Xiaoyu Jiangzhi capsule protects against heart failure via Ca^(2+)/CaMKII signaling pathways in mice

Objective: Heart failure(HF), a worldwide health condition, is the result of many cardiovascular diseases.The traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) Xiaoyu Jiangzhi capsule(XYC) has long been in use in China to treat hyperlipidemia and inhibit platelet aggregation. This study explores the effects of XYC on heart failure(HF) and its detailed mechanisms.Methods: Isoproterenol(ISO, 30 mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally for 7 days to copy a HF model of 10-12 weeks old, 20-30 g male mice. We then compared the CON(control) group, ISO(HF model)group, MET(metoprolol) group, and XYC group. Cardiac systolic function and left wall thickness were evaluated by echocardiograph. Using western blot analysis, we detected the proteins of calmodulin dependent protein kinase Ⅱ(Ca MKII) and sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca^(2+)-ATPase(Serca). Furthermore, ts A201 cells were cultured and the human CaV1.2 calcium channel current(hCaV1.2) were detected by patch clamp experiments.Results: XYC reduced HF, inhibiting the protein expression of Ca MKII, but Serca did not change significantly. Moreover, XYC inhibited the peak amplitude of the hCaV1.2 current, depolarizing shifted the activation curve 27.6 mV, and shifted the inactivation curve toward a positive potential 17.6 mV. The fraction recovered from inaction was reduced in XYC group compared with that in CON group.Conclusion: XYC could inhibit ISO-induced HF by reducing the Ca^(2+)/Ca MKII signaling pathway in mice.

Recent advances in flexible alkaline zinc-based batteries:Materials,structures,and perspectives

The development of wearable electronic systems has generated increasing demand for flexible power sources.Alkaline zinc(Zn)-based batteries,as one of the most mature energy storage technologies,have been considered as a promising power source owing to their exceptional safety,low costs,and outstanding electrochemical performance.However,the conventional alkaline Zn-based battery systems face many challenges associated with electrodes and electrolytes,causing low capacity,poor cycle life,and inferior mechanical performance.Recent advances in materials and structure design have enabled the revisitation of the alkaline Zn-based battery technology for applications in flexible electronics.Herein,we summarize the up-to-date works in flexible alkaline Zn-based batteries and analyze the strategies employed to improve battery performance.Firstly,we introduce the three most reported cathode materials(including Ag-based,Ni-based,and Co-based materials)for flexible alkaline Zn-based batteries.Then,challenges and modifications in battery anodes are investigated.Thirdly,the recently advanced gel electrolytes are introduced from their properties,functions as well as advanced fabrications.Finally,recent works and the advantages of sandwich-type,fiber-type and thin film-type flexible batteries are summarized and compared.This review provides insights and guidance for the design of high-performance flexible Zn-based batteries for next-generation electronics.

FIXED/PREASSIGNED-TIME SYNCHRONIZATION OF QUATERNION-VALUED NEURAL NETWORKS INVOLVING DELAYS AND DISCONTINUOUS ACTIVATIONS: A DIRECT APPROACH

The fixed-time synchronization and preassigned-time synchronization are investigated for a class of quaternion-valued neural networks with time-varying delays and discontinuous activation functions. Unlike previous efforts that employed separation analysis and the real-valued control design, based on the quaternion-valued signum function and several related properties, a direct analytical method is proposed here and the quaternion-valued controllers are designed in order to discuss the fixed-time synchronization for the relevant quaternion-valued neural networks. In addition, the preassigned-time synchronization is investigated based on a quaternion-valued control design, where the synchronization time is preassigned and the control gains are finite. Compared with existing results, the direct method without separation developed in this article is beneficial in terms of simplifying theoretical analysis, and the proposed quaternion-valued control schemes are simpler and more effective than the traditional design, which adds four real-valued controllers. Finally, two numerical examples are given in order to support the theoretical results.

Homogeneous distributed natural pyrite-derived composite induced by modified graphite as high-performance lithium-ion batteries anode

Natural minerals-based energy materials have attracted enormous attention because of the advantages of good materials consistency,high production,environmental friendliness,and low cost.The uniform distribution of grains can effectively inhibit the aggregation of active materials,improving lithium storage performance.In this work,natural graphite is modified by polyvinylpyrrolidone to obtain modified graphite with reduced size and better dispersion.Natural pyrite composite polyvinylpyrrolidone-modified graphite(pyrite/PG)material with uniform particle distribution is obtained by the ball milling process.The subsequent calcination process converts pyrite/PG into Fe_(1-x)Scompounded with polyvinylpyrrolidone-modified graphite(Fe_(1-x)S/PG).The homogeneous grain distributions of active material can facilitate the faster transfer of electrons and promote the efficient utilization of active materials.The as-prepared Fe_(1-x)S/PG electrode exhibits a remarkably reversible specific capacity of 613.0 mAh·g^(-1)at 0.2 A·g^(-1)after 80 cycles and an excellent rate capability of 523.0 mAh·g^(-1)at 5 A·g^(-1).Even at a higher current density of 10 A·g^(-1),it can deliver a specific capacity of 348.0 mAh·g^(-1).Moreover,the dominant pseudocapacitance in redox reactions accounts for the impressive rate and cycling stability.This work provides a low-cost and facile method to fabricate natural mineral-based anode materials and apprise readers about the impact of uniform particle distribution on lithium storage performance.

Dry eye disease among patients infected with the SARSCoV-2 Omicron variant:a cross-sectional study

AIM:To investigate the incidence of dry eye disease(DED)and relevant risk factors among patients infected with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARSCoV-2)Omicron variant.METHODS:This cross-sectional,observational analysis included 993 patients with corona virus disease 2019(COVID-19)treated at the National Exhibition and Convention Center(Shanghai)Fangcang Shelter Hospital,from April 10 to May 26,2022.Totally 944 uninfected control participants were recruited.All participants completed ocular surface disease index(OSDI)questionnaires,and DED symptoms were determined using OSDI scores.The demographic characteristics,length of hospital stay and in nasopharyngeal swabs were performed using questionnaires.SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant infection was confirmed by nucleic acid-based detection in nasopharyngeal swabs using a 2019-nCoV nucleic acid detection kit.The risk factors for DED symptoms among patients with COVID-19 and control participants were determined by logistic regression analysis.RESULTS:Patients with COVID-19 showed a higher incidence of DED than controls(64.9%vs 55.1%,P<0.001).SARS-CoV-2 infection[odds ratios(ORs)(95%CI):1.271(1.038,1.556)],use of contact lenses[ORs(95%CI):9.350(3.676,23.783)],history of corneal refractive surgery[ORs(95%CI):2.047(1.494,2.804)],poor sleep quality[ORs(95%CI):2.657(2.029,3.480)],and video display terminal(VDT)use for more than 8h per day[ORs(95%CI):6.348(4.720,8.538)]were found to be risk factors for DED symptoms in patients with COVID-19 as well as controls.For patients with COVID-19,the length of hospital stay[ORs(95%CI):1.196(1.134,1.262)],use of contact lenses[ORs(95%CI):20.423(2.680,155.632)],history of corneal refractive surgery[ORs(95%CI):2.166(1.321,3.553)],poor sleep quality[ORs(95%CI):3.650(2.381,5.597)],and VDT use for more than 8h per day[ORs(95%CI):7.740(4.918,12.180)]were significant risk factors for DED symptoms.CONCLUSION:Patients with COVID-19 are more prone to develop symptomatic DED.SARS-CoV-2 infection and length of hospital stay are important risk factors for DED symptoms.

青光安对抗青光眼术后滤过道瘢痕化中胶原纤维、α-SMA及FN的影响

目的:观察青光安4种有效组份对抗兔眼青光眼术后滤过道胶原纤维、α-平滑肌肌动蛋白(α-SMA)和纤维连接蛋白(FN)的影响。方法:将青光安4种有效组份与青光安中药混悬液应用于滤过手术后D组(有效组份1组)、E组(有效组份2组)、F组(有效组份3组)、G组(有效组份4组)、H组(青光安混悬液组),通过与A组(空白对照组)、B组(模型组)和C组(丝裂霉素C组)进行比较,观察青光安4种有效组份与青光安中药混悬液对青光眼术后滤过道瘢痕组织中胶原纤维、α-SMA及FN的影响。结果:C组、E组、F组、H组胶原纤维面积比值、α-SMA的表达、FN的表达与B组比较均有差异(P<0.05)。结论:青光安有效组份2、青光安有效组份3、丝裂霉素C以及青光安混悬液通过抑制胶原纤维、α-SMA及FN的表达,表现出明显的抗青光眼术后滤过道瘢痕化的作用。

13-Methyltetradecanoic acid mitigates cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury

13-Methyltetradecanoic acid can stabilize cell membrane and have anti-inflammatory,antioxidant and anti-apoptotic effects.Previous studies mainly focused on peripheral nerve injury,but seldom on the central nervous system.We investigated whether these properties of 13-methyltetradecanoic acid have a neuroprotective effect on focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury,and detected the expression of basic fibroblast growth factor and vascular endothelial growth factor.This study established rat models of middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion injury by ischemia for 2 hours and reperfusion for 24 hours.At the beginning of reperfusion,13-methyltetradecanoic acid 10,40 or 80 mg/kg was injected into the tail vein.Results found that various doses of 13-methyltetradecanoic acid effectively reduced infarct volume,mitigate cerebral edema,and increased the m RNA and protein expression of basic fibroblast growth factor and vascular endothelial growth factor at 24 hours of reperfusion.The effect was most significant in the 13-methyltetradecanoic acid 40 and 80 mg/kg groups.The findings suggest that 13-methyltetradecanoic acid can relieve focal ischemia/reperfusion injury immediately after reperfusion,stimulate the upregulation of basic fibroblast growth factor and vascular endothelial growth factor to exert neuroprotective effects.

氨基硅氧烷交联聚酰亚胺/SiO_2复合多孔膜的制备及表征

以聚酰亚胺(PI)为基体、正硅酸乙酯(TEOS)为硅源前驱体、氨基硅氧烷(APTES)为交联剂,采用溶胶凝胶法制备出低导热系数PI/SiO_2复合多孔膜。利用X射线衍射仪、红外光谱、扫描电镜、热重分析仪、导热系数测试仪及电子万能拉伸试验机测试SiO_2的加入对多孔膜结构与性能的影响。结果表明,PI/SiO_2复合多孔膜具有较低的导热系数和较好的力学强度,交联剂和SiO_2含量对材料的热性能与力学性能有较大的影响。交联剂氨基硅氧烷能提高SiO_2与PI基体的结合和材料的力学强度,材料的导热系数随SiO_2含量增加逐渐降低,拉伸强度和弹性模量均未出现低于PI基体的现象,当SiO_2含量为30%时弹性模量为214.3 MPa,导热系数为0.043 W/(m·K)。

不同年龄患者FLACS术中PI操作时瞳孔直径的变化

目的:探讨不同年龄患者飞秒激光辅助白内障手术(FLACS)中瞳孔直径变化的相关因素及其对患者接口(PI)操作时间和手术疗效的影响。方法:选取2017-03/2018-06在我院行FLACS手术的白内障患者101例101眼,按照年龄分为中青年组(46例)和老年组(55例)。术前常规散瞳,记录PI操作时间、对接时间、劈核半径及PI操作前、中、后的瞳孔直径。术后采用状态焦虑问卷(SAI)评定患者PI操作中的状态焦虑症状,并评估临床疗效。结果:本组患者年龄与PI操作前、中、后瞳孔直径、劈核半径、SAI评分均呈负相关;PI操作时间与SAI评分呈负相关。中青年组患者PI操作前、中、后瞳孔直径(8.89±0.57、7.52±0.52、8.96±0.54mm)均显著大于老年组(8.43±0.73、7.14±0.55、8.44±0.75mm),SAI得分(42.19±9.27分)显著高于老年组(39.80±9.15分)(均P<0.01),但两组患者PI操作时间、对接时间和治疗总有效率均无差异(P>0.05)。结论:FLACS术中中青年患者瞳孔变化较为敏感,且焦虑情绪较为突出,对手术进程有一定影响。

A Security Enhancement Model Based on Switching Edge Strategy in Interdependent Heterogeneous Cyber-Physical Systems

With the advent of cross-domain interconnection,large-scale sensor network systems such as smart grids,smart homes,and intelligent transportation have emerged.These complex network systems often have a CPS(Cyber-Physical System)architecture and are usually composed of multiple interdependent systems.Minimal faults between interdependent networks may cause serious cascading failures between the entire system.Therefore,in this paper,we will explore the robustness detection schemes for interdependent networks.Firstly,by calculating the largest giant connected component in the entire system,the security of interdependent network systems under different attack models is analyzed.Secondly,a comparative analysis of the cascade failure mechanism between interdependent networks under the edge enhancement strategy is carried out.Finally,the simulation results verify the impact of system reliability under different handover edge strategies and show how to choose a better handover strategy to enhance its robustness.The further research work in this paper can also help design how to reduce the interdependence between systems,thereby further optimizing the interdependent network system’s structure to provide practical support for reducing the cascading failures.In the later work,we hope to explore our proposed strategies in the network model of real-world or close to real networks.

An Intelligent IEQ Monitoring and Feedback System:Development and Applications

Indoor environmental quality(IEQ)significantly affects human health and wellbeing.Therefore,continuous IEQ monitoring and feedback is of great concern in both the industrial and academic communities.However,most existing studies only focus on developing sensors that cost-effectively promote IEQ measurement while ignoring interactions between the human side and IEQ monitoring.In this study,an intelligent IEQ monitoring and feedback system-the Intelligent Built Enviroment(IBEM)-is developed.Firstly,the IBEM hardware instrument integrates air temperature,relative humidity,CO_(2),particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter no greater than _(2.5)μm(PM_(2.5)),and illuminance sensors within a small device.The accuracy of this integrated device was tested through a co-location experiment with reference sensors;the device exhibited a strong correlation with the reference sensors,with a slight deviation(R^(2)>0.97 and slopes between 1.01 and 1.05).Secondly,a wireless data transmission module,a cloud storage module,and graphical user interfaces(i.e.,a web platform and mobile interface)were built to establish a pathway for dataflow and interactive feedback with the occupants of the indoor environments.Thus,the IEQ parameters can be continuously monitored with a high spatiotemporal resolution,interactive feedback can be induced,and synchronous data collection on occupant satisfaction and objective environmental parameters can be realized.IBEM has been widely applied in 131 buildings in 18cities/areas in China,with 1188 sample locations.Among these applications,we report on the targeted IEQ diagnoses of two individual buildings and the exploration of relationships between subjective and objective IEQ data in detail here.This work demonstrates the great value of IBEM in both industrial and academic research.

Biomechanics of the sclera and effects on intraocular pressure

Accumulating evidence indicates that glaucoma is a multifactorial neurodegenerative disease characterized by the loss of retinal ganglion cells(RGC), resulting in gradual and progressive permanent loss of vision.Reducing intraocular pressure(IOP) remains the only proven method for preventing and delaying the progression of glaucomatous visual impairment.However, the specific role of IOP in optic nerve injury remains controversial, and little is known about the biomechanical mechanism by which elevated IOP leads to the loss of RGC. Published studies suggest that the biomechanical properties of the sclera and scleral lamina cribrosa determine the biomechanical changes of optic nerve head, and play an important role in the pathologic process of loss of RGC and optic nerve damage. This review focuses on the current understanding of biomechanics of sclera in glaucoma and provides an overview of the possible interactions between the sclera and IOP. Treatments and interventions aimed at the sclera are also discussed.

Lipid biomarker composition in surface sediments from the Carlsberg Ridge near the Tianxiu Hydrothermal Field

Hydrothermal venting has a profound effect on the chemical and biological properties of local and distal seawater and sediments. In this study, lipid biomarkers were analyzed to examine the potential influence of hydrothermal activity on the fate of organic matter(OM) in surface sediments around Tianxiu Hydrothermal Field in the Carlsberg Ridge(CR), Northwest Indian Ocean. By comparing the biomarker distributions of the samples with that of other typical hydrothermal sediments in the mid ocean ridge, it is shown that the location of the samples is not affected by the hydrothermal activity. The relatively low abundances of terrestrial n-alkyl lipids and riverine1,15-C_(32) diol suggested a minor contribution of terrigenous OM to the study area. The bacteria contributed predominantly to sedimentary marine OM;however, other marine source organisms, e.g., eukaryotes(i.e.,phytoplankton and fungi) could not be completely neglected. The marine-originated biomarkers showed significantly variable distributions between the two sediments, suggesting different dynamic physical and biogeochemical processes controlling the fate of marine OM. This study identified various diagnostic biomarkers(5,5-diethyl alkanes, diols and β-OH FAs), which may have significant environmental implications for future works in this region.

Esophageal myoepithelial carcinoma:Four case reports

BACKGROUND Myoepithelial carcinoma(MC)is a rare malignant neoplasm that mainly occurs in the salivary gland.MC can be confused with many other tumors when arising outside the salivary glands because it presents with a wide spectrum of cytomorphological and immunohistochemical features.To the best of our knowledge,esophageal MC has not been previously reported.The purpose of this study was to describe the imaging and clinicopathological features of esophageal MC to improve the understanding of the disease.CASE SUMMARY Three men and one woman diagnosed with esophageal MC were enrolled in this study.The primary clinical symptom was dysphagia.The mass was mainly located in the middle esophagus.Laboratory tests revealed that two patients who underwent tumor abnormal protein were positive.Radical resection was performed for all patients with no adjuvant therapy.Hematoxylin-eosin staining showed infiltrative growth of epithelial cells with hyperchromatic and pleomorphic nuclei toward the periphery.Immunohistochemistry showed that all patients were positive for P63,and most patients were positive for SOX-10,AE1/AE3,P40,and calponin.The Ki-67 values were all higher than 60%.Patient one died one month after discharge from an unknown cause.Patient two lost to follow-up.At patient three’s four-month review,enhanced computed tomography(CT)showed anastomosis recurrence and bilateral lung metastases.He abandoned treatment and lost to follow-up.Patient four attended review appointments regularly and remained in a good general condition.CONCLUSION Here,we present the first report of esophageal MC and review the relevant literature.Esophageal MC is more likely to occur in the middle esophagus in older patients with male dominance.A fungating type observed on CT scanning may help narrow down the differential diagnosis.Cystic change or necrosis may occur in larger lesions.The final diagnosis should be made according to the pathological examination.The treatment for MC is surgical resection,and the efficacy of chemotherapy needs to be determined with future studies.

Lipoprotein(a)variability is associated with mean follow-up Creactive protein in patients with coronary artery disease following percutaneous coronary intervention

BACKGROUND Increased lipoprotein(a)[lp(a)]has proinflammatory effects,which increase the risk of coronary artery disease.However,the association between lp(a)variability and follow-up C-reactive protein(CRP)level in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI)has not been investigated.AIM To explore the association between lp(a)variability and mean CRP levels within the 1st year post-PCI.METHODS Results of lp(a)and CRP measurements from at least three follow-up visits of patients who had received PCI were retrospectively analyzed.Standard deviation(SD),coefficient of variation(CV),and variability independent of the mean(VIM)are presented for the variability for lp(a)and linear regression analysis was conducted to correlate lp(a)variability and mean follow-up CRP level.The relationship of lp(a)variability and inflammation status was analyzed by restricted cubic spline analysis.Finally,exploratory analysis was performed to test the consistency of results in different populations.RESULTS A total of 2712 patients were enrolled.Patients with higher variability of lp(a)had a higher level of mean follow-up CRP(P<0.001).lp(a)variability was positively correlated with the mean follow-up CRP(SD:β=0.023,P<0.001;CV:β=0.929,P<0.001;VIM:β=1.648,P<0.001)by multivariable linear regression analysis.Exploratory analysis showed that the positive association remained consistent in most subpopulations.CONCLUSION Lp(a)variability correlated with mean follow-up CRP level and high variability could be considered an independent risk factor for increased post-PCI CRP level.

Adaptive Sampling for Near Space Hypersonic Gliding Target Tracking

For modern phased array radar systems,the adaptive control of the target revisiting time is important for efficient radar resource allocation,especially in maneuvering target tracking applications.This paper presents a novel interactive multiple model(IMM)algorithm optimized for tracking maneuvering near space hypersonic gliding vehicles(NSHGV)with a fast adaptive sam-pling control logic.The algorithm utilizes the model probabilities to dynamically adjust the revisit time corresponding to NSHGV maneuvers,thus achieving a balance between tracking accuracy and resource consumption.Simulation results on typical NSHGV targets show that the proposed algo-rithm improves tracking accuracy and resource allocation efficiency compared to other conventional multiple model algorithms.

Long-term trends of precipitation and erosivity over Northeast China during 1961-2020

Northeast China(NEC)is one of the vital commercial grain bases in China and it has suffered from soil erosion due to prolonged cultivation and lack of protection.To determine long-term trends of precipi-tation and rainfall erosivity over NEC during the latest decades,daily precipitation for the entire year during 1961-2020 and hourly precipitation for the warm season(May to September)during 1971-2020 were collected for 192 and 126 stations,respectively.Three seasons,including the cold season(October to April),early warm season(May to June),and late warm season(July to September)were divided according to the combination of precipitation and vegetation.Results demonstrate:(1)Daily precipita-tion reveals total precipitation and rainfall erosivity in the cold season and early warm season increase significantly at relative rates of 3.1%-6.1%compared with the average during 1961-2020,and those in the late warm season decrease insignificantly.(2)Hourly precipitation reveals storms occurring in the early and late warm seasons have undergone significant increasing changes,which shift towards longer storm duration,larger amount,peak intensity,kinetic energy,and rainfall erosivity during 1971-2020.Moreover,the frequency of extreme storms increased.(3)Rainfall erosivities estimated from daily pre-cipitation during 1971-2020 increase insignificantly for the early and late warm season,whereas those from hourly precipitation increase significantly(6.1%and 5.5%,respectively),which indicates daily precipitation may not be able to capture the trend fully under the warming background,and precipi-tation at higher resolutions than the daily scale is necessary to detect trends of rainfall erosivity more accurately.

Multiple Failure Modes of Compressor Station Incorporated into Risk Evaluation of Electricity-gas Integrated Energy Systems

Multiple failure modes of gas compressor stations have not been modeled into risk evaluation of electricity-gas integrated energy system(EGIES).This paper presents a method to incorporate multiple failure modes of compressor stations with bypass systems in the EGIES risk evaluation.Three outage models representing multi-states and multi-failure-modes of com-pressor stations and a bi-level Monte Carlo sampling algorithm for the models are developed.A novel network model of EGIES considering compressor stations with multiple failure modes is presented.An EGIES with a modified RBTS and an 11-node gas system is used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method and models.Results indicate that compressor stations have both positive and negative significant impacts on the risk of EGIES.Bypass systems for compressor stations can effectively offset the negative impacts.Ignoring compressor stations and their station failures in the risk evaluation of EGIES may result in an inaccurate estimation of the system risk levels and even lead to a misleading conclusion in system planning.Index Terms-Compressor station,electricity-gas integrated energy system,multiple failure modes,risk evaluation.

The necessity of pretreatment with 0.1%pranoprofen for femtosecond-assisted cataract surgery:A single-center,randomized controlled trial

Purpose:To explore the effect of the variation of pupil diameter(PD)and intraocular pressure(IOP)induced by femtosecond laser treatment on the subsequent phacoemulsfication and intraocular lens implantation.And whether the application of 0.1%pranoprofen could significantly reduce the miosis and increased IOP caused by femtosecond laser treatment in femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery(FLACS).Methods:In this study,patients were pretreated with(trial group)or without(control group)topical 0.1%pranoprofen.The PD and IOP were measured at different time points within 30 min after the completion of the femtosecond laser treatment.Results:The comparisons of the two groups showed the PD of patients pretreated with 0.1%pranoprofen was significantly larger than that of the control only at 15 min after FLACS(P=0.046),and there was no significant difference in IOP at any time point(P>0.05).Neither the ratio of significant miosis(PD≤5 mm)nor intraocular hypertension(IOP≥30 mmHg)was significantly different between the control group(1.72%,6.67%)and the trial group(1%,4.17%)(P>0.05).Conclusions:The PD and IOP of patients undergoing FLACS showed fluctuations within a small range.The rates of significant miosis and intraocular hypertension are very low,it is safe for surgeons to complete the follow-up procedures within 30 min after femtosecond laser treatment.Pretreatment with 0.1%pranoprofen exerted a slight,albeit significant prophylactic effect preventing pupil miosis.However,it provided only a limited benefit in patients undergoing FLACS without other complications.

Spatial transmission and meteorological determinants of tuberculosis incidence in Qinghai Province,China:a spatial clustering panel analysis

Background:Tuberculosis(TB)is the notifiable infectious disease with the second highest incidence in the Qinghai province,a province with poor primary health care infrastructure.Understanding the spatial distribution of TB and related environmental factors is necessary for developing effective strategies to control and further eliminate TB.Methods:Our TB incidence data and meteorological data were extracted from the China Information System of Disease Control and Prevention and statistical yearbooks,respectively.We calculated the global and local Moran’s I by using spatial autocorrelation analysis to detect the spatial clustering of TB incidence each year.A spatial panel data model was applied to examine the associations of meteorological factors with TB incidence after adjustment of spatial individual effects and spatial autocorrelation.Results:The Local Moran’s I method detected 11 counties with a significantly high-high spatial clustering(average annual incidence:294/100000)and 17 counties with a significantly low-low spatial clustering(average annual incidence:68/100000)of TB annual incidence within the examined five-year period;the global Moran’s I values ranged from 0.40 to 0.58(all P-values<0.05).The TB incidence was positively associated with the temperature,precipitation,and wind speed(all P-values<0.05),which were confirmed by the spatial panel data model.Each 10°C,2 cm,and 1 m/s increase in temperature,precipitation,and wind speed associated with 9%and 3%decrements and a 7%increment in the TB incidence,respectively.Conclusions:High TB incidence areas were mainly concentrated in south-western Qinghai,while low TB incidence areas clustered in eastern and north-western Qinghai.Areas with low temperature and precipitation and with strong wind speeds tended to have higher TB incidences.