Comparison of antimicrobial resistant Enterobacterales isolates from the dairy production environment in low and high zinc containing regions.

Heavy metals occur naturally in the environment, and their concentration varies in soil across different regions. However, the presence of heavy metals may influence the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in bacterial populations. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate and characterise the antimicrobial resistance profiles of Enterobacterales in soil and bovine milk filters from high and low zinc-containing regions in Ireland. In total, 50 soil samples and 29 milk filters were collected from two geographic locations with varying soil zinc concentrations. Samples were cultured for the enumeration and detection of Enterobacterales. Specifically, extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacterales, carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales and ciprofloxacin-resistant Enterobacterales were isolated using selective media. Species identification was performed using MALDI-TOF. The phenotypic resistance profiles of selected Enterobacterales were determined by disk diffusion testing, following EUCAST and CLSI criteria; while, the genotypic resistance profiles of the same isolates were determined by whole genome sequencing (WGS). Heavy metal concentrations were also measured for all soil samples. A total of 40 antimicrobial resistant Enterobacterales were identified in soil (n = 31) and milk filters (n = 9). The predominant species detected in the high zinc-containing region was Escherichia coli in both sample types (soil n = 10, milk filters n = 2), while in the low zinc-containing region Serratia fonticola was predominant in soil samples (n = 8) and E. coli in milk filters (n = 4). Ten E. coli isolates identified from soil samples in the high zinc-containing region were multidrug resistant, showing resistance to all the antimicrobials tested, except for carbapenems. The WGS findings confirmed the phenotypic resistance results. Moreover, zinc resistance-associated genes and genes encoding for efflux pumps were identified. The current study revealed distinct phenotypic resistance profiles of Enterobacterales in low and high zinc-containing regions, and highlighted the benefit of utilising milk filters for AMR surveillance in dairy production.

Unique Ovarian Metastasis of Small-Cell Lung Cancer and Complete Response After Chemo-Immunotherapy: An Unusual Spread as a Predictor Factor.

A 41-year-old woman, never-smoker, accessed the emergency room for an episode of hemoptysis in September 2019. CT scan showed a defect of opacification in the left pulmonary artery and a solid mass of 12 cm in the left annex. PET confirmed high metabolic activity in the ovarian mass and, surprisingly, in the left hilar lung. The patient underwent a left annessiectomy and the histological examination showed a metastasis of small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) that mimicked a primary ovarian cancer. Fibrobronchoscopy and echo-guided biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of pulmonary SCLC. From January 2020, we started systemic therapy with carboplatin, etoposide, and atezolizumab. After six cycles of induction therapy with a complete response, thoracic and prophylactic cranial radiotherapy was done and maintenance therapy with atezolizumab was administered. After 53 months, the patient is still under treatment with a complete radiological response. This case report describes a rare instance of ovarian metastasis from SCLC that responded exceptionally well to immunotherapy. By reviewing literature from 1950 to the present, we identified other cases of ovarian metastases from SCLC, highlighting shared clinical and pathological traits and distinguishing them from primary ovarian tumors. We also examined the potential mechanisms behind the prolonged immunotherapy response observed in this case. As research on SCLC and immunotherapy evolves, this case may offer valuable insights into prognostic and predictive factors for this typically fatal cancer.

Physical Therapists in Primary Care in the United States: An Overview of Current Practice Models and Implementation Strategies.

In the United States, physician shortages and increases in noncommunicable disease burden have resulted in a growing demand for primary care providers (PCPs). Patients with physical and functional impairments have been especially affected by these challenges. However, physical therapists are well suited to meet patient needs in primary care settings by working alongside PCPs and other primary health care team members. When included in a primary care team, physical therapists can improve patient access to care, optimize care navigation, and reduce the overall cost of care. Therefore, the purpose of the current perspective was to (1) provide an overview of established integrated primary care models in the United States that include physical therapists in the care team and (2) outline operational and practice considerations for health care administrators and professionals interested in integrating physical therapists into primary care teams. IMPACT STATEMENT: Given physician shortages and increasing burden in primary care in the United States, inclusion of a physical therapist in a primary care team can improve patient access to care, optimize care navigation, and reduce the overall cost of care for patients with physical and functional needs.

Model-based prototype design, establishment and operation of ventilation system for underground gymnasium.

Underground small indoor gymnasiums (USIG) are important public places, it is vital to design and build a very economical and efficient ventilation system for effective closed-loop regulation of temperature and gases concentration at prescribed levels. In the article, the model-based prototype design, establishment and operation were proposed and applied to closed-loop control system of the underground small indoor gymnasiums' ventilation system (USIGVS). First of all, the extended Multiphysics model was developed through feedback connecting the 3D Multiphysics model of air flow rate, temperature, O2 and CO2 concentration with a 0D proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller via Neumann boundary condition, hence a close-loop USIGVS was constructed for feedback control of temperature and gases concentration in ping-pong USIG. Simultaneously, a cost function sufficiently representing the design requirement was formulated. Then global parameter sensitivity analysis (GPSA) was applied for sensitivity ranking of parameters including geometric parameters of USIGVS and tunable parameters of PID controller. The GPSA proved that sensitivity ordering of the cost function to each parameter was proportional gain (k p ) > derivative gain (k d ) > distance from left inlet to bottom (r) > distance from outlet pipe to bottom (d) > integrative gain (k i ) > distance from upper inlet pipe to left (h), respectively, and the k p , k d and r was the parameter influencing the cost function the most. The optimal parameters determined by both GPSA and response optimization were k p  = 3.17 m4 mol-1 s-1, k d  = 1.49 m4 mol-1, r = 2.04 m, d = 3.12 m, k i  = 0.37 m4 mol-1 s-2 and h = 3.85 m. Finally, the closed-loop USIGVS prototype with optimal parameters was designed and established through real-time simulation. The real-time operation confirmed that the temperature and gases concentrations were robust maintained at prescribed levels with desired dynamic response characteristics and lower power consumption, and the expected requirements were achieved for the design, establishment and operation of closed-loop USIGVS control system prototype.

Highly sensitive volumetric single-molecule imaging.

Volumetric subcellular imaging has long been essential for studying structures and dynamics in cells and tissues. However, due to limited imaging speed and depth of field, it has been challenging to perform live-cell imaging and single-particle tracking. Here we report a 2.5D fluorescence microscopy combined with highly inclined illumination beams, which significantly reduce not only the image acquisition time but also the out-of-focus background by ∼2-fold compared to epi-illumination. Instead of sequential z-scanning, our method projects a certain depth of volumetric information onto a 2D plane in a single shot using multi-layered glass for incoherent wavefront splitting, enabling high photon detection efficiency. We apply our method to multi-color immunofluorescence imaging and volumetric super-resolution imaging, covering ∼3-4 µm thickness of samples without z-scanning. Additionally, we demonstrate that our approach can substantially extend the observation time of single-particle tracking in living cells.

Adenosquamous Carcinoma of Gallbladder: A Rare Case Report.

Carcinoma of the gallbladder is an uncommon malignancy with a poor prognosis overall. Histologically, adenocarcinoma is the most common type of gallbladder carcinoma. Adenosquamous carcinoma is a rare histological type of gallbladder carcinoma comprising both the glandular and squamous elements. Adenosquamous carcinoma shows more aggressive behavior than adenocarcinomas and is often detected in a late advanced stage. Treatment is usually extended surgical resection but has a poor prognosis. We present a rare case of adenosquamous carcinoma with lymphovascular invasion in a 72-year-old male who was managed with extended cholecystectomy.

Left gastric vein to adrenal vein anastomosis: intraoperative solution for gastric venous congestion following extended distal pancreatectomy.

Extended distal pancreatectomy often requires resection of vascular structures and adjacent organs, potentially leading to gastric venous congestion. This case report describes a 49-year-old female who underwent radical antegrade modular pancreatosplenectomy for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. During the procedure, segmental gastric venous congestion was observed and resolved by anastomosing the left gastric vein to the left adrenal vein. The in-hospital postoperative recovery was initially uneventful; however, the patient was readmitted because of intra-abdominal fluid collection that was managed with antibiotics. Pathological examination confirmed moderately differentiated ductal adenocarcinoma with lymphovascular invasion. The patient received adjuvant mFOLFIRINOX therapy and remains disease-free 12 months after surgery with adequate patency of the anastomosis. This case highlights the importance of recognizing and addressing gastric venous congestion during radical antegrade modular pancreatosplenectomy to prevent complications, such as delayed gastric emptying or gastric necrosis, and proposes left gastric vein to left adrenal vein anastomosis as an effective intraoperative solution.

An Integrated Navigation Method Aided by Position Correction Model and Velocity Model for AUVs.

When autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) perform underwater tasks, the absence of GPS position assistance can lead to a decrease in the accuracy of traditional navigation systems, such as the extended Kalman filter (EKF), due to the accumulation of errors. To enhance the navigation accuracy of AUVs in the absence of position assistance, this paper proposes an innovative navigation method that integrates a position correction model and a velocity model. Specifically, a velocity model is developed using a dynamic model and the Optimal Pruning Extreme Learning Machine (OP-ELM) method. This velocity model is trained online to provide velocity outputs during the intervals when the Doppler Velocity Log (DVL) is not updating, ensuring more consistent and reliable velocity estimation. Additionally, a position correction model (PCM) is constructed, based on a hybrid gated recurrent neural network (HGRNN). This model is specifically designed to correct the AUV's navigation position when GPS data are unavailable underwater. The HGRNN utilizes historical navigation data and patterns learned during training to predict and adjust the AUV's estimated position, thereby reducing the drift caused by the lack of real-time position updates. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed VM-PCM-EKF algorithm can significantly improve the positioning accuracy of the navigation system, with a maximum accuracy improvement of 87.2% compared to conventional EKF algorithms. This method not only improves the reliability and accuracy of AUV missions but also opens up new possibilities for more complex and extended underwater operations.

Gram-negative bacterial colonization in the gut: Isolation, characterization, and identification of resistance mechanisms.

BACKGROUND: The gut microbiome is made up of a diverse range of bacteria, especially gram-negative bacteria, and is crucial for human health and illness. There is a great deal of interest in the dynamic interactions between gram-negative bacteria and their host environment, especially considering antibiotic resistance. This work aims to isolate gram-negative bacteria that exist in the gut, identify their species, and use resistance-associated gene analysis to define their resistance mechanisms. METHODS: Samples were collected from all patients who had a stool culture at a tertiary care center in Lebanon. Each type of bacteria that was identified from the stool samples was subjected to critical evaluations, and all discovered strains underwent antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Polymerase chain reaction was used to profile the genes for Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE), Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL), and that of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains. RESULTS: Escherichia coli, Klebsiella species, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa turned out to be the predominant microbiota members. Escherichia coli strains had a high frequency of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase genes, with the most discovered gene being bla CTX-M. Additionally, a considerable percentage of isolates had carbapenemase-resistant Enterobacteriaceae genes, suggesting the rise of multidrug-resistant strains. Multidrug resistance genes, such as bla mexR, bla mexB, and bla mexA, were found in strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, highlighting the possible difficulties in treating infections brought on by these bacteria. CONCLUSION: The findings highlight the critical importance of effective surveillance and response measures to maintain the effectiveness of antibiotics considering the introduction of multidrug resistance genes in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and ESBL and CRE genes in Escherichia coli.

Towards an ecologically valid naturalistic cognitive neuroscience of memory and event cognition.

The landscape of human memory and event cognition research has witnessed a transformative journey toward the use of naturalistic contexts and tasks. In this review, we track this progression from abrupt, artificial stimuli used in extensively controlled laboratory experiments to more naturalistic tasks and stimuli that present a more faithful representation of the real world. We argue that in order to improve ecological validity, naturalistic study designs must consider the complexity of the cognitive phenomenon being studied. Then, we review the current state of "naturalistic" event segmentation studies and critically assess frequently employed movie stimuli. We evaluate recently developed tools like lifelogging and other extended reality technologies to help address the challenges we identified with existing naturalistic approaches. We conclude by offering some guidelines that can be used to design ecologically valid cognitive neuroscience studies of memory and event cognition.

Active inference goes to school: the importance of active learning in the age of large language models.

Human learning essentially involves embodied interactions with the material world. But our worlds now include increasing numbers of powerful and (apparently) disembodied generative artificial intelligence (AI). In what follows we ask how best to understand these new (somewhat 'alien', because of their disembodied nature) resources and how to incorporate them in our educational practices. We focus on methodologies that encourage exploration and embodied interactions with 'prepared' material environments, such as the carefully organized settings of Montessori education. Using the active inference framework, we approach our questions by thinking about human learning as epistemic foraging and prediction error minimization. We end by arguing that generative AI should figure naturally as new elements in prepared learning environments by facilitating sequences of precise prediction error enabling trajectories of self-correction. In these ways, we anticipate new synergies between (apparently) disembodied and (essentially) embodied forms of intelligence. This article is part of the theme issue 'Minds in movement: embodied cognition in the age of artificial intelligence'.

Safe MPC-based disturbance rejection control for uncertain nonlinear systems with state constraints.

This paper studies a safe model predictive control (MPC)-based disturbance rejection control for a broad range of uncertain nonlinear systems subject to complex state safety constraints. The system under study is composed of a nominal model and an uncertain term that encapsulates modeling uncertainty, control mismatch, and external disturbances. In order to estimate the system state and total uncertainty, an extended state observer (ESO) is first designed. Utilizing the output of the ESO, the control compensates for the total uncertainty in real time and concurrently implements a control barrier function (CBF)-based MPC for the compensated system. The proposed control framework guarantees both safety and disturbance rejection. Compared to the baseline algorithm CBF-MPC, the proposed method significantly enhances system stability with a smaller root mean square (RMS) error of the system state from the equilibrium point. Rigorous theoretical analysis and simulation experiments are provided to validate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.

Nonlinear adaptive robust control of tank bidirectional stabilizers with dead zone compensation based on extended state observer.

In this paper, the problem of highly performance motion control of tank bidirectional stabilizer with dead zone nonlinearity and uncertain nonlinearity is addressed. First, the electromechanical coupling dynamics model of bidirectional stabilizer is developed finely. Second, the dead zone nonlinearity in bidirectional stabilizer is characterized as the combination of an uncertain time-varying gain and a bounded disturbance term. Meanwhile, an adaptive robust controller with dead zone compensation is proposed by organically combining adaptive technique and extended state observer (ESO) through backstepping method. The adaptive technique is employed to reduce the impact of unknown system parameter and dead zone parameter. Furthermore, the ESO is constructed to compensate the lumped uncertainties including unmodeled dynamics and dead zone residual, and integrated together via a feedforward cancellation technique. Moreover, the adaptive robust control law is derived to ensure final global stability. In stability analysis, the asymptotic tracking performance of the proposed controller can be guaranteed as the uncertainty nonlinearities in tank bidirectional stabilizer are constant. It is also guaranteed to achieve bounded tracking performance when time-varying uncertainties exist. Extensive co-simulation and experimental results verify the superiority of the proposed strategy.

Minds and markets as complex systems: an emerging approach to cognitive economics.

Cognitive economics is an emerging interdisciplinary field that uses the tools of cognitive science to study economic and social decision-making. Although most strains of cognitive economics share commitments to bridging levels of analysis (cognitive, behavioral, and systems) and embracing interdisciplinary approaches, we review a newer strand of cognitive economic thinking with a further commitment: conceptualizing minds and markets each as complex adaptive systems. We describe three ongoing research programs that strive toward these goals: (i) studying narratives as a cognitive and social representation used to guide decision-making; (ii) building cognitively informed agent-based models; and (iii) understanding markets as an extended mind - the Market Mind Hypothesis - analyzed using the concepts, methods, and tools of Coordination Dynamics.

Proteomic analysis of unicellular cyanobacterium Crocosphaera subtropica ATCC 51142 under extended light or dark growth.

The daily light-dark cycle is a recurrent and predictable environmental phenomenon to which many organisms, including cyanobacteria, have evolved to adapt. Understanding how cyanobacteria alter their metabolic attributes in response to subjective light or dark growth may provide key features for developing strains with improved photosynthetic efficiency and applications in enhanced carbon sequestration and renewable energy. Here, we undertook a label-free proteomic approach to investigate the effect of extended light (LL) or extended dark (DD) conditions on the unicellular cyanobacterium Crocosphaera subtropica ATCC 51142. We quantified 2287 proteins, of which 603 proteins were significantly different between the two growth conditions. These proteins represent several biological processes, including photosynthetic electron transport, carbon fixation, stress responses, translation, and protein degradation. One significant observation is the regulation of over two dozen proteases, including ATP dependent Clp-proteases (endopeptidases) and metalloproteases, the majority of which were upregulated in LL compared to DD. This suggests that proteases play a crucial role in the regulation and maintenance of photosynthesis, especially the PSI and PSII components. The higher protease activity in LL indicates a need for more frequent degradation and repair of certain photosynthetic components, highlighting the dynamic nature of protein turnover and quality control mechanisms in response to prolonged light exposure. The results enhance our understanding of how Crocosphaera subtropica ATCC51142 adjusts its molecular machinery in response to extended light or dark growth conditions.

Differentiating hand gestures from forearm muscle activity using machine learning.

This study explored the use of forearm electromyography data to distinguish eight hand gestures. The neural network (NN) and random forest (RF) algorithms were tested on data from 10 participants. As window sizes increase from 200 ms to 1000 ms, the algorithm accuracies increased with RF from 85% to 97% due to the increased temporal resolution. It was also noticed that the RF performed better with an accuracy of 85% than the NN with accuracy 80% when the temporal resolution was smaller, indicating the RF will be efficient when quick-response time is important. As the window size increases, the NN showed higher performance, suggesting that NN will be useful when higher accuracy is required. Future studies should increase the sample size, include more hand gestures, use different feature extraction methods and test different algorithms to improve the accuracy and efficiency of the system.

Phenotypic and molecular characterization of multidrug-resistant Enterobacterales isolated from clinical samples in Palestine: a focus on extended-spectrum ß-lactamase- and carbapenemase-producing isolates.

BACKGROUND: Infections resulting from multidrug-resistant Enterobacterales (MDR-E) pose a growing global threat, presenting challenges in treatment and contributing significantly to morbidity and mortality rates. The main objective of this study was to characterize phenotypically and genetically extended-spectrum ß-lactamase- and carbapenemase- producing Enterobacterales (ESBLE and CPE respectively) isolated from clinical samples in the West Bank, Palestine. METHODS: A cross sectional study was conducted in October 2023 on clinical bacterial isolates collected from five governmental hospitals in the West Bank, Palestine. The isolates obtained from the microbiology laboratories of the participating hospitals, underwent identification and antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) using the VITEK® 2 Compact system. ESBL production was determined by the Vitek2 Compact system. A modified carbapenem inactivation method (mCIM) was employed to identify carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE). Resistance genes were detected by real-time PCR. RESULTS: Out of the total 1380 collected isolates, we randomly selected 600 isolates for analysis. Our analysis indicated that 287 (47.83%) were extended-spectrum beta-lactamase producers (ESBLE), and 102 (17%) as carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) isolates. A total of 424 isolates (70.67%) were identified as multidrug-resistant Enterobacterales (MDRE). The most prevalent ESBL species were K. pneumoniae (n = 124; 43.2%), E. coli (n = 119; 41.5%) and E. cloacae (n = 31; 10.8%). Among the CRE isolates, 85 (83.33%) were carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE). The most frequent CRE species were K. pneumoniae (n = 63; 61.7%), E. coli (n = 25; 24.5%) and E. cloacae (n = 13; 12.8%). Additionally, 47 (7.83%) isolates exhibited resistance to colistin (CT), with 38 (37.62%) being CT-resistant CRE and 9 (3.14%) being CT-resistant ESBLE while sensitive to carbapenems. We noticed that 11 isolates (6 Klebsiella pneumoniae and 5 Enterobacter cloacae complex) demonstrated sensitivity to carbapenems by phenotype but carried silent CPE genes (1 blaOXA48, and 6 blaNDM, 4 blaOXA48, blaNDM). ESBL-producing Enterobacterales strains exhibited varied resistance patterns across different antibiotic classes. E. coli isolates showed notable 48% resistance to trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. K. pneumoniae isolates displayed a significant resistance to trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, nitrofurantoin, and fosfomycin (54%, 90%, and 70% respectively). E. cloacae isolates showed complete resistance to nitrofurantoin and fosfomycin. P. mirabilis isolates exhibited high resistance against fluoroquinolones (83%), and complete resistance to trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, nitrofurantoin and fosfomycin. CONCLUSION: This study showed the high burden of the ESBLE and CRE among the samples collected from the participating hospitals. The most common species were K. pneumoniae and E. coli. There was a high prevalence of blaCTXm. Adopting both conventional and molecular techniques is essential for better surveillance of the emergence and spread of antimicrobial-resistant Enterobacterales infections in Palestine.

A Comprehensive Study on Ruptured Liver Abscess in a Tertiary Care Center.

Background Bacteria and parasites cause liver abscesses (LAs), with the unusual but fatal consequence of ruptured LA. Along with the clinical signs of icterus, right upper quadrant pain, and a history of loose stools, patients present with non-specific symptoms such as fever, nausea, and generalized weakness. Consistent findings include male sex prevalence and frequent alcohol consumption. Leukocytosis, abnormal liver function, and an increased international normalized ratio have been identified by biochemical analysis; however, these findings are not specific to a ruptured LA diagnosis, and imaging is necessary to reach a definitive diagnosis. Ultrasonography usually confirms the diagnosis, and computed tomography is required in certain situations. In confined ruptures, percutaneous drainage combined with antibiotic therapy is typically the initial treatment course. Generally reserved for non-responders or moribund patients with delayed presentation, an open surgical approach may involve simple draining of a ruptured abscess or ileocecal resection, or right hemicolectomy in cases of large bowel perforations, both of which increase patient morbidity. A definite guide to management is still missing in the literature. In this article, we have discussed and correlated with data the predictors of surgery and preoperative predictors of perforation. Materials and methods This retrospective study was performed at Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi, between January 2022 and December 2023. The study included 115 patients diagnosed with ruptured LA by ultrasound. Medical records were analyzed, and various parameters of the illness, clinical features, hematological and biochemical profiles, ultrasound features, and therapeutic measures were noted and assessed. Results Of the 115 patients, 88% (n = 101) were male. The most common symptoms were abdominal pain (114 patients) and right upper abdominal tenderness (107 patients). Fifty-two patients were treated with percutaneous drainage, and 42 underwent laparotomy. Intercostal drainage (ICD) tubes were placed in 19 patients. Sixteen patients had large bowel perforations. Twenty-three patients died (20%), including 17 patients who underwent laparotomy and nine patients who had large bowel perforation (39.1% associated with overall mortality, 52.9% associated with mortality in laparotomy). One patient with percutaneous drainage and a right ICD tube died in the intensive care unit. Four patients died before intervention. Significant associations were noted between perforation and mortality in patients who underwent surgical drainage. Loose motions, alcohol and smoking consumption, and deranged creatinine and albumin levels were found to have a significant association with surgical drainage. Conclusion The study found that a ruptured liver abscess (LA) may require surgery to drain the collection or repair the pathological bowel, which increases the morbidity, but it is a lifesaving procedure over percutaneous catheter drainage. The study also identified factors associated with a higher risk of death, such as a history of loose stools and low blood albumin levels.

Successful immunosuppressive drug-free immune tolerance induction in hemophilia B with inhibitor and anaphylaxis to factor IX: A case report.

Recommendations advise factor IX desensitization before immune tolerance induction in severe hemophilia B, supported by immunosuppression. A child with inhibitor and anaphylaxis to factor IX showed successful immunosuppression-free immune tolerance induction using very low and slowly increasing doses of a factor IX extended-half-life product. Immune tolerance to factor IX based on this protocol merits further study.

Antibiotic-resistant characteristics and horizontal gene transfer ability analysis of extended-spectrum ß-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli isolated from giant pandas.

Extended-spectrum ß-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli (ESBL-EC) is regarded as one of the most important priority pathogens within the One Health interface. However, few studies have investigated the occurrence of ESBL-EC in giant pandas, along with their antibiotic-resistant characteristics and horizontal gene transfer abilities. In this study, we successfully identified 12 ESBL-EC strains (8.33%, 12/144) out of 144 E. coli strains which isolated from giant pandas. We further detected antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), virulence-associated genes (VAGs) and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) among the 12 ESBL-EC strains, and the results showed that 13 ARGs and 11 VAGs were detected, of which bla CTX-M (100.00%, 12/12, with 5 variants observed) and papA (83.33%, 10/12) were the most prevalent, respectively. And ISEcp1 (66.67%, 8/12) and IS26 (66.67%, 8/12) were the predominant MGEs. Furthermore, horizontal gene transfer ability analysis of the 12 ESBL-EC showed that all bla CTX-M genes could be transferred by conjugative plasmids, indicating high horizontal gene transfer ability. In addition, ARGs of rmtB and sul2, VAGs of papA, fimC and ompT, MGEs of ISEcp1 and IS26 were all found to be co-transferred with bla CTX-M. Phylogenetic analysis clustered these ESBL-EC strains into group B2 (75.00%, 9/12), D (16.67%, 2/12), and B1 (8.33%, 1/12), and 10 sequence types (STs) were identified among 12 ESBL-EC (including ST48, ST127, ST206, ST354, ST648, ST1706, and four new STs). Our present study showed that ESBL-EC strains from captive giant pandas are reservoirs of ARGs, VAGs and MGEs that can co-transfer with bla CTX-M via plasmids. Transmissible ESBL-EC strains with high diversity of resistance and virulence elements are a potential threat to humans, animals and surrounding environment.