Aortic endograft infection secondary to Burkholderia pseudomallei: A case report and review of the literature.

Aortic graft infection is a rare complication after endovascular aneurysm repair that is usually caused by gram-positive organisms such as Staphylococcus spp or gram-negative organisms such as Enterobacteriaceae or Salmonella spp. We have presented a unique case of a patient with acute graft infection secondary to Burkholderia pseudomallei. Because treatment of B. pseudomallei infections is challenging owing to its inherent resistance to multiple antibiotics, we have proposed an approach for managing similar cases in the future. Lifestyle advice on avoiding soil exposure in the postoperative period after endovascular aneurysm repair might be an important preventative measure in endemic regions.

Spatial identification and determinants of trade-offs among multiple land use functions in Jiangsu Province, China.

Understanding the relationships among multiple land use functions (LUFs) is crucial for land-based spatial planning that can guide targeted land use policy-making in complex socio-ecological systems. However, few studies concerned the interactions among various LUFs integrating the issues of economy, environment, and society at a fine scale. In this study, we quantified 12 LUFs using a geospatial model and statistical analysis at the grid scale in Jiangsu Province. Then, we identified the relationships among three primary LUFs-agricultural production function (APF), urban-rural living function (ULF), and ecological maintenance function (EMF)-and further explored the determinants of LUF trade-offs aimed to provide a reference for policy-makers to make decisions in future land use planning and management. The results revealed that the high trade-off areas for APF and ULF are mainly distributed in central and northern Jiangsu, and the trade-offs for both APF-EMF and ULF-EMF were higher in the area covered with water and forest. The determinants of LUF trade-offs mainly refers to land use/land cover, potential evapotranspiration, and vegetation coverage ratio. Moreover, landscape configuration metrics and distance to the nearest county and nearest road also have remarkable impacts on the trade-offs of APF-EMF and ULF-EMF. Finally, we proposed that the concepts of LUF trade-offs should be incorporated into the processes of delineating boundaries for urban growth, farmland, and natural areas. We also propose that land consolidation projects should be implemented in an orderly manner to alleviate LUF trade-offs.

Spatial identification and dynamic analysis of land use functions reveals distinct zones of multiple functions in eastern China.

Land use function (LUF) is a valuable concept that allows for more integrated assessments of land system change. Identifying the changes and relationships of multiple LUFs is pertinent to land use planning and management. Selection and quantification of LUF indicators are critical for LUFs assessment. However, past studies have mostly assessed LUFs using socioeconomic data, which are not suitable for spatial variable quantification. In this study, we proposed a new LUFs classification system based on spatial planning goals, and we applied the system to assess 12 LUFs across 63 counties in Jiangsu Province of eastern China based on multi-source data using geospatial modeling tools combined with statistical analysis of socioeconomic data. We also analyzed the change in LUFs between 2000 and 2015, as well as the interactions among multiple functions. Finally, we identified distinct function zones based on the LUFs assessment in 2000 and 2015 using k-means clustering. The result showed that 12 LUFs displayed significant changes and interactions between 2000 and 2015, which can be explained by differing topography and social-ecological characteristics among counties. Additionally, we found four distinct LUF zones that are spatially agglomerated in similar landscapes and characterize specific LUF relationships in each cluster. In the future, local LUFs and their changes over time should be taken into consideration for land use planning and management, which provide a reference for policy-makers to make decisions that better match local development realities.

Evaluating and predicting the effectiveness of farmland consolidation on improving agricultural productivity in China.

Food security has always been a focus issue in China. Farmland consolidation (FC) was regarded as a critical way to increase the quantity and improve the quality of farmland to ensure food security by Chinese government. FC projects have been nationwide launched, however few studies focused on evaluating the effectiveness of FC at a national scale. As such, an efficient way to evaluate the effectiveness of FC on improving agricultural productivity in China will be needed and it is critical for future national land consolidation planning. In this study, we selected 7505 FC projects completed between 2006 and 2013 with good quality Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) as samples to evaluate the effectiveness of FC. We used time-series Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer NDVI from 2001 to 2013, to extract four indicators to characterize agricultural productivity change of 4442 FC projects completed between 2006 and 2010, i.e., productivity level (PL), productivity variation (PV), productivity potential (PP), and multi-cropping index (MI). On this basis, we further predicted the same four characteristics for 3063 FC projects completed between 2011 and 2013, respectively, using Support Vector Machines (SVM). We found FC showed an overall effective status on improving agricultural productivity between 2006 and 2013 in China, especially on upgrading PL and improving PP. The positive effect was more prominent in the southeast and eastern China. It is noteworthy that 27.30% of all the 7505 projects were still ineffective on upgrading PL, the elementary improvement of agricultural productivity. Finally, we proposed that location-specific factors should be taken into consideration for launching FC projects and diverse financial sources are also needed for supporting FC. The results provide a reference for government to arrange FC projects reasonably and to formulate land consolidation planning in a proper way that better improve the effectiveness of FC.

Efficacy and pharmacological mechanism of pronase-enhanced low-dose antibiotics for Helicobacter pylori eradication.

This study examined the efficacy and pharmacological mechanism of pronase-assisted low-dose antibiotics for eradication of Helicobacter pylori. Mongolian gerbils infected with H. pylori received 7-day treatment (omeprazole, different concentrations of pronase, amoxicillin, and clarithromycin), and the efficacy was assessed using the eradication rate and the colonization of H. pylori. In Mongolian gerbils orally administered pronase, the thickness of the gastric mucous layer (GML) was examined using immunohistochemical and alcian blue staining, and the concentrations of amoxicillin in gastric tissue and serum were detected using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The eradication rates were 80.0% (12/15) in the high-pronase quadruple group (HPQG) and 86.7% (13/15) in the high-antibiotic group (HAG) (P = 1.000). The antibiotic dose in the HPQG was only 1/20 that in the HAG. Thirty minutes after oral treatment with pronase, the sticky protein of the GML was hydrolyzed, and the GML became thinner. Higher amoxicillin concentrations in both the gastric tissue and serum were observed in the pronase group than in the Am10 group. The concentration of amoxicillin in the Am10-plus-Pr108 group in gastric tissue was 3.8 times higher than in the Am10 group in 5 min. Together, these data suggest that pronase significantly reduced the dose of antibiotics used in H. pylori eradication. The pharmacological mechanism is likely pronase removal of the mucus layer, promoting chemical factor (i.e., gastric acid and pepsinogen) distribution and increasing the antibiotic concentrations in the deep GML, which acted on H. pylori collectively. Thus, pronase may enhance the level of antibiotics for eradication of H. pylori in the clinic.

Distinct roles of oxidative stress and antioxidants in the nucleus dorsalis and red nucleus following spinal cord hemisection.

Oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathogenesis of neurodegeneration after the acute central nervous system injury. We reported previously that increased nitric oxide (NO) production following spinal cord hemisection tends to lead to neurodegeneration in neurons of the nucleus dorsalis (ND) that normally lacks expression of neuronal NO synthase (nNOS) in opposition to those in the red nucleus (RN) that constitutively expresses nNOS. We wondered whether oxidative stress could be a mechanism underlying this NO involved neurodegeneration. In the present study, we examined oxidative damage evaluated by the presence of 4-hydroxynonenal (HNE) and iron accumulation and expression of putative antioxidant enzymes heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in neurons of the ND and RN after spinal cord hemisection. We found that HNE expression was induced in neurons of the ipsilateral ND from 1 to 14 days following spinal cord hemisection. Concomitantly, iron staining was seen from 7 to 14 days after lesion. HO-1, however, was only transiently induced in ipsilateral ND neurons between 3 and 7 days after lesion. In contrast to the ND neurons, HNE was undetectable and iron level was unaltered in the RN neurons after spinal cord hemisection. HO-1, SOD-Cu/Zn and SOD-Mn were constitutively expressed in RN neurons, and lesion to the spinal cord did not change their expression. These results suggest that oxidative stress is involved in the degeneration of the lesioned ND neurons; whereas constitutive antioxidant enzymes may protect the RN neurons from oxidative damage.

Trachea relaxing effects and beta2-selectivity of SPFF, a newly developed bronchodilating agent, in guinea pigs and rabbits.

In this paper we evaluated the bronchodilator effects of SPFF [2-(4-amino-3-chloro-5-trifluomethyl-phenyl)-2-tert-butylamino-ethanol chloride], a newly synthesized beta(2) adrenergic agonist in guinea pigs and rabbits, in comparison with other beta(2) adrenergic agonists, isoprenaline or salbutamol. We studied in vitro the bronchodilator effects of SPFF and isoprenaline on isolated guinea pig trachea strips with or without the precontraction of bronchocontractors (acetylcholine and histamie). The positive chronotropic effects of SPFF and isoprenaline on isolated guinea pig left atria were also tested in vitro. Potency values (pD(2), pA(2) or ED(50)) were determined from the cumulative concentration-response curves. The results showed that SPFF and isoprenaline dose-dependently relaxed the isolated guinea pig trachea strips and the pD(2) values of both drugs were 7.66+/-0.68 and 8.79+/-0.19, respectively. Moreover, we confirmed that the bronchodilator effect of SPFF was due to the activation of beta(2) adrenoceptor because this effect was easily antagonized by ICI-118551 (pA(2) 8.90+/-0.01), a specific beta(2) adrenoceptor antagonist. SPFF also dose-dependently relaxed the isolated guinea pig trachea strip precontraction with acetylcholine or histamine with ED(50) values of 10.2+/-0.7 microM and 550+/-38.2 nM, respectively. Furthermore, the positive chronotropic effect of SPFF on isolated guinea pig left atria (pD(2) 5.41+/-0.38) was much weaker than that of isoprenaline (pD(2) 8.75+/-0.24), which implied that SPFF was more selective to airway beta(2) adrenoceptor than isoprenaline; the beta(1)/beta(2) selectivity assay also showed that SPFF was about 162 times more selective to beta(2) adrenoceptor than isoprenaline. A radioligand binding experiment using guinea pig lung and cardiac ventricle as beta(2) and beta(1) adrenoceptor sources, respectively, also demonstrated that SPFF possesses high affinity (27.3 nM) and selectivity (4.6 fold) to beta(2) adrenoceptors. The protective effects of SPFF and salbutamol on bronchospasm induced by bronchoconstrictor aerosol in guinea pigs in vivo were investigated, and the Konzett and Rössler experiment in rabbits in vivo was also carried out. SPFF significantly prolonged the latency time of histamine and acetylcholine induced asphyxiation collapse in guinea pigs: the ED(50) value of SPFF i.g. was 0.32+/-0.05 mg.kg(-1) in this experiment. Meanwhile, the ED(50) values of salbutamol was 2.37+/-0.22, which meant that the bronchorelaxation effect of salbutamol was about 6 times less potent than that of SPFF. The Konzett and Rössler experiment performed in anesthetized rabbit showed that intraduodenal administration of SPFF exerted action of longer duration than salbutamol. From the results above we suggested that SPFF was a potent, long-acting bronchodilator with relatively higher beta(2) adrenoceptor selectivity.