Large-scale analysis of SARS-CoV-2 genomic data from sewage using eVarEPS reveals that amino acid mutations detected in sewage provide an early warning on population prevalence.

Key amino acid mutations in SARS-CoV-2 genomes drive the emergence of variants of concern, impacting virus transmission and immune escape. However, there is still a lack of large-scale monitoring and risk assessment of new amino acid variants in sewage. To address this gap, we developed eVarEPS (Environmental SARS-CoV-2 Variations Evaluation and Prewarning System), a system for the early identification and assessment of SARS-CoV-2 variants in environmental samples.

3D Silsesquioxane Cage-Based Covalent Organic Frameworks Enabling Efficient Ion Transport in Quasi-Solid-State Lithium Metal Batteries.

The resurgence of lithium metal batteries (LMBs) necessitates advancements in electrolyte engineering to regulate ion transport and manipulate interfacial characteristics. Noteworthy strategies encompass the development of high-efficiency lithium-ion conductors for quasi-solid-state composite electrolytes. In this context, two crystalline 3D COFs are presented that are thoughtfully designed by selecting decasilsesquioxane (T) cage building blocks and linear linkers to open up efficient ion-conducting pathways.

Formation of halonitromethanes, dichloroacetonitrile, and trichloromethane in the presence of E. coli and nitrophenols during UV/post-chlorination.

Nitrophenols and E. coli widely coexist in surface water and can form chlorinated disinfection byproducts (Cl-DBPs) in chlorine-based disinfection processes. However, the coexistence of nitrophenols and E.

High prevalence and plasmidome diversity of -positive enterococci in a Shenzhen community, China.

Background: The emergence of , which can confer resistance to phenicols and oxazolidinones in spp., poses a growing public health threat.

Methods: 102 -positive enterococci (OPEs) including various species were isolated from feces of 719 healthy volunteers in a Shenzhen community, China.

Urine PLA2R Antibody Detection in Hazard Stratification of PLA2R-Associated Membranous Nephropathy.

Context.—: M-type phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R) is the major autoantigen of membranous nephropathy (MN). As the specific antibodies of MN, the correlation between serum PLA2R antibody (sPLA2R-Ab) levels and PLA2R-associated MN (PMN) risk stratification is still controversial.

Comparison of the short- and long-term effects of zinc ions on the anaerobic mesophilic co-digestion of food waste and waste activated sludge: Digester performance, antibiotic resistance gene reduction and the microbial community.

Heavy metals contained in waste activated sludge (WAS), especially zinc ions, have an inhibitory effect on the anaerobic digestion. However, the effects of zinc ions on digester performance, antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) reduction, and the microbial community involved in the anaerobic mesophilic co-digestion (AcoD) of WAS and food waste (FW) have not been fully characterized. Therefore, batch trials and continuous stirred tank reactors were used under different zinc-ion concentrations.

Rapid and extensive SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant infection wave revealed by wastewater surveillance in Shenzhen following the lifting of a strict COVID-19 strategy.

Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) has emerged as a promising tool for monitoring the spread of COVID-19, as SARS-CoV-2 can be shed in the faeces of infected individuals, even in the absence of symptoms. This study aimed to optimize a prediction model for estimating COVID-19 infection rates based on SARS-CoV-2 RNA concentrations in wastewater, and reveal the infection trends and variant diversification in Shenzhen, China following the lifting of a strict COVID-19 strategy. Faecal samples (n = 4337) from 1204 SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals hospitalized in a designated hospital were analysed to obtain Omicron variant-specific faecal shedding dynamics.

Establishment of a microspheres-based homogeneous fluorescence immunoassay for the rapid detection of cardiac troponin I.

Myocardial infarction occurs rapidly, and thus the rapid detection of cTnI levels is the key to its diagnosis. Most current assays take 10-30 min. In this study, we developed a method for accurately measuring cardiac troponin I (cTnI) levels in human sera with amplified luminescence neighborhood homogeneous assay (AlphaLISA).

Fate of florfenicol and linezolid resistance genes and their bacterial hosts during two waste treatment models in swine feedlots.

Florfenicol resistance genes (FRGs) are widely present in livestock farms. The aim of this study was to evaluate the removal efficiencies of FRGs as well as the relationships between FRGs, mobile genetic elements (MGEs) and bacterial communities during the natural drying (ND) and anaerobic digestion (AD) processes of manure treatment in swine farms by combining bacterial isolation, quantitative PCR and metagenomic approaches. Solid manure showed a higher abundance of FRGs than fresh manure and was the main contamination source of fexA and fexB in ND farms, whilst biogas slurry displayed a lower abundance of FRGs than the wastewater in AD farms.

Dual-Carbon Phase-Encapsulated Prelithiated SiO Microrod Anode for Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Among silicon-based anode family for Li-ion battery technology, SiO, a nonstoichiometric silicon suboxide holds the potential for significant near-term commercial impact. In this context, this study mainly focuses on demonstrating an innovative SiO@C anode design that adopts a pre-lithiation strategy based on in situ pyrolysis of Li-salt of silsesquioxane trisilanolate without the need for lithium metal or active lithium compounds and creates dual carbon encapsulation of SiOC nanodomains by simply one-step thermal treatment. This ingenious design ensures the pre-lithiation process and pre-lithiation material with high-environmental stability.

Early Detection of the Emerging SARS-CoV-2 BA.2.86 Lineage Through Wastewater Surveillance Using a Mediator Probe PCR Assay - Shenzhen City, Guangdong Province, China, 2023.

Introduction: The emergence of the new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron sublineage, BA.2.86, has sparked global public health concerns for its potential heightened transmissibility and immune evasion.

Macrolide resistance of in several regions of China from 2013 to 2019.

This paper retrospectively analysed the prevalence of macrolide-resistant (MRMP) in some parts of China. Between January 2013 and December 2019, we collected 4,145 respiratory samples, including pharyngeal swabs and alveolar lavage fluid. The highest PCR-positive rate of M.

A new substrate equalization method for optimizing the influent conditions and fluid flow patterns of a multifed upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor with mature anammox granules.

To improve nitrogen removal efficiency (NRE) and achieve homogenous distribution of anammox sludge and substrate, a new substrate equalization theory and a cumulative overload index was proposed for multifed upflow anaerobic sludge bed (MUASB) reactors with mature anammox granules. The performance and flow patterns of MUASB reactors were investigated under various influent conditions. The results showed that the nitrogen removal performance and stability of MUASB reactors could be optimized by minimizing the cumulative load.

Development and application of an amplified luminescent proximity homogeneous assay-linked immunosorbent assay for the accurate quantification of kidney injury molecule-1.

Kidney injury molecule-1 (Kim-1), a specific marker of kidney injury, is usually not expressed in normal kidneys or at very low levels but is highly expressed in injured renal tubular epithelial cells until the damaged cells recover completely. Therefore, we aimed to develop an efficient and highly sensitive assay to accurately quantify Kim-1 levels in human serum and urine. In this study, a novel immunoassay was developed and named amplified luminescent proximity homogeneous assay-linked immunosorbent assay (AlphaLISA).

Clinical value of serum MMP-3 in chronic kidney disease.

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is defined as the progressive deterioration of renal parenchyma and decline in renal unit function. In the early stages of CKD(G1 + G2), symptoms are usually not obvious and cannot be effectively recognized on the basis of available clinical markers. Progression to the middle and late stages of CKD results in severe kidney damage with multiple complications causing adverse outcomes, including death.

Investigation into the epidemiology, genetic characteristics, and clinical manifestations of the first monkeypox outbreak in Shenzhen, China.

This paper comprehensively analyses the first-ever monkeypox outbreak in Shenzhen, China, encompassing clinical symptomatology, therapeutic approaches, epidemiological research, and comprehensive laboratory tests, aiming to establish a robust reference for future monkeypox mitigation and management strategies. The investigation involved a thorough investigation of all identified positive cases, including extensive molecular analysis by nucleic acid detection and whole-genome sequencing of the monkeypox virus. Contact tracing and containment of the infected individuals were also undertaken.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on profiles of antibiotic-resistant genes and bacteria in hospital wastewater.

The COVID-19 pandemic has severely affected healthcare worldwide and has led to the excessive use of disinfectants and antimicrobial agents. However, the impact of excessive disinfection measures and specific medication prescriptions on the development and dissemination of bacterial drug resistance during the pandemic remains unclear. This study investigated the influence of the pandemic on the composition of antibiotics, antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), and pathogenic communities in hospital wastewater using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and metagenome sequencing.

Establishment of matrix metalloproteinase 3 time-resolved immunoassay and some potential clinical applications.

Aim: To develop a highly sensitive time-resolved fluorescence immunoassay (TRFIA) for the detection of serum matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3) and to assess MMP-3's clinical value in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC).st.

Methods: MMP-3 levels were established using the double antibody sandwich technique.

Occurrence and risk assessment of antibiotics in feces of elderly individuals in Shenzhen.

The occurrence of antibiotics in the feces of elderly individuals in Shenzhen, China, was investigated by monitoring 78 compounds to understand the adverse effects and its association with antibiotic residues in animal products collected from local markets. In total, 18 compounds belonging to 5 classes of antibiotics were identified in 74 of 140 fecal samples. Furthermore, 17.

Associations between plasma metal mixture exposure and risk of hypertension: A cross-sectional study among adults in Shenzhen, China.

Background: Metal exposure affects human health. Current studies mainly focus on the individual health effect of metal exposure on hypertension (HTN), and the results remain controversial. Moreover, the studies assessing overall effect of metal mixtures on hypertension risk are limited.

Distribution and spread of the mobilised RND efflux pump gene cluster tmexCD-toprJ in clinical Gram-negative bacteria: a molecular epidemiological study.

Background: TMexCD1-TOprJ1, which is associated with phenotypic resistance to multiple classes of antibiotics, is a transmissible resistance-nodulation-division (RND) family efflux pump. However, the prevalence and genomic and phenotypic characteristics of clinical isolates with this important resistance determinant are poorly understood. In this study, we aimed to survey tmexCD-toprJ among clinical Gram-negative isolates collected from hospitals in China between 1991 and 2020 and characterise tmexCD-toprJ-positive clinical isolates.

Manganese Superoxide Dismutase as a Novel Oxidative Stress Biomarker for Predicting Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation.

Background: There is accumulating evidence indicating that inflammation and oxidative stress are involved in the pathogenesis of atrial fibrillation (AF). The role of manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) in the initiation and maintenance of AF has not yet been well characterized. The aim of our study is to investigate whether or not plasma MnSOD levels are associated with AF.

Structural diversity of the ISCR2-mediated rolling-cycle transferable unit carrying tet(X4).

Background: Mobile tigecycline-resistance gene tet(X) variants have emerged as diverse pathogens from animal, human as well as their associated environments, which could potentially threaten public health. The insertion sequence, ISCR2, carries tet(X4) for horizontal transfer by rolling-cycle (RC) transposition. However, the diversity of ISCR2 and tet(X4) isolated from different sources is largely unknown.

Presence of Mobile Tigecycline Resistance Gene (X4) in Clinical Klebsiella pneumoniae.

The recently emerged plasmid-mediated tigecycline resistance gene (X4) has mainly been detected in Escherichia coli but never in Klebsiella pneumoniae. Herein, we identified a clinical K. pneumoniae isolate that harbored the (X4) gene located on a non-self-transferable IncFII-type plasmid, which could be cotransferred with a conjugative plasmid to E.