Search

Chrysosplenium guangxiense H.G.Ye & Gui C.Zhang was first described as a new species in 1994 but later synonymized in the Flora of China treatment with C. glossophyllum H.Hara. Plastid genomes and nrDNA sequences were used to infer the phylogenetic relationships of selected taxa in Chrysosplenium. Our phylogenetic analyses revealed that C. guangxiense belongs to sect. Alternifolia, is closely related to Chrysosplenium Hydrocotylifolium H.Lév. & Vaniot but distant from C. glossophyllum. Morphologically, C. guangxiense could be easily distinguished from C. glossophyllum by having robust rhizomes, basal leaves with a long cuneate base and fewer teeth in the margin, curled sepal margins, and red, larger seeds. It could also be easily distinguished from C. hydrocotylifolium by possessing long elliptic leaves and a long cuneate leaf base. Along with the phylogenetic studies, the complete plastid genome of C. guangxiense was also reported. The plastid genome was 154,004 bp in length and comprised two inverted repeats (IRs) of 28,120 bp, separated by a large single-copy of 80,646 bp and a small single-copy of 17,118 bp. A total of 111 functional genes were discovered, comprising 78 protein-coding genes, 29 tRNA genes, and four rRNA genes. Based on assessment of morphological and molecular data Chrysosplenium guangxiense H.G.Ye & Gui C.Zhang is resurrected from C. glossophyllum H.Hara at species level. A global conservation assessment classifies C. guangxiense as Vulnerable (VU). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Fruit intake is beneficial to several chronic diseases, but controversial in diabetes. We aimed to investigate prospectively the associations of whole fresh fruit intake with risk of incident type 2 diabetes (T2D) in subjects with different glucose regulation capacities. Methods: The present study included 79,922 non-diabetic participants aged ≥ 40 years from an ongoing nationwide prospective cohort in China. Baseline fruit intake information was collected by a validated food frequency questionnaire. Plasma HbA1c, fasting and 2 h post-loading glucose levels were measured at both baseline and follow-up examinations. Cox proportional hazards models were used to calculate hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for incident diabetes among participants with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) and prediabetes, after adjusted for multiple confounders. Restricted cubic spline analysis was applied for dose–response relation. Results: During a median 3.8-year follow-up, 5886 (7.36%) participants developed diabetes. Overall, we identified a linear and dose-dependent inverse association between dietary whole fresh fruit intake and risk of incident T2D. Each 100 g/d higher fruit intake was associated with 2.8% lower risk of diabetes (HR 0.972, 95%CI [0.949–0.996], P = 0.0217), majorly benefiting NGT subjects with 15.2% lower risk (HR 0.848, 95%CI [0.766–0.940], P = 0.0017), while not significant in prediabetes (HR 0.981, 95%CI 0.957–4.005, P = 0.1268). Similarly, the inverse association was present in normoglycemia individuals with a 48.6% lower risk of diabetes when consuming fruits > 7 times/week comparing to those < 1 time/week (HR 0.514, 95% CI [0.368–0.948]), but not in prediabetes (HR 0.883, 95% CI [0.762–1.023]). Conclusion: These findings suggest that higher frequency and amount of fresh fruit intake may protect against incident T2D, especially in NGT, but not in prediabetes, highlighting the dietary recommendation of higher fresh fruit consumption to prevent T2D in normoglycemia population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Incompatibility group C (IncC) plasmids have received attention due to their broad host range and because they harbor key antibiotic resistance genes. Because these resistance genes can spread from food-producing animals to human, the proliferation of these plasmids represents a public health risk. In this study, a total of 20 IncC plasmids were collected from food-producing animals in China, and characterized by Oxford Nanopore Technologies long-read sequencing. Based on four key differences of the IncC backbone, 4 IncC plasmids were classified as type 1, 15 were classified as type 1/2 hybrid, and one was classified as type 2. The 15 type 1/2 hybrids were further divided into 13 type 1/2a and 2 type 1/2b, based on sequence differences arising from different homologous recombination events between type 1 and type 2 IncC backbones. Genome comparison of accessory resistance modules showed that different IncC plasmids exhibited various phenotypes via loss and gain of diverse modules, mainly within the bla CMY -carrying region, and two antibiotic resistance islands designated ARI-A and ARI-B. Interestingly, in addition to insertion and deletion events, IS 26 or IS 1294 -mediated large sequence inversions were found in the IncC genome of the 4 type1/2a plasmids, suggesting that insertion sequence-mediated rearrangements also promote the diversity of the IncC genome. This study provides insight into the structural diversification and multidrug resistance of IncC plasmids identified from food-producing animals in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chrysosplenium nudicaule Bunge, Tibetan name 'Yajima,' growing in the highlands of China is a perennial herb belonging to the genus Chrysosplenium Saxifragaceae. As a traditional Chinese medicine, it has been used to treat digestive diseases for hundreds of years. The complete chloroplast genome of Chrysosplenium nudicaule is 152,775 bp in length and comprises two inverted repeats (IR, 25,962 bp), a large single-copy region (LSC, 83,533 bp), and a small single-copy region (SSC, 17,318 bp). It harbors 112 genes, including 78 protein-coding genes, four ribosomal RNA genes, and 30 transfer RNA genes. In addition, the rpl32 gene was deleted. The GC content of the whole chloroplast genome is 37.54%. This chloroplast genome resource will be useful for study on the evolution and genetic diversity of C. nudicaule in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tourist volume forecasting is an ongoing theme in tourism research. Current methods rely too much on the previous tourist arrivals data. Based on tourism system perspective, we propose a visiting probability model composed of five independent variables: the attractiveness of a destination, the travel time from a origin to the destination, the traffic expense to and from the destination, the physical fatigue travel time and the per capita disposable monthly income of the origin. The model provides a new method for forecasting the number of tourists from a specific origin without historical tourist arrivals data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Beijing Daxing International Airport is a newly opened airport, and a comprehensive emission inventory of air pollution sources has not yet been established. The lack of basic inventory data will cause difficulties in controlling the air quality (AQ) in and around the airport. Based on actual flight data, we established a comprehensive emission inventory (carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NO X), hydrocarbons (HC), sulfur dioxide (SO 2), particulate matter (PM), and carbon dioxide (CO 2)) at Beijing Daxing International Airport. Furthermore, we evaluated the impact of airport emissions on the AQ of the surrounding areas using the ADMS-Airport model. The results showed that Beijing Daxing International Airport emitted 1.15 E+03, 1.76 E+03, 1.38 E+02, 1.16 E+02, 3.53 E+01, and 3.75 E+05 t of CO, NO X , HC, SO 2 , PM, and CO 2 , respectively, from July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021. Engine exhaust emissions (landing and takeoff [LTO] cycles) dominated all airport pollutant emissions except for PM from the power plant. Among all aircraft types, B738 emitted the most CO 2 , as it accounted for almost half of all the flights. The AQ simulations showed that the air pollutant diffusion range was concentrated within 15 km of the airport and the surrounding areas. The contribution of airport emissions to NO X concentrations was most apparent under the most unfavorable meteorological conditions. Based on the average pollutant concentration during the study period, the Gu'an Li Hu Primary School station was the most affected. In particular, NO X concentrations at this station were approximately 50% higher in winter than in summer. Currently, the airport's contribution to pollution in the surrounding areas is insignificant. However, with the continuous increase in the number of flights at the airport, its impact on the AQ in the surrounding areas must be addressed in the future. [Display omitted] • An emission inventory including all airport-related sources was established. • The airport emissions made the most obvious contribution to NO X concentration. • Airport contributed more pollutant concentrations in clean weather than in polluted day. • The airport emissions have the most significant impact on the surrounding 5 km area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study Illumina MiSeq was performed to investigate microbial diversity in soil, leaves, grape, grape juice and wine. A total of 1,043,102 fungal Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) reads and 2,422,188 high quality bacterial 16S rDNA sequences were used for taxonomic classification, revealed five fungal and eight bacterial phyla. At the genus level, the dominant fungi were Ascomycota, Sordariales, Tetracladium and Geomyces in soil, Aureobasidium and Pleosporaceae in grapes leaves, Aureobasidium in grape and grape juice. The dominant bacteria were Kaistobacter, Arthrobacter, Skermanella and Sphingomonas in soil, Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter and Kaistobacter in grape and grapes leaves, and Oenococcus in grape juice and wine. Principal coordinate analysis showed structural separation between the composition of fungi and bacteria in all samples. This is the first study to understand microbiome population in soil, grape, grapes leaves, grape juice and wine in Xinjiang through High-throughput Sequencing and identify microorganisms like Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Oenococcus spp. that may contribute to the quality and flavor of wine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cryptosporidiosis, microsporidiosis, and giardiasis contribute significantly to the high burden of zoonotic diarrhea worldwide. Goats constitute an important species in animal agriculture by providing cashmere wool, meat, and dairy products for human consumption. However, zoonotic pathogens with the potential to cause morbidity and to degrade production have been reported frequently in goats recently. The present study examined 629 fecal specimens from goats, including 315 cashmere goats, 170 dairy goats and 144 meat goats, in multiple cities of Shaanxi and Henan provinces, northwestern and central China, to investigate the infection rate and species/assemblages/genotypes of Giardia duodenalis , Cryptosporidium spp. and Enterocytozoon bieneusi . Of these samples, 274 (43.6%) were positive for three zoonotic pathogens, including 80 (12.7%), 104 (16.5%) and 179 (28.5%) for G. duodenalis , Cryptosporidium spp. and E. bieneusi , respectively. Infections with G. duodenalis , Cryptosporidium spp. and E. bieneusi existed in meat, dairy and cashmere goats, with the highest infection rate of each pathogen being observed in meat goats. DNA sequencing of the SSU rRNA gene from 104 Cryptosporidium -positive specimens revealed existence of Cryptosporidium xiaoi , and the zoonotic parasites Cryptosporidium parvum and Cryptosporidium ubiquitum . Genotyping of G. duodenalis based on the triosephosphate isomerase (TPI) gene identified parasites from zoonotic assemblage A in four cashmere goats and the animal-adapted assemblage E in a group of 76 goats that included cashmere, dairy and meat animals. Polymorphisms in the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer characterized E. bieneusi genotype CHG1 and a novel genotype named as SX1 in both dairy and cashmere goats, genotypes CHS7 and COSI in meat goats, the genotype CHG2 in dairy goats, and the human-pathogenic genotype BEB6 in dairy and meat goats. This is the first detailed study to compare infection rate of the zoonotic protozoan pathogens in cashmere, dairy and meat goats in China. Our research discovered Cryptosporidium spp. and E. bieneusi infections, each with zoonotic potential in meat goats, and G. duodenalis and Cryptosporidium spp. in cashmere goats raising a significant public health concern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tamarix taklamakanensis M. T. Liu, belonging to the genus Tamarix (family Tamaricaceae), is an endangered shrub endemic to arid basins in northwestern China. Most of species in this genus have high medicinal value. The complete chloroplast genome was reported in this study. The chloroplast genome with a total size of 156,177 bp consists of two inverted repeats (IR, 26,571 bp) separated by a large single-copy region (LSC, 84,778 bp) and a small single-copy region (SSC, 18,257 bp). Further annotation revealed the chloroplast genome contains 106 genes, including 73 protein coding genes, 29 tRNA genes, and 4 rRNA genes. A total of 64 simple sequence repeats (SSRs) were identified in the chloroplast genome. This information will be useful for study on the evolution and genetic diversity of T. taklamakanensis in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxytropis glabra DC. is a perennial poisonous plant to livestock belonging to the genus Oxytropis, Leguminosae, mainly distributed in Northwestern China. As a poisonous grass, this species protects plant diversity in degraded grasslands by sheltering adjacent plants. In this study, the complete chloroplast genome with a total size of 122,094 bp was reported. Our annotations showed that the chloroplast genome contains 109 genes, including 76 protein-coding genes, 29 tRNA genes, and four rRNA genes. This work presents complete chloroplast genome information, which will be valuable for studying the evolution and genetic diversity of O. glabra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enterocytozoon bieneusi is an emerging and opportunistic enteric pathogen triggering diarrhea and enteric disease in humans and animals. Despite extensive research on this pathogen, the prevalence and genotypes of E. bieneusi infection in precious wild animals of giant and red pandas have not been reported. In the present study, 82 faecal specimens were collected from 46 giant pandas ( Ailuropoda melanoleuca ) and 36 red pandas ( Ailurus fulgens ) in the northwest of China. By PCR and sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene of E. bieneusi , an overall infection rate of 10.98% (9/82) was observed in pandas, with 8.70% (4/46) for giant pandas, and 13.89% (5/36) for red pandas. Two ITS genotypes were identified: the novel genotype I-like ( n = 4) and genotype EbpC ( n = 5). Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) employing three microsatellites (MS1, MS3 and MS7) and one minisatellite (MS4) showed that nine, six, six and nine positive products were amplified and sequenced successfully at four respective loci. A phylogenetic analysis based on a neighbor-joining tree of the ITS gene sequences of E. bieneusi indicated that the genotype EbpC fell into 1d of group 1 of zoonotic potential, and the novel genotype I-like was clustered into group 2. The present study firstly indicated the presence of E. bieneusi in giant and red pandas, and these results suggested that integrated strategies should be implemented to effectively protect pandas and humans from infecting E. bieneusi in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We determined the first mitochondrial genome of Tetraclita kuroshioensis from China. The mitochondrial genome of T. kuroshioensis was found to be 15,175bp in length and consisted of 13 proteincoding genes (PCGs), 22 tRNAs, and 2 rRNAs. The longest non-coding region was 425bp in length. Phylogenetic analysis showed that T. kuroshioensis clustered with T. serrata and then clustered with T. squamosa squamosa with high bootstrap value (BP = 100). In the future, sequencing of additional mitochondrial genomes should provide additional insights into the deep phylogeny of Cirripedia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Acute exposure to O 3 is significantly associated with increased DBP, MABP, and HR. • Exposure to O 3 elevates levels of circulating 8-OHdG, hs-CRA, and t-PA. • GSTM1 polymorphism presents the tread of modifying ozone cardiovascular effects. The evidence that exposure to ambient ozone (O 3) causes acute cardiovascular effects appears inconsistent. A repeated-measure study with 61 healthy young volunteers was conducted in Xinxiang, Central China. Real-time concentrations of O 3 were monitored. Cardiovascular outcomes including blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), serum levels of high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA), and platelet-monocyte aggregation (PMA) were repeated measured. Linear mixed-effect models were used to analyze the association of ambient O 3 with these cardiovascular outcomes. Additionally, the modifying effects of glutathione S-transferase mu 1 (GSTM1) and glutathione S-transferase theta 1 (GSTT1) polymorphisms were estimated to explore the potential mechanisms and role of the association between O 3 exposure and the above cardiovascular outcomes. A 10 μg/m3 increase in O 3 was associated with increases of 9.2 mmHg (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.5, 15.9), 7.2 mmHg (95% CI: 0.8, 13.6), and 21.2 bpm (95% CI: 5.8, 36.6) in diastolic BP (DBP, lag1), mean arterial BP (MABP, lag1), and HR (lag01), respectively. Meanwhile, the serum concentrations of hs-CRP, 8-OHdG, and t-PA were all increased by O 3 exposure, but the PMA level was decreased. Stratification analyses showed that the estimated effects of O 3 on DBP, MABP, and HR in GSTM1 -sufficient subjects were significantly higher than in GSTM1 -null subjects. Moreover, GSTM1 -null genotype enhanced O 3 -induced increases, albeit insignificant, in levels of serum hs-CRP, 8-OHdG, and t-PA compared with GSTM1 -sufficient genotype. Insignificant increases in hs-CRP and t-PA were also detected in GSTT1 -null subjects. Taken together, our findings indicate that acute exposure to ambient O 3 induces autonomic alterations, systemic inflammation, oxidative stress, and fibrinolysis in healthy young subjects. GSTM1 genotype presents the trend of modifying O 3 -induced cardiovascular effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The patches occupied by the dominant fungi were divided into six categories. • Rozellomycota occupied the greatest area at the highest patch category. • Ascomycota had the most number of patches at the highest category. • The contribution of soil properties was more than that of topographical factors. • pH, EC, AP, and SOM were driving factors on the spatial characteristics fungi. Soil fungi are essential in nutrient cycles in forest ecosystems, however, the spatial patterns and the driving factors on its community may be different among different forest ecosystems. Here, the spatial patterns of the dominant forest soil fungi at phyla and class levels and their driving factors were investigated in the Huoditang (~22 km2) in the Qinling Mountains, China. The results indicated that Ascomycota and Basidiomycota were the dominant phyla, and Agaricomycetes, Sordariomycetes and Archaeorhizomycetes were the dominant classes in this region. The patches occupied by the dominant fungi were divided into six categories. Rozellomycota (5.58 km2) occupied the greatest area at the highest patch category, and Ascomycota (1.43 km2) was the second. However, the number of patches at the highest category occupied by Ascomycota was the most. Among the dominant fungal classes at the highest patch category, the habitat of Sordariomycetes was the greatest (4.59 km2) and Pezizomycetes occupied the greatest area (17.84 km2) at the lowest patch category. Overall, the dominant fungi showed "peak", "bimodal", and "multimodal" distributions in kriging interpolation maps. Variance partitioning analysis indicated that soil characteristics and topographic factors explained (p < 0.05) 51.46% and 71.26% of the total variation in the spatial pattern of the dominant fungal phylum and class, respectively, the explanation of soil properties (39.19% and 61.04%) was much higher than that of topographical factors (12.27% and 10.22%). The redundancy analysis indicated that the combination of soil pH, electrical conductivity, available phosphorus, and soil organic matter significantly influenced the spatial characteristics of the dominant fungi, which was different from single factor on fungi community in other ecosystems. The findings can improve our understanding of the spatial characteristics of the dominant soil fungi in the subtropical forest ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chongming Island in China serves as a breeding and shelter point on the East Asian-Australasian Flyway. The resting frequency of migratory birds, abundance of mosquito populations, and the popular domestic poultry industry pose a potential risk of mosquito-borne zoonotic diseases. The aim of this study is to explore the role of migratory birds in the spread of mosquito-borne pathogens and their prevalent status on the island., Methods: We conducted a mosquito-borne pathogen surveillance in 2021, in Chongming, Shanghai, China. Approximately 67,800 adult mosquitoes belonging to ten species were collected to investigate the presence of flaviviruses, alphaviruses, and orthobunyaviruses by RT-PCR. Genetic and phylogenetic analyses were conducted to explore the virus genotype and potential nature source. Serological survey was performed by ELISA to characterize Tembusu virus (TMUV) infection among domestic poultry., Results: Two strains of TMUV and Chaoyang virus (CHAOV) and 47 strains of Quang Binh virus (QBV) were detected in 412 mosquito pools, with the infection rate of 0.16, 0.16, and 3.92 per 1000 Culex tritaeniorhynchus, respectively. Furthermore, TMUVs viral RNA was found in serum samples of domestic chickens and faecal samples of migratory birds. Antibodies against TMUV were detected in domestic avian serum samples, generally ranging from 44.07% in pigeons to 55.71% in ducks. Phylogenetic analyses indicated that the TMUV detected in Chongming belonged to Cluster 3, Southeast Asia origin, and most closely related to the CTLN strain, which caused a TMUV outbreak in chickens in Guangdong Province in 2020, but distant from strains obtained previously in Shanghai, which were involved in the 2010 TMUV outbreak in China., Conclusions: We speculate that the TMUV was imported to Chongming Island through long-distance spreading by migratory birds from Southeast Asia, followed by spill over and transmission in mosquitoes and domestic avian species, threatening the local domestic poultry. In addition, the expansion and prevalence of insect-specific flaviviruses and its simultaneous circulation with mosquito-borne virus are worthy of close attention and further study., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Objective: The association between neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) with subclinical macrovascular and microvascular diseases has been less investigated. We sought to examine the association between NLR and new-onset subclinical macrovascular and microvascular abnormalities in the Chinese population., Methods: From a community cohort, we included 6,430 adults aged ≥ 40 years without subclinical macrovascular and microvascular diseases at baseline. We measured subclinical macrovascular and microvascular abnormalities separately using the ankle-brachial index (ABI), brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), and albuminuria., Results: During a mean follow-up of 4.3 years, 110 participants developed incident abnormal ABI, 746 participants developed incident elevated baPWV, and 503 participants developed incident albuminuria. Poisson regression analysis indicated that NLR was significantly associated with an increased risk of new-onset abnormal ABI, elevated baPWV, and albuminuria. Compared to overweight/obese participants, we found a much stronger association between NLR and subclinical vascular abnormalities in participants with normal weight. Furthermore, we found an interaction between the NLR and body mass index (BMI) on the risk of new-onset abnormal ABI ( P for interaction: 0.01)., Conclusion: NLR was associated with subclinical macrovascular and microvascular diseases in the Chinese population. Furthermore, in participants with normal weight, the association between NLR and subclinical vascular abnormalities was much stronger., (Copyright © 2022 The Editorial Board of Biomedical and Environmental Sciences. Published by China CDC. All rights reserved.)

Objective: This study aimed to examine the association of visit-to-visit variabilities in metabolic factors with chronic kidney disease (CKD) in Shanghai community residents., Methods: We used data from a cohort study of community residents who participated in three examinations in 2008, 2009, and 2013, respectively. Fasting plasma glucose (FPG) level, blood pressure (BP), and lipid levels were determined in 2,109 participants at all three visits, and CKD was evaluated between the second and the third visits. Visit-to-visit variabilities in metabolic factors were described by coefficients of variation (CV) at three visits. A variability score was calculated by adding the numbers of metabolic factors with a high variability defined as the highest quartile of CV. CKD was defined as the estimated glomerular filtration rate < 60 mL/min per 1.73 m 2 or urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio ≥ 30 mg/g., Results: A total of 200 (9.5%) participants had CKD at the third visit. Compared with the lowest quartile of CV, the highest quartile was associated with a 70% increased risk of CKD for FPG [odds ratio, OR = 1.70; 95% confidence interval ( CI ) 1.06-2.72], 62% for systolic BP ( OR = 1.62, 95% CI 1.04-2.50), and 85% for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ( OR = 1.85, 95% CI 1.23-2.80). Furthermore, the risk of CKD increased significantly with an increasing variability score. Compared with participants with score 0, participants with scores of 1, 2, and 3 were associated with 58% ( OR = 1.58, 95% CI 1.08-2.32), 121% ( OR = 2.21, 95% CI 1.40-3.49), and 548% ( OR = 6.48, 95% CI 3.18-13.21) higher risks of CKD, respectively., Conclusion: The visit-to-visit variabilities in metabolic factors were significantly associated with the risks of CKD in Shanghai community residents., (Copyright © 2021 The Editorial Board of Biomedical and Environmental Sciences. Published by China CDC. All rights reserved.)

Background: Accurate prediction of ischemic stroke is required for deciding anticoagulation use in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Even though only 6% to 8% of AF patients die from stroke, about 90% are indicated for anticoagulants according to the current AF management guidelines. Therefore, we aimed to develop an accurate and easy-to-use new risk model for 1-year thromboembolic events (TEs) in Chinese AF patients., Methods: From the prospective China Atrial Fibrillation Registry cohort study, we identified 6601 AF patients who were not treated with anticoagulation or ablation at baseline. We selected the most important variables by the extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) algorithm and developed a simplified risk model for predicting 1-year TEs. The novel risk score was internally validated using bootstrapping with 1000 replicates and compared with the CHA2DS2-VA score (excluding female sex from the CHA2DS2-VASc score)., Results: Up to the follow-up of 1 year, 163 TEs (ischemic stroke or systemic embolism) occurred. Using the XGBoost algorithm, we selected the three most important variables (congestive heart failure or left ventricular dysfunction, age, and prior stroke, abbreviated as CAS model) to predict 1-year TE risk. We trained a multivariate Cox regression model and assigned point scores proportional to model coefficients. The CAS scheme classified 30.8% (2033/6601) of the patients as low risk for TE (CAS score = 0), with a corresponding 1-year TE risk of 0.81% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.41%-1.19%). In our cohort, the C-statistic of CAS model was 0.69 (95% CI: 0.65-0.73), higher than that of CHA2DS2-VA score (0.66, 95% CI: 0.62-0.70, Z = 2.01, P = 0.045). The overall net reclassification improvement from CHA2DS2-VA categories (low = 0/high ≥1) to CAS categories (low = 0/high ≥1) was 12.2% (95% CI: 8.7%-15.7%)., Conclusion: In Chinese AF patients, a novel and simple CAS risk model better predicted 1-year TEs than the widely-used CHA2DS2-VA risk score and identified a large proportion of patients with low risk of TEs, which could potentially improve anticoagulation decision-making., Trial Registration: www.chictr.org.cn (Unique identifier No. ChiCTR-OCH-13003729)., (Copyright © 2021 The Chinese Medical Association, produced by Wolters Kluwer, Inc. under the CC-BY-NC-ND license.)

Objective: The relationship between serum uric acid (SUA) levels and glycemic indices, including plasma glucose (FPG), 2-hour postload glucose (2h-PG), and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), remains inconclusive. We aimed to explore the associations between glycemic indices and SUA levels in the general Chinese population., Methods: The current study was a cross-sectional analysis using the first follow-up survey data from The China Cardiometabolic Disease and Cancer Cohort Study. A total of 105,922 community-dwelling adults aged ≥ 40 years underwent the oral glucose tolerance test and uric acid assessment. The nonlinear relationships between glycemic indices and SUA levels were explored using generalized additive models., Results: A total of 30,941 men and 62,361 women were eligible for the current analysis. Generalized additive models verified the inverted U-shaped association between glycemic indices and SUA levels, but with different inflection points in men and women. The thresholds for FPG, 2h-PG, and HbA1c for men and women were 6.5/8.0 mmol/L, 11.0/14.0 mmol/L, and 6.1/6.5, respectively (SUA levels increased with increasing glycemic indices before the inflection points and then eventually decreased with further increases in the glycemic indices)., Conclusion: An inverted U-shaped association was observed between major glycemic indices and uric acid levels in both sexes, while the inflection points were reached earlier in men than in women., (Copyright © 2020 The Editorial Board of Biomedical and Environmental Sciences. Published by China CDC. All rights reserved.)

Atmospheric pollution frequently occurs in northern China during winter heating period, wherein nitrate became the dominant driver for PM 2.5 accumulations. However, sulfate accumulation was found to be significantly higher than that of nitrate during firework burning events and exhibited different pollution characteristics. Online data available from February 2, 2019 to February 10, 2019, including observation data measured from AIM-IC in suburban Qingdao and meteorological data from national automatic monitoring station, were analyzed. The results showed that particulate accumulation, dust and firework burning events were observed. The primary contribution rates of the most intensive firework burning to PM 2.5 and PM 10 were 69.8% and 63.8%, respectively. In contrast to a severe accumulation of nitrate during the particulate accumulation event, the sulfate formed prior and exhibited more severe accumulation than nitrate during the firework burning events. The primary contribution factors n (SO 4 2- )/ n (K + ) and n (NO 3 - )/ n (K + ) of firework burnings was 1.2 and 1.3 (molar ratios), respectively. The secondary contribution factors were 2.1 and 1.6 times, under relatively stable meteorological conditions. However, during the transit of dry and cold air, the value of secondary contribution factors decreased substantially and exhibited nearly the same values as the primary ones.

Objective: The aim of this study was to characterise the whole genome sequence of linezolid-intermediate Enterococcus gallinarum strain EG81 of swine origin in China., Methods: Whole genome of EG81 was sequenced using Illumina MiSeq platform combined with the Nanopore PromethION platform, and assembled de novo using Canu v1.5. NCBI Prokaryotic Genome Annotation Pipeline (PGAP) was used to annotate the genome of EG81. Antimicrobial resistance genes were identified using CGE ResFinder 3.2., Results: The genome of EG81 consists of one 3,433,237-bp chromosome and two plasmids, pEG81-1 (51,632 bp) and pEG81-2 (3425 bp). A total of 3285 coding sequences and 80 RNA genes were predicted by PGAP. The oxazolidinone-phenicol resistance gene optrA is located on both the chromosome and plasmid pEG81-1 associated with Tn554 and Tn558, respectively. In addition, EG81 harbours vanC1XY (vancomycin resistance), fexA (phenicol), dfrG (trimethoprim), aadD, ant(6)-Ia and ant(9)-Ia (aminoglycoside), erm(A) and erm(B) (macrolide), and tet(L) and tet(M) (tetracycline)., Conclusion: Here, we first report the oxazolidinone-phenicol gene optrA in E. gallinarum that is intrinsically resistant to vancomycin, which poses a great threat to public health. The genome sequence of E. gallinarum EG81 provides valuable information for the dissemination of optrA among vancomycin-resistant enterococci., (Copyright © 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The diagnosis of relapsing polychondritis (RP) is often mistaken or delayed. In this retrospective cohort, we aimed to unveil the causes responsible for such phenomenon, to determine the associated factors, and to compare diagnosis in clinical settings with the current diagnostic criteria., Method: Eighty-seven RP patients followed-up by rheumatologists from January 1, 2008, to October 31, 2018, were retrospectively analyzed., Results: A total of 50 male and 37 female patients were included with a mean age of 45.9 ± 14.5 years. Ninety-three percent were initially admitted by non-rheumatologic specialists .Twenty-eight percent were correctly diagnosed, while 72% were misdiagnosed at the first visits, all by non-rheumatologic specialists. Patients admitted by non-rheumatologic specialists had increased odds of misdiagnosis (odds ratio [OR] = 1.3, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.1-1.7, P = 0.000). Fifty-seven (65.5%) patients did not meet with Michet or Damiani criteria, with 16 (18.4%) patients diagnosed as partial RP and 41( 47.1%) patients diagnosed as limited RP., Conclusions: Incorrect and delayed diagnosis of RP is common in our cohort, and insufficient awareness of the disease in non-rheumatologic specialists at least partially contributes to this. It is imperative to revise the current criteria for early diagnosis.Key Points• Diagnosing relapsing polychondritis (RP) in early stage remains challenging after all these years, especially among non-rheumatologic specialists, indicating the importance of teaching non-rheumatologic specialists to improve their understanding of this rare disease.• Many RP patients did not fully meet with the current criteria, suggesting that revision of the current criteria is imperative for early diagnosis of this rare disease.

Objective: Liver fibrosis is an important predictor of mortality in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Peripheral artery disease (PAD) and liver fibrosis share many common metabolic dysfunctions. We aimed to explore the association between PAD and risk of fibrosis deterioration in NAFLD patients., Methods: The study recruited 1,610 NAFLD patients aged ≥ 40 years from a well-defined community at baseline in 2010 and followed up between August 2014 and May 2015. Fibrosis deterioration was defined as the NAFLD fibrosis score (NFS) status increased to a higher category at the follow-up visit. PAD was defined as an ankle-brachial index of < 0.90 or > 1.40., Results: During an average of 4.3 years' follow-up, 618 patients progressed to a higher NFS category. PAD was associated with 92% increased risk of fibrosis deterioration [multivariable-adjusted odds ratio ( OR ): 1.92, 95% confidence interval ( CI ): 1.24, 2.98]. When stratified by baseline NFS status, the OR for progression from low to intermediate or high NFS was 1.74 (95% CI : 1.02, 3.00), and progression from intermediate to high NFS was 2.24 (95% CI : 1.05, 4.80). There was a significant interaction between PAD and insulin resistance (IR) on fibrosis deterioration ( P for interaction = 0.03). As compared with non-PAD and non-IR, the coexistence of PAD and IR was associated with a 3.85-fold (95% CI : 2.06, 7.18) increased risk of fibrosis deterioration., Conclusion: PAD is associated with an increased risk of fibrosis deterioration in NAFLD patients, especially in those with IR. The coexistence of PAD and IR may impose an interactive effect on the risk of fibrosis deterioration., (Copyright © 2020 The Editorial Board of Biomedical and Environmental Sciences. Published by China CDC. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: The aim of this study was to characterise the whole genome sequence of linezolid-intermediate Enterococcus hirae strain CQP3-9 isolated from a large-scale swine farm in Sichuan Province, China, in August 2018., Methods: An Illumina MiSeq platform (400-bp paired-end reads with 230-fold average coverage) and PacBio RS II sequencing instrument (100-fold average read depth) were used for genome sequencing. The chromosome and two plasmids were assembled using the software SMRT portal v.3.2.0. Acquired antimicrobial resistance genes were identified using ResFinder 3.1., Results: The genome of E. hirae strain CQP3-9 consists of one 2 695 881-bp chromosome, one 125 915-bp plasmid (pCQP3-9&#95;1) and one 33 132-bp plasmid (pCQP3-9&#95;2). The genome of CQP3-9 contains 2458 coding sequences and 89 RNA genes. The poxtA gene is the only linezolid resistance gene in CQP3-9, located on plasmid pCQP3-9&#95;2 that co-harbours erm(B) (macrolide resistance), fexB (chloramphenicol and florfenicol resistance), and tet(M) and tet(L) (tetracycline resistance)., Conclusion: Here we report for the first time the phenicol-oxazolidinone-tetracycline resistance gene poxtA in E. hirae, located on a plasmid that co-harbours erm(B), fexB, tet(L) and tet(M). The genome sequence of E. hirae CQP3-9 provides valuable information for the dissemination of poxtA among enterococci., (Copyright © 2019 International Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Ideal cardiovascular health (CVH) could predict a lower risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. This study was conducted to investigate the association between ideal CVH and subclinical atherosclerosis in a population cohort of Chinese adults aged ⪖ 40 years., Methods: This study was designed as a cross-sectional analysis of 8,395 participants who had complete data at baseline and a prospective analysis of 4,879 participants who had complete data at 4.3 years of follow-up. Ideal CVH metrics were defined according to the American Heart Association. Subclinical atherosclerosis was evaluated by plaques in carotid arteries, carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), and urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR)., Results: Both the prevalence and incidence of atherosclerosis measures were found to be decreased with increasing numbers of ideal CVH metrics at baseline (all P values for trend < 0.01). The levels of CIMT and UACR at follow-up showed an inverse and significant association with the numbers of ideal CVH metrics at baseline (both P values for trend < 0.05) but a borderline significant association with baPWV (P for trend = 0.0505). Taking participants with 0-1 ideal metric as reference, we found that participants with 5-6 ideal metrics had significantly lower risks of developing carotid plaques (odds ratio, OR = 0.46; 95% confidence interval, CI 0.27-0.79), increased CIMT (OR = 0.60; 95% CI 0.42-0.84), and increased baPWV (OR = 0.57; 95% CI 0.34-0.97) after full adjustments. A significant interactive effect of age and CVH was detected on CIMT and baPWV progression (both P values for interaction < 0.05)., Conclusion: The numbers of ideal CVH metrics showed a significant and inverse association with the risk of developing subclinical atherosclerosis in middle-aged and elderly Chinese adults, whereas its dose-response effect was attenuated in individuals aged ≥ 60 years and partially weakened in male participants., (Copyright © 2019 The Editorial Board of Biomedical and Environmental Sciences. Published by China CDC. All rights reserved.)

BACKGROUND This study investigated the relationship between hyperuricemia (with phlegm/non-phlegm block) and ABCG2 gene polymorphism in Han and Uygur people from Xinjiang, China. MATERIAL AND METHODS We recruited 600 hyperuricemia patients with phlegm/non-phlegm block. Genomic DNA was extracted from the whole blood. Gene polymorphism was classified by SnaPshot method. RESULTS The SNP loci rs2725220 and rs2231137 of the ABCG2 gene, but not rs2231142, were significantly different between patients with non-phlegm block and phlegm block (P<0.05). The rs2231142 allele G was the protective factor in Uygur hyperuricemia patients. In both Han and hyperuricemia patients, the rs2725220 allele G was a protective factor and the rs2231137 allele C was a risk factor. For non-phlegm-block hyperuricemia, the rs2231142 and rs2231137 genotypes were significantly different between Uygur and Han patients (P<0.05). The rs2231142 allele G was 1.563 times higher in the Uygur patients compared with Han, and rs2231137 allele C was 1.673 times higher in the Uygur patients compared with the Han. For phlegm-block hyperuricemia, rs2231142 allele G was 1.397 times higher in the Uygur patients compared with the Han. CONCLUSIONS ABCG2 gene rs2231137 with more allele C tends to be phlegm-block type and rs2725220 with more allele G tends to be non-phlegm-block type. In the Uygur hyperuricemia patients, ABCG2 gene rs2231142 with more allele G tends to be non-phlegm-block type. Allele C of rs2231137 and allele G of rs2231142 in ABCG2 gene are more likely to be found in the Uygur people.

Docetaxel-based chemotherapy remains the first-line treatment for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) in China; however, the prognostic factors associated with effects in these patients are still controversial. In this study, we retrospectively reviewed the data from 71 eligible Chinese patients who received docetaxel chemotherapy from 2009 to 2016 in our hospital and experienced a reduction of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level ≥50% during the treatment and investigated the potential role of time to nadir (TTN) of PSA. TTN was defined as the time from start of chemotherapy to the nadir of PSA level during the treatment. Multivariable Cox regression models and Kaplan-Meier analysis were used to predict overall survival (OS). In these patients, the median of TTN was 17 weeks. Patients with TTN ≥17 weeks had a longer response time to chemotherapy compared to TTN <17 weeks (42.83 vs 21.50 weeks, P < 0.001). The time to PSA progression in patients with TTN ≥17 weeks was 11.44 weeks compared to 5.63 weeks when TTN was <17 weeks. We found several factors to be associated with OS, including TTN (hazard ratio [HR]: 3.937, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.502-10.309, P = 0.005), PSA level at the diagnosis of cancer (HR: 4.337, 95% CI: 1.616-11.645, P = 0.004), duration of initial androgen deprivation therapy (HR: 2.982, 95% CI: 1.104-8.045, P = 0.031), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (HR: 3.963, 95% CI: 1.380-11.384, P = 0.011), and total PSA response (Class 1 [<0 response] compared to Class 2 [0-50% response], HR: 3.978, 95% CI: 1.278-12.387, P = 0.017). In conclusion, TTN of PSA remains an important prognostic marker in predicting therapeutic outcome in Chinese population who receive chemotherapy for mCRPC and have >50% PSA remission.

Serum fetuin-A levels are reportedly elevated in hyperthyroidism. However, there are few relevant epidemiologic studies. We conducted a cross-sectional study in Songnan community, China in 2009 to investigate the association between serum fetuin-A concentrations and thyroid function. A total of 2,984 participants aged 40 years and older were analyzed. Multivariable linear regression analysis revealed that serum fetuin-A concentra- tions were positively associated with log (free triiodothyronine) and were inversely associated with log (thyroid peroxidase antibody) after adjustment (both P < 0.05). Compared with the participants in the lowest tertile of free triiodo-thyronine and free thyroxine level, those in the highest tertile had higher fetuin-A concentrations. Additionally, high serum fetuin-A concentrations were related to high thyroid function (odds ratio 1.27, 95% confidence interval 1.01-1.61), after adjustment for conventional risk factors., (Copyright © 2017 The Editorial Board of Biomedical and Environmental Sciences. Published by China CDC. All rights reserved.)

Non-human primates (NHPs) are confirmed as reservoirs of Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia intestinalis, and Enterocytozoon bieneusi. In this study, 197 fresh fecal samples from 8 NHP species in Qinling Mountains, northwestern China, were collected and examined using multilocus sequence typing (MLST) method. The results showed that 35 (17.8%) samples were positive for tested parasites, including Cryptosporidium spp. (3.0%), G. intestinalis (2.0%), and E. bieneusi (12.7%). Cryptosporidium spp. were detected in 6 fecal samples of Macaca mulatta, and were identified as C. parvum (n=1) and C. andersoni (n=5). Subtyping analysis showed Cryptosporidium spp. belonged to the C. andersoni MLST subtype (A4, A4, A4, and A1) and C. parvum 60 kDa glycoprotein (gp60) subtype IId A15G2R1. G. intestinalis assemblage E was detected in 3 M. mulatta and 1 Saimiri sciureus. Intra-variations were observed at the triose phosphate isomerase (tpi), beta giardin (bg), and glutamate dehydrogenase (gdh) loci, with 3, 1, and 2 new subtypes found in respective locus. E. bieneusi was found in Cercopithecus neglectus (25.0%), Papio hamadrayas (16.7%), M. mulatta (16.3%), S. sciureus (10%), and Rhinopithecus roxellana (9.5%), with 5 ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) genotypes: 2 known genotypes (D and BEB6) and 3 novel genotypes (MH, XH, and BSH). These findings indicated the presence of zoonotic potential of Cryptosporidium spp. and E. bieneusi in NHPs in Qinling Mountains. This is the first report of C. andersoni in NHPs. The present study provided basic information for control of cryptosporidiosis, giardiasis, and microsporidiosis in human and animals in this area.

Purpose: To identify the underlying genetic defect in a Chinese family affected with autosomal dominant congenital nuclear cataract., Methods: A four-generation Chinese family with inherited nuclear cataract phenotype was recruited. Detailed family history and clinical data were recorded. All reported nuclear cataract-related candidate genes were screened for causative mutations by direct DNA sequencing. Effects of amino acid changes on the structure and function of protein were predicted by bioinformatics analysis., Results: All affected individuals in this family showed nuclear cataracts. Sequencing of the candidate genes revealed a heterozygous c.559C>T change in the coding region of the major intrinsic protein (MIP), which caused a substitution of highly conserved arginine by cysteine at codon 187 (p.R187C). This mutation co-segregated with all affected individuals and was not observed in unaffected family members or 110 ethnically matched controls. Bioinformatics analysis showed that the mutation was predicted to affect the function and secondary structure of MIP protein., Conclusions: This study identified a novel disease-causing mutation p.R187C in MIP in a Chinese cataract family, expanding the mutation spectrum of MIP causing congenital cataract.

Given the ease of alteration of digital data, integrity verification and tamper detection for medical images are becoming ever more important. In this paper, instead of using the conventional irreversible block-based watermarking approach to achieve tamper localization, we propose to incorporate such functionality into the region-based lossless watermarking scheme. This is achieved by partitioning an image into certain non-overlapping regions and appending the associated local authentication information directly into the watermark payload. A region of authentication, which can be flexibly specified by the user, is partitioned into small regions in a multilevel hierarchical manner. Such hierarchical structure allows the user to easily adjust the localization accuracy, and makes the tamper detection efficient. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of tamper localization.

Grid has emerged recently as an integration infrastructure for sharing and coordinated use of diverse resources in dynamic, distributed environment. In this paper, we present a prototype system for integration of heterogeneous medical databases based on Grid technology, which can provide a uniform access interface and efficient query mechanism to different medical databases. After presenting the architecture of the prototype system that employs corresponding Grid services and middleware technologies, we make an analysis on its basic functional components including OGSA-DAI, metadata model, transaction management, and query processing in detail, which cooperate with each other to enable uniform accessing and seamless integration of the underlying heterogeneous medical databases. Then, we test effectiveness and performance of the system through a query instance, analyze the experiment result, and make a discussion on some issues relating to practical medical applications. Although the prototype system has been carried out and tested in a simulated hospital information environment at present, the underlying principles are applicable to practical applications.

This paper discusses the application of virtual reality technology in the 3-D visible human body and acupuncture research. Based on the 3-D visible human fused with the localization information and hierarchy of acupoints, the paper analyzes the force against the needle and haptic rendering during the needle manipulation according to the physical properties of different tissues. A haptic model is constructed to demonstrate the force behaviors during acupuncture, and the force will be produced and passed to the manipulator by a force feedback device. It enriches the contents of 3-D visible human project, provides a dynamic simulation instrument for acupuncture teaching, and supplies a platform for acupuncture research.

In this paper a brief history of the development of PACS in China is reviewed, the current status of PACS is presented, and its development in the future is discussed.