Problems of Training Konni Producers in the Context of Reforming the Management of Hydroagricultural Developments: Challenges, Issues and Perspectives

Following the reform of the governance of irrigation schemes in Niger, producer cooperatives are encountering real difficulties in ensuring effective and efficient management of irrigation water, infrastructure maintenance and renewal of hydromechanical equipment. The objective of this research is to analyze the issues and challenges of capacity building for Konni producers in the context of AHA management reform in Niger. The methodological approach adopted is based on documentary research and field surveys with all the actors directly concerned with the management of the Konni irrigated perimeter. A total of 448 people were interviewed in all the localities selected. Direct observation and interview are the two field data collection techniques adopted. The data collected was processed and on the basis of the established diagnosis, the training needs were identified. The results show that there are several experiences in terms of training and capacity building of actors in charge of the management of irrigation systems at the Konni AHA level. However, the sustainability of the perimeter is threatened by various crises. The main themes that founded the first training were related to the mobilization, transport and distribution of irrigation water, operation and maintenance, and setting and collection of the fee. In view of the expectations of operators, future issues and challenges, the training modules are increasingly oriented towards social management, the integration of gender in management and environmental impacts. Even if technical progress is possible, the real lever is organizational and requires the professionalization of irrigators. This process requires a new pedagogical approach aimed at irrigators.

Purification of Produced Water from a Sour Oilfield in South Kuwait. 1. Oil-Water Separation and Industrial Salt Production

Produced water from an oil extraction site in South Kuwait was sampled after primary oil – water separation had been carried out. The produced water was filtered through a mixture of activated charcoal and esterified cellulosic material gained from spent coffee grounds as a tertiary adsorption treatment. The earth-alkaline metal ions and heavy metals were separated from the de-oiled produced water by addition of either sodium or potassium hydroxide in the presence of carbon dioxide or by direct addition of solid sodium carbonate. The resulting filtrate gave salt of industrial purity upon selective crystallization on evaporation.

Purification of Produced Water from a Sour Oilfield in South Kuwait. 2. Oil-Water Separation and Crystallization of Calcium Carbonate

Oil-water separation for produced water (PW) originating from an oil extraction site in South Kuwait was carried out using bleached, esterified cellulosic material from used coffee grounds. Thereafter, earth-alkaline metal ions, specifically calcium ions, of the de-oiled PW were removed by precipitation with sodium carbonate to give access to pure sodium chloride as industrial salt from the remaining PW. While the purity of the precipitated calcium carbonate (CaCO3) depends on the precipitation conditions, CaCO3 of up to 95.48% purity can be obtained, which makes it a salable product. The precipitation of CaCO3 decreases the amount of calcium ions in PW from 11,300 ppm to 84 ppm.

Inflammation-related markers and prognosis of alpha-fetoprotein producing gastric cancer

BACKGROUND Inflammation-related markers including neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio(NLR),platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio(PLR),monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio(MLR),systemic immune-inflammation index(SII),systemic inflammation response index(SIRI)and prognostic nutritional index(PNI)could reflect tumor immune microenvironment and predict prognosis of cancers.However,it had not been explored in alpha-fetoprotein(AFP)producing gastric cancer(GC).AIM To determine the predictive value of inflammation-related peripheral blood markers including as NLR,PLR,MLR,SII,SIRI and PNI in the prognosis of AFPproducing GC(AFPGC).Besides,this study would also compare the differences in tumor immune microenvironment,clinical characteristics and prognosis between AFPGC and AFP-GC patients to improve the understanding of this disease.METHODS 573 patients enrolled were retrospectively studied.They were divided into AFP+group(AFP≥20 ng/mL)and AFP-group(AFP<20 ng/mL),comparing the levels of NLR/PLR/MLR/SII/SIRI/PNI and prognosis.In AFP+group,the impact of NLR/PLR/MLR/SII/SIRI/PNI and their dynamic changes on prognosis were further explored.RESULTS Compared with AFP-patients,AFP+patients had higher NLR/PLR/MLR/SII/-SIRI and lower PNI levels and poorer overall survival(OS).In the AFP+group,mortality was significantly lower in the lower NLR/PLR/MLR/SII/SIRI group and higher PNI group.Moreover,the dynamic increase(NLR/PLR/MLR/SII/-SIRI)or decrease(PNI)was associated with the rise of mortality within 1 year of follow-up.CONCLUSION Compared with AFP-patients,the level of inflammation-related peripheral blood markers significantly increased in AFP+patients,which was correlated with OS of AFP+patients.Also,the gradual increase of SII and SIRI was associated with the risk of death within one year in AFP+patients.AFPGC should be considered as a separate type and distinguished from AFP-GC because of the difference in tumor immune microenvironment.It requires basic experiments and large clinical samples in the future.

Production Chain Length and PPI-CPI Divergence:Analysis Based on the Global Input-output Price Model

Productivity and international energy price shocks are reflected in PPI and CPI via industrial chains.China’s in-depth participation into the global value chains has increasingly lengthened its industrial production chains.The question is how the changing length of production chains will affect CPI and PPI,as well as CPI-PPI correlation?By constructing a global input-output price model,this paper offers a theoretical discussion on the impact of production chain length on the CPI-PPI divergence.Our findings suggest that the price shock of international bulk commodities has a greater impact on China’s PPI than that on CPI.The effects on both China’s PPI and CPI estimated by using the single-country input-output model are higher than the results estimated with the global input-output model.However,the difference between CPI and PPI variations estimated with the global input-output model is greater than the result estimated with the single-country input-output model,which supports the view that the lengthening of production chains,especially international production chains,leads to a divergence between CPI and PPI.Empirical results based on cross-national panel data also suggest that the lengthening of production chains has reduced the CPI-PPI correlation for countries,i.e.the lengthening of production chains has increased the PPI-CPI divergence.That is to say,policymakers should target not just CPI in maintaining price stability,but instead focus on the stability of both PPI and CPI.Efforts can be made to proactively adjust the price index system,and formulate the industrial chain price index.

Variability in Quantity and Salinity of Produced Water from an Oil Production in South Kuwait

Produced water (PW) is the largest waste stream in the oil and gas industry. Water remains trapped for millions of years in the reservoir with oil and gas. When a hydrocarbon reservoir is infiltrated by a production well, the produced fluids commonly contain water. The understanding of this water’s constituents and volumes is vital for the sustainable continuity of production operations, as PW has a number of negative impacts on the infrastructure integrity of the operation. On the other hand, PW can be an alternative source of irrigation water as well as of industrial salt. Interestingly, both the quantity as well as the quality of PW do not remain constant but can vary, both progressively and erratically, even over short periods of time. This paper discusses such a situation of variable PW in an oil and gas operation in the State of Kuwait.

Phenotypic Detection of Enterobacterales Strains Susceptible of Producing OXA-48 Carbapenemase

Background: Nowadays, emergence of Carbapenemase-Producing Enterobacterales (CPE) throughout the world has become a public health problem, especially in countries with limited resources. In recent years, CPE of type OXA-48 (Ambler class D) have been identified in Dakar. The aim of this study was to evaluate the phenotypic detection of OXA-48 CPE using a temocillin disc (30 μg). Methodology: A retrospective study was carried out at Medical Biology Laboratory of Pasteur Institute in Dakar on Ertapenem-Resistant Enterobacterales (ERE) strains isolated from 2015 to 2017. These strains were then tested with a 30 μg temocillin disc. Any strain resistant to temocillin (inhibition diameter Results: Forty-one ERE isolated during the study period were tested, of which 34 (82.9%) were OXA-48 based on phenotypic detection using temocillin disc and confirmed by PCR (100%). OXA-48 CPE strains detected were composed of Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 14;41.2%), Enterobacter cloacae (n = 8;23.5%), Escherichia coli (n = 7, 20.5%), Citrobacter freundii (n = 3;8.8%), Cronobacter sakazakii (n = 1;3%) and Morganella morganii (n = 1;3%). Conclusion: Temocillin resistance has a good positive predictive value for detecting OXA-48 CPE by phenotypic method, confirmed by PCR. Temocillin is therefore a good marker for detection of OXA-48 CPE except Hafnia alvei.

SWOT Analysis of Agricultural Producers in the Supply Chain of Chinese Agro-products

On the basis of defining the producers in the supply chain of agricultural products,the SWOT analysis is adopted to analyze the advantages,disadvantages,opportunities and threats of producers in the supply chain of Chinese agricultural products.The paper analyzes the advantages of producers in the supply chain of agricultural products from three aspects including land resources,technology level of producers and input costs.The disadvantages of producers in the supply chain of agricultural products are analyzed from three aspects including scale level,mechanization and technology level and profit level.The opportunities of producers in the supply chain of agricultural products are analyzed from the aspects of laws,policies,capitals and technologies.The threats confronted by the producers in the supply chain of agricultural products are analyzed from foreign producers,negotiation control of supply chain of agricultural chain,environment protection and quality safety standard.On the basis of the analysis,the relevant suggestions on facilitating the interests of producers in the supply chain of Chinese agricultural products are put forward,including fully displaying the advantages of land resources;improving the knowledge and technology level of supply chain of agricultural production;establishing the alliances of producers of agricultural products to expand production scale;improving the quality of agricultural products to satisfy the relevant safety quality standard and environmental protection standard.

Research on the Grain Producers around the Year of Chinese Population Peak

The issue of "who will grow grain in the future in China" attracts more and more attention. We estimate the structure of China's grain producers at present,and summarize the phenomena and reasons why peasants would not like to grow grain. We analyze the agricultural population at the time of China's total population peak around 2033,and we predict there will be a multi-producer structure of grain growing.The household contracts will be as the basis of grain operations then,and the quantity of small-scale households will decrease but still be huge.The degree of organization of rural households will increase and the role of cooperatives will be strengthened remarkably. We propose the " quality" requirements to ensure the grain production,and note different special groups will be the new forces on farming and grain growing.

Effect of the Technological Status of Small Cow-Calf Farm Producers on the Induction to Resumption of Ovarian Activity of Dual-Purpose Cattle Raised under Topical Conditions

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of the technological level in small-scale dual-purpose cow-calf Bos indicus female operations on the resumption of the ovarian activity post-partum. A total of 13 small scale dual-purpose Bos indicus × Bos taurus operations were included in this experiment and they were classified according to their technological status as: high technological status (HT), medium technological status (MT) and low technological status (LT). Ninety-three mature cows were treated with either a CIDR (controlled internal drug release device) with estradiol benzoate (CIDR+EB) or alone (CIDR). At day 9 all animals received intravaginally a CIDR for nine days. At day 0, the CIDR was withdrawn and 24 hours later one dose of estradiol benzoate was administered to 51 cows (17 in HT, 17 in MT and 17 in LT), the remaining animals (n = 42) did not receive the estradiol benzoate administration (14 in HT, 13 in MT and 15 in LT). Comparisons were performed on serum progesterone concentrations after CIDR treatment. By day 7 after implant withdrawal, the proportion of cows that resume ovarian activity detected by progesterone concentration increased in all technological level farms, no statistical main effect was observed within technological level. By day 17 there was a significant main effect of technological level (P = 0.05) on the proportion of animal that resumed the estrous cycles, but neither a main effect of treatment (P = 0.97) nor an interaction between technological level and treatment (P = 0.98). Furthermore, technological level of the farm showed a tendency (P = 0.07) to affect that resume the estrous activity, and a significant effect of treatment was observed (P = 0.005) but no interaction between technological level and treatment. The proportion of cows that showed estrus was different across technological level (P = 0.02), the highest proportion of cows showing estrus regardless of treatment was in the HT: 90% (40% CIDR and 50% CIDR+EB), MT: 50% (13.3% CIDR and 36.7% CIDR+EB) and in the LT: 50% (18.8% CIDR and 31.3% CIDR+EB). In conclusion, the combination of a progestogen and estradiol benzoate resulted in a high proportion of cows that were induced to resume the ovarian activity and this treatment was particularly beneficial in the medium and low technological status of the farms.

Urban Expansion in Major Grain Producing Area from 1978 to 2017:A Case Study of Zhengzhou Metropolitan Area,China

The spatial form of urbanization in China has developed from single-core city expansion to a multi-center metropolitan area.However,little attention has been paid to the growth process of the emerging metropolitan area situated in major grain producing locations in the central China.Taking the Zhengzhou metropolitan area(ZZMA)as a case study,we developed an inverse S-shape model to characterize the spatial distribution of urban land density,and constructed an urban expansion core index,urban expansion intensity index,and urban compactness index to quantify the spatial structure change that has taken place from 1978 to 2017 during the process of urban expansion.Moreover,cropland contribution rate(CR)was constructed to evaluate the impacts of urban expansion on croplands.We uncovered four key findings.First,over the past 40 yr,the ZZMA has experienced dramatic expansion,and the central city of Zhengzhou expanded faster than other cities.The gravity centers of urban expansion of surrounding cities were moving toward to Zhengzhou City.Second,the urban land density decreased with the distance from the city center to the outskirts.As the only large city,Zhengzhou has experienced the fastest and most compact centralized urban expansion,especially after 2000,while other medium-and small-sized cities have experienced low-intensity decentralized expansion.Third,the urban core has been gradually expanding outward.From 1978 to 2017,the hot-zone of urban growth has moved progressively with the acceleration of urbanization.All cities except Jiaozuo had a single peak in different periods.Forth,the cities in national core grain-producing areas has higher cropland contribution rates and lower urban expansion areas,which was closely related to cropland protection.Further analysis showed that large city was relatively better positioned than smaller cities in the efficiency of their urban infrastructure and the effectiveness of wealth creation efficiency in the urbanized area could be tested in all cities,and the policy factor seemed to play an important role in the urban expansion process.

China Ranking Among the World's Largest Piano Producers

Music from a piano embodies widetechniques of expression, so thepiano is reputed as the king of musicalinstruments. China’s piano production datesback four decades. At present, there are 20piano production enterprises in the county,including such backbone enterprises as theGuangzhou Pearl River Piano IndustrialCorporation, the Beijing Xinghai MusicalInstruments Corporation Ltd., the ShanghaiPiano Corporation, the Yingkou NortheastPiano(Group) Corporation and the

Effects of the Produced Water from a Sour Oilfield in South Kuwait on the Production Tubing

Kuwaiti oil production faces a growing challenge in the increasing quantities of produced water generated in the production of oil. The high water cut of the produced fluid from the wells and the high salinity of the produced water lead to significant degradation of subsurface equipment, specifically the production tubing. Debris generated through the degradation of the inner part of the tubing becomes a constituent of the scaling that deposits in the tubing and blocks the flow of the production fluid, inducing higher maintenance costs. This paper looks at the characteristics of the scaling in regard to the produced water and outlines the economic impact of the produced water induced degradation of the tubing structure.

Music Piracy-Music Producers’Views

Stricter laws needed> Gao Xiaosong-music producer Piracy is better described as a global problem, and is not unique to China. You never expect to rid the country of music piracy completely [in a short period].China’s music copyright infringement problems remain more severe than that of

Kidding after Transfer of in Vitro Produced Saanen Goat Embryos into Local Ukrainian Breed Recipients in Different Seasons

In recent years, the demand for goat products has been growing due to the fact that goat milk has a number of advantages over cow milk, for example, it is low in lactose, and is considered less allergenic and easier to digest. To increase production during both breeding and non-breeding seasons and reduce the price of dairy products, it is necessary to effectively use reproductive management and assisted reproductive technologies. In vitro embryo production makes it possible to obtain a large number of eggs from goats, which for some reason are unable to conceive, but have genetic value. Afterward in vitro produced embryos can be transferred into recipient goats of other less genetically valuable breeds, such as the Ukrainian local breed. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of transfers of in vitro produced embryos of Saanen goats into surrogate sires of the Ukrainian local breed in different seasons. All manipulations with animals were carried out following ethical standards (Strasbourg, 1986). Six Saanen goats were selected as the oocyte donors. After the hormonal stimulation oocytes were retrieved by laparoscopic ovum pick-up. In vitro produced embryos were transferred laparotomically into 24 recipients of Ukrainian local breed. Fifty days after embryo transfers, pregnancies were determined by ultrasound diagnostics. Although the embryo development rate in the breeding season was 20% higher than in the non-breeding season, there was no difference in pregnancy and kidding rates between seasons. In conclusion, the transfer of in vitro produced Saanen goat embryos to recipients of the Ukrainian local breed gives the opportunity to achieve pregnancy and kidding regardless of the breeding season, which will enable a faster and more efficient increase in the livestock of highly productive goats in Ukraine in the post-war period.

Research on the Formation Mechanism for the Co-agglomeration of Producer Services and Manufacturing in the Guangdong- Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area

The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is witnessing a surge in economic development,showcasing robust resilience in the co-agglomeration of producer services and manufacturing industries,along with the increasingly evident impact generated by such co-agglomeration.Based on the panel data collected from ten cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area(excluding Zhaoqing)spanning from 2010 to 2020,we examined the formation mechanism for industrial co-agglomeration in the area from three dimensions:industrial correlation,spatial correlation,and policy guidance.Our analysis was based on a vertical correlation model and was validated using the seemingly unrelated regressions(SUR)method.The findings are as follows:(a)There currently exists no spatial correlation between the producer services and manufacturing sectors in the area,and the correlation between the two remains limited to the former providing specialized services to the latter.(b)Policy guidance has a positive impact on the location selection of industries within the area.By implementing a comprehensive range of favorable policies,local governments can provide effective and scientifically guided recommendations regarding the location of producer services and manufacturing sectors.Therefore,it is crucial to foster the collaboration between producer services and manufacturing sectors and further enhance the co-agglomeration between the two sectors.In addition,the government authorities should also strive to enhance its economic governance capacity,thereby facilitating the formation of such co-agglomeration.

黄芩中国主产区栽培技术差异性调查分析

黄芩是常用的大宗药材,市场需求量大,为了解当前各产区黄芩栽培技术、管理水平、品质和产量的差异,对山西、陕西、甘肃、山东、河北、河南、内蒙古等我国黄芩主产区的生产现状进行调查,发现各主产区的生态环境、栽培方式、施肥技术、病虫害防治、采收加工等方面均存在一定差异。因此,建议当前应进行黄芩生态适宜性区分析及各产区适宜栽培技术研究,以便形成黄芩高产、优质、高效的栽培技术体系,进一步为黄芩栽培提质增效奠定基础。

农业社会化服务与小农户的组织化:不同服务模式的比较

本研究通过对比政府主导型、市场主导型和村集体经济组织主导型社会化服务模式,讨论了小农户如何被组织起来以及组织成本由谁承担的问题。在由政府主导的社会化服务模式中,小农户因受到政府补贴的吸引而达成了临时的合作,但这种组织化具有暂时性。在市场主导型社会化服务模式中,小农户或被整合到规模经营主体的种植模式中,或被服务组织重塑。在这两种服务模式中,小农户都是被动的参与者,其组织化程度并未提高。村集体经济组织可能通过重建与小农户的双向权责均衡关系,通过收取服务费用的方式来解决组织成本问题。这种双向的权责均衡关系使村集体经济组织与小农户之间建立起有机的利益联结,从而使该组织对小农户的组织和动员成为可能。

健全我国粮食主产区利益补偿机制的新思路

粮食安全关乎国运民生,政府在战略上高度重视主产区利益补偿问题。当前,我国粮食产业面临产销区粮食供需矛盾加剧、经济发展差距加大、种粮收益不稳、主产区资源和环境压力激增等诸多压力与挑战,健全粮食主产区利益补偿机制、创新补偿思路是我国保障粮食安全亟待解决的现实难题。因此,在进一步拓展了粮食主产区利益补偿的理论基础上,提出利益补偿的新思路,要以公平、协调和可持续发展实现各区域的共同富裕为导向,形成多维度补偿机制。在纵向上,完善以政府为主导的利益补偿机制,提高补偿资金使用效能,在横向上,制定各区域责任分担机制,积极探索新型产销区协作关系,建立产销区横向利益补偿机制。此外,还要综合考虑主产区发展的显性和隐性损失,通过做好用地文章、提高产业核心竞争力、建立粮食生态补偿机制等途径弥补主产区经济发展的机会成本和粮食生产的资源消耗。