Whole-genome sequencing reveals high-risk clones of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Guangdong, China

The ever-increasing prevalence of infections produced by multidrug-resistant or extensively drug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa is commonly linked to a limited number of aptly-named epidemical \u27high-risk clones\u27 that are widespread among and within hospitals worldwide. The emergence of new potential high-risk clone strains in hospitals highlights the need to better and further understand the underlying genetic mechanisms for their emergence and success. P. aeruginosa related high-risk clones have been sporadically found in China, their genome sequences have rarely been described. Therefore, the large-scale sequencing of multidrug-resistance high-risk clone strains will help us to understand the emergence and transmission of antibiotic resistances in P. aeruginosa high-risk clones. In this study, 212 P. aeruginosa strains were isolated from 2 tertiary hospitals within 3 years (2018-2020) in Guangdong Province, China. Whole-genome sequencing, multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) and antimicrobial susceptibility testing were applied to analyze the genomic epidemiology of P. aeruginosa in this region. We found that up to 130 (61.32%) of the isolates were shown to be multidrug resistant, and 196 (92.45%) isolates were Carbapenem-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa. MLST analysis demonstrated high diversity of sequence types, and 18 reported international high-risk clones were identified. Furthermore, we discovered the co-presence of exoU and exoS genes in 5 collected strains. This study enhances insight into the regional research of molecular epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance of P. aeruginosa in China. The high diversity of clone types and regional genome characteristics can serve as a theoretical reference for public health policies and help guide measures for the prevention and control of P. aeruginosa resistance

Investigation of the kinetics and mechanism of the glycerol chlorination reaction using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

As a primary by-product in biodiesel production, glycerol can be used to prepare an important fine chemical, epichlorohydrin, by the glycerol chlorination reaction. Although this process has been applied in industrial production, unfortunately, less attention has been paid to the analysis and separation of the compounds in the glycerol chlorination products. In this study, a convenient and accurate method to determine the products in glycerol chlorination reaction was established and based on the results the kinetic mechanism of the reaction was investigated. The structure of main products, including 1,3--dichloropropan-2-ol, 2,3-dichloropropan-1-ol, 3-chloro-1,2-propanediol, 2-chloro-1,3-propanediol and glycerol was ascertained by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and the isomers of the products were distinguished. Apidic acid was considered as the best catalyst because of its excellent catalytic effect and high boiling point. The mechanism of the glycerol chlorination reaction was proposed and a new kinetic model was developed. Kinetic equations of the process in the experimental range were obtained by data fitting and the activation energies of each tandem reaction were 30.7, 41.8, 29.4 and 49.5 kJ mol-1, respectively. This study revealed the process and mechanism of the kinetics and provides the theoretical basis for engineering problems

AI is a viable alternative to high throughput screening: a 318-target study

: High throughput screening (HTS) is routinely used to identify bioactive small molecules. This requires physical compounds, which limits coverage of accessible chemical space. Computational approaches combined with vast on-demand chemical libraries can access far greater chemical space, provided that the predictive accuracy is sufficient to identify useful molecules. Through the largest and most diverse virtual HTS campaign reported to date, comprising 318 individual projects, we demonstrate that our AtomNet® convolutional neural network successfully finds novel hits across every major therapeutic area and protein class. We address historical limitations of computational screening by demonstrating success for target proteins without known binders, high-quality X-ray crystal structures, or manual cherry-picking of compounds. We show that the molecules selected by the AtomNet® model are novel drug-like scaffolds rather than minor modifications to known bioactive compounds. Our empirical results suggest that computational methods can substantially replace HTS as the first step of small-molecule drug discovery

INFLATION AND GRAIN STOCKS OF FARM HOUSEHOLDS: WHY DON’T FARMERS STORE GRAIN AS BEFORE?

This paper empirically addresses how inflation rates affect China’s private grain stocks.Storable grain is characterized as a capital asset. Farm households would choose either to store grain or to sell grain to get bank deposits. We first build a farm household model in which real interest rates can alter farmer’s grain storage behavior. Using household survey data collected in Hebei province, China from 2004-2009, we empirically test the theory. Our estimates show that inflation rates significantly and negatively affect private grain storage. This finding provides an alternative explanation for the decline in private grain stocks since 2004 in China

Transfer of cadmium from soil to vegetable in the Pearl River Delta area, South China.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the regional Cadmium (Cd) concentration levels in soils and in leaf vegetables across the Pearl River Delta (PRD) area; and reveal the transfer characteristics of Cadmium (Cd) from soils to leaf vegetable species on a regional scale. 170 paired vegetables and corresponding surface soil samples in the study area were collected for calculating the transfer factors of Cadmium (Cd) from soils to vegetables. This investigation revealed that in the study area Cd concentration in soils was lower (mean value 0.158 mg kg(-1)) compared with other countries or regions. The Cd-contaminated areas are mainly located in west areas of the Pearl River Delta. Cd concentrations in all vegetables were lower than the national standard of Safe vegetables (0.2 mg kg(-1)). 88% of vegetable samples met the standard of No-Polluted vegetables (0.05 mg kg(-1)). The Cd concentration in vegetables was mainly influenced by the interactions of total Cd concentration in soils, soil pH and vegetable species. The fit lines of soil-to-plant transfer factors and total Cd concentration in soils for various vegetable species were best described by the exponential equation (y = ax(b)), and these fit lines can be divided into two parts, including the sharply decrease part with a large error range, and the slowly decrease part with a low error range, according to the gradual increasing of total Cd concentrations in soils

Lab Study on the Effect of Cation Exchange Capacity on Slurry Performance in Slurry Shields

Ion stabilizers can enhance the reinforcement slurry effect on the wall and stabilize the wall actively in slurry shields. This paper presents different cation exchange capacities obtained by changing the content of the ion stabilizer (1.5%, 2.0%, 2.5%, 3.0%, 3.5%, 4.0%, 4.5%, 5.0%, 5.5%, and 6.0%) in slurry associated with the basis of the existing slurry formula through the laboratory tests. In order to study the effect of the cation exchange capacity on the performance of slurry properties, the rheological properties of the slurry are analyzed and evaluated by the power law model. Results indicate that the cation exchange capacity of the slurry decreases first and then increases with the increase of the ion stabilizer content. When the content of the ion stabilizer is maintained at 3.50%, the cation exchange capacity reaches the minimum value of 2.92. The filtration volumes, pH values, and rheological parameters of the slurry also indicate an obvious linear change with the change of the cation exchange capacity. The minimum filtration volume is 9.70 mL/30 min when the ion stabilizer content reaches 3.50%. However, the pH value reaches the maximum, that is, 11.34 which is changed from 10, and the change could be considered as a constant value in the field work. When the cation exchange capacity increases, the continuity of polymer structure in the slurry decreases first and then increases, the flow index and consistency coefficient are located within a reasonable range, and the rheological properties of the slurry meet the design requirements of the standards

Relationships between soil total Cd concentrations (mg kg⁻¹, DW) and vegetable Cd concentrations (mg kg⁻¹, FW) for five species of main vegetables (soil pH: 3.79–7.72) (hollow diamonds represented samples with lower pH (3.79−5.00) removed for the regression analysis; the solid line is the sample regression line; dotted lines indicated the 95% confidence interval).

<p>Relationships between soil total Cd concentrations (mg kg⁻¹, DW) and vegetable Cd concentrations (mg kg⁻¹, FW) for five species of main vegetables (soil pH: 3.79–7.72) (hollow diamonds represented samples with lower pH (3.79−5.00) removed for the regression analysis; the solid line is the sample regression line; dotted lines indicated the 95% confidence interval).</p

Lognormal probability plot for vegetable Cd concentrations in the Pearl River Delta area, Guangdong, China (mg kg⁻¹, FW).

<p>Lognormal probability plot for vegetable Cd concentrations in the Pearl River Delta area, Guangdong, China (mg kg⁻¹, FW).</p

Locations of soil and vegetable samples in the Pearl River Delta area, Guangdong, China.

<p>(The yellow and blue areas are the dry lands and the paddy fields, respectively; the red line is the boundary of the city).</p