People's Hospital of Shiyan

In this work, flow entropy (FE), flow path entropy (FPE), water quality entropy (WQE) and water quality path entropy (WQPE) of a water distribution system (WDS) were proposed and applied to four cases – a single-source branched network, a single-source looped network, a multi-source branched network and a multi-source looped network. The maximum FE, FPE, WQE, and WQPE for four cases were obtained and compared by solving optimisation models. For single-source branched network the maximum FE, FPE, WQE, and WQPE are the same. For multi-source branched network, the maximum FE is equal to the maximum FPE, and the maximum WQE is equal to the maximum WQPE. However, the maximum FE/FPE is not equal to the maximum WQE/WQPE. For single-source looped network and multi-source looped network, the maximum FE is also equal to the maximum FPE, while the maximum WQE is not equal to the maximum WQPE. The WQE and WQPE decreased with an increase in pipe length, pipe diameter and chlorine decay coefficient. The proposed concepts of FE, FPE, WQE and WQPE can help analyse the WDS from the viewpoints of water quantity as well as water quality.

Potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in agricultural soils of geological high-background areas often reflect parent material composition, influencing their uptake by crops. However, the pathways and sources of PTEs in cropping systems derived from diverse geologies remain unclear. This study investigated soil-rice systems in typical high-background areas underlain by phosphorite, black shale, and basalt. We analyzed PTE contents in paddy soils and rice grains to determine their transfer and enrichment patterns. Lead isotopes and Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) were employed to quantify PTE sources. Results showed that soils from phosphorite were significantly enriched in Pb, As, and Hg, resulting in mild composite enrichment of rice grains by Cd, Pb, As, Hg, and Cr. Black shale-derived soils exhibited marked Cd and Zn enrichment, leading to notable Cd contamination in grains. Basalt-derived soils were enriched with Cr, Ni, and Cu, with rice grains accumulating significant levels of Cr and Ni. Source apportionment revealed that PTEs originated from geological background, agricultural activities, traffic emissions, and coal combustion. Notably, PTEs from the phosphorite geology accumulated in topsoil but showed lower bioavailability than those released from weathered black shale and basalt. Specifically, Cd and Cu from black shale, and Zn, Ni, and Hg from basalt, demonstrated high bioavailability. This study identifies dominant PTEs and their accumulation pathways in diverse geological systems, providing a scientific basis for ensuring rice safety and managing PTE risks in agricultural systems with diverse geological backgrounds.

BackgroundPatients with acute leukemia are at increased risk of microbial infections due to factors such as the disease itself, intensive chemotherapy, and transplantation. Untimely or inadequate treatment can prolong therapy, raise costs, and even threaten patient survival, impacting overall cancer treatment outcomes. Traditional microbial identification relies on blood cultures (BCs), but their low positivity rate and lengthy processing time often hinder prompt diagnosis and the identification of the infecting pathogens. This study aimed to use droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR), known for its sensitivity in single-molecule amplification, to detect pathogen DNA and drug-resistant genes in blood.MethodsWe included a total of 47 patients with hematologic malignancies who were over 18 years old and had neutropenia accompanied by fever [suspected bloodstream infection (BSI)] from August 2022 to November 2022. Patients who failed resuscitation after severe shock, with severe liver or kidney dysfunction, and in the terminal stage were excluded. We conducted ddPCR testing for bacteria/fungi/viruses with the patient’s blood on the first day, third day, and fifth day of the occurrences of neutropenic fever with suspected BSI. In case of positive results indicating the presence of bacteria, we used the remaining nucleic acid samples to detect drug resistance genes.ResultsBC and ddPCR yielded positive results indicating the presence of bacteria in five patients (10.64%) and 14 patients (29.79%), respectively, with ddPCR demonstrating acceptable positive rate (81.44%). Regarding the breadth of detection, ddPCR identified 10 different pathogens, while only two pathogens went undetected. In contrast, BC detected only five different pathogens. In terms of the diversity of pathogens detected in single samples, among the 14 polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-positive patients, three had the presence of two different pathogens synchronously. Furthermore, ddPCR also revealed the presence of drug resistance genes. Among the 14 PCR-positive patients, four were found to have drug resistance genes, including one case of Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (rendering patients’ immunocompromised system) and three cases of methicillin resistance determinant A (mecA).ConclusionsddPCR is a versatile and adaptable platform that can serve as a complement to traditional BCs.