Efficacy of an herbal formula Guixiong Yimu San in preventing retained placenta and improving reproductive performance in cows.

Retained placenta is a common health issue, and appropriate prevention strategies are effective in postpartum health management. This study aimed to evaluate whether early intervention using GYS can prevent retained placenta and puerperal metritis, as well as enhance reproductive outcomes in cows. Each bovine in the GYS group (n = 591) received a single prophylactic dose of GYS (0.5 g/kg body weight) orally within 2 h after parturition, while those in the control group (n = 598) received no intervention. GYS treatment was associated with a decreased incidence of retained placenta (4.6% vs. 12.0%, P < 0.01, OR = 0.335), a lower puerperal metritis risk (8.8% vs. 20.1%, P < 0.01, OR = 0.369), and a reduced need for additional therapeutic antibiotics (11.2% vs. 26.1%, P < 0.01, OR = 0.342). We observed increases in the first service conception rate (59.7% vs. 49.1%, P < 0.01) and conception rate within 305 days postpartum (93.2% vs. 85.5%, P < 0.01) in the GYS group than in the control group. A significant decrease was observed in the number of services per conception (1.8 ± 1.1 vs. 2.1 ± 1.4, P < 0.01) and the calving-to-conception interval (83.6 ± 39.6 vs. 96.6 ± 52.5 days, P < 0.01) between the two groups. Additionally, GYS treatment increased milk yield on days 7, 14, and 28 postpartum without affecting milk fat, milk protein, somatic cell count (SCC), or milk urea nitrogen (MUN) on days 7 and 28 postpartum. Accordingly, the GYS was effective and safe in preventing retained placenta and to improve reproductive performance in cows. Therefore, it could be a prophylactic intervention for superior postpartum fertility in cows.

Systematic investigation of the Borrelia miyamotoi spirochetes in ticks, wildlife and domestic animal hosts in Yunnan province, Southwest China.

Background: Borrelia miyamotoi is a spirochete species transmitted via hard ticks. Following its discovery in Japan, this pathogen has been detected around the world, and is increasingly confirmed as a human pathogen causing febrile disease, namely relapsing fever. Its presence has been confirmed in the Northeast China. However, there is little information regarding the presence of B. miyamotoi and other hard-tick-borne relapsing fever spirochetes in southern China including Yunnan province, where tick and animal species are abundant and many people both inhabit and visit for recreation. Methods: For the present study, we collected samples of ticks, wildlife, and domestic animal hosts from different counties in Yunnan province. Nucleic acids from samples were extracted, and the presence of B. miyamotoi and other relapsing fever spirochetes was confirmed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the 16S rRNA specific target gene fragment. The positive samples were then amplified for partial genome of the flaB and glpQ genes. Statistical differences in its distribution were analyzed by SPSS 20 software. Sequence of partial 16S rRNA, flaB and glpQ genome were analyzed and phylogenetic trees were constructed. Results: A total of 8260 samples including 2304 ticks, 4120 small mammals and 1836 blood of domestic animal hosts were collected for screening for infection of B. miyamotoi and other relapsing fever spirochetes. Cattle and sheep act as the main hosts and Rhipicephalus microplus, Haemaphysalis nepalensis, H. kolonini and Ixodes ovatus were identified as the important vector host with high prevalence or wide distribution. Only one Mus caroli (mouse) and one Sorex alpinus (shrew) were confirmed positive for relapsing fever spirochetes. Evidence of vertical transmission in ticks was also confirmed. Two known strains of B. miyamotoi and one novel relapsing fever spirochetes, B. theileri-like agent, were confirmed and described with their host adaptation, mutation, and potential risk of spreading and spillover for human beings. Conclusions: Our results provide new evidence of relapsing fever spirochetes in vector and animal hosts in Yunnan province based on large sample sizes, and offer guidance on further investigation, surveillance and monitoring of this pathogen.

Molecular epidemiology and resistance mechanisms of tigecycline-non-susceptible Acinetobacter baumannii isolated from a tertiary care hospital in Chongqing, China.

We studied 34 isolates of Tigecycline-Non-Susceptible A. baumannii (TNAB) obtained from clinical specimens at a large tertiary care hospital in Chongqing, China. These 34 strains belonged to 8 different clones including ST195 (35.3%) and ST208 (17.7%). EBURST analysis found that these 8 ST types belonged to the Clonal Complex 92. Tigecycline resistance-associated genes adeR, adeS, adeL, adeN, rrf, rpsJ, and trm were detected in most strains. The expression level of the resistance-nodulation-cell division (RND) efflux pumps in TNAB strains was higher than the reference strain ATCC19606. 58.8% of strains had a decrease in the tigecycline minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) after the addition of carbonyl cyanide 3-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP). The TNAB strains in our hospital have a high degree of affinity and antibiotic resistance. Regular surveillance should be conducted to prevent outbreaks of TNAB epidemics.

Multi-group symbiotic evolutionary mechanisms of a digital innovation ecosystem: Numerical simulation and case study.

In the digital innovation ecosystem, the symbiosis mode formed between ecosystem members not only relates to their survival and development but also affects the ecosystem's symbiosis evolution mechanism. Based on symbiosis theory, this study first explores the evolutionary equilibrium strategy and its stability for three types of populations-core enterprises, digital platforms, and university research institutes-and then uses numerical simulation and a case study to explore the symbiotic evolution mechanism of the digital innovation ecosystem. The results show that: First, the digital innovation ecosystem is a complex adaptive system in which the three types of populations form different symbiotic relationships under different symbiotic modes and conduct symbiotic activities, such as value co-creation, to characterize the unique symbiotic evolutionary structure. Second, in this ecosystem, the symbiotic relationship formed by the combined values of different symbiotic coefficients between populations determines the outcome of symbiotic evolution. Third, the ideal direction of the evolution of the digital innovation ecosystem is a mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship. Thus, the symbiotic relationship between populations should be transformed into a mutually beneficial symbiotic relationships as much as possible. This study makes theoretical contributions by shedding light on the symbiotic evolution mechanism of the digital innovation ecosystem. It also offers countermeasures for the digital innovation cooperation of various stakeholders in China's digital innovation ecosystem.

Global profiling of protein S-palmitoylation in the second-generation merozoites of Eimeria tenella.

The intracellular protozoan Eimeria tenella is responsible for avian coccidiosis which is characterized by host intestinal damage. During developmental cycle, E. tenella undergoes versatile transitional stages such as oocyst, sporozoites, merozoites, and gametocytes. These developmental transitions involve changes in cell shape and cell size requiring cytoskeletal remodeling and changes in membrane proteins, which may require transcriptional and translational regulations as well as post-translational modification of proteins. Palmitoylation is a post-translational modification (PTM) of protein that orchestrates protein targeting, folding, stability, regulated enzymatic activity and even epigenetic regulation of gene expression. Previous research revealed that protein palmitoylation play essential role in Toxoplasma gondii, Trypanosoma cruzi, Trichomonas vaginalis, and several Plasmodium parasites. Until now, there is little information on the enzymes related to palmitoylation and role of protein acylation or palmitoylation in E. tenella. Therefore, palmitome of the second-generation merozoite of E. tenella was investigated. We identified a total of 2569 palmitoyl-sites that were assigned to 2145 palmitoyl-peptides belonging to 1561 protein-groups that participated in biological processes including parasite morphology, motility and host cell invasion. In addition, RNA biosynthesis, protein biosynthesis, folding, proteasome-ubiquitin degradation, and enzymes involved in PTMs, carbohydrate metabolism, glycan biosynthesis, and mitochondrial respiratory chain as well as vesicle trafficking were identified. The study allowed us to decipher the broad influence of palmitoylation in E. tenella biology, and its potential roles in the pathobiology of E. tenella infection. Raw data are publicly available at iProX with the dataset identifier PXD045061.

Cecropin A Alleviates LPS-Induced Oxidative Stress and Apoptosis of Bovine Endometrial Epithelial Cells.

Dairy cows receiving a prolonged high-concentrate diet express an elevated concentration of lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) in the peripheral blood circulation, accompanied by a series of systemic inflammatory responses; however, the specific impacts of inflammation are yet to be determined. Cecropin-like antimicrobial peptides have become a research hotspot regarding antimicrobial peptides because of their excellent anti-inflammatory activities, and cecropin A is a major member of the cecropin family. To elucidate the mechanism of cecropin A as anti-inflammatory under the condition of sub-acute ruminal acidosis (SARA) in dairy cows, we induced inflammation in bEECs with LPS (10 µg/mL) and then added cecropin A (25 µM). Afterwards, we detected three categories of indexes including oxidative stress indices, inflammation-related genes, and apoptosis-related genes in bovine endometrial epithelial cells (bEECs). The results indicated that cecropin A has the ability to reduce inflammatory factors TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-8 and inhibit the MAPK pathway to alleviate inflammation. In addition, cecropin A is able to reduce reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and alleviates LPS-induced oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction by downregulating NADPH Oxidase (NOX), and upregulating catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), and superoxide dismutase (SOD). Furthermore, cecropin A demonstrates the ability to inhibit apoptosis by suppressing the mitochondrial-dependent apoptotic pathway, specifically Fas/FasL-caspase-8/-3. The observed increase in the Bcl-2/Bax ratio, a known apoptosis regulator, further supports this finding. In conclusion, our study presents novel solutions for addressing inflammatory responses associated with SARA.

Safety, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of HWH486 capsules in healthy adults: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase I dose-escalation study.

OBJECTIVES: HWH486 inhibits Bruton's tyrosine kinase and therefore shows promise as a treatment against rheumatoid arthritis and chronic spontaneous urticaria. This phase I trial assessed tolerability, safety, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of a single oral dose of HWH486 capsules in healthy adults. METHODS: A single-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-escalation study from 10 to 800 mg was conducted in 96 healthy Chinese adults, of whom 80 received HWH486 and 16 received placebo. RESULTS: A total of 96 subjects were enrolled, and all completed the study. In the HWH486 group, mean Tmax ranged from 1.03 to 2.00 h, and mean T1/2 ranged from 0.85 to 8.67 h across the dose range from 10 to 800 mg. Mean Cmax increased linearly with dose, while mean AUC0-t increased non-linearly. Occupancy of Bruton's tyrosine kinase peaked within 0.50-4.00 h after administration across the dose groups, and the delay until peak occupancy decreased with increasing dose. Twenty-five subjects (31.25 %) in the HWH486 group experienced 35 treatment-emergent adverse events, while four subjects (25.00 %) in the placebo group experienced eight such events. CONCLUSIONS: HWH486 is well tolerated and safe in healthy adults, in whom it can strongly bind Bruton's tyrosine kinase. These findings justify clinical studies of HWH486 efficacy against autoimmune diseases.

Review of Theoretical and Computational Studies of Bulk and Single Atom Catalysts for H2 S Catalytic Conversion.

Catalytic conversion of hydrogen sulfide (H2 S) plays a vital role in environmental protection and safety production. In this review, recent theoretical advances for catalytic conversion of H2 S are systemically summarized. Firstly, different mechanisms of catalytic conversion of H2 S are elucidated. Secondly, theoretical studies of catalytic conversion of H2 S on surfaces of metals, metal compounds, and single-atom catalysts (SACs) are systematically reviewed. In the meantime, various strategies which have been adopted to improve the catalytic performance of catalysts in the catalytic conversion of H2 S are also reviewed, mainly including facet morphology control, doped heteroatoms, metal deposition, and defective engineering. Finally, new directions of catalytic conversion of H2 S are proposed and potential strategies to further promote conversion of H2 S are also suggested: including SACs, double atom catalysts (DACs), single cluster catalysts (SCCs), frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs), etc. The present comprehensive review can provide an insight for the future development of new catalysts for the catalytic conversion of H2 S.

Zoonotic pathogens identified in rodents and shrews from four provinces, China, 2015-2022.

Rodents and shrews are major reservoirs of various pathogens that are related to zoonotic infectious diseases. The purpose of this study was to investigate co-infections of zoonotic pathogens in rodents and shrews trapped in four provinces of China. We sampled different rodent and shrew communities within and around human settlements in four provinces of China and characterised several important zoonotic viral, bacterial, and parasitic pathogens by PCR methods and phylogenetic analysis. A total of 864 rodents and shrews belonging to 24 and 13 species from RODENTIA and EULIPOTYPHLA orders were captured, respectively. For viral pathogens, two species of hantavirus (Hantaan orthohantavirus and Caobang orthohantavirus) were identified in 3.47% of rodents and shrews. The overall prevalence of Bartonella spp., Anaplasmataceae, Babesia spp., Leptospira spp., Spotted fever group Rickettsiae, Borrelia spp., and Coxiella burnetii were 31.25%, 8.91%, 4.17%, 3.94%, 3.59%, 3.47%, and 0.58%, respectively. Furthermore, the highest co-infection status of three pathogens was observed among Bartonella spp., Leptospira spp., and Anaplasmataceae with a co-infection rate of 0.46%. Our results suggested that species distribution and co-infections of zoonotic pathogens were prevalent in rodents and shrews, highlighting the necessity of active surveillance for zoonotic pathogens in wild mammals in wider regions.

Safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of single and multiple doses of aficamten in healthy Chinese participants: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 1 study.

Objectives: Aficamten is a selective, small-molecule allosteric inhibitor of cardiac sarcomere being developed as a chronic oral treatment for patients with symptomatic obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. This was the first-in-Chinese study aiming to investigate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of aficamten in healthy adults. Methods: This double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, phase 1 study was conducted in 28 healthy male and female Chinese participants after single ascending dose (SAD) and multi-dose (MD) administrations of aficamten. In the SAD cohort, 16 participants were randomized to receive a single oral dose of aficamten: 10 mg, 20 mg, or placebo. In the MD cohort, 12 participants were randomized to receive multiple doses of aficamten: 5 mg or placebo once daily for 14 days. Safety was monitored throughout the study with electrocardiograms, echocardiograms, clinical laboratory tests, and reporting of adverse events (AEs). Pharmacokinetic profiles of aficamten and metabolites, as well as CYP2D6 genetic impact, were evaluated. Results: A total of 35 treatment-emergent AEs were reported by 14 (50%) participants with mild severity. There were no serious AEs or adverse decreases in left ventricular ejection fraction below 50% during the study. Aficamten was dose-proportional over the dose range of 5-20 mg and accumulated in the MD cohort. Conclusion: Aficamten was safe and well-tolerated in the healthy Chinese adult participants. The pharmacokinetics of aficamten in the Chinese population was comparable to those previously found in Western participants. These phase 1 data support the progression of aficamten into future clinical studies in Chinese patients. Clinical Trial registration: https://clinicaltrials.gov, identifier: NCT04783766.

Hydrophyte Debris Induced Sedimentary Phosphorus Release in Tuojiang Rivers, China.

Hydrophyte debris decomposition may contribute to phosphorus (P) release from the sediments in riverine systems, but the transport and transformation of organic phosphorus during this process has not been studied well. Here, a ubiquitous hydrophyte in southern China (Alternanthera philoxeroides, A. philoxeroides) was selected to identify the processes and mechanisms of sedimentary P release in late autumn or early spring by laboratory incubation. The results showed that the physio-chemical interactions changed quickly during the beginning of the incubation, where the redox potential and dissolved oxygen at the water-sediment interface decreased rapidly, reaching reducing (299 mV) and anoxic (0.23 mg∙L-1) conditions, respectively. Soluble reactive P, dissolved total P and total P concentrations in overlying water all increased with time from 0.011, 0.025 and 0.169 mg∙L-1 to 0.100, 0.100 and 0.342 mg∙L-1 on average, respectively. Furthermore, the decomposition of A. philoxeroides induced sedimentary organic P release to overlying water, including phosphate monoester (Mono-P), and orthophosphate diesters (Diesters-P). The proportions of Mono-P and Diesters-P were higher at 3 to 9 days than at 11 to 34 days, being 29.4% and 23.3 for Mono-P, 6.3% and 5.7% for Diesters-P, respectively. Orthophosphate (Ortho-P) increased from 63.6 to 69.7% during these timeframes, which indicated the transformations of both Mono-P and Diester-P to bio-available orthophosphate (Ortho-P), causing the rising P concentration in the overlying water. Our results revealed that hydrophyte debris decomposition in river systems might lead to autochthonous P contribution even without external P import from the watershed, accelerating the trophic state of receiving waterbodies.

Associations between ecological diversity and rodent plague circulation in Yunnan Province, China, 1983-2020: A data-informed modelling study.

BACKGROUND: Following its resurgence in 1982, rodent plague has been linked to a wide range of circulation risks in Yunnan Province. The most serious public health concern associated with effective plague control is determining how various ecological variables influence the differential risk of transmission. METHODS: We investigated the population dynamics of the hosts and vectors using large-scale epidemiological surveillance data. In a seasonal eco-epidemiological model, we evaluated the impact of ecological conditions on the vectored flea index (VFI) to determine the rate of plague transmission. RESULTS: The findings revealed a changing species composition in natural foci over time. Additionally, shifting distributional ranges of species by elevation may be vital in modulating the VFI. The model estimates indicate that the dynamic VFI contributes to spatiotemporal variance in transmission. CONCLUSIONS: The VFI could be a critical ecological indicator, allowing for real-time tracking and prompt intervention in the circulation of rodent plague. Understanding eco-epidemiological diversity can provide essential insights into effective responses to future plague resurgence.

Transcriptomic and proteomic analysis reveals (E)-2-hexenal modulates tomato resistance against Botrytis cinerea by regulating plant defense mechanism.

In a previous study, we observed that (E)-2-hexenal stimulated systemic resistance against B. cinerea in tomato plants. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying (E)-2-hexenal-mediated regulation of systemic immunity against B. cinerea remained unclear. In the current study, the global mechanism underlying (E)-2-hexenal-meidated regulation of biotic stress tolerance in tomato was investigated using RNA-seq- and LC-MS/MS- integrated transcriptomic and proteomic analyses. Compared to control plants, (E)-2-hexenal-treated plants exhibited reduced susceptibility to B. cinerea, with a 50.51% decrease in lesion diameters. Meanwhile, (E)-2-hexenal vapor fumigation significantly increased total phenolic content and activities of various antioxidant enzymes peroxidase (POD), phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), and lipoxygenase (LOX). A total of 233 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 400 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs), respectively, were identified. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis revealed that (E)-2-hexenal treatment markedly affected the expression of genes involved in multiple metabolic pathways, especially glutathione metabolism, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, plant hormone signal transduction, and MAPK signaling pathway. Notably, proteomic analysis revealed modulation of the activities of several defense response proteins, such as pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins (Solyc02g031950.3.1, Solyc02g031920.4.1, and Solyc04g064870.3.1), peroxidases (Solyc06g050440.3.1, Solyc01g105070.3.1, Solyc01g015080.3.1, Solyc03g025380.3.1 and Solyc06g076630.3.1). Our results provide a comprehensive analysis of the effects of (E)-2-hexenal treatment on the transcriptome and proteome of tomato plants, which might be used as a reference in further studies on plant defense responses against pathogens.

Distribution and risk assessment of antibiotics under water level fluctuation in the riparian zone of the Hanjiang River.

The riparian zone (RZ) is an important region connecting surface water and groundwater, and it has widely been acknowledged for its pollutant buffering capacity. However, the decontaminating effect of RZ on trace organic compounds such as antibiotics has received little attention. This study explored the distribution of 21 antibiotics and 4 sulfonamide metabolites in river water and groundwater in the lower reaches of the Hanjiang River. The diffusion and exchange of contaminants between the river and riverbanks under the influence of water conservancy projects (Xinglong Dam and the Yangtze-Hanjiang Water Diversion Project) were investigated. Macrolide antibiotics were prevalent in river water (62.5-100%) and groundwater samples (42.9-80.4%). Ofloxacin and chlortetracycline were detected with the highest concentrations in river water (12.2 ng L-1) and groundwater (9.3 ng L-1) respectively. Higher levels of antibiotics were observed in spring and winter than in other seasons. The river-groundwater interaction has a certain interception effect on antibiotics, especially near riverbanks. Redox sensitive element Fe2+ showed significantly positive correlations with some tetracycline and macrolide antibiotics (p < 0.05), and thus the migration mechanism between Fe2+ and antibiotics under the condition of redox change should be investigated further. Environmental risks posed by antibiotics were assessed for algae, daphnids, and fish in surface water and groundwater. Only clarithromycin and chlortetracycline presented a medium risk to algae (0.1 < RQ < 1), and the rest presented low risk (RQ < 0.1). Nevertheless, the risk range may be further extended by interactions between groundwater and surface water. Accurate understanding of antibiotic transport in RZ is critical for developing management strategies aimed at reducing the pollution load on the watershed.

Integrated transcriptome and metabolome analyses shed light on the defense mechanisms in tomato plants after (E)-2-hexenal fumigation.

Tomato is a widely cultivated fruit and vegetable and is valued for its flavor, colour, and nutritional value. C6-aldehydes, such as (E)-2-hexenal, not only have antibacterial and antifungal properties but also function as signaling molecules that control the defense mechanisms of plants, including tomatoes. In this study, we used liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and RNA sequencing techniques to generate metabolome and transcriptome datasets that elucidate the molecular mechanisms regulating defense responses in tomato leaves exposed to (E)-2-hexenal. A total of 28.27 Gb of clean data were sequenced and assembled into 23,720 unigenes. In addition, a non-targeted metabolomics approach detected 739 metabolites. There were 233 significant differentially expressed genes (DEGs) (158 up-regulated, 75 down-regulated) and 154 differentially expressed metabolites (DEMs) (86 up-regulated, 69 down-regulated). Most nucleotides and amino acids (L-Phenylalanine, L-Asparagine, L-Histidine, L-Arginine, and L-Tyrosine) and their derivatives were enriched. The analyses revealed that mitogen-activated protein kinase (MPK), pathogenesis-related protein (PR), and endochitinase (CHIB) were primarily responsible for the adaptation of plant defense responses. Therefore, the extensive upregulation of these genes may be associated with the increased plant defense response. These findings help us comprehend the defense response of plants to (E)-2-hexenal and improve the resistance of horticultural plants.

Potential prognostic markers of retained placenta in dairy cows identified by plasma metabolomics coupled with clinical laboratory indicators.

The complex etiopathology of retained placenta (RP) and hazards associated with it has made it crucial for researchers and clinical veterinarians to study pathogenesis, early-warning diagnosis, and treatment. This study aimed to screen the potential prognostic markers of RP in dairy cows using plasma metabolomics coupled with clinical laboratory indicators. Blood samples were collected from 260 dairy cows at 21, 14, 7, and 0 days before parturition and 7, 14, and 21 days after parturition. Consequently, 10 healthy cows and 10 cows with RP with similar parity, body condition score, and age were included in the study. The changes in clinical laboratory indicators of the enrolled cows from 21 before parturition to 21 days after parturition were assessed. After initial overview of the multivariate statistical data using PCA analysis, the data were subjected to orthogonal partial least-squares discriminant analysis. Compared with cows with RP at 7 days before parturition, the levels of endothelin and 6-keto-prostaglandin F1α were increased in healthy cows, while the level of estradiol and progesterone decreased. Adenine dinucleotide phosphate, hypoxanthine, guanine dinucleotide phosphate, inosine monophosphate, and L-arginine were revealed as potential prognostic markers of cows with RP at 7 days before parturition involved in the regulation of taste transduction, purine and glutathione metabolism, and autophagy. The best period for the early-warning diagnosis of RP in dairy cows is 7 days before parturition, and purine metabolism and autophagy may play a vital role in the occurrence and development of RP in dairy cows.

Mapping the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ) to SF-6Dv2 in Chinese patients with heart failure.

PURPOSE: Mapping the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ) to SF-6Dv2 in Chinese patients with chronic heart failure, and to obtain the health utility value for health economic assessment. METHODS: Four statistical algorithms, including ordinary least square method (OLS), Tobit model, robust MM estimator (MM) and censored least absolute deviations (CLAD), were used to establish the alternative model. Models were validated by using a tenfold cross-validation technique. The mean absolute error (MAE) and root mean square error (RMSE) were used to evaluate the prediction performance of the model. The Spearman correlation coefficient and Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICC) were used to examine the relationship between the predicted and observed SF-6Dv2 values. RESULTS: A total of 195 patients with chronic heart failure were recruited from 3 general hospitals in Beijing. The MLHFQ summary score and domain scores of the study sample were negatively correlated with SF-6Dv2 health utility value. The OLS regression model established based on the MLHFQ domain scores was the optimal fitting model and the predicted value was highly positively correlated with the observed value. CONCLUSION: The MLHFQ can be mapped to SF-6Dv2 by OLS, which can be used for health economic assessment of cardiovascular diseases such as chronic heart failure.

High Diversity and Prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in Wildlife Hosts, Domestic Animals, and Ticks in Yunnan Province, Southwestern China.

Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (BBSL), the causative agent of Lyme disease, is commonly found in wild and domestic mammals and ticks worldwide. In China, human cases of Borrelia burgdorferi infections have been identified across a wide geographic range including Yunnan Province, but few studies have examined BBSL in reservoirs and vectors in southwestern China. Here we conducted a thorough and broad-range investigation of BBSL in small mammals, domestic mammals, and ticks collected from 159 sample sites across 42 counties in Yunnan Province. DNA was extracted from spleen tissue of small mammals, blood from domestic mammals, and homogenized ticks. Nested PCR targeting the 5S-23S rRNA intergenic spacer gene of BBSL was used for screening, with amplicons sequenced directly and analyzed using a BLAST algorithm. A total of 8,478 samples were collected, which were composed of 5,044 mammals belonging to 68 species, 1,927 livestock belonging to five species, and 1, 507 ticks belonging to 14 species. BBSL was detected in 147 mammals (2.9%) from 30 different species, 20 of which represent the first reported detection in that species. A total of 52 (2.7%) livestock samples were positive for BBSL, with dogs having the highest detection rate (6.3%, 43/687), and 103 ticks (6.8%) tested positive with high prevalence in Ixodes granulatus (44.2%, 23/52), Haemaphysalis nepalensi (33.3%, 3/9) and Haemaphysalis kolonini (19.0%, 31/163). Sequence analysis revealed six genospecies of BBSL including B. afzelii, B. burgdorferi sensu stricto, B. japonica, B. garinii, B. sinica, and B. valaisiana. Significant differences in prevalence rates of BBSL were observed by species, landscape types, altitude, and season. Our findings indicate a wide distribution of multiple endemic BBSL genospecies based on a large-scale survey within Yunnan, which underline the need to expand surveillance efforts for human in southwestern China.

Gaming strategies within a green supply chain considering consumers' concern about the greenness and conformance quality of products.

With the growing demand for green development, providing green and conformance quality improved products for sustainable growth and industrial upgrading is essential. However, the related literature rarely considers the improvement of product conformance quality in green supply chain management. This paper incorporates both into a framework for addressing the problem. We analyze the optimal strategies of a manufacturer responsible for conformance quality of product and greenness improvement and a retailer responsible for product marketing in a supply chain under four contracts: full cooperation, price-only contract, two-part tariff, and marketing cost-sharing. The results show that full cooperation and two-part tariffs lead to the same and highest product quality, greenness, overall profit, and social welfare, but full cooperation is difficult to achieve in the supply chain. For the profit-maximizing manufacturer and retailer, the manufacturer most prefers two-part tariff contracts, while the retailer prefers marketing cost-sharing because both achieve the highest profit in the preferred contract. In addition, under the price-only contract, the conformance quality of product and greenness is the lowest, and the profit levels for manufacturers and retailers are the lowest. In all four cases, increased environment and quality awareness contribute to improved product greenness and conformance quality, leading to higher profits for the manufacturer and retailer and higher social welfare.

Time-resolved spectral-image laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy for precise qualitative and quantitative analysis of milk powder quality by fully excavating the matrix information.

A novel and effective method named time-resolved spectral-image laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (TRSI-LIBS) was proposed to achieve precise qualitative and quantitative analysis of milk powder quality. To verify the feasibility of TRSI-LIBS, qualitative and quantitative analysis of milk powder quality was carried out. For qualitative analysis of foreign protein adulteration, the accuracy of models based on TRSI-LIBS was higher than those based on LIBS, with an accuracy improvement of about 5% to 10%. For the quantitative analysis of foreign protein adulteration and element content, the quantitative analysis models based on TSRI-LIBS also had better effect. For instance, limit of detection (LOD),determination coefficient of prediction (R2p), root-mean-square error of prediction (RMSEP) and average relative error of prediction (AREP) of quantitative model of calcium (Ca) content based on TRSI-LIBS improved from 1.47 mg/g, 0.95, 0.35 mg/g and 23.29% to 0.81 mg/g, 0.98, 0.20 mg/g and 12.60%.