan cattle, six calf and adult bovine adipose tissues were selected for high-throughput sequencing. We obtained 3,716 lncRNA candidates from calves and adult cattle fat samples, among them 789 lncRNA were annotated and 2,927 lncRNA were novel lncRNA. A number of lncRNAs were highly abundant, and 119 lncRNA were differentially expressed between two developmental stages. We further validated several differentially expressed lncRNAs using qPCR, and the results were consistent with the sequencing data. Therefore, we conclude that lncRNA may play an important role in adipose tissue in different age groups of cattle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To estimate the prevalence and incidence of needlestick injuries associated with insulin injection among nurses working in hospitals in China and to quantify the direct healthcare costs associated with insulin injection-related needlestick injuries. We conducted a large online survey among hospital nurses from 31 provinces, municipal cities, and autonomous regions in China from October 2016 to February 2017. The survey covered a wide range of questions, including geographical location, years of experience, insulin injection practice, number of insulin injection-related needlestick injuries in the past 12 months, interventions for needlestick injuries, and treatment costs. We developed a cost estimate model and categorized costs into two major components: infection prevention and treatment of infections. We received a total of 10,447 questionnaires, of which 9873 were complete and validated. 39.1% of the nurses reported at least one needlestick injury while administering diabetic injections at some point in the past. The incidence of needlestick injuries involving injection pens was 139.5 per 1000 nurses per year and, with adjustment for exposure, 10.2 needlestick injuries per 100,000 injections. Among the respondents, 3.2% reported of having hepatitis B virus infection and 0.9% having hepatitis C virus infection as a result of needlestick injuries. The total costs of one insulin injection-related needlestick injury was estimated to range from ¥1,884 - ¥2,389. Insulin injection-related needlestick injuries were common in nurses working in hospitals in China and imposed a significant economic burden. More resources should be allocated for preventive efforts for needlestick injuries, including adoption of injection devices with advanced safety features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Two phase I studies assessed the pharmacokinetics of buprenorphine, its metabolite norbuprenorphine, and naloxone following administration of buprenorphine/naloxone sublingual tablets in Chinese participants. Methods: In the first phase I, open-label, single ascending-dose (SAD) study, 82 opioid-naïve volunteers received a single buprenorphine/naloxone dose ranging from 2 mg/0.5 mg to 24 mg/6 mg while under naltrexone block. In a second phase I, open-label, multiple ascending-dose (MAD) study, 27 patients with opioid dependence in withdrawal received buprenorphine/naloxone doses of either 16 mg/4 mg or 24 mg/6 mg for 9 consecutive days. Serial blood samples were collected after a single dose (SAD study) and at steady-state (MAD study). Pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated using non-compartmental analysis. Safety assessments included adverse events monitoring and laboratory tests. Results: The pharmacokinetic profiles of buprenorphine and naloxone were consistent between single- and multiple-dose studies. Peak plasma concentrations (Cmax) were reached early for buprenorphine (0.75–1.0 h) and naloxone (0.5 h), supporting rapid absorption. In the SAD study, increases in plasma exposures to buprenorphine and naloxone were less than dose proportional, in line with previous observations in Western populations. Buprenorphine-to-naloxone ratios for Cmax and area under the curve (AUC) were constant over the dose range investigated and also consistent with Western populations data. Steady state was reached within 7 days of daily dosing, with slight accumulation over repeated doses. No serious adverse events were observed. Conclusions: The present data suggest that buprenorphine/naloxone pharmacokinetic profiles in Chinese participants are consistent, overall, with those in Western populations, supporting no differences in dosing. Clinical Trial Registration: The protocols were registered on the official website of the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA): http://www.chinadrugtrials.org.cn/; Registration numbers CTR20132963 (RB-CN-10-0012), CTR20140153 (RB-CN-10-0015). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • First aMPV subtype B isolated from chickens with swollen head syndrome in China. • First complete genome of aMPV subtype B from a chicken was obtained and analyzed. • The aMPV/B isolate LN16 is clearly pathogenic to chickens. Abstract Avian metapneumovirus (aMPV), which has been reported in many countries, causes an acute upper respiratory tract disease in chickens and turkeys. Although aMPV was first detected in China in 1999, there has been no further effort to isolate and characterize the aMPV subtype B (aMPV/B) from field outbreaks. In the present study, we used Vero cells to culture a viral strain, LN16, isolated from chickens with swollen head syndrome. The results of RT-PCR, indirect immunofluorescent antibody, and G gene sequence analyses confirmed that strain LN16 corresponds to aMPV/B. We amplified and sequenced the complete genome of strain LN16 and found it to be 13,513 nucleotides in length. Nine viral protein genes of the strain were between 93.2% and 98.4% identical to those of the pathogenic field isolate VCO3/60616. However, insertions and deletions were detected in the intergenic regions. Animal experiments showed that 72.7% of chickens infected with strain LN16 had excess mucus, nasal discharge, and inflammation in the lungs and turbinate. In addition, 27.2% of chickens infected with LN16 shed progeny virions. Viral tissue distribution analysis showed that aMPV could be detected in the turbinate and occasionally in immune organs. This is the first report of the isolation of aMPV/B in China and the first complete genome sequence of aMPV/B from chicken. These findings enrich the epidemiological data on aMPV and may contribute to the development of effective measures to prevent its further spread in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many paleo-karstic bauxite deposits contain elevated concentrations of Ni and Co. It has been known that Co and Ni are dominantly hosted in sulfides, but it remains unclear how Ni and Co were incorporated into sulfides and what kind of physiochemical conditions were involved. The Maochang bauxite deposit, as one of the large Ni- and Co-bearing paleo-karstic bauxite deposits in Guizhou Province, southwest China, was selected to tackle these questions. Detailed mineralogical and sulfur isotopic analyses using integrated EBSD, EPMA, LA-ICPMS, and LA-MC-ICPMS methods revealed three stages of sulfide mineralization: stage I with pyrite (PyI), stage II with pyrite (PyII), millerite, sphalerite, chalcopyrite and violarite, and stage III with pyrite (PyIII), chalcopyrite and galena. The fine-grained, euhedral PyI has up to 0.79 wt% Ni and up to 0.53 wt% Co. In contrast, PyII, which replaced or overgrew PyI, exhibits high but variable Ni, Co and As contents, and is further divided into three sub-types: Ni-rich PyII-a (up to 16.54 wt% Ni, 0.94 wt% Co, and 0.38 wt% As) and PyII-b (up to 3.30 wt% Ni, 1.41 wt% Co, and 0.36 wt% As), and Co-rich PyII-c (up to 0.99 wt% Ni, 7.57 wt% Co, and 1.81 wt% As). PyIII is Ni- and Co-poor. Ni increases from PyI to PyIIa and PyIIb, and then decreases to PyIIc and PyIII, whereas Co remains at similar levels for PyI, PyIIa and PyIIb, significantly increases to PyIIc, and then drops abruptly to PyIII. δ34S V-CDT values vary dramatically from negative values for PyI (−6.9 to −16.6‰) to positive values for PyII-b (+19.4 to +22.8‰), sphalerite (+17.2 to +19.7‰), and PyIII (+25.3 to +32.3‰). Based on these results, and considering that the protoliths of the bauxites were likely Ni- and Co-rich black shales according to previous studies, a four-step model is proposed to explain the enrichment of Ni and Co in the bauxites: 1) during weathering and bauxite formation on the surface, Ni and Co were leached from the black shale together with sulfate; the metals were dissolved in the solution and partly adsorbed by Fe-oxides/hydroxides under moderate to high f O2 ; 2) during early diagenesis, the sulfate was partially reduced to sulfide via the bacterial sulfate reduction (BSR) process and formed PyI; much of the Ni and Co, together with sulfate, remained in the solution; 3) with increasing burial, temperature increased and f O2 decreased, and the remaining sulfate (with elevated δ34S V-CDT) was reduced to sulfide via the same BSR process and formed PyII; Ni was largely consumed and incorporated into PyIIa and PyIIb, whereas Co remained in the solution until precipitation of PyIIc; 4) by the time of PyIII precipitation, both Ni and Co had been taken by PyII, leaving a Ni- and Co-poor solution and PyIII. Step 1 occurred in a relatively open system, whereas steps 2–4 likely occurred in a closed system. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. Clinically, what is the best time for age-related cataract (ARC) patients to receive surgeries and get the most benefits is important. We explored the relationship between age and presenting postoperative visual acuity (POVA) in patients from rural China. Methods. Three Lifeline Express Hospital Eye-Train missions of Peking University People’s Hospital were chosen. At the first day after surgery, 3452 ARC eyes with the presenting POVA ≥ 6/60 were enrolled. The relationship between age and POVA was analyzed statistically. Results. In these three missions, there were more female patients than males; the ratio of females to males was 1.71. The average age of females was older than males. Overall, the percentages of patients with good visual outcomes (≥6/18) were significantly decreased with aging. Different regions had variations, but the trends were the same. There was weak linear correlation between age and POVA. The correlations of females were stronger than males in Yuncheng and Sanmenxia and weaker than males in Zhoukou. Conclusion. The good visual outcomes of presenting POVA were significantly decreased with aging and there were weak linear correlations between age and POVA in rural China. The linear correlation might be influenced by the difference of gender and region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There remains controversy regarding which of the anthropometric indicators best defines obesity. In this study, we compared the efficacy of using body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) in the diagnosis of obesity and assessed their associations with diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia in an urban working population in China. Methods: Anthropometric measurements, blood pressure, plasma lipids, fasting and 2-hour plasma glucose (PG) levels by a 75 gram oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) were obtained from 2603 working Chinese who had no history of cardiovascular diseases or diabetes. Cardio-metabolic risk factors including high blood pressure, dyslipidemia, and glucose intolerance were evaluated. The diagnoses of overweight and obesity were based on the WHO definitions with BMI for general obesity and WC and WHR for central obesity. Results: Based on BMI, WC and WHR, there were 31.3%, 16.6%, 35.2% of the studied subjects, respectively, being overweight and 2.0%, 5.6%, 9.2% being obese. Among women but not men, more overweight and obese subjects were diagnosed using WHR and WC. The number of cardio-metabolic risks was higher by WC criterion than BMI and WHR in the whole group (p <0.05) and female subjects (p <0.01). Comparing the three anthropometric indexes predicting hypertension, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia and multiple cardio-metabolic risks, for women, it was WC having the largest areas under ROC curves (0.759, 0.746, 0.701 and 0.773 respectively); while in men, it was WC for hypertension, WHR for hyperglycemia, BMI for dyslipidemia and WC for multiple cardio-metabolic risks (areas under ROC curves were 0.658, 0.686, 0.618 and 0.695 respectively). Conclusions: Among Chinese working population, the need of lower cutoff values to define overweight and obesity were observed. Central obesity indicator (WC) is the preferred measure to predict the presence of cardio-metabolic risk in Chinese female subjects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated the performance of a full-scale upgrade of an existing wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) with the intermittent cyclic extended aeration system (ICEAS), located in Qingdao, China. The ICEAS system was not able to meet effluent standards; therefore, a series of modifications and control strategies were applied as follows: (1) floating plastic carriers were added to the tank to aid biofilm formation; (2) operation parameters such as mixing and aeration time, feeding rate, and settling time were adjusted and controlled with a real-time control system; (3) a sludge return system and submersible water impellers were added; (4) the aeration system was also improved to circulate carriers and prevent clogging. The modified ICEAS system exhibited efficient organic and nutrient removal, with high removal efficiencies of chemical oxygen demand (89.57± 4.10%), NH+4-N (95.46±3.80%), and total phosphorus (91.90±4.36%). Moreover, an annual power reduction of 1.04 × 107 kW·h was realized as a result of these modifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Single-dose dupilumab pharmacokinetics (PK) were studied in 30 Chinese subjects. • Repeated-dose PK were studied in 82 Chinese adults with atopic dermatitis. • PK were comparable to non-Asians after accounting for body weight. Dupilumab, a fully human monoclonal antibody targeting IL-4Rα, has demonstrated rapid and sustained improvements in clinical outcomes in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD), asthma, and chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps. In a phase 1, double-blind, ascending-dose study, 30 healthy Chinese adults were randomized to single subcutaneous doses of dupilumab 200, 300, 600 mg, or placebo. In a phase 3, double-blind study, 165 Chinese adults with AD were randomized to dupilumab 300 mg or placebo every 2 weeks. Following single doses of dupilumab 200, 300, and 600 mg in the phase 1 study, mean serum maximum concentrations (C max) were 25.4 ± 4.0, 37.2 ± 14.5, and 77.3 ± 19.0 mg/L, respectively. For a 1.5-fold increase in dupilumab dose, 1.31-, 1.73-, and 1.66-fold increases in C max , area under the curve to real time (AUC last), and extrapolated to infinity (AUC) were observed, respectively, while a 2-fold dose increase resulted in 2.17-, 2.81-, and 2.80-fold increases, respectively. In the phase 3 study, mean dupilumab trough concentrations were 78.8 ± 32.0 and 86.4 ± 33.6 mg/L at weeks 12 and 16, respectively. C max increased approximately proportionally to dose, while AUC and AUC last increased greater than proportionally. Dupilumab pharmacokinetics were generally comparable between Chinese and non-Asian healthy subjects (single dose) and between Chinese and non-Asian AD patients (repeated doses), with differences accounted for by body weight. As differences in exposure by weight are unlikely to be clinically relevant based on late-stage study results, no dose adjustment by ethnic origin or weight is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Batch experiments were designed to characterize a multiple metal resistant bacterium Burkholderia sp. D54 isolated from metal contaminated soils in the Dabaoshan Mine in South China, and a follow-up experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of inoculating the isolate on plant growth and metal uptake by Sedum alfredii Hance grown on soils collected from a heavily contaminated paddy field in Daxing County, Guangxi Zhuang Automounous Region, Southwest China. Our experiments showed that strain D54 produced indole acetic acid (IAA), siderophores, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase, and solubilizing inorganic phosphate and solubilized insoluble metal bearing minerals. Bacterial inoculation significantly enhanced S. alfredii biomass production, and increased both shoot and root Cd concentration, but induced little variation in root/shoot Pb concentration and shoot Zn concentration. Despite this, the total shoot and root uptake of Cd, Pb and Zn in S. alfredii inoculated with D54 increased greatly compared to the non-inoculated controls. It was concluded that inoculation with strain D54 could help S. alfredii grow better on metal contaminated soils, produce more biomass, and remove more metals from soil, which implies improved efficiency of phytoextraction from metal contaminated soil. The knowledge gained from the present experiments constitutes an important advancement in understanding of the interaction between plant growth-promoting bacteria and hyperaccumulators with regard to plant ability to grow and remove the multiple heavy metals from soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Viral hepatitis is a serious health burden worldwide. To date, few reports have addressed the prevalence of hepatitis A, B, C, and E in China. Therefore, the general epidemiological parameters of viral hepatitis remain unknown. Principal Findings: In this cross-sectional study, we performed a serological prevalence analysis of viral hepatitis A, B, C, and E in 8,762 randomly selected Chinese subjects, which represented six areas of China. The overall prevalence of anti-Hepatitis C virus antibody (anti-HCV) was 0.58%, which was much lower than was estimated by WHO. The prevalences of Hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg), anti-Hepatitis B virus surface protein antibody (HBsAb), and anti-Hepatitis B virus core protein antibody (HBcAb) were 5.84%, 41.31%, and 35.92%, respectively, whereas in the group of subjects less than 5 years old, these prevalences were 1.16%, 46.77%, and 8.69% respectively, which suggests that the Hepatitis B virus (HBV)-carrier population is decreasing, and the nationwide HBV vaccine program has contributed to the lowered HBV prevalence in the younger generation in China. Meanwhile, a large deficit remains in coverage provided by the national HBV immune program. In addition, our data suggested the possibility that HBsAb may not last long enough to protect people from HBV infection throughout life. The overall prevalence of anti-Hepatitis A virus antibody (anti-HAV) and anti-Hepatitis E virus antibody (anti-HEV) were as high as 72.87% and 17.66%, respectively. The indices increased with age, which suggests that a large proportion of Chinese adults are protected by latent infection. Furthermore, the pattern of HEV infection was significantly different among ethnic groups in China. Conclusions: Our study provided much important information concerning hepatitis A, B, C, and E prevalence in China and will contribute to worldwide oversight of viral hepatitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]