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A study linking the two economic and social phenomena of rural labor force migration and energy transition can help analyze the underlying causes of rural "Energy Poverty". However, how off-farm employment affects household low-carbon energy consumption and its potential mechanisms requires further research. Using 1351 sampled rural households from the "Rural Energy, Population Transfer and Well-being" survey in 2018 and 2021 to explore response mechanisms through which off-farm employment can influence low-carbon energy intensity. Utilizing the multivariate regression, Sobel test, and moderating effect test, the results demonstrate that off-farm employment, including short-term and long-term off-farm employment, significantly increases the intensity of low-carbon energy use among rural households. Specifically, long-term off-farm employment tends to have a greater positive contribution to the low-carbon energy intensity than short-term off-farm employment. Furthermore, off-farm employment can affect household low-carbon energy intensity through the total income, and effect of the surrounding people in the off-farm employment process also increases their consumption intensity. The research reveals that the rural energy revolution under the constraints of "Carbon Neutral" and "Carbon Peak" should relate to the off-farm development of rural households to achieve "Precise Energy Poverty Alleviation". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) is a novel bunyavirus. Since 2007, SFTS disease has been reported in China with high fatality rate up to 30%, which drew high attention from Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and government. SFTSV is endemic in the centra l and eastern China, Korea and Japan. There also have been similar cases reported in Vietnam. The number of SFTSV infection cases has a steady growth in these years. As SFTSV could transmitted from person to person, it will expose the public to infectious risk. In 2018 annual review of the Blueprint list of priority diseases, World Health Organisation has listed SFTSV infection as prioritised diseases for research and development in emergency contexts. However, the pathogenesis of SFTSV remains largely unclear. Currently, there are no specific therapeutics or vaccines to combat infections of SFTSV. This review discusses recent findings of epidemiology, transmission pathway, pathogenesis and treatments of SFTS disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A feature extraction method from cellular events was proposed. • A work to combine and use them for traffic status detection based on cellular events. • We presented a traffic status detection method using cellular data. • The classification accuracies for proposed model achieves good results. Traffic status detection on arterial roads is challenging because of the complexity of urban traffic and the limited coverage and high deployment cost of traffic detectors. Ubiquitous mobile phones and data generated from the events of these mobile devices provide a promising approach for traffic status detection. This paper proposes a novel approach solely using cellular event data without the cellphone GPS information to detect traffic status on arterial roads. Different from the conventional methods, the proposed approach uses features derived only from cellular data to estimate traffic status, not requiring any cellphone location information. Both handoff (HO) and location update (LU) events generated at each cellular station were extracted from the original data to form a candidate feature set. A feature selection method based on joint mutual information (JMI) was used to select features to cover the maximum information, which can resolve issues such as loss of useful information caused by conventional feature selection techniques. A support vector machine (SVM) algorithm was then employed to model the relationship between the selected features and traffic status (low, medium, and high-traffic). Finally, the proposed method was validated by both a field experiment in Taicang, China with 1-hour-time-interval samples and a simulation experiment on VISSIM with 5-minute-time-interval samples. This study provides a new perspective for traffic status detection which may help design strategies for traffic management and route navigation to improve traveling efficiency, especially for the cities lack of traffic surveillance devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is the most common glomerular disease worldwide. It has a high incidence in Asians and is more likely to progress to end-stage renal disease (ESRD). For high-risk IgAN, which is clinically characterized by massive proteinuria and renal dysfunction, however, there has been no international consensus on treatment options. Compared with other developed countries, IgAN patients in China are often found to have severe kidney function loss at initial diagnosis. Yi-Qi-Qing-Jie formula (YQF; a compound recipe of Chinese medicinal herbs) has shown potential renal protection in our previous clinical studies. To further confirm the efficacy and safety of YQF in the treatment of high-risk IgAN, we have designed a prospective double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial.Methods/design: The TCM-WINE study is a single-center, prospective, double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial. We plan to randomize 60 participants with biopsy-proven IgAN to a YQF combined group (YQF compound combined with prednisolone, and cyclophosphamide if necessary) or an immunosuppression group (placebo-YQF combined with prednisolone, and cyclophosphamide if necessary). The two groups will enter a 48-week in-trial treatment phase and receive post-trial follow-up until study completion (3 years). All patients will receive optimal supportive care. The primary composite outcome is defined as the first occurrence of a 40% decrease in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) from the baseline lasting for 3 months, initiating continuous renal replacement treatment, or death due to chronic kidney disease (CKD) during the 3-year study phase. The secondary endpoint events are defined as the mean annual eGFR decline rate (eGFR slope, ml/min per 1.73 m2 per year), which is calculated by the eGFR regression curve for each eligible patient, and proteinuria remission (prescribed as proteinuria < 0.5 g/day) at weeks 24, 36, and 48 during the in-trial phase. The remission rate of symptoms and inflammation status will be evaluated at week 48. Safety monitoring and assessment will be undertaken during the study.Discussion: The TCM-WINE study will evaluate the effects and safety of YQF combined therapy compared with immunosuppression monotherapy on the basis of the optimal supportive treatment in high-risk IgAN. The evidence from this study will provide a novel, effective, and safe Chinese characteristic therapy for high-risk IgAN patients.Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03418779. Registered on 18 June 2018. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans is an important microorganism used in biomining operations for metal recovery. Whole-genomic diversity analysis based on the oligonucleotide microarray was used to analyze the gene content of 12 strains of A. ferrooxidans purified from various mining areas in China. Among the 3100 open reading frames (ORFs) on the slides, 1235 ORFs were absent in at least 1 strain of bacteria and 1385 ORFs were conserved in all strains. The hybridization results showed that these strains were highly diverse from a genomic perspective. The hybridization results of 4 major functional gene categories, namely electron transport, carbon metabolism, extracellular polysaccharides, and detoxification, were analyzed. Based on the hybridization signals obtained, a phylogenetic tree was built to analyze the evolution of the 12 tested strains, which indicated that the geographic distribution was the main factor influencing the strain diversity of these strains. Based on the hybridization signals of genes associated with bioleaching, another phylogenetic tree showed an evolutionary relationship from which the co-relation between the clustering of specific genes and geochemistry could be observed. The results revealed that the main factor was geochemistry, among which the following 6 factors were the most important: pH, Mg, Cu, S, Fe, and Al. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Background Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging infectious disease discovered in China in 2009. In July 2013, the first human infection with SFTS virus (SFTSV) was detected in Shaanxi Province, Western China. Methods A seroprevalence study among humans was carried out in an SFTS endemic village; specifically, serum samples were collected from 363 farmers in an SFTS endemic village in Shaanxi Province. The presence of SFTSV antibodies in serum was determined using an ELISA. Results SFTSV antibodies were found in a total of 20 people (5.51%), with no significant difference between males and females (6.93% and 4.42%, respectively; Chi-square = 1.29, p = 0.25). Moreover, the SFTSV antibody positive rate was not significantly different across different age groups (Chi-square = 2.23, p = 0.69). Conclusions SFTSV readily infects humans with outdoor exposure. The results of the serological study indicate that the virus circulates widely in Shaanxi Province. SFTSV represents a public health threat in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measles is a highly contagious and severe disease. Despite mass vaccination, it remains a leading cause of death in children in developing regions, killing 114,900 globally in 2014. In 2006, China committed to eliminating measles by 2012; to this end, the country enhanced its mandatory vaccination programs and achieved vaccination rates reported above 95% by 2008. However, in spite of these efforts, during the last 3 years (2013–2015) China documented 27,695, 52,656, and 42,874 confirmed measles cases. How measles manages to spread in China—the world’s largest population—in the mass vaccination era remains poorly understood. To address this conundrum and provide insights for future public health efforts, we analyze the geospatial pattern of measles transmission across China during 2005–2014. We map measles incidence and incidence rates for each of the 344 cities in mainland China, identify the key socioeconomic and demographic features associated with high disease burden, and identify transmission clusters based on the synchrony of outbreak cycles. Using hierarchical cluster analysis, we identify 21 epidemic clusters, of which 12 were cross-regional. The cross-regional clusters included more underdeveloped cities with large numbers of emigrants than would be expected by chance (p = 0.011; bootstrap sampling), indicating that cities in these clusters were likely linked by internal worker migration in response to uneven economic development. In contrast, cities in regional clusters were more likely to have high rates of minorities and high natural growth rates than would be expected by chance (p = 0.074; bootstrap sampling). Our findings suggest that multiple highly connected foci of measles transmission coexist in China and that migrant workers likely facilitate the transmission of measles across regions. This complex connection renders eradication of measles challenging in China despite its high overall vaccination coverage. Future immunization programs should therefore target these transmission foci simultaneously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To compare the difference in clinical and radiographic outcomes between anterior transcorporeal and transdiscal percutaneous endoscopic cervical discectomy (ATc-PECD/ATd-PECD) approaches for treating patients with cervical intervertebral disc herniation (CIVDH). Method. We selected 77 patients with single-segment CIVDH and received ATc-PECD or ATd-PECD in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University between March 1, 2010, and July 1, 2015. 35 patients suffered from ATc-PECD, and there were 42 patients in the ATd-PECD group. Obtaining the data of 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months postoperatively, the VAS for neck and arm pain and the modified MacNab criteria were used to evaluate the clinical outcomes, comparing radiographic outcomes and complications of these two groups. Results. We found that the mean operative time was significantly longer in the ATc-PECD group (P < 0.05). At the 2-year follow-up, the mean VAS score for neck and arm pain was significantly decreased in both two groups. There was no significant difference in the VAS score for arm pain and neck pain between the two groups at the 2-year follow-up (P = 0.783 and P = 0.785 , respectively). For the ATc-PECD group, the difference in the height of IVS or vertebral body was significant between the preoperative and postoperative groups (P < 0.05 , respectively). For the ATd-PECD group, there was only a significant decrease in the height of the IVS (P < 0.05); the decrease in the surgical vertebral body was not significant between the preoperative and postoperative groups (P > 0.05). Conclusion. In the 2-year follow-up, there is no significant difference in the clinical outcomes between the 2 approaches. While the longer time was consumed in the ATc-PECD group, the lower rate of disc collapse and recurrence is notable. Additionally, when the center diameter of tunnel was limited to 6 mm, the bony defect can be healed without the occurrence of the collapse of the superior endplate, and ATc-PECD may be preferable in the endoscopic treatment of CIVDH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of the vital tectonic units of the Wulian Metamorphic Core Complex (MCC), the Wulian detachment fault zone (WDFZ), which developed in the Jiaodong peninsula, separates the lower plate of the ultrahigh pressure (UHP) metamorphic rocks in the Sulu orogenic belt from the upper plate of the early Cretaceous Zhucheng basin and the basin basement. The fault zone generally strikes NNE with a dip in the west along the southern portion of the MCC and strikes NE with a dip in the WNW along the northern portion. The fault zone displays a wavy-tile-shaped extension on the plane, principally composed of the fault breccias and mylonite and transits downward to the mylonitic gneiss As a whole, the detachment fault zone shows a top-to-west or a WNW extension. By calculating the harmonic mean, we obtain a Flynn index K of 0.98–2.0, and the mean value is approximately 1.35 in the fault zone. According to the polar Mohr construction, the extensional crenulation cleavage, the RS/θ, and the quartz C-axial fabric methods, we acquire mean kinematic vorticity values of 0.64–0.97, 0.76–0.93, 0.6–0.92, and 0.63–0.98 with mean values of 0.83, 0.80, 0.78 and 0.86, respectively, for mylonite and promylonite. The strain measurement results and the kinematic vorticity values indicate that the WDFZ is a normal ductile shear zone developed in the extensional setting. The kinematic track shows that the kinematic vorticity value decreases gradually from the NW to the SE as a whole. A simple shear dominates in the middle and upper parts of the shear zone, which is reflected by a higher vorticity value (>0.75, up to 0.98), a low thinning rate and a lower K value. In contrast, toward the footwall, the pure shear is increased significantly, showing a lower vorticity value (<0.70, low to 0.64), a relatively high thinning rate and a higher K value. Combined with the geotectonic background, the development and evolution of the WDFZ should respond to lithospheric thinning and the destruction of the North China Craton (NCC). As a result, the WDFZ can be defined as a thinning normal shear zone developed in the extension tectonic setting and the combined result of the simple shear caused by the crust extension and pure shear led by the rapid uplift of the footwall and magmatic upwelling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A correction to the article "Geospatial Characteristics of Measles Transmission in China During 2005-2014" by Yan Yang et al. that was published in a 2017 issue is presented.

Since two large specimens of Chinese paddlefish Psephurus gladius were found unexpectedly in December 2002 and January 2003, a series of measures have been undertaken to attempt to save this critical endangered species. As a part of the rescue plan, a total of eight hydroacoustic and capture surveys were conducted in the upper Yangtze River between 2006 and 2013. Preliminary results from the first four surveys (2006-2008) were reported in 2009. The later four surveys were conducted in the same area and consisted of 578 setlines, 8 anchored setlines and 2003 drift net catches. A total of 1982 fish belonging to 38 species were captured. For the hydroacoustic surveys, a BioSonics echo sounder with a vertically down looking 199 kHz split-beam transducer was applied, both for data recording, and for guiding the capture trials by drift nets and setlines. Post processing applying automatic tracking identified 7217 single targets from the eight acoustic surveys. Body size was estimated from TS values of single targets. No P. gladius were captured. The acoustic data, however, revealed at least a few observations that are difficult to interpret as something other than large P. gladius. Although not conclusive, this gives hope that this species may still exist in the river. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Because the prevalence of connective tissue disease (CTD)-associated interstitial lung disease (ILD; CTD-ILD) in China is unknown, we wanted to analyze the clinical characteristics of this disease in Chinese patients.Methods: The medical records of patients who received a diagnosis of ILD and treated in Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital from January 1999 to January 2013 were reviewed. Based on the records, patients who also received a diagnosis of CTD were identified, and their records of follow-up examinations for a minimum of 12 months until the end of December 2013 were reviewed.Results: Of the 2,678 patients who received a diagnosis of ILD, 1,798 (67%) were identified as having CTD-ILD; 299 (11.2%) had idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Complete clinical data were available for 1,044 patients with CTD-ILD and 178 with IPF. We found that 332 of the 1,044 patients with CTD-ILD (32%) did not receive an accurate diagnosis at the initial hospital admission, 195 (18.7%) of the 1,044 patients showed persistent negative test results for autoantibodies, and 262 (25.1%) of the 1,044 patients had negative autoantibodies at the initial hospital admission and then became positive at follow-up examinations. Of the 288 patients who had confirmed CTD-ILD, 41 (14%) showed pulmonary symptoms as the initial clinical manifestation (PSIM) and 247 (86%) showed extrapulmonary symptoms as the initial clinical manifestation (EPSIM). For the 756 patients who had undifferentiated CTD-ILD, the proportion of PSIM and EPSIM was 44% and 56%, respectively. For patients who presented with PSIM, 23 who had confirmed CTD-ILD (56%) and 216 who had unconfirmed CTD-ILD (65%) did not receive an accurate diagnosis at the initial visit but were ultimately diagnosed at subsequent follow-up examinations.Conclusions: Patients with CTD-ILD do not receive an accurate diagnosis at the initial hospital admission possibly because of negative serologic test results for autoantibodies and the absence of obvious extrapulmonary symptoms. Thus, patients with ILD should be examined for extrapulmonary symptoms and tested for autoantibodies at follow-up examinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the epidemic characteristics of human cutaneous anthrax (CA) in China, detect the spatiotemporal clusters at the county level for preemptive public health interventions, and evaluate the differences in the epidemiological characteristics within and outside clusters. Methods: CA cases reported during 2005–2012 from the national surveillance system were evaluated at the county level using space-time scan statistic. Comparative analysis of the epidemic characteristics within and outside identified clusters was performed using using the χ2 test or Kruskal-Wallis test. Results: The group of 30–39 years had the highest incidence of CA, and the fatality rate increased with age, with persons ≥70 years showing a fatality rate of 4.04%. Seasonality analysis showed that most of CA cases occurred between May/June and September/October of each year. The primary spatiotemporal cluster contained 19 counties from June 2006 to May 2010, and it was mainly located straddling the borders of Sichuan, Gansu, and Qinghai provinces. In these high-risk areas, CA cases were predominantly found among younger, local, males, shepherds, who were living on agriculture and stockbreeding and characterized with high morbidity, low mortality and a shorter period from illness onset to diagnosis. Conclusion: CA was geographically and persistently clustered in the Southwestern China during 2005–2012, with notable differences in the epidemic characteristics within and outside spatiotemporal clusters; this demonstrates the necessity for CA interventions such as enhanced surveillance, health education, mandatory and standard decontamination or disinfection procedures to be geographically targeted to the areas identified in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Increased risks for hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) caused by Hantaan virus have been observed since 2005, in Xi'an, China. Despite increased vigilance and preparedness, HFRS outbreaks in 2010, 2011, and 2012 were larger than ever, with a total of 3,938 confirmed HFRS cases and 88 deaths in 2010 and 2011. Methods and Findings: Data on HFRS cases and weather were collected monthly from 2005 to 2012, along with active rodent monitoring. Wavelet analyses were performed to assess the temporal relationship between HFRS incidence, rodent density and climatic factors over the study period. Results showed that HFRS cases correlated to rodent density, rainfall, and temperature with 2, 3 and 4-month lags, respectively. Using a Bayesian time-series Poisson adjusted model, we fitted the HFRS outbreaks among humans for risk assessment in Xi'an. The best models included seasonality, autocorrelation, rodent density 2 months previously, and rainfall 2 to 3 months previously. Our models well reflected the epidemic characteristics by one step ahead prediction, out-of-sample. Conclusions: In addition to a strong seasonal pattern, HFRS incidence was correlated with rodent density and rainfall, indicating that they potentially drive the HFRS outbreaks. Future work should aim to determine the mechanism underlying the seasonal pattern and autocorrelation. However, this model can be useful in risk management to provide early warning of potential outbreaks of this disease. Author Summary: Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS, caused by hantavirus) is a zoonotic infectious disease reservoired in rodent populations worldwide, but with 90% of the total cases occurring in China. Xi'an is one of the most endemic areas in China, with a total of 7,748 confirmed HFRS cases from 2005 to 2012. HFRS came to the attention of the public when two larger outbreaks occurred in Xi'an in 2010 and 2011, with 1,366 and 1,067 cases being reported, respectively. By using 8 years of surveillance data (2005–2012) on HFRS dynamics, including data on the main rodent host reservoir, human cases, and weather conditions, we show how the epidemic dynamics of HFRS were associated with seasonality, rodent abundance, rainfall, and temperature. We find that the two larger HFRS outbreaks coincided with the abrupt increase of rodent abundance and/or rainfall. We present a statistical model revealing strong effects of seasonality and autocorrelation and additional effects of rodent density and rainfall on HFRS incidence that gives robust prediction; this approach could be a very practical tool in Xi'an. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) is a rodent-borne disease caused by many serotypes of hantaviruses. In China, HFRS has been recognized as a severe public health problem with 90% of the total reported cases in the world. This study describes the spatiotemporal dynamics of HFRS cases in China and identifies the regions, time, and populations at highest risk, which could help the planning and implementation of key preventative measures. Methods: Data on all reported HFRS cases at the county level from January 2005 to December 2012 were collected from Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Geographic Information System-based spatiotemporal analyses including Local Indicators of Spatial Association and Kulldorff's space-time scan statistic were performed to detect local high-risk space-time clusters of HFRS in China. In addition, cases from high-risk and low-risk counties were compared to identify significant demographic differences. Results: A total of 100,868 cases were reported during 2005–2012 in mainland China. There were significant variations in the spatiotemporal dynamics of HFRS. HFRS cases occurred most frequently in June, November, and December. There was a significant positive spatial autocorrelation of HFRS incidence during the study periods, with Moran's I values ranging from 0.46 to 0.56 (P<0.05). Several distinct HFRS cluster areas were identified, mainly concentrated in northeastern, central, and eastern of China. Compared with cases from low-risk areas, a higher proportion of cases were younger, non-farmer, and floating residents in high-risk counties. Conclusions: This study identified significant space-time clusters of HFRS in China during 2005–2012 indicating that preventative strategies for HFRS should be particularly focused on the northeastern, central, and eastern of China to achieve the most cost-effective outcomes. Author Summary: Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) is a rodent-borne viral disease caused by many serotypes of hantaviruses. In China, HFRS has been recognized as a severe public health problem and accounts for 90% of the reported cases in the world. We examined the spatiotemporal dynamics of HFRS cases in China during 2005–2012 and compared characteristics between cases from high-risk and low-risk counties. Several distinct HFRS cluster areas were identified, concentrated in northeastern, central, and eastern of China. Compared with cases from low-risk areas, a higher proportion of cases were younger, non-farmer, and floating residents in high-risk counties. These findings suggest preventative strategies for HFRS should be focused on the identified clusters in order to achieve the most cost-effective outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) is a rodent-borne disease caused by many serotypes of hantaviruses. In China, HFRS has been recognized as a severe public health problem with 90% of the total reported cases in the world. This study describes the spatiotemporal dynamics of HFRS cases in China and identifies the regions, time, and populations at highest risk, which could help the planning and implementation of key preventative measures. Methods: Data on all reported HFRS cases at the county level from January 2005 to December 2012 were collected from Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Geographic Information System-based spatiotemporal analyses including Local Indicators of Spatial Association and Kulldorff's space-time scan statistic were performed to detect local high-risk space-time clusters of HFRS in China. In addition, cases from high-risk and low-risk counties were compared to identify significant demographic differences. Results: A total of 100,868 cases were reported during 2005–2012 in mainland China. There were significant variations in the spatiotemporal dynamics of HFRS. HFRS cases occurred most frequently in June, November, and December. There was a significant positive spatial autocorrelation of HFRS incidence during the study periods, with Moran's I values ranging from 0.46 to 0.56 (P<0.05). Several distinct HFRS cluster areas were identified, mainly concentrated in northeastern, central, and eastern of China. Compared with cases from low-risk areas, a higher proportion of cases were younger, non-farmer, and floating residents in high-risk counties. Conclusions: This study identified significant space-time clusters of HFRS in China during 2005–2012 indicating that preventative strategies for HFRS should be particularly focused on the northeastern, central, and eastern of China to achieve the most cost-effective outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Peripartum depression in and after pregnancy are common, reported by 11.9% of women worldwide, and the proportion was even higher during the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We aimed to investigate the prevalence and risk factors of peripartum depression under the influence of COVID-19 in China.Methods: Using a cross-sectional design, 2026 pregnant and postpartum women residing in Beijing, Wuhan, and Lanzhou of China were recruited from February 28 to April 9, 2020. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 was used to assess their depressive symptoms. The women were divided into four subgroups based on pregnancy stage, and a binary logistic regression analysis was conducted on each subgroup.Results: Under the influence of COVID-19, the prevalence rate of peripartum depression among Chinese women was 9.7%. It was 13.6, 10.8, 7.9 and 7.3% in the first, second, third trimester and puerperium, respectively. Regression analysis showed that the influence of current pregnancy status on movement (Mild vs. No, aORs were 3.89, P < 0.001, 2.92, P = 0.003, 1.58, P = 0.150 in the three trimesters, respectively; Severe vs. No, aORs were 13.00, 20.45, 5.38 in the three trimesters, respectively, all P < 0.05), and worries and fears about childbirth (aORs were 2.46, 2.96, 2.50 in the three trimesters, respectively, all P < 0.05) were associated with depression throughout pregnancy.Conclusions: The prevalence rate of peripartum depression during the COVID-19 outbreak in China was not higher than usual. The influence of current pregnancy status on movement, as well as worries and fears about childbirth were independent risk factors for peripartum depression throughout pregnancy during COVID-19. The stage of pregnancy should be considered when implementing interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cultured mycelium Cordyceps sinensis (CMCS) is a Chinese herbal medicine, which is widely used for a variety of diseases including liver injury in clinic. The current study aims to investigate the protective effects of CMCS against liver fibrosis and to exploit its active antifibrotic substances in vivo and in vitro. For evaluating the antifibrotic effect of CMCS and ergosterol, male C57BL/6 mice were injected intraperitoneally with carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) and treated with CMCS (120mg/kg/d) or ergosterol (50mg/kg/d). Four weeks later, serum liver function, hepatic hydroxyproline (Hyp) content, liver inflammation, collagen deposition, and expression of alpha smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) in liver tissue were evaluated. Besides, toxicological effects of active compounds of CMCS on hepatocytes and hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) were detected and expressions of permeability of the lysosomal membrane, EdU, F-actin, and α-SMA of activated HSCs were analyzed to screen the antifibrotic substance in CMCS in vitro. Our results showed that CMCS could significantly alleviate levels of serum liver functions, attenuate hepatic inflammation, decrease collagen deposition, and relieve levels of α-SMA in liver, respectively. Ergosterol, the active compound in CMCS that was detected by HPLC, played a dose-dependent inhibition role on activated HSCs via upregulating expressions of permeability of the lysosomal membrane and downregulating levels of EdU, F-actin, and α-SMA on activated HSCs in vitro. Moreover, ergosterol revealed the antifibrotic effect alike in vivo. In conclusion, CMCS is effective in alleviating liver fibrosis induced by CCl4 and ergosterol might be the efficacious antifibrotic substance in CMCS in vivo and in vitro. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides an overview of a study on the incidence and distribution of scrub typhus in mainland China from 2006 to 2012. Scrub typhus is a bacterial infection transmitted by chigger mites, primarily found in areas where infected rodents are present. The study found a total of 27,391 confirmed cases of scrub typhus during the study period, with a higher incidence among females in 2011 and 2012. The disease was most prevalent among individuals aged 60-69 and farmers had a higher incidence compared to non-farmers. The study emphasizes the need for targeted public health interventions to control and prevent scrub typhus outbreaks in China. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the outbreak of scrub typhus disease in China. The public health intervention for the epidemic is tackled, along with its spatiotemporal epidemiological pattern. A spatial autocorrelation for scrub typhus cases is explored. The relative risk (RR) is evaluated through a discrete Poisson model.

Objective: The aim of the study is to examine the spatiotemporal pattern of Japanese Encephalitis (JE) in mainland China during 2002–2010. Specific objectives of the study were to quantify the temporal variation in incidence of JE cases, to determine if clustering of JE cases exists, to detect high risk spatiotemporal clusters of JE cases and to provide evidence-based preventive suggestions to relevant stakeholders. Methods: Monthly JE cases at the county level in mainland China during 2002–2010 were obtained from the China Information System for Diseases Control and Prevention (CISDCP). For the purpose of the analysis, JE case counts for nine years were aggregated into four temporal periods (2002; 2003–2005; 2006; and 2007–2010). Local Indicators of Spatial Association and spatial scan statistics were performed to detect and evaluate local high risk space-time clusters. Results: JE incidence showed a decreasing trend from 2002 to 2005 but peaked in 2006, then fluctuated over the study period. Spatial cluster analysis detected high value clusters, mainly located in Southwestern China. Similarly, we identified a primary spatiotemporal cluster of JE in Southwestern China between July and August, with the geographical range of JE transmission increasing over the past years. Conclusion: JE in China is geographically clustered and its spatial extent dynamically changed during the last nine years in mainland China. This indicates that risk factors for JE infection are likely to be spatially heterogeneous. The results may assist national and local health authorities in the development/refinement of a better preventive strategy and increase the effectiveness of public health interventions against JE transmission. Author Summary: Japanese encephalitis (JE) is a mosquito-borne disease, which primarily occurs in rural and suburban areas of Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific region. JE still remains a significant public health problem in mainland China, with approximately 50% of global cases annually. Few studies have explored the spatiotemporal patterns of JE cases in China. Here we reported the results of Local Indicators of Spatial Association and spatial scan statistics of JE cases in mainland China at the county level during the four periods: 2002; 2003–2005; 2006; 2007–2010. The primary spatiotemporal cluster of JE was detected in Southwestern China between July and August, with the geographical range of JE transmission increasing over the past years. The results of LISA and spatial scan statistics were consistent which indicates that these methods are reliable and could have wider applications in the fields of disease surveillance and management in China, particularly in the surveillance and monitoring of other vector-borne diseases. These findings may assist in informing prevention and control strategies and increase the effectiveness of public health interventions against JE transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of the study is to examine the spatiotemporal pattern of Japanese Encephalitis (JE) in mainland China during 2002–2010. Specific objectives of the study were to quantify the temporal variation in incidence of JE cases, to determine if clustering of JE cases exists, to detect high risk spatiotemporal clusters of JE cases and to provide evidence-based preventive suggestions to relevant stakeholders. Methods: Monthly JE cases at the county level in mainland China during 2002–2010 were obtained from the China Information System for Diseases Control and Prevention (CISDCP). For the purpose of the analysis, JE case counts for nine years were aggregated into four temporal periods (2002; 2003–2005; 2006; and 2007–2010). Local Indicators of Spatial Association and spatial scan statistics were performed to detect and evaluate local high risk space-time clusters. Results: JE incidence showed a decreasing trend from 2002 to 2005 but peaked in 2006, then fluctuated over the study period. Spatial cluster analysis detected high value clusters, mainly located in Southwestern China. Similarly, we identified a primary spatiotemporal cluster of JE in Southwestern China between July and August, with the geographical range of JE transmission increasing over the past years. Conclusion: JE in China is geographically clustered and its spatial extent dynamically changed during the last nine years in mainland China. This indicates that risk factors for JE infection are likely to be spatially heterogeneous. The results may assist national and local health authorities in the development/refinement of a better preventive strategy and increase the effectiveness of public health interventions against JE transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dechloranes, including Dechlorane Plus (DP), Mirex (Dechlorane), Dechlorane 602 (Dec 602), Dechlorane 603 (Dec 603), and Dechlorane 604 (Dec 604), were determined using GC-MSD for water, sediment and oyster samples collected at 15 sampling sites near the Bohai and Huanghai Sea shore area of northern China in 2008. DP and Mirex were detected in most water, sediment, and oyster samples, which indicated widespread distribution of these two compounds. The mean concentrations in water, sediment and oyster samples, respectively, were 1.8 ng/L, 2.9 ng/g dry weight (dw) and 4.1 ng/g wet weight (ww) for total DP, and 0.29 ng/L, 0.90 ng/g dw, and 2.0 ng/g ww for Mirex. Dec 602 and Dec 603 were not detected in water but in small portions of the sediment and oyster samples, showing a low level of contamination by these two chemicals in the region. Strong and significant correlations were found between total DP and Mirex concentrations in water, sediment and oyster samples, probably suggesting similar local sources of these two chemicals. Dec 604 was not found in any samples. The biota-sediment accumulation factor (BSAF) of DP, Mirex, and Dec 602 declined along with the increase of their logarithm of octanol -- water partition coefficients (log Kow), possibly indicating that compounds with lower log Kow (like Mirex and Dec 602) accumulated more readily in biota. The mean fractional abundance of syn-D P (fsyn) was 0.34 in water samples, a value lower than that in Chinese commercial mixture (0.41), while the mean fsym for surface sediment (0.44) and oyster (0.45) samples were higher than technical values. Enrichment of syn-DP in oyster was in agreement with previously reported findings in Great Lakes fish. Enrichment of syn-DP in marine surface sediments, however, is contrary to data reported for fresh water sediments. To our knowledge this is the first report of Dec 602, Dec 603, and Dec 604 in a marine environment and also the first report of Dechloranes in marine biota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distribution of dechloranes, a group of chlorinated flame retardants, were investigated in air, soil, and sediment around a newly discovered Dechlorane Plus (DP) production facility in China (Anpon). To date, the only known DP manufacturing plant is located in Niagara Falls, NY (OxyChem). Dechloranes including DP, Dechlorane (Mirex), and the recently discovered Dechlorane 602 (Dec 602) were detected in air, soil, and sediment, while Dechlorane 603 and Dechlorane 604 were below detection limit in all matrices. DP air concentrations near the facility ranged from 7737 to 26734 pg m-3, the greatest reported thus far. Soil concentrations in the same area for DP, Dechlorane, and Dec 602 were 1490 ± 3580 ng g-1, 81.6 ± 96.5 ng g-1, and 7.24 ± 13.2 ng g-1 dry weight, respectively. Interestingly, lower concentrations of DP (4.93 ± 4.34 ng g-1), Dechlorane (30.2 ± 19.9 ng g-1), and Dec 602 (2.14 ± 2.23 ng g-1) were found in sediment from a nearby canal. Spatial trends of Dechlorane and Dec 602 in soil were similar to DP, implying that the DP manufacturing plant may also be a source of these other flame retardants. DP soil concentrations surrounding the facility decreased by an order of magnitude within 7.5 km. The syn-DP fractional abundance (fsyn) value (0.40) for the commercial DP product manufactured at Anpon was slightly higher than that (0.20-0.36) produced by OxyChem. The fsyn value in most air samples was largely similar to the Chinese commercial DP mixture, while most soil and sediment abundances were lower, suggesting a stereoselective depletion of syn-DP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The allele and haplotype frequencies of HLA-A, -B and -DRB1 loci in 10,000 healthy unrelated Han individuals living in the Guanzhong region of the Shaanxi Province were analyzed with the methods of SSO, SSP and SBT. Subsequently, these data were compared with results obtained in Han populations living in other regions as well as to other ethnic groups, using genetic distance measurements, neighbor-joining dendrograms and principal component analysis. In total 18 alleles were detected at the HLA-A locus, 46 alleles at the HLA-B locus and 14 alleles at the HLA-DRB1 locus. HLA-A*02 was the most common HLA-A allele (29.70%), followed by A*11 (18.70%), and A*24 (15.75%); whereas at the HLA-B locus, the allele with the highest frequency was HLA-B*13 (10.76 %), followed by B*46 (7.93%), B*51 (7.68%). At the HLA-DRB1 locus, the most common alleles were HLA-DRB1*15 (15.54%), DRB1*09 (13.18%) and DRB1*04 (11.21%). Three-loci haplotype analysis revealed that HLA A*30- B*13- DRB1*07 (4.11%), A*02 -B*46 -DRB1*09 (2.57%) and A*33 -B*58 -DRB1*17 (1.32%) were the most common haplotypes in this population. Four two-loci haplotypes, including HLA-A*30-B*43, A*30-B*53, B*43-DRB1*07 and B*73-DRB1*04 had significant linkage disequilibrium (relative linkage disequilibrium parameter equals to 1). Compared with other populations, our results indicated that the Han populations in different regions had a similar allelic diversity of HLA -A, -B, and -DRB1 loci. The Han population in the Guanzhong region of the Shaanxi Province had a close genetic relationship with the Northern and Southern Han populations. In summary, the similarities and differences of the HLA allelic diversity and haplotype structure between the Han population in the Guanzhong region and related populations, regarding HLA genotype distribution, provide basic information for further studies of the HLA heterogeneity and anthropological studies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The ventricular septal defect (VSD) is the most common congenital heart defect and no candidate susceptibility gene has been identified. Endocardial cushion and outflow septal morphogenesis, malalignment of which induces VSD, have been suggested to be mediated by the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Three single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) variants in promoter and 5′-UTR region of the VEGF gene, C−2578A (rs699947), G−1154A (rs1570360) and G−634C (rs2010963), were reported to alter its expression. We assessed the association in a Chinese population between these SNPs and VSD using a double approach: case–control and TDT designs. Among the three SNPs, only −634C allele was less frequently present in 222 patients compared to 352 controls (odds ratio: 0.76, 95% CI: 0.59–0.97, X2=5.06, P=0.024, not significant after a Bonferroni correction). This was significantly less transmitted to VSD patients (trios: 142) (odds ratio: 0.39, 95% CI: 0.25–0.62, X2=8.11, df=1, P=0.004, corrected P=0.024). A similar result was observed for haplotype −2578C/−1154G/−634C allele in both studies (in TDT: X2=7.51, df=1, P=0.006, corrected P=0.048). All these associations for the first time demonstrated that –634C allele was in a significant protective association against VSD, suggesting that VEGF dysregulation was involved in the pathological processes of VSD.European Journal of Human Genetics (2007) 15, 1246–1251; doi:10.1038/sj.ejhg.5201890; published online 11 July 2007 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since few systematic studies have focused on recurrent acute pancreatitis in China, we sought to investigate its clinical features, including etiological factors and relative frequency. Patients were selected from a total 1471 patients with acute pancreatitis in ten cities of China. All had been admitted to a hospital with an attack of acute pancreatitis between January 1992 and December 2002. Data for each patient was recorded on a standardized form. Of the 1471 patients with acute pancreatitis, 157 (10.7%) had recurrent acute pancreatitis. The majority (63%) were male, with a mean age of 41 years (range, 13–82 years). Regarding the etiology, alcohol (20.4%) and cholelithiasis (20.4%) were the most frequent causes, followed by diet (13.4%), hypertriglyceridemia (8.3%), biliary tract infection (5.7%), other (5.1%), and idiopathic factors (26.8%). Alcohol was most frequent in male patients (30.3%), whereas cholelithiasis was most frequent (34.5%) in female patients. The majority of patients (79.6%) presented with their second attack of pancreatitis. Complications of recurrent acute pancreatitis in order of frequency were pancreatic pseudocyst, multiple organ failure, diabetes mellitus type 2, and shock. Recurrent acute pancreatitis remains a frequent disease, with cholelithiasis and alcohol being the most usual etiological factors. Alcohol is the primary etiological factor in male patients. In about 26.8% of cases, the etiology remains unknown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objectives: Rheumatic heart disease continues to be a common health problem in the developing countries. Though there is evidence indicating that rheumatic heart disease prevalence in China has decreased since the 1950s, no objective assessment of its present prevalence has been published. The study was designed to investigate the prevalence of chronic rheumatic heart disease in China. Methods: We performed a community population based investigation from October 2001 to February 2002 in nine communities of nine provinces in China by using a multistage, random sample design. Rheumatic heart disease was diagnosed by echocardiographic imaging. Long-axis views of the mitral valve, color flow recordings were used to search for mitral and aortic regurgitations. M-mode and two-dimensional short- and long-axis views of the aortic root and left atrium were recorded for supporting the diagnosis. Results: Of 9124 participants, 8652 completed the questionnaires and 8080 had comprehensive echocardiographic examinations. We found that 15 subjects had definite echocardiographic evidence of rheumatic heart disease. The rough prevalence of rheumatic heart disease was 186/100,000 adults (2 in 1000 adults). Conclusions: Rheumatic heart disease affected approximately 2 million middle-aged to elderly Chinese, thus constituting a significant health burden. We investigated only urban and suburban communities, the result may underestimate the real prevalence of the disease in China. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]