Environmental Pollution Factors Research Articles

Methylation Landscape: Targeting Writer or Eraser to Discover Anti-Cancer Drug.

Cancer is a major global health challenge for our health system, despite the important pharmacological and therapeutic discoveries we have seen since past 5 decades. The increasing prevalence and mortality of cancer may be closely related to smoking, exposure to environmental pollution, dietary and genetic factors. Despite significant promising discoveries and developments such as cell and biotechnological therapies a new breakthrough in the medical field is needed to develop specific and effective drugs for cancer treatment. On the development of cell therapies, anti-tumor vaccines, and new biotechnological drugs that have already shown promising effects in preclinical studies. With the continuous enrichment and development of chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) and its derivative technologies, epigenetic modification has gradually become a research hotspot. As key ingredients of epigenetic modification, Writers, Readers, Erasers have been gradually unveiled. Cancer has been associated with epigenetic modification especially methylation and therefore different epigenetic drugs have been developed and some of those are already undergoing clinical phase I or phase II trials, and it is believed that these drugs will certainly assist the treatment in the near future. With respect to this, an overview of anti-tumor drugs targeting modified enzymes and de-modified enzymes will be performed in order to contribute to future research.

Phenolic compounds of mango (Mangifera indica) by-products: Antioxidant and antimicrobial potential, use in disease prevention and food industry, methods of extraction and microencapsulation

Globally, a large amount of agri-food waste is generated as a result of industrial processes or direct consumption of raw materials, and when discarded, they represent a factor of environmental pollution. Mango by-products have a great bioactive potential, especially because they contain phenolic compounds in which mangiferin predominates, in addition to a great variety of phenolic acids, flavonoids and tannins, which confer antioxidant effects against cancer, cardiovascular and neurological diseases, among others. In addition, it was demonstrated that they have an effect against a broad microbial spectrum, including multiple pathogenic bacteria and fungi such as Escherichia coli and Candida albicans, respectively. According to the literature, mango peel and seed extracts also have potential as an additive, by influencing the sensory and physicochemical characteristics of foods, which has been proven by their addition to products such as shrimp, yogurt and cookies. Considering the importance of mango by-products, this work focused on their phenolic properties, the mechanism of antioxidant and antimicrobial action, their fields of pharmacological and food applications, in addition to evaluating their extraction methods and proposing microencapsulation as a suitable technology to avoid their degradation and control their release under appropriate conditions. Based on the analysis performed, further studies are suggested on the application in different foods and to evaluate the interaction of polyphenols with the compounds of the product, to avoid possible negative effects. It is also recommended to experiment with the use of combined technologies to improve results during extraction and microencapsulation.

Environmental and Air Pollution Factors Affecting Allergic Eye Disease in Children and Adolescents in India.

The aim of this study was to describe the correlation between the meteorological and air pollution parameters with the temporal pattern of presentation of recent onset allergic eye disease (AED). This cross-sectional hospital-based study included new patients (≤21 years of age) presenting between January 2016 and August 2018 from the district of Hyderabad with a clinical diagnosis of AED and an acute exacerbation of recent onset of symptoms of less than 3 months duration. Correlation analysis was performed with the local environmental rainfall, temperature, humidity, windspeed, and air pollution. Of the 25,354 new patients hailing from the district of Hyderabad, 2494 (9.84%) patients were diagnosed with AED, of which 1062 (4.19%) patients had recent onset of symptoms. The mean monthly prevalence in this cohort was 4.13%, and the month of May (6.09%) showed the highest levels. The environmental parameters of humidity (r2 = 0.83/p = < 0.0001) and rainfall (r2 = 0.41/p = 0.0232) showed significant negative correlation, while temperature (r2 = 0.43/p = 0.0206) and ground-level ozone (r2 = 0.41/p = 0.0005) showed significant positive correlation with the temporal pattern of AED in the population. An increase in rainfall and humidity was associated with a lower prevalence, and an increase of temperature and ground-level ozone was associated with a higher prevalence of AED cases during the year among children and adolescents.

Effectiveness of acupuncture for asthenozoospermia: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background:According to the World Health Organization, the global incidence of infertility is about 15%, and more than 50% of infertility cases are caused by male infertility. Asthenozoospermia is caused by male fertility decline and male infertility. Due to work pressure, environmental pollution, sexual diseases, and other factors, the number of patients with asthenozoospermia has increased in recent years. It has been confirmed that acupuncture has a certain effect on patients with asthenozoospermia. Acupuncture and moxibustion can be an adjuvant treatment plan for the treatment of asthenozoospermia in addition to drug treatment.Methods:Randomized controlled trials of acupuncture for asthenozoospermia will be searched in the relevant database, including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Database, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), and Chinese Scientific Journal Database (VIP database). The studies of electronic searches will be exported to EndNote V.9.1 software. We will run meta-analyses using the Review Manager (RevMan) V.5.3 software. Any disagreements will be solved in consultation with a third reviewer.Results:Our study aims to explore the efficacy of acupuncture for asthenozoospermia and to provide up-to-date evidence for clinical of asthenozoospermia.Conclusion:This study will perform a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis on the efficacy of acupuncture for asthenozoospermia, making up for the lack of relevant evidence of the clinical use of acupuncture.INPLASY registration number:INPLASY 202140032.

Facile Modification of Biochar Derived from Agricultural Straw Waste with Effective Adsorption and Removal of Phosphorus from Domestic Sewage

In recent decades, straw waste is the major byproduct around agriculture that has become one of the factors of environmental pollution. The purpose of this study is to reuse waste straw to develop a new green and highly efficient biomass-based adsorbent for phosphorus removal. To attain this aim, Mg–Al bimetallic oxide/straw fiber (Mg–Al/SF) with hierarchical structure was successfully synthesized by hydrothermal method using waste straw as the biomass carbon precursor and Mg–Al/SF was applied as adsorbent in the removal of phosphorus from wastewater. The morphology, composition and structure of the adsorbent was well supported by several characterizations. The prepared biomass-based adsorbent showed outstanding adsorption performance. Maximum adsorption capability of Mg–Al/SF towards phosphorus from the Langmuir isotherm model was fitted out to be 89.37 mg/g. The related kinetics and isotherm study for the adsorption process were explored in detail. The proposed adsorbent exhibited good reusability that the removal of phosphorus remained above 72% after 5 cycles. In addition, thermodynamic study was carried out to further investigate the phosphorus removal mechanism, which was the synergistic combination of surface adsorption and chemical adsorption. The removal of total phosphorus in actual domestic sewage (Total phosphorus, TP, 0.8–1.1 mg/L) were investigated. The results indicated that the prepared Mg–Al/SF has excellent TP adsorption and recycling performance, and the adsorption and stability performance are significantly higher than that of the commercial activated carbon. The interactions between biomass material with large surface area and metal oxide provides great potential for the real application in the water treatment. Furthermore, it also presents a feasible and efficient practical example of increasing the use of agricultural waste.

Does the E-commerce Transformation of Cities Promote Green and High-quality Development? Evidence from a Quasi-natural Experiment Based on National E-commerce Demonstration Cities

Based on the quasi-natural experiment of national e-commerce demonstration cities, this paper studies the influence of the construction of national e-commerce demonstration cities on the green and high-quality development of the city and its mechanism by using the “progressive” DID method. It is found that compared with non-state e-commerce demonstration cities, the construction of national e-commerce demonstration cities significantly promotes the green and high-quality development of cities. We also adopt identification strategies such as instrumental variable method, PSM-DID method and placebo test, and find that the conclusions are still valid. Further research shows that the positive promotion effect is more significant in the samples of large-sized cities and resource-based cities. It is found that national e-commerce demonstration cities promote the green and high-quality development of the city mainly through the three channels of industrial structure upgrading effect, economic agglomeration effect and transaction cost reduction effect.This paper has three main contributions: Firstly, from the perspective of e-commerce development, it examines the impact of national e-commerce demonstration city construction on green and high-quality development for the first time, and expands and deepens the existing academic literature on green development and environmental pollution factors. Secondly, it evaluates the policy effect and mechanism of China’s e-commerce demonstration cities from the perspective of urban green and high-quality development, verifies that the construction of national e-commerce demonstration cities has a promoting effect on the green and high-quality development of cities, and provides empirical guidance for the further promotion and improvement of this type of urban development model. Thirdly, it adopts the identification strategy of the post stations in the Ming Dynasty and the number of telephone sets per 10,000 people in 1984 as instrumental variables, which is helpful to effectively identify the causal relationship between the pilot policies of national e-commerce demonstration cities and the green and high-quality urban development.

Measurement and Analysis of the Noise Level in Selected Zones of Bus Stops in the City of Radom

The noise from means of transport is one of the main factors of environmental noise pollution and is one of the factors having an effect on human health. The article presents the problem of noise emitted by urban means of transport. The work focuses on analysis of the acoustic climate in the bus stop zone. In order to estimate the noise level, research was conducted in selected points in one of the Polish cities - Radom. The obtained results allowed assessment of the impact of transport on the noise level in the area of selected bus stops.

Macro-microscopic changes in the kidneys of the rats affected by methyl tertiary butyl ether in different time of the research

Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) is a relatively new anthropogenic factor of environmental pollution. It is already known that it is an environmentally hazardous substance that has a toxic effect on the human body. The purpose of the research is to study the effect of MTBE on the structural organization of the kidneys of research animals. White outbred rats were involved into the research, which were treated with 500 mg/kg MTBE in an oil solution, which was administered intragastrically using a gastric catheter. Structural changes in the kidneys on the 3rd, 8th, 15th, 22nd and 60th day of the research were studied by means of light-optical and electron microscopy. The obtained material was processed statistically using the parametric Student's test and the nonparametric Kolmogorov-Smirnov test in accordance with the principles of variation statistics. During the runtime of the research, we have clearly defined the staging of changes in the structural organization of the kidney and the dependence of their severity on the duration of MTBE action. With short-term exposure (3, 8 and 15 day of the research), the weight of the kidneys and other organometric parameters do not differ from those in the control group. In the initial stages of MTBE action, we have observed reactive changes, which are clearly manifested in the structures of the filtration barrier (3rd day), and with an increase in the observation period (8th day) they spread to the epithelial cells of the proximal tubules. After 15 days of MTBE action, against the background of pronounced compensatory-adaptive events, we have noticed the development of dystrophic-destructive processes in the renal corpuscles and in the proximal tubules. There are structural signs of enhanced synthetic activity in the mesangial cells. On the 22nd day of the experiment, the morphometric index of the mass and linear dimensions of the kidneys increase in comparison with the control group. There are structural signs of atrophy and hypertrophy processes in the nephrons. There are progressive changes in the tubular apparatus of the kidneys in comparison with the previous period of the research. Long-term action of MTBE (60 days) causes further deepening of dystrophic and destructive changes in all parts of the nephron, which differ in intensity. It has been proved that MTBE has a negative effect on all structural components of the nephron, which leads to disorganization of the filtration and reabsorption of kidney apparatus and significant development of the connective tissue, which causes the development of sclerosis. Besides, it has been proved that MTBE has an apparent nephrotoxic effect and the degree of damage to the structural components of the kidney is determined by the duration of the body's contact with this toxic substance.

Understanding changes in electric vehicle policies in the U.S. states, 2010–2018

State-level policy support for electric vehicles (EVs) increased from 2010 to 2015. A total of 27 U.S. states enacted a variety of subsidies to promote EV adoption and use. From 2015, however, many states repealed their policies and others levied annual EV fees. There is a lack of coherence in state approaches to EV policy, most exemplified by states that both subsidize EV purchases and charge them annual fees. Using panel data on EV purchase subsidies, home charger subsidies, and annual EV fees from 2010 to 2018, we estimate whether changes in economic, environmental, demographic, political, and ideological factors explain variation in state EV policies. We find that environmental ideology and state politics are the main factors supporting state EV subsidies. Economic and environmental pollution factors only played an important role in enactment of annual EV fees, as states with higher unemployment, lower reliance on the gas tax, and better air quality are less likely to impose annual EV fees.

Identifying the driving factors of NO2 pollution of One Belt One Road countries: satellite observation technique and dynamic spatial panel data analysis.

To recover the global economy, China in 2013 called for a new global strategy, namely, "One Belt and One Road Initiative" (BRI), which aims at reinforcing regional economic cooperation, enhancing regional collaboration of economic policy, and realizing the goal of rapid economic development of member countries. Accelerating industrialization not only has been recognized as an effective way to stimulate economic development, but also lead to the serious issue of environmental pollution, which challenges the environmental sustainability. In this study, we focus on the industrializing region as a study area to investigate the driving factors of environmental pollution. Technically, we utilized satellite observation technique to obtain NO2 columns data to denote environmental pollution and then applied dynamic spatial panel data models to evaluate what affects NO2 pollution levels. The findings are the following. (1) NO2 pollution exhibits significant and positive spatial autocorrelation, indicating spatial spillovers of NO2 pollution. (2) Lebanon, Bangladesh, Kyrgyzstan, and India experienced the largest increase of NO2 pollution while NO2 pollution in Singapore, Hungary, Greece, and Ukraine was substantially reduced. (3) The results of the dynamic spatial panel data models show that both the time dynamics effects and the spatial spillover effects are found to be significant and positive. In other words, both effects should be considered. Population is the foremost contributor to increase NO2 pollution while urbanization is an effective way to reduce pollution. An EKC relationship between NO2 pollution and per capita income was verified. Besides, industrialization, foreign direct investment, and trade openness have positive impacts on NO2 pollution.

Temporal trend of microsporidial keratoconjunctivitis and correlation with environmental and air pollution factors in India.

Purpose:The aim of this study was to describe the correlation between the temporal pattern of presentation of acute microsporidial keratoconjunctivitis (MKC) with meteorological parameters such as environmental temperature, rainfall, humidity, windspeed, and air pollution.Methods:This cross-sectional hospital-based study included 182,789 patients presenting between January 2016 and December 2019 hailing from the district of Hyderabad. Patients with a clinical diagnosis of MKC in at least one eye with an acute onset (≤1 week) of presentation were included as cases. Correlation analysis was performed with the local environmental temperature, rainfall, humidity, and windspeed (Telangana State Development and Planning Society) and air pollution (Central Pollution Control Board, Government of India).Results:Overall, 84 (0.05%) patients were diagnosed with acute onset MKC from the district of Hyderabad. The mean monthly prevalence in this cohort was 0.05% with peak prevalence in the months of July (0.08%), August (0.09%), September (0.12%), and October (0.08%). The environmental parameters of rainfall (r2 = 0.87/P = < 0.0001), humidity (r2 = 0.78/P = 0.0001), windspeed (r2 = 0.38/P = 0.0321) were significantly positively correlated and the air pollution parameters such as ground level ozone (r2 = 0.89/P = < 0.0001), particulate matter PM10 (r2 = 0.65/P = 0.0013), PM2.5 (r2 = 0.50/P = 0.0095), nitrogen dioxide (r2 = 0.53/P = 0.0071), and carbon monoxide (r2 = 0.69/P = 0.0008) were significantly negatively correlated with the temporal pattern of MKC in the population.Conclusion:Parasitic infections like MKC show a distinct temporal trend peaking during the monsoon season in the population. An increase in humidity, wind speed, and especially rainfall contributes to a higher prevalence of MKC cases during the year. An increase in ground-level ozone seems to be protective against infection.

Исследование питательной ценности, химической и биологической безопасности кормов, получаемых из отходов сельскохозяйственного и промышленного производства

Waste from agricultural and industrial production is one of the factors of environmental pollution. Together with this, they are a valuable raw material and can be used, for example, for the manufacture of additional animal feed. The article provides information on the rational use of valuable agricultural and industrial waste as additives in the rations of feeding farm animals and poultry. The health of farm animals and poultry, their productivity depends on the quality and balance of feed. An unbalanced diet leads to metabolic disorders. The data on the chemical composition of molasses, cake and meal, which are used in animal husbandry and poultry farming, as an additional feed with a high protein content, are given. Molasses, which is a by-product of sugar beet production, contains easily digestible carbohydrates, and its use in animal husbandry as an additional feed solves the problem of sugar deficiency. The Testing Center (IC) of the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution "FSBSI «FCTRBS-RRVI" conducted research on sunflower cake, rapeseed and sunflower meal in terms of feed value (mass fraction of moisture, mass fraction of crude protein, mass fraction of crude fiber, mass fraction of crude fat). The results of the study of beet molasses samples are presented in terms of quality indicators: mass fraction of dry substances, mass fraction of sugar (by direct polarization), and mass fraction of reducing sugars. The studies carried out indicate that 95% of cake, meal and beet molasses obtained from agricultural and industrial waste, in terms of feed value, meet the requirements of the current regulatory documentation.

Transfer Factor and Health Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in a Soil-Crop System in a High Incidence Area of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma, Guangdong

In order to reveal the transfer factor and perform health risk assessments of heavy metals in soil-crop systems in the high incidence area of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in Guangdong province of China, the farmland system of Sihui City in the high incidence area of NPC was selected as the research object, and rice, lettuce, and corresponding soil samples were collected. As, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Cd in the soil and crop samples were analyzed. Based on the contents and chemical forms of seven heavy metals, the environmental pollution, bioavailability, and transfer factors of heavy metals in the soil-crop system were assessed using statistical analyses, pollution index evaluations, and transfer factor methods, and the health risks of adults and children in the study area were assessed using the health risk assessment model recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The results showed that the farmland soil in the study area was basically clean (P=0.43); Cd and Mn mainly existed in a bioavailable state, Hg mainly existed in a potentially available state, and As Cu, Ni, and Pb mainly existed in a residual state. The lettuce was safe (P=0.48), while the pollution index of rice (P=7.66) was higher than that of lettuce, and the main polluting element was Pb (PI=10.25). The results of soil pollution assessments are not completely consistent with those of crop pollution assessments, so they should be combined with the bioavailability of heavy metals and crop effects for correlation analyses. Cd and Cu are more easily absorbed by lettuce, while Cd, Cu, and As are more easily enriched by rice. Special attention should be paid to Cd and Cu pollution in farmland soils, and As pollution should be of focus in paddy fields. In the study area, the non-carcinogenic risk index (HI) value of edible lettuce for adults and children was less than 1 and the average value of the total carcinogenic risk index (Risk) of edible lettuce was less than 1×10-4. Therefore, the health risk of edible local lettuce was within the acceptable range. The average HI index of rice for adults and children was more than 1 and the main non-carcinogenic factor was Pb; the risk index of rice was more than 1×10-4, and the main carcinogenic factor was As. Rice consumption in the study area will cause certain health risks, and the threat to adults is greater than that to children. Therefore, As in rice may be related to the high incidence of NPC in Sihui City. It is suggested that the remediation of heavy metals in farmland soils be strengthened or that residents be forbidden to plant or eat local rice and other crops with greater health risks.

Risk factors in the backbone public health protection complex

The current stage of Russian society development in the conditions of recent socio-economic formation is characterized by a surge of interest and the number of scientific studies devoted to the assessment of environmental factors and the construction of eco-dependent pathology. A region of the Russian Federation with a developed industry was taken as the study area. In particular, indicators of environmental pollution factors, as well as indicators of population morbidity, were studied. The studies were carried out over time for 2013-2018. To assess the risk, the multimedia exposure risk calculating method was used. The hazard index was also evaluated; it characterizes the disturbances of a particular body system. Analysis of the data on the qualitative and quantitative composition of the water basin of the given territory allowed us to conclude that the level of indicators of iron, fluoride, and nitrite compounds, dry residue and water pH practically did not change over time. The concentration of nitrates, total hardness, ammonium salts, BOD5, sulphate’s, and chlorides increased significantly, while dissolved oxygen decreased. Data on the prevalence and primary morbidity among the population indicate that the prevalence and primary incidence rates in the study area are characterized by uneven indicators, which made it possible to rank and establish statistically significant differences in the studied indicators. Data analysis using the methods of parametric and nonparametric statistics made it possible to confirm that the levels of chlorine derivatives, dissolved oxygen, and total hardness significantly affect the formation of the incidence rate of the population in the studied region. The calculated values of carcinogenic risks with the cutaneous intake of cadmium are 2.0 ×10-8. The values of carcinogenic risks for oral intake of cadmium are 0.3 ×10-6. It was found that the Deminimis level in the total carcinogenic risk level is 0.6% for the study area.

Intergovernmental fiscal transfers and CO2 emissions in China

Effectively evaluating the influencing factors of environmental pollution at the system level has become a hot topic in sustainable socioeconomic development; however, none of the existing studies have attempted to explore the relationship between intergovernmental fiscal transfers and environmental pollution. In this work, we aim to address the research gap from theoretical and empirical perspectives. Under the framework of endogenous growth theory, we first analyze the dynamic relationship between intergovernmental fiscal transfer ratio and the environment. Findings demonstrate that intergovernmental fiscal transfer ratio and environmental pollution have a bell-shaped relationship. We then conduct an empirical investigation of CO2 emissions with panel data for China’s 30 provinces for the period of 1998–2017 by combining spatial econometric methods. The robust empirical results support the aforementioned theoretical findings. The findings of this work may help the central and provincial governments of China in addressing CO2 emission problems by using a reasonable intergovernmental fiscal transfer ratio.

Fiscal Expenditures on Science and Technology and Environmental Pollution: Evidence from China.

Studying the driving factors of environmental pollution is of great importance for China. Previous literature mainly focused on the cause of national aggregate emission changes. However, research about the effect of fiscal expenditures on science and technology (FESTs) on environmental pollution is rare. Considering the large gap among cities in China, it is necessary to investigate whether and how FESTs affect environmental pollution among cities. We adopted three kinds of typical environmental pollutants including sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions, wastewater emission, and atmospheric particulate matter less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter (PM2.5). Using the data of 260 prefecture-level cities over ten years in China, we found that FESTs play a significantly positive role in reducing sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions and PM2.5 concentrations, but fail to alleviate wastewater emissions. Specifically, for every 1% increase in FESTs, SO2 emissions were reduced by 5.317% and PM2.5 concentrations were reduced by 5.329%. Furthermore, we found that FESTs reduced environmental pollution by impeding fixed asset investments and by promoting research and development activities (R&D). Moreover, the impacts of FESTs on environmental pollution varied across regions and sub-periods. Our results are robust to a series of additional checks, including alternative econometric specifications, generalized method of moments (GMM) analysis and overcoming potential endogeneity with an instrumental variable. Our findings confirm that government efforts can be effective on pollution control in China. Hence, all governments should pay more attention to FESTs for sustainable development and environmental quality improvements.

Life Cycle Assessment of Biochar Modified Bioasphalt Derived from Biomass

This paper focuses on the life cycle assessment (LCA) of different types of biochar modified bioasphalt (BMBA) by considering greenhouse gas (GHG) emission and environmental pollution factors. Bioc...

Economic and Environmental Aspects of the Development of Renewable Energy in Kazakhstan

One of the key tasks for the world community is the development of energy, which is one of the fundamental components of the economy. However, one cannot deny the fact that energy is the main factor in environmental pollution, which leads to the constant search for such types of energy sources that would have a positive impact on the economic development of territories and favourably affect the environment, alternative sources to traditional ones. Currently, there is an energy transformation, the main condition of which is the development of alternative energy technologies. One of the prospects for the economic and environmental development of the territories is the efficient use of renewable energy sources, which are becoming increasingly important in the world community and the global energy balance, and are becoming a substitute resource for traditional fossil energy resources. The article aims to analyse the economic and environmental aspects of the development of renewable energy in Kazakhstan and identify the main prospects. In the framework of the study, the concept of renewable energy sources, their main types are defined, the opinion of various authors regarding the development of renewable energy sources is described, the main directions aimed at stimulating the development of renewable energy are considered. The development of renewable energy in Kazakhstan in comparison with other countries (USA, China, Germany, Russia) is considered, the main problems are identified, the prospects for the development of renewable energy are also considered. The prospects for further research are determined by the subsequent study of the development of renewable energy sources, taking into account economic and environmental aspects. The article is of practical value in the framework of generalising data on the development of renewable energy in Kazakhstan and foreign countries.

Spatial agglomeration and driving factors of environmental pollution: A spatial analysis

Analyzing the influencing factors of environmental pollution is of utmost significance for formulating pollution control strategies. However, the extant research did not take into consideration the spatial effects, which may result in an insufficient understanding of the results. To explore the spatial agglomeration of environmental pollution, the externalities of economic units are integrated into environmental pollution research. Using a panel data from 2005 to 2017 of 30 Chinese provinces, this paper quantitatively analyzed the main driving factors affecting environmental pollution by utilizing the spatial Durbin model (SDM). To better test the marginal effects from the spatial dependence, the influence of each contributing factor is further decomposed. The main results are as follows: (1) The quartile maps of China’s environmental pollution show obvious characteristics of spatial disparity and clustering. (2) Owing to the correlation and similarity between economic units, China’s environmental pollution shows a steady spatial agglomeration effect among regions. (3) Analysis of the SDM indicates that per capita GDP, technology, urbanization, and population exert different influences on environmental pollution. Moreover, the impacts of urbanization and foreign direct investment on environmental pollution vary essentially among regions, and one change in the abovementioned variables will not only exert influence on environmental pollution in one region but also extend its spatial effects in neighboring regions through a spatial transmission mechanism. Also, an inverted U-shaped nexus is also supported for environmental pollution accordingly. According to the empirical results of this paper, several major policy implications are proposed.

Epidemiology of influenza in hospitalized children with respiratory tract infection in Suzhou area from 2016 to 2019.

Influenza is a contagious respiratory disease and risks public health in China, and it has caused wide public concern in recent years. Immunocompromised patients, such as children and elderly people, suffer more severe influenza complication and some extreme cases are even life threatening. To identify the influenza characteristics and its correlation with various climatic and environmental pollution factors, we collected the reported influenza epidemic of hospitalized children in Children's Hospital of Soochow University from 2016 to 2019. Our results show that the main influenza virus subtypes are A/H1N1, A/H3N2, B/BV, and B/BY. We also identified the characteristics of the prevalent influenza virus subtypes in different months, seasons, years, and patients' age. Of all the influenza infected patients, the most susceptible groups are children over 3 to 5 years of age, and more cases are reported in winter than other seasons. We also found that influenza is also highly correlated with climatic and environmental pollution factors, and the autoregressive integrated moving average model is employed for the short-term influenza prediction in Suzhou city, which can provide scientific basis for the prevention and control of influenza and public health decision-making.