Rhodium-Catalyzed C(sp2)-H Amidation of Azine with Sulfonamides.

Direct C-H amidation of azine with sulfonamide was developed for the first time. The reactions proceeded smoothly under benign conditions and gave the corresponding products with high selectivity. This approach shows high regioselectivity, wide substrate scope, and functional group tolerance. Additionally, this transformation can also be scaled up to the gram level. This strategy allows for the direct preparation of ortho-sulfonamide-substituted ketone products, thus providing a good complement to previous C-H amidation.

Expression profile analysis of microRNAs during hair follicle development in the sheep foetus.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate the development and growth cycle of hair follicles (HFs). The molecular mechanism by which miRNAs determine the development of HFs in the sheep foetus remains elusive. In this study, the expression profiles of miRNAs at 11 development periods (45, 55, 65, 75, 85, 95, 105, 115, 125, 135 and 145 d) in sheep foetus skin were analysed by high-throughput sequencing and bioinformatics analysis. A total of 72 conserved miRNAs, 44 novel miRNAs and 32 known miRNAs were significantly differentially expressed. qRT-PCR results for 18 miRNAs were consistent with the sequencing data. 85 d of foetal development was the starting point for secondary hair follicle (SF) development according to tissue morphology and cluster analysis. In SF development, the prolactin signalling pathway and platelet activation played important roles, and 10 miRNAs were potential candidate miRNAs in SF initiation.

Risk factors for long-term post-traumatic stress disorder among medical rescue workers appointed to the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake response in China.

This study aims to determine the risk factors for clinically-significant post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among Chinese medical rescue workers one year after the response to the Wenchuan earthquake on 12 May 2008. A sample of 337 medical workers who performed response work within the first three months of the event completed an online questionnaire, which included information on demographics, social support, the management and organisation of the disaster response, and an assessment of PTSD. Symptoms consistent with PTSD were prevalent in 17 per cent of the rescue workers. Those who developed PTSD symptoms were more likely to have been injured, experienced a water shortage, been disconnected from family and friends during the response, and have passive coping styles and neurotic personalities. Factors that cannot be changed easily, such as personality traits, should be evaluated prior to deployment to ensure that rescue workers at higher risk of PTSD are provided with adequate support before and during deployment.

Self-Assembly of Concentric Hexagons and Hierarchical Self-Assembly of Supramolecular Metal-Organic Nanoribbons at the Solid/Liquid Interface.

In an effort to exert more precise control over structural features of supramolecules, a series of giant concentric hexagons were assembled as discrete structures using tetratopic terpyridine (tpy) ligands. In preparation of tetratopic ligand, pyrylium and pyridinium salts chemistry significantly facilitated synthesis. The key compounds were obtained by condensation reactions of pyrylium salts with corresponding primary amine derivatives in good yields. These discrete metallo-supramolecular concentric hexagons were fully characterized by NMR, ESI-MS, TWIM-MS, and TEM, establishing their hexagon-in-hexagon architectures. The combination of different tetratopic ligands also assembled hybrid concentric hexagons with increasing diversity and complexity. Furthermore, these concentric hexagon supramolecules with precisely controlled shapes and sizes were utilized as building blocks to hierarchically self-assemble supramolecular metal-organic nanoribbons (SMON) at solid-liquid interfaces. Ambient STM imaging showed the formation of long 1D SMON rather than 2D assembly on the basal plane of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) surface after simple dropcasting of the solution of preassembled concentric hexagons onto a freshly cleaved surface of HOPG. This wet chemical method based on self-assembly may offer simple, economical, and scalable routes to deliver complex materials.

[Analysis on Malaria Situation in Shaanxi Province during 2005-2014].

Objective: To analyze the malaria situation in Shaanxi Province during 2005-2014, in the aim of providing reference for improving malaria elimination strategies and measures. Methods: Data on malaria control and malaria epidemic reports during 2005-2014 were collected, and analysis was made on prevalence and regional distribution of malaria, species of plasmodium, diagnosis of patients, and sources of imported malaria. Results: Four hundred and fifty three cases of malaria were reported in Shaanxi Province during 2005-2014, consisting of 73 local cases （16.1%） and 380 imported cases （83.9%） of which 141 were falciparum malaria （37.1%, 141/380）. Three patients died and they all were imported cases of falciparum malaria. No indigenous infection had been reported since 2011. Most of the cases were laboratory-confirmed（71.5%, 324/453）. The falciparum malaria cases accounted for 31.1%（141/453） of all the cases, and they all were imported cases. No cases of quartan malaria and ovale malaria were reported. The 73 indigenous cases distributed in 25 districts (counties) of 7 cities, including 3 cities in South Shaanxi (Shangluo, Hanzhong, Ankang)（61.6%, 45/73） and four cities in Central Shaanxi (Xi'an, Weinan, Xianyang, Baoji) (38.4%, 28/73）. The imported cases showed an increasing trend from 24 in 2005 to 59 in 2014. The 380 imported cases were mainly from over 20 countries in Africa （72.6%, 276/380）, with top sources of Angola （64 cases）, Cameroon （26）, Ghana （24）, and Equatorial Guinea （23） accounting for 36.0% （ 137/380）. The median of interval from onset to diagnosis was 5 d. The cases were mainly reported by clinical medical institutions （87.6%, 397/453）, only 7.5% （34/453） were reported by disease control institutions. Conclusion: No indigenous cases have been reported since 2011, but the imported malaria cases show a trend of increase with a major source of Africa.

[Analysis of FABP4 expression pattern in rump fat deposition and metabolism of Altay sheep].

FABP4 (Fatty acid binding protein 4) is a hot candidate gene in fat deposition and lipid metabolism and participates in the transport and metabolism of intracellular free fatty acids. We aim to study the role of FABP4 in fat deposition and metabolism of the rump fat in Altay sheep. In this study, bioinformatics method was used to analyze the protein sequence homology among 10 species, and RT-PCR was employed to detect FABP4 tissue profiling of Altay sheep. An animal model simulating the rump fat deposition and metabolism of Altay sheep was established by continuous starvation, and qPCR and iTRAQ (isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation) were used to detecte FABP4 mRNA and protein expression changes in the control and continuous starvation groups, respectively. Sequence analysis showed that FABP4 protein sequence is highly conserved among species, suggesting an important biological function during evolution for FABP4. The RT-PCR result confirmed that FABP4 mRNA was highly expressed in intestinal and rump fat, suggesting that FABP4 plays an important physiological role in fat tissues. We did not find significant differences in FABP4 mRNA and protein between control and continuous starvation groups (P>0.05), which indicates that FABP4 may not be the key gene in fat deposition and metabolism in Altay sheep.The results above lay a foundation for further studies of FABP4 in rump or tail fat.

(6-Chloropyridazin-3-yl)ferrocene.

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, [Fe(C5H5)(C9H6ClN2)], contains two independent mol-ecules in which the cyclo-penta-dienyl rings are almost parallel, making dihedral angles of 2.16 (4) and 2.71 (5), and the dihedral angles between the pyridazinyl and substituted cyclo-penta-dienyl rings are 9.65 (5) and 11.53 (8)°. In the crystal, mol-ecules are linked by C-H⋯N hydrogen bonds into chains along the c-axis direction.

2-Ferrocenyl-6-(3-nitro-phen-yl)quinoline.

In the title compound, [Fe(C5H5)(C20H13N2O2)], the substituted cyclo-penta-dienyl ring and quinoline system are approximately coplanar, making a dihedral angle of 5.18 (6)°, while the dihedral angle between the quinoline system and the benzene ring is 28.45 (8)°. There is high thermal motion in the free cyclo-penta-dienyl ring compared with the substituted cyclo-penta-dienyl ring. The conformation of the two cyclopentadienyl rings in the ferrocenyl moiety is eclipsed.

(2-Chloro-pyrimidin-4-yl)ferrocene.

In the title compound, [Fe(C5H5)(C9H6ClN2)], the two cyclo-penta-dienyl rings are almost parallel, subtending a dihedral angle of 3.01 (5)°. The dihedral angle between the substituted cyclo-penta-dienyl ring and the pyrimidinyl ring is 12.02 (1)°. The conformation of the two cyclopentadienyl rings in the ferrocenyl moiety is eclipsed.

Evaluation of the efficacy and safety of endoscopic band ligation in the treatment of bleeding from mild to moderate gastric varices type 1.

BACKGROUND: According to practice guidelines, endoscopic band ligation (EBL) and endoscopic tissue adhesive injection (TAI) are recommended for treating bleeding from esophagogastric varices. However, EBL and TAI are known to cause serious complications, such as hemorrhage from dislodged ligature rings caused by EBL and hemorrhage from operation-related ulcers resulting from TAI. However, the optimal therapy for mild to moderate type 1 gastric variceal hemorrhage (GOV1) has not been determined. Therefore, the aim of this study was to discover an individualized treatment for mild to moderate GOV1. AIM: To compare the efficacy, safety and costs of EBL and TAI for the treatment of mild and moderate GOV1. METHODS: A clinical analysis of the data retrieved from patients with mild or moderate GOV1 gastric varices who were treated under endoscopy was also conducted. Patients were allocated to an EBL group or an endoscopic TAI group. The differences in the incidence of varicose relief, operative time, operation success rate, mortality rate within 6 wk, rebleeding rate, 6-wk operation-related ulcer healing rate, complication rate and average operation cost were compared between the two groups of patients. RESULTS: The total effective rate of the two treatments was similar, but the efficacy of EBL (66.7%) was markedly better than that of TAI (39.2%) (P < 0.05). The operation success rate in both groups was 100%, and the 6-wk mortality rate in both groups was 0%. The average operative time (26 min) in the EBL group was significantly shorter than that in the TAI group (46 min) (P < 0.01). The rate of delayed postoperative rebleeding in the EBL group was significantly lower than that in the TAI group (11.8% vs 45.1%) (P < 0.01). At 6 wk after the operation, the healing rate of operation-related ulcers in the EBL group was 80.4%, which was significantly greater than that in the TAI group (35.3%) (P < 0.01). The incidence of postoperative complications in the two groups was similar. The average cost and other related economic factors were greater for the EBL than for the TAI (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: For mild to moderate GOV1, patients with EBL had a greater one-time varix eradication rate, a greater 6-wk operation-related ulcer healing rate, a lower delayed rebleeding rate and a lower cost than patients with TAI.

[Imaging study on thoracic and lumbar physiological curvature in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the alteration of thoracic and lumbar physiological curvature in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis(AIS) and the difference of physiological curvature between different types of scoliosis. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 305 adolescent patients taken full spine X-ray in our hospital from January 2017 to December 2021. The patients were divided into normal group and scoliosis group. The normal group was composed of 179 patients, 79 males and 100 females, aged 10 to 18 years old with an average of (12.84±2.10) years old, with cobb agle less than 10 degrees. The scoliosis group was composed of 126 patients, 33 males and 93 females, aged 10 to 18 years old with an average of (13.92±2.20) years old. The gender, age, Risser sign, thoracic kyphosis(TK) and lumbar lordosis(LL) in 2 groups were compared, and the TK and LL were also compared between different genders, different degrees of scoliosis and different segments of scoliosis. RESULTS: The female ratio(P=0.001) and age (P<0.001) in scoliosis group were higher than them in normal group; the ratio of low-grade ossification was higher in normal group than in scoliosis group(P=0.038). TK was significantly smaller in scoliosis group than in normal group(P<0.001), but there was no significant difference in LL between the 2 groups(P=0.147). There were no significant difference in TK and LL between male and female. The TK was significantly bigger in mild AIS patients than in moderate AIS patients(P<0.05), but there was no significant difference in LL between mild and moderate patients(P>0.05). The TK and LL in different segments scoliosis were not found significant difference. CONCLUSION: The physiological curvature of thoracic and lumbar spine is independent of gender. The thoracic physiological curvature becomes smaller in AIS patients, but lumbar curvature remains unchanged. The thoracic physiological curvature in mild AIS patients is greater than that in moderate AIS patients, but the lumbar curvature is almost unchanged between mild and moderate scoliosis and is similar with that in normal adolescent. The alteration of thoracic and lumbar physiological curvature in AIS patients may be related to relative anterior spinal overgrowth, and the specific detailed mechanism needs to be further studied.

[Expression of Myogenin and MCK genes regulated by PI3K/AKT pathway].

Many intracellular signaling pathways regulate skeletal muscle differentiation. Among them, PI3K/AKT pathway plays an important role. But the mechanisms of chromatin regulation remain unclear. In this study, the murine C2C12 myoblast cell line was used to investigate the expression of Myogenin and MCK genes during the skeletal muscle differentiation. Western blotting analysis showed that the expression of Myogenin and MCK protein was increased significantly after PI3K/AKT activator treatment for 24 h during the C2C12 cell differentiation and the expression of H3K27me3 demethylase UTX was also increased. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and quantitative PCR (Q-PCR) analysis showed that the enrichment of H3K27me3 on the promoter regions of Myogenin and MCK genes and the enhancer region of MCK gene were decreased. It was opposite to the PI3K/AKT inhibitor treatment. We concluded that the PI3K/AKT pathway maybe regulate skeletal muscle differentiation by regulating the expression of UTX gene to change the enrichment of H3K27me3 on the target genes.

A survey of urolithiasis in young children fed infant formula contaminated with melamine in two townships of Gansu, China.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of urolithiasis in young children fed infant formula (IF) contaminated with melamine, and the association between IF consumption and urolithiasis. DESIGN: A total of 2 733 children < or = 3 years of age on September 1, 2008 in two townships of Gansu Province, China were studied. Cases of urolithiasis were diagnosed by ultrasonography. Milk product consumption was determined by their caregivers. Remaining IF samples were tested for melamine and cyanuric acid. RESULTS: Of 2 733 eligible children in the two townships, 2 186 (80%) were enrolled in our study. Overall, 16.6% (362) of 2 186 children had urolithiasis. The prevalence was 24.6% in children exclusively fed Sanlu brand IF, 9.7% in those fed other IF, and 8.5% in those fed exclusively on other milk products. For children exclusively breast-fed, no urolithiasis was found (P < 0.05). The prevalence of urolithiasis was 11.4% in children fed 400 g of Sanlu IF, rising to 37.5% in children fed over 25 600 g. Of 48 Sanlu IF samples, 91.7% contained melamine (median = 1 800 ppm; range = 45-4 700) and 66.7% contained cyanuric acid (median = 1.2 ppm; range = 0.4-6.3). Melamine was also detected in 22.2% of 36 other brand IF (median = 27.5 ppm, range = 4-50). CONCLUSIONS: Urolithiasis was associated with melamine-contaminated IF. Although one product caused most morbidity, other milk products may have also contributed to the outbreak.

[Cloning and expression in follicle anagen of ILK gene in sheep].

Integrin linked kinase (ILK) is a scaffold protein, which plays important roles in hair follicle development. The cDNA sequence of novel ILK gene in sheep was cloned by PCR method and analyzed by bioinformatics. Tissue expression profiling in eight tissues and temporal profiling at different wool follicle anagen stages in skin was analyzed. The results showed that the whole open reading frame (ORF) of ILK gene was 1 359 bp in length, which encoded 452 amino acids. Bioinformatic analysis indicated that the secondary structure of ILK gene was mainly made up of three ankyrin repeats and a kinase domain, and there were multiple phosphorylation and Protein Kinase C sites in this gene. The RT-PCR result confirmed that ILK mRNA was expressed in heart, liver, spleen, lung, skeletal muscle, skin, and small intestine, and the expression level was much higher in skin, spleen, and liver than others. The q-PCR analysis demonstrated that the ex-pression level of ILK was significantly increased from March to May (early follicle anagen initiation) in both sheep breeds, Chinese Merino and Kazakh sheep, and there were certain differences from June to October between the two breeds. The above results indicated that ILK gene may play key roles in regulating secondary follicle growth.

Antibody and cytokine responses to hydatid in experimentally infected Kazakh sheep with hydatidosis resistance haplotype.

Different MHC haplotype of Kazakh sheep has different resistance and susceptibility of hydatidosis. Notably, the MvaIbc-SacIIab-Hin1Iab haplotype of MHC-DRB1 exon two was associated with resistance hydatidosis. In order to analyze the antibody and cytokine responses to hydatidosis in Kazakh sheep with hydatidosis resistance haplotype, eight Kazakh sheep with the haplotype of MvaIbc-SacIIab-Hin1Iab were chosen as the test group, and other eight, which were not associated with hydatidosis resistance or susceptibility, were taken as control. After experimentally infected with hydatid orally, the blood was collected on 0, 7, 14, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90, 105, and 120 days. Serum and mRNA level of the cytokines IL-2, IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-4, and IL-10 were evaluated by ELISA and fluorescence quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, respectively. The total white blood cells and leukomonocytes were determined by automation cytoanalyze. The level of IgE, IgG, and IgM were evaluated by ELISA. The results showed that the total white blood cells and leukomonocytes in test group were significantly higher than in control on 7, 45, 90, and 105 days post-infection (p.i.). The serum level of IL-2 in test group was significantly higher than in control on 45 days p.i., while the difference of IL-2 mRNA expression between test and control group was not significant. The serum level of TNF-α in test group was significantly higher than in control at 90 and 105 days p.i., and the TNF-α mRNA in test group was also significantly higher than in control on 90 days p.i. The level of IgE, IgG, and IgM in test group was higher than in control, but none was significant. The results suggested that the test group, which was predominant of Th1, could induce the protective immunity, while the control, which was predominant of Th2, could induce the susceptibility to infection of hydatidosis.

[Cloning, expression analysis and RNA interference of FGF5 gene in sheep].

The cDNA of fibroblast growth factor 5 (FGF5) gene in sheep was cloned, and the nucleotides sequence homology of FGF5 was compared with other six mammal. In addition, the expression of FGF5 in different tissues was analysed. Gene FGF5 was then recombined into prokaryotic expression vector (pGEX-4T-2) and RNA interference vector (pSilencer 5.1 H1) to study its expression in fibroblast cell lines. Results showed that the open reading frame (ORF) of cDNA in sheep consisted of 813 nucleotide acids encoding 270 amino acids, with the molecular mass of 29.58 kDa and theoretical pI of 10.59. The amino acids sequence of FGF5 gene in sheep shared high identity with those in cow, human, mouse, rat, dog, cat and rabbit. In addition, analysis on tissue expression showed that FGF5 expressed in skin, heart, kidney, liver, pancreas, spleen, lung, and small intestine, especially presenting high levels in skin. The expression of FGF5 in E. coli was induced with IPTG, which produced a protein band with the expected size of 56 kDa on SDS-PAGE, while the expression of FGF5 in sheep fibroblast cell line was knocked down remarkably with the help of integrated RNAi vector.

[shRNAs driven by K14 promoter induce tissue-specific RNA interference].

RNA interference is an efficient method for exploring gene function. Accumulating evidence suggests that RNA Pol II promoters can direct cell- or tissue-specific gene silencing. A eGFP-shRNA fusion construct transcribed from an RNA Pol II promoter (K14 promoter) was used to induce gene-specific shRNA silencing ofBMP4 gene expression. Recombinant vectors (pEGFP-C1-shRNA, psiCHECK-BMP4, and pEGFP-K14-shRNA) were constructed. Vectors pEGFP-C1-shRNA and psiCHECK-BMP4 were cotransfected into Hela cells (in vitro) and shRNA-induced inhibition efficiency was tested by a luciferase assay. The results showed that all the six interference sequences inhibited the expression of BMP4 with high efficiency (>60%), and the interference sequence 5# showed the highest efficiency. For in vivo screening of JB6-C41 cells transfected with vector pEGFP-K14-shRNA, the inhibition efficiency was assayed by quantitative RT-PCR and Western blotting analyses. The results showed that the mRNA and protein products of the exogenous BMP4 gene were efficiently and specifically inhibited. The efficiency of gene silencing was greater than 60%, except for sequence 3#. The declines in mRNA and protein expression levels were significantly correlated during gene silence by the shRNA. This system may be adapted for in vivo shRNA expression and gene silencing. This method may provide a novel approach for the application of RNAi technology in suppressing gene expression in the analysis of the mechanisms of hair follicle development in sheep.

Behcet's disease manifesting as esophageal variceal bleeding: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Behcet's disease (BD) is a chronic disease characterized by oral and vulvar ulcers as well as eye and skin damage and involves multiple systems. It presents as an alternating process of repeated attacks and remissions. Esophageal venous rupture and bleeding caused by BD is rarely reported at home and abroad. This paper reports a case of bleeding from oesophageal varices caused by BD, aiming to provide an additional dimension for considering the cause of bleeding from esophageal varices in the future. CASE SUMMARY: A 38-year-old female patient was admitted due to a gradual increase in shortness of breath and chest tightness after the activity, and was admitted to our hospital for treatment. After admission, relevant examinations showed that the patient had multiple blood clots. Four days after admission, she suddenly experienced massive hematemesis. Emergency esophagogastroduodenoscopy revealed bleeding from esophageal and gastric varices. The patient had no history of viral hepatitis or drinking habits, and no history of special genetic diseases or congenital vascular diseases. There is no obvious abnormality in liver function. After reviewing the medical history, it was found that the patient had recurred oral ulcers since childhood, ulcers were visible in the perineum during menstruation, and there was an intermittent red nodular rash and uveitis. The current skin acupuncture reaction is positive, combined with the evaluation of the external hospital and our hospital, the main diagnosis is BD. She received methylprednisolone, cyclophosphamide, immunomodulation, acid suppression, gastric protection, and anticoagulation and anti-infection treatments, and was discharged from the hospital. During the 1-year follow-up period, the patient did not vomit blood again. CONCLUSION: This case highlights bleeding from esophageal varices caused by BD, aiming to provide an additional dimension concerning the cause of bleeding from esophageal varices in the future.

Polidocanol sclerotherapy for multiple gastrointestinal hemangiomas: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Gastrointestinal (GI) hemangioma has a low incidence among systemic hemangiomas, and some GI hemangiomas occur in the intestine, stomach, and esophagus. Polidocanol has been increasingly used in sclerotherapy. However, this paper reports that minimally invasive treatment of multiple hemangiomas with large diameters can achieve satisfactory results by multipoint injection. CASE SUMMARY: A 46-year-old female patient was hospitalized in another hospital for cough. We accidentally found thickening of the lower esophagus by chest computed tomography. The patient was eventually diagnosed with multiple GI hemangiomas and underwent a series of examinations including esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), endoscopic ultrasound, and magnetic resonance imaging. We calculated the dose of polidocanol according to the volumes of the hemangiomas, fixed the target vein with the help of a transparent cap, and then administered polidocanol via multipoint injection into the hemangiomas under endoscopic guidance. EGD and endoscopic ultrasound showed that the hemangiomas disappeared. The color of the esophageal mucosa returned to normal 1 mo after sclerotherapy. CONCLUSION: Sclerotherapy may be a safe and effective method for treating multiple hemangiomas of the alimentary canal.

Spatiotemporal visualization for the global COVID-19 surveillance by balloon chart.

BACKGROUND: Considering the widespread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in the world, it is important to understand the spatiotemporal development of the pandemic. In this study, we aimed to visualize time-associated alterations of COVID-19 in the context of continents and countries. METHODS: Using COVID-19 case and death data from February to December 2020 offered by Johns Hopkins University, we generated time-associated balloon charts with multiple epidemiological indicators including crude case fatality rate (CFR), morbidity, mortality and the total number of cases, to compare the progression of the pandemic within a specific period across regions and countries, integrating seven related dimensions together. The area chart is used to supplement the display of the balloon chart in daily new COVID-19 case changes in UN geographic regions over time. Javascript and Vega-Lite were chosen for programming and mapping COVID-19 data in browsers for visualization. RESULTS: From February 1st to December 20th 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic spread across UN subregions in the chronological order. It was first reported in East Asia, and then became noticeable in Europe (South, West and North), North America, East Europe and West Asia, Central and South America, Southern Africa, Caribbean, South Asia, North Africa, Southeast Asia and Oceania, causing several waves of epidemics in different regions. Since October, the balloons of Europe, North America and West Asia have been rising rapidly, reaching a dramatically high morbidity level ranging from 200 to 500/10 000 by December, suggesting an emerging winter wave of COVID-19 which was much bigger than the previous ones. By late December 2020, some European and American countries displayed a leading mortality as high as or over 100/100 000, represented by Belgium, Czechia, Spain, France, Italy, UK, Hungary, Bulgaria, Peru, USA, Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Mexico. The mortality of Iran was the highest in Asia (over 60/100 000), and that of South Africa topped in Africa (40/100 000). In the last 15 days, the CFRs of most countries were at low levels of less than 5%, while Mexico had exceptional high CFR close to 10%. CONCLUSIONS: We creatively used visualization integrating 7-dimensional epidemiologic and spatiotemporal indicators to assess the progression of COVID-19 pandemic in terms of transmissibility and severity. Such methodology allows public health workers and policy makers to understand the epidemics comparatively and flexibly.