Traditional agriculture in transition: examining the impacts of agricultural modernization on smallholder farming in Ghana under the new Green Revolution

Following the renewed effort at achieving a new green revolution for Africa, emphasis has been placed on modernizing smallholder agriculture through the deployment of improved inputs especially mechanized technologies. In Ghana, the government has in the last decade emphasized the provision of subsidized mechanized ploughing services to farmers alongside a rapidly growing private sector tractor service market. While mechanized technology adoption rates have increased rapidly, the deployment of these technologies has been without critical analysis of the impacts on production patterns and local agrarian systems. This paper examines the distributional impacts of agriculture mechanization on cropping patterns and farm sizes of smallholder farmers in northern Ghana using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) techniques, and semi-structured interviews with smallholder farmers (n=60). Specifically, comparative analysis of the field sizes and cropping patterns of participant farmers prior to and after the adoption of mechanized technologies was conducted. In-depth interviews were used to contextualize the experiences of smallholder farmers toward understanding how mechanization may be impacting traditional agriculture. Our findings reveal a mechanization paradox in which farm sizes are expanding, while cropping patterns are shifting away from traditional staple crops (pearl millet and sorghum bicolor) to market-oriented crops (maize, rice and groundnuts). This transition we argue, has adverse implications on the cultural dimension of food security, the organization of social life, and climate change adaptation. We recommend a retooling of the current agricultural policy focus to ensure context sensitivity for a more robust battle against food insecurity.     

新冠肺炎疫情期间我国居民洗手行为研究

直接接触和飞沫传播等方式是新型冠状病毒传播的主要途径,合理的洗手行为是切断暴露途径和降低病毒感染风险的有效防控措施,对于新型冠状病毒肺炎（COVID-19,简称“新冠肺炎”）疫情的防控具有重要的作用.该研究于2020年2月25日—3月14日,采用电子问卷的方式调查了覆盖我国31个省（自治区、直辖市）1 728个县（区）18岁及以上的居民,收集共计8 330名成人的洗手情形及洗手时长等信息,分析不同暴露情景下的洗手行为及其影响因素.结果表明:女性、城市地区居民在洗手比例和洗手时长上均分别高于男性、农村地区居民.人群在一般暴露情景下的洗手比例较高,而对于病毒感染风险较高的暴露情景（如咳嗽或打喷嚏后、接触他人后等）的洗手率（分别为73.6%和83.9%）排名靠后,说明人群对病毒的传播途径和防护措施有待深入理解;在洗手时间上,根据WHO规定的洗手时长标准（20 s）,仅有41.7%的人群洗手时长合格（大于20 s）,城区居民洗手时长的合格率（42.0%）显著高于农村地区（39.7%）;总体上,具有外出经历的人群洗手比例较未曾外出的人群高,新冠肺炎疫情期间居住地是否存在新冠肺炎疑似和确诊病例显著影响居民的洗手行为,但是疫情最严重的地区居民的洗手时长合格率（37.2%）最低,反而疫情最轻的地区居民的洗手时长合格率（43.6%）最高,说明居民的洗手行为可能受疫情等多方面的影响.研究显示,相比于非疫情期间而言,疫情期间我国居民洗手行为发生率提高,洗手时长合格率提高,但是仍然水平偏低.应提高居民洗手行为意识,科学地执行洗手这一防护措施,相关政策制定以及个人防护应当进一步关注和重视洗手行为的防疫作用.      

Nitrogen isotope ratios in pine bark as an indicator of N emissions from anthropogenic sources

The article describes the use of Scots pine bark to identifynitrogen sources in eastern Germany, as well as background areas in Russia and Bulgaria, by using natural isotope ratios of total nitrogen (N_t) and individual N compoundssuch as ammonium (NH₄ ⁺), nitrate (NO₃ ^-)and amid nitrogen (amide-N). The samples collected were analysed using an elemental analyser in connection with a gas isotope mass spectrometer (EA-IRMS). Natural ¹⁵N abundances in pine bark from impact areas suggest that the ammonium accumulated on the surface of the bark is releasedfrom livestock management. Bark of Scots pines growing near agricultural land had highly depleted ¹⁵N_t values (between –8 and –12), while bark from background areas (unpolluted areas) displayed slightly negative ¹⁵N_t values (mean ¹⁵N_t = –3.8). It is assumed that part of the N adsorbed on the bark surface is mainly derived from ammonia(mean ¹⁵N_t = –40.3) escaping from livestock housing and during the application of manure. This assumption is confirmed by experiments under controlled conditions in which manure samples were spread on soil. In addition, temporal and spatial variations of ¹⁵N_t abundances in pine bark from various locations in eastern Germany as wellas pine stands in Nature Park Dübener Heath are discussed.     

4－AAP光度法测定污水中挥发酚的干扰规律研究及其应用

矿物油（原油、机油、柴油等）、苯胺、部分金属离子及ＣＩＯ－等物质对４－ＡＡＰ法测定污水中的挥发酚有干扰。本文采用标加干扰物的方法研究了各种干扰物质对挥发酚测定过程中的回收率的影响规律，得到总回收率Ｙ方程。由Ｙ值和４－ＡＡＰ法测定值ＣＤ可求得水样中挥发酚的实际含量ＣＴ（ＣＤ／Ｙ）。混和干扰物加标拟合实验结果的相对误差＜±５％。该方法测定实际水样的结果与４阶导数光谱法的结果基本吻合。本文是针对油矿区污水特点，提出的消除各种干扰挥发酚测定物质影响的研究方法。     

Assessment of population exposure to particulate matter pollution in Chongqing, China

To determine the population exposure to PM(10) in Chongqing, China, we developed an indirect model by combining information on the time activity patterns of various demographic subgroups with estimates of the PM(10) concentrations in different microenvironments (MEs). The spatial and temporal variations of the exposure to PM(10) were illustrated in a geographical information system (GIS). The population weighted exposure (PWE) for the entire population was 229, 155 and 211 microg/m(3), respectively, in winter, summer and as the annual average. Indoor PM(10) level at home was the largest contributor to the PWE, especially for the rural areas where high pollution levels were found due to solid fuels burning. Elder people had higher PM(10) exposure than adults and youth, due to more time spent in indoor MEs. The highest health risk due to particulate was found in the city zone and northeast regions, suggesting that pollution abatement should be prioritized in these areas.     

Wood-Specific Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) Patterns in Soot Using Gas Chromatography-Atmospheric Pressure Laser Ionization-Mass Spectrometry (GC-APLI-MS)

If organic matter is burnt, the combustion of wood produces the highest amounts of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) compared with other fossil energy sources such as oil, coal, or gas. Emissions from wood combustion are increasingly of special interest due to the rising use of wood as a renewable energy source in residential heating in Europe. To the authors' knowledge, reproducible wood-specific PAH patterns in soot were identified for the first time by use of a sampling interval of only 5 min in this study. The short sampling interval was enabled by the very sensitive analytical method of gas chromatography–atmospheric pressure laser ionization–mass spectrometry (GC-APLI-MS) applied. The analysis of 40 PAH of soot from wood logs of spruce, pine, larch (softwood) and beech, birch, oak (hardwood), and wood pellets, as well as wood briquettes, showed 13.46–250.62 mg/kg for ∑40 PAH and 10.75–177.94 mg/kg for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency PAH standard (without acenaphthylene and anthracene). Highest concentrations occurred in the samples from birch with bark, beech, and wood briquettes. Indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene, naphthalene, and alkylated naphthalenes were also detected. Significant concentrations of the very toxic dibenzopyrenes (up to 11.30 mg/kg) are reported. Softwood soot contained highest amounts of 2–4-ring PAH, followed by hardwood which is in accordance with the presence of highest amounts of abietic acid in softwood, a known precursor of retene and phenanthrene. PAH in soot from five spruce samples from different locations show a mean ∑40 PAH concentration of 13.46 mg/kg (n = 5, minimum 8.03, maximum 23.32 mg/kg, SD = 5.65) and exhibited a typical pattern that differed from all other wood soot samples. The distributions of alkylated naphthalenes of the spruce samples show a bell-shape distribution in contrast to the alkylated phenanthrenes/anthracenes of all samples (except the wood pellets), showing a slope distribution. The data indicate that wood-specific PAH patterns exist and under the applied conditions, spruce logs produced the least toxic soot.     

不同氮源和曝气方式对淡水藻类生长的影响

利用水族箱微宇宙研究了2种氮源水体中不同曝气条件对藻类生长的影响.试验使用铵态氮(NH₄⁺-N)和硝态氮(NO₃^--N)作为氮源,每种氮源水体分别设置不曝气、连续曝气、昼间曝气和夜间曝气4个处理.结果显示:试验初期以NH₄⁺-N为主要氮源的水体中藻类生长明显好于以NO₃^--N为主要氮源的水体.试验后期则以NO₃^--N为主要氮源的藻类生长情况更好.连续曝气对于2种氮源水体中藻类生长有着不同的影响;昼间曝气对2种氮源的藻类生长影响不大;而夜间曝气对藻类生长有明显的抑制作用.NH₄⁺-N含量较高的水体中蓝藻容易成为优势种,而NO₃^--N含量高的水体中则以绿藻为主.不同曝气条件下藻类优势种没有明显差别.     

大连市农业循环经济发展主要途径与模式

简要总结国内外农业循环经济发展概况及成功经验,简要介绍＂十二五＂期间,大连发展农业循环经济的主要途径与模式,为我国农业循环经济发展提供参考借鉴。     

汉江堵河流域地表水质时空变化特征

对汉江堵河流域9个点位为期1年的地表水水质理化特性进行时空特征分析,应用〖WTBX〗t〖WTBZ〗检验进行水质季节性变化分析,聚类分析进行空间相似性分析以确定空间尺度的分类情况,判别分析识别显著性指标,并以此反映上述空间聚类分析结果的差异性。结果表明:①Cl-、总溶解性固体（TDS）及浊度（Turbidity） 3项指标没有表现出显著的时间差异性;②温度、pH、NO-3、TP表现为丰水季显著大于枯水季,而SO2-4、HCO-3、NH+4、 DO则表现出相反的变化趋势,即枯水季显著大于丰水季;③空间聚类分析将采样点分为4类;④判别分析体现出良好的指标降维能力,仅需4个指标（NO-3、TDS、SO2-4、HCO-3）即可反映整体水质的空间差异性。