Effects of meteorological factors on the incidence of meningococcal meningitis

Background and Objectives: Substantial climate changes have led to the emergence and re-emergence of various infectious diseases worldwide, presenting an imperative need to explore the effects of meteorological factors on serious contagious disease incidences such as that of meningococcal meningitis (MCM).Methods: The incidences of MCM and meteorology data between 1981 and 2010 were obtained from Chaoyang city. Structure Equation Modeling was used to analyze the relationships between meteorological factors and the incidence of MCM, using the LISREL software.Results: The SEM results showed that Adjusted Goodness of Fit Index (AGFI) = 0.30, Goodness of Fit Index (GFI) = 0.63, and Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) = 0.31. Humidity and temperature both had negative correlations with MCM incidence, with factor loads of -0.32 and -0.43, while sunshine was positively correlated with a factor load of 0.42. For specific observable variables, average air pressure, average evaporation, average air temperature, and average ground temperature exerted stronger influence, with item loads between observable variables and MCM incidence being -0.42, 0.34, -0.32, and -0.32 respectively.Conclusion: Public health institutions should pay more attention to the meteorological variables of humidity, sunshine, and temperature in prospective MCM control and prevention.Keywords: Meningococcal meningitis, Neisseria meningitidis, epidemiology, humidity, temperature, sunshine, meteorological variables, structure equation mode

Effects of meteorological factors on the incidence of meningococcal meningitis.

Background and Objectives: Substantial climate changes have led to the emergence and re-emergence of various infectious diseases worldwide, presenting an imperative need to explore the effects of meteorological factors on serious contagious disease incidences such as that of meningococcal meningitis (MCM). Methods: The incidences of MCM and meteorology data between 1981 and 2010 were obtained from Chaoyang city. Structure Equation Modeling was used to analyze the relationships between meteorological factors and the incidence of MCM, using the LISREL software. Results: The SEM results showed that Adjusted Goodness of Fit Index (AGFI) = 0.30, Goodness of Fit Index (GFI) = 0.63, and Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) = 0.31. Humidity and temperature both had negative correlations with MCM incidence, with factor loads of -0.32 and -0.43, while sunshine was positively correlated with a factor load of 0.42. For specific observable variables, average air pressure, average evaporation, average air temperature, and average ground temperature exerted stronger influence, with item loads between observable variables and MCM incidence being -0.42, 0.34, -0.32, and -0.32 respectively. Conclusion: Public health institutions should pay more attention to the meteorological variables of humidity, sunshine, and temperature in prospective MCM control and prevention

Diagnostic performance and clinical impact of blood metagenomic next-generation sequencing in ICU patients suspected monomicrobial and polymicrobial bloodstream infections

IntroductionEarly and effective application of antimicrobial medication has been evidenced to improve outcomes of patients with bloodstream infection (BSI). However, conventional microbiological tests (CMTs) have a number of limitations that hamper a rapid diagnosis.MethodsWe retrospectively collected 162 cases suspected BSI from intensive care unit with blood metagenomics next-generation sequencing (mNGS) results, to comparatively evaluate the diagnostic performance and the clinical impact on antibiotics usage of mNGS.Results and discussionResults showed that compared with blood culture, mNGS detected a greater number of pathogens, especially for Aspergillus spp, and yielded a significantly higher positive rate. With the final clinical diagnosis as the standard, the sensitivity of mNGS (excluding viruses) was 58.06%, significantly higher than that of blood culture (34.68%, P<0.001). Combing blood mNGS and culture results, the sensitivity improved to 72.58%. Forty-six patients had infected by mixed pathogens, among which Klebsiella pneumoniae and Acinetobacter baumannii contributed most. Compared to monomicrobial, cases with polymicrobial BSI exhibited dramatically higher level of SOFA, AST, hospitalized mortality and 90-day mortality (P<0.05). A total of 101 patients underwent antibiotics adjustment, among which 85 were adjusted according to microbiological results, including 45 cases based on the mNGS results (40 cases escalation and 5 cases de-escalation) and 32 cases on blood culture. Collectively, for patients suspected BSI in critical condition, mNGS results can provide valuable diagnostic information and contribute to the optimizing of antibiotic treatment. Combining conventional tests with mNGS may significantly improve the detection rate for pathogens and optimize antibiotic treatment in critically ill patients with BSI

The influence of social support on quality of life of men who have sex with men in China: a preliminary study.

The quality of life (QOL) of men who have sex with men (MSM) has received increasing attention in recent years. Our study surveyed the QOL and explored the influence of social support on QOL in Chinese MSM. A cross-sectional survey was conducted from September 2013 to March 2014 of 438 MSM in Huludao and Zhengzhou City, China. The results of univariate analysis showed that higher QOL scores were associated with receiving psychosocial counseling, higher health education, younger age and marital status of being single or unmarried p < 0.05). The structural equation model fitted well, with χ2 = 2083.47 (p < 0.05), RMSEA = 0.07, and GFI = 0.88. Among the latent factors, social support, with a factor load of 0.47, had greater impact on QOL than demographic characteristics. Within social support, the item loads for psychosocial counseling and health education were 0.17 and 0.29, respectively. Basic demographic characteristics also influenced social support, with a factor load of -0.65. For demographic characteristics, the greatest item loads were for marital status and age (0.77 and 0.71, respectively). These findings suggest that strengthening social support, especially for older and married individuals, would improve QOL in MSM in China

The quality of life of men who have sex with men in China: reliability and validity testing of the SF-36 questionnaire.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to assess the psychometric properties of the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) in the men who have sex with men (MSM) population in China. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 373 MSM from September to December, 2012, in Zhengzhou and Huludao City, China. Internal reliability of the questionnaire was calculated by Cronbach's α coefficient. Validity was analyzed through construct validity, divisional validity, and collective validity testing. RESULTS: The overall Cronbach's α coefficient of the SF-36 questionnaire was 0.943, while the Cronbach's α coefficients for each of the dimensions were all > 0.70. Results showed that the SF-36 questionnaire was reliable and valid. CONCLUSIONS: This study provided evidence that the SF-36 is an acceptable, valid and reliable instrument in evaluating the quality of life of MSM in Mainland China

Relationship between quality of life and unprotected anal intercourse among Chinese men who have sex with men: a cross-sectional study

Abstract Background The prevalence of unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) is high among Chinese men who have sex with men (MSM). As important aspects of quality of life (QOL), psychological health and social relationships have been found to be associated with UAI among MSM, which was of great concern for intervening on UAI. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study in Zhengzhou, Henan province, and in Huludao, Liaoning province, China, to measure quality of life (QOL) using the brief version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF). Cronbach's α coefficient was used to test the internal consistency of the questionnaire items, and construction validity was assessed by exploratory factor analysis. T-test, chi-square test and multivariate logistic analysis were carried out to test the relationship between quality of life and unprotected anal intercourse. Results The questionnaires of 320 of the 373 men who have sex with men that were surveyed met our validity criteria (response rate: 85.8 %). A total of 161 subjects (50.3 %) reported having unprotected anal sex in the last 6 months. The results of univariate analysis indicated that having unprotected anal sex was significantly associated with psychological health (PSYCH), social relationships (SOCIL), age, and marital status (P-value <0.05). The 3 items (“Negative feelings”, “Hopeness on your life”, and “Be able to concentrate”) in the PSYCH subscale were associated with UAI significantly (P-value <0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that psychological health (adjusted odd ratio (AOR) 0.979, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.961-0.998) was independent factor affecting the likelihood of having UAI in the population of Chinese MSM, and participants who aged 45 or more had higher odds of UAI (AOR 3.986, 95 % CI 1.199-13.255). Conclusions WHOQOL-BREF was acceptable for evaluating the quality of life of MSM. Psychological health, as one important aspect of quality of life, was negatively associated with unprotected anal intercourse. The finding underscored the needs to incorporate the strategies on improving psychological health into the UAI intervention to reduce the HIV transmission among MSM

Preparation of carbon-Ni/MgO-Al2O3 composite catalysts for CO2 reforming of methane

Carbon-Ni/MgO-Al2O3 composite catalysts were prepared using sucrose as carbon precursor and [Ni,Mg,Al]-layered double hydroxide (LDH) as Ni-based catalyst precursor by impregnation method, characterized and used for CO2 reforming of CH4. The results showed that pretreated temperature of LDH, carbonization temperature of composite catalyst precursors and the sucrose/layered double oxide (LDO) mass ratio have obvious effect on the structure and catalytic performances of the resultant composite catalysts. The incorporation of carbon into Ni-based catalyst results in the increase of specific surface area, anti-coke ability, inhibition of Ni particle growth and catalytic stability, but a little decrease in initial activities of catalysts owing to low catalytic activity of the carbon. At an appropriate condition with LDH pretreated temperature of 350 degrees C, carbonization temperature of 800 degrees C and sucrose/LDO ratio of 1.2, the resultant composite catalyst exhibits the best activity and stability. (C) 2016 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.</p

Factor analysis results.

<p>PF, physical function; RP, role-physical; BP, bodily pain; GH, general health; VT, vitality; SF, social function; RE, role-emotional; MH, mental health.</p><p>Factor analysis results.</p

The structural equation modeling of the factors that influence QOL among Chinese MSM.

<p>Path diagram illustrating the relationships between demographic and social support factors and QOL in Chinese MSM. Social support had the greatest impact on QOL, and demographic characteristics appeared to influence the likelihood of receiving social support.</p