Crossing conceptual boundaries: re-envisioning coordination and collaboration among women for sustainable livelihoods in Ghana

This paper explores the complexities, degree of organisation and embedded potentials in selected informal worlds of work involving women in Agbogbloshie, a site that has achieved both national and international notoriety for its ostensible environmental and social unrest challenges. The analysis provides empirical evidence to show how informality remains a persistent, substantial and the defining feature of Ghana’s economy in terms of its fostering growth and creating jobs, although its overall role in the national development discourse is largely ignored or seldom considered. Drawing on participant observation and qualitative field-based survey data, the paper presents the multi-dimensional ways migrant women from northern Ghana adopt to innovate, network and “graduate” from e-waste-related activities to engage in long-distance trade, which, in turn, serves as a catalyst for spin-off activities that manifest differently between the south and the north of the country. It also sheds light on how these women, with little prospect of formal employment, negotiate contemporary economic shifts and create an occupational continuum that defies strict compartmentalisation. The paper adds to the expanding corpus of writings on informalisation as a growing, noteworthy and integral feature of Sub-Saharan Africa’s economy.     

渤海莱州湾沉积物-水界面溶解无机氮的扩散通量

为了解不同条件下沉积物中有机物对水体无机氮的贡献,采用野外采样和现场培养法,在１９９７－０５和１９９７－０７莱州湾２个航次进行了沉积物－水界面营养盐扩散通量的实验研究,ＮＯ－３和ＮＨ＋４的扩散通量分别为０．０３８—３．６５ｍｍｏｌ／（ｍ２·ｄ）和０．９６—２．５２ｍｍｏｌ／（ｍ２·ｄ）．培养结果说明充氮或充空气与加氯化汞或不加氯化汞对沉积物－水界面溶解无机氮的扩散通量没有明显影响．莱州湾底部营养盐的扩散通量与其它地区比较处于中等偏上水平．     

渤海大沽河河口底质-水界面耗氧特性

通过对天津大沽河河口底质-水界面细菌降解有机物的耗氧模拟实验,研究河口底质生物耗氧机制。探讨了底质-水界面有机物的耗氧特点及总耗氧中生物耗氧和非生物耗氧所占比例。通过底质-水界面细菌种类、数量、有机物和无机物的含量来判断细菌对含碳源、氮源的有机物的作用。结果表明,20℃,0～14h内,实验期间内平水期河口底质-水界面的生物耗氧和非生物耗氧的比例分别为82 1%和17 9%。异养细菌与有机物及营养盐有较好的正相关关系。河口底质-水界面中异养细菌的组成以革兰氏阳性菌为主,占66%,革兰氏阴性菌只占34%。      

太湖流域典型河网水体氮磷负荷及迁移特征

对西太湖流域典型河道水体及沉积物氮磷含量进行分析,利用原柱样培养实验测定了沉积物-水界面氮磷交换通量及需氧量(SOD),并探讨他们之间的关系,结果表明:研究区域河道水体和沉积物氮磷总体含量水平较高,水体TN和TP平均含量分别为4.12mg/L和0.16mg/L,沉积物TN和TP平均含量分别为1658.76mg/kg和712.25mg/kg, NO₃^--N为水体无机氮的主要存在形态,NH₄⁺-N为沉积物无机氮的主要存在形态.沉积物需氧量(SOD)区域间差异较大,大体呈现西、南部区域较高,北部区域较低的特征;沉积物-水界面各无机氮磷交换通量分别为:NH₄⁺-N为-188.08~329.45mg/(m²·h),均值为13.05mg/(m²·h);NO₃^--N为-118.68~42.86mg/(m²·h),均值-28.09mg/(m²·h);NO₂^--N为-18.37~-4.81mg/(m²·h);均值-8.22mg/(m²·h);溶解性活性磷(SRP)为-10.94~10.58mg/(m²·h),均值1.34mg/(m²·h). NH₄⁺-N整体表现为由沉积物向上覆水释放,且与沉积物有机质(LOI)呈极显著正相关,SRP交换通量与沉积物中TP和TDP均显著正相关,表明NH₄⁺-N的释放与沉积物有机质的分解有关,SRP释放主要受沉积物TP和TDP影响.总体看,西部区域点位沉积物及水体氮磷污染最为严重,氮磷交换通量也较大,在区域内又表现为下游入湖口 > 上游的特征,表明人类活动对太湖流域典型河网氮磷水平及迁移转化特征影响较大.     

夏季太湖浊度分布特征及其在水－沉积物界面识别中的应用

基于2014年8月对太湖61个采样点的浊度和各物理化学指标的测定,分析夏季太湖浊度空间、垂直分布特征及其影响因素,利用实测的湖泊底层浊度垂直分层对水－沉积物界面进行定量识别.结果表明,夏季太湖浊度表、中、底层浊度平均值分别为(28.3±21.4), (23.0±13.3), (31.7±15.0) NTU,总体分布趋势为太湖北部贡湖湾、梅梁湾最大,其次为西部及湖心区,较低值出现在胥口湾及东太湖;线性回归分析表明,表、中、底层浊度分别与叶绿素a、无机悬浮物、总悬浮物浓度的拟合关系最好;基于浊度垂直分层定量识别的太湖水－沉积物界面厚度均值为(156.4±53.5) mm,其中贡湖湾及太湖西部厚度最大,其次为湖心区及梅梁湾,东太湖、胥口湾、竺山湾界面厚度最小,界面厚度与中层浊度存在显著的正相关(R2=0.552),风浪引起的频繁的沉积物再悬浮将增加水－沉积物界面厚度.太湖浊度的垂直分层可用于水－沉积物界面的定量识别,为水－沉积物界面营养盐交换和物质循环研究提供科学依据.     

大型底栖动物对长江口潮滩沉积物-水界面无机氮交换的影响

基于实验模拟,通过对比分析潮滩无机氮长短期通量交换、循环规律及沉积物中无机氮的剖面特征在有/无底栖动物活动背景下的差异,探讨了双壳类底栖动物河蚬对长江口潮滩沉积物-水界面无机氮交换的影响及其机制.研究发现:潮滩无机氮界面交换中,河蚬的钻穴活动能增加向上覆水方向氨氮和硝氮的通量值;河蚬长期栖息对界面的生物扰动和代谢物排放能促进氨氮向上覆水的释放并逐渐加强沉积物氧化层中的硝化活动;界面附近河蚬的扰动和喷灌活动改变了沉积物中无机氮的垂直剖面特征,加速了沉积物中有机质的矿化分解和两相界面间氨氮的离子交换,促进沉积物氮库向滨岸水体的释放输出.     

甲胺磷在水-气界面挥发动力学研究

研究了挥发时间、温度和气流量对农药甲胺磷在水-气界面挥发行为的影响.挥发量采用气相色谱法检测,利用保留值定性,以外标法定量.研究结果表明,温度升高、气流量增大,使甲胺磷挥发量增大较快,二者是影响甲胺磷挥发的主要因素;挥发时间在4 h之内对甲胺磷挥发量影响较大,4 h之后基本无影响.通过试验还研究了甲胺磷在水-气界面的挥发动力学.根据实验结果,建立了甲胺磷在水-气界面挥发的动力学模型,比较实验值与动力学模型计算值,二者基本吻合,相对误差≤5%,这表明该动力学模型可以用于预测甲胺磷在水-气界面的挥发行为.     

The growing role of web‐based geospatial technology in disaster response and support

This paper examines changes in disaster response and relief efforts and recent web‐based geospatial technological developments through an evaluation of the experiences of the Center for Geographic Analysis, Harvard University, of the Sichuan (2008) and Haiti (2010) earthquake responses. This paper outlines how conventional GIS (geographic information systems) disaster responses by governmental agencies and relief response organisations and the means for geospatial data‐sharing have been transformed into a more dynamic, more transparent, and decentralised form with a wide participation. It begins by reviewing briefly at historical changes in the employment of geospatial technologies in major devastating disasters, including the Sichuan and Haiti earthquakes (case studies for our geospatial portal project). It goes on to assess changes in the available dataset type and in geospatial disaster responders, as well as the impact of geospatial technological changes on disaster relief effort. Finally, the paper discusses lessons learned from recent responses and offers some thoughts for future development.     

沉水植物对沉积物-水界面环境特征的影响

为明确沉水植物对沉积物-水界面环境特征的影响机制,在采自于太湖草、藻型湖区的沉积物柱状样中种植沉水植物后进行破坏性采样,测定沉积物-水界面以上5 cm上覆水的营养盐含量和沉积物的含水量、中值粒径、w(TOC)、w(TON)、w(TP)、金属元素含量等的垂直分布和氧气侵蚀深度. 结果表明,种植沉水植物对沉积物-水界面环境特征的影响主要为:①显著降低了上覆水中ρ(PO₄3--P)〔草型湖区上覆水由(7.98±1.85)μg/L降至(4.65±1.16)μg/L,藻型湖区上覆水由(7.86±0.84)μg/L降至(4.89±0.48)μg/L〕和草型湖区上覆水中的ρ(DOC)〔由(6.64±0.41)mg/L降至(4.73±0.69)mg/L〕,但没有引起上覆水中ρ(NO₃--N)、ρ(NO₂--N)和ρ(NH₄+-N)的显著差异;②明显提高表层沉积物的含水量,减小草型湖区沉积物表层的中值粒径;③降低草型湖区沉积物表层2 cm内w(TOC)和w(TON),增加草型湖区上层沉积物中w(TP);④明显降低草型湖区沉积物中w(Ca)和w(Mg),但对草、藻型湖区沉积物中的Al,K,Cu,Pb和Zn的含量影响都不明显;⑤藻型湖区沉积物中氧气侵蚀深度由1.6 mm增至3.0 mm,草型湖区沉积物则由3.7 mm增至24.0 mm.      

A Radio Communication System for Neuronal Signals

Abstract

To collect neuronal activity data from awake, freely behaving animals, we developed miniature telemetry recording system. The integrated system consists of four major components: 1) Microelectrodes and micro-driver assembly, 2) analog front end (AFE), 3) programmable system on chip (PSoC), and 4) radio transceiver and the LabVIEW were used as a platform for the graphic user interface. The result showed the system was able to record and analyze neuronal recordings in freely moving animals and lasted continuously for a time period of a week or more. This is very useful for the study of the interdisciplinary research of neuroscience and information engineering techniques. The circuits and architecture of the devices can be adapted for neurobiology and research with other small animals.