Molecular epidemiology and drug-resistance of tuberculosis in Luodian revealed by whole genome sequencing.

In this study, we aimed to investigate the molecular epidemiology and drug-resistance profiles of tuberculosis (TB) in Luodian, an area with highest TB incidence and limited healthcare resources in Guizhou, China. The passive case finding strategy was used to identify suspected pulmonary TB with symptoms, and individuals with positive Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) culture were enrolled from May 22, 2018 to April 21, 2019. All the 107 cases except three came from nine towns, including 55.

Individual and synergistic toxic effects of carbendazim and chlorpyrifos on zebrafish embryonic development.

The fungicide carbendazim and the insecticide chlorpyrifos are frequently used together to protect various fruit and vegetable crops in China. At high doses, carbendazim is a known carcinogen while chlorpyrifos has neurotoxic potential, but the combined toxicity of these two compounds has not been systematically investigated. In this study, we examined the separate and combined effects of these compounds on zebrafish embryonic development.

Psychological impact of mandatory COVID-19 quarantine on small business owners and self-employed in China.

A massive home-quarantine took place in China due to the novel coronavirus in the end of 2019. The purpose of the present study was to explore the potential mental health impact of this forced quarantine and widespread shutdown among small business owners and the self-employed. A semi-structured interview was employed among 14 participants from three different cities in China.

Epidemiological feature, viral shedding, and antibody seroconversion among asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 carriers and symptomatic/presymptomatic COVID-19 patients.

Background: Novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is pandemic. However, data concerning the epidemiological features, viral shedding, and antibody dynamics between asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 carriers and COVID-19 patients remain controversial.

Methods: We enrolled 193 SARS-CoV-2 infected subjects in Ningbo and Zhoushan, Zhejiang, China, from January 21 to March 6, 2020.

SARS-CoV-2 detection by extraction-free qRT-PCR for massive and rapid COVID-19 diagnosis during a pandemic in Armenia.

COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted the healthcare and economy on a global scale. It is widely recognized that mass testing is an efficient way to contain the spread of SARS-CoV-2 infection as well as aid in the development of informed policies for disease management. However, the current COVID-19 worldwide infection rates increased the demand for rapid and reliable screening of infection.

Genetically predicted selenium is negatively associated with serum TC, LDL-C and positively associated with HbA1C levels.

Background & Aims: Pervious epidemiological evidence on the associations of selenium, zinc with lipid profile and glycemic indices was contradictory. The aim of this study was to investigate whether selenium and zinc were casually associated with lipid profile and glycemic indices using mendelian randomization (MR) analysis.

Method: A two-sample MR was used to evaluate the causal-effect estimations.

Sedentary behavior is associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A generalized propensity score-weighted analysis.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the fourth and third leading cause of death worldwide and in China, respectively. Sedentary behavior has been shown to increase the risk of respiratory disease, such as asthma. However, the relationship between sedentary behavior and COPD is unclear.

Etiology and clinical characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 and other human coronaviruses among children in Zhejiang Province, China 2017-2019.

Background: A novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) emerging has put global public health institutes on high alert. Little is known about the epidemiology and clinical characteristics of human coronaviruses infections in relation to infections with other respiratory viruses.

Methods: From February 2017 to December 2019, 3660 respiratory samples submitted to Zhejiang Children Hospital with acute respiratory symptoms were tested for four human coronaviruses RNA by a novel two-tube multiplex reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assays.

[Breast ultrasound optimization process analysis based on breast cancer screening for 1 501 753 rural women in China].

To evaluate the effectiveness and quality of ultrasound-based (BUS) process optimization in breast cancer screening. The program collected the first to fourth quarterly breast cancer screening statistic data and case report data from 30 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities in 2015 by the online report system of national key service program of women and children's public health. The call rate, mammography (MG) subsequent screen rate, biopsy rate, detection rate, early diagnosis rate, carcinoma in situ rate, missing detection rate, false positive rate and positive predictive value (PPV) of breast cancer were calculated.

Comparison of properties of dust in alveolar of rats and the workplace.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to analyze the α-SiO content, composition, dispersion, morphology, and free radical content of dust between the alveolar and the workplace, to explore the possible changes in the properties (especially the pathogenicity) of dust after it enters the lung.

Methods: We collected the dust in the workplace in HANDAN Coal mine. They were selected by a 400 mesh sieve and was made a suspension of 50 mg/ml, which would be used to perfuse into the trachea of rats.

Microsatellite based molecular epidemiology of Leishmania infantum from re-emerging foci of visceral leishmaniasis in Armenia and pilot risk assessment by ecological niche modeling.

Background: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is re-emerging in Armenia since 1999 with 167 cases recorded until 2019. The objectives of this study were (i) to determine for the first time the genetic diversity and population structure of the causative agent of VL in Armenia; (ii) to compare these genotypes with those from most endemic regions worldwide; (iii) to monitor the diversity of vectors in Armenia; (iv) to predict the distribution of the vectors and VL in time and space by ecological niche modeling.

Methodology/principal Findings: Human samples from different parts of Armenia previously identified by ITS-1-RFLP as L.

Occupational stress, burnout, and organizational readiness for change: A longitudinal study among HIV HCPs in China.

Literature suggests that organizational readiness for change (ORC) could facilitate adaptation and implementation of new projects or practices in clinical settings. Limited data are available regarding the longitudinal associations between ORC and psychosocial conditions of HCPs. Using six waves of longitudinal data collected between 2013 and 2016 from 357 HIV HCPs in Guangxi, China, we identify sociodemographic and occupational characteristics that impact ORC and examine how occupational stress and burnout affect ORC adjusting for potential cofounders.

HIV-1 subtype diversity and transmission strain source among men who have sex with men in Guangxi, China.

With the rapid increase in HIV prevalence of men who have sex with men (MSM) in recent years and common human migration and travelling across different provinces in China, MSM are now finding it easier to meet each other, which might contribute to local HIV epidemics as well as fueling cross-province transmission. We performed a cross-sectional survey in 2018-2019 to investigate the current HIV subtype diversity and inferred HIV strain transmission origin among MSM in Guangxi province, China based on a phylogenetic analysis. Based on 238 samples, we found that the HIV-1 subtype diversity was more complicated than before, except for three major HIV subtypes/circulating recombinant forms (CRFs): CRF07_BC, CRF01_AE, CRF55_01B, five other subtypes/CRFs (CRF59_01B, B, CRF08_BC, CRF67_01B, CRF68_01B) and five unique recombinant forms (URFs) were detected.

Designing a Multicenter Registry of COVID-19 and Other Respiratory Infections in Fars, Iran.

Objective: A year after the emergence of a novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), as a new crisis in respiratory infections, there remain many uncertainties and unknowns about SARS-CoV-2 and the disease it causes, called (). Although COVID-19 is known as a respiratory disease, some atypical manifestations have been seen, different from those seen in other types of viral respiratory infections. This paper aims to describe designing, launching, and implementing a data collection system for all respiratory diseases, with a focus on SARS-CoV-2 from the onset of this pandemic.

Multi-Omics Data Fusion via a Joint Kernel Learning Model for Cancer Subtype Discovery and Essential Gene Identification.

The multiple sources of cancer determine its multiple causes, and the same cancer can be composed of many different subtypes. Identification of cancer subtypes is a key part of personalized cancer treatment and provides an important reference for clinical diagnosis and treatment. Some studies have shown that there are significant differences in the genetic and epigenetic profiles among different cancer subtypes during carcinogenesis and development.

COVID-19 infection among healthcare workers: a cross-sectional study in southwest Iran.

Objective: With the novel coronavirus pandemic, the impact on the healthcare system and workers cannot be overlooked. However, studies on the infection status of medical personnel are still lacking. It is imperative to ensure the safety of health-care workers (HCWs) not only to safeguard continuous patient care but also to ensure they do not transmit the virus, therefore evaluation of infection rates in these groups are indicated.

Exposure to antibiotics and mental disorders in children: a community-based cross-sectional study.

Although exposure to antibiotics at a critical developmental time window has been implicated in mental health in observational and experimental studies, very limited bio-monitoring data are available for exposure to antibiotics associated with child mental disorders. The goal of our study was to examine the association between urinary exposure of children to antibiotics and mental health. The participants were 278 children from 256 eligible families in the urban-rural fringe of Fuyang city in China since June in 2017.

Associations of age at natural menopause and occupations in Chinese female workers: A cross-sectional study.

Aims: To investigate the impact of occupation types on age at natural menopause.

Methods: This is a nation-wide cross-sectional study based on 17,948 female workers aged over 40, who come from different industries or organizations. A face-to-face standardized questionnaire was conducted in all participants with the help of occupational hygienists.

Antibiotic exposure and potential risk of depression in the Chinese elderly: a biomonitoring-based population study.

Objective: To examine the associations between urinary antibiotics from various sources and depression in the elderly using the biomonitoring method.

Methods: In the current study, we investigated 990 elderly individuals (≥ 60 years old) from a community-based elderly cohort in West Anhui, China. The participants were interviewed by the Geriatric Depression Scale and self-developed questionnaires.

Antibiotics biomonitored in urine and obesogenic risk in a community-dwelling elderly population.

Background: Experimental and epidemiological studies have linked antibiotics use to gut dysbiosis-mediated risk of chronic metabolic diseases. However, whether adiposity is linked to antibiotic exposure in elderly remains inadequately understood.

Objective: To investigate the association between internal exposure of antibiotics and adiposity in elderly by using a biomonitoring method.

Assessing the Health Loss from Kashin-Beck Disease and Its Relationship with Environmental Selenium in Qamdo District of Tibet, China.

Kashin-Beck Disease (KBD) is one of major endemic diseases in China. In this study, we estimated the health loss from KBD in Qamdo district of Tibet using the years lived with disability (YLD) metric and investigated the influence of environmental selenium (Se) on it by multiple regression model. The results showed that YLD rates produced a different ranking of health loss of KBD from that produced by prevalence rates between Basu and Luolong County, with higher health loss from KBD (43.

Prevalence and Correlation of Metabolic Syndrome: A Cross-Sectional Study of Nearly 10 Million Multi-Ethnic Chinese Adults.

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the prevalence and correlates of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in multi-ethnic populations of Northwest China based on Large-scale provincial health checking data.

Patients And Methods: A total of 9,745,640 Chinese aged ≥18 years in Xinjiang, the largest autonomous region of multi-ethnic in China, were enrolled from Feb. to Sep.