Equity Study in Health Workforce on Tuberculosis Control in China: a Nationwide Evaluation

We aimed to describe the distribution of tuberculosis （TB） health workers in China and provide evidences of potential inequity for policy development. We used Lorenz curves and Gini index to characterize the distribution of TB health workers by population size, geographical area and number of annual registered TB cases. An additional stratified analysis was done by three economic regions. The Gini index were 0.33 for population size, 0.62 for geographical area and 0.30 for number of registered tuberculosis cases that indicated an acceptable average, significant inequity and a relative average distribution nationwide respectively.

The Current Status and Challenges Regarding Tuberculosis Infection Control in Health Care Facilities in China

Health care facilities are a high-risk environment for generating and spreading respiratory infectious diseases such as tuberculosis （TB）. The TB prevention and treatment staff in health care facilities are responsible for the identification, diagnosis, treatment, supervision, and management of TB patients .

Positive correlations between the health locus of control and self-management behaviors in hemodialysis patients in Xiamen

Objective:To investigate the association between the health locus of control and selfmanagement behaviors in patients receiving hemodialysis.Methods:Patients receiving hemodialysis in Xiamen,Fujian province,from December 2014 to March 2015 answered the Chinese version of the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control scale and the self-management behavior questionnaire.Results:The participants in this study indicated that they believed others exerted more control over their health than themselves or chance.In addition,the majority of participants had a medium to low level of self-management behaviors.Positive correlations were also observed between a participant's health locus of control and their level of selfmanagement behaviors.Internal health locus of control and external(others)health locus of control were significant predictors of self-management behaviors controlling for the effect of payment method.Conclusion:The results of this study provided evidence that there is a strong relationship between the health locus of control and self-management behaviors in hemodialysis patients.This study provides important information for medical professionals as they design strategies to educate hemodialysis patients on their health locus of control and selfmanagement behaviors.

Impact of Village-based Health Education of Tobacco Control on the Current Smoking Rate in Chinese Rural Areas

The number of smokers in Chinese rural areas is more than 200 million, which is twice that in cities. It is very significant to carry out tobacco control interventions in rural areas. We performed this community intervention study to evaluate the efficacy of village-based health education of tobacco control on the male current smoking rate in rural areas. The population of this study was the males above 15 years old from 6 villages in rural areas. The villages were randomly assigned to intervention group or control group（3 villages in each group）. Self-designed smoking questionnaire was applied. The intervention group received the village-based health education of tobacco control for one year. The primary outcome measurement was the male current smoking rate. In the baseline investigation, completed surveys were returned by 814 male residents from the control group and 831 male residents from the intervention group. The male current smoking rate in the control group and the intervention group was 61.2% and 58.5%, respectively, before intervention. There was no significant difference between these two groups（P〉0.05）. After one-year intervention, the current smoking rate in the intervention group（51.2%） was significantly lower than that in the control group（62.8%）（P〈0.001）. Our study suggested that the village-based health education of tobacco control was effective in lowering the male current smoking rate in rural areas, which could be a suitable and feasible way for tobacco control in the Chinese rural areas.

Perception of persons with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Saudi Arabia

Purpose:To explore how perceptions of self-efficacy,health locus of control and outcome expectancy impact the adherence of adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Saudi Arabiato self-care activities.Methods:A descriptive correlation design was used to analyse self-report questionnaires completed by a convenience sample of Arabic-speaking individuals(n=30)with type 2 diabetes mellitus from King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh.Results:More than half(53%)of participants reported high self-efficacy,and the majority(77%)valued health and believed that effective diabetes management was important.Although the vast majority(93%)of participants believed that their doctor influenced their diabetes management,90%and 80%also acknowledged themselves and God,respectively,as the health locus of control.Participants who perceived that they or their doctors were in control of their health condition were more likely to adhere to self-care activities,such as follow a specific diet and perform foot care(p<0.05).Furthermore,female participants reported significantly greater adherence to medication than male participants(6.91±0.29 vs 5.14±2.44;p=0.02),and unmarried participants reported greater adherence to exercise than married participants(4.15±2.22 vs 1.60±1.43;p=0.001).Finally,self-efficacy had a significant,positive correlation with participants'adherence to exercise(r=0.491;p=0.006)and performing their foot care(r=0.586;p=0.001).Conclusion:Patients'perceptions of their health should be considered by healthcare providers to maximize adherence to effective self-care management.

1st UMN-CAS Bilateral Seminar on PM_(2.5) science,health effects and control technology Xi'an,China,May 27-28,2014

The First UMN-CAS Bilateral Seminar was successfully con- cluded with all the goals met. The meeting in Xi＇an was informative, stimulating and enjoyable, thanks to the local host, Prof. Junji Cao, and his capable staff. The Bilateral Seminar was organized by Prof. David Y.H. Pui of the University of Minnesota and Prof. Junji Cao of the Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sci- ences. It was attended by approximately 100 delegates from the University of Minnesota （UMN）, the Center for Filtration Research （CFR）, the Chinese Academy of Sciences （CAS） and other famous Chinese universities. We are grateful for the opening remarks given by UMN President Eric hai Li on behalf of President Kaler and CAS Vice President Jing- Chunli Bai.

PM_(2.5) in China:Measurements,sources,visibility and health effects,and mitigation

Concern over the health effects of fine particles in the ambient environment led the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to develop the first standard for PM2.5 （particulate matter less than 2.5 μm） in 1997. The Particle Technology Laboratory at the University of Minnesota has helped to establish the PM2.5 standard by developing many instruments and samplers to perform atmospheric measurements. In this paper, we review various aspects of PM2.5, including its measurement, source apportionment, visibility and health effects, and mitigation. We focus on PM2.s studies in China and where appropriate, compare them with those obtained in the U.S. Based on accurate PM2.5 sampling, chemical analysis, and source apportionment models, the major PM2.5 sources in China have been identified to be coal combustion, motor vehicle emissions, and industrial sources. Atmospheric visibility has been found to correlate well with PM2.s concentration. Sulfate, ammonium, and nitrate carried by PM2.s, commonly found in coal burning and vehicle emissions, are the dominant contributors to regional haze in China. Short-term exposure to PM2.s is strongly associated with the increased risk of morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular and respiratory diseases in China. The strategy for PMzs mitigation must be based on reducing the pollutants from the two primary sources of coal-fired power plants and vehicle emissions. Although conventional Particulate Emission Control Devices （PECD） such as electrostatic precipitators in Chinese coal-fired power plants are generally effective for large particles, most of them may not have high collection efficiency of PM2.5. Baghouse filtration is gradually incorporated into the PECD to increase the PM2.5 collection efficiency. By adopting stringent vehicle emissions standard such as Euro 5 and 6, the emissions from vehicles can be gradually reduced over the years. An integrative approach, from collaboration among academia, government, and industries, can effectively manage and mitigate the PM2.s pollution in China.

Dengue: what it is and why there is more

In 2014, China experienced the worst outbreak of dengue fever in the last decade with over 40,000 dengue cases including six deaths by the end of October. As one of the ＂neglected＂ tropical diseases, dengue is affecting substantially increasing number of people and proportion of global population due to factors including globalization, human settlement, and possibly climate change. Here, the authors summarized the most recent data about dengue outbreaks in China and reviewed the global trend of dengue epidemiology. Future directions for dengue surveillance, control and prevention are also introduced.

An integrative Tai Chi program for patients with breast cancer undergoing cancer therapy:study protocol for a randomized controlled feasibility study

Background： Breast cancer patients experience various side effects during cancer therapy, often resulting in reduced quality of life and poor adherence to treatment. A limited range of proven interventions has been developed to target such side effects. While Tai Chi offers benefits for the health and well-being of breast cancer survivors, the effectiveness of Tai Chi across the treatment continuum has not been evalu- ated. Improved patient education and support has been suggested as a priority for breast cancer care. This pilot study assesses the feasibility of a randomized controlled trial （RCT） to evaluate the effectiveness of ＂an integrative Tai Chi＂ （ANITA） program for breast cancer patients undergoing cancer therapy. Methods/design： This is a single-centre, two-arm feasibility RCT. Twenty-four patients with breast cancer who have undergone surgical treatment will be recruited from the Dunedin Hospital （New Zealand） over a 12-month period （from August 2017 to July 2018）. Subject to informed consent, patients will be ran- domized to receive standard cancer treatment alone or standard cancer treatment plus the ANITA pro- gram, consisting of peer support, health education, and Tai Chi Ruler exercise. The program runs alongside the patient＇s adjuvant cancer therapy, which may include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, antibody treatment, and/or antihormonal therapy. Analysis in this study will focus on process evaluation of participant recruitment, retention, treatment fidelity, acceptability of the program, and occurrence of adverse events. Clinical outcomes （i.e., fatigue, sleep quality, anxiety and depression and quality of life） will be assessed at baseline, and at 12 weeks and 24 weeks post-randomization. Discussion： Outcomes from this study will inform the feasibility and methodology for a future fully- powered RCT.

Effective mitigation strategy in early stage of COVID-19 pandemic in China

In the past five months,success in control the national epidemic of coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)has been witnessed in China.The implementation of public health measures accounts for the success which include different interventions in the early or later stages of the outbreak.It is clear that although not all measures were universally effective worldwide,their achievements have been significant.More solidarity is needed to deal with this global pandemic with more learning and understanding.Understanding which of the public health interventions implemented in China were effective may provide ideas for international epidemic control.