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Powdery mildew is a fungal disease devastating to crops, causing significant quality and yield loss. As one of the most important fruits in the world, melon also is damaged by powdery mildew. The present study investigated the effect of powdery mildew on the photosynthetic parameters and leaf microstructure of melons, the ultrastructure of the leaf surface, photosynthetic index, chlorophyll content, yield, and quality index of five thick-skinned and differently shaped melon varieties. The net photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, leaf water use efficiency, and chlorophyll levels were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in Kangbing F3800 plants compared to the other four varieties. In the case of powdery mildew infection, the total number of stomata in the upper and lower epidermis was particularly high in the Zhongtian No. 8 and Zhongtianxueqiong varieties, respectively. The stomatal length and width were highest in the upper epidermis of Zhongtian No. 12 leaves and in the lower epidermis of Zhongtian No. 8 leaves compared to the other varieties. The total yield and meat thickness were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in the Zhongtianxueqiong variety than the others, along with the low edge sugar content. Overall, powdery mildew impacted differently the photosynthetic and leaf surface characteristics of the five melon varieties. Kangbing F3800 emerged as the most resistant variety, making it the preferred choice for introducing and promoting thick-skinned melon varieties in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ningxia is located in western People's Republic of China, which is hyperendemic for human cystic echinococcosis (CE) throughout the entire area with alveolar echinococcosis (AE) hyperendemic in the south. This is in part due to its underdeveloped economy. Despite the recent rapid growth in P.R. China's economy, medical expenditure for hospitalization of echinococcosis cases has become one of the major poverty generators in rural Ningxia, resulting in a significant social problem. Methodology/Principal Findings: We reviewed the 2000 inpatient records with liver CE in surgical departments of hospitals from north, central and south Ningxia for the period 1996–2002. We carried out an analysis of health care expenditure of inpatient treatment in public hospitals, and examined the financial inequalities relating to human echinococcosis and the variation in per capita income between various socioeconomic groups with different levels of gross domestic product for different years. Hospital charges for Yinchuan, NHAR's capital city in the north, increased approximately 35-fold more than the annual income of rural farmers with the result that they preferred to seek health care in local county hospitals, despite higher quality and more efficient treatment and diagnosis available in the city. Household income levels thus strongly influenced the choice of health care provider and the additional expense impeded access of poor people to better quality treatment. Conclusions/Significance: Information on socioeconomic problems arising from echinococcosis, which adds considerably to the burden on patient families and communities, needs to be collected as a prerequisite for developing policies to tackle the disease in rural Ningxia. Author Summary: This paper compares medical expenditure for hospital treatment of echinococcosis in NHAR, western People's Republic of China, for different years, different regions and different socioeconomic groups. The results show that the level of household income strongly influences health care decisions. This study represents an effort to determine the effect of hospital charges for inpatient treatment of echinococcosis on the choice of provider in NHAR, and quantitatively examines this topic for the rural poor. The findings show that low income individuals from rural areas opted to visit a local county hospital rather than an urban hospital for hydatid surgery despite the inferior infrastructure, personnel and general health care facilities available. There are a number of policy implications. For example, enhancing the quality and service of county hospitals in rural areas will benefit those with lower incomes, thus improving access of rural residents to health facilities for higher quality diagnosis and efficient treatment. Thus, we advocate that government policy should be to increase investment in health care in poor rural areas, and to launch relevant medical aid projects to help those in poverty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Echinococcus granulosus is usually transmitted between canid definitive hosts and ungulate intermediate hosts. Methodology/Principal Findings: Lesions found in the livers of ground squirrels, Spermophilus dauricus/alashanicus, trapped in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, an area in China co-endemic for both E. granulosus and E. multilocularis, were subjected to molecular genotyping for Echinococcus spp. DNA. One of the lesions was shown to be caused by E. granulosus and subsequently by histology to contain viable protoscoleces. Conclusions/Significance: This is the first report of a natural infection of the ground squirrel with E. granulosus. This does not provide definitive proof of a cycle involving ground squirrels and dogs or foxes, but it is clear that there is active E. granulosus transmission occurring in this area, despite a recent past decline in the dog population in southern Ningxia. Author Summary: Echinococcus granulosus and E. multilocularis are important zoonotic pathogens that cause serious disease in humans. E. granulosus can be transmitted through sylvatic cycles, involving wild carnivores and ungulates; or via domestic cycles, usually involving dogs and farm livestock. E. multilocularis is primarily maintained in a sylvatic life-cycle between foxes and rodents. As part of extensive investigations that we undertook to update available epidemiological data and to monitor the transmission patterns of both E. granulosus and E. mulilocularis in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region (NHAR) in northwest China, we captured small mammals on the southern slopes of Yueliang Mountain, Xiji, an area co-endemic for human alveolar echinococcosis and cystic echinococcosis. Of 500 trapped small mammals (mainly ground squirrels; Spermophilus dauricus/alashanicus), macroscopic cyst-like lesions (size range 1–10 mm) were found on the liver surface of approximately 10% animals. One of the lesions was shown by DNA analysis to be caused by E. granulosus and by histology to contain viable protoscoleces. This is the first report of a natural infection of the ground squirrel with E. granulosus. We have no definitive proof of a cycle involving ground squirrels and dogs/foxes but it is evident that there is active E. granulosus transmission occurring in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To determine the true community prevalence of human cystic (CE) and alveolar (AE) echinococcosis (hydatid disease) in a highly endemic region in Ningxia Hui, China, by detecting asymptomatic cases. Methods Using hospital records and ‘AE-risk’ landscape patterns we selected study communities predicted to be at risk of human echinococcosis in Guyuan, Longde and Xiji counties. We conducted community surveys of 4773 individuals from 26 villages in 2002 and 2003 using questionnaire analysis, ultrasound examination and serology. Findings Ultrasound and serology showed a range of prevalences for AE (0-8.1%; mean 2%) and CE (0-7.4%; mean 1.6%), with the highest prevalence in Xiji (2% for CE, 2.5% for AE). There were significant differences in the prevalence of CE, AE and total echinococcosis between the three counties and villages (with multiple degrees of freedom). While hospital records showed 96% of echinococcosis cases attributable to CE, our survey showed a higher prevalence of human AE (56%) compared to CE (44%). Questionnaire analysis revealed that key risk factors for infection were age and dog ownership for both CE and AE, and Hui ethnicity and being female for AE. Drinking well-water decreased the risk for both AE and CE. Conclusions Echinococcosis continues to be a severe public health problem in this part of China because of unhygienic practices/ habits and poor knowledge among the communities regarding this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]