Nutrition impacts of non-solid cooking fuel adoption on under-five children in developing countries

This paper examines the nutrition impacts of using non-solid cooking fuel on under-five children in developing countries.We draw on data from more than 1.12 million children in 62 developing countries from the Demographic and Health Surveys(DHS).Results from both fixed effects(FE)and instrumental variable(IV)estimates show that using non-solid cooking fuel significantly improves the nutrition outcomes of under-five children.Compared with their peers from households mainly using solid fuel,children from households mainly using non-solid fuel exhibit a lower probability of experiencing stunting(by 5.9 percentage points)and being underweight(by 1.2 percentage points).Our further investigation provides evidence for several underlying mechanisms,such as improved indoor air quality,induced reduction in children’s respiratory symptoms,benefits on maternal health,and reduction in maternal time spent on fuel collection or cooking.Heterogenous analyses suggest that the nutrition benefits of using non-solid cooking fuel are more prominent among boys,children above three years old,and those from households of lower socioeconomic status,rural areas,and Southeast Asia.

Challenges to establishing and maintaining kidney transplantation programs in developing countries:What are the coping strategies?

Kidney transplantation(KT)is the optimal form of renal replacement therapy for patients with end-stage renal diseases.However,this health service is not available to all patients,especially in developing countries.The deceased donor KT programs are mostly absent,and the living donor KT centers are scarce.Single-center studies presenting experiences from developing countries usually report a variety of challenges.This review addresses these challenges and the opposing strategies by reviewing the single-center experiences of developing countries.The financial challenges hamper the infrastructural and material availability,coverage of transplant costs,and qualification of medical personnel.The sociocultural challenges influence organ donation,equity of beneficence,and regular follow-up work.Low interests and motives for transplantation may result from high medicolegal responsibilities in KT practice,intense potential psychosocial burdens,complex qualification protocols,and low productivity or compensation for KT practice.Low medical literacy about KT advantages is prevalent among clinicians,patients,and the public.The inefficient organizational and regulatory oversight is translated into inefficient healthcare systems,absent national KT programs and registries,uncoordinated job descriptions and qualification protocols,uncoordinated on-site investigations with regulatory constraints,and the prevalence of commercial KT practices.These challenges resulted in noticeable differences between KT services in developed and developing countries.The coping strategies can be summarized in two main mechanisms:The first mechanism is maximizing the available resources by increasing the rates of living kidney donation,promoting the expertise of medical personnel,reducing material consumption,and supporting the establishment and maintenance of KT programs.The latter warrants the expansion of the public sector and the elimination of non-ethical KT practices.The second mechanism is recruiting external resources,including financial,experience,and training agreements.

Food Security in Developing Countries: Factors and Mitigation

Since 1976, eradicating hunger has become one of the priority objectives of the United Nations, which is included in the Charter of Human Rights;the right to get adequate food. The qualification of food security in time and space must analyze not only the three components it covers but also the relationships that these three components maintain. Climate change contributes to food insecurity, but it is not the only factor. To address food insecurity in various forms, greater food security must be combined with improved sustainable agricultural practices with minimal strain on the environment. This review of literature insists on the principles of food security, which in particular allows a better understanding of food insecurity in developing countries and favors a greater contribution of agriculture and food systems in general to nutritional progress.

Research on Developing an Assessment Scale for Tourism Experience Elements of Ancient Shu Road Heritage Trail

Cultural ancient roads,known in Chinese as gudao,serve as heritage trails that carry historical exchanges across various regions in China.Due to their extensive preservation,wide geographical distribution,diverse thematic variations,and considerable tourist appeal,these paths have emerged as representative heritage trails,increasingly transforming into a novel tourism product experience that is highly favored by tourists and recognized by government authorities.However,research on ancient roads for tourism in China currently lacks a systematic theoretical framework,as well as relevant policies,regulations,and standards to guide their practical development.Therefore,there is a pressing need to draw upon international best practices and conduct foundational research to develop an experience element system that aligns with the perceptions,behaviors,and consumption characteristics of Chinese tourists,thereby advancing theoretical exploration in this field.This study focuses on the representative Ancient Shu Road as a case study and employs a mixed-method approach that integrates qualitative and quantitative research.It aims to construct a tourist-centric scale for the experience elements of ancient road tourism while analyzing the interactive relationship between these experience elements and tourist needs.This study addresses a significant gap in the development of indicator systems for domestic studies of ancient road tourism experiences.Ultimately,the study establishes a comprehensive scale that encompasses three core categories—trail resources and environment,facilities and services,and modes of tourism activities—along with eight primary dimensions:core resources,surrounding cultural environment,surrounding natural environment,tourism reception facilities and services,infrastructure and support services,information facilities and information services,and outdoor and recreational activities.This scale consists of thirty-two specific items,providing a robust reference for future research endeavors.Additionally,the study proposes specific development strategies related to key mechanisms,spatial configuration,and facility construction to enhance the overall development of ancient road tourism.

Towards Lessening Learners’Aversive Emotions and Promoting Their Mental Health:Developing and Validating a Measurement of English Speaking Demotivation in the Chinese EFL Context

While a plethora of studies has been conducted to explore demotivation and its impact on mental health in second language(L2)education,scanty research focuses on demotivation in L2 speaking learning.Particularly,little research explores the measures to quantify L2 speaking demotivation.The present two-phase study attempts to develop and validate an English Speaking Demotivation Scale(ESDS).To this end,an independent sample of 207 Chinese tertiary learners of English as a Foreign Language(EFL)participated in the development phase,and another group of 188 Chinese EFL learners was recruited for the validation of the scale.Exploratory Factor Analysis(EFA)and Confirmatory Factor Analysis(CFA)were employed to determine the factor structure of the scale.The EFA results revealed a six-factor solution with Teacher-related Factors in Learning Spoken English(TFLSE),Interest and Valence in Learning Spoken English(IVLSE),Self-efficacy in Learning Spoken English(SELSE),Negative Peer Influence in Learning Spoken English(NPILSE),Undesirable Environment for Learning Spoken English(UELSE),and Negative Influence of Assessment and Learning Materials in speaking class(NIALM).In the validation phase,Confirmatory Factor Analysis(CFA)was performed to validate the internal structure of the scale.The CFA results showed that the model fits the data well.Overall,the ESDS is a robust and trustworthy psychometric tool that could be utilized to examine L2 speaking demotivation.Implications for diminishing EFL learners’demotivation,lessening their aversive emotions and promoting their mental health are also discussed.

基于POA的读写结合教学实践--以外研版高中英语教材Developing Ideas板块为例

读写结合是实施综合性语言学习的重要途径。产出导向法(POA)强调通过语言输入为语言输出搭建支架,有助于落实读写结合教学,实现语言文化知识的学习理解和迁移应用。本文以外研版高中英语教材Developing Ideas板块为例,阐述基于POA进行高中英语读写结合教学的策略:(1)输出驱动--呈现任务、尝试写作、激发动机。(2)输入促成--以读促写、搭建支架、迁移应用。(3)以评为学--师生合作、典型分析、完善修订。在此过程中,写作任务设计、阅读文本的选择等都有所要求。

Status quo of Agriculture in Benin and Developing Strategy

Benin, a tropical country in west Africa, is one of the Ieast deveIoped countries confirmed by the United Nations. Benin is highIy dependent on agricuIture and reIativeIy rich in agricuIture resources. It＆#39;s especial y suitabIe for agricuIture be-cause of the sufficient sunIight, raln and suitabIe temperature. AgricuIture export in Benin pIays an important part for both government and farmers. But the Iack of new varieties, appropriate technoIogy and modern service makes it difficuIt to deveI-op the agricuIture production rapidIy. Based on the introduction of agricuIture re-sources incIuding cIimate and Iand, this articIe malnIy showed the maln agricuIture productions and potential probIems in Benin, and then Iooked into the distance and deveIoping strategy on how to soIve the probIems. In order to deveIop the agricuI-ture sustalnabIy in Benin, it’s also suggested that the worId shouId strengthen the ald and share the fruits of new products, appropriate technoIogy and good man-agement methods.

Exploration and Practice of Developing Hybrid Rice for Realizing Food Self-sufficiency in East Timor

The status, advantages and disadvantages of rice production in East Timor were investigated and analyzed, the results of comparison test and demonstrative cultivation through introducing 15 Chinese hybrid rice combinations into East Timor were summarized, the feasibility of developing hybrid rice in East Timor to realize food self-sufficiency were discussed and demonstrated, and the main corresponding technical strategies were proposed in this paper.

Ultrastructure of Epidermis and Flesh of the Developing Apple Fruit

The ultrastructure of the epidermis and flesh of apple ( Malus domestica Borkh cv. Red Fuji) fruit was systematically observed during the fruit development via transmission electron microscopy. The results showed that, in spite of the ultrastructural changes in many aspects of the developing fruit epidermal cells, it remained almost unchanged throughout the whole developmental process that the cytoplasm was filled with numerous endoplasmic reticula (ER). Most of these endoplasmic reticula were tube_like and rough_ER with enlarged cisterna from which many vesicles were produced. Some of the vesicles were shown to merge into vacuole. Some dynamic Golgi bodies were also found. All the ultrastructural characteristics showed that the epidermal cells have the features of excretory cells. The ultrastructure of the fruit flesh cells at the young fruit stage were shown to be metabolically active, characterized by the presence of numerous clustered plasmodesmata, cisterna enlarged_ and rough_ER filling the cytoplasm, plenty of vesicles and Golgi bodies, indicating their dynamic cellular transport function. Some giant_circular rough_ERs were found. All the ultrastructural features at this early developmental stage should be closely associated with the enlargement of the young fruit. At the rapid growing phase of the fruit the main changes were characterized by: the starch grain_filled amyloplasts, furcating of the single orifice of plasmodesmata, and the cytoplasm enrichment of both the Golgi body_formed vesicles and other vesicles. These features correspond well with those of a photoassimilate sink_cell. An ultrastructural degeneration phenomenon was observed at the fruit ripening stage, but the mitochondria and plasmalemma still remained intact, which might be related to the continuous development of fruit quality during the fruit ripening.

Hepatitis B:Epidemiology and prevention in developing countries

Hepatitis B virus(HBV)infection is a serious global public health problem.The infection may be transmitted through sexual intercourse,parenteral contact or from an infected mother to the baby at birth and,if contracted early in life,may lead to chronic liver disease,including cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma.On the basis of the HBV carrier rate,the world can be divided in 3 regions of high,medium and low endemicity.The major concern is about high endemicity countries,where the most common route of infection remains vertical transmission from mother to child.Screening of all pregnant women and passive immunization with human hepatitis B immunoglobulin are not affordable for many developing countries.The infection rate can be reduced by modifying behavior,improving individual education,testing all blood donations,assuring asepsis in clinical practice and screening all pregnant women.However,availability of a safe and efficacious vaccine and adoption of appropriate immunization strategies are the most effective means to prevent HBV infection and its consequences.The unsolved problem for poorest countries,where the number of people currently infected is high,is the cost of the vaccine.A future challenge is to overcome the social and economic hurdles of maintaining and improving a prevention policy worldwide to reduce the global burden of the disease.

Epidemiological transition of colorectal cancer in developing countries: Environmental factors, molecular pathways, and opportunities for prevention

Colorectal cancer(CRC)is one of the leading causes of cancer and cancer-related mortality worldwide.The disease has been traditionally a major health problem in industrial countries,however the CRC rates are increasing in the developing countries that are undergoing economic growth.Several environmental risk factors,mainly changes in diet and life style,have been suggested to underlie the rise of CRC in these populations.Diet and lifestyle impinge on nuclear receptors,on the intestinal microbiota and on crucial molecular pathways that are implicated in intestinal carcinogenesis.In this respect,the epidemiological transition in several regions of the world offers a unique opportunity to better understand CRC carcinogenesis by studying the disease phenotypes and their environmental and molecular associations in different populations.The data from these studies may have important implications for the global prevention and treatment of CRC.

Hepatitis A:Epidemiology and prevention in developing countries

Hepatitis A is the most common form of acute viral hepatitis in the world.Major geographical differences in endemicity of hepatitis A are closely related to hygienic and sanitary conditions and other indicators of the level of socioeconomic development.The anti-hepatitis A virus(HAV)seroprevalence rate is presently decreasing in many parts of the world,but in less developed regions and in several developing countries,HAV infection is still very common in the first years of life and seroprev-alence rates approach 100%.In areas of intermediate endemicity,the delay in the exposure to the virus has generated a huge number of susceptible adolescents and adults and significantly increased the average age at infection.As the severity of disease increases with age,this has led to outbreaks of hepatitis A.Several factors contribute to the decline of the infection rate,including rising socioeconomic levels,increased access to clean water and the availability of a hepatitis A vaccine that was developed in the 1990s.For populations with a high proportion of susceptible adults,implementing vaccination programs may be considered.In this report,we review available epidemiological data and implementation of vaccination strategies,particularly focusing on developing countries.

Comparative analysis of open and laparoscopic colectomy for malignancy in a developing country

AIM: To compare the short-term, including oncologic, outcomes of open vs laparoscopic colectomy for cancer in a developing country. METHODS: The records of patients who underwent elective open and laparoscopic colectomies for cancer at the University Hospital of the West Indies between January 2005 and December 2010 were retrospectively reviewed. Demographic(age, gender, Charlson comorbidity index score), peri-operative, post-operative and oncologic data were collected for each patient. Specific oncologic variables included lymph node yield, pathologic stage, grade, proximal, distal and circumferential margin involvement. Fisher's exact, Mann-Whitney, and binary logistic regression tests were used for analysis. Significance level was set atP < 0.05. RESULTS: There were 87 cases for open colectomy(OC) and 17 cases for laparoscopic colectomy(LC). Demographics did not significantly differ between OC and LC groups. Intra-operative blood loss and postoperative analgesic requirements did not significantly differ between groups. There was a trend towards longer operating times in OC group and shorter hospital stay in the LC group. Lymph node yield(14 vs 14, P = 0.619), proximal(10 cm vs 7 cm, P = 0.353) and distal(8 cm vs 8 cm, P = 0.57) resection margin distance and circumferential margin involvement(9 vs 0, P = 0.348) did not significantly differ between groups. Thirty-day morbidity was equivalent between groups(22 vs 6, P = 0.774). There were 6 deaths within 30 d of initial procedure, all in the OC group(6.9%). CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic colectomy in a developing country is oncologically safe and represents a option for colonic malignancies in these regions. Such data encourage the continued laparoscopic development.

Gastroenterology in developing countries:Issues and advances

Developing countries shoulder a considerable burden of gastroenterological disease. Infectious diseases in particular cause enormous morbidity and mortality. Diseases which afflict both western and developing countries are often seen in more florid forms in poorer countries. Innovative techniques continuously improve and update gastroenterological practice. However, advances in diagnosis and treatment which are commonplace in the West, have yet to reach many developing countries. Clinical guidelines, based on these advances and collated in resource-rich environments, lose their relevance outside these settings. In this two-part review, we first highlight the global burden of gastroenterological disease in three major areas： diarrhoeal diseases, hepatitis B, and Helicobacter pylori. Recent progress in their management is explored, with consideration of future solutions. The second part of the review focuses on the delivery of clinical services in developing countries. Inadequate numbers of healthcare workers hamper efforts to combat gastroenterological disease. Reasons for this shortage are examined, along with possibilities for increased specialist training. Endoscopy services, the mainstay of gastroenterology in the West, are in their infancy in many developing countries. The challenges faced by those se^ing up a service are illustrated by the example of a Nigerian endoscopy unit. Finally, we highlight the limited scope of many clinical guidelines produced in western countries. Guidelines which take account of resource limitations in the form of ＂cascades＂ are advocated in order to make these guidelines truly global. Recognition of the different working conditions facing practitioners worldwide is an important step towards narrowing the gap between gastroenterology in rich and poor countries.

Changes of cell proliferation and differentiation in the developing brain of mouse

Objective To investigate the cell proliferation and differentiation in the developing brain of mouse. Methods C57/BL6 mice were divided into 3 groups at random. Bromodeoxyuridine （BrdU） was injected into the brains in different development periods once a day for 7 d. The brains were retrieved 4 weeks after the last BrdU injection. Immunohistochemical and immunofluorescent studies were carried out for detecting cell proliferation （BrdU） and cell differentiation （NeuN, APC, lbal, and S 100β）, respectively. Results The number of BrdU labeled cells decreased significantly with the development of the brain. Cell proliferation was prominent in the cortex and striatum. A small portion of BrdU and NeuN double labeled cells could be detected in the cortex at the early stage of development, and in the striatum and CA of the hippocampus in all groups. The majority of BrdU labeled cells were neuroglia, and the number of neuroglia cells decreased dramatically with brain maturation. Neurogenesis is the major cytogenesis in the dentate gyrus. Conclusion These results demonstrated that cell proliferation, differentiation and survival were age and brain region related.

Celiac disease in the developing countries: A new and challenging public health problem

In the past, celiac disease was believed to be a chronic enteropathy, almost exclusively affecting people of European origin. The availability of new, simple, very sensitive and specific serological tests （anti-gliadin, anti- endomysium and anti-transglutaminase antibody assays） have shown that celiac disease is common not only in Europe and in people of European ancestry but also in the developing countries where the major staple diet is wheat （Southern Asia, the Middle East, North West and East Africa, South America）, both in the general population and in the groups at risk. Gluten intolerance thus appears to be a widespread public health problem and an increased level of awareness and clinical suspicion are needed in the New World where physicians must learn to recognize the variable clinical presentations （classical, atypical and silent forms） of celiac disease. In the developing countries, both serological screening in the general population and serological testing in groups at risk are necessary for an early identification of celiac patients. The gluten-free diet poses a challenging public health problem in the developing countries, especially since commercial gluten-free products are not available.

Anomalous Western Pacific Subtropical High during El Nino Developing Summer in Comparison with Decaying Summer

The anomalous behavior of the western Pacific subtropical high （WPSH） in E1 Nifio developing summer is studied based on the composite results of eight major E1 Nifio events during 1979-2013. It is shown that the WPSH tends to retreat eastwards with weak intensity during the developing summer. The anomaly exhibits an intraseasonal variation with a weaker anomaly in June and July and a stronger anomaly in August, indicating that different underlying physical mechanisms may be responsible for the anomalous WPSH during early and late summer periods. In June and July, owing to the cold advection anomaly characterized as a weak northerly anomaly from high latitudes, geopotential height in East Asia is reduced and the WPSH tends to retreat eastwards slightly. By contrast, enhanced convection over the warm pool in August makes the atmosphere more sensitive to E1 Nifio forcing. Consequently, a cyclonic anomaly in the western Pacific is induced, which is consistent with the seasonal march of atmospheric circulation from July to August. Accordingly, geopotential height in the western Pacific is reduced significantly, and the WPSH tends to retreat eastwards remarkably in August. Different from the developing summer, geopotential height in the decaying summer over East Asia and the western Pacific tends to enhance and extend northwards from June to August consistently, reaching the maximum anomaly in August. Therefore, the seasonal march plays an important role in the WPSH anomaly for both the developing and decaying summer.

Liver diseases in developing countries

Liver diseases are an important and largely neglected health issue in low and middle income countries,which carry the highest burden.In this Topic Highlight,experts review hepatitis B and E,alcoholic liver disease,hepatic diseases in human immunodeficiency virus-infected individuals,hepatocellular carcinoma.Numerous gaps in our knowledge that need to be filled are outlined and feasible solutions to the several problems related to diagnosis and management of liver diseases in developing countries are suggested.

Isoflurane Enhances the Expression of Cytochrome C by Facilitation of NMDA Receptor in Developing Rat Hippocampal Neurons In Vitro

This study examined the effects of clinically relevant concentrations of isoflurane on the amplitude of NMDA receptor current （INMDA） and the expression of cytochrome C in cultured developing rat hippocampal neurons. The hippocampi were dissected from newborn Sprague-Dawley rats. Hippocampal neurons were primarily cultured for 5 days and then treated with different concentrations of isoflurane [（0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1 minimum alveolar concentration （MAC））]. The peak of INMDA was re- corded by means of the whole cell patch clamp technique. The cytochrome C level was detected by Western blotting and quantitative real-time PCR. Our results showed that isoflurane （0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1 MAC） potentiated the amplitude of INMDA by （116±8.8）%, （122±11.7）%, （135±14.3）% and （132~14.6）%, respectively, and isoflurane increased the mRNA expression of cytochrome C in a concentration-dependent manner. The cytochrome C mRNA expression reached a maximum after 0.5 MAC isoflurane stimulation for 6 h （P〈0.05）. It was concluded that isoflurane enhances the expression of cytochrome C in cultured rat hippocampal neurons, which may be mediated by facilitation of NMDA receptor.

The microbial content of unexpired pasteurized milk from selected supermarkets in a developing country

Objective:To determine the presence and levels of microbes in unexpired pasteurized milk from randomly selected supermarkets in Kingston,Jamaica.Methods:The quantitative study used a stratified random sampling technique in the selection of the 20 representative milk samples from six(6) supermarkets.Microbiological tests such as methylene blue reduction,standard plate count(SPC),coliform plate count(CPC),purity plate culture,gram staining and biochemical tests were performed to examine the microbes in purchased unexpired pasteurized milk.Results:One sample(BCr016) had a pH of 4.0.a rancid odour and curdled appearance.It decolourized within one hour during the methylene blue reduction test and was classified as class 4 milk.Seven of the samples were sterile with no microbe growth on the plate count agar and violet red bile salt agar(VRBA).The milk samples that appeared to be safe for consumption were all 10,11,12 and 13 days before expiration.The VRBA sample BCr016,had a colony count of 13 400 CFU/ mL.There was the presence of Escherichia coli in sample LCr021 which had a standard plate count of 1 580 SPC/mL and a coliform count of 500 CFU/mL.Enterobacter sp.was present in colonies from BCr016 and all the other milk samples.Conclusions:Unacceptable levels of Entembacter spp.and Escherichia coli were found in most of the samples.Effective measures to ensure safe milk for human consumption such as the phosphatase test and methylene blue reduction test should be routinely performed on each batch of milk processed by dairy plants.