Reducing privacy risks of China's healthcare big data through the policy framework.

While healthcare big data brings great opportunities and convenience to the healthcare industry, it also inevitably raises the issue of privacy leakage. Nowadays, the whole world is facing the security threat of healthcare big data, for which a sound policy framework can help reduce privacy risks of healthcare big data. In recent years, the Chinese government and industry self-regulatory organizations have issued a series of policy documents to reduce privacy risks of healthcare big data. However, China's policy framework suffers from the drawbacks of the mismatched operational model, the inappropriate operational method, and the poorly actionable operational content. Based on the experiences of the European Union, Australia, the United States, and other extra-territorial regions, strategies are proposed for China to amend the operational model of the policy framework, improve the operational method of the policy framework, and enhance the operability of the operational content of the policy framework. This study enriches the research on China's policy framework to reduce privacy risks of healthcare big data and provides some inspiration for other countries.

A historical review of hybrid rice breeding.

The development of germplasm resources and advances in breeding methods have led to steady increases in yield and quality of rice (Oryza sativa L.). Three milestones in the recent history of rice breeding have contributed to these increases: dwarf rice breeding, hybrid rice breeding, and super rice breeding. On the 50th anniversary of the success of three-line hybrid rice, we highlight important scientific discoveries in rice breeding that were made by Chinese scientists and summarize the broader history of the field. We discuss the strategies that could be used in the future to optimize rice breeding further in the hope that China will continue to play a leading role in international rice breeding.

Effects of Policy Intervention on Food System Resilience to Emergency Risk Shock: Experience from China during COVID-19 Pandemic.

Achieving the goal of zero hunger within the goal of sustainable development requires improving the resilience of food systems to various types of risk shocks; food systems have shown significant vulnerability to COVID-19 outbreaks and transmission. By analyzing the impact of China's lockdown policy and food security emergency policy in 2020 on food prices during the COVID-19 pandemic, we can clarify the role of policy intervention in enhancing the resilience of the food system, which can provide guidance, using China's experience, for dealing with global food safety emergencies in the future. Firstly, we selected Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong as food-consuming areas, and Shandong, Henan, and Hubei as food-producing areas. We also collected food security emergency policy data from the Chinese government website during the COVID-19 pandemic. Secondly, a difference-in-difference method was used to observe that Chinese cabbage and pork prices in the main food-producing areas and food-consuming areas rose more obviously after the adoption of lockdown policy, and Chinese cabbage and pork prices in the food-consuming areas increased more obviously than those in food-producing areas. However, staple food prices have not risen significantly. Thirdly, the response of four kinds of food prices to the food security emergency policy is analyzed quantitatively and graphically using the food price volatility index and food price increase rate; we observed that the response of food prices to the food security emergency policy is related to the food types and regions. For food types, the fluctuation degree and increase in Chinese cabbage and pork prices decreased significantly after the adoption of the food security emergency policy. For regions, when the food security emergency policy was adopted, the food prices in the main food-consuming areas fluctuated more obviously than those in food-producing areas. Finally, we found that the implementation of the transport policy and the joint supply emergency policy in the main producing and consuming areas has played a very significant and positive role in stabilizing food prices.

Effect of Health Education on Schistosomiasis Control Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice after Schistosomiasis Blocking: Results of a Longitudinal Observational Study in the Field.

OBJECTIVES: Schistosomiasis is a zoonotic infectious disease that seriously harms people's physical and mental health. As early as 1985, the WHO suggested that health education and health promotion should be the focus of schistosomiasis prevention work. This study aimed to explore the effect of health education on controlling the risk of schistosomiasis transmission after schistosomiasis blocking and to provide a scientific basis for the further improvement of intervention strategies after schistosomiasis interruption in China and other endemic countries. METHODS: In Jiangling County, Hubei Province, China, one severe, one moderate, and one mildly endemic village were selected as the intervention group; two severe, two moderate, and two mildly endemic villages were selected as the control group. In towns with different epidemic types, a primary school was randomly selected for intervention. In September 2020, a baseline survey was carried out through a questionnaire survey to understand the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of adults and students concerning schistosomiasis control. Next, two rounds of health education interventions for schistosomiasis control were carried out. The evaluation survey was conducted in September 2021 and the follow-up survey conducted in September 2022. RESULTS: Compared with the baseline survey, the qualified rate of the KAP on schistosomiasis prevention of the control group in the follow-up survey increased from 79.1% (584/738) to 81.0% (493/609) (p > 0.05); in the intervention group, the qualified rate of the KAP on schistosomiasis control increased from 74.9% (286/382) to 88.1% (260/295) (p < 0.001). In the baseline survey, the qualified rate of the KAP of the intervention group was lower than that of the control group, and in the follow-up survey, the qualified rate of the KAP of the intervention group was 7.2% higher than that of the control group (p < 0.05). Compared with the baseline survey, the accuracy rates of the KAP of the intervention group's adults were higher than those of the control group, with statistical significance (p < 0.001). Compared with the baseline survey, the qualified rate of the students' KAP in the follow-up survey increased from 83.8% (253/302) to 97.8% (304/311) (p < 0.001). In the follow-up survey, the accuracy rate of the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of the students was significantly different from the baseline accuracy (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: a health education-led risk control model of schistosomiasis can significantly improve schistosomiasis control knowledge among adults and students, establishing correct attitudes and leading to the development of correct hygiene habits.

The Inhibition and Equilibrium of Policy Effectiveness of the Low-Carbon Economy: Evidence from Liaoning Province of China.

Excessive emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases have seriously affected the ecological environment, public health, and the normal operation of the social economy, and the development of the low-carbon economy has become an international consensus. The policy norms are one of the important factors affecting the development of the low-carbon economy; however, the implementation of low-carbon economic policy in many countries has been inhibited. This study chose Liaoning Province of China for the case study, and the policy system, the policy tools, the administrative system, the low-carbon technology, and the low-carbon concept are found to be factors that led to the inhibition of the policy effectiveness of the low-carbon economy in Liaoning Province. We applied the modified Schweller Neoclassical Realist Theory to establish a multi-factor linkage model to demonstrate the overall relationship among various variables. The results show that the equilibrium of policy effectiveness of the low-carbon economy in Liaoning Province depends on different permutations of variables. We also discussed the problems of the policy system, the policy tools, the administrative system, the low-carbon technology, and the low-carbon concept that lead to policy effectiveness inhibition, and used the economic method to set a special mathematical model for maximizing the equilibrium of policy effectiveness of the low-carbon economy in Liaoning Province. In response to the problems of the above factors, strategies to promote the development of the low-carbon economy in Liaoning Province are proposed. This study enriches the research on the policy effectiveness of the low-carbon economy in China and provides some inspiration for the goal of carbon neutrality and other developing countries with high carbon emissions.

Effect evaluation of non-pharmaceutical interventions taken in China to contain the COVID-19 epidemic based on the susceptible-exposed-infected-recovered model.

This paper takes confirmed cases of COVID-19 from January 20 to March 18, 2020 as the sample set to establish the susceptible-exposed-infected-recovered (SEIR) model. By evaluating effects of different non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs), the research expects to provide references to other countries for formulating corresponding policies. This article divides all non-pharmaceutical interventions into three types according to their different roles. The results show that type-A and type-B non-pharmaceutical interventions both can delay the timing of large-scale infections of the susceptible population, timing of the number of exposed individuals to peak, and timing of peaking of the number of infected cases, as well as decrease the peak number of exposed cases. Moreover, type-B non-pharmaceutical interventions have more significant effects on susceptible and exposed populations. Type-C non-pharmaceutical interventions for improving the recovery rate of patients are able to effectively reduce the peak number of patients, greatly decrease the slope of the curve for the number of infected cases, substantially improve the recovery rate, and lower the mortality rate; however, these non-pharmaceutical interventions do not greatly delay the timing of the number of infected cases to peak. And based on the above analysis, we proposed some suggestions.

A Study on the Competence Characteristics of Psychological Hotline Counselors During the Outbreak of COVID-19.

Introduction: After the outbreak of COVID-19, psychological hotlines functioned as a main channel of psychological assistance and required a large number of professionals to provide services. These hotlines mostly offered a single-use service with short session times and allowed callers to retain anonymity. They functioned as a psychological counseling service for stress experienced in the COVID-19 public health emergency. Hotline psychological counselors must meet special competency requirements. The selection and evaluation tools for recruiting hotline counselors need to be developed. Materials and Methods: The initial scale of competence for psychological hotline counselors was formed by expert evaluation based on theoretical constructs and by using the Delphi method. A link to the questionnaire was sent to a WeChat group of counselors from 36 major psychological hotlines in China in two stages. The questionnaire consisted of questions to elicit basic demographic information and the initial competence scale. In the first phase, 343 valid samples were used to perform exploratory factor analysis. In the second phase, 334 valid samples were used to perform confirmatory factor analysis. The status of the competence of psychological hotline counselors was also analyzed. Results: The factor structure of the Psychological Hotline Counselor Competence Scale was verified and defined in terms of skills, attitude, and knowledge. The results of exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis showed that the scale has good reliability and validity (χ2/df = 1.758, GFI = 0.86, RMSEA = 0.05, CFI = 0.96, NFI = 0.91, NNFI = 0.95). The McDonald's omega for each factor was calculated (ωF 1 = 0.927, 95%CI [0.914, 0.940]; ωF 2 = 0.958, 95%CI [0.951, 0.965]; ωF 3 = 0.954, 95%CI [0.945, 0.961]). Meanwhile, it was found that the psychological hotline counselors' self-assessed competence had a high average score (n = 334). Conclusion: The Competence Scale for Psychological Hotline Counselors for Major Public Emergencies developed in this study has good reliability and validity, and can be a reliable tool for organizing psychological assistance and screening hotline psychological counselors during public emergencies in the future.

Management of and Revitalization Strategy for Megacities Under Major Public Health Emergencies: A Case Study of Wuhan.

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in late 2019 has meant an uphill battle for city management. However, due to deficiencies in facilities and management experience, many megacities are less resilient when faced with such major public health events. Therefore, we chose Wuhan for a case study to examine five essential modules of urban management relevant to addressing the pandemic: (1) the medical and health system, (2) lifeline engineering and infrastructure, (3) community and urban management, (4) urban ecology and (5) economic development. The experience and deficiencies of each module in fighting the pandemic are analyzed, and strategies for revitalization and sustainable development in the future are proposed. The results show that in response to large-scale public health events, a comprehensive and coordinated medical system and good urban ecology can prevent the rapid spread of the epidemic. Additionally, good infrastructure and community management can maintain the operation of the city under the pandemic, and appropriate support policies are conducive to the recovery and development of the urban economy. These precedents provide insights and can serve as a reference for how to change the course of the pandemic in megacities that are still at risk, and they provide experience for responding to other pandemics.

From SARS to COVID-19: What lessons have we learned?

After the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in November 2002, coronaviruses (CoVs) received worldwide attention. On December 1, 2019, the first case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), was reported in Wuhan, China, and CoVs returned to public view. On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that the COVID-19 epidemic is a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC), and on March 11, 2020, the WHO classified COVID-19 as a pandemic disease. As of July 31, 2020, COVID-19 has affected 216 countries and regions, with 17,064,064 confirmed cases and 668,073 deaths, and the number of new cases has been increasing daily. Additionally, on March 19, 2020, there were no new confirmed cases in China, providing hope and valuable experience for the international community. In this review, we systematically compare COVID-19 and SARS in terms of epidemiology, pathogenesis and clinical characteristics and discuss the current treatment approaches, scientific advancements and Chinese experience in fighting the epidemic to combat the novel coronavirus pandemic. We also discuss the lessons that we have learned from COVID-19 and SARS.

CAR-T cells: the Chinese experience.

INTRODUCTION: Chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cells are harnessed to identify and lyse malignant cells specifically, efficiently, and independently of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). As a result, prognoses of relapsed or refractory (R/R) B cell hematological malignancies as well as limited types of solid tumors, have been ameliorated to a great extent. In China, a rising number of clinical trials that contribute to the development of novel CAR-T therapeutic strategies have been conducted on an extensive scale. AREAS COVERED: We summarize registered clinical trials related to CAR-T therapy conducted in China by evaluating various parameters such as distribution, study phase, CAR structure, target antigen, and disease. The efficacy, toxicity, and, more importantly, the new strategies for optimization of CAR-T therapy of Chinese studies and clinical trials are elaborated in detail. EXPERT OPINION: In terms of the number of CAR-T clinical trials, China is second to the USA, registering approximately 33% of trials worldwide. China's extensive explorations and breakthroughs in the search of novel target antigens, optimization of CAR structure, cocktail CAR-T therapy, combination therapy, and extension of CAR-T cell applications, imply that we are currently on the verge of a revolution in CAR-T therapy.

Linking key intervention timings to rapid declining effective reproduction number to quantify lessons against COVID-19.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is currently under a global pandemic trend. The efficiency of containment measures and epidemic tendency of typical countries should be assessed. In this study, the efficiency of prevention and control measures in China, Italy, Iran, South Korea, and Japan was assessed, and the COVID-19 epidemic tendency among these countries was compared. Results showed that the effective reproduction number(Re) in Wuhan, China increased almost exponentially, reaching a maximum of 3.98 before a lockdown and rapidly decreased to below 1 due to containment and mitigation strategies of the Chinese government. The Re in Italy declined at a slower pace than that in China after the implementation of prevention and control measures. The Re in Iran showed a certain decline after the establishment of a national epidemic control command, and an evident stationary phase occurred because the best window period for the prevention and control of the epidemic was missed. The epidemic in Japan and South Korea reoccurred several times with the Re fluctuating greatly. The epidemic has hardly rebounded in China due to the implementation of prevention and control strategies and the effective enforcement of policies. Other countries suffering from the epidemic could learn from the Chinese experience in containing COVID-19.

Chinese Guidelines related to Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia

China has managed to control the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) with confinement measurements and treatment strategies, while other countries are struggling to contain the spread. This study discussesthe guidelines related to COVID-19 in China in order to provide important references for other countries in the fight against COVID-19. Chinese guidelines relevant to COVID-19 were systematically searched via the China National Knowledge Infrastructure database, YiMaiTong database, and World Health Organization (WHO) COVID-19 database on March 20th , 2020. Guideline information was extracted, including date of publication, source, objectives and the target population. Guidelines specific to the pharmacological treatment of COVID-19 were further investigated to identify the types of antivirus drugs recommended and to report on how treatment recommendations for COVID-19 have evolvedovertime. A total of 114 guidelines were identified, of which 87 were national guidelines and 27 were regional guidelines. The scope of included guidelines consisted of: the diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19, the management of hospital departments and specific diseases during the outbreak of COVID-19. Sixty-four of theincluded guidelines targeted all COVID-19 patients, whilethe remainingguidelines concentrated onspecialpatientpopulations (i.e., geriatric population, pediatric population, and pregnant population) or patients with coexistingdiseases. Twenty-three guidelines focused on the pharmacological treatments for all COVID-19 patients.Interferon, Lopinavir/Ritonavir, Ribavirin, Chloroquine, and Umifenovir represented the most recommended antivirus drugs. With the emergence of encouraging results from preclinical and preliminary clinical studies, Chloroquine Phosphate was recommended in the national Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol for NovelCoronavirus Pneumonia (6th version) on February 19th, 2020. Thereafter, more detailed guidelines regarding theadjustment of dosage regimens and the monitoring of adverse events of Chloroquine Phosphatewere published. To date, 8 Chinese guidelines have recommendedChloroquine Phosphate or Hydroxychloroquine as mainstream antivirusdrug for the treatment of COVID-19. China has generated a plethora of guidelines covering almost all aspects of COVID-19. Chloroquine, as one widely affordable treatment, holds great potential to become the gold standard choice as more clinical evidence is shared by researchers from China as well as other countries.

Natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery in urology: The Chinese experience.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the Chinese experience of natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) in urology. METHODS: From December 2008 to May 2017, 35 animal experiments and 305 clinical surgeries of NOTES or natural orifices specimen extractions (NOSE) were performed in China. The animal experiments included five kidney biopsies, 24 nephrectomies and six partial nephrectomies. The clinical surgeries included 12 transvaginal NOSE (TV-NOSE), 266 hybrid transvaginal NOTES (TV-NOTES) and 27 pure TV-NOTES. The TV-NOSE procedure was performed in five transumbilical laparoendoscopic single-site (U-LESS) nephrectomies, four suprapubic-assisted laparoendoscopic single-site surgery (SA-LESS) nephroureterectomies, and three laparoscopic radical cystectomies. The hybrid TV-NOTES procedure included 210 nephrectomies, 31 adrenalectomies, eight nephroureterectomies, 13 partial nephrectomies, and four heminephrectomies. The pure TV-NOTES procedure included five renal cyst decortications and 22 nephrectomies. RESULTS: A total of 29 animal experiments were successfully performed. One partial nephrectomy was converted to standard laparoscopic surgery. Two kidney biopsies and two nephrectomies were unsuccessful. A total of 297 clinical surgeries were successfully performed. Six patients who underwent hybrid TV-NOTES were converted to open surgery. Two patients who underwent pure TV-NOTES were converted to SA-LESS. There were 22 major complications, 16 occurred intraoperatively and six postoperatively. The mean visual analog score (VAS) of 48 h after the operation was 2.5 points in TV-NOSE, 2.3 points in hybrid TV-NOTES and 1.7 points in pure TV-NOTES. The mean follow-up of 50.6 (3.0-87.0) months showed that all patients were in good condition. The umbilicus scars were nearly invisible in TV-NOSE and hybrid TV-NOTES. The vaginal incision healed well. CONCLUSIONS: TV-NOSE and TV-NOTES are feasible, safe, and effective with little injury, low pain, fast recovery, and good cosmetic outcomes in properly selected patients. They are worth consideration for urological clinical practice.