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Gastrointestinal symptoms are more prevalent in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) than in typically developing (TD) children. Constipation is a significant gastrointestinal comorbidity of ASD, but the associations among constipated autism spectrum disorder (C-ASD), microbiota and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are still debated. We enrolled 80 children, divided into the C-ASD group (n = 40) and the TD group (n = 40). In this study, an integrated 16S rRNA gene sequencing and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry-based metabolomics approach was applied to explore the association of the gut microbiota and SCFAs in C-ASD children in China. The community diversity estimated by the Observe, Chao1, and ACE indices was significantly lower in the C-ASD group than in the TD group. We observed that Ruminococcaceae_UCG_002, Erysipelotrichaceae_UCG_003, Phascolarctobacterium, Megamonas, Ruminiclostridium_5, Parabacteroides, Prevotella_2, Fusobacterium, and Prevotella_9 were enriched in the C-ASD group, and Anaerostipes, Lactobacillus, Ruminococcus_gnavus_group, Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group, Ralstonia, Eubacterium_eligens_group, and Ruminococcus_1 were enriched in the TD group. The propionate levels, which were higher in the C-ASD group, were negatively correlated with the abundance of Lactobacillus taxa, but were positively correlated with the severity of ASD symptoms. The random forest model, based on the 16 representative discriminant genera, achieved a high accuracy (AUC = 0.924). In conclusion, we found that C-ASD is related to altered gut microbiota and SCFAs, especially decreased abundance of Lactobacillus and excessive propionate in faeces, which provide new clues to understand C-ASD and biomarkers for the diagnosis and potential strategies for treatment of the disorder. This study was registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (www.chictr.org.cn; trial registration number ChiCTR2100052106; date of registration: October 17, 2021). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mining activities can cause heavy metal pollution which affects soil microbial diversity. Current understanding on the impact of Cu mines especially that of bioavailable heavy metals on microbial communities is still limited. This study investigated heavy metal distribution and microbial diversity of the surrounding soil and tailings of two Cu mines from Tibet (JM) and Zhejiang (JD), China. Cu, Pb, Zn, and Cr concentrations in the soil around JM were 107.33 ± 75.48, 29.21 ± 19.66, 73.89 ± 28.79, and 17.88 ± 4.91 mg·kg−1, respectively, and those of JD were 40.59 ± 21.86, 27.00 ± 19.40, 95.45 ± 54.36, and 30.87 ± 11.55 mg·kg−1, respectively. For each mine, the sites closer to the mining area displayed higher PINemerow values and acid extractable contents of Cu (Cu_AE), Zn (Zn_AE), and Pb (Pb_AE). The tailings samples showed lower microbial diversity and higher abundances of heavy metal–resistant organisms including the ones from the phyla Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes and the genera Bacteroides, Lactobacillus, and Staphylococcus than the surrounding soil samples. Canonical corresponding analysis (CCA) revealed that water content, altitude, electrical conductivity (EC), total concentration of Zn (Zn_total), Cu_AE, Zn_AE, and Pb_AE, and pH value were effective environmental factors shaping the structure of all the investigated communities. Acid extractable contents of Pb and Zn rather than their total concentrations were significantly correlated to JM surrounding soil microbial structure. Microbial structure differentiations of the surrounding soil of JM and JD were largely attributed to stochastic processes, suggested by the beta nearest taxon index (beta NTI). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted the analysis of physicochemical parameters, 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction to explore the impact of human inputs on the bacterioplankton communities within a tributary of the largest river flowing through a megacity in northeast China. Agriculture largely accounted for the alteration of diversity and functions of the microbial communities. Furthermore, nitrate and total phosphorus declined at the reservoir outlet. The WWTP effluent discharge caused a decrease of the relative abundance of Actinobacteria and Cyanobacteria, while the impact on the variation of alpha diversity of river microbial community was slight. Carbon fixation and nitrogen cycle varied with the change of land use type. The rare taxa contributed with a predominant role in the response to environmental variables and NH3-N as well as NO3−-N were the main environmental factors that drove the shift in the bacterial community. The occurrence of the human-specific fecal indicator was mostly derived from agriculture, and its increase in relative abundance was observed in the WWTP effluent. Thus, our study provides guidance for ecological assessment and management of rivers by revealing the response pattern of river bacterioplankton to multiple types of anthropogenic stressors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sitafloxacin is one of the newer generation fluoroquinolones. Considering the ever-changing antimicrobial resistance, it is necessary to monitor the activities of sitafloxacin against recent pathogenic isolates. Therefore, we determined the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of sitafloxacin and comparators by broth microdilution or agar dilution method against 1101 clinical isolates collected from 2017 to 2019 in 31 hospitals across China. Sitafloxacin was highly active against gram-positive isolates evidenced by the MICs required to inhibit the growth of 50%/90% isolates (MIC50/90): ≤ 0.03/0.25, ≤ 0.03/0.125, ≤ 0.03/2, 0.125/0.25, 0.25/2, and 0.125/0.125 mg/L for methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA), methicillin-susceptible coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (MSCNS), methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), methicillin-resistant CNS, Enterococcus faecalis, and Streptococcus pneumoniae, respectively. Sitafloxacin inhibited 82.8% of the MRSA strains and 97.5% of MRCNS strains. Sitafloxacin was also potent against ciprofloxacin-susceptible Escherichia coli (MIC50/90: ≤ 0.03/0.06 mg/L) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (MIC50/90: ≤ 0.03/0.125 mg/L), non-ESBL-producing E. coli (MIC50/90: ≤ 0.03/1 mg/L) and K. pneumoniae (MIC50/90: ≤ 0.03/0.5 mg/L), Haemophilus influenzae (MIC50/90: ≤0.015/0.06 mg/L), Haemophilus parainfluenzae (MIC50/90: 0.125/0.5 mg/L), Moraxella catarrhalis (MIC50/90: ≤ 0.015/≤ 0.015 mg/L), Bacteroides fragilis (MIC50/90: 0.06/2 mg/L), Peptostreptococcus (MIC50/90: 0.125/4 mg/L), and Mycoplasma pneumoniae (≤ 0.03/≤ 0.03 mg/L). However, sitafloxacin was less active for Enterococcus faecium, ciprofloxacin-resistant and/or ESBL-producing E. coli, and K. pneumoniae strains. Sitafloxacin was superior or comparable to most of the comparators in activities against the abovementioned isolates, so sitafloxacin is still highly active against most of the clinical isolates in hospitals across China, proving its utility in treatment of the abovementioned susceptible strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Audits of antimicrobial prophylaxis is an essential strategy to identify practice gaps in antimicrobial prescribing in healthcare facilities. There is a lack of studies on the costs, quality, and antimicrobial use density of neurosurgical perioperative antimicrobial prophylaxis in China. Objectives Evaluate the appropriateness of perioperative antimicrobial prophylaxis in neurosurgeries and analyze the costs, quality, and antimicrobial use density of neurosurgical perioperative antimicrobial prophylaxis. Setting Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital, a teaching hospital in Beijing. Methods This retrospective study was conducted among 262 neurosurgical patients without infections during 2017. The appropriateness of perioperative antimicrobial prophylaxis was determined based on relevant international and Chinese perioperative antimicrobial prophylaxis guidelines. Main outcome measures Discrepancy rates in perioperative antimicrobial prophylaxis, including indication, choice of antimicrobials, dose, route of administration, time of administration of the first dose, re-dosing, and duration, were analyzed. Results Discrepancies were observed between current practice and relevant guidelines. A total of 51 (32.1%) procedures failed to administer intraoperative re-dosing as needed, and the perioperative antimicrobial prophylaxis duration of 217 (82.8%) procedures was inappropriately prolonged. The choice of antimicrobial agents was optimal in 249 (95%) procedures, and the timing of perioperative antimicrobial prophylaxis was appropriate in all procedures. If perioperative antimicrobial prophylaxis was implemented according to guidelines, the defined daily dose per 100 procedures would decrease from 31.97 to 16.99, and the total cost would reduce from $2000 to $490. Conclusions Effective antimicrobial stewardship is urgently needed to promote the appropriateness of neurosurgical perioperative antimicrobial prophylaxis in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to investigate the clinical characteristics of infectious complications in severe acute pancreatitis (SAP). From September 2003 to March 2005, 140 patients with SAP were retrospectively identified. SAP was defined by the diagnostic criteria formulated for SAP at the 2002 Bangkok World Congress of Gastroenterology in Thailand. Clinical data of the infected and non-infected patients was compared and the characteristics of infection were also analyzed. There were 44 patients who developed infectious complications with a rate of 31.4% (44/140). The severity index, the incidence of complications and mortality, was significantly higher in the infected patients than in the non-infected patients (P<0.05). Of 65 episodes of infection, infected (peri) pancreatic necrosis accounted for 47.7% (31/65), pneumonia for 27.7% (18/65), bacteremia for 10.8% (7/65), urinary tract infection for 6.1% (4/65), and gastrointestinal tract infection for 7.7% (5/65). The earliest infection was observed in pneumonia (10.7±2.5 days), followed by bacteremia (13.7±1.5 days), gastrointestinal tract infection (16.8±3.9 days), infected (peri)pancreatic necrosis (17.6±2.9 days), and urinary tract infection (20.5±4.8 days). Gram-negative bacteria were preponderantly found, comprising 56.6% (64/113) of the isolated strains. Gram-positive bacteria and fungus accounted for 22.1% (25/113) and 21.2% (24/113) of the isolated strains, respectively. Infectious complications in patients with SAP occurred in those who had severe episodes, and consequently complicated the clinical courses. Infected (peri)pancreatic necrosis is the most susceptible and pneumonia is the earliest. Gram-negative bacteria were predominant in multi-microorganisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human gut microbiome is a promising target for managing type 2 diabetes (T2D). Measures altering gut microbiota like oral intake of probiotics or berberine (BBR), a bacteriostatic agent, merit metabolic homoeostasis. We hence conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with newly diagnosed T2D patients from 20 centres in China. Four-hundred-nine eligible participants were enroled, randomly assigned (1:1:1:1) and completed a 12-week treatment of either BBR-alone, probiotics+BBR, probiotics-alone, or placebo, after a one-week run-in of gentamycin pretreatment. The changes in glycated haemoglobin, as the primary outcome, in the probiotics+BBR (least-squares mean [95% CI], −1.04[−1.19, −0.89]%) and BBR-alone group (−0.99[−1.16, −0.83]%) were significantly greater than that in the placebo and probiotics-alone groups (−0.59[−0.75, −0.44]%, −0.53[−0.68, −0.37]%, P < 0.001). BBR treatment induced more gastrointestinal side effects. Further metagenomics and metabolomic studies found that the hypoglycaemic effect of BBR is mediated by the inhibition of DCA biotransformation by Ruminococcus bromii. Therefore, our study reports a human microbial related mechanism underlying the antidiabetic effect of BBR on T2D. (Clinicaltrial.gov Identifier: NCT02861261). The gut microbiome affects systemic metabolism and is a therapeutic target for type 2 diabetes. Here the authors demonstrate in a randomized controlled trial that effects of berberine, a plant alkaloid known to lower blood glucose, may be explained by the inhibition of Ruminococcus bromii mediated biotransformation of the bile acid deoxycholic acid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emergence of tigecycline-resistance tet(X) gene orthologues rendered tigecycline ineffective as last-resort antibiotic. To understand the potential origin and transmission mechanisms of these genes, we survey the prevalence of tet(X) and its orthologues in 2997 clinical E. coli and K. pneumoniae isolates collected nationwide in China with results showing very low prevalence on these two types of strains, 0.32% and 0%, respectively. Further surveillance of tet(X) orthologues in 3692 different clinical Gram-negative bacterial strains collected during 1994–2019 in hospitals in Zhejiang province, China reveals 106 (2.7%) tet(X)-bearing strains with Flavobacteriaceae being the dominant (97/376, 25.8%) bacteria. In addition, tet(X)s are found to be predominantly located on the chromosomes of Flavobacteriaceae and share similar GC-content as Flavobacteriaceae. It also further evolves into different orthologues and transmits among different species. Data from this work suggest that Flavobacteriaceae could be the potential ancestral source of the tigecycline resistance gene tet(X). Emergence of tigecycline-resistance tet(X) genes is of concern. Here, the authors determine tet(X) prevalence in more than 6,000 clinical Gram-negative bacterial isolates collected between 1994 to 2019 in hospitals in China and suggest that Flavobacteriaceae could be the potential ancestral source of the tigecycline resistance genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]