A Study on the Participation of Peasants in Rural Environmental Improvement From the Perspective of Sustainable Development

Peasants are producers and the direct stakeholders of rural environmental problems, and also the core subject of the comprehensive rural ecological improvement. However, in the current mode of rural environmental governance, the government takes the dominant role, with low participation of peasants. Based on the representative micro-survey data of China, and from the perspective of the psychosocial effects of the peasants’ self-identification, this research made use of instrumental variables and generalized structural equation mode (GSEM) to explore the reason behand this phenomenon. The research shows that, first, at present Chinese peasants have a low degree of self-identification, and self-identification has a remarkable and positive stimulating effect on the participation of peasants in rural ecological improvement; second, heterogeneity analysis shows that self-identification is a stronger incentive for peasant groups with female offspring and rural families with relatively higher incomes in the participation of rural environmental improvement, and is a less remarkable incentive for rural families with relatively low incomes; and third, the mediation model results indicate that social fairness and social capital are important mediating paths with which self-identification influences the participation of peasants in rural environmental improvement, and the exertion of the stimulating effect of self-identification on the participation in rural environmental improvement is inseparable from the coordination and integration of the perception effect of peasants as the behavioral subject in terms of social fairness, and is still more inseparable from the support of corresponding social capital. What we’ve discovered means that the enhancement of self-identification of peasants by strengthening the construction of public cultural services and cultural guidance in rural area is the crucial element to motivate the peasants to participate in rural environmental improvement so as to realize sustainable rural development

Research Progress in Techniques for Postharvest Preservation of Green Sweet Peppers

Green sweat peppers are rich in nutrients and diverse in shape and color. Apart from being eaten as a vegetable, it is widely used as seasoning and side dishes. Due to respiration and infection by harmful microorganisms, postharvest green peppers are prone to water loss, wilting and even rot. Appropriate preservation technology can maximize the preservation of nutrients and extend the storage period of green peppers. This paper introduces the techniques used for postharvest preservation of green sweet peppers: physical preservation methods such as refrigeration and packaging, biological preservatives such as microbial, plant and animal extracts, and chemical preservatives such as calcium agents and 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP), and compares the advantages and disadvantages of these preservation techniques. It elaborates the effect of chitosan or konjac glucomannan-based composite coatings on preserving the quality of green sweet peppers. Our intention is to provide a reference and guidance for the storage and preservation of postharvest green peppers

Identification and Analysis of Potential Key Genes Associated With Hepatocellular Carcinoma Based on Integrated Bioinformatics Methods

BackgroundHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a type of primary liver tumor with poor prognosis and high mortality, and its molecular mechanism remains incompletely understood. This study aimed to use bioinformatics technology to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in HCC pathogenesis, hoping to identify novel biomarkers or potential therapeutic targets for HCC research.MethodsThe bioinformatics analysis of our research mostly involved the following two datasets: Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). First, we screened DEGs based on the R packages (limma and edgeR). Using the DAVID database, the Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses of DEGs were carried out. Next, the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of the DEGs was built in the STRING database. Then, hub genes were screened through the cytoHubba plug-in, followed by verification using the GEPIA and Oncomine databases. We demonstrated differences in levels of the protein in hub genes using the Human Protein Atlas (HPA) database. Finally, the hub genes prognostic values were analyzed by the GEPIA database. Additionally, using the Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD), we constructed the drug-gene interaction network.ResultsWe ended up with 763 DEGs, including 247 upregulated and 516 downregulated DEGs, that were mainly enriched in the epoxygenase P450 pathway, oxidation-reduction process, and metabolism-related pathways. Through the constructed PPI network, it can be concluded that the P53 signaling pathway and the cell cycle are the most obvious in module analysis. From the PPI, we filtered out eight hub genes, and these genes were significantly upregulated in HCC samples, findings consistent with the expression validation results. Additionally, survival analysis showed that high level gene expression of CDC20, CDK1, MAD2L1, BUB1, BUB1B, CCNB1, and CCNA2 were connected with the poor overall survival of HCC patients. Toxicogenomics analysis showed that only topotecan, oxaliplatin, and azathioprine could reduce the gene expression levels of all seven hub genes.ConclusionThe present study screened out the key genes and pathways that were related to HCC pathogenesis, which could provide new insight for the future molecularly targeted therapy and prognosis evaluation of HCC.</jats:sec

Prognostic Model for Predicting Overall and Cancer-Specific Survival Among Patients With Cervical Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A SEER Based Study

BackgroundCervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) is the most common histological subtype of cervical cancer. The purpose of this study was to assess prognostic factors and establish personalized risk assessment nomograms to predict overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) in CSCC patients.MethodsCSCC patients diagnosed between 1988 and 2015 were identified in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression models were applied to select meaningful independent predictors and construct predictive nomogram models for OS and CSS. The concordance index (C-index), calibration curve, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were used to determine the predictive accuracy and discriminability of the nomogram.ResultsA total cohort (n=17962) was randomly divided into a training cohort (n=11974) and a validation cohort (n=5988). Age, race, histologic grade, clinical stage, tumor size, chemotherapy and historic stage were assessed as common independent predictors of OS and CSS. The C-index value of the nomograms for predicting OS and CSS was 0.771 (95% confidence interval 0.762-0.780) and 0.786 (95% confidence interval 0.777-0.795), respectively. Calibration curves of the nomograms indicated satisfactory consistency between nomogram prediction and actual survival for both 3-year and 5-year OS and CSS.ConclusionWe constructed nomograms that could predict 3- and 5-year OS and CSS of CSCC patients. These nomograms showed good performance in prognostic prediction and can be used as an effective tool to evaluate the prognosis of CSCC patients, thus contributing to clinical decision making and individualized treatment planning.</jats:sec

Factor and Cluster Analysis for TCM Syndromes of Real-World Metabolic Syndrome at Different Age Stage

Background. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has the characteristics of multitarget and overall regulation, which has certain advantages in preventing and treating of metabolic syndrome (MS). The aim of the present study was to evaluate the similarities and differences of TCM syndrome distribution in different age groups to promote the optimization of treatment strategies. Methods. This study was based on a real-world survey conducted in 3 hospitals in China. There are 1262 collected cases of MS meeting the inclusion criteria, which were divided into the young group, middle-aged group, and elderly group. Factor analysis (FA) was conducted for syndrome element extraction, and K-means cluster analysis was processed for syndrome type classification. Frequency analysis and Chi-square test were used to compare the syndrome characteristics of each group. Results. Common factors extracted were assigned to 18 syndrome elements including 11 nature syndrome elements and 7 location syndrome elements. Phlegm and dampness are the most frequent syndrome elements in general. Compared with the middle-aged group and elderly group, the young group has more obvious nature syndrome elements in heat and Qi deficiency, and location syndrome elements in the stomach. As for the middle-aged group, the frequency of location syndrome in kidney syndrome was higher than that in other groups. When it comes to the elderly group, it is shown that the symptoms of Yin deficiency and blood deficiency increase with age and the old patients may have more location syndrome elements in the lung and gallbladder. Conclusion. The TCM syndrome of MS is complex in that there may be the characteristics of deficiency and excess syndrome simultaneously. The main pathological factors of MS were phlegm and dampness. Besides, MS patients at different age periods may have their own syndrome distribution features. So, it is reasonable to adhere to the method of resolving phlegm and removing dampness and, at the same time, adopt the ways of clearing heat, promoting Qi, nourishing Yin, supplementing blood as well as regulating the liver, promoting the lung, transporting the spleen, nourishing the heart, and nourishing the kidney based on the syndrome feature of MS in different age stages.</jats:p