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Accurate prediction on influent wastewater quality is of great importance to energy saving and chemical dosage reduction of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). However, the existing methods ignore the data noise caused by water sensors working in harsh conditions and the intrinsic variable dynamics inherent in the time series of wastewater quality. To tackle this problem, we propose a novel approach called wt-ResLSTM (w avelet t ransform and Res idual L ong S hort- T erm M emory) to predict the influent wastewater quality. Specifically, we adopt wavelet transform and semi-soft thresholding to remove the noise from influent wastewater quality data adaptively. Then, we use autoencoder to learn the latent representation of the recent fluctuation of wastewater quality to capture its transient uncertainty. Further, the residual LSTM is adopted to learn both the long-term and short-term sequential dependencies of influent wastewater quality from the historical wastewater quality and the latent representation of its recent fluctuation. Experiments on the dataset from a large-scale urban WWTP in Beijing demonstrate that the proposed wt-ResLSTM approach outperforms state-of-the-art techniques in predicting influent wastewater quality in terms of level accuracy and directional accuracy. • This paper proposes a novel approach called wt-ResLSTM for the prediction on influent wastewater quality. • The wt-ResLSTM approach considers both noise removal and transient uncertainty in recent fluctuations of wastewater quality. • The wt-ResLSTM approach can be used to accomplish precise control of WWTPs for energy saving and chemical dosage reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A total of 25 Chinese patients aged 6 to 36 months hospitalised at Beijing Children's Hospital due to melamine-induced kidney stones complicated by acute obstructive renal failure in 2008 were included in a study in order to diagnose and treat these special cases more effectively. Feeding history, clinical presentation, ultrasound findings, treatments and effects were summarised. Twelve to seventeen months follow-up was reported also. Ultrasound examination showed that calculi were located at the kidney and ureters. Stones were composed of both uric acid and melamine in a molar ratio of 1.2:1 to 2.1:1. Treatments providing liquid plus alkalisation of urine proved to be effective in helping the patients pass the stones. Surgical intervention was needed in severe cases. Renal function returned to normal in all 25 patients after various durations of therapy. Sixty-eight percent of the patients expelled all of the calculi within 3 months, 90% in 6 months and 95% in 9 months, without sequelae till now. Melamine-contaminated milk formula can cause kidney stones in infants, which should be diagnosed by feeding history, clinical symptoms and ultrasound examination. Composition of the stones was not only of melamine but also uric acid. Providing liquid orally or intravenously plus alkalisation of urine proved to promote the removal of the stones. Follow-up of 12 to 17 months after discharge showed no sequelae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: To explore the effects of particulate matters less than 2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter (PM2.5) on heart repolarization/depolarization and heart rate variability (HRV). Methods: We conducted a panel study for elderly subjects with heart disease in Beijing from 2007 to 2008. PM2.5 was measured at a fixed station for 20 h continuously each day while electrocardiogram (ECG) indexes of 42 subjects were also recorded repeatedly. Meteorological data was obtained from the China Meteorological Data Sharing Service System. A mixed linear regression model was used to estimate the associations between PM2.5 and the ECG indexes. The model was adjusted for age, body mass index, sex, day of the week and meteorology. Results: Significant adverse effects of PM2.5 on ECG indexes reflecting HRV were observed statistically and the strongest effect of PM2.5 on HRV was on lag 1 day in our study. However, there were no associations between PM2.5 and ECG indexes reflecting heart repolarization/depolarization. Additionally, the effects of PM2.5 on subjects with hypertension were larger than on the subjects without hypertension. Conclusion: This study showed ambient PM2.5 could affect cardiac autonomic function of the elderly people with heart disease, and subjects with hypertension appeared to be more susceptive to the autonomic dysfunction induced by PM2.5. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

To evaluate their prognosis, the damage by melamine on children's kidney and other organs, and its influence on the children's development, was investigated. Nine hundred and sixty-two Chinese children were divided into three groups: group A, 265 children diagnosed with melamine-associated urolithiasis; group B, 197 children with a history of melamine-contaminated milk powder consumption but without urolithiasis; and group C, 500 healthy children. They were examined at 0, 1, 3, 6 and 12 months. The factors influencing the prognosis were investigated. The stone discharge was monitored by ultrasonography. Overt renal and liver damage and underlying renal injury markers were analyzed. The stone discharge rates 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after the diagnoses were 52.5%, 67.2%, 88.3% and 95.5%, respectively. Stone size was a stable influencing factor for the stone discharge rate. Additionally, the values of the potential renal injury markers in children with stones already discharged is equivalent to normal children. This 12 month follow up of early renal injury markers indicated that the damage to the kidney is temporary with no persistent negative outcomes being found till now. Additionally, the gross development of the children seemed not yet jeopardized by melamine. Longer-term follow up will be conducted. Shen et al. reported the outcomes of 462 Chinese children who have suffered from melamine-associated kidney stones. They concluded that the kidney damage caused in these children associated with kidney stones was temporary and did not affect the children's development of both entire growth and kidney function so far. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) is highly endemic in mainland China, and has extended from rural areas to cities recently. Beijing metropolis is a novel affected region, where the HFRS incidence seems to be diverse from place to place. Methodology/Principal Findings: The spatial scan analysis based on geographical information system (GIS) identified three geo-spatial "hotspots" of HFRS in Beijing when the passive surveillance data from 2004 to 2006 were used. The Relative Risk (RR) of the three "hotspots" was 5.45, 3.57 and 3.30, respectively. The Phylogenetic analysis based on entire coding region sequence of S segment and partial L segment sequence of Seoul virus (SEOV) revealed that the SEOV strains circulating in Beijing could be classified into at least three lineages regardless of their host origins. Two potential recombination events that happened in lineage #1 were detected and supported by comparative phylogenetic analysis. The SEOV strains in different lineages and strains with distinct special amino acid substitutions for N protein were partially associated with different spatial clustered areas of HFRS. Conclusion/Significance: Hotspots of HFRS were found in Beijing, a novel endemic region, where intervention should be enhanced. Our data suggested that the genetic variation and recombination of SEOV strains was related to the high risk areas of HFRS, which merited further investigation. Author Summary: Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) is caused by Hantaviruses, the enzootic viruses with a worldwide distribution. In China, HFRS is a significant public health problem with more than 10,000 human cases reported annually and the endemic areas of the disease have extended from rural to urban areas and even to central cities in recent years. The HFRS incidence has increased recently and the morbidity seemed to be considerably diverse in different areas in Beijing, the capital of China. With the aim of gaining more information to control this disease, we carried out a spatial analysis of HFRS based on the data from human cases during 2004–2006 and investigated the genetic features of complete S and partial L segment sequences of Seoul virus from natural infected rodent hosts and patients. We found three geo-spatial clusters, i.e., "hotspots" of HFRS in Beijing, where intervention should be enhanced. Our data indicated that the genetic variation and recombination of SEOV might be related to the high risk areas of HFRS in Beijing, which was worthy of further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) is highly endemic in mainland China, and has extended from rural areas to cities recently. Beijing metropolis is a novel affected region, where the HFRS incidence seems to be diverse from place to place. Methodology/Principal Findings: The spatial scan analysis based on geographical information system (GIS) identified three geo-spatial ''hotspots'' of HFRS in Beijing when the passive surveillance data from 2004 to 2006 were used. The Relative Risk (RR) of the three ''hotspots'' was 5.45, 3.57 and 3.30, respectively. The Phylogenetic analysis based on entire coding region sequence of S segment and partial L segment sequence of Seoul virus (SEOV) revealed that the SEOV strains circulating in Beijing could be classified into at least three lineages regardless of their host origins. Two potential recombination events that happened in lineage #1 were detected and supported by comparative phylogenetic analysis. The SEOV strains in different lineages and strains with distinct special amino acid substitutions for N protein were partially associated with different spatial clustered areas of HFRS. Conclusion/Significance: Hotspots of HFRS were found in Beijing, a novel endemic region, where intervention should be enhanced. Our data suggested that the genetic variation and recombination of SEOV strains was related to the high risk areas of HFRS, which merited further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To evaluate possible severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) infection associated risk factors in a SARS affected hospital in Beijing by means of a case control study. Methods Fifty-one infected and 426 uninfected staff members were asked about risk behaviours and protective measures when attending to SARS patients. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the major risk and protective factors. Results Multivariate analysis confirmed the strong role of performing chest compression (or intubation, which is highly correlated), contact with respiratory secretion, and emergency care experience as risk factors to acquire SARS infection. For the studied protective measures, wearing 16-layer cotton surgical mask, wearing 12-layer cotton surgical mask, wearing multiple layers of mask, taking prophylactic medicine, taking training and nose washing turned out to be protective against infection. Conclusions This study highlighted activities associated with increased and decreased risk for SARS infection during close contact with SARS patients. These findings may help to guide recommendations for the protection of high-risk occupational groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studied the concentration, seasonal variation, size distribution of water soluble organic matter in atmospheric aerosols in the Beijing and the Okinawa area. Size fractionate aerosols were sampled in Beijing city and Okinawa islands respectively in 2006, water-distilled samples were analyzed by total organic carbon (TOC) analysis to obtain the concentration level of organic carbon. Results showed that the concentration of total water soluble organics in Beijing area ranged from 8.31 ~ 20.03 µg ⋅ m-3 The concentration of total water soluble organics in Okinawa area was 3.39 µg ⋅ m-3. Water soluble organics mainly existed in fine particles (d<2.1 µm), which account for 42% ~ 53% of water soluble organics in total suspended particles in Beijing and 39% ~ 46% in Okinawa. The concentration of water soluble organics in Beijing area was the highest in winter, which was influenced by local emissions; while the concentration of water soluble organics in Okinawa area was the highest in spring, with the main influence from long range transport of pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This case summarizes the development of IKEA's China operations since the opening of its first store in Shanghai in 1998. Since then, IKEA had added four retail stores in Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou. Nevertheless, IKEA still had not been profitable in China. The case aims to identify the underlying factors that influenced IKEA's performance in China. The case starts by summarizing IKEA's history, including its organizational characteristics and the competitive dynamics in the Chinese furniture market. Building on this framework, the strategic challenges of IKEA in China are highlighted. In this regard, the case analyzes the effectiveness of IKEA's distinct furniture concept, pricing strategy, and market positioning in the Chinese furniture market. On the whole, the case aims to provide insights for international business development in the Chinese furniture market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We used geographic information systems to characterize the dynamic change in spatial distribution of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) in Beijing, People's Republic of China. The seasonal variation in its incidence was observed by creating an epidemic curve. HFRS was associated with developed land, orchards, and rice paddies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]