Epidemiological Characteristics of Varicella in Anhui Province, China, 2012-2021: Surveillance Study.

BACKGROUND: Varicella is a mild, self-limited disease caused by varicella-zoster virus (VZV) infection. Recently, the disease burden of varicella has been gradually increasing in China; however, the epidemiological characteristics of varicella have not been reported for Anhui Province. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to analyze the epidemiology of varicella in Anhui from 2012 to 2021, which can provide a basis for the future study and formulation of varicella prevention and control policies in the province. METHODS: Surveillance data were used to characterize the epidemiology of varicella in Anhui from 2012 to 2021 in terms of population, time, and space. Spatial autocorrelation of varicella was explored using the Moran index (Moran I). The Kulldorff space-time scan statistic was used to analyze the spatiotemporal aggregation of varicella. RESULTS: A total of 276,115 cases of varicella were reported from 2012 to 2021 in Anhui, with an average annual incidence of 44.8 per 100,000, and the highest incidence was 81.2 per 100,000 in 2019. The male-to-female ratio of cases was approximately 1.26, which has been gradually decreasing in recent years. The population aged 5-14 years comprised the high-incidence group, although the incidence in the population 30 years and older has gradually increased. Students accounted for the majority of cases, and the proportion of cases in both home-reared children (aged 0-7 years who are not sent to nurseries, daycare centers, or school) and kindergarten children (aged 3-6 years) has changed slightly in recent years. There were two peaks of varicella incidence annually, except for 2020, and the incidence was typically higher in the winter peak than in summer. The incidence of varicella in southern Anhui was higher than that in northern Anhui. The average annual incidence at the county level ranged from 6.61 to 152.14 per 100,000, and the varicella epidemics in 2018-2021 were relatively severe. The spatial and temporal distribution of varicella in Anhui was not random, with a positive spatial autocorrelation found at the county level (Moran I=0.412). There were 11 districts or counties with high-high clusters, mainly distributed in the south of Anhui, and 3 districts or counties with high-low or low-high clusters. Space-time scan analysis identified five possible clusters of areas, and the most likely cluster was distributed in the southeastern region of Anhui. CONCLUSIONS: This study comprehensively describes the epidemiology and changing trend of varicella in Anhui from 2012 to 2021. In the future, preventive and control measures should be strengthened for the key populations and regions of varicella.

Immunogenicity of Tetravalent Protein Vaccine SCTV01E-2 against SARS-CoV-2 EG.5 Subvaraint: A Phase 2 Trial.

The Omicron EG.5 lineage of SARS-CoV-2 is currently on a trajectory to become the dominant strain. This phase 2 study aims to evaluate the immunogenicity of SCTV01E-2, a tetravalent protein vaccine, with a specific emphasis on its immunogenicity against Omicron EG.5, comparing it with its progenitor vaccine, SCTV01E (NCT05933512). As of 12 September 2023, 429 participants aged ≥18 years were randomized into the groups SCTV01E (N = 215) and SCTV01E-2 (N = 214). Both vaccines showed increases in neutralizing antibody (nAb) against Omicron EG.5, with a 5.7-fold increase and a 9.0-fold increase in the SCTV01E and SCTV01E-2 groups 14 days post-vaccination, respectively. The predetermined statistical endpoints were achieved, showing that the geometric mean titer (GMT) of nAb and the seroresponse rate (SRR) against Omicron EG.5 were significantly higher in the SCTV01E-2 group than in the SCTV01E group. Additionally, SCTV01E and SCTV01E-2 induced a 5.5-fold and a 5.9-fold increase in nAb against XBB.1, respectively. Reactogenicity was generally mild and transient. No vaccine-related serious adverse events (SAEs), adverse events of special interest (AESIs), or deaths were reported. In summary, SCTV01E-2 elicited robust neutralizing responses against Omicron EG.5 and XBB.1 without raising safety concerns, highlighting its potential as a versatile COVID-19 vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 variants.

One-step synthesis of a ZIF-8/90-based type I porous liquid.

A Type I porous liquid based on the mixed-linker zeolitic imidazolate framework, ZIF-8/90-PL, has been prepared by a one-step imine condensation reaction and characterized by X-ray diffraction, FT-IR spectroscopy, TGA and rheology analysis. This facile preparation strategy of a porous liquid has enormous industrial production and application potential, with over one kilogram of ZIF-8/90-PL being successfully prepared. ZIF-8/90-PL can be directly used as a liquid absorbent or be co-processed with alumina hollow fibers to form a composite membrane with improved selectivity in the context of CO2 separation from CH4 or N2. This simple synthesis method is expected to be extended to other metal-organic frameworks.

Hepatitis B antibody levels after different doses of hepatitis B vaccination: a retrospective study based on hospitalized children.

Many studies have investigated the positivity rate of hepatitis B surface antibody (HBsAb) after hepatitis B vaccine (HepB) immunization. However, the antibody level, assessed monthly or at more frequent intervals after each of the three doses, particularly within the first year after birth, has not been previously reported. To elucidate the level of antibody formation at various times after vaccination, the current study used the available detection data of HBsAb in hospitalized children to analyze the HBsAb level after immunization combined with their vaccination history. Both the positivity rate and geometric mean concentration (GMC) increased sequentially with immunization doses, reaching their peaks earlier after the third dose than after the first two doses, and the rate of HBsAb positivity was able to reach 100% between 11 and 90 days after completing the three doses of HepB. Within one year after receiving the three doses, the antibody positivity rate and GMC were maintained above 90% and 100 mIU/mL, respectively, and subsequently steadily declined, reaching the lowest value in the 9th and 10th years. The current findings reveal, in more detail, the level of antibody formation at different times following each dose of HepB in hospitalized children, particularly in the age group up to one year after vaccination. For the subjects of this study, we prefer to believe that the proportion of HBsAb non-response should be less than 5% after full immunization with HepB, provided that the appropriate time for blood collection is chosen.

Synergy of Paired Brønsted-Lewis Acid Sites on Defects of Zr-MIL-140A for Methanol Dehydration.

As a common defect-capping ligand in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), the hydroxyl group normally exhibits Brønsted acidity or basicity, but the presence of inherent hydroxyl groups in the MOF structure makes it a great challenge to identify the exact role of defect-capping hydroxyl groups in catalysis. Herein, we used hydroxyl-free MIL-140A as the platform to generate terminal hydroxyl groups on defect sites via a continuous post-synthetic treatment. The structure and acidity of MIL-140A were properly characterized. The hydroxyl-contained MIL-140A-OH exhibited 4.6-fold higher activity than the pristine MIL-140A in methanol dehydration. Spectroscopic and computational investigations demonstrated that the reaction was initiated by the respective adsorption of two methanol molecules on the terminal-OH and the adjacent Zr vacancy. The dehydration of the adsorbed methanol molecules then occurred in the Brønsted-Lewis acid site co-participated associative pathway with the lowest energy barrier.

Novel Reactive Distillation Process for Cyclohexyl Acetate Production: Design, Optimization, and Control.

A side-reactor column (SRC) configuration, comprising a vacuum column coupled with atmospheric side reactors, is proposed to overcome the thermodynamic restriction in the esterification of cyclohexene with acetic acid to produce cyclohexyl acetate. Meantime, this configuration can avoid the utilization of the high-pressure steam and provide enough zone for catalyst loading. In order to obtain the minimum total annual cost (TAC), the process is optimized by a mixed-integer nonlinear programming optimization method based on the improved bat algorithm. The results indicate that the optimized SRC configuration saves about 44.81% of the TAC compared to the reactive distillation process. Based on the optimized SRC process, dynamic control is carried out. The dual-point temperature and temperature-composition control structures are proposed to reject throughput and feed composition disturbances. The dynamic performances demonstrate that the temperature-composition control structure is better in maintaining product purity.

Naphthenic Acids Removal from Model Transformer Oil by Diethylamine Modified Resins.

Resins have enormous potential in the removal of naphthenic acids (NAs) from transformer oil due to their rich porosity and high mechanical and diversified functionality, whereas their poor adsorption capacity limits application. In this work, the polystyrene-diethylamine resin (PS-DEA-x) was prepared by grafting diethylamine (DEA) onto chloromethylated polystyrene (PS-Cl) resin to efficiently adsorb cyclopentane carboxylic acid from transformer oil for the first time. The characterization analysis results indicated that amine contents were significantly enhanced with the increase in DEA. Particularly, resin with a molar ratio of 1:5 depending on chloromethyl to DEA (PS-DEA-5) exhibited the highest amine contents and efficient adsorption of cyclopentane carboxylic acid (static adsorption capacity up to 110.0 mg/g), which was about 5 times higher than that of the pristine PS-Cl. The thermodynamic and kinetic studies showed that the adsorption behaviors could be well fitted to the Langmuir isotherm equation and pseudo-second-order rate equation. Moreover, it was found that 1 g of the PS-DEA-5 can decontaminate about 760 mL transformer oil to meet reuse standards by a continuous stream, indicating its potential application in industry.

Epidemiological investigation and prevention and control strategies of rubella in Anhui province, China, from 2012 to 2021.

Background: Rubella is a highly contagious viral infection with mild manifestations that occurs most often in children and young adults. Infection during pregnancy, especially during the first trimester, can result in an infant born with congenital rubella syndrome (CRS). The purpose of this paper is to analyze the characteristics of rubella epidemics in Anhui province from 2012 to 2021 and explore the prevention and control strategies of rubella. Methods: A descriptive epidemiological approach was used to examine the epidemiological characteristics of rubella in Anhui Province between 2012 and 2021. Results: From 2012 to 2021, a total of 4,987 cases of rubella were reported in Anhui province, with an average annual incidence of 8.11 per million, demonstrating an overall downward trend (χ2 trend =3141.06, P < 0.01). The average yearly incidence of rubella in southern Anhui, central Anhui, and northern Anhui were 9.99 per million, 11.47 per million, and 4.50 per million, respectively, with statistically significant differences (χ2 =792.50, P < 0.01). The male to female incidence ratio was 1.67:1, and the male incidence rate was higher than the female incidence rate. Most cases occurred among students, accounting for 56.59% of all cases, and the 10-34 age group accounted for ~73.71% of all cases. Regarding immunization history, 3.57% of cases had two doses or more, 6.62% had one dose, 16.40% had none, and the remainder were uncertain. Conclusion: The incidence of rubella in Anhui province from 2012 to 2021 continued to decline, with regional variations observed. The 10-34-year-old population without a history of rubella vaccination is at high risk for the disease. It is suggested to carry out rubella vaccination and congenital rubella syndrome monitoring according to the actual situation.

Fabricating defect-rich metal-organic frameworks via mixed linker-induced crystal transformation.

Defect-rich hcp UiO-66-NO2 was synthesized via mixed linker-induced crystal transformation from fcu UiO-66-NO2/NH2. The defect concentration and porosity of hcp UiO-66-NO2 can be fine-tuned by varying the BDC-NH2/BDC-NO2 ratio, which in turn endowed hcp UiO-66-NO2 with superior catalytic performance in the ring-opening reaction of epoxides with alcohols.

Type II porous ionic liquid based on metal-organic cages that enables L-tryptophan identification.

Porous liquids with chemical separation properties are quite well-studied in general, but there is only a handful of reports in the context of identification and separation of non-gaseous molecules. Herein, we report a Type II porous ionic liquid composed of coordination cages that exhibits exceptional selectivity towards L-tryptophan (L-Trp) over other aromatic amino acids. A previously known class of anionic organic-inorganic hybrid doughnut-like cage (HD) is dissolved in trihexyltetradecylphosphonium chloride (THTP_Cl). The resulting liquid, HD/THTP_Cl, is thereby composed of common components, facile to prepare, and exhibit room temperature fluidity. The permanent porosity is manifested by the high-pressure isotherm for CH4 and modeling studies. With evidence from time-dependent amino acid uptake, competitive extraction studies and molecular dynamic simulations, HD/THTP_Cl exhibit better selectivity towards L-Trp than other solid state sorbents, and we attribute it to not only the intrinsic porosity of HD but also the host-guest interactions between HD and L-Trp. Specifically, each HD unit is filled with nearly 5 L-Trp molecules, which is higher than the L-Trp occupation in the structure unit of other benchmark metal-organic frameworks.

Core-Shell Structured SiO2@NiFe LDH Composite for Broadband Electromagnetic Wave Absorption.

In this work, a novel core-shell structure material, NiFe layered double hydroxide (NiFe LDH) loaded on SiO2 microspheres (SiO2@NiFe LDH), was synthesized by a one-step hydrothermal method, and the spontaneous electrostatic self-assembly process. The morphology, structure, and microwave absorption properties of SiO2@NiFe LDH nanocomposites with different NiFe element ratios were systematically investigated. The results show that the sample of SiO2@NiFe LDH-3 nanocomposite has excellent microwave absorption properties. It exhibits broadband effective absorption bandwidth (RL < −10 dB) of 8.24 GHz (from 9.76 GHz to 18.0 GHz) and the reflection loss is −53.78 dB at the matched thickness of 6.95 mm. It is expected that this SiO2@NiFe-LDH core-shell structural material can be used as a promising non-precious, metal-based material microwave absorber to eliminate electromagnetic wave contamination.

La/LaF3 co-modified MIL-53(Cr) as an efficient adsorbent for the removal of tetracycline.

Chromium based metal-organic framework (MIL-53(Cr)) has enormous potential in the removal of organic contaminants from aqueous solutions due to its outstanding water stability, whereas its poor adsorption capacity limits the application. In this study, La/LaF3-MIL-53(Cr) was successfully synthesized by taking the advantages of La doping and LaF3 encapsulation with one-step hydrothermal method. Diverse analysis tools were utilized to verify that La not only existed in the framework, but also was loaded in the pores in the form of LaF3. The adsorption experiment results demonstrated that 0.3-La/LaF3-MIL-53(Cr) exhibited significantly improved adsorption capacity by four times compared with the pristine MIL-53(Cr) material. XPS and FTIR revealed that the affinity of La to tetracycline was significantly stronger than that of Cr and the excellent dispersion of LaF3 in the material may also be the cause of the increase in adsorption capacity. This study described a simple method to combine two different forms of modification and the modified material was potential for tetracycline adsorption.

Activated carbon prepared from catechol distillation residue for efficient adsorption of aromatic organic compounds from aqueous solution.

At present, activated carbon (AC) derived from industrial wastes has a great practical significance. In this work, residue activated carbon (RAC) was successfully synthesized from catechol distillation residue by a simple activation process based on two steps. The optimized RAC (RAC-800, activated at 800 °C) had high specific surface area (1800 m2/g) and large total pore volume (0.91 cm3/g). RAC-800 portrayed the evident increase of the graphitic structure and possessed abundant functional groups. Catechol (CC), phthalic acid (PA) and dimethyl phthalate (DMP) were chosen as typical pollutant to investigate the effect of different functional groups on adsorption aromatic compounds, and the equilibrium adsorption capacity of RAC-800 for CC, PA and DMP was 221.5, 365.0 and 449.9 mg/g, respectively. The adsorption behaviors were systematically studied by the combination of kinetic and thermodynamic model. The adsorption process was dominated by the π-π interaction, assisted by hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions. In addition, regeneration study showed that the adsorption capacity can still remain over 88.5% after five cycles. In total, fine chemical distillation residues are promising to turn into the precursor of activated carbon, which has potential to be used as a good adsorbent for removal of aromatic compounds.

Simultaneous shaping and confinement of metal-organic polyhedra in alginate-SiO2 spheres.

The simultaneous shaping and confinement of Cu-based MOP in alginate-SiO2 spheres significantly enhance the mechanical strength and leaching resistance of Cu-MOP. The resulting MOP-alginate-SiO2 is shown through chemical fixation of CO2 to exhibit improved product yield over the parent Cu-MOP and Cu-alginate-SiO2.

Catalytic hydrolysis of ß-lactam antibiotics via MOF-derived MgO nanoparticles embedded on nanocast silica.

The antibiotics abuse and the proliferation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the environment have a severe impact on both human health and ecosystem. In this study, a silica-nanocasting method was applied in Mg-MOF-74 template to generate a series of MgO/SiO2 catalysts for the hydrolysis of ß-lactam antibiotics. The Mg-based subunits in MOF-74 were converted to highly dispersed MgO nanoparticles with controllable particle size. MgO/SiO2-80 with the smallest MgO particle size exhibits the best catalytic performance in the hydrolysis of four ß-lactam antibiotics. The kinetics study reveals the higher degradation rate and lower activation energy of MgO/SiO2-80 than other benchmark solid base catalysts. The proposed mechanism suggests that small MgO particle size provides more accessible oxygen anions with high proton affinity for the cleavage of the ß-lactam ring, so that all hydrolytic products lose antimicrobial activity. The MgO/SiO2-80 serves as the potential high-performance solid base catalyst for the real-world antibiotic wastewater treatment.

High-efficiency treatment of benzaldehyde residue using two-stage fluidized-bed/fixed-bed catalytic system.

A novel two-stage fluidized-bed/fixed-bed catalytic system was developed for the treatment of benzaldehyde residue. The effects of reaction temperature, oxygen concentration, space velocity on the purification of benzaldehyde production residue were investigated. The effluent chemical oxygen demand (COD) was less than 70 mgO2/L and the COD removal efficiency was higher than 99.83% under our experimental condition (fluidized-bed and fixed-bed temperature of 300-400°C, the flow rate of residue of 10 mL/h and O2 excessive rate of 20). The volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of the outlet were not detected after the treatment. The high-efficiency performance of the process can last for at least 600 h in the stability experiment. It was also verified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis that most organic pollutants in the residue were significantly removed after treatment. These results suggest that the two-stage fluidized-bed/fixed-bed catalytic system could be a promising technology for the dispose of chlorine-containing polymer organics in the chemical industry.

Modulating the basicity of Zn-MOF-74 via cation exchange with calcium ions.

The fine-tuning of metal-based molecular building blocks in Zn-MOF-74 through post-synthetic cation exchange with Ca2+ significantly enhances its basicity and corresponding catalytic performance. The resulting material, exemplified by Ca/Zn-MOF-74, is shown through Knoevenagel condensation to give an improved product yield over the parent Zn-MOF-74 and Ni/Zn-MOF-74.

Assessment of mumps-containing vaccine effectiveness during an outbreak: Importance to introduce the 2-dose schedule for China.

INTRODUCTION: China has used 3 different mumps-containing vaccines (MuCV) since 1990: monovalent mumps vaccine, measles-mumps (MM) vaccine, and measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, and one dose MuCV (using MMR at 18 months) has been included in the EPI since 2007. MuCV effectiveness has been of concern following large-scale mumps outbreaks. In 2015, an outbreak of mumps occurred in a primary school, which allow us assess vaccine effectiveness of different MuCVs. METHOD: All children in the school were studied as a retrospective cohort. Vaccination histories and case information were obtained from vaccination records and clinic/hospital logs. Parental questionnaires were used to confirm students' illnesses and calculate attack rate (AR). VE was assessed using the formula, VE = (AR in unvaccinated students- AR in the vaccinated students) / (AR in unvaccinated students). VEs of different type of MuCV were compared. RESULTS: In total, 283 students were identified as clinical mumps among the 2370 students, and 1908 students were included for MuCV VE assessment. 213 (including 21 [8.9%] patients) were 2-dose MuCV recipients (AR: 9.9%), 1165 (including 123 [51.9%] patients) were 1-dose recipients (AR: 10.6%), and 530 (including 93 [39.2%] patients) were unvaccinated (AR: 17.5%). VE was 44% for 2 doses and 40% for one dose. For one-MuCV-dose students, estimated mumps VE was 63% for vaccinated within 3 years (between vaccination and this outbreak); 50% for vaccinated within 3 to 5 years; and 34% for vaccinated more than 5 years. Comparing VE by vaccine type and 5-year interval since vaccination, VE for MMR was 60%, which was consistently higher than VE for monovalent mumps vaccine (22%) and MM (2%). CONCLUSION: This outbreak was associated with low and declining 1-dose MuCV effectiveness. China's immunization program should evaluate the potential of a 2-dose MMR schedule to adequately control mumps.

Solvent-Assisted Stepwise Redox Approach To Generate Zeolite NaA-Supported K2O as Strong Base Catalyst for Michael Addition of Ethyl Acrylate with Ethanol.

Solid base catalysts featuring green, robustness, and high activity play an important role in the current fine-chemical and petrochemical industry. Normally, the generation of supported K2O by thermal decomposition of KNO3 requires high temperature, and this process can sometimes destroy the structure of supporting materials. We herein report a solvent-assisted stepwise redox (SASR) approach to generate zeolite NaA-supported K2O, which we call K2O/NaA, that function as the solid base catalyst for Michael addition reaction between ethanol and ethyl acrylate. The solvent-assisted redox decomposition process of KNO3 at elevated temperature was investigated by thermogravimetry-mass spectrometry. It reveals that after reducing a minor amount of KNO3 at 400 °C, the organic solvent decomposes to form carbon, which promotes the reduction of KNO3 to generate strong basicity on the zeolite NaA at 600 °C. The resulting material, K2O/NaA-S, exhibits improved catalytic activity in Michael addition reaction over other benchmark base catalysts that have been used in this reaction. This catalyst is durable for at least four catalytic cycles without apparent loss in activity. K2O/NaA-S exhibits larger reaction rate constant yet lower activation energy than K2O/NaA prepared by thermal decomposition method. The SASR approach described in this paper represents a new blueprint for the generation of the supported alkali oxide as the solid base catalyst.

Safety of measles-containing vaccines in post-marketing surveillance in Anhui, China.

The safety of measles vaccination is of great interest and importance to public health practice and the general society. We have analyzed the adverse events following immunization (AEFIs) of currently used measles-containing vaccines (including live attenuated measles vaccine, live attenuated measles and rubella combined vaccine, live attenuated measles and mumps combined vaccine, live attenuated Measles, Mumps and Rubella Combined Vaccine) in Anhui Province, China. From 2009 to 2014, 9.9 million doses of measles-containing vaccines were administrated and 1893 AEFIs were found (191.4 per million doses), of which, 33 serious AEFIs (3.3 per million vaccine doses) were reported. 59.4% (1124 cases) were male cases, and 85.1% (1611 cases) occurred in persons aged < 1 year. 93.3% (1766 cases) occurred at the first dose of vaccination and 95.9% (1815 cases) were found within 3 days after vaccination. This study presents up-to-date data and suggests that the measles-containing vaccines used in Anhui Province of China are safe.