Hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD) is an acute infectious disease caused by serotypes of the enterovirus (EV) family. HFMD reinfection occurs commonly in lack of cross-protection between different EV serotypes. In this study, we investigated the hazards of HFMD reinfection using Cox-proportional hazard model. Retrospective data of 95 209 HFMD cases in Wuhan during 2008–2015 was used. Kaplan–Meier survival methods and Cox-proportional hazard model were used to estimate the hazard probabilities. Of the all HFMD cases, about 2% experienced reinfection (1842/95 209). Kaplan–Meier curves revealed the reinfection risk sharply increased before 40 months from first infection. Higher hazards of reinfection were detected among those who were males, aged 3 years and below, scattered children, belonging to urban areas and first infected with coxsackievirus (CV)-A16 compared with their respective counterparts. Cox-proportional hazard model suggested that gender, age, group, living area and serotypes of first infection had significant effect on reinfection even after adjusting for potential confounding effects of other selected factors considered in the study. These results indicate that boys aged 3 years and below, especially those living in urban areas and first infected with CV-A16 are more prone to reinfection. Interventions should be imposed on these high-risk populations.

Simulation models are used widely in pharmacology, epidemiology and health economics (HEs). However, there have been no attempts to incorporate models from these disciplines into a single integrated model. Accordingly, we explored this linkage to evaluate the epidemiological and economic impact of oseltamivir dose optimisation in supporting pandemic influenza planning in the USA. An HE decision analytic model was linked to a pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamics (PK/PD) – dynamic transmission model simulating the impact of pandemic influenza with low virulence and low transmissibility and, high virulence and high transmissibility. The cost-utility analysis was from the payer and societal perspectives, comparing oseltamivir 75 and 150 mg twice daily (BID) to no treatment over a 1-year time horizon. Model parameters were derived from published studies. Outcomes were measured as cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained. Sensitivity analyses were performed to examine the integrated model's robustness. Under both pandemic scenarios, compared to no treatment, the use of oseltamivir 75 or 150 mg BID led to a significant reduction of influenza episodes and influenza-related deaths, translating to substantial savings of QALYs. Overall drug costs were offset by the reduction of both direct and indirect costs, making these two interventions cost-saving from both perspectives. The results were sensitive to the proportion of inpatient presentation at the emergency visit and patients’ quality of life. Integrating PK/PD–EPI/HE models is achievable. Whilst further refinement of this novel linkage model to more closely mimic the reality is needed, the current study has generated useful insights to support influenza pandemic planning.

In this study, we investigated thermotolerance, several physiological responses and damage to reproductive cells in chlorpyrifos-resistant (Rc) and -susceptible (Sm) strains of the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella subjected to heat stress. The chlorpyrifos resistance of these strains was mediated by a modified acetylcholinesterase encoded by an allele, ace1R, of the ace1 gene. Adults of the Rc strain were less heat resistant than those of the Sm strain; they also had lower levels of enzymatic activity against oxidative damage, higher reactive oxygen species contents, weaker upregulation of two heat shock protein (hsp) genes (hsp69s and hsp20), and stronger upregulation of two apoptotic genes (caspase-7 and -9). The damage to sperm and ovary cells was greater in Rc adults than in Sm adults and was temperature sensitive. The lower fitness of the resistant strain, compared with the susceptible strain, is probably due to higher levels of oxidative stress and apoptosis, which also have deleterious effects on several life history traits. The greater injury observed in conditions of heat stress may be due to both the stronger upregulation of caspase genes and weaker upregulation of hsp genes in resistant than in susceptible individuals.

The West African 2014 Ebola outbreak has highlighted the need for a better information network. Hybrid information networks, an integration of both hierarchical and formalized command control-driven and community-based, or ad hoc emerging networks, could assist in improving public health responses. By filling the missing gaps with social media use, the public health response could be more proactive rather than reactive in responding to such an outbreak of global concern. This article provides a review of the current social media use specifically in this outbreak by systematically collecting data from ProQuest Newsstand, Dow Jones Factiva, Program for Monitoring Emerging Diseases (ProMED) as well as Google Trends. The period studied is from 19 March 2014 (first request for information on ProMED) to 15 October 2014, a total of 31 weeks. The term ‘Ebola’ was used in the search for media reports. The outcome of the review shows positive results for social media use in effective surveillance response mechanisms – for improving the detection, preparedness and response of the outbreak – as a complement to traditional, filed, work-based surveillance approach.

We derive z phot for sources in the entire (~0.4 deg2) H-HDF-N field with the EAzY code, based on PSF-matched broad-band (U band to IRAC 4.5 μm) photometry. Our catalog consists of a total of 131,678 sources. We find σNMAD = 0.029 for non-X-ray sources. We also classify each object as a star or galaxy through SED fitting. Furthermore, we match our catalog with the 2 Ms CDF-N main X-ray catalog. For the 462 matched non-stellar X-ray sources, we improve their z phot quality (σNMAD = 0.035) by adding three additional AGN templates. We make our photometry and z phot catalog publicly available.

A radio-frequency magnetron sputtering technique and subsequent rapid thermal annealing (RTA) at 600, 700, 800, and 900 °C were implemented to grow high-quality Ga-doped MgxZn1-xO (GMZO) epi-layers. The GMZO films were deposited using a radio-frequency magnetron sputtering system and a 4 inch ZnO/MgO/Ga2O3 (75/20/5 wt %) target. The Hall results, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and transmittance were determined and are reported in this paper. The Hall results indicated that the increase in mobility was likely caused by the improved crystallization in the GMZO films after thermal annealing. The XRD results revealed that MgxZn1-xO (111) and MgO2 (200) peaks were obtained in the GMZO films. The absorption edges of the as-grown and annealed GMZO films shifted toward the short wavelength of 373 nm at a transmittance of 90%. According to these results, GMZO films are feasible for forming transparent contact layers for near-ultraviolet light-emitting diodes.

We report on an experimental study of microstructure-based lasing in an optically pumped GaN/AlGaN separate confinement heterostructure (SCH). We achieved low-threshold ultra-violet lasing in optically pumped GaN/AlGaN separate confinement heterostructures over a wide temperature range. The spacing, directionality, and far-field patterns of the lasing modes are shown to be the result of microcavities that were naturally formed in the structures due to strain relaxation. The temperature sensitivity of the lasing wavelength was found to be twice as low as that of bulk-like GaN films. Based on these results, we discuss possibilities for the development of ultra-violet laser diodes with increased temperature stability of the emission wavelength.

The impact of vanB vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) bacteraemia on length of stay (LOS) in hospital, after adjusting for the time-varying nature of enterococcal bacteraemia (variable onset of bacteraemia post-admission), is unknown. Survival analyses (time-varying Cox and competing risks regression) were performed on vanB VRE bacteraemia patients, matched 1:1 with vancomycin-susceptible enterococci bacteraemia patients to determine the factors associated with LOS in these patients. In Cox regression analysis, vanB VRE bacteraemia, intensive-care-unit admission, Charlson co-morbidity index score ⩾4, and an increase in the time to receive appropriate antibiotics were associated with prolonged LOS. Competing risks regression which accounts for the influence of in-patient mortality on the ability to observe the event discharge alive from hospital suggests that, vanB VRE bacteraemia was not significantly associated with prolonged LOS. For the first time, the rate of discharge from hospital in patients with vanB VRE bacteraemia has been quantified.

We investigated the seasonality of tuberculosis (TB) in Wuhan, China, to evaluate the increased risk of disease transmission during each season and to develop an effective TB control strategy. We applied spectral analysis to the weekly prevalence data of sputum smear positive (SSP) and sputum smear negative (SSN) pulmonary TB reported from 2006 to 2010. Cases of both SSP and SSN feature 1·0- and 0·5-year periodic modes. The least squares method was used to fit curves to the two periodic modes for SSP and SSN data. The curves demonstrated dominant peaks in spring similar to cases reported previously for other locations. Notably for SSP, dominant peaks were also observed in summer. The spring peaks of SSP and SSN were explained in terms of poorly ventilated and humid rooms and vitamin D deficiency. For the summer peaks of SSP, summer influenza epidemics in Wuhan may contribute to the increase in TB prevalence.

We report on an experimental study of microstructure-based lasing in an optically pumped GaN/AlGaN separate confinement heterostructure (SCH). We achieved low-threshold ultra-violet lasing in optically pumped GaN/AlGaN separate confinement heterostructures over a wide temperature range. The spacing, directionality, and far-field patterns of the lasing modes are shown to be the result of microcavities that were naturally formed in the structures due to strain relaxation. The temperature sensitivity of the lasing wavelength was found to be twice as low as that of bulk-like GaN films. Based on these results, we discuss possibilities for the development of ultra-violet laser diodes with increased temperature stability of the emission wavelength.

We propose the spot-size effect in laser-induced damage to optical thin films as a method to investigate the defect removal model which is one of the laser conditioning mechanisms, and the theoretical and experimental studies are presented. A standard deviation σ2 is set up for fitting the damage thresholds which are obtained by multi-spot size test. The laser conditioning effect on ZrO2/SiO2 multilayer high reflective films is analyzed through this application. It is found that the mean distance of two initiating defects is increased by laser conditioning, which means that the defect density is decreased. Thus, the initiating defects are removed partially by laser conditioning. Furthermore, the intrinsic damage threshold of the film is little affected through the laser conditioning process.

Viral hepatitis is recognized as one of the most frequently reported diseases, and especially in China, acute and chronic liver disease due to viral hepatitis has been a major public health problem. The present study aimed to analyse and predict surveillance data of infections of hepatitis A, B, C and E in Wuhan, China, by the method of time-series analysis (MemCalc, Suwa-Trast, Japan). On the basis of spectral analysis, fundamental modes explaining the underlying variation of the data for the years 2004–2008 were assigned. The model was calculated using the fundamental modes and the underlying variation of the data reproduced well. An extension of the model to the year 2009 could predict the data quantitatively. Our study suggests that the present method will allow us to model the temporal pattern of epidemics of viral hepatitis much more effectively than using the artificial neural network, which has been used previously.

This article presents a study on elastic anisotropy of Cu by indentations at different penetration depth ranges (sub-10 nm, several-10 nm, and several-100 nm), and the impact of elastic anisotropy on the stress in 3D stacked integrated circuits (3D ICs). The reduced modulus, ER, values determined at sub-10 nm indentations on Cu single crystals are very close to the unidirectional values. Similarly, cross-sectional sub-10 nm indentation tests on the Cu grains in a through-silicon via (TSV) show unidirectional ER values. In contrast, the Hill’s average values are observed at several-100 nm indentations. We propose that before lattice rotation happens within a volume beneath the indentation, elastic anisotropy can be strongly reflected in the ER value. When the experimentally measured Cu elastic anisotropy is used in a technology computer-aided design simulation of a Cu-filled TSV, significant impacts are observed on the stress field and the carrier mobility variation in an active Si region.

The 2009 novel H1N1 influenza pandemic had a significant impact on Shenzhen's population with 2063 laboratory-confirmed human H1N1 cases and five deaths being reported. We used parameters from two population-based surveys and the Shenzhen Influenza Surveillance System to estimate the total number of H1N1 influenza infections in Shenzhen in the 2009 pandemic. The attack rate of influenza-like illness (ILI) in family households was 11·2% (95% CI 9·4–13·0), with 80·2% (95% CI 77·8–82·5) seeking medical care. The ILI attack rate in workers was 38·1% (95% CI 34·3–41·7) with 72·5% (95% CI 66·9–78·0) seeking medical care. The average H1N1 positive rate in individuals reporting ILI and testing by polymerase chain reaction was 22·7%. A total of 611 000–768 000 people, or 4·7–5·9% of the Shenzhen population, are estimated to have experienced H1N1 influenza. The estimated total number of cases of H1N1 is likely to be 330 times greater than the number of laboratory-confirmed cases.

High resolution far infrared absorption measurements were carried out for single walled and double walled carbon nanotubes samples (SWCNT and DWCNT) encased in a polyethylene matrix to investigate the temperature and bundling effects on the low frequency phonons associated with the low frequency circumferential vibrations. At a temperature where kBT is significantly lower than the phonon energy, the broad absorption features as observed at room temperature become well resolved phonon transitions. For a DWCNT sample whose inner tubes have a similar diameter distribution as the SWCNT sample studied, a series of sharp features were observed at room temperature at similar positions as for the SWCNT samples studied. The narrow linewidth is attributed to the fact that the inner tubes are isolated from the polyethylene matrix and the weak inter-tubule interactions. More systematic studies will be required to better understand the effects of inhomogeneous broadening and thermal-excitation on the detailed position and lineshape of the low frequency phonon features in carbon nanotubes.

We report a comprehensive study on the optical properties of GaN- and AlGaN-based lasing structures at high-levels of optical excitation (carrier densities of 1017−1020 cm−3) and identify critical issues necessary for the development of near- and deep-UV light emitting devices. We successfully achieved room temperature stimulated emission (SE) with emission wavelengths ranging from 351 nm to 373 nm in a variety of samples. Through an analysis of the temperature-dependent lasing characteristics, combined with absorption and time-resolved photoluminescence measurements, we estimated the carrier density required to achieve the SE threshold in GaN epilayers. We found that in AlGaN epilayers, the onset of SE (∼1019 cm−3) occurs at carrier densities one order of magnitude higher than in thick GaN epilayers, indicating that an electron-hole plasma is the dominant gain mechanism over the entire temperature range studied (10 K to 300 K). A remarkably low lasing threshold was observed in GaN/AlGaN heterostructures over the temperature range of 10 K to 300 K. Our experimental results indicate that GaN/AlGaN heterostructures could be used to efficiently generate laser emission with wavelengths shorter than 373 nm. The implications of this study on the development of UV laser diodes is discussed.

Encapsulation of DNA molecules inside carbon nanotubes (CNT) in water were performed under the conditions of 400K and 3Bar. Double stranded DNAs of 2kb and 400bp in length, and single stranded oligonucleotides of 60bp in length were selected as target molecules. Au and Pt nanoparticles and fluorescent dye Cy3 were used as tags. Agarose gel electrophoresis was used to remove DNA molecules attached on the outside walls of CNTs. Laser confocal microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX) were employed to confirm the encapsulation process. The results demonstrated that DNA molecules attached to the outside of CNTs can be removed by electrophoresis. Confocal microscopy and HR-TEM observations as well as EDX analysis confirmed that the Cy3-labelled DNA molecules, Au-labelled oligonucleotides and Pt-labelled DNA fragments can indeed be encapsulated inside CNTs. These experimental results support our earlier molecular dynamics simulations on encapsulating oligonucleotides inside CNTs. The DNA-CNT hybrids could be further explored for potential applications in bio-nanotechnology.

Ultrafine beta-SiC powders are synthesized in a thermal argon plasma jet reactor by a reaction between methane and silicon monoxide. High temperatures (>10000 K) and rapid quench rates (>106 K/s) lead to a high degree of super-saturation of the chemical vapor, resulting in homogeneous nucleation of ultrafine SiC particles. The maximum conversion of SiO to SiC determined by thermogravimetric analysis is 97%. Particle size analyses show a bimodal distribution with the majority of the particles falling in a size range from 2 to 40 nm. Larger particles with sizes larger than 80 nm are also observed. Characteristically-shaped SiC single-crystal platelets are observed throughout this work.

Rapid densification of MgO in an rf plasma without sintering aids is demonstrated. The sintered densities of MgO are sensitive to the plasma composition and gas pressure. In general, specimens are sintered to higher densities in Ar/O2 and Ar/H2O plasmas than in pure Ar plasmas. This may be explained by the effects of plasma enthalpy and surface recombination of charged particles and of atomic species. Analyses show that the evolution of the microstructures of the sintered specimens remains similar, regardless of the plasma conditions. No substantial grain growth is observed.