Asset specificity and farmers' intergenerational succession willingness of apple management

Understanding the factors behind apple farmers’willingness to pass on the management of their farms to their descendants is crucial to the continuity of apple production.Due to the high specificity of the human capital,physical assets,land assets,and geographical location in apple production,this study used a binary logistic regression and a mediating effect model to explore the impact of asset specificity on farmers’intergenerational succession willingness of apple management(FISWAM)and to examine the mediating effects of loss aversion in the impact of asset specificity on the FISWAM.The results showed that about 18.68%of the respondents expressed willingness to transfer their apple business between generations,and the FISWAM was generally weak.In addition to the negative impact of geographical location specificity(GLS),human capital specificity(HCS),physical assets specificity(PAS),and land assets specificity(LAS)can enhance the FISWAM.Loss aversion plays a partial mediating role in the impact of PAS,LAS,and GLS on the FISWAM.

Status and path of intergenerational transmission of poverty in rural China:A human capital investment perspective

This paper focused on the intergenerational transmission of poverty in rural China by estimating the intergenerational transmission of earnings and stated its mechanism from the perspective of human capital investment before children participated in the labor market.The data used in this study were longitude data collected in 2000 households of 100 villages among 25 counties across five provinces in 2005,2008,2012,2016,and 2019.Qualitative and quantitative methods were adopted.We found a significant intergenerational transmission of earnings in rural China,especially for the pairs of father–children and parents–children.The intergenerational earnings'elasticities were much less than those in urban areas,which indicated better social mobility in rural areas than that in urban China.The children with parents who could earn much were more likely to be invested before they participated in the labor market,gain a high education and have more skills.Three cases further showed that the mechanism of human capital investment in children breaking the intergenerational transmission of poverty and promoting social mobility.

Neuroendocrine,epigenetic,and intergenerational effects of general anesthetics

The progress of modern medicine would be impossible without the use of general anesthetics(GAs).Despite advancements in refining anesthesia approaches,the effects of GAs are not fully reversible upon GA withdrawal.Neurocognitive deficiencies attributed to GA exposure may persist in neonates or endure for weeks to years in the elderly.Human studies on the mechanisms of the long-term adverse effects of GAs are needed to improve the safety of general anesthesia but they are hampered not only by ethical limitations specific to human research,but also by a lack of specific biological markers that can be used in human studies to safely and objectively study such effects.The latter can primarily be attributed to an insufficient understanding of the full range of the biological effects induced by GAs and the molecular mechanisms mediating such effects even in rodents,which are far more extensively studied than any other species.Our most recent experimental findings in rodents suggest that GAs may adversely affect many more people than is currently anticipated.Specifically,we have shown that anesthesia with the commonly used GA sevoflurane induces in exposed animals not only neuroendocrine abnormalities(somatic effects),but also epigenetic reprogramming of germ cells(germ cell effects).The latter may pass the neurobehavioral effects of parental sevoflurane exposure to the offspring,who may be affected even at levels of anesthesia that are not harmful to the exposed parents.The large number of patients who require general anesthesia,the even larger number of their future unexposed offspring whose health may be affected,and a growing number of neurodevelopmental disorders of unknown etiology underscore the translational importance of investigating the intergenerational effects of GAs.In this mini review,we discuss emerging experimental findings on neuroendocrine,epigenetic,and intergenerational effects of GAs.

“Do Big Hands Guide Small Hands?”or“do Small Hands Guide Big Hands”:The intergenerational interactions in environmental behaviors and family influencing factors

Families'large pollution and energy consumption cannot be underestimated.In order to realize and internalize environmental awareness as a social consensus,it is imperative for every member of a household to be involved in transforming everyday behavior.Intergenerational interactions are of paramount importance.Accordingly,the focus of this study was on parent-adolescent interactions,their reciprocal impact on environmental behaviors,and the factors that have an influence on these processes.Questionnaires were employed to collect information of 684 families in 10 districts of Jinan,the capital of Shandong Province.Subsequently,interviews were conducted with 15 of these families to comprehend the tangible reasons underlying intergenerational interactions in environmental behaviors.First,a paired sample T-test was employed to compare the frequency of these interactions.The data showed that while the T values were positive in all eight compared groups,there were significant differences in seven of them.These results suggest that the impact of intergenerational interactions on environmental behaviors is not symmetrical:parents'instructions are far more frequent than adolescents'back-feeding of ecological notions.The interviews revealed that this phenomenon was generated primarily by unequal experiences between parents and adolescents because the latter do not participate in housework and family projects.Furthermore,the traditional concept of intergenerational order appears to be permanent.Second,two linear regression models,a Parent-to-Adolescent model and an Adolescent-to-Parent model that encompassed several factors including family structure,intergenerational relationships,living environment,and families'social class were developed.Among these factors,the intergenerational relationship variable played a particularly significant role:the more equal and open-minded dialogs are incorporated into parent-adolescent communication,the more favorable interactions may occur for development of their environmental behaviors.Thus,when an environmental education system with families is constructed,it is imperative to promote a parent's ecological awareness with the help of grass-roots organizations by means of reasonable rewards and punishments to redress their former behaviors so as to let Big Hands Guide Small Hands.It is also crucial to enhance a more equal intergenerational relationship through parents'schooling or other relevant services so as to create a favorable atmosphere for Small Hands Guide Big Hands.

Intergenerational Income Mobility in China and Underlying Mechanism

Based on ten rounds of CHNS data from 1989 to 2015,this paper employed dual measurement indicators of the intergenerational elasticity(IGE)of earnings and the income rank association(IRA)coefficient to measure intergenerational income mobility in China.Our findings suggest that China’s intergenerational income mobility was relatively stable from 1991-2004 and started to increase after 2004.Our study based on income grouping found that the intergenerational income immobility decreased after 2004 for all income groups;however,the high-income and low-income groups were far more immobile than other income groups;the middle-income group served as a key driver of the relatively high intergenerational income mobility in China.Furthermore,we investigated China’s intergenerational income transmission mechanism with a human capital analysis framework.We found that fathers’non-education factors played a dominant role in intergenerational income transmission;under the effects of the social institutional environment,the non-education transmission mechanism started to diminish after 2004,significantly contributing to intergenerational income mobility.

The Issue of Intergenerational Equity in the Context of Population Aging:From the Perspective of Confucian Ethics

As the aging population continues to grow in China the issue of intergenerational equity in the field of old-age security has become increasingly prominent. Through a comparative study of the liberal theory of intergenerational equity, this paper shows that at least in the contemporary social context of China, filial piety still acts as an important moral foundation and value basis for the intergenerational distribution of old-age support resources. The emphasis on an intergenerational contract based on filial piety not only presents a theoretical perspective transcending liberalism for addressing the issue of intergenerational equity in the context of contemporary China, but also provides significant and irreplaceable institutional resources. Starting from the Confucian family-centered theory of social justice and through the reconstitution of traditional ethical resources, this paper explores a family-centered, multi-level old-age security system to cope with the issue of intergenerational equity against the backdrop of population aging.

A Study on the Differences of Intergenerational Language Attitude of Lichuan Dialect in China

Research on the changes of Lichuan dialect mostly focuses on microlinguistics such as specific vocabulary,syntactic or semantic research,less on the language use and language attitude in sociolinguistics.Therefore,This study mainly discusses the differences of intergenerational language attitude of Lichuan dialect and the reasons so as to protect traditional dialects in China.11 participants were interviewed.The results reveals the reasons:(1)internal reasons of personal dialect attitudes including cultural confidence,social identity,dialect inheritance;(2)language attitudelanguage contact such as educational background,rural-urban migration,study and work with people from different cities and media development.

The Intergenerational Conflicts in Selected Chinese/Indian American Literature

For the early generation of both Chinese and Indian immigrants,their deep immersion in their own language and cultural environment has given their life experience an indelible nostalgia.However,the children of their descendants born in the United States have no such cultural heritage and spiritual burden,their thinking on values,languages,education,occupation,clothing,social communications,etc.are more largely Americanized and culturally identified with the mainstream society.In this way,the various intergenerational conflicts reflected in Chinese and Indian American literature implies the importance of negotiation through the use of shared resource between the old and new identities to balance,adapt and integrate in the adopted land.

Casework Intervention on Intergenerational Education

Intergenerational education is very common among aging population and at the time when birth restrictions are lifted.Studies have shown that intergenerational education proceeds negatively and has issues in which children develop psychological problems when the knowledge of the elderly do not keep up with the younger generations*12*5,the older educational ideas struggle against the modem ones,and so on,that further bring issues in the lack of self-identity and capacity from grandparents.Bad relationships between family members can affect the family,particularly in the communication between elderly caregivers and their grandchildren.It could further influence the parent-child relationship if unpleasant emotions pile up.

State familism in action:aging policy and intergenerational support in Singapore

Singapore started to tackle the challenges of an aging society in the 1980s after its fertility declined to sub-replacement levels.A core component of the city-state’s aging policy is to foster intergenerational support,which is based on the value of filial piety,harmonious intergenerational relations,and the elderly as a resource.This paper introduces the concept of state familism to capture Singapore’s compre­hensive efforts to strengthen the role of the family in old-age support while pro­moting mutual assistance across generations.The relevant policies range from the Central Provident Fund,housing,taxation,to old-age support packages.These ef­forts distinguish Singapore from other Asian countries where the role of the family is sometimes stressed more in rhetoric than in action.State familism in Singapore has drawn criticisms as it is perceived as an attempt to reduce the government’s responsibility.In the recent decade,the Singapore state significantly increased di­rect financial support for the elderly while keeping the policy of fostering intergen­erational support in place.The paper concludes by discussing the implications of Singapore’s state familism for China and other countries.

Persistence and intergenerational transmission of differentially expressed genes in the testes of intracytoplasmic sperm injection conceived mice

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is commonly used to solve male infertility problems. Previous studies showed that early environmental exposure of an embryo may influence postnatal development. To detect whether ICSI operations affect the reproductive health of a male or his offspring, we established assisted reproductive technologies (ART) conceived mouse models, and analyzed gene expression profiles in the testes of both ICSI and naturally conceived (NC) newborn F1 mice using micro-array analysis. Among the differentially expressed genes, we focused on the expression of eight male reproduction-related genes. Quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to analyze the expression of these genes in the testes of both adult and old F1 generation mice and adult F2 generation mice. Our results showed that down-regulated and somatic cell-expressed genes in newborn mice retained their differential expression patterns in adult and old F1 generation individuals, implying the persistence and fetal origin of the alteration in the expression of these genes. The intergenerational transmission of differential gene expression was observed, but most changes tended to be reduced in adult F2 generations. Controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) and in vitro fertilization (IVF) mice models were added to explore the precise factors contributing to the differences in ICSI offspring. The data demonstrated that superovulation, in vitro culture, and mechanical stimulation involved in ICSI had a cumulative effect on the differential expression of these male reproductive genes.

Optimal Investment Strategy of Target Benefit Pension Plan Based on Random Inflation and Intergenerational Risk

In this paper,based on the stochastic optimal control method,the intergenerational risk and inflation risk,the optimal investment strategy of the target benefit pension plan is investigated on the basis of measuring the random wage rate under the random mortality and inflation risk of the personnel in the plan and the correlation between the wage change and the fluctuation of the financial market.The research shows that the financial market parameters and wage rate have a great influence on the optimal investment strategy,and gives the optimal investment strategy and the optimal income adjustment strategy of the target benefit pension.The research of this paper provides a reference for the policy formulation and implementation of the Target Benefit Pension Plan in our country.

Paternal environmental exposure-induced spermatozoal small noncoding RNA alteration meditates the intergenerational epigenetic inheritance of multiple diseases

Studies of human and mammalian have revealed that environmental exposure can affect paternal health conditions as well as those of the offspring.However,studies that explore the mechanisms that meditate this transmission are rare.Recently,small noncoding RNAs(sncRNAs)in sperm have seemed crucial to this transmission due to their alteration in sperm in response to environmental exposure,and the methodology of microinjection of isolated total RNA or sncRNAs or synthetically identified sncRNAs gradually lifted the veil of sncRNA regulation during intergenerational inheritance along the male line.Hence,by reviewing relevant literature,this study intends to answer the following research concepts:(1)paternal environmental factors that can be passed on to offspring and are attributed to spermatozoal sncRNAs,(2)potential role of paternal spermatozoal sncRNAs during the intergenerational inheritance process,and(3)the potential mechanism by which spermatozoal sncRNAs meditate intergenerational inheritance.In summary,increased attention highlights the hidden wonder of spermatozoal sncRNAs during intergenerational inheritance.Therefore,in the future,more studies should focus on the origin of RNA alteration,the target of RNA regulation,and how sncRNA regulation during embryonic development can be sustained even in adult offspring.

Tuition Fees for Higher Education and Intergenerational Mobility in China

This paper studies the impact of an increase in higher education tuition on intergenerational mobility in China.We develop a theoretical model for the parental decision about the investment on education of children to illustrate the impact from the perspective of borrowing constraint.We consider the Chinese college tuition and subsidy reform around 1986 as a quasi-natural experiment for identifying the policy effect of the reform on intergenerational educational mobility by using the data from the census of 2000 and the China Family Panel Studies(CFPS).We find that an increase in the education burden induced by the reform of college tuition has reduced intergenerational educational mobility,and it is more noticeable in regions with a relatively higher increment in the tuition fee.Our results are robust with consideration of the co-residence bias,government investment in elementary education,and the higher education expansion.

Anticipation phenomenon in familial adenomatous polyposis:an analysis of its origin

AIM To analyze the origin of the anticipationphenomenon,which means earlier death insuccessive generation in familial adenomatouspolyposis.METHODS The study subjects were 2161patients with familial adenomatous polyposisand their 7465 first-degree relatives who weremembers of 750 families registered at ourPolyposis Registry.The ages at death andcumulative mortality rates in the parent,theproband,and the child generations werecompared for both all subjects and the patientsalone.RESULTS In the patients over 5 years of age,the mean age at death was 50.9 years for theparent,42.3 years for the proband,and 33.3years for the child generations,respectively(P【0.001).The deceased rates in the threegenerations were 90.7%,51.3% and 23.1% ofthe patients,respectively,and this differencewas the main cause of the anticipation measuredby parent-child paring method.The cumulativemortality rates for all subjects failed to showanticipation,however the cumulative mortalityrates for the patients showed the anticipation.The anticipation phenomenon was shown by anyparent-child pairing methods for the deceasedpatients.Other important causes of theanticipation were different proportion of causesof death between generations(P【0.001),and alow proportion of detected or deceased patients (P【0.001)in the child generation.CONCLUSION Anticipation in familialadenomatous polyposis may be caused byparent-child paring methods as well as severalintergenerational biases.

Application of optimal harvesting decision model to the analysis of Chinese forestry economic policy

This paper firstly extends the single period forest optimal harvesting decision model to infinite periods,in order to indicate how to determine the optimal rotation period aimed at maximizing forest revenue in all directions when repeat planting and harvesting trees on the same plot of earth till infinite future.The study also analyzes the influence of discounted rates,timber price,harvesting costs,planting costs,and tax on the determination of optimal rotation period;and how the optimal rotation period will change when we introduce the factors of continuously rising timber price and ecological revenue.Secondly,the authors introduce the intergenerational equity principle into the above model to design a resource-exploiting mode which satisfies bom the dynamic efficiency principle and the intergenerational equity principle.Last but not least,the research applies the above model to the analysis of Chinese forestry economic policy and explains the economic theory of institutions such as Government Purchasing Ecological Forest,Tree Compensation,and Forestry Subsidization,which provides a necessary theoretical foundation for future application of these new institutions.Besides,in regard to mis theoretical framework,the authors analyze the necessity of the Natural Forest Protection and Grain for Green projects which are currently being implemented in China.We also point out the emphasis of work to insure the project sustainable and successful.Finally,the research discusses the enterprise's incentive to over-the-quota harvesting and the government's means of restricting such behavior,which highlights the fact mat improved supervision and higher penalties are helpful in restricting over-the-quota harvesting.

Fetal programming of obesity and type 2 diabetes

The prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus has increased rapidly over the past few decades,and prevention efforts have not been successful.Fetal programming involves the earliest stage of obesity development,and provides a novel concept to complement other strategies for lifelong prevention of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus.The World Health Organization now advocates a life-course approach to prevent/control obesity,starting with pre-conceptional and antenatal maternal health.Maternal overnutrition,gestational diabetes mellitus and excessive gestational weight gain lead to fetal overgrowth,and“programs”the offspring with an increased risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus in childhood and adulthood.This review summarizes current data on fetal programming of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus including potential causative factors,mechanisms and interventions to reduce its impact.

The Moderating Effect of Health on the Relationship between Involvement in Housework of Parents’ and Parents-in-Law’s Families and Happiness of Middle-Aged Women in Taiwan

Background: This study aims to investigate the moderating effect of family health status on the relationship between involvement in housework of two-side parents’ families and happiness of middle-aged women in Taiwan. Methods: The data used in this study were gathered from the Ministry of Science and Technology’s program—“Intergenerational expectation and collaboration: an inquiry on a new mechanism of continued tradition across generations”. The subjects (n = 512) were restricted to aged 45 - 64 years old who live with spouses and have children, and one of whose parent or parent-in-law is still alive. Multiple regression analysis was used to investigate how family health status moderates the relationship between involvement in housework of parents’ families and parents-in-law’s families and the happiness of middle-aged women. Results: 1) Family health status is positively correlated with their happiness. 2) The parents’ health status can moderate the relationship between involvement in housework of parents’ families and happiness of the middle-aged women. 3) The middle-aged women’s health status can moderate the relationship between involvement in housework of parents-in-law’s families and those women’s happiness, and fathers-in-law’s health status can moderate the relationship between husbands’ involvement in housework of the women’s parents-in-law’s families and women’s happiness. Conclusions: In future, when policies and programs related to the well-being of middle-aged women are being planned, the effect of women’s health and family health status shall be considered as a key to improve those women’s quality of life.

Child abuse and psychopathy: Interplay, gender differences and biological correlates

Child abuse is an important source of mental and physical adverse consequences for victims,their family,and their community.The impact of violence during childhood on the development of the victim is a very sensitive theme.Other than internalizing symptoms,it is interesting to analyze the possibility that a victim may assume the role of persecutor.With this aim,we evaluate Literature and examine the interplay among different types of child abuse(emotional neglect,emotional abuse,physical neglect,physical abuse and sexual abuse)and the development of psychopathy.We consider the role of post-traumatic stress disorder and that of personal environment as potential mediators between abuse and psychopathy.Furthermore,an in-depth analysis on possible differences due to the victim's gender is performed.Finally,analysis focused on genetic variants,such as the polymorphism of 5HTT and MAO-A,or a biological alteration,like the difference in daily cortisol levels that could be related to the development of psychopathy after a trauma.

The Relationships between Family Support, Attachment Types in Adulthood and Attitudes towards Filial Responsibility among Three Generations of Arab and Jewish Men

The aim of the current study was to compare between three generations groups of Arab and Jewish male’s attitudes towards filial responsibility. 121 university students, their fathers (116) and their grandfathers (114), answered a self-report questionnaire, which measured filial responsibility attitudes, type of attachment;self-esteem;sense of mastery and, family support. Results revealed ethnicity and religiosity differences as well as between-generations differences regarding filial responsibility. An additional finding brought to light the cross-generational differences in the relationship between the attachment style in adulthood and the attitudes regarding filial responsibility. The most important finding shows that the Arab male, especially in the youngest generation, finds himself in a socio-psychological-internal conflict between tradition and modernization regarding the family norms. Arab society, in attitudes towards filial responsibility, is still traditional in terms of its approach to the institutions of clan and, the men status within the family. Thus, mostly among the elderly Arab Muslims.