Effects of the pesticide carbendazim on broiler chicken health and carbendazim residue levels in broiler tissues.

Pesticide residues may enter the human body through the food chain when livestock and poultry consume pesticide-contaminated feed. Therefore, monitoring and limiting pesticide residues in animal feed and animal-origin foods is necessary. Carbendazim is one of the most frequently detected pesticides in food and feed and has various toxic effects on non-target animals. This study investigated the effects of varying concentrations of carbendazim contamination in feed on broiler chicken growth performance, serum biochemical indicators, histopathology, and carbendazim residues in broiler muscles and livers. The results demonstrated that contamination of 5-100 mg/kg carbendazim in feed did not affect broiler growth performance or health. Carbendazim contamination in feed at 200-800 mg/kg slightly reduced growth performance. Broiler kidneys showed minor histopathological alterations after 400 mg/kg carbendazim exposure. Furthermore, when the carbendazim content in feed was less than 25 mg/kg, the residual carbendazim in the muscles and livers of broilers did not exceed the maximum residue level set by the European Union and China. Based on the above findings, carbendazim residues in the feed of less than 25 mg/kg can be considered safe for chicken products.

Dietary Bacillus velezensis KNF-209 supplementation improves growth performance, enhances immunity, and promotes gut health in broilers.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary Bacillus velezensis KNF-209 (BV-KNF-209) on the growth performance, immunity, and gut health of broilers. A total of 540 one-day-old male Cobb-500 broilers were randomly divided into 5 groups of 6 replicates with 18 broilers per replicate. Dietary treatments were corn-soybean meal basal diets supplemented with 0, 50, 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg BV-KNF-209 (CON, BV 50, BV 100, BV 200, and BV 400 groups, respectively) for 42 d. Compared with the CON group, the average daily gains (ADG) at 0 to 42 d in the BV 100 and BV 200 groups were significantly increased (P < 0.01), and the feed-to-gain (F:G) ratios were significantly decreased at 0 to 21 d (P < 0.01) and 0 to 42 d (P < 0.05). The BV 200 and BV 400 groups had higher serum immunoglobulin M (IgM) levels at d 21 and 42 (P < 0.05). The serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were significantly decreased in the BV 50, BV 100, and BV 200 groups at d 21 (P < 0.05), and serum IL-1ß and IL-6 levels were also reduced in the BV 100 and BV 200 groups at d 42 (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, increased interleukin-10 (IL-10) levels in the jejunal and ileal mucosa at d 42 were observed in the BV 100, BV 200, and BV 400 groups (P < 0.05), while the IL-1ß and IL-6 levels (P < 0.01) were decreased. The BV 200 and BV 400 groups showed significantly higher activities of lipase and trypsin (P < 0.05) in jejunal digesta as well as higher activities of amylase and trypsin (P < 0.01) in ileal digesta at d 42. The cecal acetic acid and propionic acid levels in the BV groups and lactic acid levels in the BV 50, BV 100, and BV 200 groups (P < 0.05) were significantly higher compared to those in the CON group. Overall, dietary BV-KNF-209 supplementation significantly improved broiler growth performance, an effect that may have been achieved by heightening immunity, increasing digestive enzyme activity, and raising intestinal short-chain fatty acids and lactic acid levels.

Prevalence of inappropriate use of nirmatrelvir-ritonavir antiviral therapy in hospitalized patients: A multi-centre retrospective study in China.

BACKGROUND: Nirmatrelvir-ritonavir (NMVr) is a recently developed antiviral agent for treating coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); however, data describing its appropriate use are scarce. This study examined the prevalence of inappropriate use of NMVr in a Chinese hospital setting. METHODS: A multi-centre retrospective chart review was performed for all hospitalized patients who received NMVr between 15 December 2022 and 15 February 2023 in four university-affiliated hospitals in Hangzhou, China. A multi-disciplinary team of experts developed the evaluation criteria. A group of senior clinical pharmacists examined and verified the suitability of NMVr prescriptions. RESULTS: In total, 247 patients received NMVr during the study period, of which 13.4% (n=31) met all the criteria for appropriate use of NMVr. The main types of inappropriate use of NMVr were delayed initiation of treatment (n=147, 59.5%), no dose adjustment for moderate renal impairment (n=46, 18.6%), use in patients with severe-to-critical COVID-19 (n=49, 19.8%), presence of contra-indicated drug‒drug interactions with other medications (n=36, 14.6%), and prescription for patients without a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 (n=36, 14.6%). CONCLUSIONS: The proportion of inappropriate use of NMVr was particularly high in the Chinese hospital setting, highlighting the urgent need to improve the appropriate use of NMVr.

Conductivity Evaluation of Horizontal Wells in Coalbed Methane Reservoirs: Applicability of Micromaterial Tracer Testing Technology.

Horizontal well-staged fracturing technology is widely used in the exploitation of coalbed methane reservoirs. Most coalbed methane wells have little or no flowback fluid after fracturing due to strong adsorption in the reservoir. The fracture conductivity of each fracturing interval can only be evaluated in the water drainage and gas production stage. Traditional chemical tracer monitoring technologies are risky to operate and do not provide accurate qualitative measurements. The potential applicability of trace material tracer testing technology in coalbed methane reservoirs has theoretical and practical significance, as does establishing a set of fracturing tracer technologies (e.g., reagent systems, construction schemes, detection interpretation) suitable for coalbed methane horizontal wells. Geological, laboratory, and field test data are used in this study to preliminarily resolve the trace material tracer adsorption problem in the coalbed by improving the chemical agent formula. The proposed method is applied to determine the conductivity of a fractured section in a coalbed methane well.

Effects of Dietary 1,8-Cineole Supplementation on Growth Performance, Antioxidant Capacity, Immunity, and Intestine Health of Broilers.

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of 1,8-cineole on antioxidant capacity, immunity, and intestinal health of broilers. A total of 540 1-day-old Arbor Acres (AA) male broilers were randomly divided into five treatments with six replicates per treatment, and 18 broilers per replicate for 42 days. Dietary treatments were a corn−soybean meal basal diet supplemented with 0, and 10, 20, 30, and 40 mg/kg 1,8-cineole, respectively. Dietary supplementation with 20~30 mg/kg of 1,8-cineole increased the ADG from d 22 to 42 and d 1 to 42 (p < 0.05), and decreased the FCR (p < 0.05). Dietary supplementation of 10~40 mg/kg of 1,8-cineole increased total antioxidant capacity (TAOC) in serum (p < 0.05), and decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) level in the liver on day 21 (p < 0.05). The supplementation of 20~30 mg/kg of 1,8-cineole increased the activity of total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) in the serum and liver and TAOC in the serum and the liver (p < 0.05), and decreased the level of MDA in the serum and the liver (p < 0.05) on day 42. Dietary supplementation with 20~30 mg/kg of 1,8-cineole increased serum immunoglobulin A, immunoglobulin G, and immunoglobulin M contents on day 21 (p < 0.05). On day 21, dietary supplementation of 20~30 mg/kg of 1,8-cineole increased the VH and VH/CD (p < 0.05) in the jejunum and ileum. The supplementation of 20~30 mg/kg of 1,8-cineole increased the content of secretory immunoglobulin A in the duodenum and ileum mucosa on d 42 (p < 0.05). In conclusion, dietary supplementation of 1,8-cineole improves the growth performance of broilers by enhancing antioxidant capacity, immunity, and intestinal morphology.

Combined effects of chlorpyrifos and cyfluthrin on neurobehavior and neurotransmitter levels in larval zebrafish.

Chlorpyrifos and cyfluthrin are insecticides commonly used in agriculture. The mixed residues of chlorpyrifos and cyfluthrin in the aquatic environment may have combined effects on nontarget species. Therefore, studying the combined toxic effects and mechanisms of pesticide mixtures is of great significance to environmental risk assessment. To evaluate the risk of combined exposure, we examined the effects of both compounds, separately and together, on motor activity, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, and neurotransmitter levels in larval zebrafish. Chlorpyrifos exposure significantly reduced functional motor capacity (swim distance and velocity) and enhanced meandering, while cyfluthrin exposure alone had no significant effects on swim parameters. However, combined exposure significantly reduced total swimming distance and mean velocity and increased meandering. Both compounds alone and the combination significantly reduced AChE activity, and the combined effect was antagonistic. Combined exposure also significantly altered the concentrations of serotonin, serotonin precursors, and dopamine precursors, as well as concentrations of the amino acid neurotransmitters glycine, alanine, and aspartic acid. Combined exposure to chlorpyrifos and cyfluthrin exhibited distinct joint action modes in terms of neurobehavior, AChE activity, and neurotransmitter levels, thereby providing an experimental basis for assessing the combined exposure to chlorpyrifos and cyfluthrin's environmental risk.

Antagonistic effects and mechanisms of carbendazim and chlorpyrifos on the neurobehavior of larval zebrafish.

Residues from multiple pesticides are frequently detected on vegetables, which may produce combined toxicity not predicted by individual toxicity data. As these combined effects present additional dangers to food safety, we have compared individual to combined effects for a variety of pesticides. Carbendazim and chlorpyrifos are the two most commonly detected pesticides in vegetables, and previous studies reported that combined exposure results in synergistic developmental toxicity to zebrafish embryos. In this study, individual and combined effects on zebrafish motor activity were examined following individual and combined exposure to assess nervous system toxicity. Further, transcriptomics methods were used to identify potential molecular mechanisms for individual and combined toxicity. Carbendazim alone induced a disorganized swim pattern characterized by increased angular velocity, turn angle, meander, and acceleration during light-dark transition, while chlorpyrifos alone reduced average swim speed and light-dark acceleration. Combined treatment significantly reduced average swim velocity and total distance traveled. Combination indices indicated strong antagonism between compounds for average speed and light-dark acceleration. Transcriptomics (RNA-seq) showed that carbendazim significantly altered the expression of genes involved in antigen processing and presentation, apoptosis, autophagy, and metabolism, including ctslb, cyp7a1, hsp70l, and ugt1a1. Alternatively, chlorpyrifos significantly altered genes involved in various nervous system-related pathways, including glutamatergic, GABAergic, dopaminergic, and calcium signaling. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis suggested that chlorpyrifos significantly downregulated genes related to light transduction, resulting in decreased sensitivity to light-dark transitions, while antagonism mainly reflected divergent effects on phototransduction and retinol metabolism. Carbendazim had no significant effects on vision-related genes such as gnat1 and gngt1, while chlorpyrifos downregulated expression, an effect reversed by the combination. Comprehensive toxicity analyses must include joint effects of co-applied pesticides for enhanced food safety.

Antagonistic Effects of Enrofloxacin on Carbendazim-Induced Developmental Toxicity in Zebrafish Embryos.

Carbendazim (CAR) and enrofloxacin (ENF) are frequently detected in fruits and meat products, respectively. Since most people consume fruits, vegetables, and meat products, combined exposure is possible, necessitating further evaluation of toxic interactions. In this study, the developmental toxicity of separate and combined exposure was examined in zebrafish embryos. Carbendazim exposure at 0.79 mg/L and above significantly affected developmental parameters, while enrofloxacin alone had no substantial effects on these developmental parameters within the selected concentration range (0.10-0.40 mg/L). Surprisingly, ENF antagonized the CAR-evoked reduction in the 48 hpf (hours post-fertilization) hatching rate and the increases in the 96 hpf malformation and lethality rates. The results revealed that the antagonism might be associated with reciprocal effects of these compounds on metabolism-related genes, such as cyp7a1 and apoa1a. These results reveal a complex interaction between ENF and CAR on metabolic regulation during development and highlight the importance of combined assessment for agents with the potential for simultaneous exposure.

Prevention of infectious diseases in schools in modern China / 中国学校卫生

Abstract@#The frequent occurrence of infectious diseases and the high incidence of infectious diseases in schools in modern China were the important reasons for the implementation of school health in China. Peking and Shanghai had created a new era of school health in China. Schools are not only easy places for infectious diseases to spread, but also ideal places for prevention and control, educators and health experts in charge of schools should attach great importance to the prevention of infectious diseases in schools. Modern schools were committed to the prevention and control of infectious diseases in schools from the aspects of maintaining general sanitary conditions, implementing special school hygiene, disinfection and preventing tuberculosis, especially in the prevention of infectious diseases among schoolchildren and the disinfection of books, wall charts, animal and plant specimens and valuable school utensils.

A comparative study between School Hygiene and School Hygiene Summary / 中国学校卫生

Abstract@#Mishima Michiyoshi and Li Tingan is considered as the pioneers who comprehensively studied and actively promoted school health in modern Japan and China, respectively. School Hygiene and School Hygiene Summary was the concentrated embodiment and experience summary of Mishima Michiyoshi and LI Tingan’s school hygiene ideology, and the combination product of western public health theory and modern Japanese and Chinese school hygiene practice. They both emphasized that school hygiene can make a significant impact on the future of the country and the nation, which was the starting point for school health. School hygiene attached great importance to school sanitation, physical training, as well as infectious diseases and myopia prevention.

LI Ting'an’ thought of school health / 中国学校卫生

Abstract@#Li TA is the earliest forerunner of focusing on, researching and positively promoting school health in modern China. On the basis of collecting all the thoughts’ of school health, the paper probed into his experience of school health in Peking and Shanghai. Li TA’ thought of school health includes: School health is related to the future of the country and the nation; school health consists of prevention of communicable diseases, physical examination, correction and cure of diseases, hygiene of school building, physical training, health education; Li TA implemented school health in the 1st District Health Station, from 3 aspects of medical services, school health and health education; participated actively in founding Promotion Committee. of Shanghai School Health and Board of Chinese Health Education, to cultivate the talents of Shanghai school health.

[Analysis on the employment of graduates of the Gregg-Turner Training School For Nurses].

There were 35 classes of graduation, altogether 281 graduates from the Gregg-Turner Training School For Nurses during the period 1906 to 1944. The number of graduates increased most rapidly under the influence of civil social, economical and international situation from 1924 to 1938. There were 161 graduates with explicit employment in all the 281 graduates. The majority of the graduates, amounting to 101, worked in Guangzhou, representing 62.7%; 87 graduating nurses, representing 54% of the employed ones, worked in privately-run medical building, private clinics, residential buildings, mansion, sanctum, rehabilitation unit, bureau of TCM, and hospital (lou, tang, guan, suo). Graduating nurses aggregated in coastal cities due to its earlier affection by western culture of science and technology, a large number of foreigners who lived, engaged in trade and missionized in open port, dealing with frequently political, economic and cultural exchanging, and thus demanding objectively more western nursing professionals.

[Evolution of TCM's knowledge on rabies].

The etiology of rabies is caused by the bite of a mad dog infected by non-seasonal pathogen with intoxicated viscerae, and its pathogenesis being heat and blood stasis inside the body. The evolution of the knowledge of rabies experienced a process of from the recognition of biting of a mad dog in the Sui-Tang Dynasties to the systematic manifestations of the central nervous system in the Ming-Qing Dynasties. The recognition in its diagnosis, therapeutic effects, and prognosis is in line with the diagnostic knowledge carried in modern Textbook of Infectious Diseases. It pays attention to the cleaning of the trauma, experiencing a process from sucking by the mouth, washing with water to washing with raw glycyrrhiza and urine, while the development of therapy evolved from a single-recipe-special-drug level to the patent prescription level.

[Medical and relieving activities initiated by Guangdong Charity Organizations in the late Qing Dynasty].

The late Qing Dynasty had witnessed the peak of epidemic outbreak in the southern part of China. However, that is also the time when the non-governmental charity activities in Guangdong grew into prosperity. As is shown in the 1909 archives of China's association activities, Guangdong charity organizations at the time played an active role in medical and relieving activities, by using flexible and various means of relief with extensive beneficiaries. Some of those medical activities are beyond the category of mere charity relief. The ideology advocated by the founders and the practitioners of such charity organizations constructed the most fundamental local humanity relief and health care system, as well as their painstaking efforts in bringing these ideas into reality, have contributed significantly to the local stability and harmony of the society, to the cultivation of public welfare awareness in the social and medical sectors of modern Guangdong society, and to the development of Guangdong's public sanitary system. Moreover, they have brought noteworthy influence on the continuation of traditional Chinese medicine and the advancement of the local regional medical studies.