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Among persons born in China before 1980 and tested for vaccinia virus Tiantan strain (VVT), 28.7% (137/478) had neutralizing antibodies, 71.4% (25/35) had memory B-cell responses, and 65.7% (23/35) had memory T-cell responses to VVT. Because of cross-immunity between the viruses, these findings can help guide mpox vaccination strategies in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To assess the efficacy of positive feedback closed-loop management system (PFCMS) protocol in influencing parents’ decision about pregnancy continuation in pregnancies diagnosed with omphalocele. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study of patients who were diagnosed with fetal omphalocele prior to 20 weeks’ gestation by ultrasound and were referred to Fetal Care Center at a mainland Chinese medical center during an 11-year period. Two management strategies were offered during the two stages of the study period: a single consultant with a routine protocol and a multidisciplinary support team with PFCMS, respectively. We analyzed the two protocols influencing parents’ decision about pregnancy continuation. Results Forty-nine patients diagnosed with fetal omphalocele were included in this study. In Group A including 16 patients with routine protocol during the first stage of the study period, the majority opted for termination, and only five continued the pregnancy. In Group B including 33 patients with PFCMS during the second stage of the study period, less than one third chose TOP, and 23 ended in live births. There was a significantly lower TOP rate in patients treated with the PFCMS protocol. Conclusion The PFCMS protocol may be an efficient approach in managing pregnancies complicated by omphalocele, which may help in preventing unnecessary pregnancy terminations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Initial malarial infection mostly causes symptomatic illness in humans. Infection that is not fatal induces complete protection from severe illness and death, and thus complete protection from severe illness or death is granted with sufficient exposure. However, malaria parasite immunity necessitates constant exposure. Therefore, it is important to evaluate lowered immunity and recurrent susceptibility to symptomatic disease in lower transmission areas. We aimed to investigate selection pressure based on transmission levels, antimalarial drug use, and environmental factors. We whole genome sequenced (WGS) P. falciparum clinical samples from Chinese hosts working in Ghana and compared the results with the WGS data of isolates from native Ghanaians downloaded from pf3k. The P. falciparum samples were generally clustered according to their geographic origin, and Chinese imported samples showed a clear African origin with a slightly different distribution from the native Ghanaian samples. Moreover, samples collected from two host populations showed evidence of differences in the intensity of selection. Compared with native Ghanaian samples, the China-imported isolates exhibited a higher proportion of monoclonal infections, and many genes associated with RBC invasion and immune evasion were found to be under less selection pressure. There was no significant difference in the selection of drug-resistance genes due to a similar artemisinin-based combination therapy medication profile. Local selection of malarial parasites is considered to be a result of differences in the host immunity or disparity in the transmission opportunities of the host. In China, most P. falciparum infections were imported from Africa, and under these circumstances, distinct local selective pressures may be caused by varying acquired immunity and transmission intensity. This study revealed the impact of host switching on the immune system, and it may provide a better understanding of the mechanisms that enable clinical immunity to malaria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Black carbon (BC) exposure in China continues to be relatively high, prompting researchers to assess BC exposure levels using data from monitoring sites, satellite remote sensing, and models. However, data regarding the application of a combined strategy comprising the analysis of monitoring data and various types of data to simulate BC exposure levels are lacking. Hence, the current study seeks to estimate short- and long-term BC exposure levels by combining national monitoring data with data from the second Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA-2). Furthermore, this study attempts to improve the spatio-temporal resolution of BC exposure levels using Bayesian maximum entropy (BME). The BME model performed well in terms of estimating short- (R2 = 0.74 and RMSE = 1.76 μg/m3) and long-term (R2 = 0.76 and RMSE = 1.3 μg/m3) exposure. Premature mortalities and economic losses were also assessed by applying localised concentration–response coefficients simulated in China. A total of 74,500 (95% confidence interval (CI): 23,900–124,500) and 538,400 (95% CI: 495,000–581,300) all-cause premature mortality cases were found to be associated with short- and long-term BC exposure, respectively. Meanwhile, short-term BC exposure was associated with economic losses ranging from 7.5 to 13.2 billion US dollars (USD) (1 USD = 6.36 RMB on January 19, 2022) based on amended human capital (AHC) and willingness to pay (WTP), accounting for 0.06%–0.1% of China's total gross domestic product (GDP) in 2017 (1.2 × 104 billion USD), respectively. The economic losses for long-term exposure varied from 53 to 93.2 billion USD based on AHC and WTP, accounting for 0.4%–0.8% of China's total GDP in 2017, respectively. [Display omitted] • Modelled black carbon (BC) exposure level was the highest in Sichuan Basin, China. • All-cause premature mortalities due to long-term BC exposure were 538,400 cases in 2017. • Economic losses due to BC exposure accounted for 0.8% of the 2017 GDP of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the SPOT vegetation normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) dataset from 2000 to 2013, we investigated the characteristics and future trends of spatiotemporal variations in vegetation in the Haihe River basin. At the same time, its associated driving factors were also analyzed. The Sen and Mann-Kendall models, the Hurst index and a partial correlation analysis were used to analyze the data. The study found that (1) the vegetation cover change of the study area exhibited a significant increase in 2000–2013 (linear tendency, 6.4 % ∕ 10 a). During 2002–2004, the vegetation growth rate was the fastest, while vegetation growth slowed after 2004. (2) Spatially, the vegetation coverage in the study area was good during the 14-year period but poor in the Bohai Bay area and in some urban centers. (3) The area of vegetation improvement in the Haihe River basin accounted for 90.35% of the total basin area, and the degraded area accounted for 5.90% of the area and was mainly distributed in the peripheral areas of some urban centers. (4) The change in vegetation coverage in the Haihe River basin towards sustainability was stronger and primarily exhibited a continuously increasing trend, accounting for 89.11% of the total area. (5) The change in vegetation coverage was mainly attributed to the increase in precipitation. (6) Human activities could induce dual effects on vegetation coverage, so they were also one of the most important factors affecting vegetation cover change. • We investigated the spatiotemporal variations characteristics in vegetation in the Haihe River basin from 2000 to 2013. • We analyzed the impacts of climate change and human activities on vegetation cover change. • NDVI showed that vegetation cover exhibited a significant increase in the study area during 2000–2013. • The change in vegetation coverage was mainly attributed to the increase in precipitation. • Human activities also had profound effect to the vegetation variation trends in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to variations in economic scale, economic structure, and technological advancement across different Chinese provinces and cities, the cost of air pollution reduction differs significantly. Therefore, the total reduction cost can be decreased by capitalizing on these regional discrepancies in reduction cost to carry out cooperative emission reduction. In this paper, taking NO x reduction in North China as an example, a regional cooperative reduction game (CRG) model was constructed to minimize the total cost of emission reduction while achieving future emission reduction targets. The fair allocation of benefits from cooperation plays a crucial role in motivating regions to participate into the cooperation. A comprehensive mechanism of benefits allocation was proposed to achieve fair transferred compensation. The mechanism combines the consumption responsibility principle based on input-output theory and the Shapley value method based on game theory. Compared to the cost before the optimized collaboration, the CRG model will save 20.36% and 13.71% of the total reduction cost in North China, respectively, under the target of 17.68% NO x reduction by 2025 and 66.44% NO x reduction by 2035 relative to 2020. This method can be employed in other regions to achieve targets for air pollution reduction at minimum cost, and to motivate inter-regional cooperation with this practical and fair way of transferred compensation. [Display omitted] • A regional cooperative reduction game model for air pollution was constructed. • We projected NO x reduction cost savings in North China under two future scenarios. • An integrated approach was used to allocate cooperative benefits with fairness. • The model helps achieve air pollution reduction targets at the minimum cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current state in China is characterised by an increased demand for renewable electricity due to energy shortage and emission reduction targets. This study utilises the contingent valuation method (CVM) to investigate provincial residents' willingness to pay (WTP) for renewable electricity and employs the geographically weighted regression (GWR) model to analyse the spatial heterogeneity of influencing factors. The average WTP for renewable electricity among Chinese residents is 0.85 yuan/kWh, surpassing the current electricity price of 0.5 yuan/kWh. Reducing air pollution and the occurrence of haze is prioritised by residents (66.89%), followed by saving fossil energy and avoiding energy crises (10.09%), and reducing carbon emission and mitigating climate change (22.04%). Chinese residents pay more attention to the immediate impacts of renewable electricity on personal well-being and quality of life. Factors such as economic status, education background, air quality, health concerns, and environmental crisis awareness significantly influence WTP, with spatial disparities further compounding these effects. Sensitivity to economic level and air quality was observed in the southeast, while the southwest showed sensitivity to air quality, and the northwest exhibited sensitivity to environmental awareness. These findings suggest that residents' adoption of renewable electricity could partially alleviate China's funding gap in this sector. Recognising the factors that shape WTP provides a strategic pathway to enhance residents' financial support for renewable electricity initiatives. • Provincial residents' WTP for renewable electricity in China is assessed using CVM. • Residents are more concerned about renewable electricity's impact on air pollution reduction. • Residents' WTP is sensitive to environmental awareness in the northwest. • Residents' WTP in the south show greater sensitivity to air pollution than regions with severe air pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China is facing a rapid upsurge in cases of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection due to large numbers of paid blood donors (PBD), injection drug users (IDU), and sexual partners of infected individuals. In this report, a total of 236 HIV-1-positive blood samples were collected from PBD, IDU, and their sexual partners in the most severely affected provinces, such as Henan, Yunnan, Guangxi, and Xinjiang. PCR was used to amplify the p17 region of gag and the C2–V3 region of env of HIV-1 and the 5′ noncoding region and a region of E1/E2 of HCV. Genetic characterization of viral sequences indicated that there are two major epidemics of HIV-1 and multiple HCV epidemics in China. The PBD and transfusion recipients in Henan harbored HIV-1 subtype B′, which is similar to the virus found in Thailand, and HCV genotypes 1b and 2a, whereas the IDU in Yunnan, Guangxi, and Xinjiang carried HIV-1 circulating recombinant forms 07 and 08, which resemble those in India, and HCV genotypes 1b, 3a, and 3b. Our findings show that the epidemics of HIV-1 and HCV infection in China are the consequences of multiple introductions. The distinct distribution patterns of both the HIV-1 and HCV genotypes in the different high-risk groups are tightly linked to the mode of transmission rather than geographic proximity. These findings provide information relevant to antiviral therapy and vaccine development in China and should assist public health workers in implementing measures to reduce the further dissemination of these viruses in the world's most populous nation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to determine the HIV-1 subtype distribution and HIV drug resistance (HIVDR) in patients with ART failure from 2014 to 2020 in Hainan, China., Methods: A 7-year cross-sectional study was conducted among HIV/AIDS patients with ART failure in Hainan. We used online subtyping tools and the maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree to confirm the HIV subtypes with pol sequences. Drug resistance mutations (DRMs) were analyzed using the Stanford University HIV Drug Resistance Database., Results: A total of 307 HIV-infected patients with ART failure were included, and 241 available pol sequences were obtained. Among 241 patients, CRF01_AE accounted for 68.88%, followed by CRF07_BC (17.00%) and eight other subtypes (14.12%). The overall prevalence of HIVDR was 61.41%, and the HIVDR against non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs), nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), and protease inhibitors (PIs) were 59.75%, 45.64%, and 2.49%, respectively. Unemployed patients, hypoimmunity or opportunistic infections in individuals, and samples from 2017 to 2020 increased the odd ratios of HIVDR. Also, HIVDR was less likely to affect female patients. The common DRMs to NNRTIs were K103N (21.99%) and Y181C (20.33%), and M184V (28.21%) and K65R (19.09%) were the main DRMs against NRTIs., Conclusion: The present study highlights the HIV-1 subtype diversity in Hainan and the importance of HIVDR surveillance over a long period., (Copyright © 2023 The Editorial Board of Biomedical and Environmental Sciences. Published by China CDC. All rights reserved.)

Industrial park is an important emission sector of PM 2.5 pollution. Previous studies have provided valuable information on the impact of PM 2.5 from industrial parks on human health, but relevant studies at city scale are limited. In this study, the health burden of industrial parks was evaluated based on PM 2.5 -related premature deaths and economic contributions. The premature deaths were calculated in terms of a novel research model by integrating the Bayesian maximum entropy (BME) model, weighted concentration-weighted trajectory (WCWT), and integrated exposure-response function (IER). Take Tianjin City for example, it was found that since the main diffusion direction of PM 2.5 in Tianjin is from south to north, the industrial parks in the south of Tianjin and close to the central city with high population density have high health burden. These industrial parks need to be focused on or even relocated in the future. The research model can provide scientific basis for the health burden evaluation of industrial parks at city scale, so as to help local governments optimize the layout of industrial parks and formulate environmental responsibility management policies for industrial parks., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

In China, due to the implementation of the Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Air Pollution (APPCAP), the concentrations of PM 2.5 (fine particulate matter) and severe haze in most cities have decreased significantly. However, at present, haze pollution in China has not been completely mitigated, and the problem of O 3 (ozone) has become prominent. Therefore, the prevention and control of haze and O 3 pollution have become important and noticeable issues in the field of atmospheric management. We used the Baidu search indices of "haze" and "ozone" to reflect public concerns about air quality and uncover different correlations between level of concern and level of pollution, and then we identified regions in China that require public attention. The results showed that (1) over the last decade, the search index of haze had a rapid trend of variation in line with changes in haze pollution, but that of O 3 had a relatively slowly increasing trend; (2) the lag days between the peaks of public concern and the peaks of air pollution became increasingly shorter according to daily data analysis; and (3) 96 polluted cities did not receive sufficient public attention. Although periods of heavily haze-polluted weather, which affects visibility, have generated much public concern, periods of slight pollution have not received enough public attention. Public health protection and environmental participation regarding these periods of slight pollution in China deserve appropriate levels of attention.

Introduction. Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) have been responsible for nosocomial outbreaks worldwide and have become endemic in several countries. Hypothesis/Gap Statement. To better understand the epidemiological trends and characteristics of CRE in the Henan province. Aim. We assessed the molecular epidemiological characteristics of 305 CRE strains isolated from patients in 19 secondary or tertiary hospitals in ten areas of the Henan province in China. Methodology. A total of 305 CRE isolates were subjected to multiple tests, including in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility testing, PCR for carbapenemase genes bla KPC , bla NDM , bla IMP , bla VIM , bla OXA - 48-like . Tigecycline-resistant genes ramR , oqxR , acrR , tet A, rpsJ , tet X, tet M, tet L were analysed in five tigecycline non-susceptible carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates (TNSCRKP). Additionally, multilocus sequence typing (MLST) was performed for carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae (CRKP). Results. The most common CRE species were K. pneumoniae (234, 77 %), Escherichia coli (36, 12 %) and Enterobacter cloacae (13, 4 %). All strains exhibited multi-drug resistance. Overall, 97 % (295/305) and 97 % (297/305) of the isolates were susceptible to polymyxin B and tigecycline, respectively. A total of 89 % (271/305) of the CRE isolates were carbapenemase gene-positive, including 70 % bla KPC , 13 % bla NDM , 6 % bla IMP , and 1 % combined bla KPC / bla NDM genes. K. pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC) was the predominant carbapenemase in K. pneumoniae (87 %), whereas NDM and IMP were frequent in E. coli (53 %) and E. cloacae (69 %), respectively. Mutations in the ramR , tetA, and rpsJ genes were detected in five TNSCRKP. Moreover, 15 unique sequence types were detected, with ST11 (74 %), ST15 (9 %) and ST2237 (5 %) being dominant among K. pneumoniae strains. Conclusion. A high proportion of CRE strains were carbapenemase-positive, and five carbapenem-resistant K. pneumonia isolates were tigecycline non-susceptible, indicating a need for the ongoing surveillance of CRE and effective measures for the prevention of CRE infections.

Background: The DENND1A gene is one of the most important sites associated with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). We attempted to analyze the correlation between five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the DENND1A gene and the development of PCOS., Methods: A total of 346 PCOS patients and 225 normal ovulatory women were involved in the case-control study. Clinical variables and hormones were recorded. According to the Hap Map database, five tagging SNPs (rs2479106, rs2768819, rs2670139, rs2536951 and rs2479102) in the DENND1A gene were identified. The TaqMan probe and the PCR-RFLP (restriction fragment length polymorphism) methods were used for revealing these genotypes. TaqMan Genotype Software was used to analyze the alleles of the five SNPs., Results: Linkage disequilibrium and the gene frequency analysis demonstrated that the CCGGG haplotype might increase the risk of PCOS (P = 0.038, OR = 1.89, 95% CI = 1.027-3.481). Significant differences were found in genotypic and allelic distributions at the rs2536951 and rs2479102 loci between PCOS women and controls (P <  0.001). The LH levels and LH/FSH ratios were higher in PCOS patients than in the control group. A detailed analysis revealed that for the rs2479106 locus, these two values were significantly different in the control subjects who had AA, AG and GG genotypes (P = 0.013 and P = 0.007, respectively), and for the rs2468819 locus, these two values were significantly different among the PCOS patients with AA, AG and GG genotypes (P = 0.013 and 0.002, respectively)., Conclusions: The tagging SNPs rs2479106 and rs2468819 in the DENND1A gene are associated with PCOS in the Chinese population, whereas rs2670139, rs2536951 and rs2479102 are not correlated with PCOS in the same population.

Objectives: In recent years, Klebsiella pneumoniae has emerged as a leading cause of nosocomial infection owing to the rising prevalence of multidrug-resistant strains, particularly carbapenem-resistant isolates. In this study, the complete genome sequence of carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae SWU01 was determined., Methods: Antimicrobial susceptibilities and hypermucoviscous phenotype were determined by the disk diffusion method and positive string test, respectively. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) was performed using the K. pneumoniae MLST database, and capsular serotype was analysed using the BIGSdb-Kp database with the nucleotide sequence of the variable region (CD1-VR2-CD2) of wzc. The complete genome sequence was obtained via the PacBio RS II platform, and antimicrobial resistance genes were identified using ResFinder 2.1., Results: SWU01 was resistant to all antibiotics tested except polymyxin B and minocycline. This strain showed a hypermucoviscous phenotype with serotype K47 belonging to the ST11 clone. The complete genome consists of a 5536506-bp circular chromosome and a 162552-bp plasmid, with a G+C content of 57.4%. A total of 5537 protein-coding sequences, 85 tRNAs, 25 rRNAs, 12 non-coding RNA genes and 157 pseudogenes were identified in the genome. Thirteen acquired antibiotic resistance genes were detected (eight in the chromosome and five in the plasmid)., Conclusions: Here we present the first whole-genome sequence of a carbapenem-resistant hypermucoviscous K. pneumoniae isolate SWU01 with capsular serotype K47 belonging to ST11 from a patient in China, which may serve as a reference sequence for further understanding of the pathogenesis and multidrug resistance mechanisms of this species., (Copyright © 2017 International Society for Chemotherapy of Infection and Cancer. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) inhibits FSH-stimulated follicle growth and aromatase activity. The three fold higher serum AMH in PCOS patients may account for the increased number of small follicles and androgen level. We attempted to determine whether polymorphisms in AMH gene were associated with PCOS in Chinese han population., Methods: A case-control study involving 475 PCOS patients and 512 normoovulatory women was conducted. Rs10407022 and rs8112524 were two tagging SNPs selected according to the HapMap database. Taqman assay was used for rs8112524 genotyping, and PCR-RFLP method for rs10407022., Results: No significant difference was found in genotypic or allelic distributions of both of the two SNPs, rs10407022 and rs8112524, between PCOS women and controls. LH level and progesterone level were significantly higher in rs8112524 AA genotype in PCOS group (P = 0.012, 0.014 respectively). TA haplotype might enhance susceptibility to PCOS (P = 0.013, OR = 4.996, 95 % CI = 2.001-5.251), and GA haplotype might be protective (P = 0.000, OR = 0.117, 95 % CI = 0.049-0.417)., Conclusions: Although individual TagSNPs in AMH gene do not affect susceptibility to PCOS, haplotypes of the two SNPs were associated with PCOS risk, as TA haplotype might enhance susceptibility to PCOS and GA inversely.