Rural migrants’ participation in old-age insurance: a case study of the inter-provincial migrant workers from Sichuan,China

Old-age pension, a fundamental part of the Chinese social security system, is perceived by the Chinese government as the last support for rural-to-urban migrant workers upon retreating from the labor market. Using survey data collected by the authors, this paper examines a host of factors which influence migrant workers’ participation in the old-age scheme. The result shows that individual characteristics, employment status, attitudes toward old-age support and perception of the old-age pension system significantly differentiate two groups of migrant workers between those that have participated in and their counterparts who have not participated in the old-age pension schemes. Among a number of factors, age, educational attainment, holding labor contract, etc. are found to be significant factors influencing migrants’ behavior participating (or not participating) the available age-pension schemes. Policy implications for how to improve the rate of participation in existing old-age pension schemes among migrant workers are drawn from the findings.     

Bioavailability of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) to short-neck clam (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Paphia undulata</Emphasis>) from sediment matrices in mudflat ecosystem of the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia

The bioaccumulation and bioavailability of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were characterized in sediment and Paphia undulata (short-neck clam) from six mudflat areas in the west coasts of Peninsular Malaysia. The concentrations of total PAHs varied from 357.1 to 6257.1 and 179.9 ± 7.6 to 1657.5 ± 53.9 ng g ^?1 dry weight in sediment and short-neck clam samples, respectively. PAHs can be classified as moderate to very high level of pollution in sediments and moderate to high level of pollution in short-neck clams. The diagnostic ratios of individual PAHs and principal component analysis indicate both petrogenic and pyrogenic sources with significant dominance of pyrogenic source. The first PAHs biota-sediment accumulation factors and relative biota-sediment accumulation factors data for short-neck clam were obtained in this study, indicating a preferential accumulation of lower molecular weight PAHs. Evaluation of PAH levels in sediments and short-neck clams indicates that short-neck clam could be introduced as a good biomonitor in mudflats. The results also demonstrated that under environmental conditions, the sedimentary load of hydrocarbons appears to be one of the factors controlling their bioavailability to biota.     

Leaching variations of heavy metals in chelator-assisted phytoextraction by Zea mays L. exposed to acid rainfall

Chelant-enhanced phytoextraction method has been put forward as an effective soil remediation method, whereas the heavy metal leaching could not be ignored. In this study, a cropping-leaching experiment, using soil columns, was applied to study the metal leaching variations during assisted phytoextraction of Cd- and Pb-polluted soils, using seedlings of Zea mays, applying three different chelators (EDTA, EDDS, and rhamnolipid), and artificial rainfall (acid rainfall or normal rainfall). It showed that artificial rainfall, especially artificial acid rain, after chelator application led to the increase of heavy metals in the leaching solution. EDTA increased both Cd and Pb concentrations in the leaching solution, obviously, whereas EDDS and rhamnolipid increased Cd concentration but not Pb. The amount of Cd and Pb decreased as the leaching solution increased, the patterns as well matched LRMs (linear regression models), with R-square (R ²) higher than 90 and 82% for Cd and Pb, respectively. The maximum cumulative Cd and Pb in the leaching solutions were 18.44 and 16.68%, respectively, which was amended by EDTA and acid rainwater (pH 4.5), and followed by EDDS (pH 4.5), EDDS (pH 6.5), rhamnolipid (0.5 g kg⁻¹ soil, pH 4.5), and rhamnolipid (pH 6.5).

     

Nitrous oxide emissions from an intensively managed greenhouse vegetable cropping system in Northern China

Nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions from a typical greenhouse vegetable system in Northern China were measured from February 2004 to January 2006 using a close chamber method. Four nitrogen management levels (NN, MN, CN, and SN) were used. N₂O emissions occurred intermittently in the growing season, strongly correlating with N fertilization and irrigation. No peak emissions were observed after fertilization in the late Autumn season due to low soil temperature. 57-94% of the seasonal N₂O emissions came from the initial growth stage, corresponding to the rewetting process in the soil. The annual N₂O emissions ranged from 2.6 to 8.8 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹, accounting for 0.27-0.30% of the annual nitrogen input. Compared with conventional N management, site-specific N management reduced N fertilization rate by 69% in 2004 and by 76% in 2005, and consequently reduced N₂O emissions by 51% in 2004 and 27% in 2005, respectively.     

Air pollution “holiday effect” resulting from the Chinese New Year

Our study was an attempt to conduct a comprehensive and systematical examination of the holiday effect, defined as the difference in air pollutant concentrations between holiday and non-holiday periods. This holiday effect can be applied to other countries with similar national or cultural holidays. Hourly and daily surface measurements of six major air pollutants from thirteen air quality monitoring stations of the Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration during the Chinese New Year (CNY) and non-Chinese New Year (NCNY) periods were used. We documented evidence of a “holiday effect”, where air pollutant concentrations were significantly different between holidays (CNY) and non-holidays (NCNY), in the Taipei metropolitan area over the past thirteen years (1994–2006).The concentrations of NO_x, CO, NMHC, SO₂ and PM₁₀ were lower in the CNY than in the NCNY period, while the variation in the concentration of O₃ was reversed, which was mainly due to the NO titration effect. Similar differences in these six air pollutants between the CNY and NCNY periods were also found in the diurnal cycle and in the interannual variation. For the diurnal cycle, a common traffic-related double-peak variation was observed in the NCNY period, but not in the CNY period. Impacts of dust storms were also observed, especially on SO₂ and PM₁₀ in the CNY period. In the 13-year period of 1994–2006, decreasing trends of NO_x and CO in the NCNY period implied a possible reduction of local emissions. Increasing trends of SO₂ and PM₁₀ in the CNY period, on the other hand, indicated a possible enhancement of long-range transport. These two mechanisms weakened the holiday effect.     

武汉市主要绿化树种滞尘效应研究

本实验对武汉市城区主干道主要绿化树种的滞尘效应与叶表面结构进行了研究。结果表明：（1）同一尘源条件下,不同树种的滞尘能力差异显著。乔木中悬铃木滞尘能力较高,可达6.9345 g/m²;小乔木中紫薇和紫叶李是滞尘能力较高的树种,滞尘能力分别为1.9543 g/m²和1.8790 g/m²;灌木中红花檵木和杜鹃等有较强的滞尘能力,分别可达4.0373 g/m²和3.8875 g/m²;（2）利用扫描电镜观察叶表面结构发现：叶表具毛被、褶皱、较深的不规则网格等特征的树种滞尘能力较高,叶表平滑或叶表网格结构规则且较浅时滞尘能力较低;（3）同一树种在不同的尘源条件下滞尘能力差异显著,空气中颗粒物浓度越高,滞尘能力也越大。以车流量近似模拟尘源条件表明,滞尘能力与车流量呈正相关。     

Nutrients and suspended solids in dry weather and storm flows from a tropical catchment with various proportions of rural and urban land use

The results of an investigation characterizing the nutrients and suspended solids contained in stormwater from Kranji Catchment in Singapore are reported in this paper. Stormwater samples were collected from 4 locations and analyzed for the following eleven analytes: TOC, DOC, TN, TDN, NH₄⁺, NO₂⁻ + NO₃⁻ (NO_x), TP, TDP, OP, SiO₂ and TSS. Stormwater was sampled from catchments with various proportions of rural and urban land use, including forested areas, grassed areas, agricultural and residential and commercial areas. The event mean concentrations (EMCs) of nutrients and TSS from sampling stations which have agricultural land use activities upstream were found to be higher. Comparison of site EMCs (SMCs) with published data showed that the SMCs of the nutrients and TSS are generally higher than SMCs reported for forested areas but lower than published SMCs for urban areas. Positive correlations (p < 5%) were found between loading and peak flow at locations most impacted by ubanisation or agricultural activities. Correlation between loading and rainfall variables was less distinct. EMC was found to correlate less with rainfall and flow variables compared to pollutant loading. Unlike loading, no consistent pattern exists linking EMC to any particular storm or flow variable in any of the catchments. Lastly, positive correlations were obtained between the particulate forms of nitrogen and phosphorus and TSS.     

H2O2与OH反应的量子化学研究

用从头计算法在ＵＨＦ／６－３１Ｇ＾＊８水平下研究了Ｈ２Ｏ２与ＯＨ的反应机理。通过振动分析确认了过渡态,利用ＧＡＭＥＳＳ程序得到内禀反应坐标（ＩＲＣ）,计算了反应活化能,得到与实验较为一致的结果。研究表明,该反应是一步直接的夺氢反应。     

重金属离子对黑根霉菌生长抑制作用微量热研究

用微量热法测定了Cu~(2+),Cd~(2+),Hg~(2+),Pb~(2+)等四种重金属离子对黑根霉菌生长抑制的产热曲线,得到了黑根霉菌在不同条件下的生长速率常数k,抑制率I,半抑制浓度IC_(50)等参数。实验结果表明,抑制顺序为:Cd~(2+)>Hg~(2+)>Pb~(2+)>Cu~(2+);半抑制浓度分别为:Cd~(2+)0.8μg·ml~(-1);Hg~(2+)1.7μg·ml~（-1）;Pb~（2+）48.0μg·ml~(-1);Cu~(2+)110.0μg·ml~(-1)。     

南亚热带丘陵土壤水分循环及其有效性的研究──Ⅶ.丘陵赤红壤-果树-大气连续体中水流阻力的变化及其分布规律

依据田间实测资料,运用水流的电模拟原理,定且分析了南亚热带丘陵赤红壤-果树（荔枝、芒果和龙眼）-大气连续体中水流阻力各分量的大小、变化规律及其相对重要性．结果表明,连续体中的水流阻力主要分布于从叶气孔腔到大气的扩散过程,荔枝、芒果、龙眼叶-气系统的水流阻力Rla占连续体水流总阻力Rsa的比例分别为93.65％～98.03、95.68％～99.03％、90.13％～98.71％;果树植株体的水流阻力Rp居其次,占Rsa的比例分别为1．97％～6．35％、0.97％～4.32％、0．08％～9．87％：土壤阻力Rs最小,占Rsa的比例小到可忽略不计,故叶-气系统的水流阻力是决定连缤体中水流速率的重要因素．