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Desertification is a form of land degradation principally in semi-arid and arid areas influenced by climatic and human factors. As a country plagued by extensive sandy desertification and frequent sandstorms and dust storms, China has been trying to find ways to achieve the sustainable management of desertified lands. This paper reviewed the impact of climate change and anthropogenic activities on desertified areas, and the effort, outcome, and lessons learned from desertification control in China. Although drying and warming trends and growing population pressures exist in those areas, the expanding trend of desertified land achieved an overall reversal. In the past six decades, many efforts, including government policies, forestry, and desertification control programs, combined with eco-industrialization development, have been integrated to control the desertification in northern China. Positive human intervention including afforestation, and the rehabilitation of mobile sandy land, and water conservation have facilitated the return of arid and semi-arid ecosystems to a more balanced state. China’s practices in desertification control could provide valuable knowledge for sustainable desertified land management on a global scale.

Flooding is one of the most destructive natural events that severely damage the ground and inundate underground infrastructure. Subway systems in metropolitan areas are susceptible to flooding, which may be exacerbated when land subsidence occurs. However, previous studies have focused on flood risk evaluation on regional/watershed-scales and land subsidence monitoring in plains, instead of on subway flood risk evaluation and how land subsidence aggravates the flood risk in subway systems. Using the proposed risk indicators and field survey data, we present a method assessing the flood risk of metropolitan subway systems under a subsidence condition based on the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) combined with a geographic information system (GIS). We use the regional risk level within the 500 m buffer zone of the subway line to depict the flood risk of the subway system. The proposed method was used to evaluate the flood risk of the Beijing subway system. The results show that the flood risks of the Beijing subway show a ring-like distribution pattern—risk levels decreasing from the central urban area to the suburbs. Very high and high risks are mainly located within third and fourth ring roads, accounting for 63.58% (29.40 km2) and 63.83% (81.19 km2) of the total area. Land subsidence exacerbated the Beijing subway system’s flood risk level—the moderate to very high risk increased by 46.88 km2 (16.33%), indicating that land subsidence is an essential factor affecting the flood risk level of subway systems. In addition to enhancing flood warnings, future subway flooding could be reduced by elevating the height of the stations’ exit (entrance) and installing water stop plates and watertight doors. This study is of great significance for flood warning and prevention in the Beijing subway system; it provides a theoretical basis for flood risk evaluation in other metropolitan areas.

Feline calicivirus (FCV) is an infectious pathogen in cats that mainly causes upper respiratory tract disease. Enhancing our understanding of the epidemiological characteristics of FCV can contribute to better strategies against FCV infection. To investigate the prevalence of FCV in Beijing, explore the risk factors associated with FCV infection and elucidate its genetic evolutionary characteristics. Cats (n = 402) from the China Agricultural University Veterinary Teaching Hospital (CAUVTH) were investigated from June to December in 2023. The rate of FCV-positive cats in the sample examined was 31.3%. Risk factors significantly associated with FCV infection were age, vaccination status and residential density by Logistic regression analysis. Phylogenetic analysis of completed genomes revealed a radial phylogeny, with no obvious geographical clustering. Amino acid analysis at different sites of E region of the major capsid protein revealed variable neutralizing antibody epitopes, while feline junctional adhesion molecule-A (fJAM-A) binding sites remained conserved. Additionally, the first FCV recombinant isolate was detected in Beijing, originating from two 2019 isolates collected in the city. This study elucidates the molecular epidemiology and genetic diversity of FCV in Beijing, which provides valuable insights for the development of effective measures for FCV prevention and control.

Influenza A viruses in animal reservoirs repeatedly cross species barriers to infect humans. Dogs are the closest companion animals to humans, but the role of dogs in the ecology of influenza viruses is unclear. H3N2 avian influenza viruses were transmitted to dogs around 2006 and have formed stable lineages. The long-term epidemic of avian-origin H3N2 virus in canines offers the best models to investigate the effect of dogs on the evolution of influenza viruses. Here, we carried out a systematic and comparative identification of the biological characteristics of H3N2 canine influenza viruses (CIVs) isolated worldwide over 10 years. We found that, during adaptation in dogs, H3N2 CIVs became able to recognize the human-like SAα2,6-Gal receptor, showed gradually increased hemagglutination (HA) acid stability and replication ability in human airway epithelial cells, and acquired a 100% transmission rate via respiratory droplets in a ferret model. We also found that human populations lack immunity to H3N2 CIVs, and even preexisting immunity derived from the present human seasonal influenza viruses cannot provide protection against H3N2 CIVs. Our results showed that canines may serve as intermediates for the adaptation of avian influenza viruses to humans. Continuous surveillance coordinated with risk assessment for CIVs is necessary.

Background Feline parvovirus (FPV) is a member of the family Parvoviridae , which is a major enteric pathogen of cats worldwide. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of feline parvovirus in Beijing of China and analyze the genetic features of detected viruses. Results In this study, a total of 60 (8.5%) parvovirus-positive samples were detected from 702 cat fecal samples using parvovirus-specific PCR. The complete VP2 genes were amplified from all these samples. Among them, 55 (91.7%) sequences were characterized as FPV, and the other five (8.3%) were typed as canine parvovirus type 2 (CPV-2) variants, comprised of four CPV-2c and a new CPV-2b strain. In order to investigate the origin of CPV-2 variants in cats, we amplified full-length VP2 genes from seven fecal samples of dogs infected with CPV-2, which were further classified as CPV-2c. The sequences of new CPV-2b/MT270586 and CPV-2c/MT270587 detected from feline samples shared 100% identity with previous canine isolates KT156833 and MF467242 respectively, suggesting the CPV-2 variants circulating in cats might be derived from dogs. Sequence analysis indicated new mutations, Ala91Ser and Ser192Phe, in the FPV sequences, while obtained CPV-2c carried mutations reported in Asian CPV variants, showing they share a common evolutionary pattern with the Asian 2c strains. Interestingly, the FPV sequence (MT270571), displaying four CPV-specific residues, was found to be a putative recombinant sequence between CPV-2c and FPV. Phylogenetic analysis of the VP2 gene showed that amino acid and nucleotide mutations promoted the evolution of FPV and CPV lineages. Conclusions Our findings will be helpful to further understand the circulation and evolution of feline and canine parvovirus in Beijing.

Telemedicine is developing rapidly, presenting new opportunities and challenges for physicians and patients. Limited research has examined physicians' behavior during the process of adopting telemedicine and related factors. This study aimed to identify perceived barriers and enablers of physicians' adoption of telemedicine and to develop intervention strategies. Three interlinked frameworks, the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF), the Behavior Change Wheel (BCW), and behavior change techniques (BCTs), were used sequentially to identify the factors for physicians' telemedicine adoption and to develop intervention strategies. First, guided by the TDF, a questionnaire was developed and administered in interviews with 36 physicians from 29 different medical institutions in Beijing. Second, the content of the semistructured physician interviews was analyzed using the software NVivo 12.0 to extract themes under each domain. Each theme was then classified as either a barrier or an enabler based on the physicians' language and expression. Third, following the established relationships in the literature, we mapped each domain in the TDF to the corresponding intervention functions and policy categories within BCW. Fourth, for each identified intervention function, we further identified the associated BCTs using the standardized mappings reported in previous studies. The process of identifying intervention functions, policy categories, and techniques was guided by the APEASE (acceptability, practicability, effectiveness, affordability, spill-over effects, and equity) criteria. Last, potential implementation strategies were proposed via focus group discussion. We identified 50 themes in relation to the adoption of telemedicine. These comprised 27 barriers and 23 enablers, ranging from administrative issues to specific clinical conditions. Of the 14 TDF domains, 11 domains were mentioned. The most frequently mentioned domains were environmental context and resources (10 themes), beliefs about consequences (9 themes), and emotion (7 themes). Major barriers comprised limited acceptance among senior physicians, inconsistent system performance, inadequate platform usability, and inadequate medical insurance coverage. Key enablers included sufficient communication skills and proficiency in system operations, together with the conviction that telemedicine may assist patients with resolving medical issues and prompt support from the IT department when challenges arise. Additionally, 7 of 9 intervention functions, 6 of 7 policy categories, and 26 of 93 BCTs were selected for each theme. Finally, we proposed several potential implementation strategies to enhance physician adoption of telemedicine. This study identified a range of interventions and strategies that could improve telemedicine adoption in this context. Implementing these measures requires efforts from health administrative departments, medical institutions, and health care personnel.

Telemedicine services have been developing rapidly worldwide. Following the 2018 policy enabling telemedicine for follow-up patients, this service model has gradually gained popularity in China. However, little has been done to understand the policy's implementation across different types of medical institutions or to evaluate its effectiveness. This study aims to (1) investigate the patient eligibility assessment process in various types of institutions for telemedicine services in Beijing, (2) elucidate institutions' rationale for adopting such approaches, (3) analyze discrepancies between policy and practice, and (4) provide references for the development of telemedicine services. This mixed methods study involved 36 medical institutions in Beijing, determined based on placing in the top 20% for both service volume and service quality in 2023. The study was conducted in 2 phases. First, quantitative analyses were conducted based on the questionnaires collected from each institution's contact to gather information about the assessment process and patient prerequisites. Subsequently, qualitative analyses were conducted through thematic analysis of 36 semistructured interviews with each institution's contact to acquire their considerations of this practice. These 36 institutions contributed 968,786 telemedicine visits, representing 89.5% of the total service volume in Beijing. In practice, each of the visits underwent a 2-stage eligibility assessment before the physician officially accepted the patient's request. In the first stage, for assessment approaches, 86.2% (25/29) of the nonprofit, tertiary hospitals and 14.3% (1/7) of the private, for-profit institutions automatically assessed patient eligibility, while others did it manually. The assessment was based on the scope of previous visit location, diagnosis of previous visits, and visit interval. For the scope of visit location, 22 hospitals required prior visits to the same institution. For diagnosis, 7 hospitals required patients to have an identical diagnosis. For visit intervals, 11 hospitals required it to be within 6 months. The second stage assessment was conducted by physicians. Compared with policy requirements, nonprofit hospitals had stricter requirements for the scope of visit locations. The main reasons for these discrepancies included distrust in the medical outcomes from other institutions (19/26, 73.1%) and difficulties in handling interinstitutional medical disputes (18/26, 69.2%). In addition, 61.1% (22/36) of the institutions indicated that terminations of telemedicine services were primarily due to the patient's conditions. This pioneering multicenter, mixed methods study delineated the patient eligibility assessment process for telemedicine services in Beijing. Discrepancies were identified between real-world practice and regulatory prerequisites. The key factors contributing to these variations included the ambiguity of policies and different priorities across institution types. Our findings suggest greater policy clarity, relaxation of regulations for new patients, and strengthened oversight of telemedicine services to improve the quality and accessibility of telemedicine.

Canine parvovirus type 2 (CPV-2) and feline panleukopenia virus (FPV) cause severe disease in young animals, pups, and kittens. CPV-2 evolved from FPV by altering the species-specific binding of the viral capsid to the host receptor, i.e., the transferrin receptor (TfR), and CPV-2 genetic variants have been identified by specific VP2 amino acid residues (297, 426). Early studies focused on the main capsid protein VP2; however, there have been limited studies on the non-structural protein NS1. In this study, we identified the genetic variants of clinical samples in dogs and cats in northern China during 2019–2020. The genetic characterization and phylogenetic analyses of VP2 and NS1 gene were also conducted. The results revealed that the CPV-2c was identified as the major genetic variant. One new CPV-2b and two CPV-2c strains were collected from cats. Four mutation sites (60, 630, 443, and 545 amino acid residues) were located in the functional domains of the NS1 protein. The phylogenetic analysis of VP2 and NS1 genes showed that they were clustered by geographical regions and genotypes. The gene mutation rate of CPV-2 was increasing in recent years, resulting in a complex pattern of gene evolution in terms of host preference, geographical selection, and new genetic variants. This study emphasizes that continuous molecular epidemiological surveillance is required to understand the genetic diversity of FPV and CPV-2 strains.

Bacterial skin infections are common in dogs and often secondary to underlying conditions like allergies or ectoparasite infestations. Untreated primary causes can lead to recurrent infections and an increased risk of antimicrobial resistance, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (MRSP), posing a substantial clinical challenge. Here, we analyzed 896 canine bacterial skin infection samples collected from the China Agricultural University Veterinary Teaching Hospital between 2018 and 2022. Species identification was confirmed by MALDI-TOF and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Of the 896 samples, 722 (80.6%) yielded 1123 bacterial isolates, with Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (n = 421), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n = 108), and Escherichia coli (n = 73) being the most prevalent. Antimicrobial susceptibility was evaluated using the broth microdilution method according to CLSI guidelines. Notably, resistance to florfenicol in S. pseudintermedius increased from 9.1% in 2018 to 20.0% in 2022, while resistance to ceftriaxone in E. coli rose from 30.0% to 72.7% over the same period. Among 305 reviewed cases, pyoderma (47.5%, 145/305) was the most common infection type, predominantly associated with S. pseudintermedius (n = 114), followed by otitis (25.6%, 78/305) primarily linked to P. aeruginosa (n = 24). Mixed infections occurred in 35.4% (108/305) of cases, with S. pseudintermedius as the most frequently isolated species in both single and mixed infections. The multivariable logistic regression model revealed that MRSP infections were correlated with a history of invasion (p <0.001) and prolonged disease duration (six months to less than one year: p = 0.005; one year or longer: p < 0.001). Core-genome SNP analysis showed that eight dogs were infected with identical S. pseudintermedius strains, in which one dog exhibited a shift from gentamicin susceptibility to resistance within nine days. Conversely, three dogs were infected by distinct S. pseudintermedius strains at two time points. To effectively manage MRSP infections and chronic skin infections in dogs, rigorous disinfection protocols in veterinary hospitals, control of disease duration, prevention of recurrent infections, and continuous monitoring of antibiotic resistance patterns are essential.

BACKGROUND: Since late 2011, cases of suspected canine pseudorabies have increased in north China with the outbreak of swine pseudorabies in the same area, but the pathogenesis of canine Pseudorabies virus (PRV) infections in China is poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the pathogenesis of canine pseudorabies. METHODS: The pathological changes in 13 dogs that died of natural PRV infections (confirmed by pathogen detection) during 2011–2013 in Beijing were evaluated. An experimental study was also conducted in which healthy adult beagle dogs were administered PRV isolate BJ-YT by subcutaneous injection. The dog tissues were subjected to gross and microscopic examinations and immunohistochemical analysis and the dogs’ serum cardiac troponin-I (cTn-I) was measured. RESULTS: Systemic hemorrhage and/or congestion were the most marked pathological changes in both the naturally and experimentally PRV-infected dogs. Macroscopically, the major lesions consisted of petechiae and ecchymoses in both the endocardium and epicardium, thrombi in the mitral valves, hemorrhage in the lungs and thymus, and incomplete contraction of the spleen. Microscopically, the major histopathological findings were systemic hemorrhage and congestion, nonsuppurative ganglioneuritis (in the experimentally infected dogs, unexamined in the naturally PRV-infected dogs), brainstem encephalitis (in the naturally infected dogs), necrosis or exudation in the myocardium, and lymphoid depletion in many lymphoid organs and tissues. Viral antigens were only detected in the brainstems and peripheral ganglia of the infected dogs. Serum cTn-I was significantly higher in the experimentally PRV-infected dogs with myocardial lesions than in the dogs without myocardial lesions. CONCLUSIONS: Based on these results, we conclude that virally induced systemic hemorrhage, peripheral nervous system pathology, and/or cardiac injury can individually or collectively cause death in PRV-infected dogs. The respiratory signs of the disease are attributed to cardiogenic lesions.