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Aims and Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the current status of the core competencies and self-directed learning ability of diabetes specialist nurses and to explore the relationship between these core competencies and their self-directed learning ability., Design: A cross-sectional survey design was used., Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted via a web-based questionnaire platform in China from January 14 to April 24, 2023. The survey included a general information questionnaire, a diabetes specialist nurses' core competencies self-assessment scale, and a nursing staff's self-directed learning ability evaluation scale. The data was collected online. Descriptive, correlation and multiple linear regression analyses were conducted using SPSS 26.0 software., Results: 118 diabetes specialist nurses from 11 cities participated in this study. A positive correlation was observed between the core competencies of diabetes specialist nurses and their self-directed learning ability. The characteristics affecting the core competencies of diabetes specialist nurses included age, participation in external learning and communication and self-directed learning., Conclusions: The training of diabetes specialist nurses can focus on core competencies, and the ability to self-direct learning can be used as an entry point to customize feasible theoretical and practical courses. The training system can further improve diabetes specialist nurses' core competencies and self-directed learning abilities., Relevance to Clinical Practice: A reference can be established that nursing managers and nursing educators can use to develop training programs for specialist nurses by validating the link between their core competencies and self-directed learning skills., Patient or Public Contribution: Participants were involved solely in the data collection process. No participant contributions were required for the study's design, outcome measurement or implementation., (© 2024 The Author(s). Nursing Open published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

In the new stage of trans-omics and trans-subjects for medicinal plants, it is an urgent need to integrate big data, provide interactive applications, and form a unified and multi-level research system and big data platform. Dao-di medicinal material, as an important source of medicinal plants, is a unique quality concept and comprehensive standard of tranditional Chinese medicine(TCM). Several databases have been developed in China and abroad, such as the Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Medicine(ETCM) and the Global Pharmacopoeia Genome Database(GPGD). Yet, most databases do not provide multi-dimensional data, including geographic data, phenotype data, compound data, and genetic data. Sichuan, known as the hometown of TCM therapies and the treasure trove of TCM, is the most representative region of medicinal plant diversity in China. According to the latest data of the fourth national survey of TCM resources, there are more than 8 000 TCM and 86 Dao-di medicinal materials in Sichuan province. Based on resource census data and relevant achievements, this study constructed the bioinformatics database of medicinal plants and the visual analysis platform of production layout by taking the Dao-di medicinal materials in Sichuan province as an example, covering geographic data, phenotype data, compound data, and genetic data. It effectively integrates multi-dimensional data of Dao-di medicinal materials and provides different levels of data interaction applications. The platform is the first large-scale multi-dimensional database and visual platform of Dao-di medicinal materials in Sichuan province, which serves as an essential resource for germplasm resources identification, decomposition of biosynthetic pathways, molecular breeding of varieties and provides medicinal plant resource information and data support for development and utilization of medicinal plants in China and abroad.

Background: Hyperlipidemia is a major risk factor for many diseases. Previous studies have shown that diet is closely associated with hyperlipidemia. However, the relationship between cooking methods and hyperlipidemia remains unclear. The objective of this study was to identify the major cooking patterns existing in the Eastern Chinese population and evaluate their association with the prevalence of hyperlipidemia., Methods: We interviewed 4,710 residents in Eastern China regarding the consumption frequency of each cooking method when they prepare food at home or when eating out and regarding the prevalence of hyperlipidemia. Factor analysis, Chi-square tests, analysis of variance, and binary logistic regression analysis were used to identify the cooking patterns and analyze the characteristics of participants' categories of cooking patterns and the relationship between different cooking patterns and prevalence of hyperlipidemia., Results: Three major cooking patterns were identified: Traditional Chinese, Bland (little or no oil is used to process the food), and High-temperature cooking patterns. After controlling for potential confounders, participants in the highest quartile of the Bland cooking pattern had lower odds of hyperlipidemia than those in the lowest quartile. Nevertheless, no significant associations were observed between the Traditional Chinese and High-temperature cooking patterns and the prevalence of hyperlipidemia., Conclusions: This study confirms the association between cooking patterns and the prevalence of hyperlipidemia and indicates that the Bland cooking pattern is associated with a reduced prevalence of hyperlipidemia., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Cooking methods can change the composition of foods and have important effects on human health. The Chinese people have developed many distinct and unique cooking methods. However, the daily cooking patterns of Chinese people and the characteristics and evolution of trends in cooking patterns commonly used by Chinese consumers remain unclear. The objective of this study was to identify the major cooking patterns and discuss their effects on human health, as well as to identify the cooking pattern consumer clusters and the evolution of trends in Chinese consumer cooking patterns. From March to June 2021, this study interviewed 4,710 residents in Eastern China regarding the consumption frequency of each cooking method when food is prepared at home or when eating out. Exploratory factor analysis, K-Means cluster analysis, Chi-square test, pairwise comparisons of multiple sample rates, and multivariate linear regression were used to identify the cooking patterns and cooking pattern consumer clusters, to assess differences in consumption preferences between consumer clusters, and to examine the relationship between demographic characteristic variables and different cooking patterns. Results revealed three major cooking patterns, namely traditional Chinese (cooking methods with native Chinese characteristics), bland, and high-temperature cooking patterns, as well as seven cooking pattern consumer clusters and their demographic characteristics in the Eastern Chinese population. With increases in age, education level, and income, consumers tended to choose the healthy "Bland" cooking pattern. Further, there was a higher proportion of people aged 36-65 years in the C3 cluster, which is characterized by the "Bland" cooking pattern. However, participants who were male and younger made fewer healthy choices in their cooking patterns. Specifically, a higher proportion of participants aged 21-35 years were found in the C5 cluster, which is characterized by the unhealthy "High-temperature" cooking pattern. Therefore, culinary health education should focus on individuals who are male and young. Specifically, the shift in cooking patterns among people aged 21-35 years should receive special attention., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2023 Liang et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

The spatial distribution and pollution level of heavy metal(loid)s in soil (0-6 m) from a typical industrial region in Jiangmen City, Southeast China was investigated. Their bioaccessibility, health risk, and human gastric cytotoxicity in topsoil were also evaluated using an in vitro digestion/human cell model. The average concentrations of Cd (87.52 mg/kg), Co (106.9 mg/kg), and Ni (1007 mg/kg) exceeded the risk screening values. The distribution profiles of metal(loid)s showed a downward migration trend to reach a depth of 2 m. The highest contamination was found in topsoil (0-0.5 m), with the concentrations of As, Cd, Co, and Ni being 46.98, 348.28, 317.44, and 2395.60 mg/kg, respectively, while Cd showed the highest bioaccessibility in the gastric phase (72.80 %), followed by Co (21.08 %), Ni (18.27 %), and As (5.26 %) and unacceptable carcinogenic risk. Moreover, the gastric digesta of topsoil suppressed the cell viability and triggered cell apoptosis, evidenced by disruption of mitochondrial transmembrane potential and increase of Cytochrome c (Cyt c) and Caspases 3/9 mRNA expression. Bioaccessible Cd in topsoil was responsible for those adverse effects. Our data suggest the importance to reduce Cd in the soil to decrease its adverse impacts on the human stomach., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Knowledge of adequate diets can improve an individual's health status. Although previous studies have identified the main resources from which Chinese people acquire dietary knowledge, it is still unclear whether information sources regarding diets (ISRDs) can increase individuals' knowledge of adequate diets (KAD) and which ISRDs are most effective in conveying KAD to the Chinese population. In this study, we interviewed 4,710 residents in Eastern China regarding their ISRDs and KAD. Descriptive statistics, ANOVA, and multivariate linear regression were used to analyze the effectiveness of different ISRDs in transmitting KAD to Chinese individuals and to determine the relationship between ISRDs and KAD. Results showed that the KAD scores of the respondents were low overall in Eastern China. Providing dietary information through expert lectures, books, newspapers, magazines, and social media could significantly improve the average KAD score of Chinese individuals. Respondents with a greater number of ISRDs were more likely to have higher KAD scores. These findings suggest that the number of ISRDs should be increased. In particular, emphasis should be placed on the role of expert lectures, books, newspapers, magazines, and social media., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Cui, Wang, Wang, Peng, Ma, Chen, Xu, Ke and Tian.)

The dermal exposure of heavy metals in contaminated urban soils poses huge environmental health risks globally. However, their dermal bioaccessibility and adverse effects on human skin cells were not fully understood. In this study, we measured the total and dermal bioaccessibility of Cr, As, Cd, Pb, and Cu in four selected urban soil samples from Kunming, Yunnan, China, and evaluated the cellular responses of these bioaccessible extracts on human keratinocytes (HaCaT). Among all the metals, only As in Soil-3 (S3) exceeded Chinese risk screening and Yunnan background values at 38.2 mg/kg. The average concentrations of Cr, As, Cd, Pb, and Cu in all soil samples were 47.79, 15.50, 3.11, 104.27, and 180.29 mg/kg respectively. Although relatively high concentrations of heavy metals were detected in soil samples, the highest dermal bioaccessibility of Cd was 3.57% with others' being lower than 1%. The bioaccessible dermal-absorbed doses (DADs) of Cr, As, Cd, Pb, and Cu from soils reflected acceptable health risks since all DADs were below the corresponding derived dermal reference values. However, the toxic data showed the extracts of S3 and S4 presented certain cytotoxicity in HaCaT cells, indicating the existing models based on dermal bioaccessibility and DADs may be not accurate enough to assess their human health risk. Taken together, the human health risk assessment should be modified by taking their skin cytotoxicity into account., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

E-wastes release toxic metals including Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn into nearby soils during dismantling process. However, their adverse effects and the associated mechanisms on human intestinal epithelium are poorly understood. In this study, their toxic effects on human colonic epithelial cells Caco-2 and the underlying mechanisms were assessed basing on three soils from Wenling e-waste dismantling site. Since soil-extractable metals are more available for gastrointestinal absorption, we used phosphate buffer saline solution to extract metals at solid to liquid ratio of 1:2. Among metals, total Cd and Ni exceeded the risk screening values in three soils, being 3.8-8.8 and 42.4-155 mg/kg. Furthermore, high extractable-metals at 5.9, 1.9, and 0.87 mg/kg Cd (20-67%) and 4.6, 6.4, and 12.4 mg/kg Ni (3.6-29%) were observed for Soil-1, -2 and -3, respectively. All three extracts triggered cytotoxicity, with Soil-2 showing the strongest inhibition of cell viability. Higher production of reactive oxygen species and stronger inhibition of antioxidant enzymes SOD1 and CAT were observed in Soil-2 and -3. Upregulation of proinflammatory mediators (IL-1β, IL-8 and TNF-α) and apoptosis-regulatory genes (GADD45α, Caspase-3, and Caspase-8) were observed. Our data suggest that soil extracts induced cytotoxicity, oxidative damage, inflammatory response, and cell apoptosis in Caco-2 cells, indicating soil ingestion from e-waste dismantling site may adversely impact human health., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI), as a common neurodegenerative aging disease representing an intermediate stage between normal cognitive functioning and dementia, poses an excessive burden on health care. The clinical benefit of Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs) for MCI remains inconclusive. This study is aimed at evaluating the efficacy and acceptability of CHMs through meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis (TSA)., Methods: We applied extensive strategies on preliminary literature screening to identify relevant randomized controlled trials which meticulously compare any of CHMs interventions with placebo groups as monotherapy for MCI. The primary outcome of this study is the change of global cognitive function, and the secondary outcomes include assessments of activities of daily living, mood, and adverse events. Data synthesis, risk of bias assessment, sensitivity and subgroup analyses, and TSA will be conducted with application of Review Manager, Stata, and TSA software. The quality of the evidence will be evaluated using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation instrument. INPLASY registration number: INPLASY202190006 (https://inplasy.com/inplasy-2021-9-0006/)., Results: This study will confirm the clinical efficacy and safety of CHMs when used in the treatment of patients with MCI., Conclusion: This study will provide reliable evidence and references for the selection of CHMs in therapy and future clinical research of MCI., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interests to disclose., (Copyright © 2021 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Echinococcosis is a serious zoonotic parasitic disease transmitted from canines to humans and livestock. Periodic deworming is recommended by the WHO/OIE as a highly effective measure against echinococcosis. However, manual deworming involves significant challenges, particularly in remote areas with scarce resources. The insufficient awareness delivering praziquantel (PZQ) baits for dogs leads to low compliance rate. The aim of this study was therefore to develop a novel smart collar for dogs to address these challenges. We developed a smart Internet of Things (IoT)-based deworming collar which can deliver PZQ baits for dogs automatically, regularly, quantitatively with predominant characteristics of being waterproof, anti-collision, cold-proof and long life battery. Its performance was tested in two remote locations on the Tibetan Plateau. A cross-sectional survey was conducted to evaluate the compliance of the dog owners. Further, a randomized controlled study was performed to evaluate the difference between smart-collar deworming and manual deworming. The collar's effectiveness was further assessed on the basis of Generalized Estimation Equations (GEE). The testing and evaluation was done for 10 smart deworming collars in factory laboratory, 18 collars attached for 18 dogs in Seni district, Tibet Autonomous Region, China, and 523 collars attached for 523 dogs in Hezuo city, Gansu province, China. The anti-collision, waterproof, and coldproof proportion of the smart collars were 100.0%, 99.5%, and 100.0%, respectively. When compared to manual deworming, the dogs' risk of infection with Echinococcus on smart-collar deworming is down to 0.182 times (95% CI: 0.049, 0.684) in Seni district and 0.355 (95%CI: 0.178, 0.706) in Hezuo city, the smart collar has a significant protective effect. The owners' overall compliance rate to attach the smart collars for their dogs was 89%. The smart deworming collar could effectively reduce the dogs' risk of infection with Echinococcus in dogs, significantly increase the deworming frequency and coverage and rapidly remove worm biomass in dogs. Thus, it may be a promising alternative to manual deworming, particularly in remote areas on the Tibetan Plateau., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Survival rates are usually used to evaluate the effect of cancer treatment and prevention. No study has focused on the characteristic of population-based cancer survival in Fujian, which is regarded as one of the high-risk areas of cancer in China. This study aims to analyze the 5-year relative survival of patients in Fujian Province using population-based cancer registry data. A total of 8 population-based registries in Fujian Province reported cancer cases diagnosed in 2012-2014. Relative survival was calculated as the ratio between observed survival and expected survival. The 5-year relative survival for all cancers combined was 36.19% and the age-standardized 5-year relative survival for all patients was 31.80%. Females had higher relative survival than males (38.90% and 27.00%). The patients in urban areas had higher relative survival than those in rural areas (32.34% and 31.29%). Lung, gastric, liver, colorectal, and esophageal cancers were the five most common cancers, with 5-year relative survival below 50%. This is the first study that evaluated the population-based cancer relative survival in Fujian, China. Our study suggests that the overall survival of cancer patients in Fujian Province is poor. Furthermore, the results of this study can be used as a baseline for further research in Fujian, and provide important evidence for cancer etiology research.

Three months of weekly rifapentine plus isoniazid (3HP) is a short course regimen for latent tuberculosis infection treatment with satisfied safety and efficacy. However, research on its use in children is limited. In this study, we evaluated the completion rate and safety of the 3HP regimen among children in China. Participants aged 1-14 years receiving 3HP for TB prevention at Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center were followed from December 2019 to November 2020 to evaluate the safety and completion rate of the treatment. Thirty-one children were eligible for inclusion, but five were excluded from the analysis (three were treated with a lower than recommended dose, and two were lost to follow-up). Of the 26 children included in the analysis, the treatment completion rate was 100%. Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) were reported in 38.5% (10/26) of the patients. The most common ADRs were gastrointestinal symptoms (19.2%,5/26), and all ADRs were rated as Grade 1. The 3HP regimen has a high completion rate, and it seems well tolerated in our study population. However, further randomized controlled clinical trial with larger sample size are warranted., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

We conducted a large-scale epidemiological investigation to detect the prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in four marine bivalve shellfish species collected from six representative coastal regions of Weihai, eastern China. Between January 2018 and December 2018, 14,535 marine bivalve shellfish pooled into 2907 samples were randomly collected and examined for T. gondii DNA by a nested PCR assay targeting B1 gene. The results showed that 2.8% (82) of the 2907 pooled samples were tested positive for T. gondii DNA. Two T. gondii genotype (ToxoDB Genotype #9 and ToxoDB Genotype #1) were identified PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. Factors that were found significantly associated with the presence of T. gondii DNA in marine bivalve shellfish included the source of samples (being wild) (odds ratio [OR], 3.34; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.00-5.84; p < 0.01), surface runoff near the sampling site (OR, 2.64; 95% CI, 1.47-4.72; p < 0.01), and presence of cats near the sampling site (OR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.02-3.07; p = 0.04). Moreover, the prevalence of T. gondii DNA in marine bivalve shellfish correlated with temperature (Pearson's correlation: R = 0.75, p = 0.0049) and precipitation (R = 0.87, p = 0.00021). These findings provide new insights into the presence of T. gondii DNA in marine bivalve shellfish and highlight the impact of human activity on marine pollution by such an important terrestrial pathogen pollutant., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Context: Up to 40% of patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have prediabetes; an optimal pharmacotherapy regimen for diabetes prevention in PCOS is yet to be established., Objective: To evaluate clinical efficacy of exenatide (EX), metformin (MET), or combination (COM) for prediabetes in PCOS., Design: Randomized, open-label, parallel-group controlled trial., Setting: Renji Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine., Patients: PCOS with prediabetes (fasting plasma glucose 5.6-6.9 mmol/L and/or 2 hour post glucose 7.8-11.0 mmol/L on oral glucose tolerance test [OGTT]). A total of 150 out of 183 eligible enrollees completed the study., Intervention: EX (10-20μg daily), MET (1500-2000 mg daily), or COM (EX plus MET) for 12 weeks., Main Outcome Measures: Sustained remission rate of prediabetes (primary endpoint, a normal OGTT after 12 weeks of treatment followed by 12 weeks of washout on no drug treatment) along with anthropometric, hormonal, metabolic, and pancreatic β-cell function parameters (secondary endpoints) and potential mechanisms were assessed., Results: Impaired glucose tolerance was found the dominant prediabetes phenotype. Overall sustained prediabetes remission rate was 50.7%. Remission rate of COM group (64%, 32/50) or EX group (56%, 28/50) was significantly higher than that of the MET group (32%, 16/50) (P = .003 and .027, respectively). EX was associated with superior suppression of 2-hour glucose increment in OGTT. A 2-step hyperglycemic clamp study revealed that EX had led to higher postprandial insulin secretion than MET, potentially explaining the higher remission rate., Conclusions: Compared with MET monotherapy, EX or COM achieved higher rate of remission of prediabetes among PCOS patients by improving postprandial insulin secretion., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Endocrine Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Increasing evidence exisits for the role that shellfish play in the epidemiology of Toxoplasma gondii in marine environment. However, limited information is available on the level of T. gondii infection in wild marine snails, which can play a role in the transmission of T. gondii to other marine organisms and humans. In this study, the prevalence of T. gondii DNA in wild marine snails collected from three coastal cities in China was determined. Between January 2018 and November 2019, 1,206 wild marine snails were randomly collected and examined for the presence of T. gondii DNA using a nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting T. gondii B1 gene. The amplified products were genotyped using multilocus PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. We also examined whether species of snail, sampling region, sampling season, surface runoff near samplic site, residential water discharge near samplic site, and proximity to livestock farms are associated with the occurrence of T. gondii DNA in marine snails. Our results showed that 23 (1.91%) snails were positive for T. gondii B1 gene. The genotype of two of the 23 T. gondii amplicons was consistent with ToxoDB Genotype #9. Multiple logistic regression revealed that surface runoff near the sampling site (P = 0.039, odds ratio [OR] = 3.413, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.07-10.94) and residential water discharge near the sampling site (P = 0.021, OR = 3.990, 95%CI: 1.24-12.87) are more likely to be associated with the presence of T. gondii DNA in marine snails. The detection of T. gondii DNA in marine snails in China highlights the potential impact of the anthropogenic activities on marine organisms and the potential foodborne risk posed to humans with such an important terrestrial pathogen., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To estimate the incidence and mortality of corpus uteri cancer in China, 2015. Methods: Quality audit and evaluation of the data from 2015 cancer registration reported by 501 cancer registries were conducted, and 368 cancer registries were included in the analysis. The incidence rate and mortality rate of corpus uteri cancer were calculated according to the factors of the region (urban, rural, east, central, western), sex and age groups. The incidence and mortality of corpus uteri cancer with the 2015 population were estimated. Chinese standard population in 2000 and world Segi's population were used for the calculation of age-standardized rates (ASR) of incidence and mortality. Results: In 2015, 368 cancer registries included in the analysis covered a total of 309 553 499 populations in China, accounting for 22.52% of the national population. It is estimated that there were about 68 900 new cases of corpus uteri cancer in 2015, the incidence rate was 10.28/10(5), age-standardized incidence rates by Chinese standard population (ASR China) and world standard population (ASR world) were 6.86/10(5) and 6.66/10(5), respectively. The incidence rate of urban area (11.35/10(5)) was higher than that of rural area (8.90/10(5)), and the incidence of eastern region (12.12/10(5)) was higher than the central region (9.94/10(5)) and the western region (8.25/10(5)). It is estimated that in 2015, there were about 16 000 deaths of corpus uteri cancer, the mortality rate was 2.39/10(5), ASR China was 1.49/10(5), ASR world was 1.47/10(5). The mortality in urban areas (2.40/10(5)) is close to rural areas (2.39/10(5)); the mortality in central areas (2.55/10(5)) was higher than the eastern areas (2.32/10(5)) and the western areas (2.31/10(5)). Conclusions: In China, the incidence of corpus uteri cancer is on the rise and has a trend of youth, the burden of disease is gradually increasing, which threatens the health of women. Targeted prevention and control measures should be carried out in the different regions.

Objective: To investigate the epidemiological characteristics of a family clustering of COVID-19. Methods: Field epidemiological survey was conducted. Results: Case 1 of the long-term residents from Hubei province was the source of infection of this family clustering. There were 6 cases (from case 2 to case 7) infected in the whole incubation period. The incubation period was more than 14 days for 3 of the second-generation cases. Routes of transmission included respiratory droplets (from case 1 transmitted to case 6, from case 1 to her family members) and close contact (from case 1 to other cases in her family). All the age groups were generally susceptible, while elderly were easier to progress to critically ill. Besides respiratory symptoms, there were also gastrointestinal symptoms, of which diarrhea was the most common one. Conclusions: Family clustering had been an important part for COVID-19 cases.

The outbreak of COVID-19 has spread quickly across 114 countries/territories/areas in six continents worldwide and has been announced as a pandemic by WHO. This study analyzed global COVID-19 epidemiological trends, examined impact of the pandemic on global health security, diplomacy, and social environment in China, and provided short- and long-term strategic policy recommendations for China's subsequent preparedness and responses.

The genus Syringa, belonging to the family Oleaceae, are distributed naturally in the European and Asian regions.This genus is composed of more than 20 species worldwide, among which about 16 species including 10 endemic ones are discovered in China.The Syringa sp.are extensively used as herbal medicine and ornamental aspects, such as the roots and stems of S. pinnatifolia, which is one of the typical Mongolian folk medicines in China for the treatment of cardiovascular and pulmonary symptoms. As a continuous research following the previous summary in 2015, the present reriew describes the phytochemical and pharmacological progress of the genus, which hopes to provide a valuable reference to its research, development and clinic application.

There is limited understanding of the combined effects of discrete climate extremes and chronic environmental changes on ecosystem processes and functioning. We assessed the interactions of extreme drought timing (45 days, in spring or summer) and nitrogen (N) addition in a full factorial field experiment in a Leymus chinensis-dominated meadow steppe in northeast China. We evaluated the resistance and recovery of the grassland (calculated in terms of aboveground biomass) to these two drought events. The spring drought reduced aboveground biomass by 28% in the unfertilized plots and by 33% in the fertilized plots, and the effects persisted during the subsequent post-drought period within the same growing season; however, the summer drought had no significant influence on aboveground biomass. Although there were no significant interactive effects between drought timing and N addition, we observed a potential trend of N addition increasing the proportion of aboveground biomass suppressed by spring drought but not summer drought. Moreover, the drought resistance of the aboveground biomass was positively correlated with the response of the belowground biomass to drought. One year after the extreme drought events, the spring drought effects on aboveground and belowground biomass were negligible. Our results indicate that the drought sensitivity of productivity likely depends on the phenological and morphological traits of the single highly dominant species (Leymus chinensis) in this meadow steppe.

A new highly virulent swine acute diarrhoea syndrome coronavirus (SADS-CoV) emerged in Guangdong province in 2017 followed by fatal diarrhoea that involved the death of 24,693 piglets. And yet from May 2017 to January 2019, there were no new SADS cases arising in pig herds in Guangdong. In this study, we reported the recent diarrhoea outbreak of SADS-CoV in Southern China on February 2019. Intestinal samples collected from diarrhoeal piglets were detected for common swine virus and confirmed that SADS-CoV was responsible for the diarrhoea case. Meanwhile, serological investigation of sows' sera implied that SADS-CoV has existed in the farm and PEDV antibody may not directly contribute to the amplification of SADS-CoV. Homology and phylogenetic analysis of the whole genome showed that the re-emerging SADS-CoV strain shared high sequence identities with existing SADS-CoV strains and all strains clustered together in Alpha coronavirus. All in all, the report herein emphasized the re-emerging of SADS-CoV and highlights continuous monitoring for this virus., (© 2019 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.)

Atypical porcine pestivirus (APPV), a newly discovered member of the genus Pestivirus, is considered to be associated with congenital tremors (CT) in piglets. From June 2016 to January 2018, 440 serum and tissue samples from CT-affected piglets in Anhui, Guangdong and Guangxi provinces were collected to detect APPV. The results showed a high level of 63.4% preference for APPV in 27 swine farms and complicated co-infection cases between APPV and other 12 swine viruses. Meanwhile, 12 novel APPV genomes were screened and identified. Results showed that complete genomes, N pro and NS5A genes of these novel 12 APPV sequences revealed 80.5%-99.8%, 78%-100% and 76.9%-99.8% nucleotide identities, respectively. Phylogenetic analyses based on sequences of full-length genomes, N pro and NS5A genes of APPV indicated three well-defined clades including a newly emerging branch in China. This study provides novel epidemiological information of APPV in China., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The growth and reproduction of shelterbelt plants in arid regions is mainly limited by water availability, which can be alleviated by drip irrigation. We measured water use efficiency (WUE), leaf gas exchange and carbon isotope composition of Tamarix ramosissima in shelterbelt and natural communities in south fringe of Takelamakan Desert to investigate water use efficiency and photosynthetic properties of T. ramosissima differed in water sources. Compared to natural community, T. ramosissima in the drip irrigation community had low water potential due to irrigation and soil salinity. For natural community, T. ramosissima had lower predawn and midday water potential than other plants, indicating that T. ramosissima suffered serious water stress. The net photosynthe-tic rate (P n ), stomatal conductance (g s ), intercellular carbon dioxide concentration (C i ) and maximum photosynthesis rate (P n max ) of T. ramosissima in the drip irrigation community were significantly lower than that in the natural community, indicating the photosynthesis of T. ramosissima in the drip irrigation community was weaker. Compared to the natural community, T. ramosissima in the drip irrigation community had higher long-term water use efficiency, which was related to salt stress caused by irrigation. We concluded that the current irrigation model could meet the water needs of shelterbelt plants. However, the technical defects and soil salt accumulation might affect long-term stability of the shelterbelt community.

1. Pharmacokinetics of methylnaltrexone (MNTX) were evaluated after subcutaneous administrations (s.c.) in healthy Chinese subjects. 2. In a cross-over single dose study, 12 subjects were given 0.075, 0.15, and 0.3 mg/kg of MNTX bromide injection. In a multiple doses study, another 12 subjects subcutaneously received 0.15 mg/kg of MNTX bromide injection every 48 h, in total five administrations. The concentrations of MNTX in plasma were quantified by LC-MS/MS. 3. After single s.c. administrations of 0.075, 0.15, and 0.3 mg/kg of MNTX bromide, C max values of MNTX were 93.5 ± 28.6, 191 ± 37, and 364 ± 54 ng/mL, respectively, and AUC 0-∞ were 88.8 ± 8.8, 181 ± 16, and 357 ± 34 ng⋅h/mL, respectively. The t 1/2 of MNTX was about 7.7 h. After multiple doses administration, the C max , C av , AUC ss , and MRT 0-∞ values were 191 ± 50, 3.79 ± 0.40 ng/mL, 182 ± 19 ng⋅h/mL, and 3.56 ± 1.17 h, respectively. 4. Methylnaltrexone bromide displayed dose-proportional pharmacokinetics in the dose range of 0.075-0.3 mg/kg. After multiple doses administration, t 1/2 was slightly prolonged, with the cumulative factor of 1.02. This study provides a pharmacokinetic reference after a single dose and multiple doses of MNTX bromide in Chinese subjects.

Porcine circovirus 3 (PCV3) has been reported in cases of porcine dermatitis and nephropathy syndrome, reproductive failure, cardiac and multi-systemic inflammation. A SYBR green-based real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay was established in this study to detect PCV3 in 203 clinical samples from suckling piglets affected by congenital tremors in China. The limit of detection (LOD) of PCV3 was 1.73×10 4 copies/μL for gel electrophoresis and 1.73×10 2 copies/μL for SYBR green-based real-time qPCR. The melt curve analysis showed a single melt peak at 82.5°C.The intra-assay coefficient of variation was up to 1.83% and the inter-assay coefficient of variation was up to 2.27%. The PCV3 positive detection rate of 203 clinical samples for the SYBR green-based real-time qPCR and the conventional PCR was 86.70% (176/203) and 26.60% (54/203), respectively. Each tissue detected in the SYBR green-based real-time qPCR showed a higher positive rate than that detected in the conventional PCR. These results indicated that the SYBR green-based real-time qPCR assay is a powerful method with high sensitivity, specificity and reproducibility for epidemiological investigations of PCV3., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A rapid and sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric method was developed for the first time and validated for the determination of cefprozil diastereomers in human plasma. The plasma samples were prepared by protein precipitation using acetonitrile. Detection was performed using an electronic spray ion source in the negative ion mode, operating in the multiple reaction monitoring of the transitions m/z 388.0 to m/z 205.0 for cefprozil diastereomers and m/z 346.1 to m/z 268.1 for cephalexin (the internal standard). The calibration curves of cis-cefprozil and trans-cefprozil were linear in the ranges 0.125-16.0 µg/mL and 0.0403-1.72 µg/mL, respectively. The lower limits of quantification of cis- and trans-cefprozil were 0.125 and 0.0403 µg/mL in human plasma, respectively. The intra- and inter-day precisions of cis- and trans-cefprozil were all <9.7%, and the accuracy ranged from 99.2 to 104.7% and from 100.6 to 102.2%, respectively. The validated method was successfully applied to a bioequivalence study of two cefprozil formulations in 24 healthy Chinese volunteers. The two cefprozil tablets were bioequivalent by measurement of cis-, trans- and total cefprozil. We suggest that the bioequivalence of cefprozil formulations can be evaluated only using cis-cefprozil as the analyte in future studies., (Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Variations in the carbon isotope signature of leaf dark-respired CO2 (δ13CR) within a single night is a widely observed phenomenon. However, it is unclear whether there are plant functional type differences with regard to the amplitude of the nighttime variation in δ13CR. These differences, if present, would be important for interpreting the short-term variations in the stable carbon signature of ecosystem respiration and the partitioning of carbon fluxes. To assess the plant functional type differences relating to the magnitude of the nighttime variation in δ13CR and the respiratory apparent fractionation, we measured the δ13CR, the leaf gas exchange, and the δ13C of the respiratory substrates of 22 species present in the agricultural-pastoral zone of the Songnen Plain, northeast China. The species studied were grouped into C3 and C4 plants, trees, grasses, and herbs. A significant nocturnal shift in δ13CR was detected in 20 of the studied species, with the magnitude of the shift ranging from 1‰ to 5.8‰. The magnitude of the nighttime variation in δ13CR was strongly correlated with the daytime cumulative carbon assimilation, which suggests that variation in δ13CR were influenced, to some extent, by changes in the contribution of malate decarboxylation to total respiratory CO2 flux. There were no differences in the magnitude of the nighttime variation in δ13CR between the C3 and C4 plants, as well as among the woody plants, herbs and graminoids. Leaf respired CO2 was enriched in 13C compared to biomass, soluble carbohydrates and lipids; however the magnitude of enrichment differed between 8 pm and 4 am, which were mainly caused by the changes in δ13CR. We also detected the plant functional type differences in respiratory apparent fractionation relative to biomass at 4 am, which suggests that caution should be exercised when using the δ13C of bulk leaf material as a proxy for the δ13C of leaf-respired CO2.

Objective: Several novel susceptibility genes for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and IgA nephropathy have been identified in recent genome-wide association studies. Since both lupus nephritis and IgA nephropathy are autoimmune diseases of the kidney, they may share common disease mechanisms that overlap with genetic susceptibility. To test this hypothesis, we sought to identify genetic variants associated with IgA nephropathy in lupus nephritis., Methods: In the first stage, 500 patients with lupus nephritis, 240 SLE patients without nephritis, and 500 healthy controls were enrolled. Fifteen single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that had the topmost association signals with IgA nephropathy were selected for further testing in patients with lupus nephritis. Three independent cohorts from Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong were included as replicates. We also analyzed the functional significance of identified noncoding variants on regulatory motifs and gene expression. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated., Results: In addition to associations with HLA gene polymorphisms, genetic variants of MTMR3 in 22q12 showed associations with lupus nephritis (for rs9983A, OR 1.61 [95% CI 1.19-2.19], P = 2.07 × 10(-3) ) compared to healthy controls in the first stage. Associations were replicated and reinforced among northern Han Chinese (for lupus nephritis patients versus SLE patients without nephritis, P = 0.01) but not southern Han Chinese, although significant genetic heterogeneity was observed. Conservative and regulatory features of rs9983 were predicted in in silico analyses. In expression analysis, we observed lower MTMR3 transcription levels in samples of blood with rs9983A and in renal biopsy samples from lupus nephritis and IgA nephropathy patients., Conclusion: Our results suggest that the MTMR3 gene is shared between IgA nephropathy and lupus nephritis in the northern Chinese population, further highlighting the role of autophagy in SLE. However, widespread replication of these experiments, fine mapping, and functional assays are required to establish this connection., (Copyright © 2014 by the American College of Rheumatology.)

Infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) is a double-stranded RNA virus that causes immunosuppressive disease in young chickens. Thousands of cases of IBDV infection are reported each year in South China, and these infections can result in considerable economic losses to the poultry industry. To monitor variations of the virus during the outbreaks, 30 IBDVs were identified from vaccinated chicken flocks from nine provinces in South China in 2011. VP2 fragments from different virus strains were sequenced and analyzed by comparison with the published sequences of IBDV strains from China and around the world. Phylogenetic analysis of hypervariable regions of the VP2 (vVP2) gene showed that 29 of the isolates were very virulent (vv) IBDVs, and were closely related to vvIBDV strains from Europe and Asia. Alignment analysis of the deduced amino acid (aa) sequences of vVP2 showed the 29 vv isolates had high uniformity, indicated low variability and slow evolution of the virus. The non-vvIBDV isolate JX2-11 was associated with higher than expected mortality, and had high deduced aa sequence similarity (99.2 %) with the attenuated vaccine strain B87 (BJ). The present study has demonstrated the continued circulation of IBDV strains in South China, and emphasizes the importance of reinforcing IBDV surveillance.

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) infection, which causes acute diarrhea and dehydration in suckling piglets, has become a serious problem for the swine industry of China in recent years. In this study, a virulent PEDV strain, GD-1, was obtained from fecal samples from suckling piglets that suffered from severe diarrhea in 2011 in Guangdong, China. Here we describe the complete genome sequence of strain GD-1, which may be helpful in further understanding the molecular epidemiology and genetic diversity of PEDV field isolates in China.

Avian influenza virus (H9N2) infection is a major problem of product performance in poultry worldwide. Vaccination is used to limit spread, but more knowledge is needed on the epidemiology of virus subtypes to improve vaccine design. In this study, 40 H9N2 subtype avian influenza viruses (AIVs) were isolated from vaccinated poultry flocks in China from 2010 to 2011. Hemagglutinin (HA) from different virus strains was sequenced and analyzed. We found that the HA genes of these strains shared nucleotide and deduced amino acid homologies that ranged from 90.1 to 92.9 and 91.4 to 95.0 %, respectively, when compared with vaccine strains. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the strains tested could be divided into two major groups. Group I consisted of 24 strains isolated mainly from Eastern and Central China. Group II consisted of 20 strains isolated from Southern China. The cleavage site within the HA protein contained two basic motifs, PSRSSR↓GLF for group I, and PARSSR↓GLF for group II. Additional potential glycosylation sites were found at amino acid position 295 in the HA1 of the isolates in group I, compared with isolates in group II and the vaccine strains. Furthermore, 38 out of the 40 isolates had a leucine residue at position 216 (aa 226 in H3), which was characteristic of human influenza virus-like receptor specificity. In the present study we found that geographical factors play a significant role in virus evolution, and emphasize the importance of continuing surveillance of H9N2 AIVs in chickens in China.

A total of 127 porcine samples were collected from 48 farms in six provinces in south China. The positive rate of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) was 43.0 % (55/127), and the co-infection rate of PEDV and transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV) was 12.0 % (15/127). The partial S gene and complete M gene were amplified from PEDV-positive strains by RT-PCR, cloned, sequenced and compared with each other, as well as with the reference strains in GenBank. Sequence homology results of the partial S gene and complete M gene showed that all south China field PEDV strains had nucleotide (deduced amino acid) sequence identities of 86.7-98.7 % (83.2-99.3 %) and 96.1-100 % (95.0-100%), respectively, with the foreign reference strains reported in GenBank. Phylogenetic analysis of the partial S gene showed that all the south China PEDV strains and two Thailand strains (08UB01 and 08RB07) belong to the same group and differ genetically from European strains and early domestic strains. Phylogenetic analysis of the complete M gene showed that all south China PEDV strains have a close relationship with most of the strains in Korea and Thailand, but differ genetically from the vaccine strain (CV777).

A cross-sectional study was initiated to clarify whether the current level of exposure to carbon disulphide (CS(2)) is low enough to prevent occurrence of subclinical health impairments. This paper describes the effects of exposure to CS(2) on male sexual function and semen quality in a baseline observation. The effects of CS(2) on male sexual function were evaluated, including number of sexual encounters and length of sexual encounters related to solvents in 80 male workers exposed to CS(2) and 49 reference workers from the filature and cotton pulp departments of a fabric factory in China. And the semen samples were obtained from 43 of the exposed and 35 of the control. Adjustment was made for potential confounding factors such as age or alcohol drinking. Exposure to CS(2) was dichotomized by job type. The rate of sexual dysfunction was higher, number of sexual encounters was lower, and length of sexual encounters was shorter compared with the control (p < 0.001). It was indicated that exposed workers had fewer semen quantity, longer liquefaction time, lower acrosomal membrane integrity rate, vitality and density, and more deformity of semen than the control (p < 0.01). The age and type of work played the most important roles in sexual dysfunction by the multinomial logistic regression analysis (p < 0.01).The duration of exposure had the effect on sexual function and semen quality but no statistical significance (p > 0.05). Clinical effects on the male sexual function and semen quality were found in the workers exposed to CS(2).

The objective of this study was to develop and evaluate a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) method to detect infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV) from commercial broiler and layer flocks in southern China. A set of six specific primers was designed to recognize six distinct genomic sequences of thymidine kinase (TK) from ILTV. The entire assay duration was recorded at 40 min under isothermal condition at 63.5 degrees C. The amplified products were analyzed by electrophoresis and visual judgment by the SYBR Green I dyeing. LAMP assay was 10-fold more sensitive than the routine PCR assay, with a detection limit of 46 copies per reaction. In detecting ILTV, the LAMP assay detected all 5 strains previously isolated, did not cross-react with other avian pathogens, and obtained a 100% sensitivity in 43 positive clinical samples with reference to virus isolation. Therefore, the LAMP assay may be a good alternative method for specific diagnosis of ILTV infection in primary care facilities, and in less well-equipped laboratories., (Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A new species of Mesotretes (Trematoda: Mesotretidae) parasitizing the small intestine of Rhinolophus ferrumequinum was obtained by the examination of 48 bats collected from 4 localities in Henan Province, China, from August 2003 to January 2005. This species, Mesotretes jiyuanensis n. sp., is similar to Mesotretes orientalis and Mesotretes hangzhouensis, but mainly differs from them in the ratio of the oral sucker and the ventral sucker, and the distance of the intestinal bifurcation from anterior edge of acetabulum, as well as from the former in the extension of the vitellarium. Mesotretes jiyuanensis n. sp. differs from Mesotretes peregrinus chiefly in the shape of the testes and the distribution of cuticular spines. The ratio of the oral sucker and the ventral sucker in this species also differs from that of M. peregrinus.

Reaumuria soongorica is a dominant species in the desert shrubbery vegetation in arid regions of northwestern China, playing an important role in the maintenance of the stability and continuity of desert ecosystem. In this paper, a total of 407 individuals in 21 natural populations of R. soongorica were selected from its main distribution areas to measure the leaf stable carbon isotope composition (delta13C) and nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, water, proline and chlorophyll contents, with the correlations between the delta13C value and the test physiological parameters analyzed. The results showed that leaf delta13C value was significantly correlated with the contents of leaf potassium, water, and proline (P <0.001), and the correlation with leaf potassium content was most profound (r = 0.793), followed by that with leaf water content (r = -0.786), indicating that the variation of leaf delta13C value could reflect the nutritional status of the plants, and also, their water-deficient degree. The different distribution trends in leaf delta13C value of R. soongorica were likely caused by stomatal conductance, rather than by nutrient-related changes in photosynthetic efficiency under extremely low available water conditions.

The survey was carried out in July, 2006 in Zhiduo County. The IHA and ELISA positive rate in human population was 4.5% (42/933) and 8.2% (76/931) respectively. Ultrasonography revealed a morbidity of 3.4% (33/979) with 3.2% Echinococcus granulosus and 0.2% of E. multilocularis respectively. Animal dissection showed an infection rate of 15.1% (14/93) in pikas with one infected by E. shiquicus proved by molecular biology. Coproantigen rate by ELISA was 62% (12/193) in dogs and 35.7% (5/14) in wolves. The results indicated that Zhiduo County is a mixed endemic area for echinococcosis.

Objectives: To investigate the occurrence of 16S rRNA methylases conferring high-level resistance to aminoglycosides in Enterobacteriaceae isolated from two pig farms in China., Methods: Enterobacteriaceae isolated from 151 pig rectal swab samples and 9 environmental samples were screened for the presence of the rmtA, rmtB, armA and rmtC genes by PCR and sequencing. Conjugation experiments were carried out to study the transferability of the 16S rRNA methylase genes. All isolates and their transconjugants were tested for susceptibility to antimicrobial agents. The clonal relatedness of RmtB-producing Escherichia coli was assessed by PFGE with XbaI., Results: Of 152 Enterobacteriaceae isolates recovered from pigs, 49 (32%) were positive for the rmtB gene, including 48 E. coli and a single isolate of Enterobacter cloacae. Of the nine Enterobacteriaceae isolates from environmental samples, no 16S rRNA methylase gene was identified. The 49 rmtB-positive isolates showed resistance to ampicillin, tetracycline and trimethoprim and also carried a bla(TEM) gene. Transfer of the rmtB and bla(TEM) genes by conjugation experiments of all 49 isolates was successful, suggesting that the rmtB-containing plasmids in the E. coli and E. cloacae isolates were self-transmissible. Conjugative transfer frequencies varied from 2.2 x 10(-10) to 1.3 x 10(-6) transconjugants per recipient. The transfer of non-aminoglycoside antimicrobial resistance traits was also observed in most cases. Forty-four rmtB-positive E. coli showed 30 different PFGE types., Conclusions: The rmtB gene was detected on conjugative plasmids of porcine E. coli and E. cloacae isolates. Both horizontal gene transfer and clonal spread were responsible for the dissemination of the rmtB gene. The emergence of 16S rRNA methylases in Enterobacteriaceae isolates is described for the first time in China. This is also the first report of rmtB-positive Enterobacteriaceae among healthy food-producing animals.

Lanzhou has been one of the most seriously polluted cities in the world due to its special geographical location and weather conditions, which make it an ideal place for urban pollution studies. A set of environmental magnetic parameters (chi lf, chi fd%, chi ARM, chi HIRM, SOFT and back field IRM) of the street dust sampled in Lanzhou during spring and summer 2005 were analyzed. These samples were collected along a main street across the urban area and a mountain route from foot to the top. Results demonstrate that the main magnetic minerals in the street dust are magnetite, maghaemite and haematite with some paramagnetic minerals. Plots of Mrs/Ms vs. Bcr/Bc and chi fd% vs. chi ARM/SIRM indicate that the main grain size of magnetic minerals in the street dust are pseudo single domain (PSD). The results reveal that the Lanzhou city is more polluted in spring than in summer. The main pollution sources are anthropogenic activities (81.9%) and natural dust (18.1%), especially the former. The spatial distribution of pollution is controlled by the topography and weather conditions.

The objective of this study was to characterise the beta-lactamase genes of cephalosporin-resistant Escherichia coli isolated from farm animals in Guangdong Province of China. Of 592 E. coli isolates recovered from farm animals from 2003-2005, 50 (8.4%) showed cephalosporin resistance. Polymerase chain reaction and sequencing analysis showed that 14 isolates (2.4%) from chickens, ducks, pigs and partridges were positive for the bla(CTX-M) gene (10 for bla(CTX-M-14) and 4 for bla(CTX-M-27)). CMY-2 was detected for the first time in mainland China in six E. coli isolates (1.0%) from chickens and goose. Except for one isolate, bla(CTX-M)- and bla(CMY-2)-containing isolates also harboured the bla(TEM-1b) gene. Conjugation experiments demonstrated that the bla(CTX-M) and bla(TEM) genes could be transferred to E. coli DH5alpha. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) showed that the 14 CTX-M-producing isolates belonged to 12 different types. Two isolates (one from a chicken, the other from a pig) containing CTX-M-14 showed indistinguishable PFGE patterns, indicating clonal dissemination of this strain among animals from different farms. This study describes for the first time the emergence of CTX-M- and CMY-2-producing E. coli among farm animals in China, with the CTX-M-9 group being the predominant extended-spectrum beta-lactamase detected.

Objective: To investigate alpha- and beta-thalassemia (alpha- and beta-thal) gene frequencies and gene mutation spectrum in the population of Sihui City., Methods: The umbilical cord blood samples from 1 007 neonates and peripheral blood samples from 1 524 apparently healthy adults for pre-marriage health check in Sihui city were collected for molecular epidemiologic study of alpha- and beta-thal respectively. The diagnostic standard for alpha-thal was the presence of Hb Bart's, and that for beta-thal was both the decrease of mean corpuscular volume (MCV<80 fl) and the increase of Hb A(2) level (> or = 3.5%). The samples of identified subjects with positive thal genotypes were further examined with PCR-based DNA analysis for determining the alpha- or beta-globin gene genotype, while those from subjects with positive genotypes but without mutations known to Chinese subjects were subjected to DNA sequence analysis of beta-globin gene. In addition, the alpha-thal alleles, -alpha(3.7) and -alpha(4.2) were examined in all umbilical cord blood samples., Results and Conclusion: Of all the 1 007 umbilical cord blood samples, 110 were identified as from alpha-thal gene carriers, 3 from patients Hb H disease and 1 from patients with hydrops fetalis, which meant an alpha-thal gene frequency of 11.72% (118/1 007). Three types of alpha-gene deletion were identified in this cohort, with the frequency of 53.4% (--SEA)), 34.7% (-alpha(3.7)) and 11.9% (-alpha(4.2)) respectively. By examining the peripheral venous blood samples from the 1,524 healthy adult subjects, 59 subjects were found to be beta-thal gene carriers with a rate of 3.87% (59/1,524), whose genotypes were determined and from whom 7 beta-thal mutations were identified. Of these 59 beta-thal gene carriers, 11 were diagnosed as having heterozygotes compound for beta- and alpha-thal genes with the deletion of the --(SEA) in 7 cases and -alpha(3.7) in 4 cases respectively, showing an incidence of 0.72% (11/1,524). The three commonest point mutations, beta CD41-42 (-CTTT) frameshift mutation, beta IVS2-654(C-->T) aberrant splicing mutation and beta-28 (A-->G) transcription mutation occurred with a total frequency of 84.75% among subjects with beta-thal allele mutations. In addition, a novel mutation, beta-globin gene promoter -90 (C-->T) allele was detected for the first time in Chinese subjects.