The effect of participation in ecological public welfare positions on farmers' household income composition and the internal mechanism

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Mitigating environmental impacts of milk production via integrated maize silage planting and dairy cow breeding system: A case study in China

peer reviewedEnvironmental impacts of milk production are depending on the production efficiency of livestock and cropland. A mode of integrated maize silage planting and dairy breeding system (IPBS) has been widely promoted in China, as a promising way to recycle manure, reduce chemical fertilizer consumption and improve soil quality. However, quantitative environmental impacts and mitigation potential of this system remains unclear. In this study, based on life cycle assessment (LCA), environmental performance of non-IPBS and IPBS were compared: non-IPBS only involved dairy cow breeding, whereas maize silage planting was incorporated in IPBS. Results indicated that, although 60% of the surveyed dairy farms adopted IPBS, the self-sufficiency rate of maize silage was 57%. Compared with non-IPBS, IPBS had apparent potential in reducing global warming potential (−14%), acidification potential (−10%), eutrophication potential (−18%), non-renewable energy use (−10%), water use (−8%) and land use (−13%). It is estimated that, in China, 81% of dairy farms could adopt IPBS, resulting in a reduction of approximately 21% in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to compared with current situation, but the premise is that 2.0 million ha cropland should be applied for maize silage cultivation. Interestingly, environmental performance of IPBS was affected by the self-sufficiency rate of maize silage and restricted by milk yield and maize silage yield. Thus, mitigation of environmental impacts of milk production could be realized by combining a short-term strategy of increasing maize silage planting area in dairy farms and a long-term plan for technological improvements in the yield of crop and milk

Are Farmers Willing to Pay for Centralized Mode Provision of Rural Domestic Sewage Treatment? A Large-Scale Assessment in North China

peer reviewedEvaluation of farmers’ willingness to participate (WTPP) and willingness to pay (WTP) for the centralized mode provision (CMP) of rural domestic sewage treatment (RDST) is imperative to improve the rural environment as well as to alleviate government financial pressures. This study adopted the contingent valuation method as well as face-to-face interview questionnaires to assess rural residents’ provision mode preferences, WTPP, and WTP for the CMP of RDST in China. Based on 761 samples collected from Shandong, Jilin, and Gansu provinces of China, we applied econometric models to estimate farmers’ WTPP and WTP for the CMP of RDST and explore the potential influencing factors, respectively. Results show that 1) 81.87% of the farmers would be willing to contribute to CMP of RDST; 2) farmers’ perceptions of the necessity of RDST, pollution of rural domestic sewage, and government propaganda significantly and positively affect their WTP; and 3) the expected WTP for CMP of RDST with the total respondents and the respondents with positive WTPP were estimated to be 7.59 USD/year and 10.10 USD/year (for a total of 20 years), accounting for 16.28 and 21.65% of construction costs, respectively. Based on these outcomes, it could be further estimated that the aggregate value was between 179.05 million USD/year and 238.26 million USD/year which implied that the farmers’ WTP may be a potentially non-negligible funding source for the CMP of RDST. The enhancement of environmental awareness of farmers and strengthening of propaganda should be the next priority of the Chinese government. Priority should also be assigned to villages closer to towns when the government formulates relevant strategies and policies. The results of this study provide references for policy formulation related to broadening the funding sources in RDST and exploring farmer payment mechanisms and implications for other developing countries

Exceptional aggressiveness of cerebral cavernous malformation disease associated with PDCD10 mutations.

PurposeThe phenotypic manifestations of cerebral cavernous malformation disease caused by rare PDCD10 mutations have not been systematically examined, and a mechanistic link to Rho kinase-mediated hyperpermeability, a potential therapeutic target, has not been established.MethodsWe analyzed PDCD10 small interfering RNA-treated endothelial cells for stress fibers, Rho kinase activity, and permeability. Rho kinase activity was assessed in cerebral cavernous malformation lesions. Brain permeability and cerebral cavernous malformation lesion burden were quantified, and clinical manifestations were assessed in prospectively enrolled subjects with PDCD10 mutations.ResultsWe determined that PDCD10 protein suppresses endothelial stress fibers, Rho kinase activity, and permeability in vitro. Pdcd10 heterozygous mice have greater lesion burden than other Ccm genotypes. We demonstrated robust Rho kinase activity in murine and human cerebral cavernous malformation vasculature and increased brain vascular permeability in humans with PDCD10 mutation. Clinical phenotype is exceptionally aggressive compared with the more common KRIT1 and CCM2 familial and sporadic cerebral cavernous malformation, with greater lesion burden and more frequent hemorrhages earlier in life. We first report other phenotypic features, including scoliosis, cognitive disability, and skin lesions, unrelated to lesion burden or bleeding.ConclusionThese findings define a unique cerebral cavernous malformation disease with exceptional aggressiveness, and they inform preclinical therapeutic testing, clinical counseling, and the design of trials.Genet Med 17 3, 188-196

Light Spectrum Impacts on Growth, Molting, and Oxidative Stress Response of the Mud Crab Scylla paramamosain

An 8 weeks trial was performed to test the effects of light spectra [full-spectrum, violet (405 nm), blue (470 nm), cyan (500 nm), green (525 nm), yellow (570 nm), and red (625 nm)] on growth performance, molting, antioxidant capacity, stress response and expression of molting, and apoptosis-related genes in Scylla paramamosain. Results showed that spectrum had a significant effect on S. paramamosain physiology. Compared to blue light, crabs exposed to violet light had a significantly lower survival rate (79.5 ± 3.6% vs. 94.9 ± 3.6%), weight gain (49.2 ± 5.4 vs. 67.6 ± 6.7), molt frequency (4.2 ± 0.2 vs. 4.5 ± 0.1), and extended intermolt intervals between instar 1 and 2 stages (C1–C2) (6.3 ± 0.3 vs. 5.0 ± 0.1 days). Expression of the molt-inhibiting hormone (mih) gene was upregulated in crabs reared under violet light. According to the regression analysis, maximum SGR would be at 449.97 nm. Crabs exposed to blue light also had lower melatonin levels than under full-spectrum and lower cortisol levels than violet and yellow groups. Regarding oxidative stress, crabs in full-spectrum had lower H2O2 and MDA contents, however, no significant difference was found in total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) in hepatopancreas from crabs under different spectra. Gene expression of hsp40, hsp70, hsp90 were down-regulated in crabs exposed to the full-spectrum light group. Regarding apoptosis-related genes, bcl-2 gene expression in crabs under cyan and the cox IV and caspase 3 in green were upregulated, suggesting cyan light may inhibit, while green light may promote apoptosis. Taken together, these results suggest that blue or cyan light would promote growth performance, while full-spectrum light could reduce stress response in S. paramamosain

Farmers' preferences for sustainable farmland construction — Insights from a discrete choice experiment in China

peer reviewedSustainable farmland construction (SFC) is a priority development strategy used to address the integrated goals of “efficiency output, resource conservation, and environmental friendliness” in agricultural systems. Introducing farmer participation to optimize SFC institutions can improve farmland construction efficiency and address limited construction funding. This study analyzed farmer preferences for participating in SFC through a discrete choice experiment survey of farmers in the project area. This study also evaluated farmers' willingness to pay for different SFC schemes. The findings indicate that farmers prefer constructing mechanized production roads (MPR), leveling farmland and transforming the contiguous farmland (LF and CF), integrated irrigation and fertilizer facilities (IIFF), and moderate improvement in ecological protection facilities. On the basis of the heterogeneity of the farmer preferences, they can be classified as benefits-driven and ecology-driven. In addition, factors such as age, educational level, risk proneness, land transfer, and cultivated land quality can influence the classification of farmer preferences. Farmers' willingness to pay for MPR, LF and CF, ED, IIFF, and moderate improvement in ecological facilities has reached 50–80 % of construction costs, essentially bridging the investment gap under the SF standards set by the central government. Based on the aforementioned, SFC schemes should be designed to consider farmers' needs and regional development requirements. Allocating SF construction costs according to farmers' willingness to pay for various facilities, formulating diverse investment ratios, and forming a coherent government-farmer cooperation mode are recommended. This study introduces policy tools to establish a farmers' participation mechanism in farmland construction, offering valuable insights into institutional reforms in land consolidation projects across other developing countries

Inflammatory response and intervention in experimental acute pancreatitis

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a common disease where underlying mechanisms for the local initiating events in the pancreas, the systemic dissemination of the inflammatory response and remote organ dysfunction still are unclear. The overall aim of the thesis was to study mechanisms of the inflammatory response in AP with special emphasis on local, systemic, and distant organ injury directed at different signalling pathways, and potential therapeutic strategies to prevent the development of inflammation and cell injury following AP. Experimental AP was induced by the intraductal administration of 5% sodium taurodeoxycholate in SD rats. Treatment attempts with NF-?B inhibitors (NAC and PDTC), ERK inhibitor (PD-98059), tyrosine kinase inhibitor (genistein), protease inhibitors (aprotinin, pefabloc, and trypsin inhibitor), and PKC inhibitors (polymyxin B and staurosporine) were tested. AP induced local pancreatic inflammation and injury, with increased levels of IL-6, CINC, and MCP-1 in pancreatic acini, and neutrophil accumulation in the pancreas. In parallel, an inflammatory response in the lungs was observed. However, a hyporesponsiveness in circulating monocytes occurred. Moreover, a reverse relationship of the expression of NF-?B, cytokine and chemokine mRNA in pancreatic acini and circulating monocytes exists and cytokines and chemokines are primarily produced by the local inflamed compartment rather than by circulating monocytes. This indicates that SIRS predominates within the inflamed tissues, in parallel with a downregulation of circulating monocytes. Consequently, comparing the immune status and inflammatory response of circulating monocytes and pancreatic acini may provide understanding of mechanisms by which SIRS, CARS and MODS potentially develop in severe AP. This process was closely regulated by NF-?B. The use of an immune stimulator delivered systemically in cases of immune suppression of monocytes could be of potential benefit. Various inhibitors targeting the different signalling pathways could prevent AP-induced local, systemic, and distant organ inflammatory responses. In addition, we further investigated PKC signalling transduction in AP-induced lung injury. Our results showed that an activation of the PKC signalling transduction could play an important role in the pathogenesis of pancreatitis-associated lung injury and that the PKC inhibitor polymyxin B prevented against AP-induced lung injury