Does the grassland ecological compensation policy improve the herders' breeding technical efficiency in China?-Based on the parallel mediation effect model.

The Grassland Ecological Compensation Policy (abbreviated as GECP), which aims to realize the ecological protection by reducing the stock-carrying capacity of pastures and promote the transformation of pasture animal husbandry by improving the herders' breeding methods, has been a major project in China's grassland pastoral areas and grassland ecological construction. This study, thus, sought to measure the breeding efficiency of herders before and after the implementation of GECP. Moreover, the study also thought to analyze the effect and the effecting path of the implementation of GECP on the efficiency of herders' livestock breeding. GECP enables herders to obtain financial subsidies while minimizing the utilization of grassland, which brings challenges and opportunities to herders' traditional livestock production. This study used the two-stage data obtained from a randomly selected sample of 449 herders in the Inner Mongolia grassland area of China in 2018. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) and parallel mediating effect (PME) models were used to analyze the data. The results show that the general effect of GECP on the breeding efficiency of herders in the Inner Mongolia is positive (P < 0.01), and the change of breeding methods (direct effect) is the main influence path. Specifically, the grassland circulation behavior (P < 0.01) and the scale of breeding (P < 0.01) are part of the mediating effect. While the mediating effect of the breeding structure is not significant (P > 0.1). This study also shows that the non-agricultural and animal husbandry income of herders has a negative impact on the breeding efficiency (P < 0.01), and herders' age and breeding scale have a positive effect on the breeding efficiency (P<0.01). This study has not only answered the question whether the GECP can improve the efficiency of husbandry, but also focused on the analysis of the impacting mechanism of policies on efficiency. It is of great significance to further improve GECP and the related supporting policies and promote the transformation of China's grassland animal husbandry.

Therapeutic effect of resveratrol on mice with depression.

The effect and mechanism of resveratrol on depression-like behavior in mice with depression were investigated. A mouse model of depression was established by social isolation combined with chronic unpredictable stress. The mice were randomly divided into the control group, the model group, the low dose group, the medium dose group and the high dose group. The rats in the low, medium and high dose groups were intraperitoneally injected with resveratrol 10, 20 and 30 mg/kg, respectively. The control and model groups were intraperitoneally injected with an equal volume of normal saline. After 21 days of continuous treatment, the neurobehavioral changes of each group were analyzed by forced swimming test, tail suspension experiment and sucrose consumption experiment. Dopamine (DA) and serotoni (5-HT) and the level of brain-derived nerve growth factor (BDNF) in the prefrontal cortex of each group were analyzed by ELISA. The level of neuropeptide (NPY) expression was analyzed by western blot analysis. Compared with the model group, the immobility time of the tail suspension experiment and forced swimming experiment in the low, medium and high dose groups was significantly prolonged (P<0.05), while the 24 h sucrose consumption was significantly increased (P<0.05), showing a dose-dependent manner. Compared with the model group, the levels of DA and 5-HT in the prefrontal cortex of the low, medium and high dose groups were significantly increased, and showed a dose-dependent effect (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the expression levels of NPY protein in the low, medium and high dose groups were significantly increased, and gradually increased with the increase of the dose, the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). Resveratrol can significantly increase the levels of neurotransmitters DA and 5-HT in the prefrontal cortex and increase the expression of NPY in the brain, which can play an antagonistic role in depression.

Simultaneous removal of NO(x) and SO2 in exhausted gas through landfill leachate.

Simultaneous removal of NO(x) and SO2 from exhausted gas were investigated by studying co-culture of sulfate reducing bacteria and anaerobic denitrifying bacteria, separated from landfill leachate. When H2S, generated by sulfate reducing bacteria was chosen as the sole electron donor for anaerobic denitrifying bacteria, the co-culture system demonstrated a faster NO removal rate, higher stability and better permanence. When the feed gas flow rates of N2 and SO2 were maintained constant at 0.1 m3/h and 16 ml/min respectively, the maximum NO-removal rate could be achieved at over 92% with NO feed gas kept between 2-6 ml/min, while the SO2 removal rate was always above 95%. Long-term continuous removal of NO exhibited an evident periodicity of five days, however, the fluctuation range of NO-removal was decreasing. Moreover, the decrease of the gas flow rate and the increase in NO inlet concentration could contribute to a higher NO- removal rate.