PSO/ACO algorithm-based risk assessment of human neural tube defects in Heshun County, China.

Objective: To develop a new technique for assessing the risk of birth defects, which are a major cause of infant mortality and disability in many parts of the world.

Methods: The region of interest in this study was Heshun County, the county in China with the highest rate of neural tube defects (NTDs). A hybrid particle swarm optimization/ant colony optimization (PSO/ACO) algorithm was used to quantify the probability of NTDs occurring at villages with no births.

Unusual patterns of neural tube defects in a high risk region of northern China.

Objective: To study the prevalence of different types of neural tube defects (NTDs) in Luliang Prefecture, Shanxi province, where the prevalence of NTDs is unusually high and the correlation between NTDs prevalence and patterns.

Methods: A surveillance population-based birth defects was performed in Luliang Prefecture, Shanxi province.

Results: The results of our study showed that the prevalence of NTDs was 2-fold higher in Luliang Prefecture than in other areas of Shanxi province.

Spatiotemporal property analysis of birth defects in Wuxi, China.

Objective: To describe the temporal trends and spatial patterns of birth defects occurring in Wuxi, a developed region of China.

Methods: Wavelet analysis was used to decompose the temporal trends of birth defect prevalence based on the birth defect rates over the past 16 years. Birth defect cases with detailed personal and family information were geo-coded and the relative risk in each village was calculated.

[A simulation on the emerging of birth defects in China with Kriging interpolation method].

Objective: To describe the regional patterns of emerging level on birth defects with simulated map by original studied and reference data.

Methods: Based on geographical information system, Kriging interpolation method was used and some related environmental factors were drawn from geographic information system software.

Results: The Kriging method had drawn continual and smooth map on birth defect emerging level and shown some clues with environmental factors.

[Epidemiology of birth defects in high-prevalence areas of China].

Objective: To study the levels of prevalence and to describe the epidemiological features of birth defects in high-prevalence areas in China.

Methods: A population-based retrospective study was conducted in two counties of Shanxi province that including birth defects among fetuses and live births born after 20 weeks' gestational age in the study areas from 2002 through 2004.

Results: During 2002 - 2004, the prevalence of birth defects was 844.

[Analysis on the multi-distribution and the major influencing factors on severe acute respiratory syndrome in Beijing].

Objective: To analyse the multi-dimension nature of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) transmission.

Methods: Based on the data of SARS in 2003 and the geographic information system of Beijing, as well as under the broad range of the theorems and techniques of data-driven and model-driven knowledge mining, hierarchical techniques were used to test the hot spots. Wavelet technique was also used to decompose Moran's I frequency to survey the spatial clustering process of SARS.