[Measurement of morphological features of Oncomelania hupensis shells in Yunnan Province].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the morphological variation of Oncomelania hupensis shells in Yunnan Province, so as to provide insights into the understanding of O. hupensis genetic evolution and control. METHODS: According to the O. hupensis density, geographical location, altitude, water system and environmental type, 12 administrative villages were sampled from 10 schistosomiasis-endemic counties (districts) in 3 prefectures (cities) of Yunnan Province as snail collection sites. From December 2021 to January 2022, about 200 snails were collected from each collection site, among which thirty adult snails (6 to 7 spirals) were randomly selected from each site, and the 11 morphological indexes of snail shells were measured and subjected to cluster analysis and principal component analysis. RESULTS: Of O. hupensis snails from 12 localities of Yunnan Province, the longest shell (7.33 mm) was detected in snails from Yongle Village, Eryuan County, with the shortest (4.68 mm) in Dongyuan Village, Gucheng District, and the largest angle of apex (59.47°) was measured in snails from Caizhuang Village, Midu County, with the smallest (41.40°) in Qiandian Village, Eryuan County. The mean coefficient of variation was 9.075% among O. hupensis snails from 12 localities of Yunnan Province, with the largest coefficient of variation seen in the thickness of the labra brim (29.809%). Among O. hupensis snails from 12 localities of Yunnan Province, the mean Euclidean distance was 2.26, with the shortest Euclidean distance seen between O. hupensis snails from Qiandian Village of Eryuan County and Wuxing Village of Dali City (0.26), and the largest found between O. hupensis snails from Caizhuang Village of Midu County and Cangling Village of Chuxiong County (8.17). Cluster analysis and principal component analysis classified O. hupensis snails from 12 localities of Yunnan Province into three categories, including the O. hupensis snail samples from Caizhuang Village of Midu County, O. hupensis snail samples from Cangling Village of Chuxiong County, and O. hupensis snail samples from Qiandian Village of Eryuan County, Wuxing Village of Dali City, Yangwu Village of Yongsheng County, Xiaoqiao Village of Xiangyun County, Yongle Village of Eryuan County, Xiaocen Village of Dali City, Anding Village of Nanjian County, Dongyuan Village of Gucheng District, Lianyi Village of Heqing County, and Dianzhong Village of Weishan County. The variations in these three categories of snail samples were mainly measured in the principal component 2 related to the angle of apex and the thickness of the labra brim. CONCLUSIONS: The variations in the Euclidean distance and morphological features of shells of O. hupensis from 12 localities of Yunnan Province gradually rise with the decrease in the latitude of the collection sites. The angle of apex is an indicator for the growth of O. hupensis whorl.

[Assessment of schistosomiasis transmission risk in Nanjian County of Yunnan Province in 2019].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the schistosomiasis transmission risk in Nanjing County, so as to provide the scientific evidence for the development of the schistosomiasis control strategy and consolidation of the control achievements. METHODS: On May 2019, the Deqiu Village in Deqiu Town and Baiyun Village in Nanjing Town of Yunnan Province, where schistosomiasis were historically relatively highly endemic, were selected to assess the risk of transmission of schistosomiasis by means of a retrospective review of the data pertaining to the historical endemic situation and schistosomiasis control, combined with a cross-sectional survey of snail and wild feces distribution. RESULTS: During the period between 2017 and 2018, the mean sero-prevalence rates of Schistosoma japonicum infections were 6.76% (202/2 990) and 2.86% (142/4 971) in humans and 0 (0/1 160) and 10.65% (31/291) in bovines in Deqiu and Baiyun villages of Nanjian County, respectively; however, no egg-positives were identified; in addition, there were 21.06 hm2 snail habitats found, but no S. japonicum infections were detected in snails. In 2019, there was 6.17 hm2 snail habitats detected, with 2.17% (245/11 298) occurrence of frames with snails and a 0.06 snails/0.1 m2 density of living snails; however, no positives for nucleic acid detection were seen in snails; among the 136 wild fecal samples captures from 23 settings, no S. japonicum infections were identified. CONCLUSIONS: The risk of schistosomiasis transmission remains at a low level in Nanjian County; however, the factors affecting the transmission of schistosomiasis have not been completed eliminated. The integrated schistosomiasis control strategy with an emphasis on the control of the source of S. japonicum infections requires to be reinforced to consolidate the control achievements.

Detection of non-linearity in the EEG of schizophrenic patients.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to detect non-linearity in the EEG of schizophrenia with a modified method of surrogate data. We also want to identify if dimension complexity (correlation dimension using spatial embedding) could be used as a discriminating statistic to demonstrate non-linearity in the EEG. The difference between the attractor dimension of healthy subjects and schizophrenic subjects is expected to be interpreted as reflecting some mechanisms underlying brain wave by views of non-linear dynamics analysis may reflect mechanistic differences. METHODS: EEGs were recorded with 14 electrodes in 18 healthy male subjects (average age: 26.3; range: 20--35) and 18 male schizophrenic patients (average age: 30.6; range: 24--40) during a resting eye-closed state. Neither of two groups was taking medicines. All artificial epochs in the EEG records were rejected by an experienced doctor's visual inspection. RESULTS: Testing non-linearity with modified surrogate data, we showed that correlation dimension of EEG data of schizophrenia does refuse the null hypothesis that the data were resulted from a linear dynamic system. A decrease of dimension complexity was found in the EEG of schizophrenia compared with controls. We interpreted it as the result of the psychopath's dysfunction overall brain. The surrogating procedure results in a significant increase in D(s). CONCLUSIONS: Non-linearity of the EEG in schizophrenia was proven in our study. We think the correlation dimension with spatial embedding as a good discriminating statistic for testing such non-linearity. Moreover, schizophrenic patients' EEGs were compared with controls and a lower dimension complexity was found. The results of our study indicate the possibility of using the methods of non-linear time series analysis to identify the EEGs of schizophrenic patients.

The nonlinear dynamical analysis of the EEG in schizophrenia with temporal and spatial embedding dimension.

We applied nonlinear dynamics theory to EEG analysis of schizophrenic patients and estimated the correlation dimension with both temporal embedding and spatial embedding. A higher D2 was found when using a time-delay embedding method. Especially at F7 and Fp1, a significant increase showed. We concluded that more complex activity occurred in certain lobes of schizophrenic patients. Using the spatial embedding method, a relative lower global correlation dimension was obtained. This shows that there might be a diffuse slow wave activity through a schizophrene's global cerebrum. Finally, we discuss the study from three angles of clinical semiology, spectrum analysis and neuropsychology and draw some conclusions about the relationship between the nonlinear analysis of schizophrenia EEG and clinical research. It seems that the theory of a nonlinear dynamics system is a powerful tool for EEG research and may prove useful in complementing visual analysis of EEG accompanied with other study means for brain electrical activity.