Estimating the burden of acute gastrointestinal illness in the community in Gansu Province, northwest China, 2012-2013.

BACKGROUND: Acute gastrointestinal illness (AGI) imposes considerable social and economic burden on low and middle-income countries. This study aimed to estimate the occurrence, distribution, and burden of self-reported AGI in Gansu Province of northwest China, where economic growth rates have lagged far behind those of other regions in China and systematic studies to investigate the burden of AGI are still lacking. METHODS: Twelve-month, retrospective face-to-face surveys were conducted in three sentinel sites between June 2012 and May 2013. Respondents were asked if they had experienced diarrhoea or vomiting in the 28 days prior to the interview. RESULTS: In total, 2094 interviews were completed. The adjusted monthly prevalence was 8.5% with an incidence rate of 1.16 episodes of AGI per person-year. Healthcare was sought by 73.8% of those reporting illness. Of the cases who visited a doctor, 50.5% submitted a stool sample. The use of antibiotics was reported by 65.6% of the cases and 53.3% took antidiarrhoeals. In the multivariable model, age, household income and sentinel site were significant risk factors of being a case of AGI. CONCLUSIONS: The burden of AGI was considerable in Gansu Province of northwest China. Ongoing research to identify the main causes of AGI is needed for more accurate estimate of the burden of AGI in this region.

Extremely low genetic diversity indicating the endangered status of Ranodon sibiricus (Amphibia: Caudata) and implications for phylogeography.

BACKGROUND: The Siberian salamander (Ranodon sibiricus), distributed in geographically isolated areas of Central Asia, is an ideal alpine species for studies of conservation and phylogeography. However, there are few data regarding the genetic diversity in R. sibiricus populations. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We used two genetic markers (mtDNA and microsatellites) to survey all six populations of R. sibiricus in China. Both of the markers revealed extreme genetic uniformity among these populations. There were only three haplotypes in the mtDNA, and the overall nucleotide diversity in the mtDNA was 0.00064, ranging from 0.00000 to 0.00091 for the six populations. Although we recovered 70 sequences containing microsatellite repeats, there were only two loci that displayed polymorphism. We used the approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) method to study the demographic history of the populations. This analysis suggested that the extant populations diverged from the ancestral population approximately 120 years ago and that the historical population size was much larger than the present population size; i.e., R. sibiricus has experienced dramatic population declines. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Our findings suggest that the genetic diversity in the R. sibiricus populations is the lowest among all investigated amphibians. We conclude that the isolation of R. sibiricus populations occurred recently and was a result of recent human activity and/or climatic changes. The Pleistocene glaciation oscillations may have facilitated intraspecies genetic homogeneity rather than enhanced divergence. A low genomic evolutionary rate and elevated inbreeding frequency may have also contributed to the low genetic variation observed in this species. Our findings indicate the urgency of implementing a protection plan for this endangered species.

[Study on the identification of Illicium vatum Hook. f. and illicium lanceolatum A. C. Smith by multi-ateps infrared macro-fingerprint method].

Illicium vatum Hook. f. and its counterfeit Illicium lanceolatum A. C. Smith can be discriminated and identified by using multi-steps infrared maro-fingerprint method. The method combines three steps: general infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), secondary derivative spectroscopy and two dimensional correlation infrared spectroscopy (2D-IR). The resolution is getting higher and higher and the differences of spectra are magnified farther. The holistic shape of peaks is similar in the FTIR spectra of Illicium vatum Hook. f. and Illiciumrn lanceolatum A.C. Smith, but the spectra of llicium vatum Hook. f. show only one characteristic peak at 3 392 cm(-1), while the spectra of Illicium lanceolatum A. C. Smith show two characteristic peaks at 3482 and 3387 cm(-1), respectively. Observing their secondary derivative spectra, in the range of 850-1 180 cm(-1) the strongest peak of Ilicium vatum Hook. f. is at 1015 cm(-1) and the intensity of other strong peaks is similar. However, the strongest peak of Illicium lanceolatum A. C. Smith is at 1070 cm(-1). In 1180-1500 cm(-1), the intensity of peaks at 1469, 1454 and 1442 cm(-1) of Ilicium vatumrn Hook. f. is stronger than that of peaks at 1292, 1276, 1266 cm(-1). The status of Illicium lanceolatum A. C. Smith is just opposite. The distinction of 2D-IR correlation spectra is more obvious. In 1165-1500 cm(-1), the stronger automatic peaks of Ilicium vatum Hook. f. present at 1153 and 1000 cm(-1), respectively, but those of Illicium lanceolatum A. C. Smith present at 911 and 878 cm(-1), respectively. In 1165-1500 cm(-1), llicium vatum Hook. f. has two automatic peaks while Illicium lanceolatum A. C. Smith has five automatic peaks. The multi-steps IR macro-fingerprint method is rapid and effective.

[Effects of Cd stress on photosynthetic characteristics and nutrient uptake of cabbages with different Cd-tolerance].

With solution culture, this paper studied the plant growth, photosynthetic characteristics and nutrient uptake of two cabbage (Brassica oleracea L.) cultivars with different Cd-tolerance under treatments of 0, 20, 50 and 100 micromol Cd x L(-1). The results showed that the growth of Cd-sensitive cultivar Qiufeng was inhibited obviously even under low Cd concentration (20 micromol x L(-1)) stress. The net photosynthetic rate (P9, stomata1 conductance (Gs), photochemical efficiency of PS II (Fv/Fm) and quantum yield of electron flow through PS II (phi (PS II)) in its leaves and the dry weight of its shoots and roots declined sharply. However, negative impact on the growth and photosynthetic characteristics of Cd-tolerant cultivar Beinongzaosheng was only observed under high Cd concentration (50 and 100 micromol x L(-1)) stress. Cd stress decreased the contents of chlorophyll a and b, especially of chlorophyll b, which could be an important factor of photosynthesis inhibition. Under Cd stress, the Mn uptake by plant decreased significantly, and the transportation of Fe and Mg from roots to shoots was restrained, which were more obvious in Cd-sensitive than in Cd-tolerant cultivar. Cd stress promoted the P and S uptake by Cd-tolerant cultivar, but opposite results were observed in Cd-sensitive cultivar. Therefore, physiologically, the decrease of Mn, Fe, Mg, S and P concentrations in Cd-sensitive cultivar's leaves under Cd stress was the key reason for the restraint of leaf photosynthesis, and the decrease of plant growth.

[Studies on sex identification and variation of endogenous hormones in female and male plants of Gynostemma pentaphyllum].

OBJECTIVE: To distinguish female and male plants of Gynostemma pentaphyllum quickly and accurately in the stage of seedling and to understand the relation between sex differentiation and endogenous plant hormone. METHOD: Stained methods of BTB and enzyme linked immuno-sorbent Assay were used. RESULT: 10 Hours after being dyed, the liquid extract of female plants turned into yellow, while extract of male ones turned green. There were obvious differences on iPAs and GA(1 + 3) contents but no differences on IAA and ABA contents between male and female plants during the stages of seedling and vegetative growth. CONCLUSION: BTB can be used for distinguishing female and male plants and there were a certain relation between sex and endogenous plant hormones.