First identification of the oxazolidinone/phenicol resistance gene optrA in Streptococcus pluranimalium worldwide

Oxazolidinones are highly effective antimicrobial agents for the treatment of serious infections caused by Gram-positive organisms,including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA),vancomycin-resistant enterococci(VRE),multidrug-resistant(MDR)pneumococci and MDR mycobacteria(Brenciani et al.2022).However,the emergence and prevalence of acquired oxazolidinone resistance genes.

Construction of competency evaluation system for infection control personnel in traditional Chinese medicine hospitals

Background:This study uses a literature review and the Delphi expert consultation method to construct a competency evaluation model for infection control personnel in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)hospitals.The aim is to strengthen infection control management in TCM hospitals,assess the competency of infection control personnel in their positions,and assist them in identifying the competencies that need improvement.Methods:Based on the literature research method and the Delphi expert consultation method,a competency model for the position was constructed through two rounds of expert consultations,analyzing the relationships between various factors and establishing a hierarchical structure model.Pairwise comparisons were made among the elements at the same level to construct a judgment matrix.Through the analytic hierarchy process,the weight coefficients of the indicators at each level in the competency model were obtained.Results:This study conducted a comprehensive assessment of various capabilities and practices related to hospital infection control.The survey results indicate that participants excelled in multiple areas,with a high overall satisfaction rate.95.28%of participants were able to develop hospital infection monitoring plans based on national infection control policies,demonstrating a good understanding and execution of these policies.94.09%of participants were familiar with high-risk populations and key departments in the hospital.91.73%of participants were able to establish monitoring scopes based on the trends of multidrug-resistant bacteria and conduct information monitoring,reflecting strong response capabilities.92.91%of participants were able to collaborate with relevant departments to conduct bacterial resistance monitoring,showing a good team spirit.94.49%of participants were able to perform targeted monitoring,including surgical site infections,indicating that they have effective monitoring strategies.91.34%of participants were able to collect and organize monitoring data and establish a systematic database,demonstrating good data management skills.90.16%of participants were able to interpret laws and regulations related to hospital infection management,indicating a high level of legal knowledge.89.37%of participants generally possessed good communication skills.92.52%of participants were able to guide medical staff on occupational safety and protective knowledge,showing an emphasis on occupational health.Participants demonstrated a strong desire to learn and innovate,with 87.01%actively participating in continuing education and research activities,reflecting a pursuit of professional development.Conclusion:Based on the results of the two rounds of expert consultations,a competency evaluation model for infection control personnel in TCM hospitals was formed.Through the analytic hierarchy process,the weight coefficients of various indicators at different levels in the model were obtained,and the research results have good scientific validity and reliability.

Effect of Zn deficiency and excessive bicarbonate on the allocation and exudation of organic acids in two Moraceae plants

The effect of zinc(Zn) deficiency and excessive bicarbonate on the allocation and exudation of organic acids in plant organs(root, stem, and leaf) and root exudates of two Moraceae plants(Broussonetia papyrifera and Morus alba) were investigated. Two Moraceae plants were hydroponically grown and cultured in nutrient solution in four different treatments with 0.02 mM Zn or no Zn,combined with no or 10 mM bicarbonate. The variations of organic acids in different plant organs were similar to those of root exudates in the four treatments except B. papyrifera, which was in a treatment that was a combination of 0.02 mM Zn and no bicarbonate. The response characteristics in the production, translocation, and allocation of organic acids in the plant organs and root exudates varied with species and treatments. Organic acids in plant organs and root exudates increased under Zn-deficient conditions,excessive bicarbonate, or both. An increase of organic acids in the leaves resulted in an increase of root-exuded organic acids. B. papyrifera translocated more oxalate and citrate from the roots to the rhizosphere than M. alba under the dual influence of 10 mM bicarbonate and Zn deficiency. Organic acids of leaves may be derived from dark respiration and photorespiration. By comparison, organic acids in stems, roots, and root exudates may be derived from dark respiration and organic acid translocation from the leaves. These results provide evidence for the selective adaptation of plants to environments with low Zn levels or high bicarbonate levels such as a karst ecosystem.

Three previously undescribed metabolites from Cordyceps cicadae JXCH-1,an entomopathogenic fungus

Three previously undescribed compounds,cordycicadione(1),cordycicadin F(2),and 7-hydroxybassiatin(3),were isolated from the cultures of Cordyceps cicadae JXCH1,an entomopathogenic fungus.Their structures and relative configurations were elucidated primarily by NMR spectroscopic analysis.The absolute configurations of 1 and 2 were determined by ECD calculations.Single-crystal X-ray diffraction method was adopted to determine the absolute configuration of 3.Compound 2 is a polycyclic polyketide with an unusual enol ether moiety and a spiro ring.The compounds obtained in this study were subjected to screening their inhibition against the proliferation of the human lung cancer cell line A549 and the production of nitric oxide in murine macrophages RAW264.7.

One hundred noteworthy boletes from China

Fungi of the family Boletaceae are of great importance in both ecology and economy.Our previous molecular phylogenetic studies have shown this family to have an extremely high species diversity in China.To further document the Chinese boletes,morphological studies and phylogenetic analyses were conducted including species of Boletaceae from China and other parts of the world.The results indicate that seven subfamily-level major clades and 62 generic clades can be retrieved,52 of which are found in China.Furthermore,100 species(comprising 32 genera)common in China are illustrated and described here in detail.Among them,four genera and 46 species are new to science,and 26 new combinations are proposed.To interpret the species concepts consistently,epitypes for five species are designated based on collections made from or near the type localities.Notes on eight extralimital species are also provided.Among the species reported here,most of the species are known only from East Asia.Only Leccinum scabrum(Bull.)Gray,Porphyrellus porphyrosporus(Fr.&Hok)E.-J.Gilbert and Tylopilus felleus(Bull.)P.Karst.are widely distributed in the Holarctic,and Buchwaldoboletus lignicola(Kallenb.)Pila´t;Strobilomyces strobilaceus(Scop.)Berk.are in Eurasia;while Aureoboletus mirabilis(Murrill)Halling,Harrya chromapes(Frost)Halling et al.,and Sutorius eximius(Peck)Halling et al.are found throughout East Asia-North America based on morphological and molecular phylogenetic evidences.

Four new genera of the fungal family Boletaceae

Based on our previous molecular phylogenetic analyses,four new genera are described,namely Baorangia,Lanmaoa,Parvixerocomus,and Rugiboletus,and one known genus,Neoboletus,is re-delimitated.Four new species and nine new combinations are proposed.Morphological characters of each genus and related eleven species are described and illustrated.Most of species in the genera described from southwestern China are wild edible mushrooms and can be found in free markets.

Enhanced photothermal conversion and thermal conductivity of phase change n-octadecane microcapsules shelled with nano-SiC doped crosslinked polystyrene

Microcapsules incorporating phase change material n-octadecane(ODE)shelled with crosslinked polystyrene(CLPS)were prepared via the suspension polymerization.SiC nanoparticles(nano-SiC)were employed to modify the shell to improve the heat transfer and photothermal conversion of the microcapsules.The scanning electron microscopic analysis revealed the microcapsules of a general spherical shape.The surface components and chemical composition of the microcapsule samples were evaluated by the energy-dispersive X-ray and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy,confirming that the nano-SiC have been embedded in the CLPS shell.Results show that the microcapsule sample with 1.25 wt.%nano-SiC(denoted as MPCM3)exhibits the best heat property among the four kinds of samples prepared with various nano-SiC dosages,and all the nano-SiC doped samples have improved thermal conductivity and photothermal conversion as compared to the microcapsule sample without doping(denoted as MPCM1).Compared to the MPCM1,the thermal conductivity of the MPCM3 is increased by 65.3%,reaching 0.124±0.005 W·m^(−1)·K^(−1).The MPCM3 has excellent thermal stability as well.Differential scan-ning calorimetry examination shows that the MPCM3 has higher melting and crystallization enthalpies than the MPCM1,achieving 106.8±0.3 J·g^(−1) and 104.9±0.2 J·g^(−1),respectively.In the photothermal conversion experi-ments,the MPCM3 exhibited great photothermal conversion capability,with a 54.91%photothermal conversion efficiency,which is 145.68%higher than that of the MPCM1.