What influences Bangladeshi Boro rice farmers' adoption decisions of recommended fertilizer doses: A case study on Dinajpur district.

Due to the combined effect of biotic and abiotic constraints, rising population pressure, and inelastic demand in the crop and horticulture sector, Bangladesh has had to adopt heavily subsidized and intensified fertilizer policies to enhance crop productivity, achieve and sustain self-sufficiency in food production, and food security provision. Although the initiative has played a vital role in boosting production, it has also invigorated the unbalanced amount of fertilizer application practices raising questions about maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services while feeding the nation's population. Further research in this area must thus be applied to monitor and improve this sector. This study attempts to understand the issue by investigating the factors influencing Boro rice farmers' adoption decisions of recommended fertilizer doses. The study employs an ordered probit model with a sample selection approach. The investigation is based on collected data from 405 randomly selected farmers using a face-to-face interview method. The farmers were classified into low, middle, high and non-adopter groups. The study revealed that farmers' age, land typology, soil water retention, knowledge, and availability of cow dung significantly influenced farmers' decision to apply fertilizers. However, farmers' carry an aversion to following recommendations for fertilizer application due to their ambiguity about the whole system, their current fertilizer application-seeking behavior, and the lack of understanding of the environmental benefits of adoption. These issues urge policy interventions to initiate village-based demonstration programs that synthesize better synergies between recommended dose adoption, yield amelioration, sustainable soil care, and economics.

Application of asthma predictor index in management of young wheezing children in primary hospitals / 中国基层医药

Objective:To explore the application value of asthma prediction index (API) in the management of young wheezing children in primary hospitals.Methods:From July 2014 to December 2016, 137 children with recurrent wheezing diagnosed and treated in the People's Hospital of Qidong were selected for API evaluation.Forty-six children with positive API (treatment group) were given standardized treatment for childhood asthma, 43 patients with API positive (observation group) and 48 patients with API negative (control group) were given routine treatment (intermittent anti-inflammatory and antiasthmatic treatment). All children were given breathing nursing education and management, followed up to observe breathing control.Results:One child in the treatment group was withdrawn from the cohort, and the complete remission rates in the treatment group, observation group and control group were 86.7% (39/45), 9.3% (4/43) and 43.8% (21/48), respectively.The complete response rate in the treatment group and control group was higher than that in the observation group, and the differences were statistically significant (χ 2=53.39, 14.78, all P<0.05). Conclusion:API can effectively help pediatricians in primary hospitals to manage young wheezing children and improve the complete remission rate.

The aetiological analysis of common viruses of acute lower respiratory infection among the hospitalized children 0 to 7 years old in Nantong of Jiangsu / 中国基层医药

Objective To investigate the infection status and clinical features of common viruses in acute lower respiratory infection (ALRI) among the hospitalized children 0 to 7 years old in Nantong of Jiangsu.Methods 1 376 swab samples from pharynx nasalis in the ALRI inpatients 0 to 7 years old were collected.The human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV),adenovirus (ADV),influenza virusA,B (IVA,B),parainfluenza virus Ⅰ ～ Ⅲ (PIV Ⅰ ～ Ⅲ)were detected by direct immunofluorescence assay,and the results were analyzed.Results In 1 376 respiratory tract samples,there were 577 cases(41.93％) of positive samples.In all positive samples,there were 376 cases of RSVpositive (65.16％),42 ADV-positive (7.28％),63 IVA-positive (10.92％),24 IVB-positive (4.16％),20 PIV Ⅰ-positive(3.47％),19 PIV Ⅱ-positive (3.29％),108 PIV Ⅲ-positive (18.72％),68 cases with mixed infection (11.79％) [two virus-positive ones in 59 cases (86.76％),three virus-positive ones in 9 cases (13.24％)].In different age group,the highest positive rate was in 0 ～ 6-month-old group(53.32％),with the lowest in 5-7 years old group(6.90％).Virus detection rate was higher in March 2012 (58.67％),December 2012 (53.33％),and January 2013(53.63％)than the rest months,including the lowest June 2012(33.33％).Bronchiolitis virus detection rate was the highest(69.23％)among ALRI.Conclusion The virus is major pathogen of children 0 to 7 years old with ALRI in Nantong of Jiangsu,and with difference among different ages,seasons and diseases.Infants and young children are the main affected population.