Epidemiological analysis of blood donors from college students in Hefei city.

RATIONALE: College students represent a unique demographic group as they are adults no longer under direct parental care, yet often lack the institutional health support available to more established members of society, which can lead to their health needs being neglected, despite their substantial contributions to blood donation. The objective of this study is to shed light on the health status of college students in Hefei, with a specific focus on transfusion-transmitted diseases. Based on the detailed data analysis, the implementation of some constructive strategies will play a good warning role in improving clinical blood safety and promoting better health monitoring of this population in the future. AIMS & OBJECTIVES: The study aims to achieve two main objectives: On the one hand, to deepen our understanding of college students' participation in blood donation activities. On the other hand, to propose effective strategies for increasing youth involvement. Additionally, such research aims to afford recommendations for ensuring the safety of clinical blood supplies. Although the strategies and suggestions presented are speculative, they are grounded in the logical analysis of data and relevant theoretical frameworks. Therefore, these recommendations serve as a basis for potential future testing and implementation. METHOD: The evaluation process for blood samples at the Hefei Blood Bank involves thorough serological testing for hepatitis B and C, HIV, and Treponema pallidum using both Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) and Nucleic Acid Testing (NAT). HIV reactive samples were further confirmed using Western Blot techniques at an external specialized laboratory. To ensure accuracy, each sample was tested with reagents from two different manufacturers. Moreover, any initially reactive sample was retested with the same reagent to eliminate potential false positives. In cases of conflicting results, alternative reagent kits are utilized for further confirmatory tests. Only samples that consistently show reactive results in consecutive tests are considered positive confirmation samples. RESULTS & CONCLUSION: Upon analysis of the data set, it was found that out of the total 663,105 donors, 177,089 (26.7%) were identified as college students, with the remaining 486,016 categorized as noncollege students. Our study demonstrated a notably lower prevalence of blood-transmitted infections among college students (0.48%) in contrast to the wider donor population (1.23%), underscoring their potential as safe blood donors. To uphold this level of safety and protect public health, it is crucial to increase disease prevention awareness and advocate for responsible donation practices within this specific demographic. Strengthening confidentiality protocols and expanding education on safe sexual behaviors in university settings are vital actions to cultivate an environment that promotes informed and secure blood donation. IN TERMS OF SPECIFIC INFECTIONS: The overall group had prevalence rates of 0.44% for hepatitis B, 0.15% for hepatitis C, 0.02% for HIV, and 0.42% for Treponema pallidum. When focusing on the student cohort, the prevalence rates were 0.17% for hepatitis B, 0.04% for hepatitis C, 0.02% for HIV, and 0.23% for Treponema pallidum. Transmissibility through blood transfusion All donors (%) Students (%) Non-students (%) Any infection 1.23 0.48 1.51 HbsAg 0.44 0.17 0.54 Anti-HCV 0.15 0.04 0.19 HIV Ag/Ab 0.02 0.02 0.02 Anti-TP 0.42 0.23 0.49 Individuals with two or more infectious agents occur more than once in all categories. While it leads to numerical over-representation, such overlap is minimal and statistically insignificant.

[Influence of climate change and human activities on grassland phenology in Anhui Province]. / 安徽省气候变化和人类活动对草地物候的影响.

To explore the influence of climate change and human activities on grassland phenology in Anhui Pro-vince, and quantify the contribution rate of climate change and human activities to phenology, we extracted the phenology of grassland, including the start of growing season (SOS) and the end of growing season (EOS), based on the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) dataset of Anhui Province from 2003 to 2020. The temporal and spatial characteristics and future evolution trends of phenological changes were analyzed using slope trend ana-lysis, Mann-Kendall non-parametric test, and Hurst index. We further conducted correlation analysis and residual analysis based on the datasets of mean annual temperature and mean annual precipitation to explore the responses of phenology to climate change and human activities, and quantify their contribution rate. The results showed that SOS and EOS showed an advancing trend with a rate of 0.8 and 0.7 days per year from 2003 to 2020. SOS in the sou-thern part of the study area was significantly earlier than in the central and northern regions, while EOS gradually advanced from south to north. Both SOS and EOS in the future showed an advancing trend. SOS was negatively correlated with annual average temperature, while positively correlated with annual precipitation. EOS was negatively correlated with both annual average temperature and annual precipitation. The proportion of the area where SOS was advanced driven by both climate change and human activities was 56.9%, and the value was 48.3% for EOS. Human activities were the main driving factor for phenology, and climate change was the secondary driving factor. The relative contributions of human activities and climate change to SOS were 66.4% and 33.6%, and to EOS were 61.2% and 38.8%, respectively. Human activities had stronger impact on SOS and EOS than climate change, resulting in earlier phenology.

Habitat Suitability and Determinants for Anatidae in Multi-Watershed Composite Wetlands in Anhui, China.

Habitat suitability analysis is essential in habitat and species conservation. Anatidae are known for their migratory behaviour, high population density, and wide distribution range. Understanding their habitat utilzation and influencing factors is crucial in targeted conservation and management. In this study, we collected Anatidae diversity data, including the number of species, through field surveys from October 2021 to March 2022 and thirty habitat variables through an online database in Anhui Province, China. By using MaxEnt, we simulated the habitat suitability of twenty-one Anatidae species, revealing potential distribution sites in Anhui Province. Generalized linear mixed models (GLMM) were employed to identify factors affecting the distribution of geese and ducks. The results showed that high-suitability habitats were predominantly located in the large lakes of the Yangtze River floodplain. The GLMM analysis showed significant correlations between Anatidae richness and altitude, distribution of farmland, and human footprint. In addition, ducks were more sensitive to the human interference factor than geese. In summary, the lakes in the Yangtze River floodplain emerged as the most important Anatidae habitats in Anhui Province due to their abundant wetland resources, flat terrain, and high distribution of farmlands. These findings provide a scientific basis for the development of relevant conservation strategies and measures, aiding in wildlife epidemic monitoring, prevention, and control.

Integrative proteomic and transcriptomic analysis in the female goat ovary to explore the onset of puberty.

Puberty is considered a prerequisite for affecting reproductive performance and productivity. Little was known about molecular changes in pubertal goat ovaries. Therefore, we measured and performed a correlation analysis of the mRNA and proteins changes in the pre-pubertal and pubertal goat ovaries. The results showed that only six differentially expressed genes and differentially abundant proteins out of 18,139 genes and 7550 proteins quantified had significant correlations. CNTN2 and THBS1, discovered in the mRNA-mRNA interaction network, probably participated in pubertal and reproductive regulation by influencing GnRH receptor signals, follicular development, and ovulation. The predicted core transcription factors may either promote or inhibit the expression of reproductive genes and act synergistically to maintain normal reproductive function in animals. The interaction between PKM and TIMP3 with other proteins may impact animal puberty through energy metabolism and ovarian hormone secretion. Pathway enrichment analyses revealed that the co-associated key pathways between ovarian genes and proteins at puberty included calcium signalling pathway and olfactory transduction. These pathways were associated with gonadotropin-releasing hormone synthesis and secretion, signal transmission, and cell proliferation. In summary, these results enriched the potential molecules and signalling pathways that affect puberty and provided new insights for regulating and promoting the onset of puberty. SIGNIFICANCE: This study conducted the first transcriptomic and proteomic correlation analysis of pre-pubertal and pubertal goat ovaries and identified six significantly correlated molecules at both the gene and protein levels. Meanwhile, we were drawn to several molecules and signalling pathways that may play a regulatory role in the onset of puberty and reproduction by influencing reproductive-related gene expression, GnRH receptor signals, energy metabolism, ovarian hormone secretion, follicular development, and ovulation. This information contributed to identify potential biomarkers in pubertal goat ovaries, which was vital for predicting the onset of puberty and improving livestock performance.

Establishing and applying an adaptive framework for imported malaria: a field practice in Anhui Province, China from 2012 to 2022.

BACKGROUND: Anhui Province is currently facing an increase in imported malaria cases as a result of globalization and international travel. In response, Anhui Province has implemented a comprehensive adaptive framework to effectively address this threat. METHODS: This study collected surveillance data from 2012 to 2022 in Anhui Province. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the epidemiological characteristics of imported malaria cases. Additionally, multivariate logistic regression was employed to identify factors associated with severe malaria. Documents were reviewed to document the evolution of the adaptive framework designed to combat imported malaria. The effectiveness of the adaptive framework was evaluated based on the rates of timely medical visits, timely diagnosis, and species identification. RESULTS: During the study period, a total of 1008 imported malaria cases were reported across 77 out of 105 counties in Anhui Province, representing a coverage of 73.33%. It was found that 10.52% of imported cases went undiagnosed for more than seven days after onset. The multivariate analysis revealed several potential risk factors for severe malaria, including increasing age (OR = 1.049, 95%CI:1.015-1.083), occupation (waitperson vs. worker, OR = 2.698, 95%CI:1.054-6.906), a longer time interval between onset and the initial medical visit (OR = 1.061, 95%CI:1.011-1.114), and misdiagnosis during the first medical visit (OR = 5.167, 95%CI:2.535-10.533). Following the implementation of the adaptive framework, the rates of timely medical visits, timely diagnosis, and species identification reached 100.00%, 78.57%, and 100.00%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Anhui Province has successfully developed and implemented an adaptive framework for addressing imported malaria, focusing on robust surveillance, prompt diagnosis, and standardized treatment. The experiences gained from this initiative can serve as a valuable reference for other non-endemic areas.

[Tracking evaluation on the implementation of Survey of oncomelanid snails (WS/T 563-2017) in Sichuan and Anhui provinces].

To evaluate the implementation of Survey of oncomelanid snails (WS/T 563-2017) in schistosomiasis-endemic foci, two schistosomiasis-endemic counties were selected from two provinces of Sichuan and Anhui. Professional staff working in province-, city-, county- and township-level disease control and prevention institutions, parasitic disease control institutions or medical institutions were recruited, and the understanding, use and implementation of Survey of oncomelanid snails (WS/T 563-2017) were investigated using questionnaires and interviews. The awareness, use, proportion of propagation and implementation and correct rate of answering questions pertaining to Survey of oncomelanid snails (WS/T 563-2017) were analyzed. A total of 270 questionnaires were allocated, and 269 were recovered, including 254 valid questionnaires. The overall awareness of Survey of oncomelanid snails (WS/T 563-2017) was 84.64% (215/254), and propagation and implementation of Survey of oncomelanid snails (WS/T 563-2017) was not performed in 23.28% (17/73) of the survey institutions following implementation of Survey of oncomelanid snails (WS/T 563-2017), with meeting training and allocation of propagation materials as the main type of propagation and implementation. Among 254 respondents, 77.16% (196/254) were familiar with the standard, 66.14% (168/254) understood the conditions for use of the standard during snail surveys, and 96.85% (246/254) had the approach for identifying snails. In addition, there were 41.73% (106/254), 50.78% (129/254) and 7.48% (19/254) of respondents that considered the operability of Survey of oncomelanid snails (WS/T 563-2017) was very good, good and general, respectively. The findings demonstrate that the issue and implementation of Survey of oncomelanid snails (WS/T 563-2017) has filled the gap for the standardization of snail control techniques, and which plays an importang guiding role in the national schistosomiasis control program.

Characteristics and formation mechanism of Land use conflicts in northern Anhui: A Case study of Funan county.

The rapid development of global urbanization and industrialization not only promotes a significant improvement in the level of socio-economic development, but also exacerbates the complexity and vulnerability of regional land resource utilization, resulting in frequent land use conflicts and seriously constraining the sustainable development of regional socio-economic and ecological environment. Taking Funan County as an example, based on interpretation data of Landsat TM/ETM remote sensing image data from 1980 to 2020, this paper analyses the temporal and spatial evolution characteristics of land use conflict in Funan County from 1980 to 2020 using the ArcGIS spatial analysis method, land use conflict measurement model, geographically weighted regression and geographical detector and then deeply analyses the main factors affecting land use conflict in Funan County and its driving mechanisms. In descending order, land use types undergoing the most change include cultivated land, urban and rural construction land, grassland, forestland and water area. The results of land use change are mainly the occupation of cultivated land by construction land, water area and forestland. Overall land use conflict in Funan County is serious with approximately 80 % of land use in the county in conflict, the severe land use conflict is mostly concentrated in urban and township built-up areas, and there is an increase trend year by year. Land use conflict is the result of multiple factors. Policy, economic development, and the social population and natural environment are the key driving factors behind land use conflict, which have a significant impact on the direction, location, scale and rate of land use transfer.Accurately identifying regional land use changes and conflicts and exploring the driving mechanism behind land use conflicts are of great significance for achieving the sustainable development of regional social economies and ecological environments.

Risk assessment of nitrate groundwater contamination using GIS-based machine learning methods: A case study in the northern Anhui plain, China.

Long-term agricultural activities have affected the sustainable development of groundwater in the Northern Anhui Plain, East China. It is, therefore, important to identify areas at high groundwater pollution risk in the Northern Anhui Plain to ensure effective protection of regional water resources. In this study, 60 groundwater samples were collected from the shallow aquifer of the plain and analyzed for nitrate (NO3-) concentrations. In addition, 10 environmental and geological factors including the elevations, distances-to-rivers, slope angles, orientations of slopes, land cover types, topographic wetness index (TWI), geomorphology, lithology, soil types, and precipitation amounts in the study area were selected as input layers. The light gradient boosting machine (LightGBM) and random forest (RF) algorithms, combined with the geographic information system (GIS), were performed to generate the groundwater pollution occurrence probability maps. The descriptive statistics showed that the NO3- concentrations in the shallow groundwater ranged from 4.3 to 73.6 mg/L. Most sampling wells exhibited NO3- concentrations above the threshold of 18.3 mg/L. The prediction results of the LightGBM and RF algorithms indicated a high groundwater NO3- pollution risk in the southern part of the plain. However, the LightGBM algorithm had a better prediction performance than RF, with a higher Kappa value of 0.84. Moreover, the frequency ratio method revealed that the precipitation amounts contributed to the groundwater NO3- pollution risk in the study area by 38.14%, followed by the elevations, slope angles, TWI, land cover types, and slope aspects, with contributions of 21.4, 13.02, 8.37, 7.44, and 6.51%, respectively. In the future, sampling of additional wells and further anthropogenic factors shall be considered for the development of more effective groundwater nitrate pollution prevention strategies provided to decision makers.

A new species of forest hedgehog (Mesechinus, Erinaceidae, Eulipotyphla, Mammalia) from eastern China.

The hedgehog genus Mesechinus (Erinaceidae, Eulipotyphla) is currently comprised of four species, M.dauuricus, M.hughi, M.miodon, and M.wangi. Except for M.wangi, which is found in southwestern China, the other three species are mainly distributed in northern China and adjacent Mongolia and Russia. From 2018 to 2023, we collected seven Mesechinus specimens from Anhui and Zhejiang provinces, eastern China. Here, we evaluate the taxonomic and phylogenetic status of these specimens by integrating molecular, morphometric, and karyotypic approaches. Our results indicate that the Anhui and Zhejiang specimens are distinct from the four previously recognized species and are a new species. We formally described it here as Mesechinusorientalissp. nov. It is the only Mesechinus species occurring in eastern China and is geographically distant from all known congeners. Morphologically, the new species is most similar to M.hughi, but it is distinguishable from that species by the combination of its smaller size, shorter spines, and several cranial characteristics. Mesechinusorientalis sp. nov. is a sister to the lineage composed of M.hughi and M.wangi from which it diverged approximately 1.10 Ma.

[Molecular detection and subtyping of Blastocystis sp. in pigs in Anhui Province].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence and subtype distribution of Blastocystis sp. in pigs in Anhui Province. METHODS: A total of 500 stool samples were collected from large-scale pig farms in Bozhou, Anqing, Chuzhou, Hefei, Fuyang, and Lu'an cities in Anhui Province from October to December 2015. Blastocystis was detected in pig stool samples using a PCR assay based on the small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) gene, and positive samples were subjected to sequencing and sequence analysis. Blastocystis subtypes were characterized in the online PubMLST database, and verified using phylogenetic tree created with the neighbor-joining algorithm in the Meta software. RESULTS: The prevalence of Blastocystis infection was 43.2% (216/500) in pigs in 6 cities of Anhui Province, and all pig farms were tested positive for Blastocystis. There was a region-specific prevalence rate of Blastocystis (17.2% to 50.0%) (χ2 = 26.084, P < 0.01), and there was a significant difference in the prevalence of Blastocystis sp. among nursery pigs (39.6%), preweaned pigs (19.1%), and growing pigs (62.3%) (χ2 = 74.951, P < 0.01). Both online inquiry and phylogenetic analysis revealed ST1, ST3, and ST5 subtypes in pigs, with ST5 as the predominant subtype. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of Blastocystis sp. is high in pigs in Anhui Province, with three zoonotic subtypes identified, including ST1, ST3, and ST5.

The association between influenza vaccination and the perception of COVID-19 as well as COVID-19 vaccination behavior among community residents in Anhui province, China.

Influenza is a significant public health threat associated with high morbidity and mortality globally. This study investigated the influenza vaccination rate (IVR) among community residents in Anhui province, China, and explored the association between participants' influenza vaccination and their key sociodemographic characteristics, perception of COVID-19 as well as COVID-19 vaccination behavior. We found that the IVR among respondents in Anhui province was 27.85% in 2020. Regression analyses revealed that males (OR = 1.41, 95% CI: 1.01 ~ 1.96), residents with above middle school education (OR = 1.88, 95% CI: 1.04 ~ 3.39), considered themselves likely to be infected with COVID-19 (OR = 1.53, 95% CI: 1.04 ~ 2.24), had received the COVID-19 vaccine (OR = 9.85, 95% CI: 3.49 ~ 27.78), did not plan to receive COVID-19 vaccine in the future (OR = 1.70, 95% CI: 1.17 ~ 2.47), and had no adverse reactions after COVID-19 vaccination (OR = 1.54, 95% CI: 1.04 ~ 2.27) were associated with a higher IVR. The acceptance of influenza vaccination was mainly associated with respondents' gender, education, perception of COVID-19, history of COVID-19 vaccination in city and countryside community residents in Anhui province.

[Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the management of imported malaria in China].

OBJECTIVE: To examine the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the epidemic status of imported malaria and national malaria control program in China, so as to provide insights into post-elimination malaria surveillance. METHODS: All data pertaining to imported malaria cases were collected from Anhui Province, Hubei Province, Henan Province, Zhejiang Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region during the period from January 1, 2018 through December 31, 2021. The number of malaria cases, species of malaria parasites, country where malaria parasite were infected, diagnosis and treatment after returning to China, and response were compared before (from January 1, 2018 to January 22, 2020) and after the COVID-19 pandemic (from January 23, 2020 to December 31, 2021). RESULTS: A total of 2 054 imported malaria cases were reported in Anhui Province, Hubei Province, Henan Province, Zhejiang Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region during the period from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2021, and there were 1 722 cases and 332 cases reported before and after the COVID-19 pandemic, respectively. All cases were reported within one day after definitive diagnosis. The annual mean number of reported malaria cases reduced by 79.30% in Anhui Province, Hubei Province, Henan Province, Zhejiang Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region after the COVID-19 pandemic (171 cases) than before the pandemic (826 cases), and the number of monthly reported malaria cases significantly reduced in Anhui Province, Hubei Province, Henan Province, Zhejiang Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region since February 2020. There was a significant difference in the constituent ratio of species of malaria parasites among the imported malaria cases in Anhui Province, Hubei Province, Henan Province, Zhejiang Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region before and after the COVID-19 pandemic (χ2 = 146.70, P < 0.05), and P. falciparum malaria was predominant before the COVID-19 pandemic (72.30%), while P. ovale malaria (44.28%) was predominant after the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by P. falciparum malaria (37.65%). There was a significant difference in the constituent ratio of country where malaria parasites were infected among imported malaria cases in Anhui Province, Hubei Province, Henan Province, Zhejiang Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region before and after the COVID-19 pandemic (χ2 = 13.83, P < 0.05), and the proportion of malaria cases that acquired Plasmodium infections in western Africa reduced after the COVID-19 pandemic that before the pandemic (44.13% vs. 37.95%; χ2 = 4.34, P < 0.05), while the proportion of malaria cases that acquired Plasmodium infections in eastern Africa increased after the COVID-19 pandemic that before the pandemic (9.58% vs. 15.36%; χ2 = 9.88, P = 0.02). The proportion of completing case investigation within 3 days was significantly lower after the COVID-19 pandemic than before the pandemic (96.69% vs. 98.32%; χ2= 3.87, P < 0.05), while the proportion of finishing foci investigation and response within 7 days was significantly higher after the COVID-19 pandemic than before the pandemic (100.00% vs. 98.43%; χ2 = 3.95, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The number of imported malaria cases remarkably reduced in Anhui Province, Hubei Province, Henan Province, Zhejiang Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a decreased proportion of completing case investigations within 3 days. The sensitivity of the malaria surveillance-response system requires to be improved to prevent the risk of secondary transmission of malaria due to the sharp increase in the number of imported malaria cases following the change of the COVID-19 containment policy.

Coupling coordination and spatio-temporal evolution of land-use benefits under the dual carbon goal: A case study in Anhui, China.

According to the dual carbon goal, urban development should adhere to the principle of low-carbon sustainable development in order to reach the "carbon peak" in 2030 and "carbon neutrality" in 2060. To achieve the dual carbon goal and sustainable land resource utilization, it is necessary to seek ways to improve land-use benefits and promote the coordinated development of economic, social, and ecological benefits. Therefore, the study analysed the coupling coordination and spatio-temporal evolution of land-use benefits in Anhui province, aiming to provide a reference for improving the level of regional land-use benefits. First, we developed a land-use benefit evaluation indicator system that took into account the dual carbon goal from three perspectives: economic benefits, social benefits, and ecological benefits or economic, social, and ecological benefits. Following that, we evaluated the spatial-temporal characteristics of land-use benefits using the coupling coordination model and coupling coordination gravity model. The results showed: (1) From the time scale, the comprehensive land-use benefits showed an increasing trend from 2011 to 2020, the coordination state changed from "moderately uncoordinated" to "on the verge of uncoordinated". (2) From the perspective of spatial differences, the coupling coordination level of land-use benefits in 16 prefecture-level cities increased year by year, but no prefecture-level cities reached the coordination stage. (3) As for the spatial linkage strength of coupling coordination of land-use benefits, 16 prefecture-level cities in 2011, 2015 and 2020 presented a similar spatial linkage pattern, and the coupling coordination of prefecture-level cities in southeast Anhui province was strongly influenced by regional factors.

Groundwater pollution source identification and health risk assessment in the North Anhui Plain, eastern China: Insights from positive matrix factorization and Monte Carlo simulation.

Groundwater contaminants from natural and anthropogenic sources pose a serious threat to the ecological environment and public health. In this study, 30 groundwater samples were collected from shallow wells at a large central water source in the North Anhui Plain, eastern China. Hydrogeochemical methods, positive matrix factorization (PMF) model, and Monte Carlo simulation were used to determine the characteristics, sources, and human health risks of inorganic and organic analytes in groundwater. The groundwater was weakly alkaline with high total hardness and was dominated by HCO3-Mg·Ca, HCO3-Ca·Mg, and HCO3-Ca·Mg·Na hydrochemical facies. The concentration of naphthalene was at a safe level, while the concentrations of F-, NO3- and Mn in 16.7 %, 26.7 % and 40 % of the samples, respectively, exceeded threshold risk-based values based on Chinese groundwater quality standards. Hydrogeochemical methods revealed that water-rock interactions (including weathering of silicate minerals, dissolution of carbonates, and cation exchange), acidity, and runoff conditions control the migration and enrichment of these analytes in groundwater. The PMF model indicated that local geogenic processes, hydrogeochemical evolution, agricultural activities, and petroleum-related industrial sources were the main factors affecting groundwater quality, with contributions of 38.2 %, 33.7 %, 17.8 %, and 10.3 %, respectively. A health risk evaluation model based on Monte Carlo simulation indicated that 77.9 % of children were exposed to a total noncarcinogenic risk above safe thresholds, about 3.4 times higher than the risk to adults. The main contributor to human health risk was F- originating from geogenic processes; thus, F- was identified as a priority for control. This study demonstrates the feasibility and reliability of combining source apportionment techniques and health risk assessment to evaluate groundwater quality.

Spatiotemporal variation and influencing factors of air pollution in Anhui Province.

Anhui Province locates in the Yangtze River Delta region. The spatial difference between the north and the south is significant, and the air quality is improved over time. Studying the spatial and temporal changes of air pollution and its influencing factors for the coordinated control of air pollutants in the Yangtze River Delta region is significant. This study used the annual and monthly average data of six pollutants, PM2.5, PM10, O3, NO2, SO2, and CO, in Anhui Province and various cities from 2015 to 2021 and analyzed the spatiotemporal change characteristics using Excel and GIS software. Meanwhile, this paper used the SPSS correlation analysis method to analyze the correlation between pollutants and meteorological factors and analyzed the impact of economic development and environmental protection policies. The results are shown below. (1) The concentrations of SO2, NO2, and CO showed an overall downward trend at an interannual level. Meanwhile, the concentrations of PM10 and PM2.5 first increased slowly before 2017 and then declined, while the concentrations of O3 increased significantly before 2018 and then declined slowly. On a monthly scale, O3 presented an M-shaped change, while the other five pollutants basically presented a U-shaped change mode. The top monthly pollutants in each city followed the order of PM2.5, O3, PM10, and NO2. (2) PM2.5 and PM10 showed apparent characteristics of high concentrations in the north and low concentrations in the south in space. There were no significant differences in NO2, SO2, and CO pollution between the north and the south in space, and the differences in spatial pollution among cities were reduced significantly. (3) Five pollutants (SO2, NO2, PM10, PM2.5, and CO) except O3 were positively correlated, and the degree of correlation was correlated, strongly correlated, and above. However, five pollutants were negatively correlated with O3. The temperature had the most significant impact of negative correlation on five pollutants except for O3. The sunshine duration had the most significant impact on O3. (4) Economic growth and environmental protection policies in Anhui Province have positively affected environmental governance.

Residential surrounding greenness is associated with improved lung function in adults: a cross-sectional study in eastern China.

BACKGROUND: While benefits of greenness exposure to health have been reported, findings specific to lung function are inconsistent. The purpose of this study is to assess the correlations of greenness exposure with multiple lung function indicators based on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) monitoring database from multiple cities of Anhui province in China. METHODS: We assessed the greenness using the annual average of normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) with a distance of 1000-meter buffer around each local community or village. Three types of lung function indicators were considered, namely indicators of obstructive ventilatory dysfunction (FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC, and FEV1/FEV3); an indicator of large-airway dysfunction (PEF); indicators of small-airway dysfunction (FEF25%, FEF50%, FEF75%, MMEF, FEV3, FEV6, and FEV3/FVC). Linear mixed effects model was used to analyze associations of greenness exposure with lung function through adjusting age, sex, educational level, occupation, residence, smoking status, history of tuberculosis, family history of lung disease, indoor air pollution, occupational exposure, PM2.5, and body mass index. RESULTS: A total of 2768 participants were recruited for the investigations. An interquartile range (IQR) increase in NDVI was associated with better FVC (153.33mL, 95%CI: 44.07mL, 262.59mL), FEV1 (109.09mL, 95%CI: 30.31mL, 187.88mL), FEV3 (138.04mL, 95%CI: 39.43mL, 236.65mL), FEV6 (145.42mL, 95%CI: 42.36mL, 248.47mL). However, there were no significant associations with PEF, FEF25%, FEF50%, FEF75%, MMEF, FEV1/FVC, FEV1/FEV6, FEV3/FVC. The stratified analysis displayed that an IQR increase in NDVI was related with improved lung function in less than 60 years, females, urban populations, nonsmokers, areas with medium concentrations of PM2.5 and individuals with BMI of less than 28 kg/m2. Sensitivity analyses based on another greenness indice (enhanced vegetation index, EVI) and annual maximum of NDVI remained consistent with the main analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings supported that exposure to greenness was strongly related with improved lung function.

Connection number based model for coordination development evaluation of regional water resources, social economy and ecological environment complex system.

The development of social economy often requires a large consumption of water resources, and will also discharge a large amount of pollutants to the environment. Currently, the rapid development of regional water resources, social economy and ecological environment (WSE) complex system encounters significant challenges, and the coordination development of WSE complex system becomes important and necessary condition of regional sustainable development. Therefore, to scientifically evaluate the coordination development state of WSE system, based on the establishment of evaluation index system, the connection number and distance coordination model coupling approach for the coordination development evaluation of WSE complex system was proposed in this manuscript. The application results of the proposed method in Anhui Province, China indicate that, during 2011-2020, the coordination level of Anhui province is relatively high, and the coordination grade of most cities are in grade I or II. The coordination development degree of Anhui province presented a distinct improving trend with time, from most cities in grade IV or V in 2011 to most cities in grade II in 2020, from the worst 0.0580 in 2011 to the best 0.9200 in 2020. In terms of space, the coordinated development level of southern Anhui is higher than that of northern Anhui. Meanwhile, the coordination development status of the 16 cities in Anhui province can be divided into three patterns according to its historical variation characteristics, i.e., coordination development mode, ecological environment backward mode, and social and economic backward mode. Compared with the commonly used coordination evaluation method, the method of this paper can solve the problem of homogenization, and its calculation results are more reasonable and practical.

Genome-Wide Detection and Analysis of Copy Number Variation in Anhui Indigenous and Western Commercial Pig Breeds Using Porcine 80K SNP BeadChip.

Copy number variation (CNV) is an important class of genetic variations widely associated with the porcine genome, but little is known about the characteristics of CNVs in foreign and indigenous pig breeds. We performed a genome-wide comparison of CNVs between Anhui indigenous pig (AHIP) and Western commercial pig (WECP) breeds based on data from the Porcine 80K SNP BeadChip. After analysis using the PennCNV software, we detected 3863 and 7546 CNVs in the AHIP and WECP populations, respectively. We obtained 225 (loss: 178, gain: 47) and 379 (loss: 293, gain: 86) copy number variation regions (CNVRs) randomly distributed across the autosomes of the AHIP and WECP populations, accounting for 10.90% and 22.57% of the porcine autosomal genome, respectively. Functional enrichment analysis of genes in the CNVRs identified genes related to immunity (FOXJ1, FOXK2, MBL2, TNFRSF4, SIRT1, NCF1) and meat quality (DGAT1, NT5E) in the WECP population; these genes were a loss event in the WECP population. This study provides important information on CNV differences between foreign and indigenous pig breeds, making it possible to provide a reference for future improvement of these breeds and their production performance.

[Prevalence and risk factors of hookworm infections among vegetable growers in Anhui Province from 2018 to 2019].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence and risk factors of hookworm infections among vegetable growers in Anhui Province, so as to provide the evidence for formulating the control strategy and interventions for hookworm human infections. METHODS: A total of 1 179 vegetable growers were randomly sampled from 7 counties in Anhui province according to the natural ecological function areas in 2018 and 2019, and the basic features and risk factors of hookworm infections were collected from all subjects using a self-designed questionnaire, including living environment, vegetable planting and fertilization, type of household crops, animal feeding, hygiene and labor habits. In addition, stool samples were collected from all participants, and each stool sample was subjected to twice tests with the Kato-Katz technique. The risk factors of hookworm infections were identified among vegetable growers with the Bayesian log-binomial regression model. RESULTS: The prevalence of hookworm infection was 3.90% among the 1 179 vegetable growers. The prevalence of hookworm infection was 10.07% (15/149) among unemployed subjects, 5.32% (31/583) among farmers, and 0 among full-time vegetable growers (0/377) and subjects with other occupations (0/70), and there was a significant difference among subjects in terms of occupation (χ2=36.37, P < 0.01). Bayesian log-binomial regression analysis showed that fertilization with human feces [relative risk (RR)=18.25, 95% confidence interval (CI): (4.31, 77.17)], barefoot labor in vegetable fields [RR=2.86, 95% CI: (1.43, 5.70)], and living in plain ecological areas along the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River [RR=4.19, 95% CI: (1.19, 14.81)] were independent risk factors of hookworm infections among vegetable growers. Stratified analysis showed that fertilization with human feces, barefoot labor in vegetable fields, drinking well water or mountain spring, and living in plain ecological areas along the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River were independent risk factors of hookw, orm infection among farmers, and living in plain ecological areas along the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and growing rice were independent risk factors of hookw, orm infection among unemployed individuals. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of hookworm infection is high among vegetable growers in Anhui Province, and fertilization with human feces, barefoot labor in vegetable fields and living in plain ecological areas along the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River are risk factors of hookw, orm infections among vegetable growers.

Indoor Environmental Comfort Assessment of Traditional Folk Houses: A Case Study in Southern Anhui, China.

Due to the unique geographical location and historical culture, the traditional houses in the southern region of Anhui Province, China (South Anhui) have different indoor environments. In summer and winter, this study adopted a field survey, questionnaire survey, and statistical analysis to carry out a comprehensive field survey on Xixinan Village in South Anhui, and selected a typical traditional residence in the village to evaluate its indoor environment status. The final results show that the overall indoor environment of the traditional houses in South Anhui was awful, including the indoor thermal environment, with high temperature and humidity in summer and cold and humidity in winter. Additionally, the indoor light environment with dim light still had much room for improvement, while the indoor air quality and sound environment were relatively excellent. In addition, this study determined that the neutral temperatures of residents are 15.5 °C and 28.7 °C in winter and summer, respectively, and the comfort range of indoor light intensity is 752.6-1252.5 lx, which determines the adjustment range of indoor environmental parameters for residents' comfort needs. This paper's research methods and results provide a reference for the study of residential indoor environments in other regions with similar climatic conditions as South Anhui, and a theoretical basis for architects and engineers to enhance the indoor environment of traditional houses in this region.