Spatial Heterogeneity of Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Pulmonary Disease in Shanghai: Insights from a Ten-Year Population-Based Study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the spatial heterogeneity of nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease (NTM-PD) in Shanghai. METHODS: A population-based retrospective study was conducted using presumptive pulmonary tuberculosis surveillance data of Shanghai between 2010 and 2019. The study described the spatial distribution of NTM-PD notification rates, employing hierarchical Bayesian mapping for high-risk areas and the Getis-Ord Gi* statistic to identify hot spots and explore associated factors. RESULTS: Of 1652 NTM-PD cases, the most common species was Mycobacterium kansasii complex (MKC) (41.9%), followed by Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) (27.1%) and Mycobacterium abscessus complex (MABC) (16.2%). MKC-PD patients were generally younger males with a higher incidence of pulmonary cavities, while MAC-PD patients were more often farmers or had a history of tuberculosis treatment. MKC-PD hot spots were primarily located in the areas alongside the Huangpu River, while MAC-PD hot spots were mainly in the western agricultural areas. Patients with MKC-PD and MAC-PD exhibited a higher risk of spatial clustering compared to those with MABC-PD. CONCLUSIONS: Different types of NTM-PD exhibit distinct patterns of spatial clustering and are associated with various factors. These findings underscore the importance of environmental and host factors in the epidemic of NTM-PD.

Dual-Scale Spiral Material for Balancing High Load Bearing and Sound Absorption.

Porous materials with sound absorption and load-bearing capabilities are in demand in engineering fields like aviation and rail transportation. However, achieving both properties simultaneously is challenging due to the trade-off between interconnected pores for sound absorption and mechanical strength. Inspired by quilling art, a novel design using spiral material formed by rolling planar materials into helical structures is proposed. Experimental results show high structural strength through self-locking mechanisms, while double porosities from interlayer spiral slits and aligned submillimeter pores provide excellent sound absorption. These spiral sheets surpass foam aluminum in specific strength (up to 5.1 MPa) and approach aerogels in sound absorption (average coefficient of 0.93 within 0-6400 Hz). With its adaptability to various planar materials, this spiral design allows for hybrid combinations of different materials for multi-functionality, paving the way for designing advanced, lightweight porous materials for broad applications.

Drug resistance profile of Mycobacterium kansasii clinical isolates before and after 2-month empirical antimycobacterial treatment.

OBJECTIVES: Mycobacterium kansasii pulmonary disease is frequently misdiagnosed and treated as tuberculosis, especially in countries with high tuberculosis burden. This study aimed to investigate the drug resistance profile of M.kansasii in patients with M.kansasii pulmonary disease in Shanghai and to determine the variations in drug resistance after 2 months of antimycobacterial treatment. METHODS: All patients with a diagnosis of M.kansasii pulmonary disease from 2017 to 2019 in Shanghai were retrospectively analysed. Whole-genome sequencing was performed, and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) to antimycobacterial drugs was measured using the broth microdilution method. RESULTS: In total, 191 patients had a diagnosis of M.kansasii pulmonary disease. Of them, 24.1% (46/191) had persistent positive culture after 2 months of antimycobacterial treatment. Whole-genome sequencing revealed that the 46 paired isolates had a difference of <17 single nucleotide polymorphisms, thus excluding the possibility of exogenous reinfection. More than 90% of the baseline isolates were sensitive to rifampin, clarithromycin, moxifloxacin, or amikacin, whereas a high resistance to ethambutol (118/191, 61.8%) and 4 µg/mL of isoniazid (32/191, 16.8%) were observed. Two isolates presented high resistance to rifamycin (i.e. a rifampin MIC of >8 µg/mL and a rifabutin MIC of 8 µg/mL) both containing the rpoB mutation (S454L). The increase of MIC to rifampin, ethambutol, and/or isoniazid was identified in 50.0% (23/46) of the patients. DISCUSSION: A high prevalence of innate resistance to ethambutol and isoniazid was observed among circulating M.kansasii clinical strains in Shanghai. The increase in drug resistance under empirical antimycobacterial treatment highlighted the urgency of definitive species identification before initiating treatment.

Whole-genome sequencing for surveillance of fluoroquinolone resistance in rifampicin-susceptible tuberculosis in a rural district of Shanghai: A 10-year retrospective study.

Background: Fluoroquinolones (FQs) are the most important second-line anti-tuberculosis (anti-TB) drugs, primarily used for the treatment of multidrug- or rifampicin-resistant TB (MDR/RR-TB). However, FQs are also commonly used to treat other bacterial infections. There are few published data on the rates of FQ resistance among rifampicin-susceptible TB. Methods: We used whole-genome sequencing (WGS) to determine the prevalence of FQ resistance among rifampicin-susceptible TB in a rural district of Shanghai. This was a population-based retrospective study of all culture-positive pulmonary TB patients diagnosed in the Chongming district of Shanghai, China during 2009-2018. Results: The rate of FQ resistance was 8.4% (29/345) among TB, 6.2% (20/324) among rifampicin-susceptible TB, and 42.9% (9/21) among MDR/RR-TB. Transmission of FQ-resistant strains was defined as strains differing within 12 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) based on WGS. Among the rifampicin-susceptible TB, 20% (4/20) of FQ resistance was caused by the transmission of FQ-resistant strains and 45% (9/20) of FQ resistance was identified as hetero-resistance. Conclusions: The prevalence of FQ resistance in rifampicin-susceptible TB was higher than expected in Shanghai. Both the transmission and the selection of drug-resistant strains drive the emergence of FQ resistance in rifampicin-susceptible TB isolates. Therefore, the WGS-based surveillance system for TB should be urgently established and the clinical awareness of the rational use of FQs for respiratory infections should be enhanced to prevent the premature occurrence of FQ resistance.

Mechanical Properties of a Soy Protein Isolate-Grafted-Acrylate (SGA) Copolymer Used for Wood Coatings.

Changing demands have led to rapidly growing interest in the modification of waterborne wood coatings. To improve the performance of a polyacrylate wood coating, especially the strength, hardness, and abrasion resistance of the film, a soy protein isolate-grafted-acrylate (SGA) copolymer was prepared in an aqueous solution with ammonium persulfate (APS) as an initiator and sodium pyrosulfite (SPS) as an unfolding agent for the soybean protein isolate (SPI). The emulsion was characterized using transmission electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and a particle size analyzer. Furthermore, the mechanical properties of the film, including the tensile strength, elastic modulus, elongation at break, and pencil hardness, were measured. The results showed that the glass transition temperature of the polyacrylic resin decreased to 35 °C after the SPI grafting. The elastic modulus of the film increased from 0.317 to 46.949 MPa, and the elongation at break decreased from 453.133% to 187.125% as the addition of SPI varied from 0 to 4 g, respectively. The pencil hardness of the wood coating increased from HB to 3H. This paper proposes a feasible route for the utilization of SPI for wood coatings.

Recurrent tuberculosis in an urban area in China: Relapse or exogenous reinfection?

Recurrent tuberculosis is an important indicator of the effectiveness of tuberculosis control and can occur by relapse or exogenous reinfection. We conducted a retrospective cohort study on all bacteriologically confirmed tuberculosis cases that were successfully treated between 2000 and 2012 in Shanghai, an urban area with a high number but a low prevalence rate of tuberculosis cases and a low prevalence of HIV infection. Genotyping the Mycobacterium tuberculosis from clinical isolates was used to distinguish between relapse and reinfection. In total, 5.3% (710/13,417) of successfully treated cases had a recurrence, a rate of 7.55 (95% CI 7.01-8.13) episodes per 1000 person-years, more than 18 times the rate of tuberculosis in the general population. Patients who were male, age 30-59, retreatment cases, had cavitation, diabetes, drug-resistant or multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in their initial episode of tuberculosis, were at high risk for a recurrence. Among 141 recurrent cases that had paired isolates, 59 (41.8%) had different genotypes, indicating reinfection with a different strain. Patients who completed treatment were still at high risk of another episode of tuberculosis and exogenous reinfection contributed a significant proportion of the recurrent tuberculosis cases. Targeted control strategies are needed to prevent new tuberculosis infections in this setting.

Performance of an Ultraviolet Mutagenetic Polyphosphate-Accumulating Bacterium PZ2 and Its Application for Wastewater Treatment in a Newly Designed Constructed Wetland.

Total phosphorus (TP) removal performance and application for wastewater treatment of polyphosphate-accumulating bacteria (PAB) in constructed wetlands (CWs) were investigated. In this study, a novel isolated ultraviolet (UV) mutant PZ2 with phosphate-accumulating ability was screened from domestic wastewater and identified as Pseudomonas putida by 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sequencing analysis. The TP removal performance of PZ2 in the synthetic wastewater reached the highest of 93.95 % within 45 h. Two vertical subsurface flow CWs planted with two aquatic macrophytes Canna indica and Acorus calamus were newly designed. After inoculating PZ2 into two CWs within 45 h, the average chemical oxygen demand (COD), TP, and ammonia-nitrogen (NH3-N) removal efficiencies reached 68.50, 60.22, and 66.81 %, respectively. Vegetation type and filter size significantly influenced the TP removal capability of PZ2 in CWs. Meanwhile, considerable qualitative differences were found in the pollutant removal efficiencies of PZ2 with and without CWs in synthetic wastewater. These results could also indicate potential applications of the UV mutagenesis in PAB isolation and the newly designed CWs in wastewater treatments.

Performance of trichlorfon degradation by a novel Bacillus tequilensis strain PA F-3 and its proposed biodegradation pathway.

The novel trichlorfon (TCF)-degrading bacterium PA F-3, identified as Bacillus tequilensis, was isolated from pesticide-polluted soils by using an effective screening and domesticating procedure. The TCF biodegradation pathways of PA F-3 were also systematically elucidated. As revealed by high-performance liquid chromatography, the TCF residues in the mineral salt medium demonstrated that PA F-3 can utilize TCF as its sole carbon source and reach the highest degradation of 71.1 % at an initial TCF concentration of 200 mg/L within 5 days. The TCF degradation conditions were optimized using response surface methodology as follows: temperature, 28 °C; inoculum amount, 4 %; and initial TCF concentration, 125 mg/L. Biodegradation treatments supplemented with exogenous carbon sources and yeast extract markedly increased the microbial dry weights and TCF-degrading performance of PA F-3, respectively. Meanwhile, five metabolic products of TCF were identified through gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, and a biodegradation pathway was proposed. Results indicated that deoxidation and dehydration (including the cleavage of the P-C phosphonate bond and the C-O bond) were the preferred metabolic reactions of TCF in this TCF-degrading bacterium.

Biodegradation of the Organophosphate Trichlorfon and Its Major Degradation Products by a Novel Aspergillus sydowii PA F-2.

Trichlorfon (TCF) is an important organophosphate pesticide in agriculture. However, limited information is known about the biodegradation behaviors and kinetics of this pesticide. In this study, a newly isolated fungus (PA F-2) from pesticide-polluted soils was identified as Aspergillus sydowii on the basis of the sequencing of internal transcribed spacer rDNA. This fungus degraded TCF as sole carbon, sole phosphorus, and sole carbon-phosphorus sources in a mineral salt medium (MSM). Optimal TCF degradation conditions were determined through response surface methodology, and results also revealed that 75.31% of 100 mg/L TCF was metabolized within 7 days. The degradation of TCF was accelerated, and the mycelial dry weight of PA F-2 was remarkably increased in MSM supplemented with exogenous sucrose and yeast extract. Five TCF metabolic products were identified through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. TCF could be initially hydrolyzed to dichlorvos and then be degraded through the cleavage of the P-C bond to produce dimethyl hydrogen phosphate and chloral hydrate. These two compounds were subsequently deoxidized to produce dimethyl phosphite and trichloroethanal. These results demonstrate the biodegradation pathways of TCF and promote the potential use of PA F-2 to bioremediate TCF-contaminated environments.