Dafang Zhuang

Estimation of As and Cu Contamination in Agricultural Soils Around a Mining Area by Reflectance Spectroscopy:A Case Study

Concentrations of Iron (Fe), As, and Cu in soil samples from the fields near the Baoshan Mine in-Hunan Province, China, were analyzed and soil spectral reflectance was measured with an ASD FieldSpec FR spectroradiometer (Analytical Spectral Devices, Inc., USA) under laboratory condition. Partial least square regression (PLSR) models were constructed for predicting soil metal concentrations. The data pre-processing methods, first and second derivatives (FD and SD), baseline correction (BC), standard normal variate (SNV), multiplicative scatter correction (MSC), and continuum removal (CR), were used for the spectral reflectance data pretreatments. Then, the prediction results were evaluated by relative root mean square error (RRMSE) and coefficients of determination (R(2)). According to the criteria of minimal RRMSE and maximal R(2), the PLSR models with the FD pretreatment (RRMSE = 0.24, R(2) = 0.61), SNV pretreatment (RRMSE = 0.08, R(2) = 0.78), and BC-pretreatment (RRMSE = 0.20, R(2) = 0.41) were considered as the final models for predicting As, Fe, and Cu, respectively. Wavebands at around 460, 1400, 1900, and 2 200 nm were selected as important spectral variables to construct final models. In conclusion, concentrations of heavy metals in contaminated soils could be indirectly assessed by soil spectra according to the correlation between the spectrally featureless components and re; therefore, spectral reflectance would be an alternative tool for monitoring soil heavy metals contamination.

Calculating the burden of disease of avian-origin H7N9 infections in China

Objective A total of 131 cases of avian-originated H7N9 infection have been confirmed in China mainland from February 2013 to May 2013. We calculated the overall burden of H7N9 cases in China as of 31 May 2013 to provide an example of comprehensive burden of disease in the 21st century from an acute animal-borne emerging infectious disease. Design We present an accurate and operable method for estimating the burden of H7N9 cases in China. The main drivers of economic loss were identified. Costs were broken down into direct (outpatient and inpatient examination and treatment) and indirect costs (cost of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and losses in the poultry industry), which were estimated based on field surveys and China statistical year book. Setting Models were applied to estimate the overall burden of H7N9 cases in China. Participants 131 laboratory-confirmed H7N9 cases by 31 May 2013. Outcome measure Burden of H7N9 cases including direct and indirect losses. Results The total direct medical cost was ¥16 422 535 (US

The influences of temperature on spatiotemporal trends of hand-foot-and-mouth disease in mainland China.

2 627 606). The mean cost for each patient was ¥10 117 (US

Spatiotemporal variation of surface water quality for decades: a case study of Huai River System, China

1619) for mild patients, ¥139 323 (US

Temporal and spatial distribution characteristics in the natural plague foci of Chinese Mongolian gerbils based on spatial autocorrelation

22 292) for severe cases without death and ¥205 976 (US

Probing the spatial cluster of Meriones unguiculatus using the nest flea index based on GIS technology.

32 956) for severe cases with death. The total cost of DALYs was ¥17 356 561 (US

Assessment of debris flow hazards using a Bayesian Network

2 777 050). The poultry industry losses amounted to ¥7.75 billion (US

Hyper-spectral remote sensing to monitor vegetation stress

1.24 billion) in 10 affected provinces and ¥3.68 billion (USD

Analysis of Visible and Near-Infrared Spectra of As-Contaminated Soil in Croplands Beside Mines

0.59 billion) in eight non-affected adjacent provinces. Conclusions The huge poultry industry losses followed live poultry markets closing down and poultry slaughtering in some areas. Though the proportion of direct medical losses and DALYs losses in the estimate of H7N9 burden was small, the medical costs per case were extremely high (particularly for addressing the use of modern medical devices). A cost-effectiveness assessment for the intervention should be conducted in a future study.

Spatial characteristics of heavy metal pollution and the potential ecological risk of a typical mining area: A case study in China

Understanding the influence of temperature on hand-foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD) is an important public health concern as well as being a major climate-infection issue in mainland China. City-scale data of incidence rates (IRs) of HFMD and temperature from 2008 to 2009 in mainland China has been analyzed. There were two peak periods for HFMD prevalence from April to July and August to November. Regions with higher monthly IR of HFMD periodically shifted following the pattern of south–north–south from March to December. Monthly IR of HFMD at city scale were closely associated with both average monthly temperature and monthly temperature range. Our study shows that spatiotemporal trends of HFMD infection were sensitive to temperature variation, and suggest that preventive measures should be considered for limiting the epidemic of HFMD in the cities with higher monthly IR during the peak periods.