Biofuneling lignin-derived compounds into lipids using a newly isolated Citricoccus sp. P2.

Lignin-derived compounds (LDCs) bioconversion into lipids is a promising yet challenging task. This study focuses on the isolation of the ligninolytic bacterium Citricoccus sp. P2 and investigates its mechanism for producing lipids from LDCs. Although strain P2 exhibits a relatively low lignin degradation rate of 44.63%, it efficiently degrades various concentrations of LDCs. The highest degradation rate is observed when incubated with 0.6 g/L vanillic acid, 0.6 g/L syringic acid, 0.8 g/L p-coumaric acid, and 0.4 g/L phenol, resulting in respective lipid yields of 0.16 g/L, 0.13 g/L, 0.24 g/L, and 0.13 g/L. The genome of strain P2 provides insights into LDCs bioconversion into lipids and stress tolerance. Moreover, Citricoccus sp. P2 has been successfully developed a non-sterilized lipid production using its native alkali-halophilic characteristics, which significantly enhances the lipid yield. This study presents a promising platform for lipids production from LDCs and has potential to promote valorization of lignin.

Valorization of lignin-derived compounds into poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) by engineered Halomonas sp. Y3.

Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) is a biopolyester with great potential, but its high production cost via the propionate-dependent pathway has hindered its development. Herein, we engineer Halomonas sp. Y3 to achieve efficient conversion of various LDCs into PHBV without propionate supplement. Initially, we successfully achieve PHBV production without propionate supplement by overexpressing threonine synthesis. The resulting biopolyester exhibits a 3 HV proportion of up to 7.89 mol%, comparable to commercial PHBV (8 mol%) available from Sigma Aldrich (403105). To further enhance PHBV production, we rationally design the reconstruction of aromatic compound catabolism. The engineered strain Y3_18 efficiently assimilates all LDCs containing syringyl (S), guaiacyl (G), and p-hydroxyphenyl-type (H) units. From 1 g/L of S-, G-, and H-type LDCs, Y3_18 produces PHBV at levels of 449 mg/L, 488 mg/L, and 716 mg/L, respectively, with yields of 44.9 % (g/g), 48.8 % (g/g), and 71.6 % (g/g). Moreover, to improve PHBV yield from lignin, we integrate laccase-secretion and PHBV production modules. This integration leads to the accumulation of 425.84 mg/L of PHBV with a yield of 21.29 % (g/g) and a 3 HV proportion of 6.38 mol%. By harnessing the capabilities of Halomonas sp. Y3, we demonstrate an efficient and sustainable approach for PHBV production from a variety of LDCs.

Paraphlomisyingdeensis (Lamiaceae), a new species from Guangdong (China).

Paraphlomisyingdeensis (Lamiaceae), a new species from the limestone area in northern Guangdong Province, China, is described and illustrated. Phylogenetic analyses, based on two nuclear DNA regions (ITS and ETS) and three plastid DNA regions (rpl32-trnL, rps16 and trnL-trnF), suggest that P.yingdeensis represents a distinct species in Paraphlomis. Morphologically, P.yingdeensis is similar to P.foliatasubsp.montigena and P.nana, but can be distinguished from the former by its densely villous lamina and calyx, not decurrent base of lamina and bristle-like-acuminate apex of calyx teeth, and distinguished from the latter by its significantly taller plant (15-20 cm vs. 1-5 cm) and larger lamina (6.2-16.5 × 4-11.5 vs. 2-7 × 1.5-4 cm), densely villous stem, lamina and calyx and yellow corolla.

Non-sterilized conversion of whole lignocellulosic components into polyhydroxybutyrate by Halomonas sp. Y3 with a dual anti-microbial contamination system.

Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) production from lignocellulosic biomass is challenging due to the need for whole components and energy-effective conversion. Herein, Halomonas sp. Y3, a ligninolytic bacterium with the capacity to produce PHB from lignin and cellulose- and hemicellulose-derived sugars, is employed to explore its feasibility. This strain shows high sugar tolerance up to 200 g/L of glucose and 120 g/L of xylose. A dual anti-microbial contamination system (DACS) containing alkali-halophilic system (AHS) and phosphite-urea system (PUS) is presented, successfully achieving a completely aseptic effect and resulting in a total of 8.2 g of PHB production from 100 g bamboo biomass. We further develop a stage-fed-batch fermentation to promote the complete utilization of xylose. Approximately 69.99 g of dry cell weight (DCW) and 46.45 g of PHB with 66.35 % are obtained from a total of 296.58 g of sugars and 5.70 g of lignin, showing a significant advancement for LCB bioconversion. We then delete the native phosphate transporters, rendering the strain unable to grow on phosphate-loaded media, effectively improving the strain biosafety without compromising its ability to produce PHB. Overall, our findings demonstrate the potential of Y3 as a classic bacterium strain for PHB production with potential uses in industry.

Highly efficient polyhydroxyalkanoate production from lignin using genetically engineered Halomonas sp. Y3.

Lignin degradation represents a significant challenge in biological valorization, but it is suffering from insufficiency, putting barriers to efficient lignin conversion. Herein, the study first develops a highly efficient laccase secretion apparatus, enabling high enzyme activity of 184 U/mL, complementing the biochemical limits on lignin depolymerization well in Halomonas sp. Y3. Further engineering of PHA biosynthesis produces a significantly high PHA titer of 286, 742, and 868 mg/L from alkaline lignin, catechol, and protocatechuate, respectively. The integration of laccase-secretion and PHA production modules enables a record titer of 693 and 1209 mg/L in converting lignin and lignin-containing stream to PHA, respectively. The titer is improved furtherly to 740 and 1314 mg/L by developing a non-sterilized fermentation. This study advances a cheaper and greener production of valuable chemicals from lignin by constructing a biosynthetic platform for PHA production and provides novel insight into the lignin conversion by extremophilic microbes.

Funneling lignin-derived compounds into polyhydroxyalkanoate by Halomonas sp. Y3.

Lignin-derived compounds (LDCs) biological funneling for polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) synthesis has been attractive but elusive. Herein, the Halomonas sp. Y3 is isolated and developed for PHA production from LDCs. Of the tested 13 LDCs, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (4-HBA), protocatechuate (PA), catechol (CAT), and vanillic acid (VA) exhibit a hyper-degradation and production with 87.2 %, 85.8 %, 84.7 %, and 83.4 % TOC removal rate and 535.2 mg/L, 506.5 mg/L, 435.6 mg/L, and 440.8 mg/L PHA concentration, respectively. The Halomonas sp. Y3 genome is sequenced by identifying numerous genes responsible for LDCs funneling, stress response, and PHA biosynthesis. An open unsterilized fermentation with optimal conditions of pH 9.0 and NaCl 60 g/L is investigated, achieving a completely aseptic effect and significantly improved PHA production from LDCs. Overall, the results indicate that the Halomonas sp. Y3 is an ideal candidate for LDC bioconversion and exhibits a great potential to realize black liquor valorization.

Three new species of the genus Boulenophrys (Anura, Megophryidae) from southern China.

The diversity of Asian horned toads is considered highly underestimated and to contain a large number of undescribed cryptic species. In this work, we describe three new species of Boulenophrys from south China, namely, Boulenophrys yaoshanensis sp. nov. from central Guangxi, Boulenophrys yingdeensis sp. nov. from northern Guangdong, and Boulenophrys yunkaiensis sp. nov. from western Guangdong. These three new species can be distinguished from all recognized congeners by a combination of morphological characteristics and significant genetic divergences. These descriptions increase the number of recognized species of Boulenophrys to 61. In addition, an updated checklist of the Asian horned toads of the subfamily Megophryinae is provided in this study.

Four new species of Asian horned toads (Anura, Megophryidae, Megophrys) from southern China.

Recent phylogenetic analysis encompassing multilocus nuclear-gene and matrilineal mtDNA genealogy has revealed a series of cryptic species of the subgenus Panophrys within genus Megophrys from southern and eastern China. This study demonstrates that the Panophrys specimens from the hilly areas among Guangdong, Guangxi and Hunan can be morphologically distinguished from all recognized congeners, thereby providing additional supports for the recognitions of four new species of Panophrys, namely Megophrys (Panophrys) mirabilis Lyu, Wang & Zhao, sp. nov. from northeastern Guangxi, Megophrys (Panophrys) shimentaina Lyu, Liu & Wang, sp. nov. from northern Guangdong, and Megophrys (Panophrys) xiangnanensis Lyu, Zeng & Wang, sp. nov. and Megophrys (Panophrys) yangmingensis Lyu, Zeng & Wang, sp. nov. from southern Hunan. The descriptions of these species take the number of Megophrys species to 101, 46 of which belong to the subgenus Panophrys.

Examining Inequality in the Public Health Workforce Distribution in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCs) System in China, 2008-2017.

OBJECTIVE: Allocation of human resources to address inequalities in the public health system has increasingly attracted societal and political attention. Using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCs) system of China as an example, we evaluated inequality in the public health workforce distribution across different regions in China between 2008 and 2017, with the aim of providing information for policymakers to support resource allocation and address growing health inequities. METHODS: We used three standard public health workforce inequality indices - Gini coefficient, Theil L, and Theil T - and spatial autocorrelation analysis to explore spatial clusters of the workforce in different provinces, visualized with geographical tools. RESULTS: The aggregate workforce-to-population ratio decreased from 1.47 to 1.42 per 10,000 population from 2008 to 2017, and was consistently lower than the National Health Commission's (NHC) recommended critical shortage threshold of 1.75. The workforce distribution inequality indices varied by regional socioeconomic and health system development. Geographic clustering of CDCs workforce distribution was evident, with H-H and L-L clusters in western China and the Guangdong-Fujian region, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our study addressed key issues for government and policymakers in allocation of public health human resources. There is an urgent need for careful identification of analytic questions that will help carry out public health functions in the new era, alongside policy implications for an equitable distribution of the public health workforce focusing on the western region and low-low cluster areas.

Association between Selenium in Soil and Diabetes in Chinese Residents Aged 35-74 Years: Results from the 2010 National Survey of Chronic Diseases and Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the association between soil selenium levels and the risk of diabetes in Chinese adults aged 35-74 years. METHODS: Data for this study were derived from the China Chronic Diseases and Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance 2010 survey. Selenium concentrations in soil were obtained from the Atlas of Soil Environmental Background Values in China. A two-level binary logistic regression model was used to determine the association between soil selenium concentrations and the risk of diabetes, with participants nested within districts/counties. RESULTS: A total of 69,332 participants aged 35-74 years, from 158 districts/counties were included in the analysis. Concentrations of selenium in soil varied greatly across the 158 districts/counties, with a median concentration of 0.219 mg/kg ( IQR: 0.185-0.248). The results showed that both Quartile 1 (0.119-0.185 mg/kg) and Quartile 4 (0.249-0.344 mg/kg) groups were positively associated with diabetes compared to a soil selenium concentration of 0.186-0.219 mg/kg (Quartile 2), crude odds ratios ( ORs) (95% CI) were 1.227 (1.003-1.502) and 1.280 (1.048-1.563). The P values were 0.045 and 0.013, for Quartile 1 and Quartile 4 groups, respectively. After adjusting for all confounding factors of interest, the Quartile 1 group became non-significant, and the Quartile 4 group had an adjusted OR (95% CI) of 1.203 (1.018-1.421) relative to the reference group (Quartile 2), the P values was 0.030. No significant results were seen for the Quartile 3 group (0.220-0.248 mg/kg) compared to the reference group. CONCLUSION: Excessive selenium concentrations in soil could increase the risk of diabetes among Chinese adults aged 35-74 years.

Description of two cryptic species of the Amolopsricketti group (Anura, Ranidae) from southeastern China.

Two cryptic species, which were previously reported as Amolopsricketti, are revealed on the basis of significant morphological and genetic divergences. Amolopssinensis sp. n. from central Guangdong, northeastern Guangxi and southwestern Hunan can be distinguished by the longitudinal glandular folds on the skin of the shoulders and other character combinations. Amolopsyatseni sp. n. from the coastal hills of west Guangdong can be distinguished by the dense tiny round translucent, or white, spines on the dorsal skin of the body, dorsal and dorsolateral skin of the limbs, and other character combinations. The phylogenetic interrelationships of the A.ricketti group have been inferred as (A.wuyiensis + A.ricketti) + (A.yunkaiensis + (A.albispinus + (A.sinensis sp. n. + A.yatseni sp. n.))). This work indicates that the current records of A.ricketti might be a species complex composed of multiple species, and further work is needed to figure out this puzzle.

Efficacy observation on pediatric tuina plus Chinese medicine for exogenous fever in children / 针灸推拿医学（英文版）

Objective: To observe the clinical effects of pediatric tuina plus Chinese medicine for exogenous fever in children. Methods: A total of 150 children withexogenous fever were randomly divided based on the random digital table into a control group (75 cases) and a treatment group (75 cases). The control group was treated with oral Xiao'er Chaigui Tuire Keli (<1 year old, 0.5 bag/time; 1-3 years old, 1 bag/time; 4-6 years old, 1.5 bags/time), 4 times/day. The treatment group was treated with pediatric tuina plus the intervention of the control group. The amount and usage of Chinese medicine were the same as those of the control group; tuina was conducted 1 time/day. The clinical effects and adverse reactions were observed after 3 d of treatment in both groups. The recurrence was observed within 7 d after the end of treatment. Results: The total effective rate was 92.0％ in the treatment group and 81.3％ in the control group. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P<0.05). There were no obvious adverse reactions in the two groups after treatment. The recurrence rate was 1.5％ in the treatment group and 13.1％ in the control group. The difference in the recurrence rate between the two groups was statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusion: Pediatric tuina plus Chinese medicine is effective in treating children with exogenous fever.

[Ovary cancer mortality in China 2004 - 2005: results from the Third National Retrospective Sampling Survey of Death Causes].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the distribution characteristics and trend of ovary cancer mortality based on results of the Third National Retrospective Sampling Survey of Death Causes. METHODS: Data of National Retrospective Sampling Survey for the years of 2004 - 2005 from 158 counties/cities/districts was used for the settings. A total of 69,690,241 person-year for female between 2004 and 2005 including 23,598,822 person-year in urban and 46,091,419 person-year in rural were respectively included in the study. Furthermore, the areas of east, middle, and west were divided into the subsets. And also the areas of urban and rural areas were divided into the subsets. The crude death rate and age-specific death rate and the age-standardized death rate by Chinese population of 1982 (CASR) and by world population of 1960 (WASR) were calculated. The historical comparison with the sampling survey of 1990 - 1992 (second time) was conducted, and the global comparison with some selected countries was performed. RESULTS: The crude death rate for ovary cancer was 1.45/100 000 (1008/69 690 241) between 2004 and 2005, which was ranked the 12th and accounted for 1.45% (1008/69 667) of all sites of cancers. The CASR was 0.97/100 000 and the WASR was 1.26/100 000. The crude death rate of ovary cancer were 2.67/100 000 (630/23 598 822) and 0.82/100 000 (378/46 091 419) in urban and rural areas respectively, with the CASR of 1.62/100 000 and 0.59/100 000 in urban and rural areas respectively. Compared with the data from the second time (0.06/100 000 for crude death rate, 0.53/100 000 for CASR and 0.75% for proportion), the crude death rate increased by 141.07% and the CASR increased by 83.02%. The proportion of mortality was increased by 92.92%, which ranked from the 17th to the 12th. In the urban areas, the CASR of ovary cancer increased by 31.71% (1.23/100 000 vs 1.62/100 000), while by 118.52% in rural areas (0.27/100 000 vs 0.59/100 000) with an increasing trend more remarkable in rural than in urban. CONCLUSION: Ovary cancer is not the leading site of cancer death-cause in China, its morality is higher in urban than in rural. It is necessary to pay more attention to ovary cancer in China.

[Analyses of antibiotic susceptibility and plasmid profile of normal human intestinal Lactobacillus].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the level of antibiotic resistance in normal human intestinal lactobacillus, the existence frequency of plasmid in bacterial strains, and the relationship between the plasmid carried by the strains and the antibiotic resistance profile. METHODS: The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined by microbroth dilution technique. The plasmid profile of all strains was examined and the stability of plasmids were investigated. RESULTS: The antibiotic resistances of the intestinal lactobacillus strains were strong for ciprofldocacin, levofloxacin and vancomycin, among which it was the strongest for vancomycin. Most bacterial strains were tolerant to levofloxacin, gentamycin, tetracycline and ciprofloxacin, but susceptible to low concentration of rifampicin, penicillin and ampicillin. The multiple drug resistance (MDR) was existing in all the tested strains, and getting more severe with the increase of bacterial host age. 93% of lactobacillus strains contained plasmids. After cultured for many times, 4 bacterial strains lost some of plasmids and also, at the same time, lost the drug resistance to gentamycin and cephalosporin. This result was consistent with the that of plasmids eliminated. CONCLUSION: The antibiotic resistance and MDR of the lactobacillus strains in are very severe and correlated with people's age. Most of bacterial strains contain plasmids. There may be a correlation between 5.8 kb plasmid and the resistance of strains to gentamycin and cephalosporin.