Temporal correlation analysis between malaria and meteorological factors in Motuo County, Tibet

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Malaria has been endemic in Linzhi Prefecture in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) over the past 20 years, especially in Motou County with a highest incidence in the country in recent years. Meteorological factors, such as rainfall, temperature and relative humidity in Motou County were unique compared to other areas in Tibet as well as other parts of China, thus the objective of this work was to analyse the temporal correlation between malaria incidence and meteorological factors in Motou County, in order to seek the particular interventions for malaria control.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The meteorological and malaria data during 1986-2009 in Motuo County were studied to analyse the statistical relationship between meteorological data time series and malaria incidence data series. Temporal correlation between malaria incidence and meteorological factors were analyzed using several statistical methods. Spearman correlation analysis was conducted to examine the association between monthly malaria incidence and meteorological variables. Cross-correlation analysis of monthly malaria incidence series and monthly meteorological data time series revealed the time lag(s) of meteorological factors preceding malaria at which the series showed strongest correlation. Multiplicative seasonal auto-regressive integrated moving average (SARIMA) models were used in the cross-correlation analysis with pre-whitening which remove seasonality and auto-correlation of meteorological data series. Differenced data analysis which called inter-annual analysis was carried out to find underlying relationship between malaria data series and meteorological data series.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>It has been revealed that meteorological variables, such as temperature, relative humidity and rainfall were the important environmental factors in the transmission of malaria. Spearman correlation analysis demonstrated relative humidity was greatest relative to malaria incidence and the correlation coefficient was 0.543(<it>P </it>< 0.01). Strong positive correlations were found for malaria incidence time series lagging one to three months behind rainfall (<it>r </it>> 0.4) and lagging zero to two months behind temperature and relative humidity (<it>r </it>> 0.5) by the cross-correlation. Correlations were weaker with pre-whitening than without. The cross-correlograms between malaria incidence and various meteorological variables were entirely different. It was fluctuated randomly for temperature but with trend for the other two factors, which showed positive correlated to malaria when lag was from 0 to 5 months and negative from 6 to 12 months. Besides, the inter-annual analysis showed strong correlation between differenced annual malaria incidence and differenced meteorological variables (annual average maximum temperature, annual average relative humidity and annual average rainfall). The correlations coefficients were -0.668 (<it>P </it>< 0.01), 0.451(<it>P </it>< 0.05) and 0.432(<it>P </it>< 0.05), respectively.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Meteorological variables play important environmental roles in malaria transmission in Motou County. Relative humidity was the greatest influence factors, which affected the mosquito survival directly. The relationship between malaria incidence and rainfall was complex and it was not directly and linearly. The lags of temperature and relative humidity were similar and smaller than that of rainfall. Since the lags of meteorological variables affecting malaria transmission were short, it was difficult to do accurate long-term malaria incidence prediction using meteorological variables.</p

Monitoring resistance of Plasmdium vivax: Point mutations in dihydrofolate reductase gene in isolates from Central China

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Malaria still represents a significant public health problem in China, and the cases dramatically increased in Central China after 2001. Antifolate resistance in <it>Plasmodium vivax </it>is caused by point mutations in genes encoding dihydrofolate reductase (<it>pvdhfr</it>) and dihydropteroate synthase (<it>pvdhps</it>). In this study, we used direct sequencing to investigate genetic variation in <it>pvdhfr </it>of malaria patients' samples from Central China.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Among all the samples, 21.4% were wild-type, whereas mutations were detected at three codons (58, 61 and 117) including single mutant (34.6%) and double mutants (43.8%). The most prevalent mutant allele was the one with double mutation at codons 58 and 117 (24.6%). Three types of single mutation (S58R, T61M and S117N) were found in 2.1%, 11.8% and 20.9% of parasite isolates, respectively. The four <it>P. vivax </it>parasite populations in Central China also differed in <it>pvdhfr </it>allele frequencies.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This study suggested that <it>P. vivax </it>in Central China may be relatively susceptible to pyrimethamine. And it also highlights genotyping in the <it>pvdhfr </it>genes remains a useful tool to monitor the emergence and spread of <it>P. vivax </it>pyrimethamine resistance.</p

Design strategies and energy performance of a net-zero energy house based on natural philosophy

This paper presents the design strategies and energy performance of a net-zero energy house (NZEH), Nature Between, which was designed and built to participate in the Solar Decathlon China 2018 competition. The specific parts of the design strategies for Nature Between, including architectural concept, materials, passive strategies and active strategies, are introduced and analyzed. This study includes a discussion of the building’s energy performance based on the measured data gathered in Dezhou, where the competition was held. And also the annual energy simulation using Energyplus software based on the climate of Xiamen, where the prototype was located in. The results show that the design strategies are reasonably applied in Nature Between to achieve the goal of zero energy consumption in Dezhou and Xiamen. Pleasant indoor environment and flexible spaces are achieved in the house using natural material, which embodies the concepts of sustainability and natural philosophy. The practical strategies provided in this paper could help the architecture designs for residential NZEH

Diagnostic value of SHOX2, RASSF1A gene methylation combined with CEA level detection in malignant pleural effusion

Abstract Aim To investigate the diagnostic value of combined detection of SHOX2 and RASSF1A gene methylation with carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level in diagnosing malignant pleural effusion. Methods Between March 2020 and December 2021, we enrolled 68 patients with pleural effusion admitted to the Department of Respiratory and critical care medicine of Foshan Second People's Hospital. The study group included 35 cases of malignant pleural effusion and 33 cases of benign pleural effusion. Methylation of the short homeobox 2 genes (SHOX2) and RAS-related region family 1A gene (RASSF1A) in pleural effusion samples were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR, and the level of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in pleural effusion samples was detected by immune flow cytometry fluorescence quantitative chemiluminescence. Results SHOX2 or RASSF1A gene methylation was detected in 5 cases in the benign pleural effusion group and 25 patients in the malignant pleural effusion group. The positive rate of SHOX2 or RASSF1A gene methylation in the malignant pleural effusion group was significantly higher than in the benign pleural effusion group (71.4% vs. 15.2%, P  5 ng/m) was detected in 1 case in the benign pleural effusion group and 26 patients in the malignant pleural effusion group. The CEA-positive rate in the malignant pleural effusion group was significantly higher than in the benign pleural effusion group (74.3% vs. 3%, P < 0.01). When SHOX2 and RASSF1A gene methylation was combined with CEA detection, 6 cases were positive in the benign pleural effusion group, and 31 patients were positive in the malignant pleural effusion group. The positive rate of combined detection in the malignant pleural effusion group was significantly higher than in the benign pleural effusion group (88.6% vs. 18.2%, P < 0.01). The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and Youden’s index of SHOX2, RASSF1A gene methylation combined with CEA in diagnosing malignant pleural effusion were 88.6%, 81.8%, 85.3%, 83.8%, 87.1% and 0.7 respectively. Conclusion The combined detection of SHOX2 and RASSF1A gene methylation with CEA level in pleural effusion has a high diagnostic value for malignant pleural effusion

Biology, Bionomics and Molecular Biology of Anopheles sinensis Wiedemann 1828 (Diptera: Culicidae), Main Malaria Vector in China

China has set a goal to eliminate all malaria in the country by 2020, but it is unclear if current understanding of malaria vectors and transmission is sufficient to achieve this objective. Anopheles sinensis is the most widespread malaria vector specie in China, which is also responsible for vivax malaria outbreak in central China. We reviewed literature from 1954 to 2016 on An. sinensis with emphasis on biology, bionomics, and molecular biology. A total of 538 references were relevant and included. An. sienesis occurs in 29 Chinese provinces. Temperature can affect most life-history parameters. Most An. sinensis are zoophilic, but sometimes they are facultatively anthropophilic. Sporozoite analysis demonstrated An. sinensis efficacy on Plasmodium vivax transmission. An. sinensis was not stringently refractory to P. falciparum under experimental conditions, however, sporozoite was not found in salivary glands of field collected An. sinensis. The literature on An. sienesis biology and bionomics was abundant, but molecular studies, such as gene functions and mechanisms, were limited. Only 12 molecules (genes, proteins or enzymes) have been studied. In addition, there were considerable untapped omics resources for potential vector control tools. Existing information on An. sienesis could serve as a baseline for advanced research on biology, bionomics and genetics relevant to vector control strategies

21 cases reports on haemangioma of spleen

The growing activity of hemangioma of spleen keeps unknown. To search theoretical basis for whether to take the operation, this study analyzed clinical data of 21 hemangioma patients, and 16 surgical specimens were analyzed immunohistochemistry of Ki-67, Bcl-2 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Both 14 cases of cavernous hemangioma were positive for VEGF, and negative in capillary hemangioma, there was statistical significant difference between two types of hemangioma (P < 0.05). The most tumors had a low expression of Ki-67 with a mean ± standard deviation (SD) of 6.62 ± 6.24%, whereas the mean ± SD of Bcl-2 labeling index was 36.06 ± 19.05%. According to the statistical results, the expression of Ki-67 and Bcl-2 did not correlate with age, gender, tumor size, amount of tumor and angiomatous types. Hemangioma of spleen was one benign tumor with a tendency of slow growth. Therefore, operation should be strictly selected, we recommend observation of patients with small, asymptomatic splenic lesions, which meet the radiologic criteria for hemangiomas