Identification of Early Warning Signals of Infectious Diseases in Hospitals by Integrating Clinical Treatment and Disease Prevention

The global incidence of infectious diseases has increased in recent years,posing a significant threat to human health.Hospitals typically serve as frontline institutions for detecting infectious diseases.However,accurately identifying warning signals of infectious diseases in a timely manner,especially emerging infectious diseases,can be challenging.Consequently,there is a pressing need to integrate treatment and disease prevention data to conduct comprehensive analyses aimed at preventing and controlling infectious diseases within hospitals.This paper examines the role of medical data in the early identification of infectious diseases,explores early warning technologies for infectious disease recognition,and assesses monitoring and early warning mechanisms for infectious diseases.We propose that hospitals adopt novel multidimensional early warning technologies to mine and analyze medical data from various systems,in compliance with national strategies to integrate clinical treatment and disease prevention.Furthermore,hospitals should establish institution-specific,clinical-based early warning models for infectious diseases to actively monitor early signals and enhance preparedness for infectious disease prevention and control.

A Machine Learning-Based Web Application for Heart Disease Prediction

This work leveraged predictive modeling techniques in machine learning (ML) to predict heart disease using a dataset sourced from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in the US. The dataset was preprocessed and used to train five machine learning models: random forest, support vector machine, logistic regression, extreme gradient boosting and light gradient boosting. The goal was to use the best performing model to develop a web application capable of reliably predicting heart disease based on user-provided data. The extreme gradient boosting classifier provided the most reliable results with precision, recall and F1-score of 97%, 72%, and 83% respectively for Class 0 (no heart disease) and 21% (precision), 81% (recall) and 34% (F1-score) for Class 1 (heart disease). The model was further deployed as a web application.

Application of Self-propelled Boom Sprayers for Control of Rice Insects and Diseases

Comparisons were performed between self-propelled boom sprayer and traditional mechanis, such as knapsack sprayer and sprayer-duster, stretcher-type powered sprayer, as well as single rotor unmanned sprayer and multi-rotor un- manned sprayer. The effects on rice injury, lodging, and rehabilitation were conclud- ed and drug uniform distribution, sedimentation and prevention effects were ana- lyzed. The results showed that the self-propelled boom sprayer is characterized by high degree of automation, convenient operation, high adaptability, and high work efficiency. What＇s more, the sprayed fog quality is better, and fog distribution is more uniform. During the work process, fog loss would be diminished substantially, improving work efficiency and cutting down drug and water. It is notable that the underpart of the sprayer can be widely applied to plant protection in large-scale ar- eas in Jiangsu Province, significantly advancing whole-process mechanization of rice production.

Prevention and Control of Gentiana macrophylla Pall Root Rot Disease

The root rot is a major disease affecting yield of Gentiana macrophyl a pal , reducing yield or even causing total crop failure. This research introduced the occurrence characteristics and various control techniques of root rot of Gentiana macrophyl a pal , in order to provide references for farmers.

Disease Control, Prevention and On-Farm Biosecurity: The Role of Veterinary Epidemiology

Domesticated and non-domesticated animals, including wildlife, deliver significant financial and nonfinancial benefits to the human community;however, disease can have a dramatic impact on the morbidity, mortality, and productivity of these animal populations and hence can directly and indirectly affect the human communities associated with them. This manuscript provides an overview of the important features to consider for the prevention and control of disease, with a focus on livestock diseases,and highlights the key role veterinary epidemiology plays in this endeavor. Measures of disease frequency and the type of epidemiological studies required to identify risk factors for diseases are summarized,with a focus on the use of these in the implementation of measures to control disease. The importance of biosecurity in maintaining disease-free flocks/herds is discussed and the steps taken to implement good biosecurity measures are outlined. It is concluded that a sound knowledge of veterinary epidemiology is required when developing control programs for disease and implementing biosecurity programs at a farm, regional, and national level.

Effects of Multiple Cleaning and Disinfection Interventions on Infectious Diseases in Children: A Group Randomized Trial in China

Objective To assess the effectiveness of multiple cleaning and disinfection interventions in the homes and kindergartens, in reducing gastrointestinal and respiratory illnesses of children. Methods From October 2010 to September 2011, we performed a prospective, controlled study in China. 408 children under 5 years old were recruited and group randomized into intervention and control groups. Families and kindergartens in the intervention group were provided with antibacterial products for hand hygiene and surface cleaning or disinfection for one year. Each child＇s illness symptoms and sick leave were recorded every day. Results A total of 393 children completed the study, with similar baseline demographics in each of the 2 groups. Except for abdominal pain, the odds of symptoms （fever, cough and expectoration, runny nose and nasal congestion, diarrhea）, illness （acute respiratory illness and gastrointestinal illness）, and sick leave per person each month were significantly reduced by interventions. The rates of fever, diarrhea, acute respiratory illness, gastrointestinal illness and sick leave per person per year were significantly decreased as well. Conclusion Not only the acute respiratory children were significantly reduced by multiple and gastrointestinal illness but the sick leave rate in interventions.

One disease, many faces-typical and atypical presentations of SARS-CoV-2 infection-related COVID-19 disease

Since the appearance of the novel coronavirus(severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2)and related coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)in China in December 2019,a very high number of small and large patient series have been published in literature from around the world.Even though the classical presentation of COVID-19 is one with respiratory symptoms with or without pneumonia that can be self-limiting or evolve into severe respiratory distress syndrome with multiple organ failure,and secondary bacterial sepsis,a large body of evidence suggests a plethora of other types of clinical presentation.In this exhaustive review,we reviewed all of the published literature on COVID-19 to identify different types of clinical presentations affecting various organ systems,to provide an in-depth analysis that may prove useful for clinicians and health-workers on the frontline,battling the severe pandemic.

Contingency management strategies of the Nursing Department in centralized rescue of patients with coronavirus disease 2019

Objectives:This article aims to summarize a series of contingency management strategies of the Nursing Department in the centralized treatment of patients with coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19).Methods:The strategies of the Nursing Department included an early warning for prevention and control,taking functions of vertically commanding and horizontally coordinating,and reasonably allocating nursing workforce,to facilitate centralized treatment work in the in-hospital fever clinic,isolation wards and ICU,and referral and admission of critical patients.Five special groups were established in charge of training and examination,management and supervision,psychological support,logistical support,and reporting and publicity,respectively.Results:It was achieved that no deaths from critical patients and no medical staff,no other patients were infected.Conclusion:Through the implementation of these strategies,safe and efficient centralized treatment was ensured timely,orderly and sustainably.

Zishenpingchan granules for the treatment of Parkinson＇s disease：a randomized,double-blind,placebo-controlled clinical trial

Levodopa preparations remain the preferred drug for Parkinson＇s disease.However,long-term use of levodopa may lead to a series of motor complications.Previous studies have shown that the combination of levodopa and Zishenpingchan granules（consisting of Radix Rehmanniae preparata,Lycium barbarum,Herba Taxilli,Rhizoma Gastrodiae,Stiff Silkorm,Curcuma phaeocaulis,Radix Paeoniae Alba,Rhizoma Arisaematis,Scorpio and Centipede） can markedly improve dyskinesia and delay the progression of Parkinson＇s disease,with especially dramatic improvements of non-motor symptoms.However,the efficacy of this combination has not been confirmed by randomized controlled trials.The current study was approved by the Hospital Ethics Committee and was registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Register（registration number：Chi CTR-INR-1701194）.From December 2014 to December 2016,128 patients（72 males and 56 females,mean age of 65.78 ± 6.34 years） with Parkinson＇s disease were recruited from the Department of Neurology of Longhua Hospital and Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in China.Patients were equally allocated into treatment and control groups.In addition to treatment with dopamine,patients in treatment and control groups were given Zishenpingchan granules or placebo,respectively,for 24 weeks.Therapeutic efficacy was assessed using the Unified Parkinson＇s Disease Rating Scale,on-off phenomenon,Hoehn-Yahr grade,Scales for Outcomes in Parkinson＇s disease–Autonomic,Parkinson＇s disease sleep scale,Hamilton Anxiety Scale,Hamilton Depression Scale,Mini-Mental State Examination,and the Parkinson＇s Disease Quality of Life Questionnaire.Artificial neural networks were used to determine weights at which to scale these parameters.Our results demonstrated that Zishenpingchan granules significantly reduced the occurrence of motor complications,and were useful for mitigating dyskinesia and non-motor symptoms of Parkinson＇s disease.This combination of Chinese and Western medicine has the potential to reduce levodopa dosages,and no obvious side effects were found.These findings indicate that Zishenpingchan granules can mitigate symptoms of Parkinson＇s disease,reduce toxic side effects of dopaminergic agents,and exert synergistic and detoxifying effects.

Occult hepatitis B virus infection is not associated with disease progression of chronic hepatitis C virus infection

AIM To clarify the prevalence of occult hepatitis B virus(HBV) infection(OBI) and the association between OBI and liver disease progression, defined as development of liver cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC), worsening of Child-Pugh class, or mortality in cases of chronic hepatitis C virus(HCV) infection. METHODS This prospective cohort study enrolled 174 patients with chronic HCV infection(chronic hepatitis, n = 83; cirrhosis, n = 47; HCC, n = 44), and evaluated disease progression during a mean follow-up of 38.7 mo. OBI was defined as HBV DNA positivity in 2 or moredifferent viral genomic regions by nested polymerase chain reaction using 4 sets of primers in the S, C, P and X open reading frame of the HBV genome. RESULTS The overall OBI prevalence in chronic HCV patients at enrollment was 18.4%, with 16.9%, 25.5% and 13.6% in the chronic hepatitis C, liver cirrhosis and HCC groups, respectively(P = 0.845). During follow-up, 52 patients showed disease progression, which was independently associated with aspartate aminotransferase > 40 IU/L, Child-Pugh score and sustained virologic response(SVR), but not with OBI positivity. In 136 patients who were not in the SVR state during the study period, OBI positivity was associated with neither disease progression, nor HCC development. CONCLUSION The prevalence of OBI in chronic HCV patients was 18.4%, and OBI was not associated with disease progression in South Koreans.

Reverse time-dependent effect of alphafetoprotein and disease control on survival of patients with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage C hepatocellular carcinoma

AIM To characterize the survival of cirrhotic patients with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer(BCLC) stage C hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) and to ascertain the factors predicting the achievement of disease control(DC).METHODS The cirrhotic patients with BCLC stage C HCC evaluated by the Hepatocatt multidisciplinary group were subjected to the investigation. Demographic, clinical and tumor features, along with the best tumor response and overall survival were recorded. RESULTS One hundred and ten BCLC stage C patients were included in the analysis; the median overall survival was 13.4 mo(95%CI: 10.6-17.0). Only alphafetoprotein(AFP) serum level > 200 ng/m L and DC could independently predict survival but in a time dependent manner, the former was significantly associated with increased risk of mortality within the first 6 mo of follow-up(HR = 5.073, 95%CI: 2.159-11.916, P = 0.0002), whereas the latter showed a protective effect against death after one year(HR = 0.110, 95%CI: 0.038-0.314, P < 0.0001). Only patients showing microvascular invasion and/or extrahepatic spread recorded lower chances of achieving DC(OR = 0.263, 95%CI: 0.111-0.622, P = 0.002).CONCLUSION The BCLC stage C HCC includes a wide heterogeneous group of cirrhotic patients suitable for potentially curative treatments. The reverse and time dependent effect of AFP serum level and DC on patients' survival confers them as useful predictive tools for treatment management and clinical decisions.

Mosquito vector management with botanicals-the most effective weapons in controlling mosquito-borne diseases

Dear editor,Mosquito-borne diseases,viz.,malaria,filariasis,dengue hemorrhagic fever,chikungunya,Japanese encephalitis etc.,created huge impact on humans over the world,and the chemical insecticides remain the mainstay of effective control.But,indiscriminate and rampant use of the chemical insecticides in controlling mosquito vectors,in order to prevent diseases vectored by them,has resulted problems related to the adverse environmental effects for their(insecticides)potential toxicity,high operational cost,community acceptance,and the development of insecticide resistance among the vectors.The factors mentioned above prompted the search for new means of control strategies.Currently,the botanicals(viz.,plant extracts,essential oils and phytochemicals)with mosquitocidal potential

Methodological Issues and Applications in Economic Evaluation of Alternative Livestock Diseases Control Strategies： The Case of the CBPP Quarantine Line in North-Eastern Kenya

Contagious bovine pleuro-pneumonia （CBPP） is one of the endemic and life-threatening livestock diseases in the arid and semi-arid land areas （ASALs） of Kenya, which justify the case for the control of livestock diseases to avoid the spread of such diseases from the ASALs to the rest of the country, and a CBPP control quarantine line （CQL） that to help prevent the spread of CBPP from the ASALs of North-eastern Kenya to the rest of the country has been in existence since the colonial （pre-1963） times in Kenya. However, the livestock keepers in the ASALs view the CQL as an impediment to their main source of livelihoods because it entails livestock movement restrictions, thus constraining unfettered livestock marketing. Available literature shows that there is a dearth of information on the economics of livestock diseases control in Kenya in terms of its impacts on social welfare. Employing the CQL as a case study, this study shows that an application of analytic techniques that combine disease risk analysis and conventional cost-benefit modelling that incorporates some aspects that are specific to livestock diseases and their control strategies can generate indices of economic impacts of livestock diseases control on social welfare. The study finds that the livestock keepers and traders in Kenya do not consider CBPP a major problem to warrant livestock movement restrictions, yet the official records of the veterinary authorities indicate that CBPP is a major threat to the cattle industry in Kenya. Annually, the government spends substantial resources on the CQL operation and maintenance and also on CBPP surveillance and monitoring to contain the CBPP menace in Kenya. This study shows that such expenditures are economically and socially justifiable. Nevertheless, the study finds some operational inefficiencies in the enforcement of the CQL requirements. The authors, therefore, undertake an evaluation of alternative CBPP control strategies and conclude that it would be more cost effective to shift the CQL from its current location to the international borders of the arid districts, provided that this action is preceded by adequate CBPP control preparatory measures, as described in the paper.

Advances in Measures of Reducing Chemical Pesticides to Control Plant Diseases

In order to provide the technological support for further implementing measures of reducing chemical pesticide to control plant diseases,the research progress on non-chemical pesticide measures to control plant diseases are reviewed from the aspects of agricultural control,botanical pesticide control and microbial pesticide control,and the development prospects are proposed,including accelerating innovative research on botani-cal pesticide control such as Chinese herb extracts,and screening microbial pesticides from valuable bio-control bacteria or plant endophyte metabolites for commercial production and utilization.

Identification and Control of Main Diseases of Cotton

The main symptoms of cotton viral diseases,bacterial diseases,fungal diseases and physiological diseases are introduced,and the corresponding prevention and control techniques are put forward,in order to provide a certain basis for the improvement of cotton yield and quality.

Identification of Common Maize Diseases and Their Prevention and Control Methods

Agriculture is the basic industry of China's economic development,and maize is an important part of the agricultural economy.With the increase of global environmental warming and industrial pollution,as well as the adjustment of agricultural planting structure and the transformation of farming and cultivation methods in China,the breeding of maize varieties has been accelerated,and the planting area has increased rapidly,resulting in the condition that the occurrence of maize diseases and pests has been increasing.The damage of some minor diseases continued to increase nationwide or in local areas,and rose to major diseases,and some new diseases appeared in production,posing a threat to the safe production of maize.This paper summarized the occurrence status of important maize diseases in China,and put forward corresponding prevention and control countermeasures.

Discussion on Relationship between Meteorological Elements and Animal Husbandry Production or Animal Disease Prevention and Control

Based on knowledge of meteorology, pastoral meteorology and medical meteorology, the paper discusses relationship between various meteorological elements and animal husbandry production or animal disease prevention and control.

Control Procedures for Pests and Diseases in Protected Cultivation of Grape

Abstract According to rules in GB/T 1.1 - 2009 Directives for The Work of Standardization Unit I ： Structure and Writing of Standards, based on occurrence characteristics of major peats and diseases in protected cultivation of grape and the actual condition of production in Yancheng City of Jiangsu Province of China, the control procedures for pests and diseases in protected cultivation of grape in Yancheng City are developed in the paper.

Feeding Management and Disease Prevention and Control of Pet Guinea Pigs

Guinea pig is widely used in clinical drug experiments as a laboratory animal.Because of its small and lovely size,guinea pig is often kept as a pet by many families.However,there are few reports on the feeding management and disease prevention and control of pet guinea pigs.This article introduced the experience and technology of feeding management and disease prevention of pet guinea pigs,in order to provide a reference for the feeding management and disease prevention of pet guinea pigs.

Infectious disease control:from health security strengthening to health systems improvement at global level

Since the twenty first century,the outbreaks of global infectious diseases have caused several public health emergencies of international concern,imposing an enormous impact on population health,the economy,and social development.The COVID-19 pandemic has once again exposed deficiencies in existing global health systems,emergency management,and disease surveillance,and highlighted the importance of developing effective evaluation tools.This article outlines current challenges emerging from infectious disease control from the perspective of global health,elucidated through influenza,malaria,tuberculosis,and neglected tropical diseases.The discordance among government actors and absent data sharing platforms or tools has led to unfulfilled targets in health system resilience and a capacity gap in infectious disease response.The current situation calls for urgent action to tackle these threats of global infectious diseases with joined forces through more in-depth international cooperation and breaking governance barriers from the purview of global health.Overall,a systematic redesign should be considered to enhance the resilience of health systems,which warrants a great need to sustain capacity-building efforts in emergency preparedness and response and raises an emerging concern of data integration in the concept of One Health that aims to address shared health threats at the human-animal-environment interface.