Targeted inactivation of antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in a soil-lettuce system by combined polyvalent bacteriophage and biochar treatment.

High abundances of antibiotic-resistant pathogenic bacteria (ARPB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in agricultural soil-plant systems have become serious threats to human health and environmental safety. Therefore, it is crucial to develop targeted technology to control existing antibiotic resistance (AR) contamination and potential dissemination in soil-plant systems. In this work, polyvalent bacteriophage (phage) therapy and biochar amendment were applied separately and in combination to stimulate ARPB/ARG dissipation in a soil-lettuce system. With combined application of biochar and polyvalent phage, the abundance of Escherichia coli K-12 (tetR) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 (ampR + fosR) and their corresponding ARGs (tetM, tetQ, tetW, ampC, and fosA) significantly decreased in the soil after 63 days' incubation (p < 0.05). Similar results for endophytic K-12 and PAO1, and ARGs, were also obtained in lettuce tissues following combined treatment. Additionally, high throughput sequencing revealed that biochar and polyvalent phage synergetically improved the structural diversity and functional stability of the indigenous bacterial communities in soil and the endophytic ones in lettuce. Hence, this work proposes a novel biotechnology that combines biochar amendment and polyvalent phage therapy to achieve targeted inactivation of ARPB, which stimulates ARG dissipation in soil-lettuce systems.

'Agricultural Waste to Treasure' - Biochar and eggshell to impede soil antibiotics/antibiotic resistant bacteria (genes) from accumulating in Solanum tuberosum L.

Soil contamination with antibiotics and antibiotic resistant bacteria/genes (ARB/ARGs) has becoming an emerging environmental problem. Moreover, the mixed pollutants' transfer and accumulation from soil to tuberous vegetables has posed a great threat against food security and human health. In this work, the application of two absorbing materials (maize biochar and sulfate modified eggshell) was able to reduce the poisonous effect of soil antibiotics on potato root system by stimulate the dissipation of water-soluble antibiotics in soil; and also improve food quality by increasing potato starch, protein, fat, and vitamins. Meanwhile, both amendments could effectively decrease the classes and the accumulative abundance of ARB and ARGs (sulI, sulII, catI, catII, ermA, ermB) in the edible parts of potato. The lowest abundance of ARGs was detected in the biochar application treatment, with the accumulative ARG level of 8.9 × 102 and 7.2 × 102 copies mL-1 in potato peel (sull + catI + ermA) and tuberous root (sulI), respectively. It is the first study to demonstrate the feasibility of biochar and eggshell derived from agricultural wastes as green absorbing materials to reduce soil antibiotic, ARB, and ARGs accumulation risk in tuberous vegetable.

[Clinical observation of acupuncture at trigone of urinary bladder for urination dysfunction induced by spinal cord injury].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical efficacy differences between regular acupuncture combined with acupuncture at trigone of urinary bladder and simple regular acupuncture for treatment of urination dysfunction induced by spinal cord injury. METHODS: Sixty patients were randomized into an observation group and a control group, 30 cases in each one. The control group was treated with regular acupuncture at Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Zusanli (ST 36), Zhongwan (CV 12) and Tianshu (ST 25), etc. Based on the treatment of control group, the observation group was additionally treated with intensive needling at trigone of urinary bladder, once a day, 30 min per treatment. Ten treatments were considered as one course, and there was an interval of two days between courses, 4 courses of treatment were given in two groups. The improvement of urination function in two groups was evaluated, and the efficacy of urination function in two groups was compared. RESULTS: After treatment, the times of urine leakage, maximum urine output, bladder capacity and residual urine were all improved in two groups (all P<0.05). The improvement of times of urine leakage, bladder capacity and residual urine in the observation group was superior to that in the control group (all P<0.05). The total effective rate was 96.7% (29/30) in the observation group, which was superior to 83.3% (25/30) in the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The efficacy of regular acupuncture combined with intensive needling at trigone of urinary bladder on urination dysfunction induced by spinal cord injury is significantly superior to that of simple regular acupuncture.