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Background: Due to general unavailability and common side effects of tetracycline, the clinical application of bismuth quadruple therapy (BQT) is greatly limited. Whether amoxicillin can replace tetracycline in BQT remains unknown. This study aimed to compare the eradication rate, safety and compliance between amoxicillin‐containing and tetracycline‐containing BQT as a first‐line regimen for Helicobacter pylori eradication. Methods: This randomized trial was conducted on 404 naïve patients for H. pylori eradication. The participants were randomly assigned to 14‐day amoxicillin‐containing (bismuth potassium citrate 110 mg four times/day, esomeprazole 20 mg twice daily, metronidazole 400 mg four times/day and amoxicillin 500 mg four times/day) and tetracycline‐containing (tetracycline 500 mg four times/day and the other three drugs used as above) BQT. Safety and compliance were assessed within 3 days after eradication. Urea breath test was performed 4–8 weeks after eradication to evaluate outcome. Results: As for the eradication rates of amoxicillin‐containing and tetracycline‐containing BQT, the results of both intention‐to‐treat and per‐protocol analyses showed that the difference rate of the lower limit of 95% confidence interval was above −10.0% (intention‐to‐treat analysis: 81.7% vs. 83.2%, with a rate difference of −1.5% [−6.3% to 9.3%]; per‐protocol analysis: 89.0% vs. 91.6%, −2.6% [−4.1% to 9.3%]). The incidence of adverse events in amoxicillin‐containing BQT was significantly lower than tetracycline‐containing BQT (29.5% vs. 39.7%). Both groups achieved relatively good compliance (92.0% vs. 89.9%). Conclusion: The eradication efficacy of amoxicillin‐containing BQT was non‐inferior to tetracycline‐containing BQT as a first‐line regimen for H. pylori eradication with better safety and similar compliance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chaitophorinae is a predominantly Northern Hemisphere aphid subfamily characterized by numerous setae on the body. Two constituent tribes are associated with different host plants, with Chaitophorini feeding on deciduous trees and shrubs and Siphini colonizing grasses. Based on data from multiple genes (COI, COII, Cytb and EF‐1α), geographical distribution and host association, this study investigated the phylogeny and macroevolution of Chaitophorinae using phylogenetic reconstruction, molecular dating, model‐based ancestral area and character estimations and diversification rate calculation. Our results support the monophyly of Chaitophorinae and two tribes, indicate that Sipha and the two largest genera Chaitophorus and Periphyllus are not monophyletic, and suggest a need for a change in the taxonomic status of Lambersaphis, which was nested within Chaitophorus in the phylogenetic tree. We recovered an origin of Chaitophorinae on Acer plants from eastern Asia during the Late Cretaceous to early Palaeocene, followed by multiple dispersals into other areas that were responsible for its contemporary distribution. The origins of Siphini and Chaitophorus + Lambersaphis coincided with colonizations of novel host plants. An increase in diversification rate occurred within Chaitophorus in the Miocene and was associated with range expansion and switching onto new host plants, highlighting the roles of dispersal and host shift in aphid diversification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Agar dilution method (ADM) was used as the golden standard to evaluate the consistency of Epsilometer test (E-test) in detecting the sensitivity of Helicobacter pylori ( H. pylori ) to metronidazole., Methods: From August 2018 to July 2020, patients with H. pylori infection treated for the first time in Peking University Third Hospital for gastroscopy due to dyspepsia were included in this study. Gastric mucosas were taken from the patients with H. pylori infection. H. pylori culture was performed. Both the ADM and E-test were applied to the antibiotic susceptibility of H. pylori to metro-nidazole, and the consistency and correlation between the two methods were validated., Results: In the study, 105 clinical isolates of H. pylori were successfully cultured, and the minimum inhibitory concentration ≥ 8 mg/L was defined as drug resistance. Both ADM and the E-test showed high resistance rates to metronidazole, 64.8% and 62.9%, respectively. Among them, 66 drug-resistant strains were detected by ADM and E-test, and 37 were sensitive strains, so the consistency rate was 98.1%. Two strains were evaluated as drug resistance by ADM, but sensitive by the E-test, with a very major error rate of 1.9%. There was zero strain sensitive according to ADM but assessed as resistant by the E-test, so the major error rate was 0%. Taking ADM as the gold standard, the sensitivity of E-test in the detection of metronidazole susceptibility was 97.1% (95% CI : 0.888-0.995), and the specificity was 100% (95% CI : 0.883-1.000). Cohen's kappa analysis showed substantial agreement, and kappa coefficient was 0.959 (95% CI : 0.902-1.016, P < 0.001). Spearmans correlation analysis confirmed this correlation was significant ( r =0.807, P < 0.001). The consistency evaluation of Bland-Altman method indicated that it was good, and there was no measured value outside the consistency interval. In this study, cost analysis, including materials and labor, showed a 32.2% higher cost per analyte for ADM as compared with the E-test (356.6 yuan vs. 269.8 yuan)., Conclusion: The susceptibility test of H. pylori to metronidazole by E-test presents better agreement with ADM. Because it is less expensive, less labor intensive, and more rapid, it is an easy and reliable method for H. pylori susceptibility testing.

Based on daily temperature data of 86 weather stations during winter producing season from 1961 to 2017 in Guangdong Province, the temporal and spatial distribution of extreme chilling was analyzed. The return periods of extreme chilling at county level were calculated with the theory of generalized extreme value distribution to provide technical support for extreme chilling risk assessment and early warning together with real-time meteorological disaster prevention and mitigation in winter planting areas. Results showed that there was a general downward trend of the extreme values of chilling accumulation in main winter planting zones. Zhanjiang and Meizhou had declined significantly since the mid-1980s, while Maoming, Shaoguan and Guangzhou had declined significantly since the 21st century. The extreme minimum temperature followed a curve trending generally downward first and upward later on, with a significant rising in Shaoguan from later 1980s while a descending in Guangzhou in the last five years. The order of the number of extreme value stations of chilling accumulation was 1970s ＞ the 21st century ＞ 1990s ＞ 1960s ＞ 1980s. The order of the number of stations of extreme minimum temperature was 1960s ＞ 1990s ＞ the 21st century ＞ 1970s ＞ 1980s. The theoretical forecast values of cold disaster of 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 year return period showed obvious zonal distribution characteristics. The chilling accumulation diminished from the north to the south and the extreme minimum temperature was higher in the south and lower in the north, which was consistent with the distribution trend in the actual occurrence of cold damage. Typical cases showed more extended chilling return periods in the south than in the north. In Zhanjiang and Maoming, the main producing areas of winter crops in Guangdong Province, the return period of cold damage was long, the probability of extreme cold damage was small but the damage was heavy, and the area of winter crops was in the front rank, which should be paid attention. Our results could provide scientific reference for local government and relevant departments in Guangdong Province to guide winter planting and develop countermeasures against climate change.