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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Spatial-temporal Evolution and Heterogeneity of Carbon Emissions at County-level in China

Huan Jing Ke Xue. 2023 Jan 8;44(1):549-559. doi: 10.13227/j.hjkx.202202137.

ABSTRACT

Counties are the key spatial units in achieving the reduction and control of carbon emissions. It is of great significance to study and reveal the spatial-temporal evolution characteristics and influencing mechanism of carbon emissions for realizing the “carbon peak and carbon neutral” goal. In this study, the spatial-temporal evolution and heterogeneity of carbon emissions at the county level in China from 2000 to 2017 were analyzed by using mathematical statistics and panel data regression modeling, and the influencing mechanism was explored. The results showed that: ① from 2000 to 2017, the annual growth rate of carbon emissions was 7.12%, which experienced the three stages of “sharp rise, slow rise, and high fluctuation” and finally stabilized at approximately 90×108 t. At the county scale, there was a significant positive spatial autocorrelation. ② The general panel regression model showed that GDP, construction land area, population, per capita GDP, and per capita deposit balance of financial institutions were significantly correlated with carbon emissions, and the former three had the strongest promoting effect on carbon emissions. ③ The goodness of fit of the geographically and temporally weighted regression model was high, and the direction and intensity of the other impact factors changed greatly in spatial-temporal characteristics, except that GDP showed a stable promoting effect globally. The results showed that carbon emission levels and main influencing factors varied among counties in China. This study revealed the heterogeneity of carbon emissions at the county level, which is helpful to optimize the spatial-temporal implementation path of the “dual carbon” target.

PMID:36635843 | DOI:10.13227/j.hjkx.202202137

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Structure and Function of Soil Fungal Community in Rotation Fallow Farmland in Alluvial Plain of Lower Yellow River

Huan Jing Ke Xue. 2023 Jan 8;44(1):482-493. doi: 10.13227/j.hjkx.202203233.

ABSTRACT

This study was conducted to clarify the structure and function of the fungal community and the microecology change characteristics of farmland soil fertility response to different fallow rotation patterns. It aimed to provide a reference for promoting farmland ecological restoration and farmland quality improvement in the alluvial plain of the lower Yellow River. Farmland soil subject to a long-term rotation fallow experiment since 2018 was studied using Illumina MiSeq high-throughput sequencing technology, and the ‘FUNGuild’ fungal function prediction tool was used to analyze differences in soil fungal community structure and function under the following four rotation fallow regimes: long fallow (LF), winter wheat and summer fallow (WF), winter fallow and summer maize (FM), and annual rotation of winter wheat and summer maize (WM). The results showed that LF (fallow lasting two years) increased the richness and diversity of fungal communities in the topsoil (0-20 cm layer), whereas WF increased the richness and diversity of fungi in the deep soil (20-40 cm layer) after winter wheat harvest. A total of 2262 OTU were obtained from all soil samples, which were divided into 14 phyla, 34 classes, 75 orders, 169 families, 309 genera, and 523 species. OTU shared by the two soil layers included 420 types (0-20 cm layer) and 253 types (20-40 cm layer), respectively. The fungal community structure of the four rotation fallow soils was similar at the phylum level, mainly including Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, and Mortierellomycota. The total abundances of the three dominant bacteria were 91.69%-96.91% (0-20 cm layer) and 91.67%-94.86% (20-40 cm layer), respectively. Principal component analysis showed that the first principal component (PC1) and the second principal component (PC2) could explain the difference in community structure by 45.56% (0-20 cm layer) and 46.20% (20-40 cm layer). Additionally, the LDA results of LEfSe (threshold was 4.0) showed that there were 64 fungal evolutionary branches in LF, FM, WF, and WM with statistically significant differences (P<0.05). According to RDA analysis, total organic carbon (TOC), total phosphorus (TP), available nitrogen (AN), and soil water content (SWC) were the main environmental factors that significantly affected fungal community in the 0-40 cm soil layer (P<0.05). The functional prediction with FUNGuild showed that the main nutrient types among different treatments in different soil layers were saprotrophic, saprotrophic-symbiotrophic, pathotrophic-saprotrophic-symbiotrophic, and pathotrophic. In LF, the nutrient type of topsoil was mainly pathotrophic-saprotrophic-symbiotrophic, whereas in deep soil, the relative abundance of pathotrophic fungi was the highest. Additionally, in the treatments with planted wheat or corn (FM, WF, and WM), saprotrophic was the main type in both soil layers. Therefore, different fallow patterns were linked to variation in the structure, diversity, and nutrient types of soil fungal communities. Based on these results, seasonal fallow practices could regulate the farmland soil micro-ecological environment of intensive planting and promote the health and harmony of farmland soil ecosystems.

PMID:36635836 | DOI:10.13227/j.hjkx.202203233

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Application of WRF Optimal Parameterization Scheme for Different Air Quality Models

Huan Jing Ke Xue. 2023 Jan 8;44(1):104-117. doi: 10.13227/j.hjkx.202203077.

ABSTRACT

Accurate meteorological fields and applicable air quality models are important ways to optimize air pollution simulations. To improve the accuracy of winter air pollution models in the Sichuan basin, we conducted a meteorological field simulation using 25 sets of parameterized scheme combinations in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model. Based on the optimal parameters, the air pollution levels were simulated using AERMOD and CALPUFF models in a local large steel plant, and the data were verified by comparing the data from four National Ambient Air Monitoring Stations (NAAMS). The results indicated that the WRF model parameters had substantial effects on the simulation of the ground wind field, high-altitude wind field, and ground humidity field. In contrast, the parameters had no significant effect on the simulation of the ground temperature field, high-altitude temperature field, and high-altitude humidity field. The combination of the SLAB land surface process scheme and Dudhia shortwave radiation scheme with four boundary layer schemes, namely YSU, ACM2, BouLac, and MRF, could well-simulate the trends of winter surface wind, temperature, and humidity fields in Sichuan basin. The simulation results were analyzed by combining the statistical parameters of high-altitude wind, temperature, and humidity. The group 1 parameter scheme was applicable to simulate the meteorological field of Dazhou. Group 13 and Group 17 parameters were applicable to simulate the meteorological fields in Chengdu during the day and night, respectively. The correlation between CALPUFF simulation and monitoring value was better than that for AERMOD. CALPUFF was more accurate than AERMOD when referring to the monitoring data from NAAMS No.3. In addition, the simulation quality of CALPUFF was slightly better than that of AERMOD with reference to data from NAAMS No.2. Using air pollutant monitoring data from NAAMS as a reference, the simulated results of CALPUFF on NOx and PM10 were improved compared to AERMOD at all four stations. Data from the Q-Q diagram indicated that the simulated results of CALPUFF on SO2, NOx, and PM10 were closer to the monitored values compared to those of AERMOD.

PMID:36635800 | DOI:10.13227/j.hjkx.202203077

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Evaluation of an open forecasting challenge to assess skill of West Nile virus neuroinvasive disease prediction

Parasit Vectors. 2023 Jan 12;16(1):11. doi: 10.1186/s13071-022-05630-y.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: West Nile virus (WNV) is the leading cause of mosquito-borne illness in the continental USA. WNV occurrence has high spatiotemporal variation, and current approaches to targeted control of the virus are limited, making forecasting a public health priority. However, little research has been done to compare strengths and weaknesses of WNV disease forecasting approaches on the national scale. We used forecasts submitted to the 2020 WNV Forecasting Challenge, an open challenge organized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to assess the status of WNV neuroinvasive disease (WNND) prediction and identify avenues for improvement.

METHODS: We performed a multi-model comparative assessment of probabilistic forecasts submitted by 15 teams for annual WNND cases in US counties for 2020 and assessed forecast accuracy, calibration, and discriminatory power. In the evaluation, we included forecasts produced by comparison models of varying complexity as benchmarks of forecast performance. We also used regression analysis to identify modeling approaches and contextual factors that were associated with forecast skill.

RESULTS: Simple models based on historical WNND cases generally scored better than more complex models and combined higher discriminatory power with better calibration of uncertainty. Forecast skill improved across updated forecast submissions submitted during the 2020 season. Among models using additional data, inclusion of climate or human demographic data was associated with higher skill, while inclusion of mosquito or land use data was associated with lower skill. We also identified population size, extreme minimum winter temperature, and interannual variation in WNND cases as county-level characteristics associated with variation in forecast skill.

CONCLUSIONS: Historical WNND cases were strong predictors of future cases with minimal increase in skill achieved by models that included other factors. Although opportunities might exist to specifically improve predictions for areas with large populations and low or high winter temperatures, areas with high case-count variability are intrinsically more difficult to predict. Also, the prediction of outbreaks, which are outliers relative to typical case numbers, remains difficult. Further improvements to prediction could be obtained with improved calibration of forecast uncertainty and access to real-time data streams (e.g. current weather and preliminary human cases).

PMID:36635782 | DOI:10.1186/s13071-022-05630-y

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Therapeutic and adverse effects of adrenaline on patients who suffer out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Eur J Med Res. 2023 Jan 12;28(1):24. doi: 10.1186/s40001-022-00974-8.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The efficacy and safety of epinephrine in patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) remains controversial. The meta-analysis was used to comprehensively appraise the influence of epinephrine in OHCA patients.

METHODS: We searched all randomized controlled and cohort studies published by PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library from the inception to August 2022 on the prognostic impact of epinephrine on patients with OHCA. Survival to discharge was the primary outcome, while the return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) and favorable neurological outcome were secondary outcomes.

RESULTS: The meta-analysis included 18 studies involving 863,952 patients. OHCA patients with adrenaline had an observably improved chance of ROSC (RR 2.81; 95% CI 2.21-3.57; P = 0.001) in randomized controlled studies, but the difference in survival to discharge (RR 1.27; 95% CI 0.58-2.78; P = 0.55) and favorable neurological outcomes (RR 1.21; 95% CI 0.90-1.62; P = 0.21) between the two groups was not statistically significant. In cohort studies, the rate of ROSC (RR 1.62; 95% CI 1.14-2.30; P = 0.007) increased significantly with the adrenaline group, while survival to discharge (RR 0.73; 95% CI 0.55-0.98; P = 0.03) and favorable cerebral function (RR 0.42; 95% CI 0.30-0.58; P = 0.001) were lower than the non-adrenaline group.

CONCLUSION: We found that both the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and cohort studies showed that adrenaline increased ROSC in OHCA patients. However, they were unable to agree on a long-term prognosis. The cohort studies showed that adrenaline had an adverse effect on the long-term prognosis of OHCA patients (discharge survival rate and good neurological prognosis), but adrenaline had no adverse effect in the RCTs. In addition to the differences in research methods, there are also some potential confounding factors in the included studies. Therefore, more high-quality studies are needed to fully confirm the effect of adrenaline on the long-term results of OHCA.

PMID:36635781 | DOI:10.1186/s40001-022-00974-8

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Feasibility of a meditation intervention for stroke survivors and informal caregivers: a randomized controlled trial

BMC Psychol. 2023 Jan 12;11(1):9. doi: 10.1186/s40359-022-01031-z.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Depressive symptoms are a significant psychological complication of stroke, impacting both survivors and informal caregivers of survivors. Randomized controlled trials are needed to determine optimal non-pharmacological strategies to prevent or ameliorate depressive symptoms in stroke survivors and their informal caregivers.

METHODS: A prospective, randomized, parallel-group, single-center, feasibility study. Participants were assigned to a 4-week meditation intervention or expressive writing control group. The intervention comprised four facilitator-led group meditation sessions, one session per week and building upon prior session(s). Descriptive statistics were used to examine the proportion of eligible individuals who enrolled, retention and adherence rates, and the proportion of questionnaires completed. Data were collected at baseline, immediately after the 4-week intervention period, and 4 and 8 weeks after the intervention period. Secondary analysis tested for changes in symptoms of depression (Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression [CES-D]), anxiety [State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Adults (STAI)], and pain (Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form) in the intervention group via paired t tests. Linear mixed models were used to compare longitudinal changes in the measures between the groups. Intervention and trial design acceptability were preliminary explored.

RESULTS: Seventy-one (77%) individuals enrolled and 26 (37%) completed the study (baseline and 8-week post-intervention visits completed). Forty-two (66%) participants completed baseline and immediate post-intervention visits. Mean questionnaire completion rate was 95%. The median meditation group session attendance rate for the intervention group was 75.0%, and the mean attendance rate was 55%. Non-significant reductions in CES-D scores were found. Paired t tests for stroke survivors indicated a significant reduction from baseline through week 8 in BPI-sf severity scores (p = 0.0270). Repeated measures analysis with linear mixed models for informal caregivers indicated a significant reduction in in STAI-Trait scores (F [3,16.2] = 3.28, p = 0.0479) and paired t test showed a significant reduction from baseline to week 4 in STAI-Trait scores (mean = – 9.1250, 95% CI [- 16.8060 to 1.4440], p = 0.0262). No between-group differences were found.

CONCLUSIONS: Future trials will require strategies to optimize retention and adherence before definitive efficacy testing of the meditation intervention.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03239132. Registration date: 03/08/2017.

PMID:36635775 | DOI:10.1186/s40359-022-01031-z

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Advancements in nanoparticle-based treatment approaches for skin cancer therapy

Mol Cancer. 2023 Jan 12;22(1):10. doi: 10.1186/s12943-022-01708-4.

ABSTRACT

Skin cancer has emerged as the fifth most commonly reported cancer in the world, causing a burden on global health and the economy. The enormously rising environmental changes, industrialization, and genetic modification have further exacerbated skin cancer statistics. Current treatment modalities such as surgery, radiotherapy, conventional chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy are facing several issues related to cost, toxicity, and bioavailability thereby leading to declined anti-skin cancer therapeutic efficacy and poor patient compliance. In the context of overcoming this limitation, several nanotechnological advancements have been witnessed so far. Among various nanomaterials, nanoparticles have endowed exorbitant advantages by acting as both therapeutic agents and drug carriers for the remarkable treatment of skin cancer. The small size and large surface area to volume ratio of nanoparticles escalate the skin tumor uptake through their leaky vasculature resulting in enhanced therapeutic efficacy. In this context, the present review provides up to date information about different types and pathology of skin cancer, followed by their current treatment modalities and associated drawbacks. Furthermore, it meticulously discusses the role of numerous inorganic, polymer, and lipid-based nanoparticles in skin cancer therapy with subsequent descriptions of their patents and clinical trials.

PMID:36635761 | DOI:10.1186/s12943-022-01708-4

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Incidence of traumatic sciatic nerve injury in patients with acetabular fractures and factors affecting recovery: a retrospective study

J Orthop Surg Res. 2023 Jan 12;18(1):35. doi: 10.1186/s13018-023-03515-z.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Reports on traumatic sciatic nerve injury associated with acetabular fracture are rare. In this study, we investigated the demographics of these injuries, their clinical characteristics, management, and factors potentially influencing neurological recovery.

METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed all patients diagnosed to have acetabular fracture at our trauma center between January 2014 and June 2021. Data on patient demographics, characteristics of sciatic nerve injury, neurological recovery, factors potentially influencing neurological recovery were analyzed.

RESULTS: Eighteen patients (bilateral in one case) met the diagnostic criteria. All these injuries involved the posterior wall or posterior column, and most patients had posterior dislocation of the hip joint. Four of the 19 sides with traumatic sciatic nerve injury involved the common peroneal nerve division and 15 involved both the common peroneal and tibial nerve divisions. Seventeen patients (18 sides) underwent intraoperative nerve exploration, which revealed abnormalities in 7 sides and no obvious abnormality in 11 sides. At the last follow-up, 10 sides (52.6%) had complete recovery and 9 (47.4%) had partial recovery; the difference was statistically significant between those with or without abnormal nerve damage during exploration (P = 0.046). Linear regression analysis showed that a nerve abnormality detected intraoperatively was a predictor of nerve recovery (P = 0.009). The mean recovery time was significantly longer for partial recovery than for complete recovery (13.78 months vs. 6.70 months; P = 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS: All the injuries in this series involved the posterior wall or posterior column, and most patients had posterior dislocation of the hip joint. Damage to the common peroneal nerve division was more severe than that to the tibial nerve division preoperatively. However, the degree of recovery of the common peroneal division was not worse than that of the tibial division. There was a relationship between the degree of neurological recovery and whether there was an abnormality at the time of intraoperative nerve exploration. Patients with partial recovery took longer to recover.

PMID:36635756 | DOI:10.1186/s13018-023-03515-z

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

The effects of continuous nursing via the WeChat platform on neonates after enterostomy: a single-centre retrospective cohort study

BMC Nurs. 2023 Jan 12;22(1):13. doi: 10.1186/s12912-023-01177-0.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Temporary enterostomy is an effective treatment for various neonatal intestinal diseases. However, family caregivers find it challenging to provide the required nursing care. Nursing management is very important for reducing parents’ anxiety and improving the patients’ quality of life. This research aimed to compare the effects of continuous nursing using the WeChat platform with traditional nursing for neonates after enterostomy.

METHODS: Neonates who underwent enterostomy from January 2014 to December 2020 in our hospital were retrospectively analysed. The patients were divided into the traditional nursing group and the continuous nursing group. The peri-stomal skin was evaluated with the DET scale. The mental status of the families was evaluated with the SAS and SDS.

RESULTS: There were 143 patients in the traditional nursing group (TG) and 165 in the continuous nursing group (CG). The mean weight was 2.7 ± 0.6 kg in TG and 2.8 ± 0.5 kg in CG. The mean age at surgery was 4.9 ± 7.3 d in TG and 4.8 ± 7.55 d in the CG. No statistically significant differences between the two groups were found in the demographic information. The continuous nursing group had an obviously lower DET score for the peri-stomal skin than the traditional nursing group (P = 0.003). Three months after discharge from the hospital, the continuous nursing group replaced 7.2 ± 1.8 ostomy bags every week, significantly less than the traditional nursing group (P = 0.002). Three months after discharge, the continuous nursing group had better SAS and SDS scores than the traditional nursing group.

CONCLUSIONS: Continuous nursing based on WeChat can effectively improve the quality of life of neonates after enterostomy. Family members can also receive proper psychological counselling to relieve their anxiety and depression.

PMID:36635754 | DOI:10.1186/s12912-023-01177-0

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Prevalence and associated factors of modern contraceptive discontinuation among sexually active married women in Nigeria

Contracept Reprod Med. 2023 Jan 13;8(1):8. doi: 10.1186/s40834-022-00205-9.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Contraceptive discontinuation for reasons other than the desire for pregnancy is associated with a high rate of unintended pregnancies leading to unsafe abortions, maternal morbidity and mortality. In Nigeria, little is known about modern contraceptive discontinuation using the calendar data.

METHODS: A cross-sectional research design from the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Surveys (NDHS) women’s dataset was used to examine the prevalence and associated factors of modern contraceptive discontinuation among sexually active married women in Nigeria. A weighted sample size of 3,353 currently sexually active married or in union women who have ever used a modern contraceptive 5 years before the survey and with complete reproductive histories and are not sterilised or declared infecund was analysed. Data were analysed and displayed using frequency tables and charts, chi-square test, and binary logistic regression model at 5% level of significance.

RESULTS: The prevalence of modern contraceptive discontinuation was 35.8% (1199) with 45.8% (549) of the women discontinuing using modern contraceptives while at risk of pregnancy. The most modern method discontinued was Injectables (25.2%) while the commonest reason for modern method discontinuation was because they wanted to become pregnant (36.1%). Associated factors of modern contraceptive discontinuation among sexually active married women in Nigeria were: marital duration (aOR = 3.0; 95%CI: 1.5-6.2), visitation to a health facility in the last 12 months before the survey (aOR = 0.6; 95%CI: 0.4-0.8), education (aOR = 2.0; 95%CI: 1.2-3.4) and region of residence (aOR = 2.7; 95%CI: 1.6-4.7).

CONCLUSION: Modern contraceptive discontinuation among the study respondents was high. Region of residence, health facility visitation and marital duration were significantly associated with modern contraceptive discontinuation. The study suggests that health care providers should address the discontinuation of contraception through counselling, particularly among women who reside in the region of high prevalence of contraceptive discontinuation, short-term users as well as strengthen the use of contraception among those who are still at risk of becoming pregnant. Governments and stakeholders should also partner with private sectors to make health care accessible to women by bring health facilities closer to them to improve facility visitation.

PMID:36635738 | DOI:10.1186/s40834-022-00205-9