Impact of organophosphorous pesticide exposure on semen quality of Chinese peasants

Aim: To investigate the impact of organophosphorous pesticide exposure and other risk factors on the semen quality of Chinese peasants. Method: Questionnaire investigation, external genital examination and laboratory examination were conducted on 322 male peasants, including the exposed and the control groups of 161 subjects each. Results: Multivariate analysis showed that the educational level and the years of alcohol drinking influenced the semen volume. Compared with subjects of primary school education or lower, those with junior high school education had a higher semen volume (OR=1.961). Proportion of subjects with higher semen volume decreased with increased years of alcohol drinking (OR=0.962). Organophosphorous pesticide exposure decreased the number of forward progression sperm (OR=0.528), the sperm density (OR=0.266), the sperm viability (OR=0.398) and the percentage of normal morphology sperm (OR=0.281). A possible relationship was present between the season of semen collection and the number of forward progression sperm, sperm viability and percentage of normal morphology sperm. Compared with the summer data, the above three indices were higher in winter (OR being 2. 272, 4.060 and 5.249, respectively). Conclusion: Exposure to organophosphorous pesticide could damage the semen quality of the peasants. Education and alcohol drinking also affect the semen quality.

Analysis on Influential Factors of Peasants' Willingness to Exit Homestead in Regions with Different Economy Development Levels——Taihe Village,Chaohu County-Level City,and Ancang Village,Taihu County as Examples

The research concluded peasants＇ willingness on homestead exiting and influential factors by questionnaire survey and interviewing in two villages with varied levels of economic development in Anhui Province.Comparisons were performed on subjective factors and objective factors were explored by Logistic regression.The results showed that both of education background and homestead use have positive correlation with peasants＇ willingness on homestead exit;the number of family members has negative effects on peasants in advanced village but the number of migrant workers or members living in cities has positive effects;the area of homestead has positive effects on peasants in underdeveloped village.Therefore,the emphasis should be varied on homestead exit upon village economy and it is necessary to reinforce homestead exit promotion at improving immigrants＇ reception work,social security,employment,and education.

A Prediction Model of Peasants’ Income in China Based on BP Neural Network

According to the related data affecting the peasants’ income in China in the years 1978-2008,a total of 13 indices are selected,such as agricultural population,output value of primary industry,and rural employees.Based on the standardized method and BP neural network method,the peasants’ income and the artificial neural network model are established and analyzed.Results show that the simulation value agrees well with the real value;the neural network model with improved BP algorithm has high prediction accuracy,rapid convergence rate and good generalization ability.Finally,suggestions are put forward to increase the peasants’ income,such as promoting the process of urbanization,developing small and medium-sized enterprises in rural areas,encouraging intensive operation,and strengthening the rural infrastructure and agricultural science and technology input.

Territorial Inequality of Net Income per Peasant in Shandong Province and Its Mechanism

Income inequality among farmers living in different regions was an important form of territorial inequalities. Studying the territorial inequality of the net income per peasant was an emphasis of this paper, and Shandong Province was pointed as the case study region. By the help of logistic regression, it could be found that the special distribution of the net income per peasant in Shandong Province was affected by three factors： distance to No.308 National Highway, distance to the coastline in the east of Shandong Province, and urbanization rates. Based on the decomposition of Gini index, the net income per peasant was divided into four parts, and it was found that the income from family business and salary were the two major sources of income. As to the mechanism for income inequality, it was proved that urbanization was still the key factor. In order to reduce income inequality, the local governments should promote urbanization through improving road networks, such as building highways, which could connect rural areas with the major nodes such as big cities and the port cities in the east.

Strategies for Cultivating New Peasants Based on Modern Agricultural Development

Development of modern agriculture has higher and higher requirements on quality of peasants.This study,on the basis of connotations of modern agriculture,current situation and problems of Chinese peasants,and contradictions between modern agricultural development and peasants' quality,specifies requirements of modern agriculture on new peasants,proposes corresponding suggestions to promote the cultivation of new Chinese peasants.

Different Characteristics of Peasant Issues from the Connections between Peasants and Land

The paper analyzes the different characteristics of peasant issues formed by connections between peasants and land at different historical stages,and offers a reference for us to look squarely at peasant issues in the reality.The characteristics of peasant issues with land as the inherent feature are:the degree of connection decides the classification and policies of peasants;the private ownership of land decides the political status and influences of peasants;the inherence of private connections with land determines the future of peasants.The characteristics of peasant issues with land as the core value are:the peasant issues with land as the core is the key to victory of new-democratic revolution;the peasant issues with land as the core is the basis of establishment of socialist system;the characteristics of peasant issues with land as the guarantee are:carriers of peasants interests change from unicity to diversity;peasants change from identity certification to vocational certification;the economic influence of peasants changes and penetrates from part to entirety.

Research on Reclaimed Land Quality Based on Peasant Households' Behaviors——A Case of the Reclaimed Land in Liuxin Country,Xuzhou,China

The quality of reclaimed land not only relates to the way of reclamation,but also has close relations to farmers' living standard and households' behaviors.Taking the farmland in the reclamation region of the Liuxin County,Tongshan Town,Xuzhou as the survey objects,we conduct a survey on peasant households in the reclamation region by the way of questionnaire.The data collected from the survey are analyzed by using scientific statistical methods,including SPSS software and Excel.The results show that in the investigation of peasant households' perceptual knowledge towards the quality of reclaimed land,42.5% of them holds the satisfactory and extremely satisfactory attitudes,which take relatively high percentage.As a result of the increase of non-agricultural income,6% of peasant households are indifferent to the quality of the reclaimed land.During the investigation of peasant households' rational knowledge towards the quality of the reclaimed land,the nitrogen content and organic content in soil filled by pulverized fuel ash are significantly lower than that in the soil filled by coal gangue and that in soil in the contrast area.The current production and planting pattern of peasant households has not improved the quality of farmland in the reclaimed area effectively and most peasant households still use the traditional way of cultivating.Hence,it is necessary to strengthen the guide on the thought patterns of peasant households,to cultivate scientifically and to enhance the quality of reclaimed farmland.The yields of the reclaimed farmland are low in the primary year,but with the increases of input and the restoration of the land,the annual yields will increase gradually,and gradually approaches to the usual yields.Based on it,the corresponding countermeasures are put forward:for one thing,improving soil alkalescency and enhancing soil fertility;for another thing,attaching much attention to technological directions,scientific cultivation and carry out the standards of reclamation strictly.

Reflections on the Peasants＇ Subjectivity in the Development of Rural Deliberative Democracy

The subjectivity of China's people deliberative democracy is essentially different from Western capital deliberative democracy. And the people's subjectivity naturally manifests as peasant's subjectivity in the deliberative democracy in rural areas. Combined with normative analysis of the whole process of rural deliberation practice,peasants' subjectivity can be summarized as broad equality of participation,completeness of the program,as well as final benefit of the result. However,there are some hidden dangers which may give rise to alienation development of deliberative politics in the current dilemma of rural deliberation practice.The fundamental way to solve the problem lies in combining subjectivity and institutionalization together to develop the rural deliberative democracy.

Approaches of Realizing Cultural Value of Red Revolutionary Site in Jiangxi Province:A Case Study of Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army in Xiushui County

Red revolutionary site is a significant carrier for inheriting and spreading red culture,a witness of revolutionary history and stones,and also the best place to show connotations and value of red culture.Taking the regiment headquarter and the division headquarter of the First Division of the First Army in Xiushui County,Jiangxi Province for example,this paper explored cultural value of red site,analyzed the existing problems,tried to figure out scientific approaches of realizing cultural value of red site,so as to promote the sharing and inheritance of cultural value of red revolutionary site.

Mitochondrial dysfunction and quality control lie at the heart of subarachnoid hemorrhage

The dramatic increase in intracranial pressure after subarachnoid hemorrhage leads to a decrease in cerebral perfusion pressure and a reduction in cerebral blood flow.Mitochondria are directly affected by direct factors such as ischemia,hypoxia,excitotoxicity,and toxicity of free hemoglobin and its degradation products,which trigger mitochondrial dysfunction.Dysfunctional mitochondria release large amounts of reactive oxygen species,inflammatory mediators,and apoptotic proteins that activate apoptotic pathways,further damaging cells.In response to this array of damage,cells have adopted multiple mitochondrial quality control mechanisms through evolution,including mitochondrial protein quality control,mitochondrial dynamics,mitophagy,mitochondrial biogenesis,and intercellular mitochondrial transfer,to maintain mitochondrial homeostasis under pathological conditions.Specific interventions targeting mitochondrial quality control mechanisms have emerged as promising therapeutic strategies for subarachnoid hemorrhage.This review provides an overview of recent research advances in mitochondrial pathophysiological processes after subarachnoid hemorrhage,particularly mitochondrial quality control mechanisms.It also presents potential therapeutic strategies to target mitochondrial quality control in subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Sleep quality in middle-aged and elderly hemodialysis patients:Impact of a structured nursing intervention program

BACKGROUND Poor sleep quality is common among hemodialysis patients and can significantly impact their well-being.This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a structured nursing intervention program in improving sleep quality in middleaged and elderly hemodialysis patients.AIM To evaluate the impact of nursing intervention on sleep quality in hemodialysis patients.METHODS This cross-sectional study was conducted in a tertiary hospital,the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University,in 2023.This study included 105 middle-aged and elderly hemodialysis patients aged≥45 years who underwent maintenance hemodialysis for at least 3 mo,utilizing the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index(PSQI)to identify poor sleepers.Those identified underwent a 12-wk nursing intervention program focusing on education,relaxation techniques,and counseling.Post-intervention,sleep quality was reassessed using the PSQI.RESULTS The study found that 68.6%of hemodialysis patients were poor sleepers.Following the 12-wk nursing intervention program,there was a significant decrease in the mean global PSQI score from 8.9±3.2 to 5.1±2.7(P<0.001),indicating improved sleep quality.This demonstrated the effectiveness of the structured nursing intervention in enhancing sleep quality for middle-aged and elderly hemodialysis patients.CONCLUSION The structured nursing intervention program focusing on sleep hygiene education,relaxation techniques,and counseling effectively improved sleep quality among middle-aged and elderly hemodialysis patients.The significant decrease in the mean global PSQI score post-intervention indicates the positive impact of tailored nursing interventions in addressing poor sleep quality in this patient population.These findings emphasize the importance of implementing targeted nursing interventions to enhance the quality of life for hemodialysis patients by addressing the prevalent issue of poor sleep quality.

Analysis on the Factors Restricting the Entrepreneurship Quality Education for the Young Peasant Workers Back to Hometown in Yunnan Province and the Related Strategies

Entrepreneurship quality education is not only the standpoint and focus of entrepreneurship education, but also the key point in entrepreneurship education. In this paper, based on three aspects （the educated, the subjects implementing education, and external environment）, the main factors restricting the entrepreneurship quality education for the young peasant workers back to hometown in Yunnan province are analyzed, and also the governmental strategies of a clear purpose and a powerful applicability are further explored.

Investigation of the quality of life,mental status in patients with gynecological cancer and its influencing factors

BACKGROUND Having a gynecological tumor or undergoing treatment can be a traumatic experience for women,as it affects their self-image and sexual relationships and can lead to psychological reactions.Psychological adjustment following cancer occurrence remains a key issue among the survivors.AIM To examine the current status of quality of life(QoL),anxiety,and depression in patients with gynecological cancer and to analyze the factors associated with it.METHODS Data for 160 patients with gynecological malignancies treated at Shanxi Bethune Hospital from June 2020 to June 2023 were collected and analyzed retrospectively.Patients’QoL was assessed using the European Organization for Research on Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General Questionnaire.Their emotional status was evaluated using the Self-Rating Anxiety/Depression Scale.The associated factors of anxiety and depression were analyzed.RESULTS The overall QoL score of the patients 6 months after surgery was 76.39±3.63 points.This included low levels of social and emotional function and severe fatigue and pain.The scores for physiological,functional,emotional,social,and family well-being exhibited an upward trend following surgery compared with those before surgery.One month after surgery,some patients experienced anxiety and depression,with an incidence of 18.75%and 18.13%,respectively.Logistic analysis revealed that good sleep was a protective factor against anxiety and depression in patients with gynecological tumors,whereas physical pain was a risk factor.CONCLUSION Patients with gynecological malignancies often experience anxiety and depression.By analyzing the factors that affect patients’QoL,effective nursing measures can be administered.

Current status of magnetic resonance imaging radiomics in hepatocellular carcinoma:A quantitative review with Radiomics Quality Score

BACKGROUND Radiomics is a promising tool that may increase the value of magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)for different tasks related to the management of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).However,its implementation in clinical practice is still far,with many issues related to the methodological quality of radiomic studies.AIM To systematically review the current status of MRI radiomic studies concerning HCC using the Radiomics Quality Score(RQS).METHODS A systematic literature search of PubMed,Google Scholar,and Web of Science databases was performed to identify original articles focusing on the use of MRI radiomics for HCC management published between 2017 and 2023.The methodological quality of radiomic studies was assessed using the RQS tool.Spearman’s correlation(ρ)analysis was performed to explore if RQS was correlated with journal metrics and characteristics of the studies.The level of statistical significance was set at P<0.05.RESULTS One hundred and twenty-seven articles were included,of which 43 focused on HCC prognosis,39 on prediction of pathological findings,16 on prediction of the expression of molecular markers outcomes,18 had a diagnostic purpose,and 11 had multiple purposes.The mean RQS was 8±6.22,and the corresponding percentage was 24.15%±15.25%(ranging from 0.0% to 58.33%).RQS was positively correlated with journal impact factor(IF;ρ=0.36,P=2.98×10^(-5)),5-years IF(ρ=0.33,P=1.56×10^(-4)),number of patients included in the study(ρ=0.51,P<9.37×10^(-10))and number of radiomics features extracted in the study(ρ=0.59,P<4.59×10^(-13)),and time of publication(ρ=-0.23,P<0.0072).CONCLUSION Although MRI radiomics in HCC represents a promising tool to develop adequate personalized treatment as a noninvasive approach in HCC patients,our study revealed that studies in this field still lack the quality required to allow its introduction into clinical practice.

Foreign Ducks Help Peasants to Shake Off Poverty

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Dynamic changes of rumen microbiota and serum metabolome revealed increases in meat quality and growth performances of sheep fed bio‑fermented rice straw

Background Providing high-quality roughage is crucial for improvement of ruminant production because it is an essential component of their feed.Our previous study showed that feeding bio-fermented rice straw(BF)improved the feed intake and weight gain of sheep.However,it remains unclear why feeding BF to sheep increased their feed intake and weight gain.Therefore,the purposes of this research were to investigate how the rumen micro-biota and serum metabolome are dynamically changing after feeding BF,as well as how their changes influence the feed intake,digestibility,nutrient transport,meat quality and growth performances of sheep.Twelve growing Hu sheep were allocated into 3 groups:alfalfa hay fed group(AH:positive control),rice straw fed group(RS:negative control)and BF fed group(BF:treatment).Samples of rumen content,blood,rumen epithelium,muscle,feed offered and refusals were collected for the subsequent analysis.Results Feeding BF changed the microbial community and rumen fermentation,particularly increasing(P<0.05)relative abundance of Prevotella and propionate production,and decreasing(P<0.05)enteric methane yield.The histomorphology(height,width,area and thickness)of rumen papillae and gene expression for carbohydrate trans-port(MCT1),tight junction(claudin-1,claudin-4),and cell proliferation(CDK4,Cyclin A2,Cyclin E1)were improved(P<0.05)in sheep fed BF.Additionally,serum metabolome was also dynamically changed,which led to up-regulating(P<0.05)the primary bile acid biosynthesis and biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acid in sheep fed BF.As a result,the higher(P<0.05)feed intake,digestibility,growth rate,feed efficiency,meat quality and mono-unsaturated fatty acid concentration in muscle,and the lower(P<0.05)feed cost per kg of live weight were achieved by feeding BF.Conclusions Feeding BF improved the growth performances and meat quality of sheep and reduced their feed cost.Therefore,bio-fermentation of rice straw could be an innovative way for improving ruminant production with mini-mizing production costs.

The impact of Internet access on household dietary quality:Evidence from rural China

Over the past few decades,the Internet has rapidly diffused across China.The spread of the Internet has had a profound economic and social impact on Chinese rural areas.Existing research shows that Internet access significantly impacts agricultural production and improves smallholder farmers’income.Beyond these,the Internet can affect other dimensions of social welfare.However,research about the impact of Internet access on dietary quality in rural China remains scarce.This study utilizes multi-period panel data from Fixed Observation Point in rural China from 2009 to 2015 to estimate the impact of Internet access on dietary quality and food consumption of rural households and conducts a causal analysis.Regression models with time and household fixed effects allow robust estimation while reducing potential issues of unobserved heterogeneity.The estimates show that Internet access has significantly increased rural household dietary quality(measured by the Chinese Diet Balance Index).Further research finds that Internet access has increased the consumption of animal products,such as aquatic and dairy products.We also examine the underlying mechanisms.Internet access improves dietary quality and food consumption mainly through increasing household income and food expenditure.These results encourage the promotion of Internet access as a valuable tool for nutritional improvements,especially in rural areas.

Genome-wide identification of the pectate lyase(PEL)gene family members in Malvaceae,and their contribution to cotton fiber quality

Pectin is a major constituent of the plant cell wall.Pectate lyase(PEL,EC 4.2.2.2)uses anti-β-elimination chemistry to cleave theα-1,4 glycosidic linkage in the homogalacturonan region of pectin.However,limited information is available on the comprehensive and evolutionary analysis of PELs in the Malvaceae.In this study,we identified 597PEL genes from 10 Malvaceae species.Phylogenetic and motif analyses revealed that these PELs are classified into six subfamilies:Clades I,II,III,IV,Va,and Vb.The two largest subfamilies,Clades I and II,contained 237 and222 PEL members,respectively.The members of Clades Va and Vb only contained four or five motifs,far fewer than the other subfamilies.Gene duplication analysis showed that segmental duplication played a crucial role in the expansion of the PEL gene family in Gossypium species.The PELs from Clades I,IV,Va,and Vb were expressed during the fiber elongation stage,but nearly all PEL genes from Clades II and III showed no expression in any of the investigated fiber developmental stages.We further performed single-gene haplotype association analysis in 2,001G.hirsutum accessions and 229 G.barbadense accessions.Interestingly,14 PELs were significantly associated with fiber length and strength traits in G.barbadense with superior fiber quality,while only eight GhPEL genes were found to be significantly associated with fiber quality traits in G.hirsutum.Our findings provide important information for further evolutionary and functional research on the PEL gene family members and their potential use for fiber quality improvement in cotton.

Exploring the relationship between ambient sulfur dioxide and semen quality parameters:A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective:To investigate the relationship between ambient sulfur dioxide(SO2)exposure and semen quality parameters.Methods:A systematic literature search was conducted to identify relevant studies investigating the association between SO2 exposure and semen quality parameters.This search encompassed the timeframe from January 2000 to May 2023 and included electronic databases such as Web of Science,Google Scholar,PubMed,Cochrane,and Scopus.Pooled effect estimates with 95%confidence intervals(CI)were calculated using percent changes(PC).The meta-analysis included seven studies with 6711 participants and 15087 semen samples.Results:The results revealed a significant negative association between ambient SO2 exposure and certain semen quality parameters.In particular,SO2 exposure was associated with a significant decrease in progressive motility(PC=0.032;95%CI:-0.063 to-0.001;P=0.044)and sperm concentration(PC=-0.020;95%CI:-0.036 to-0.005;P=0.012).However,no statistically significant associations were observed for total sperm count(PC=-0.038;95%CI:-0.079 to 0.003;P=0.070),seminal fluid volume(PC=-0.009;95%CI:-0.048 to-0.030;P=0.662)and sperm motility(PC=-0.17;95%CI:-0.363 to 0.022;P=0.830).In addition,the results of the subgroup analysis revealed specific variables that were associated with the decrease in relevant sperm parameters.Conclusions:This systematic review and meta-analysis provides compelling evidence supporting a consistent negative association between exposure to ambient SO2 and semen quality parameters.

Effects of hormone replacement therapy on mood and sleep quality in menopausal women

BACKGROUND Hormone replacement therapy is an effective treatment strategy for the management of symptoms in naturally menopausal women.However,some patients report experiencing adverse effects.AIM To analyze the effects of hormone replacement therapy in menopausal female patients.METHODS A total of 152 menopausal female patients admitted to the Gynecology Department of the Ganzhou Maternal and Child Health Hospital between January 2021 and December 2023 were divided into the observation group(n=76,conventional treatment+hormone replacement therapy)and the control group(n=76,conventional treatment only)via random casting.The improvement observed in the following items were compared between the groups:Kupperman menopausal index(KMI),emotional state[The Positive and Negative Affect Scale(PANAS)],sleep quality[Self-Rating Scale of Sleep(SRSS)],treatment effectiveness,and treatment safety.RESULTS The modified KMI and SRSS scores of the observation group were lower than those of the control group after three rounds of treatment.The improvement in the PANAS score observed in the observation group was greater than that observed in the control group(P<0.05).The total treatment effectivity rate in the observation group was higher than that in the control group(86.84%vs 96.05%,χ2=4.121,P=0.042).The incidence rate of adverse reactions in the two groups was comparable(6.58%vs 9.21%,χ2=0.361,P=0.547).CONCLUSION Hormone replacement therapy effectively improved the clinical symptoms,actively channeled negative emotions,and improved the quality of sleep in menopausal patients,indicating its effectiveness and safety.