Browse Articles

How does occupational prestige of migrant workers affect farmland transfer in China?

Occupational prestige, a socioeconomic status metric, has received limited attention in prior studies regarding its influence on farmland transfer. Based on data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) conducted in 2018 and 2020, we analyze the impact of occupational prestige on farmland transfer. The findings reveal that farmers with higher occupational prestige are more likely to transfer their farmland, and the results using the instrumental variable (IV)-Probit model remained significant. Occupational prestige facilitates farmland transfer by enhancing farmers’ awareness of land ownership rights and policies, concurrently diminishing their expectations of land security. Credit-constrained farmers, those with lower income levels, and farmers in the central-western regions of China are more willing to transfer their land. These research insights underscore the significance of fostering inclusive urban employment initiatives and providing upward mobility opportunities for rural migrant workers. Such endeavors are deemed critical for nurturing the development and advancement of China’s rural land rental market.

Evaluation of biomarkers for intestinal damage in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Social determinants of health on all-cause and cause-specific mortality in US adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: NHANES 2005–2018

Background Social determinants of health (SDoH) are nonmedical societal factors that influence health outcomes. However, their relationship with mortality risk in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) remains poorly understood. This study aimed to evaluate the association between SDoH and the risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality in COPD patients. Methods Data from seven National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) cycles (2005–2018) were analyzed. Kaplan-Meier survival curves and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the association between SDoH and mortality outcomes, including all-cause and cause-specific mortality. The sensitive analyses were performed to check the robustness of the main findings. Nonlinear relationships were explored using restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis, offering greater flexibility than traditional linear models. Subgroup analyses further assessed the consistency and robustness of findings across different demographic and clinical factors, enhancing the depth and reliability of the results. Results Among 1,551 COPD participants, 506 deaths occurred, including 114 from cardio-cerebrovascular diseases and 130 from cancer. Higher SDoH scores were inversely associated with survival outcomes. After adjusting for confounders, individuals with higher SDoH scores had increased risks of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.199, 95% confidence intervals [CI]:1.136, 1.264), cancer mortality (HR = 1.236, 95% CI: 1.100, 1.388), and cardio-cerebrovascular mortality (HR = 1.143, 95% CI: 1.022,1.277) compared to those with lower SDoH scores. Sensitivity analyses confirmed the positive correlations between SDoH and mortality in the COPD population. Kaplan-Meier analyses also revealed worse survival outcomes for participants with higher SDoH scores. The agreement between survival analyses and statistical modeling underscores the predictive value of SDoH in this population. Conclusion The results of our study indicate a notable positive correlation between SDoH score and the likelihood of mortality from all causes and specific causes in patients with COPD.

Coupling relationship between glucose and oxygen metabolisms to serve as an imaging biomarker for Alzheimer’s disease

Genomic insights into the serovar prevalence, antimicrobial resistance gene, and genetic diversity of Salmonella enterica in Mexico

The research aims to provide insights into the sources of contamination, prevalence of common serovars, determination of sequence types, prediction of genes associated with antimicrobial resistance, and phylogenetic analysis to evaluate genetic diversity and correlations between serovars and sequence types in Salmonella enterica in Mexico. We analyzed 818 publicly accessible whole-genome sequences from Mexico, which included isolates from diverse sources such as poultry, meat, water, and agricultural environments. We identified fifty-seven serovars, of which 19.8% corresponded to S. Infantis, 10.7% to S. Anatum, and 6.6% to S. Newport, representing the most common serovars. Phylogenetic analysis shows a strong correlation between sequence type and serovar. For example, ST32 for S. Infantis and ST64 for S. Anatum show this. However, serovars such as S. Newport possessed considerable genomic diversity, suggesting complex contamination pathways. The analysis showed that many isolates have been identified as multidrug-resistant, exhibiting resistance gene profiles for aminoglycosides, β-lactams, fluoroquinolones, sulfonamides, and tetracyclines. The findings emphasize the importance of identifying contamination sources to monitor the dissemination of multidrug-resistant Salmonella in regions that have significant antibiotic consumption in agriculture and farming, highlighting its global relevance for food safety and public health.

Search for the elusive haplotype of the APOE polymorphism associated with Alzheimer’s disease

Does continuing learning help middle-aged and elderly people find employment in China? A propensity score matching analysis

Background The global aging workforce, driven by declining fertility and increased longevity, poses challenges to socio-economic systems and highlights the need for policies addressing age-related employment barriers. This also emphasizes the potential role of continuing learning in enhancing job prospects for older adults. Methods Our data were derived from waves 3–5 of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey (CHARLS), encompassing 43,357 residents aged 45 years and older. The study defines employment based on responses to work-related questions and assesses the impact of continuing education or training courses. We employed propensity score matching (PSM), controlling for 10 confounding factors, to analyze the effects of continued learning on the employment of middle-aged and older individuals. Results Of the 43,357 samples, 68.2 percent of Chinese individuals over 45 years of age were employed, but only 1 percent of this population engaged in continuing education. Initially, whether or not to pursue further studies did not seem to affect employment among middle-aged and older individuals. However, after eliminating endogenous selection bias through PSM, we found that participation in continuing education positively impacts the employment of middle-aged and elderly people. This result was verified through multiple matching methods. Conclusion The findings underscore the importance of continuing learning in facilitating the employment prospects of middle-aged and elderly individuals.

Evaluating the EVA surgical navigation system for ureteral identification in an in vivo porcine model

The global response to the pandemic: An empirical cluster analysis of policies targeting COVID-19

It is well known that countries differed in their response to the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of the timing and intensity of specific measures such as lockdowns, face masks and vaccine rollout. However, previous studies have not investigated systematic differences in the overall pandemic strategies. We use daily data from the Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker (OxCGRT), between January 2020 and December 2022 focusing on 16 key pandemic policies, including containment, economic, and health system measures, and apply a three-dimensional k-means clustering algorithm to identify distinct overarching strategies based on the type, intensity, and timing of the response adopted by different countries. We identify four distinct strategies; 1) the traditional infectious disease control approach, adopted by a wide range of high- and middle-income countries, which emphasises strict containment policies and movement restrictions, 2) the public health-oriented approach, adopted by developed welfare states with ageing populations and high health care expenditures, which is more flexible over time and focuses more on economic and health policies, such as income support and testing strategies, with less emphasis on stringent containment, 3) high stringency with gradual relaxation, and 4) reactive policies at a minimal level, both adopted by less democratic low- and middle income countries with substantial inequalities and with younger and less vulnerable populations. The findings contribute to understanding how different countries adapted to the pandemic and how these responses may relate to broader socio-political contexts, including welfare state arrangements and economic resilience.

Anthropogenic stressors of black clam distribution in Kochi backwaters on the Indian west coast

Black hole fly-by modelled with landmark precision

Psychometric validation of the Thai version of the 12-item Zarit Burden Interview among informal caregivers in a palliative care setting in the south of Thailand

The Thai version of the 12-item Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) is valid for measuring caregiver burden in psychiatric caregivers. Nevertheless, it has not been verified in a larger palliative care (PC) context. The aim of this study was to validate the 12-item ZBI in PC among caregivers of palliative care patients. A methodological study examining the validity of the 12-item ZBI was carried out with informal caregivers of palliative care patients of two district health service networks. The data were gathered using self-administered questionaries, and then all participants were randomly split into two sub-samples for exploratory factor analysis (EFA) (n = 150) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) (n = 155). After utilizing statistical approaches for reducing items, EFA was used with group 1 to analyze the factor structure of the 12-item ZBI. Finally, CFA was employed with group 2 to confirm the amended structure indicated by the EFA and to evaluate the construct validity of the 12-item ZBI. A total of 305 palliative caregivers were enrolled. The principal component analysis of the 12 items yielded a loading based on a two-factor model of personal strain and role strain accounting for 61.4% of the variance. Cronbach’s alpha (0.83) and item-total correlations (rho = 0.38–0.70) showed that the 12-item Zarit had acceptable reliability. For convergent validity, the average variance extracted (AVE) values revealed that all 12-item ZBI subscales had a convergence effect, with AVEs ranging from 0.50–0.53. Additionally, this tool had a significant positive correlation with depressive symptoms (r = 0.48), anxiety (r = 0.38), and stress (r = 0.56). The 12-item ZBI is a brief, precise, and valid instrument for assessing burden among Thai palliative caregivers. We discovered high evidence of reliability in this sample, along with convergent and construct validity. Likewise, EFA revealed that the 12-item ZBI was a two-dimensional scale. Thus, health care practitioners may utilize the ZBI in research and clinical settings to determine burden in palliative caregivers.

An efficient trustworthy cyberattack defence mechanism system for self guided federated learning framework using attention induced deep convolution neural networks

Effect of UV-A on endophyte colonisation of Arabidopsis thaliana

UV-A, an important part of sunlight radiation, is typically absent in experiments on plant-endophyte interactions. We examined the impact of UV-A in the 350–400 nm range (UV-A1 waveband) on the plant interactions with fungal endophytes belonging to different taxonomic groups: Paraphoma chrysanthemicola, Phomopsis columnaris, Diaporthe eres, Mucor sp., and yeast Sporobolomyces ruberrimus. Physiologically relevant levels of UV-A did not substantially affect the colonisation of shoots and roots by endophytes. UV-A upregulated the expression of genes involved in the establishment of symbiosis. Specifically, the expression of PDF1.2 was affected by P. chrysanthemicola and S. ruberrimus only under UV-A conditions. Additionally, UV-A exposure upregulated the mRNA levels of ICS1 and PAL1, genes important for plant responses to stress factors. Inoculation with P. chrysanthemicola and S. ruberrimus led to increased expression of the ICS1 gene. We did not observe significant interactions between the effects of UV-A and the presence of endophytes on other examined plant traits, including plant fresh weight, root system architecture, and expression of plant photoreceptor genes. For these physiological parameters, the effects of the presence of endophytes did not depend on UV-A supplementation. Our findings indicate that while UV-A does not substantially influence plant colonisation by the endophytes, it does trigger the upregulation of plant defence genes and affects the shoot growth of Arabidopsis.

Examining cognitive differences in expert meditators and non-meditators older adults

Diagnostic, prognostic, and immunological roles of FUT8 in lung adenocarcinoma and lung squamous cell carcinoma

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of malignant tumors worldwide in terms of the incidence and mortality, posing a significant threat to human health. Given that distant metastases typically occur at the time of initial diagnosis, leading to a poor 5-year survival rate among patients, it is crucial to identify markers for diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutic efficacy monitoring. Abnormal glycosylation is a hallmark of cancer cells, characterized by the disruption of core fucosylation, which is predominantly driven by the enzyme fucosyltransferase 8 (FUT8). Evidence indicates that FUT8 is a pivotal enzyme in cancer onset and progression, influencing cellular glycosylation pathways. Utilizing bioinformatics approaches, we have investigated FUT8 in lung cancer, resulting in a more systematic and comprehensive understanding of its role in the disease’s pathogenesis. In this study, we employed bioinformatics to analyze the differential expression of FUT8 between LUAD and LUSC. We observed upregulation of FUT8 in both LUAD and LUSC, associated with unfavorable prognosis, and higher diagnostic utility in LUAD. GO/KEGG analysis revealed a primary association between LUAD and the spliceosome. Immunologically, FUT8 expression was significantly associated with immune cell infiltration and immune checkpoint activity, with a notable positive correlation with M2 macrophage infiltration. Our analysis of FUT8 indicates that it may serve as a potential biomarker for lung cancer diagnosis and prognosis, and could represent a therapeutic target for LUAD and LUSC immunotherapy.

Dog owners’ job stress crosses over to their pet dogs via work-related rumination

Abstract Job stress can have well-being consequences for the employee’s loved ones through crossover: the transference of work-related stress from an employee to their family members. Pet dogs—who most Americans view as family members—may also be susceptible to crossover. Given prior support for dogs’ abilities to perceive and absorb a human’s emotions via emotional contagion, we expected that pet dogs of owners with higher job stress would themselves be more stressed. We anticipated that work-related rumination, or the tendency to continue thinking about work during leisure time, would explain this relationship. All variables were measured using self-report scales administered in an online survey, and dogs’ stress was captured in two ways: as owner-perceived and behaviorally indicated. The sample included 85 employees and their pet dogs. Controlling for home stress, we found that job stress related to behaviorally indicated stress in dogs. Work-related rumination explained this relationship. This study unites organizational research with companion animal welfare and supports the presence of crossover in the dog-owner bond. Based on these findings, employed dog owners might benefit from avoiding work-related rumination when at home to protect the well-being of man’s best friend.

Early childhood female genital mutilation in Sierra Leone, 2008–2019

Background Female genital mutilation remains a public health concern and human rights violation affecting young girls in Sierra Leone, despite global efforts to eliminate the practice. With its diverse socio-cultural background and varying regional practices, Sierra Leone presents a unique context for examining how female genital mutilation practices have evolved across different population subgroups. This study examined the early childhood female genital mutilation among women of reproductive age (15–49 years) who reported having FGM before the age of five in Sierra Leone. Methods The study utilised data from the Sierra Leone Demographic Health Survey rounds conducted in 2008, 2013, and 2019. The World Health Organisation Health Equity Assessment Toolkit software calculated various measures, including difference, ratio, population-attributable risk, and population-attributable fraction. An assessment was calculated for five stratifiers: age, education level, economic status, place of residence, and sub-national province. Results The prevalence of female genital mutilation among women of reproductive age (15–49 years) who reported undergoing the practice before the age of five in Sierra Leone declined from 23.2% in 2008 to 12.3% in 2019. By 2019, female genital mutilation showed minimal variation between women aged 40–49 and 15–19, as well as in urban-rural differences. Economic variations in female genital mutilation decreased but continued to disadvantage women in the poorest quintile. Educational variations in female genital mutilation decreased but still impacted women without formal education. Provincial variations in female genital mutilation widened, with the ratio between the Western and Northwestern provinces increasing from 1.8 in 2008 to 2.6 in 2019. Conclusion The results showed a decrease in early childhood female genital mutilationin Sierra Leone. While differences related to age groups and urban-rural residence have largely been eliminated, substantial differences persist across educational levels, economic status, and provinces. Most notably, the provincial differences between the Western and Northwestern provinces had widened, with the difference in ratio indicating that female genital mutilation practices remain disproportionately concentrated in some provincial areas. These results suggest that while national-level interventions have been partially successful, there is a critical need for targeted, context-specific approaches that address persistent socioeconomic and provincial variations to achieve a more equitable reduction in early childhood female genital mutilation across all population groups in Sierra Leone.

Distributed wireless power transfer based on secondary-side-direct-series topology for integration with building-attached photovoltaic system

An observational study protocol on wastewater measurements and diaper culture to estimate antimicrobial resistance in long-term care facilities for people with intellectual disabilities: The GIRAF-MIC study protocol

Introduction Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has become one of the leading global health threats. It is critical to understand the burden of AMR, particularly among vulnerable populations such as people with intellectual disabilities residing in long-term care facilities (ID-LTCFs). Traditional study methods to estimate the burden of AMR in these settings, such as rectal swabs to measure the prevalence of MDRO carriage, are considered burdensome for this population. This underscores the importance of a non-invasive method to assess the burden of AMR among people living in ID-LTCFs. This publication describes a study protocol for an alternative approach to estimate AMR, specifically Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamase (ESBL) and carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE), in ID-LTCFs in the Netherlands, through wastewater measurements combined with analysis of stool collected from diaper material. The protocol provides detailed information about the study design and methodologies proposed for a pilot study. Methods and analysis Wastewater samples will be obtained from the sewers of ID-LCTFs using passive samplers. Additionally, as a considerable part of ID-LTCF residents are incontinent, stool samples will be collected from diaper material which will be obtained from incontinent residents living in participating ID-LTCFs. The wastewater and stool samples will be cultured on selective media to detect ESBL-producing Enterobacterales and carbapenem producing Enterobacterales (CPE) strains. Determination of strains will be carried out using MALDI-TOF and phenotypical tests will be carried out to confirm ESBL and CPE producing strains. In wastewater samples, bacterial concentrations will be determined, expressed in colony forming unit (CFU) per passive sampler, while in stool from diaper material the presence or absence of ESBL and CPE will be reported in proportions. Ethics and dissemination The procedures described in this study protocol will be conducted in line with principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki, Code of Conduct for Health research, as well as the General Data Protection Regulation. Approval in advance by an ethical research committee or institutional review board is deemed unnecessary by current national and European legislation.