Antimicrobial resistance and population genomics of emerging multidrug-resistant Salmonella 4,[5],12:i:- in Guangdong, China.

Salmonella 4,[5],12:i:-, a monophasic variant of Salmonella Typhimurium, has emerged as a global cause of multidrug-resistant salmonellosis and has become endemic in many developing and developed countries, especially in China. Here, we have sequenced 352 clinical isolates in Guangdong, China, during 2009-2019 and performed a large-scale collection of Salmonella 4,[5],12:i:- with whole genome sequencing (WGS) data across the globe, to better understand the population structure, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genomic characterization, and transmission routes of Salmonella 4,[5],12:i:- across Guangdong. Salmonella 4,[5],12:i:- strains showed broad genetic diversity; Guangdong isolates were found to be widely distributed among the global lineages. Of note, we identified the formation of a novel Guangdong clade (Bayesian analysis of population structure lineage 1 [BAPS1]) genetically diversified from the global isolates and likely emerged around 1990s. BAPS1 exhibits unique genomic features, including large pan-genome, decreased ciprofloxacin susceptibility due to mutation in gyrA and carriage of plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) genes, and the multidrug-resistant IncHI2 plasmid. Furthermore, high genetic similarity was found between strains collected from Guangdong, Europe, and North America, indicating the association with multiple introductions from overseas. These results suggested that global dissemination and local clonal expansion simultaneously occurred in Guangdong, China, and horizontally acquired resistance to first-line and last-line antimicrobials at local level, underlying emergences of extensive drug and pan-drug resistance. Our findings have increased the knowledge of global and local epidemics of Salmonella 4,[5],12:i:- in Guangdong, China, and provided a comprehensive baseline data set essential for future molecular surveillance.IMPORTANCESalmonella 4,[5],12:i:- has been regarded as the predominant pandemic serotype causing diarrheal diseases globally, while multidrug resistance (MDR) constitutes great public health concerns. This study provided a detailed and comprehensive genome-scale analysis of this important Salmonella serovar in the past decade in Guangdong, China. Our results revealed the complexity of two distinct transmission modes, namely global transmission and local expansion, circulating in Guangdong over a decade. Using phylogeography models, the origin of Salmonella 4,[5],12:i:- was predicted from two aspects, year and country, that is, Salmonella 4,[5],12:i:- emerged in 1983, and was introduced from the UK, and subsequently differentiated into the local endemic lineage circa 1991. Additionally, based on the pan-genome analysis, it was found that the gene accumulation rate in local endemic BAPS 1 lineage was higher than in other lineages, and the horizontal transmission of MDR IncHI2 plasmid associated with high resistance played a major role, which showed the potential threat to public health.

[Construction and application of virtual simulation teaching platform for in-hospital emergency nursing of craniofacial injury patients].

PURPOSE: To construct a virtual simulation teaching platform for in-hospital emergency nursing of craniofacial injury patients by virtual simulation technology, and to evaluate its application effect. METHODS: Through virtual reality, animation, human-computer interaction and other technologies, a 3D experiment scene based on high simulation virtual human was constructed to reproduce the virtual rescue scenes of craniofacial injury patients, such as emergency reception, first-aid cooperation, massive hemorrhage rescue cooperation, and tracheotomy cooperation in emergency rescue of sudden airway obstruction, and exercise modules and assessment modules were set. In the virtual simulation platform, the students used the holistic nursing theory and the PDCA cycle method to observe, evaluate and care for craniofacial injury patients. Preliminary evaluation of the platform was carried out in the training of 62 dental nurses. RESULTS: The virtual simulation platform could improve students' comprehensive first-aid ability for craniofacial injury patients. The item with the highest satisfaction rate for the virtual simulation platform was the consistency between the content of the virtual simulation platform and the theoretical course (the satisfaction rate was 91.9%), and the lowest satisfaction rate was the convenience of the virtual simulation platform operation and the page setting (the satisfaction rate was 80.6%). The evaluation module of the virtual simulation platform showed that the highest score of the comprehensive evaluation was 97, the lowest score was 56, and the average score was 80.2. CONCLUSIONS: The virtual simulation teaching platform for in-hospital first aid of craniofacial injury patients can create an immersive learning mode, provide an intuitive rescue experience to the students, and improve their comprehensive first-aid ability.

Confining Co-Based Nanocatalysts by Ultrathin Nanotubes for Efficient Transfer Hydrogenation of Biomass Derivatives.

Catalytic transfer hydrogenation (CTH) based on non-noble-metal catalysts has emerged as an environmentally friendly way for the utilization of biomass resources. However, the development of efficient and stable non-noble-metal catalysts is crucially challenging due to their inherent inactivity. Herein, a metal-organic framework (MOF)-transformed CoAl nanotube catalyst (CoAl NT160-H) with unique confinement effect was developed via a "MOF transformation and reduction" strategy, which exhibited excellent catalytic activity for the CTH reaction of levulinic acid (LA) to γ-valerolactone (GVL) with isopropanol (2-PrOH) as the H donor. Comprehensive characterizations and experimental investigations uncovered that the confined effect of the ultrathin amorphous Al2O3 nanotubes could modulate the electronic structure and enhance the Lewis acidity of Co nanoparticles (NPs), thus contributing to the adsorption and activation of LA and 2-PrOH. The synergy between the electropositive Co NPs and Lewis acid-base sites of the CoAl NT160-H catalyst facilitated the transfer of α-H in 2-PrOH to the C atom of carbonyl in LA during the CTH process via a Meerwein-Ponndorf-Verley mechanism. Moreover, the confined Co NPs embedded on am-Al2O3 nanotubes endowed the CoAl NT160-H catalyst with superior stability and the catalytic activity was nearly unchanged for at least ten cycles, far surpassing that of the Co/am-Al2O3 catalyst prepared by the traditional impregnation method.

Hybrid MOF Template-Directed Construction of Hollow-Structured In2 O3 @ZrO2 Heterostructure for Enhancing Hydrogenation of CO2 to Methanol.

Direct hydrogenation of CO2  to methanol using green hydrogen has emerged as a promising method for carbon neutrality, but qualifying catalysts represent a grand challenge. In2 O3 /ZrO2  catalyst has been extensively applied in methanol synthesis due to its superior activity; however, the electronic effect by strong oxides-support interactions between In2 O3  and ZrO2  at the In2 O3 /ZrO2  interface is poorly understood. In this work, abundant In2 O3 /ZrO2  heterointerfaces are engineered in a hollow-structured In2 O3 @ZrO2  heterostructure through a facile pyrolysis of a hybrid metal-organic framework precursor MIL-68@UiO-66. Owing to well-defined In2 O3 /ZrO2  heterointerfaces, the resultant In2 O3 @ZrO2  exhibits superior activity and stability toward CO2  hydrogenation to methanol, which can afford a high methanol selectivity of 84.6% at a conversion of 10.4% at 290 °C, and 3.0 MPa with a methanol space-time yield of up to 0.29 gMeOH  gcat -1  h-1 . Extensive characterization demonstrates that there is a strong correlation between the strong electronic In2 O3 -ZrO2  interaction and catalytic selectivity. At In2 O3 /ZrO2  heterointerfaces, the electron tends to transfer from ZrO2  to In2 O3  surface, which facilitates H2  dissociation and the hydrogenation of formate (HCOO*) and methoxy (CH3 O*) species to methanol. This study provides an insight into the In2 O3 -based catalysts and offers appealing opportunities for developing heterostructured CO2  hydrogenation catalysts with excellent activity.

Moringa oleifera Lam. Peptide Remodels Intestinal Mucosal Barrier by Inhibiting JAK-STAT Activation and Modulating Gut Microbiota in Colitis.

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), but progress in exploring its pathogenesis and finding effective drugs for its prevention and treatment has stalled in recent years. The seeds of Moringa oleifera Lam. are rich in proteins known to have multiple physiological activities. In our earlier work, we had isolated and purified a peptide (MOP) having the sequence KETTTIVR, from M. oleifera seeds; however, its anti-inflammatory activity and mechanism in vivo were unclear. Here we used the dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis model to study the anti-inflammatory activity and mechanism of this MOP. Our results are the first to show that MOP can ameliorate the pathological phenotype, inflammation, and intestinal barrier disruption in mice with colitis. Furthermore, RNA sequencing revealed that MOP inhibits the Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK-STAT) pathway activation. Next, by using 16s rRNA gene sequencing, we found that MOP can ameliorate DSS-induced gut microbiota dysbiosis. In addition, an untargeted metabolomics analysis suggested that MOP is able to modulate the level of lipid and amino acid metabolites in IBD-stricken mice. Altogether, these results indicate that MOP ameliorates colitis by remodeling intestinal mucosal barrier by inhibiting JAK-STAT pathway's activation and regulating gut microbiota and its metabolites, thus providing a basis for further processing and design of bioactive foods from M. oleifera seeds.

[Value of autism screening checklists in the early identification of autism spectrum disorder].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the value of autism screening checklists in the early identification of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). METHODS: A total of 2 571 children who attended the Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University and completed autism screening and diagnostic test were enrolled as subjects, among whom 2 074 were diagnosed with ASD, 261 were diagnosed with global developmental delay (GDD), 206 were diagnosed with developmental language disorder (DLD), and 30 had normal development. The sensitivity, specificity, and optimal threshold value of the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT) and the Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC) for the early identification of ASD were evaluated by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. RESULTS: The M-CHAT had a high sensitivity of 88.3% but a low specificity of 36.0% for the identification of ASD. Its sensitivity decreased with age, and was maintained above 80% for children aged 16 to < 48 months. The ABC had a high specificity of 87.3% but a low sensitivity of 27.2%, with an optimal cut-off value of 47.5 based on the ROC curve analysis. The multivariate linear regression model based on a combination of the M-CHAT and ABC for screening of ASD showed a specificity of 85.8% and a sensitivity of 56.6%. CONCLUSIONS: The M-CHAT has a high sensitivity and a low specificity in the identification of ASD, with a better effect in children aged 16 to < 48 months. The ABC has a high specificity and a low sensitivity. The multiple linear regression model method based on the combined M-CHAT and ABC to screen ASD appears to be effective.

Identification of crucial genes associated with lung adenocarcinoma by bioinformatic analysis.

Lung cancer is the world's most common malignancies and ranks first among all cancer-related deaths. Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the most frequent histological type in lung cancer. Its pathogenesis has not yet been fully elucidated, so it is of great significance to explore related genes for elucidating the molecular mechanism involved in occurrence and development of LUAD.To explore the crucial genes associated with LUAD development and progression, microarray datasets GSE7670, GSE10072, and GSE31547 were acquired from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. R language Limma package was adopted to screen the differentially expressed genes (DEGs). The clusterProfiler package was used for enrichment analysis and annotation of the Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genome (KEGG) pathways for DEGs. The Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes database (STRING) was used to construct the protein interaction network for DEGs, while Cytoscape was adopted to visualize it. The functional module was screened with Cytoscape's MCODE (The Molecular Complex Detection) plugin. The crucial genes associated with LUAD were identified by cytoHubba plugin. Kaplan-Meier plotter online tool was used to perform survival analysis of the hub gene.Three hundred twenty-one DEGs in total were screened, of which 105 were upregulated and 216 were downregulated. It was found that some GO terms and pathways (e.g., collagen trimer, extracellular structure organization, heparin binding, complement and coagulation cascades, malaria, protein digestion and absorption, and PPAR signaling pathway) were considerably enriched in DEGs. UBE2C, TOP2A, RRM2, CDC20, CCNB2, KIAA0101, BUB1B, TPX2, PRC1, and CDK1 were identified as crucial genes. Survival analysis showed that the overexpression of UBE2C, TOP2A, RRM2, CDC20, CCNB2, KIAA0101, BUB1B, TPX2, and PRC1 significantly reduced the overall survival of LUAD patients. One of the crucial genes: UBE2C was validated by immunohistochemistry to be upregulated in LUAD tissues.This study screened out potential biomarkers of LUAD, providing a theoretical basis for elucidating the pathogenesis and evaluating the prognosis of LUAD.

[Effect of Foliar Zinc Application on Bioaccessibility of Cadmium and Zinc in Pakchoi].

Two cultivars of pakchoi with different cadmium (Cd) accumulation were grown in nutrient solutions containing low and sufficient zinc (Zn) levels. ZnSO4 and ZnNa2 EDTA were applied as foliar fertilizers. The bioaccessibilities of Cd and Zn in pakchoi were assessed by the in vitro digestion method, and the bioaccessible established daily intakes (BEDI) of Cd and Zn from pakchoi were calculated. The effect of foliar zinc application on concentrations, bioaccessibilities, and BEDIs of Cd and Zn in pakchoi was evaluated. Results show that the Cd concentrations in shoots of the tested pakchoi cultivars under sufficient Zn condition were significantly lower than those under low Zn condition, and foliar application of ZnNa2 EDTA significantly decreased the Cd concentrations of pakchoi. The tested pakchoi cultivars with sufficient Zn had a significantly higher mean shoot Zn concentration than those with low Zn. Foliar Zn treatments significantly increased shoot Zn concentrations of pakchoi, with the highest in the ZnSO4 treatment. Cd bioaccessibility in the tested pakchoi cultivars with sufficient Zn was significantly lower than that with low Zn. Foliar applied Zn could significantly reduce Cd bioaccessibility in the gastric phase, with a maximal reduction of 35.81% compared to the control. Foliar treatment with ZnSO4 could significantly decrease Cd bioaccessibility in the small intestinal phase, with a maximal reduction of 59.24% compared to the control. Foliar Zn treatments reduced significantly the Zn bioaccessibility of pakchoi in the gastric and small intestinal phases, with a maximal reduction of 68.90% compared to the control. The reduction of Zn bioaccessibility was higher in the ZnSO4 treatment than in the ZnNa2 EDTA treatment. Via the consumption of the Cd-contaminated common cultivar Hanlv, the BEDI values of Cd were higher than that of the provisional tolerable daily intake (PTDI) standard of WHO [0.83 µg·(kg·d)-1]. However, via the consumption of the low-Cd accumulating cultivar Huajun or pakchoi with foliar application of ZnSO4, the BEDI values of Cd decreased significantly and were below the PTDI value. Via the consumption of pakchoi in the control or low-level ZnNa2 EDTA treatments, the BEDI values of Zn were below that of the recommended nutrient intake for Zn. However, via the consumption of pakchoi with foliar application of ZnSO4 or high-level ZnNa2 EDTA, the BEDI values of Zn were higher than that of the recommended nutrient intake and met the human needs for Zn from vegetables. Under the ZnSO4 treatment, the BEDI values of Zn from pakchoi were the highest. In conclusion, foliar zinc application could significantly reduce the bioaccessibilities of Cd and Zn in pakchoi and the BEDI values of Cd and increase the BEDI values of Zn. Foliar application with ZnSO4 was the most suitable treatment to reduce Cd intake and increase Zn intake from pakchoi.

Diterpenoids with thioredoxin reductase inhibitory activities from Jatropha multifida.

Chemical investigation of the Jatropha multifida has led to the isolation of nine diterpenoids (1-9), including a new jatromulone A, four podocarpane diterpenoids (2-5), two lathyrane-type diterpenoids (6 and 7) and two dinorditerpenoids (8 and 9). Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis, and the absolute configurations of 1 were determined by CD analysis. All of the diterpenoids were screened for inhibitory activity against thioredoxin reductase (TrxR), which is a potential target for cancer chemotherapy with redox balance and antioxidant functions. Compounds 6 and 7 exhibited stronger activity (IC50: 23.4 and 10.6 µM, respectively) than the positive control, curcumin (IC50 = 25.0 µM). Compounds 2-9 were isolated from J. multifida for the first time.

[Isolation, identification and inhibition activity of endophytes in Fengdan].

Endophytes were isolated and purified from the roots of medicinal plant Fengdan also known as Paeonia suffruticosa from Tongling region, Anhui province, China. Morphology and molecular biology methods were applied to indentify the endophyte strains. And methods of growth rate and filtering paper were also used for studying antibacterial/antifungal effects of the strains. As a result, 129 endophyte strains were isolated. Fifty-eight endophytic fungi strains were identified as 6 species in 4 genera and the dominant genus was Fusarium. Seventy-one endophytic bacteria strains were identified as 9 species in 3 genera and the dominant genus was Bacillus. Inhibitory diameter with endophytic fermenting liquid of Pseudomonas chlororaphis, F. nematophilum and B. megaterium from P. suffruticosa against Staphyloccocus aureus, Escherichia coli and B. subtilis reached 25.0,20.2,24.0 mm respectively. The inhibition rate of endophytic fermenting liquid from F. nematophilum against Penicillium sp. and Colletotrichum dematium reached 90.6% and 83.3%, respectively. The inhibition effect of P. chlororaphis against F. oxysporum f. sp. niveum and Mucor sp. was good and the antifungal rate reached 80.0% and 84.9%, respectively. P. suffruticosa in Tongling region contains abundant endophytes. P. chlororaphis and F. nematophilum are valuable species as starting strain about microbicide.

[Reflectance characteristics of rare earth solution with different concentrations].

In the present paper, ten aqueous samples which contain-different concentrations of REE were collected in south Jiangxi province, and the reflectance spectra and the concentrations of REE were measured by analytical spectral devices (ASD) FieldSpec-3 reflectance spectroscopy and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), respectively. The results show that the spectra presented mix characteristics of pure water and rare earth oxide. In addition, six diagnostic absorption features caused by REE in visible and near-infrared wavelengths were detected. Then, relative absorption depths of the six absorption wavelength were calculated by the ratio spectra of sample spectra and pure water spectra. Finally, concentrations of total REE of ten samples and relative absorption depths of the six absorption wavelength were selected as two factors, and their relationship was perfectly described using linear regression analysis in which correlation coefficient was up to 96%-97%. The study provides a new method for quantitative estimation of different concentrations of dissolved REE in aqueous media, and strengthens theoretical basis for hyperspectral information extraction of REE.

[Three-dimensional fluorescence properties of sodium butyl naphthalene sulfonate in aqueous solution].

Three-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy is a new and effective chemical analysis method and is employed in water environment more and more widely. But the utilization is limited by the bottleneck, i. e. shortage of fluorescence data of contaminants in aqueous solution. This paper presents the three-dimensional fluorescence properties of a toxic contaminant, sodium butyl naphthalene sulfonate, in aqueous solution. There existed four peaks at about lambda(ex)/em = 230/340, 280/340, 225/650 and 280/650 nm respectively. The intensity of all the peaks except the peak at 225/650 nm increased as the concentration augmented, while the intensity of peak at 225/650 nm increased as the concentration augmented when the concentration was less than 0.5 mg x L(-1), and decreased as the concentration augmented when the concentration was greater than 0.5 mg x L(-1). The pH would lead to the variation in the fluorescence intensity vary rather than to change the peak location. The fluorescence intensities were stable when pH was in the range of 2-10. The study indicates that it is feasible to measure sodium butyl naphthalene sulfonate directly with the fluorescence intensity at 280/340 nm. The linear range is between 0 and 0.033 3 mg x L(-1). This simple and rapid method could provide reliable results without complex pretreatment.

Aluminium content of some processed foods, raw materials and food additives in China by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry.

The level of aluminium in 178 processed food samples from Shenzhen city in China was evaluated using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Some processed foods contained a concentration of up to 1226 mg/kg, which is about 12 times the Chinese food standard. To establish the main source in these foods, Al levels in the raw materials were determined. However, aluminium concentrations in raw materials were low (0.10-451.5 mg/kg). Therefore, aluminium levels in food additives used in these foods was determined and it was found that some food additives contained a high concentration of aluminium (0.005-57.4 g/kg). The results suggested that, in the interest of public health, food additives containing high concentrations of aluminium should be replaced by those containing less. This study has provided new information on aluminium levels in Chinese processed foods, raw materials and a selection of food additives.