A spatiotemporal analysis of the association between carbon productivity, socioeconomics, medical resources and cardiovascular diseases in southeast rural China.

Introduction: With China's rapid industrialization and urbanization, China has been increasing its carbon productivity annually. Understanding the association between carbon productivity, socioeconomics, and medical resources with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) may help reduce CVDs burden. However, relevant studies are limited. Objectives: The study aimed to describe the temporal and spatial distribution pattern of CVDs hospitalization in southeast rural China and to explore its influencing factors. Methods: In this study, 1,925,129 hospitalization records of rural residents in southeast China with CVDs were analyzed from the New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme (NRCMS). The spatial distribution patterns were explored using Global Moran's I and Local Indicators of Spatial Association (LISA). The relationships with influencing factors were detected using both a geographically and temporally weighted regression model (GTWR) and multiscale geographically weighted regression (MGWR). Results: In southeast China, rural inpatients with CVDs increased by 95.29% from 2010 to 2016. The main groups affected were elderly and women, with essential hypertension (26.06%), cerebral infarction (17.97%), and chronic ischemic heart disease (13.81%) being the leading CVD subtypes. The results of LISA shows that central and midwestern counties, including Meilie, Sanyuan, Mingxi, Jiangle, and Shaxian, showed a high-high cluster pattern of CVDs hospitalization rates. Negative associations were observed between CVDs hospitalization rates and carbon productivity, and positive associations with per capita GDP and hospital beds in most counties (p < 0.05). The association between CVDs hospitalization rates and carbon productivity and per capita GDP was stronger in central and midwestern counties, while the relationship with hospital bed resources was stronger in northern counties. Conclusion: Rural hospitalizations for CVDs have increased dramatically, with spatial heterogeneity observed in hospitalization rates. Negative associations were found with carbon productivity, and positive associations with socioeconomic status and medical resources. Based on our findings, we recommend low-carbon development, use of carbon productivity as an environmental health metric, and rational allocation of medical resources in rural China.

Spatial patterns and the associated factors for breast cancer hospitalization in the rural population of Fujian Province, China.

BACKGROUND: Despite the known increasing incidence of breast cancer in China, evidence on the spatial pattern of hospitalization for breast cancer is scarce. This study aimed to describe the disparity of breast cancer hospitalization in the rural population of Southeast China and to explore the impacts of socioeconomic factors and heavy metal pollution in soil. METHODS: This study was conducted using the New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme (NRCMS) claims data covering 20.9 million rural residents from 73 counties in Southeast China during 2015-2016. The associations between breast cancer hospitalization and socioeconomic factors and soil heavy metal pollutants were evaluated with quasi-Poisson regression models and geographically weighted Poisson regressions (GWPR). RESULTS: The annual hospitalization rate for breast cancer was 101.40/100,000 in the studied area and the rate varied across different counties. Overall, hospitalization for breast cancer was associated with road density (ß = 0.43, P = 0.02), urbanization (ß = 0.02, P = 0.002) and soil cadmium (Cd) pollution (ß = 0.01, P = 0.02). In the GWPR model, a stronger spatial association of Cd, road density and breast cancer hospitalization was found in the northeast regions of the study area while breast cancer hospitalization was mainly related to urbanization in the western regions. CONCLUSIONS: Soil Cd pollution, road density, and urbanization were associated with breast cancer hospitalization in different regions. Findings in this study might provide valuable information for healthcare policies and intervention strategies for breast cancer.

Spatial distribution and influencing factors of thyroid cancer hospitalization rate among rural residents in Fujian Province, China from 2012 to 2016.

This study aimed to explore the spatial distribution and influencing factors of thyroid cancer hospitalization rates in Fujian Province from 2012 to 2016. Hospitalization reimbursement records for thyroid cancer were obtained from 2025 hospitals in Fujian Province from 2012 to 2016. The Moran's I method was used for spatial autocorrelation analysis and to further draw a spatial cluster map in Fujian. Geographic detectors were used to explore the effect of risk factors on spatial heterogeneity of inpatient service utilization for thyroid cancer. The study showed that there was obvious temporal and spatial heterogeneity in the utilization rate of inpatient services for thyroid cancer in Fujian Province, which were mainly concentrated in Fuzhou, with Lianjiang County as the center, and the gathering area involves 26 counties and cities. Among a variety of environmental factors, air quality index (AQI) (q = 0.481), carbon sequestration (q = 0.161), and carbon emissions (q = 0.155) were the main factors affecting the hospitalization rates. AQI and carbon emissions were generally positively correlated with hospitalization rates, and carbon sequestration was negatively correlated. After the interaction of the two factors, the interpretation of the hospitalization rate was enhanced. The obvious spatial heterogeneity will help the relevant departments to adjust measures to local conditions and allocate medical resources rationally to ease the pressure of seeking medical attention in high-demand areas.

The spatiotemporal correlation of PM2.5 concentration on esophageal cancer hospitalization rate in Fujian province of China.

This paper aimed to explore the correlation between PM2.5 concentration and hospitalization rate of esophageal cancer in Fujian province, and tried to find out the accurate lag effect between PM2.5 and hospitalization rate in 70 counties from the linear and nonlinear aspects. We extracted inpatients data of esophageal cancer from the New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme (NRCMS) database and air pollutant PM2.5 grid data published by the atmospheric composition analysis group. The study showed that the hospitalization rate of esophageal cancer presented spatial aggregation in 70 counties of Fujian province. Southeast urban agglomerations had high hospitalization rates, while central and western regions had low hospitalization rates. The study found that the spatial distribution of the hospitalization rate of esophageal cancer in 2016 was not consistent with that of the PM2.5 concentration in the same year. The concentration of PM2.5 in 2003 and 2004 had the strongest correlation with the hospitalization rate of esophageal cancer in 2016, with Pearson correlation coefficient r value of - 0.365 and Geodetector q-statistic value of 0.148 (p < 0.05). Our findings showed that there existed a 13-year lag period of air pollutant PM2.5 on the esophageal cancer hospitalization rate, which can provide helpful guidance in the early screening strategy of esophageal cancer in Fujian. The research progress of this paper will help to understand the lag period of the impact of air pollutants on the hospitalization rate of esophageal cancer, provide valuable information for the prevention and treatment strategy of esophageal cancer in Fujian province, and provide relevant experience for alike regions.

Engineering a High-Voltage Durable Cathode/Electrolyte Interface for All-Solid-State Lithium Metal Batteries via In Situ Electropolymerization.

Poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)-based polymer electrolytes have been widely studied as a result of their flexibility, excellent interface contact, and high compatibility with a lithium metal anode. Owing to the poor oxidation resistance of ethers, however, the PEO-based electrolytes are only compatible with low-voltage cathodes, which limits their energy density. Here, a high-voltage stable solid-state interface layer based on polyfluoroalkyl acrylate was constructed via in situ solvent-free bulk electropolymerization between the LiNi0.8Mn0.1Co0.1O2 (NCM811) cathode and the PEO-based solid polymer electrolyte. The electrochemical oxidation window of the as-synthesized electrolyte was therefore expanded from 4.3 V for the PEO-based matrix electrolyte to 5.1 V, and the ionic conductivity was improved to 1.02 × 10-4 S cm-1 at ambient temperature and 4.72 × 10-4 S cm-1 at 60 °C as a result of the improved Li+ migration. This fabrication process for the interface buffer layer by an in situ electrochemical process provides an innovative and universal interface engineering strategy for high-performance and high-energy-density solid-state batteries, which has not been explicitly discussed before, paving the way toward the large-scale production of the next generation of solid-state lithium batteries.

Spatial Analysis and Comparison of the Economic Burden of Common Diseases: An Investigation of 5.7 Million Rural Elderly Inpatients in Southeast China, 2010-2016.

Background: As China embraced an aging society, the burden of age-related diseases had increased dramatically. Knowledge about spatial distribution characteristics of disease burden and the influencing factors of medical expenditure is of great significance to the formulation of health policies. However, related research in rural China is still insufficient. Methods: A total of 5,744,717 records of hospitalized rural elderly in southeast China were collected from 2010 to 2016. We described the temporal trends of hospitalization medical expenditure and the prevalence of catastrophic health expenses (CHE) in the rural elderly by common diseases. Then, geographical information tools were used for visualization of geographic distribution patterns of CHE, the ordinary least squares methods (OLS) and geographically weighted regression (GWR) were employed to examine the influencing factors of medical expenditure. Results: The number of CHE hospitalizations and the total number of hospitalizations for the rural elderly people increased by 2.1 times and 2.2 times, respectively, from 2010 to 2016. Counties with a high prevalence of CHE were clustered in the eastern coastal area (Moran's I = 0.620, P < 0.001, General G < 0.001, P < 0.001). Unspecified transport accidents, cardiovascular disease, and essential hypertension were the top causes of CHE in the rural elderly. Adequate hospital beds (P < 0.05) and reasonable utilization and distribution of town-level (P < 0.001) and county-level hospitals (P < 0.001) may help reduce medical expenditures. Conclusions: In the context of an aging society, the disease burden for the elderly in rural areas should arouse more attention. These findings highlight the importance of age-related disease prevention and the rational allocation of medical resources in rural areas.

A Prelithiation Separator for Compensating the Initial Capacity Loss of Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Lithium loss during the initial charge process inevitably reduces the capacity and energy density of lithium-ion batteries. Cathode additives are favored with respect to their controllable prelithiation degree and scalable application; however, the insulating nature of their delithiation products retards electrode reaction kinetics in subsequent cycles. Herein, we propose a prelithiation separator by modifying a commercial separator with a Li2S/Co nanocomposite to compensate for the initial capacity loss. The Li2S/Co coating layer extracts active lithium ion during the charge process and shows a delithiation capacity of 993 mA h g-1. When paired with a LiFePO4|graphite full cell, the reversible capacity is increased from 112.6 to 150.3 mA h g-1, leading to a 29.5% boost in the energy density. The as-prepared pouch cell also demonstrates a stable cycling performance. The excellent electrochemical performance and the scalable production of the prelithiation separator reveal its great potential in lithium-ion battery industry application.

Polycationic Polymer Layer for Air-Stable and Dendrite-Free Li Metal Anodes in Carbonate Electrolytes.

The short cycle life and safety concerns caused by uncontrollable dendrite growth have severely hindered the commercialization of lithium metal batteries. Here, a polycationic and hydrophobic polymer protective layer fabricated by a scalable tape-casting method is developed to enable air-stable, dendrite-free, and highly efficient Li metal anodes. The polymeric cations of poly(diallyl dimethyl ammonium) (PDDA) provide an electrostatic shielding effect that unifies Li+ flux at the surface of the Li anode and promotes a homogeneous Li plating, while the bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (TFSI) anions bring hydrophobic characteristics and improve moisture stability. The accumulated TFSI anions by the polycationic film also facilitate the formation of a stable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI). Steady Li plating/stripping in the carbonate electrolyte can be achieved under a high areal capacity of 10 mAh cm-2 for 700 h with Li utilization efficiency up to 51.6%. LiNi0.8 Mn0.1 Co0.1 O2 and LiFePO4 cells using the modified anode exhibit much improved electrochemical performance compared with the bare Li counterpart. Moreover, ultrasonic imaging shows no gas generation in the modified Li/LiFePO4 pouch cell. Mechanism investigation demonstrates the stable SEI and homogeneous Li deposition derived by the polycationic layer.

Electrochemical (bio) sensors go green.

Electrochemical (bio) sensors are now widely acknowledged as a sensitive detection tool for disease diagnosis as well as the detection of numerous species of pharmaceutical, clinical, industrial, food, and environmental origin. The term 'green' demonstrates the development of electrochemical (bio) sensing platforms utilizing biodegradable and sustainable materials. Development of green sensing platforms is one of the most active areas of research minimizing the use of toxic/hazardous reagents and solvent systems, thereby further reducing the production of chemical wastes in sensor fabrication. The present review includes green electrochemical (bio) sensors which are based on firstly, green sensors comprising natural and non-hazardous materials (e.g., paper/clay/zeolites/biowastes), secondly sensors based on nanomaterials synthesized by green methods and lastly sensors constituting green solvents (e.g., ionic liquids/deep eutectic solvents). Electrochemical performances of such green sensors and their benefits such as biodegradability, non-toxicity, sustainability, low-cost, sensitive surfaces, etc. Have been discussed for quantification of various target analytes. Associated challenges, possible solutions, and opportunities towards fabricating green electrochemical sensors and biosensors have been provided in the conclusion section.

Coordination induced electron redistribution to achieve highly reversible Li-ion insertion chemistry in metal-organic frameworks.

Herein, the coordination-induced increase in the electron density of fused C6 rings in MOFs as high performance anode materials for Li+ ion batteries is described. Zn-PTCA is able to deliver a high specific capacity of 700 mA h g-1 at 50 mA g-1 and exhibits excellent cycle performance over 1100 cycles and good rate capability.

Construct an Ultrathin Bismuth Buffer for Stable Solid-State Lithium Metal Batteries.

LAGP (Li1.5Al0.5Ge0.5P3O12) is a promising solid-state electrolyte (SSE) for all solid-state lithium-ion batteries (ASS-LIBs) with its favorable lithium ionic conductivity and good performance on inhibiting lithium dendrite. However, the ultrahigh interfacial resistance between lithium metal anode and LAGP SSEs greatly hinders its application. In this work, a thin film of metallic Bi was sputtered on LAGP to improve the chemical/physical properties of the Li/SSE interface. It is found that the Bi buffer not only inhibits the unfavorable reaction between LAGP SSEs and Li metal, but also improved their compatibility. As a result, the Li/LAGP interfacial resistance was effectively reduced from 2255.6 to 92.8 Ω cm2 at 30 °C. Furthermore, a good performance solid state full cell with a LiFePO4 cathode had been demonstrated. This work provides an effective avenue to address the interfacial challenges between Li metal and LAGP SSE.