In the northern region of China, many greenhouse vegetable farmers are exposed to high cumulative levels of pesticides due to long-term work in greenhouses that impacts their health. The aim of the current study was to identify the relationship between cumulative pesticide exposure and sleep disorders among farmers in Yinchuan, Northwest China. A cross-sectional study was conducted for 3 consecutive years in 2015, 2016 and 2017. Using a random sampling to select the resident teams, 1366 participants were enrolled, and information was collected via face-to-face interviews by trained investigators. Ordinal logistic, multinomial logistic and poisson logistic regression models were used to identify the associations between cumulative exposure intensity (CEI) and sleep disorders. High CEI (OR = 1.56, 95% CI: 1.02–3.38) was associated with short sleep duration when compared with low CEI in the Full Model. CEI was not associated with long sleep duration. Self-rated sleep quality was associated with medium (OR = 1.46, 95% CI: 1.10–2.00) and high (OR = 2.50, 95% CI: 1.83–3.40) CEI. Similarly, having difficulty sleeping was associated with medium (OR = 1.52, 95% CI: 1.02–2.24) and high (OR = 1.74, 95% CI: 1.16–2.62) CEI. Differences in the associations by gender were also noted. CEI was associated with sleep disorders, and gender differences were observed. Efforts should be made by local governments to address sleep problems that result from cumulative pesticide exposure in farmers, and gender differences should be considered.

Background. Recently, a large‐scale novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP) outbreak swept China. As of Feb. 9, 2020, a total of 40,260 patients have been diagnosed with NCP, and 23,589 patients were suspected to have infected by the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID‐19), which puts forward a great challenge for public health and clinical treatment in China. Until now, we are in the high‐incidence season of NCP. Thus, the analysis of the transmissibility change of NCP and its potential factors may provide a reliable reference for establishing effective prevention and control strategies. Method. By means of the method of calculating the instantaneous basic reproduction number R_0t proposed by Cori et al. (2013), we use R_0t to describe the transmissibility change of COVID‐19 in China, 2019‐2020. In addition, the Baidu Index (BDI) and Baidu Migration Scale (BMS) were selected to measure the public awareness and the effect of Wuhan lockdown (restricted persons in Wuhan outflow from the epidemic area) strategy, respectively. The Granger causality test (GCT) was carried out to explore the association between public awareness, the effect of the Wuhan lockdown strategy, and the transmissibility of COVID‐19. Results. The estimated averaged basic reproduction number of NCP in China was 3.44 with 95% CI (2.87, 4.0) during Dec. 8, 2019, to Feb. 9, 2020. The instantaneous basic reproduction numbers (R_0t) have two waves and reaching peaks on Jan. 8 and Jan. 27, respectively. After reaching a peak on Jan. 27, R_0t showed a continuous decline trend. On Feb. 9, R_0t has fallen to 1.68 (95% CI: 1.66, 1.7), but it is still larger than 1. We find a significantly negative association between public awareness and the transmissibility change of COVID‐19, with one unit increase in cumulative BDI leading to a decrease of 0.0295% (95% CI: 0.0077, 0.051) R_0t. We also find a significantly negative association between the effect of the Wuhan lockdown strategy and the transmissibility change of COVID‐19, and a one unit decrease in BMS may lead to a drop of 2.7% (95% CI: 0.382, 4.97) R_0t. Conclusion. The current prevention and control measures have effectively reduced the transmissibility of COVID‐19; however, R_0t is still larger than the threshold 1. The results show that the government adopting the Wuhan lockdown strategy plays an important role in restricting the potential infected persons in Wuhan outflow from the epidemic area and avoiding a nationwide spread by quickly controlling the potential infection in Wuhan. Meanwhile, since Jan. 18, 2020, the people successively accessed COVID‐19‐related information via the Internet, which may help to effectively implement the government’s prevention and control strategy and contribute to reducing the transmissibility of NCP. Therefore, ongoing travel restriction and public health awareness remain essential to provide a foundation for controlling the outbreak of COVID‐19.

Cyfluthrin is a widely used insecticide, and studies have shown that its exposure during pregnancy is associated with neurobehavioral abnormalities in offspring, but the mechanism of toxicity is unknown. In this study, we observed the neurodevelopmental toxicity of Cyfluthrin in rat offspring of different ages due to pregnancy exposure, which manifested a series of impairments such as persistent cognitive impairment, neuronal loss in hippocampal tissues, synaptic damage, and altered expression of neurodevelopmental-related factors. Hippocampal scRNA-seq in neonatal rats showed specific cellular responses to prenatal Cyfluthrin exposure. Through DEG intergroup difference analysis, intercellular communication analysis, and mimetic timing analysis, we found that the change in the fate of neural stem cells - alterations in differentiation direction, proliferation, and apoptosis levels - was the main cause of the offspring's developmental toxicity induced by prenatal Cyfluthrin exposure. This inference was verified by our in - vivo and ex - vivo experiments. Our study first constructed a single - cell atlas of the offspring's brain hippocampus exposed to Cyfluthrin during pregnancy. It warns about pesticide intake during pregnancy and nursing in women and provides a theoretical basis for neurodevelopmental toxicity from early - life exposure to environmental pollutants.

Self-rated health (SRH) has been shown to be a stronger comprehensive predictor of health status than the clinical record. Although an association between specific pesticide exposures and health conditions has been reported in different populations, data on the relationship between pesticides exposure intensity (PEI) and SRH in greenhouse farmers is scarce. The aim of the current study was to evaluate this association among vegetable greenhouse farmers in Yinchuan City, western China. Three consecutive cross-sectional studies were conducted in the years 2015, 2016 and 2017. Face-to-face interviews by trained investigators, using questionnaires, were performed. PEI was calculated by a validated method and then categorized into high, middle and low groups. SRH was measured via a single ten-point scale question and then divided into excellent (score >5) and poor SRH (score ≤5). A multivariable logistic regression model was used to evaluate the association. Meanwhile, the dose-response and interaction effects were estimated. A steady association between high PEI and poor SRH (OR: 1.55, 95% CI: 1.05–2.28 in the full model) was identified. Although high PEI was significantly associated with poor SRH in males and the Han ethnicity group, no significant association was found with poor SRH in females or those of Hui ethnicity. Interaction effects of education level and frequency of breakfast with PEI were determined (P_interaction = 0.04 and 0.02, respectively); synergistic enhanced effects for poor SRH were observed. These findings indicate that high PEI might be associated with poor SRH among vegetable greenhouse farmers. A lower education level and never eating breakfast contributed to an increased likelihood of poor SRH in those with high PEI. The local government should be making great efforts to promote healthy behaviors and improve protection awareness.

Pesticide exposure is a major health risk factor among agricultural workers, and poor protective behavior and a lack of awareness concerning the risks of pesticide use in developing countries may increase the intensity of pesticide exposure. This cross-sectional study aimed to explore the relationship between neurologic symptoms and protective behavior and awareness in relation to pesticide use in China. Latent class cluster analysis was used to categorize participants into 3 latent cluster subgroups, namely, a poor protective behavior subgroup, an excellent protective awareness and behavior subgroup, and a poor protective awareness subgroup, using a person-centered approach. Multivariate regression models were used to detect the association between the latent class cluster subgroups and self-reported neurologic symptoms. The results showed that poor protective behavior in pesticide use was an important negative predicator of neurologic symptoms such as reduced sleep quality, frequency of nightmares, debility, hypopsia, and hypomnesis. These findings suggest that targeted interventions for agricultural workers, especially local greenhouse farmers, are urgently needed to improve pesticide protection behavior.

Objectives: Several studies have investigated the link between agricultural activities of open-field farmers and the prevalence of respiratory diseases, but the relationship with greenhouse vegetable farmers remains unclear. Methods: A total of 1,366 participants from four villages in China provided information about their agricultural activities and symptoms of diagnosed respiratory system diseases. The Poisson regression model and zero-inflated Poisson regression model were used to assess the association between diseases, symptoms, and agricultural activities. Results: The prevalence of respiratory diseases was 3.59%, and the rates of four main symptoms (cough, tachypnea, chest distress, and hemoptysis) were 17.21%, 8.56%, 10.25%, and 1.61%, respectively. Mix spray of pesticides associated with cough, tachypnea and chest distress, 1.740-, 3.385- and 2.882-fold likelihood were found than hand spray, and the significant association were detected in empty, general information, life-style information adjusted models. Conclusions: The relationship between agricultural activities and respiratory diseases is unclear. However, use of the mix spray method of pesticide application may increase the risk of cough, tachypnea, and chest distress.