Evaluation of a data-driven intelligent waste classification system for scientific management of garbage recycling in a Chinese community.

Waste classification management is effective in addressing the increasing waste output and continuous deterioration of environmental conditions. The waste classification behaviour of resident is an important basis for managers to collect and allocate resources. Traditional analysis methods, such as questionnaire, have limitations considering the complexity of individual behaviour. An intelligent waste classification system (IWCS) was applied and studied in a community for 1 year. Time-based data analysis framework was constructed to describe the residents' waste sorting behaviour and evaluate the IWCS. The results showed that residents preferred to use face recognition than other modes of identification. The ratio of waste delivery frequency was 18.34% in the morning and 81.66% in the evening, respectively. The optimal time windows of disposing wastes were from 6:55 to 9:05 in the morning and from 18:05 to 20:55 in the evening which can avoid crowding. The percentage of accuracy of waste disposal increased gradually in a year. The amount of waste disposal was largest on every Sunday. The average accuracy was more than 94% based on monthly data, but the number of participating residents decreased gradually. Therefore, the study demonstrates that IWCS is a potential platform for increasing the accuracy and efficiency of waste disposal and can promote regulations implementation.

Disaster Medicine in China: Present and Future.

Disaster can strike people in any community at any time anywhere in the world. Disasters occur with high frequency, take on multiple forms, and exert wide influence, typically causing property damage, injuries, and death. As the world's largest developing country, China incurs great costs when a disaster hits. After the Wenchuan earthquake in 2008, the Chinese government focused its attention on the construction of an emergency response system, the creation of disaster prevention and mitigation systems, and the development of a disaster medicine program. Here, we describe the current status of disaster medicine in China, focusing on the following four aspects: the Emergency Management System, Education & Training, Rescue Practices, and Research. We also discuss the future of disaster medicine in China. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2018;12:157-165).

Challenges of Treating Adenovirus Infection: Application of a Deployable Rapid-Assembly Shelter Hospital.

This article outlines the evolution of a rescue team in responding to adenovirus prevention with a deployable field hospital. The local governments mobilized a shelter hospital and a rescue team consisting of 59 members to assist with rescue and response efforts after an epidemic outbreak of adenovirus. We describe and evaluate the challenges of preparing for deployment, field hospital maintenance, treatment mode, and primary treatment methods. The field hospital established at the rescue scene consisted of a medical command vehicle, a computed tomography shelter, an X-ray shelter, a special laboratory shelter, an oxygen and electricity supply vehicle, and epidemic prevention and protection equipment. The rescue team comprised paramedics, physicians, X-ray technicians, respiratory therapists, and logistical personnel. In 22 days, more than 3000 patients with suspected adenovirus infection underwent initial examinations. All patients were properly treated, and no deaths occurred. After emergency measures were implemented, the spread of adenovirus was eventually controlled. An emergency involving infectious diseases in less-developed regions demands the rapid development of a field facility with specialized medical personnel when local hospital facilities are either unavailable or unusable. An appropriate and detailed prearranged action plan is important for infectious diseases prevention. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2018;12:109-114).

Role of CD46 Polymorphisms in the Occurrence of Disease in Young Chinese Men With Human Adenovirus Type 55 Infection.

OBJECTIVE: Human adenovirus type 55 (HAdV-55) has recently caused multiple outbreaks. This study examined polymorphisms in CD46 to determine their involvement in HAdV-55 infection. METHODS: A total of 214 study subjects infected with HAdV-55 were included in our study. The study subjects were divided into those with silent infections (n=91), minor infections (n=85), and severe infections (n=38). Ten single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from CD46 were examined. RESULTS: Compared with the AA genotype, the TT genotype at rs2724385 (CD46, A/T) was associated with a protective effect against disease occurrence, with an odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of 0.20 (0.04-0.97) (P=0.038). There were no significant differences between the patients with minor and severe infection and those who had silent HAdV-55 infection in the other CD46 SNPs. We next compared the polymorphisms of these genes according to disease severity in HAdV-55-infected patients with clinical symptoms. The results showed that there were no significant differences between minor infections and severe infections. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggested that the CD46 SNP at rs2724385 is associated with the occurrence of disease in HAdV-55-infected patients. A much larger number of samples is required to understand the role of CD46 polymorphisms in the occurrence and progression of infection by HAdV-55. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2018;12:427-430).

Effects of hypothyroidism on expression of CRMP2B and ARPC5 during development of the rat frontal cortex.

Congenital hypothyroidism (CH) can lead to irreversible central nervous system (CNS) damage. However, the pathogenesis of the developmental brain disorders caused by CH has not been completely elucidated. ARPC5 and CRMP2 are closely associated with neurite outgrowth in brain development. Thus, the aim of the present study was to determine whether CRMP2B and ARPC5 expression is altered in the developing cerebral cortex of rats with CH. Control rats and rats with hypothyroidism were sacrificed at birth and at 15 days postpartum. We performed qRT-PCR to detect differences in the crmp2B and arpc5 mRNA expression in the right half of the frontal cortex of these rats. Western blotting was then used to detect differences in CRMP2B and ARPC5 protein expression. Furthermore, immunohistochemical analysis was performed on the left half of the frontal cortex to detect abnormal localization of CRMP2B and ARPC5. Results showed increased expression of the nuclear short isoform of CRMP2B and decreased expression of full-length CRMP2B and ARPC5 in cortical neurons of rats with hypothyroidism. These findings demonstrate that reduced levels of thyroid hormones can inhibit the expression of full-length CRMP2B and ARPC5 and promote nuclear transformation of the short isoform of CRMP2B. CRMP2B and ARPC5 may participate in CNS injury mediated by hypothyroidism by inducing neurite outgrowth inhibition and cytoskeletal protein disorganization.

[Proteomic changes in cerebral cortex of neonatal rats with experimental congenital hypothyroidism].

OBJECTIVE: To screen differentially expressed brain proteins with proteomic method in cerebral cortex of neonatal rats with congenital hypothyroidism. METHOD: From the 13th day of gestation, pregnant Wistar rats from the experimental group were given intragastrically with 2.5 ml of 1% propylthiouracil daily. Cerebral cortex specimens were collected from the control and hypothyroidism neonatal rats. Two-directional electrophoresis (2-DE) was applied to analyze protein expression diversities between the euthyroid and hypothyroidism neonatal rat cerebral cortex. Protein spots with significantly different expression were screened and identified by mass spectrometry. Radioimmunoassay (RIA) was used to analyze serum FT(3), FT(4) levels of each groups. RESULT: The body weight of hypothyroid neonatal rats were lower than those in the corresponding control group (t = -8.07, P < 0.01). The FT(3) levels of hypothyroid neonatal rats were lower than those in the corresponding control group (t = 5.39, P < 0.01). The FT(4) levels of hypothyroid neonatal rats were lower than those in the corresponding control group (t = 7.62, P < 0.01). Stable 2-DE maps of normal and CH neonatal rat were constantly obtained. The maps were analyzed by software. Seven protein spots with high reproducibility, high resolution and significantly different expression were chosen and identified by mass spectrometry, including collapsing response mediator protein 2, actin related protein 2/3 complex subunit 5, ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2-25K, ATP synthase subunit d, Cu-Zn superoxide dismutase, synuclein alpha, and nucleoside diphosphate kinase. CONCLUSION: The value of this research is demonstrated here by the identification of several proteins known to be associated with nerve synapse structures formation, cell survival, metabolism, cell signal transduction, neural differentiation and nerve growth in the central nervous system. Furthermore this study identified several proteins except for collapsing response mediator protein 2 and Cu-Zn superoxide dismutase that have not previously been described in the literature and which may play an important role as either sensitive biomarkers of brain dysfunction caused by congenital hypothyroidism. In congenital hypothyroidism, brain development retardation may be related with some important processes, including abnormal synaptic formation, excess ROS production and apoptosis. The above-mentioned proteins may play critical roles in the processes, which provide valuable clues to clarify the pathogenesis of brain developmental disorders induced by congenital hypothyroidism.