Pleural empyema with endobronchial mass due to Rhodococcus equi infection after renal transplantation: A case report and review of literature.

BACKGROUND: Kidney transplantation is the best option for patients with end-stage renal disease. However, the need for lifelong immunosuppression results in renal transplant recipients being susceptible to various infections. Rhodococcus equi (R. equi) is a rare opportunistic pathogen in humans, and there are limited reports of infection with R. equi in post-renal transplant recipients and no uniform standard of treatment. This article reports on the diagnosis and treatment of a renal transplant recipient infected with R. equi 21 mo postoperatively and summarizes the characteristics of infection with R. equi after renal transplantation, along with a detailed review of the literature. CASE SUMMARY: Here, we present the case of a 25-year-old man who was infected with R. equi 21 mo after renal transplantation. Although the clinical features at the time of presentation were not specific, chest computed tomography (CT) showed a large volume of pus in the right thoracic cavity and right middle lung atelectasis, and fiberoptic bronchoscopy showed an endobronchial mass in the right middle and lower lobe orifices. Bacterial culture and metagenomic next-generation sequencing sequencing of the pus were suggestive of R. equi infection. The immunosuppressive drugs were immediately suspended and intravenous vancomycin and azithromycin were administered, along with adequate drainage of the abscess. The endobronchial mass was then resected. After the patient's clinical symptoms and chest CT presentation resolved, he was switched to intravenous ciprofloxacin and azithromycin, followed by oral ciprofloxacin and azithromycin. The patient was re-hospitalized 2 wk after discharge for recurrence of R. equi infection. He recovered after another round of adequate abscess drainage and intravenous ciprofloxacin and azithromycin. CONCLUSION: Infection with R. equi in renal transplant recipients is rare and complex, and the clinical presentation lacks specificity. Elaborate antibiotic therapy is required, and adequate abscess drainage and surgical excision are necessary. Given the recurrent nature of R. equi, patients need to be followed-up closely.

Effects of microhabitat characteristics on amphibian diversity in urban water system of Kaifeng, Henan, China.

Amphibians with a unique life history are extremely sensitive to environmental changes. They are important indicator species for environmental change. The construction of Kaifeng water system affects the habitat and biodiversity of amphibians. In this study, we investigated the amphi-bians in water system of Kaifeng by setting sample points and using visual encounter method, and measured the habitat variables. We quantified amphibian biodiversity under different habitat types using the Shannon diversity index, Pielou evenness index and Simpson dominance index, and explored the responses of amphibians to microhabitat variations by cluster analysis and redundancy analysis. The results showed that the diversity, evenness, and dominance of amphibians in the natural revetment were higher than those in the artificial hardened revetment, indicating a more stable amphibian population in the natural habitat. The dominance index of amphibians on natural revetment was higher than that of the two artificially hardened revetments, indicating that amphibians preferred natural habitat. The abundance of both Palophylax nigromaculata and Bufo gargarizans had significant positive correlation with night light intensity, while the abundance of P. plancyi was positively correlated with total phosphorus, and that of Fejervarya limnocharis was positively correlated with water pH. The protection of amphibians should be considered in the construction of urban water system in Kaifeng. The presence of more natural revetment would be of great significance to enhance amphibian biodiversity.

[Effects of environmental factors on the distribution of amphibians in agricultural landscape]. / å†œä¸šæ™¯è§‚ä¸­çŽ¯å¢ƒå› ç´ å¯¹ä¸¤æ –ç±»ç”Ÿç‰©åˆ†å¸ƒçš„å½±å“.

We analyzed the relationship between the distribution of amphibians and the environmental variables at the habitat level and landscape level in Fengqiu County of Henan Province, a typical region of the lower reaches of the Yellow River, with the support of geographic information system (GIS) and R software. At the habitat level, dissolved oxygen (DO), conductivity (COND), turbidity (TURB), NH3-N, pond-interior vegetation cover (VEGinterior), emergent vegetation cover (EMER), pond-edge vegetation cover (VEGedge), benthic fauna predators (PRE), and pond area (AREA) were selected as habitat variables. At the landscape level, total area of ponds (AP), distance to the nearest road (DR), total area of farmlands (AF), total area of woodlands (AW), Shannon’s diversity index (SHDI), and contagion index (CONTAG) were selected as explanatory variables, calculated within a buffer of 250, 500, 1000 and 2000 m around the centroid of each pond. The results showed that the distribution of Bufo gargarizans was mainly related to the PRE and landscape variables within the larger radius buffer zone (AW2000, DR2000, SHDI1000, CONTAG1000). The distribution of Pelophylax nigromaculata was closely related to the EMER and landscape variables within the smaller radius buffer zone (SHDI500). VEGinterior and PRE were the key factors determining the distribution of Pelophylax plancyi. Landscape variables (AF2000, SHDI2000) within the larger buffer radius were the most significant influencing factors on Fejervarya multistriata. For all amphibian species, the EMER and SHDI500 were variables that should be considered. For the protection of amphibian species in plain agricultural landscape, we suggested that conservation efforts should focus on improving the pond-interior vegetation cover, protecting the semi-permanent ponds, and enhancing the functional connectivity among ponds.

[Landscape preference of different stakeholders in highly intensive farming agricultural landscape.] / é«˜é›†çº¦åŒ–å†œä¸šæ™¯è§‚ä¸­ä¸åŒåˆ©ç›Šç›¸å ³è€ çš„æ™¯è§‚åå¥½.

Intensive agriculture is the way for production and management in modern agriculture, which increases the yield per unit area of farmland, brings a series of environmental and ecological problems, and limits the sustainability of agriculture. Landscape preference focuses on different stakeholders' preferences for landscape, reflects the influences of human's subjective feelings and behaviors on landscape. Based on the agricultural landscape of Fengqiu County in Henan Province, we investigated the characteristics of the landscape elements which stakeholders preferred and analyzed the reasons using the questionnaire survey and other related methods. We proposed several suggestions for future development of the agricultural landscape in study area. The results showed that stakeholders preferred the landscape element which is simple and easy to manage, and emphasized the production and economic functions of agricultural landscape. Experts and local environmentalists preferred the landscape elements with multiple functions and benefits, as well as complex landscape configurations with high heterogeneity, with the aim to develop the multifunctional agricultural landscape. Factors such as education level, professional background and types of intervie-wees had obvious influences on the landscape preference of stakeholders. The decision-making beha-vior of government, the degree of economic compensation, and the technological support of eco-agriculture would be the important factors determining the possible development of landscape structure and function in the future.

[Spatial variation of soil phosphorus in flooded area of the Yellow River based on GIS and geo-statistical methods: A case study in Zhoukou City, Henan, China.] / 基于GIS和地统计学的黄泛区土壤磷空间变异­­ä»¥å‘¨å£ä¸ºä¾‹.

Soil phosphorus is an important indicator to measure the soil fertility, because the content of soil phosphorus has an important effect on physical and chemical properties of soil, plant growth, and microbial activity in soil. In this study, the soil samples collecting and indoor analysis were conducted in Zhoukou City located in the flooded area of the Yellow River. By using GIS combined with geo-statistics, we tried to analyze the spatial variability and content distribution of soil total phosphorus (TP) and soil available phosphorus (AP) in the study area. Results showed that TP and AP of both soil layers (0-20 cm and 20-40 cm) were rich, and the contents of TP and AP in surface layer (0-20 cm) were higher than in the second layer (20-40 cm). TP and AP of both soil layers exhibited variation at medium level, and AP had varied much higher than TP. TP of both layers showed medium degree of anisotropy which could be well modeled by the Gaussian model. TP in the surface layer showed strong spatial correlation, but that of the second layer had medium spatial correlation. AP of both layers had a weaker scope in anisotropy which could be simulated by linear model, and both soil layers showed weaker spatial correlations. TP of both soil layers showed a slowly rising change from southwest to northeast of the study area, while it gradually declined from northwest to southeast. AP in soil surface layer exhibited an increase tendency firstly and then decrease from southwest to the northeast, while it decreased firstly and then increased from southeast to the northwest. AP in the second soil layer had an opposite change in the southwest to the northeast, while it showed continuously increasing tendency from northwest to the southeast. The contents of TP and AP in the surface layer presented high grades and the second layer of TP belonged to medium grade, but the second layer of AP was in a lower grade. The artificial factors such as land use type, cropping system, irrigation and fertilization were the main factors influencing the distribution and spatial variation of soil phosphorus in this area.

[Effects of landscape heterogeneity on the availability of amphibians' habitats in agricultural region on the lower reaches of the Yellow River, China.] / é»„æ²³ä¸‹æ¸¸å¹³åŽŸå†œä¸šæ™¯è§‚å¼‚è´¨æ€§å¯¹ä¸¤æ –ç±»ç”Ÿç‰©æ –æ¯åœ°å¯ç”¨æ€§çš„å½±å“.

SelectingFengqiu County in Henan Province, a typical region of the lower Yellow River, as the study area, adopting the analysis method of graph theory, with the support of geographic information systems (GIS) and R software, we analyzed the effects of landscape composition and landscape configuration, the mean pond size (MS), the number of ponds (NP), and distance to the nearest roads (DR), on habitat availability of amphibian species under different levels of dispersal ability (250, 500, 1000 and 2000 m), by referring the probability index of connectivity (PC) and the important value of patches (percentage of the variation in PC, dPCk) to the degree of availability of ponds for amphibians' breeding. The results indicated that the ponds availability for amphibians' breeding was closely related to MS, NP, and DR. Therein, MS and NP were the key factors determining the availability of ponds under the dispersal ability of 250 m, and then MS and DR were the most significant influencing factors on pond availability under the dispersal ability of 500 m. However, under the high dispersal ability (1000 and 2000 m), MS and NP were the most important factors determining the availability of ponds. Therefore, with regard to the protection of amphibian species and their habitats in plain agricultural landscape, the number, mean size, and distances to the nearest roads of ponds should be taken into full consideration.