Willingness to Pay for Measures of Managing the Health Effects of Heat Wave in Beijing, China: a Cross-sectional Survey / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>There are evidences that heat wave events cause deaths and emergency cases. This article used the contingent valuation method to find the willingness to pay for the protective measures and investigated the factors that influence the willingness to pay.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A cross-sectional face-to-face household survey was completed by 637 urban long-term residents and 591 rural long-term residents aged 15-79 in Beijing, China. Binary logistic regression was used to identify factors that influenced the payment rate or payment amount for the protective measures, including independent variables for district, gender, age, education, income, air conditioner ownership, heat wave experience, and chronic non-communicable disease.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The payment rate was 41.1% for protective measures provided by the government and 39.5% by measures provided by the market. Most of the respondents were willing to pay 40 CNY per capita annually for measures provided by the government or the market. The factors influencing willingness to pay were district, gender, income, air conditioner ownership, heat wave experience, and chronic non-communicable disease..</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Protective measures for heat waves need to be provided immediately. More attention should be paid to the situation of vulnerable groups, such as people who live in urban areas, those without air conditioning, and those who have experienced a heat wave in the past.</p>

Personal protective and healthcare seeking behaviors urban residents before and during an influenza pandemic in Beijing / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective To provide evidence-based recommendations to the government on strategies for reducing the impact of the imminent influenza pandemic, we conducted a survey on the personal protective and healthcare seeking behaviors of Beijing residents in the wake of the worldwide epidemic of the novel 2009 H1N1 influenza virus, and potential changes in these behaviors during a full-blown pandemic. Methods We used a two-stage Mitofsky-Waksberg telephone survey to collect information for Beijing residents ≥ 18 years of age and weighted the sample by the census estimate of Beijing population for 2008. A structured questionnaire was used to collect information about the respondents' knowledge regarding the novel influenza virus, current personal protective and healthcare seeking behaviors during a full-blown influenza pandemic. Results 286 Beijing urban residents were interviewed during May 15 to 18 (response rate: 62%). 77%(95%CI: 71%-82%) of the residents that they would cover their sneezes at home, and 93%(95%CI: 89%-96%) would do so in a public place. Of the residents would cover their sneezes at home, 66% (95%CI: 57%-74%) would covered their sneezes by hand, 33% (95%CI:25%-42%) by facial tissue, and only 0.4% (95%CI: 0.1%-2.9%) by sleeves. Similarly, of the residents would cover their sneezes at a public place, 64% (95%CI: 56%-71%) would cover their sneezes by hand, 33%(95%CI: 26%-41%) by facial tissue and 0% by sleeves. 46% (95% CI: 32%-59%) of the residents would wash their hands after covering their sneezes with hand in public places, and 77% (95%CI: 64%-89%) would do so at home. Higher percentages of residents would wear a mask (63%, 95% CI: 56%-70%) and get vaccinated (43%, 95% CI: 37%-50%) during a pandemic than under currently situation (3.5%, 95% CI: 1.7%-7.0% for wearing a mask; 13%, 95% CI: 9.8%-18% for getting vaccinated). 86% (95% CI: 81%-89%) of the residents would visit a doctor for an influenza-like illness during a pandemic, similar to the percentage currently seen (76%, 95%CI: 70%-81%). 71%(95%CI: 63%-78%) of the residents would visit a doctor for influenza-like illness and would choose a tertiary medical center; with percentage (74% , 95% CI: 66%-80%) similar to the one during a pandemic. Conclusion Beijing residents need to be aware of the proper ways to cover their noses when sneezing (especially using their sleeves more), and to wash their hands. An effective plan to triage patients should be immediately established to efficiently utilize the limited healthcare resources, which would likely be further strained during a pandemic.

Preparation of seeding type immobilized microorganisms and their degradation characteristics on Di-n-butyl phthalate / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the preparation of seeding type immobilized microorganisms and their degradation characteristics on di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Diatomite, clinoptilolite, silk zeolite, and coal fly ash were chosen as reserved materials and modified. Their adsorption capacity and intensity in the bacteria were determined and the best carrier was picked out. The seeding type immobilized microorganisms were prepared by the best carrier and then it degraded DBP under different primary concentration, vibration rate, pH, temperature in the presence of metal compounds.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The adsorption capacity of the modified coal fly ash, silk zeolite, clinoptilolite and zeolite was 44.2%, 71.6%, 84.0%, and 94.4%, respectively, which was 1.66, 1.49, 1.37, and 1.16 times as high as that of their natural state. Their adsorption intensity was 72.1%, 90.5%, 90.1%, and 91.1% in turn. The modified diatomite was selected to prepare the seeding type immobilized microorganisms. When the primary DBP concentration was 100 to 500 mg/L, the DBP-degraded rate of the immobilized microorganisms could be above 80%. The degradation activity of both the dissociative and immobilized microorganisms was higher in vibration than in stillness. When pH was 6.0 to 9.0, the DBP-degraded rate of the immobilized microorganisms was above 82%, which was higher than the dissociative microorganisms. When the temperature was between 20 degrees C and 40 degrees C, the DBP-degraded rate could reach 84.5% in 24 h. The metal compounds could inhibit the degradation activity of both the dissociative and immobilized microorganisms. The degradation process of the immobilized microorganisms could be described by the first-order model.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The adsorption capacity of the diatomite, clinoptilolite, silk zeolite and coal fly ash on DBP-degrading bacteria can be improved obviously after they are modified. The modified diatomite is best in terms of its adsorption capacity and intensity. Its seeding type immobilized microorganisms could degrade DBP effectively and is more adaptable to DBP load, temperature, pH than the dissociative microorganisms. The metal compounds could inhibit the activity of both the immobilized and dissociative microorganisms. The degradation reaction of the immobilized microorganisms on DBP is consistent with the first-order model.</p>

Level of vitamin K-dependent coagulation factors in premature infants and the influence of maternal antenatal administration of vitamin K1 on their activity / 中华儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>Infants less than 35 weeks of gestational age are susceptible to peri-/intraventricular hemorrhage (PIVH). This may be due in part to low concentrations of vitamin K-dependent coagulation factors. This study was conducted to determine the umbilical cord blood activities of vitamin K-dependent coagulation factors II, VII, IX and X in premature infants to understand whether preterm infants have absence status of these factors the changes of theses factors' activities in premature infants' umbilical blood after vitamin K(1) was given to mothers antenatally and the preventing effectiveness of PIVH after maternal antenatal supplement of vitamin K(1).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Pregnant women in preterm labor at less than 35 weeks of gestational age were randomly selected to receive antenatal vitamin K(1) intramuscular or intravenous injections 10 mg per day for 2 to 7 days (vitamin K(1) group), or no vitamin K(1) treatment (control group). Dexamethone was antenatally given to both groups of pregnant women routinely. Vitamin K(1) group had 44 infants and the control group had 133 infants. During the same period, thirty full-term neonates' cord blood samples were obtained to determine theses factors to compare with those from the premature infants. The cranial ultrasound was performed by a same physician to understand whether the neonates were complicated with PIVH and its severity.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The levels of vitamin K-dependent coagulation factors in umbilical blood in control group were significantly lower than those in full-term infants' cord blood (P < 0.05). However, in vitamin K(1) group, supplement of vitamin K(1) antenatally could significantly increase activities of factors II, VII and X in preterm infants' cord blood (P < 0.05). The total occurrence rates of PIVH in vitamin K(1) group and control group were 31.8% and 52.6%, respectively, (P = 0.017), and the frequency of severe PIVH in vitamin K(1) group and control group was 2.3% and 12.0%, respectively (P = 0.057).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Preterm infants have absence status of vitamin K-dependent coagulation factors. Administration of vitamin K(1) to pregnant women at less than 35 weeks of gestational age resulted in significantly improved activities of vitamin K-dependent coagulation factors II, VII, and X, and a significantly decreased frequency of PIVH and less severe hemorrhage in preterm infants.</p>