Food Hygiene and Safety Practices amongst Food Vendors in the Western Area, Sierra Leone

Food safety and hygiene practices require a multisectoral approach including food, water, sanitation, waste management, transport, education, trade, policies and programs that enable safe food preparation, storage and service. Unsafe food can cause illness keeping people from achieving their full potential and death. This was a descriptive study that uses a mixed method approach to derive insights into the characteristics of food vendors related to demography, knowledge, practices, infrastructure, compliance and recommendation for a policymaking framework. Using the Lemeshows’ sample size formula, 473 vendors from formal (restaurants) and informal (cookri-baffa/table top) sites were interviewed and observed. We found from discussions that respondents had a good understanding on how to keep food safe. However, observed practices were poor 93% handled food with their bare hands, 83% did not cover their hair, and 76% did not wear an apron whilst handling, preparing or serving food, 61% did not keep their finger nails clean or short and 57% did not wash their hand before preparing or serving food. Over half (51%) had access to a toilet but 32% reported their use required payment and emphasized their poor condition/inadequate management. Nearly half (47%) of the vending sites did not have a handwashing facility, with soap and water available. Only 7% reported having any authority oversight of food safety. Food safety and hygiene practices in most cookri shops and restaurants was ‘poor’ with very limited surveillance system in place by competent authorities for compliance of food operators. Hand washing, clean surroundings, and covered food were the most common and emphasized practices to mitigate the risks associated with unsafe food.

The Demand Investigation and Suggestions of the Supply System of Preschool Education in Western Areas of China

Nowadays, preschool education has become the weak part of eduction. Thus, the supply system of preschool education has been heatedly discussed accordingly.This thesis makes some suggestions for the supply system innovation of preschool education in western areas, based on the sampling surveys in Yibin.

China Steps Up Anti-poverty Effort in Arid Western Areas

China＇s State Council, or the cabinet, has decided to further extend a program that involves special funds for infrastructure and other projects in three particularly add and poor areas in the country＇s remote northwest. While extending the program from 2009 to 2015, the government also decided to raise the annual total funding from 200 million yuan （29.2 million U.S. dollars） to 300 million yuan.

Impact of typical environments in China’s western mountainous areas on the durability of railway concrete:a review

Purpose–This study aims to analyze the impact mechanism of typical environments in China’s western mountainous areas on the durability of railway concrete and propose measures to improve durability.Design/methodology/approach–With the continuous promotion of infrastructure construction,the focus of China’s railway construction has gradually shifted to the western region.The four typical environments of large temperature differences,strong winds and dryness,high cold and low air pressure unique to the western mountainous areas of China have adverse effects on the durability of typical railway structure concrete(bridges,ballastless tracks and tunnels).This study identified the characteristics of four typical environments in the western mountainous areas of China through on-site research.The impact mechanism of the four typical environments on the durability of concrete in different structural parts of railways has been explored through theoretical analysis and experimental research;Finally,a strategy for improving the durability of railway concrete suitable for the western mountainous areas of China was proposed.Findings–The daily temperature difference in the western mountainous areas of China is more than twice that of the plain region,which will lead to significant temperature deformation and stress in the multi-layered structure of railway ballastless tracks.It will result in cracking.The wind speed in the western plateau region is about 2.5 to 3 times that of the plain region,and the average annual rainfall is only 1/5 of that in the plain region.The drying effect on the surface of casting concrete will significantly accelerate its cracking process,leading to serious durability problems.The environmental temperature in the western mountainous areas of China is generally low,and there are more freeze-thaw cycles,which will increase the risk of freeze-thaw damage to railway concrete.The environmental air pressure in the western plateau region is only 60%of that in the plain region.The moisture inside the concrete is more likely to diffuse into the surrounding environment under the pressure difference,resulting in greater water loss and shrinkage deformation of the concrete in the plateau region.The above four issues will collectively lead to the rapid deterioration of concrete durability in the western plateau region.The corresponding durability improvement suggestions from theoretical research,new technology development and standard system was proposed in this paper.Originality/value–The research can provide the mechanism of durability degradation of railway concrete in the western mountainous areas of China and corresponding improvement strategies.

Fluid migration paths in the marine strata of typical structures in the western Hubei-eastern Chongqing area,China

The western Hubei-eastern Chongqing area is an important prospective zone for oil and gas exploration in the central Yangtze area. Three representative structures, the Xinchang structure, Longjuba gas-bearing structure and the Jiannan gas field, were selected to analyze biomarker parameters in marine strata and to examine various types of natural gas and hydrocarbon sources. Fluid inclusions; carbon, oxygen, and strontium isotopic characteristics; organic geochemical analysis and simulation of hydrocarbon generation and expulsion history of source rocks were used for tracing fluid migration paths in marine strata of the study area. The Carboniferous-Triassic reservoirs in three typical structures all experienced at least two stages of fluid accumulation. All marine strata above the early Permian were shown to have fluids originating in the Permian rocks, which differed from the late stage fluids. The fluids accumulated in the late Permian reservoirs of the Xinchang structure were Cambrian fluids, while those in the late Carboniferous reservoirs were sourced from a combination of Silurian and Cambrian fluids. A long-distance and large-scale cross-formational flow of fluids destroyed the preservation conditions of earlier accumulated hydrocarbons. A short-distance cross-formational accumulation of Silurian fluids was shown in the late Permian reservoirs of the Longjuba structure with favorable hydrocarbon preservation conditions. The fluid accumulation in the Carboniferous reservoirs of the Jiannan structure mainly originated from neighboring Silurian strata with a small amount from the Cambrian strata. As a result, the Jiannan structure was determined to have the best preservation conditions of the three. Comparative analysis of fluid migration paths in the three structures revealed that the zone with a weaker late tectonism and no superimposition and modification of the Upper and Lower Paleozoic fluids or the Upper Paleozoic zone with the fluid charging from the Lower Paleozoic in the western Hubei-easteru Chongqing area are important target areas for future exploration.

Impacts of formal credit on rural household income:Evidence from deprived areas in western China

Financial support is a crucial part of China's poverty alleviation effort.Thus,it is vital to understand how formal credit impacts income growth in rural households.In 2012,2015,and 2018,a survey was conducted to obtain a panel dataset of 592 rural households from 6 poverty-stricken counties in western China,including counties in Guizhou,Yunnan,and Shaanxi provinces.We use the data to examine the effect of formal credit on rural household income and the mechanism that underlies this effect.We find that formal credit can significantly increase rural households'income in deprived areas in western China.Furthermore,formal credit promotes the reallocation of household labor from the agricultural sector to the non-agricultural sector and changes rural households'decisions about investment-consumption behavior.These are the drivers of changes in the amount and structure of household income.Further analyses show that formal credit may widen income inequality among rural households in western China's deprived areas.The individual characteristics of rural households,such as different levels of material capital,human capital,and social capital,bring about differences in the effects of formal credit on income growth.This study emphasizes that the implementation of formal credit is an essential strategy for poverty alleviation in underdeveloped areas,but policymakers should not excessively interfere with the financial market.

GPR based RTM imaging technology for estimating rhizome diameters and application in the western China mining area

The rhizome functions are of great significance to the ecological protection of the western China mining area,whose ecological management can be provided with technical support via accurate calculations of the rhizome biomass.The rhizome diameter is an important index parameter of rhizome biomass.In this study,we propose an estimation of rhizome diameters based on ground penetrating radar(GPR)-based reverse time migration(RTM)imaging technology.First,the spatial distribution of shallow rhizomes is simulated using the finite difference time domain method.The simulation data are examined via RTM imaging and single-channel rhizome analysis to obtain the rhizome index parameters:Δh,the width of the maximum positive peak amplitude measured at an amplitude of zero,andΔH,the distance between the zero-amplitude position above the largest positive peak in the shallow region and the zero-amplitude position below the largest positive peak in the deeper region.The experiments of physical models verify the effectiveness of the two parameters(Δh andΔH).and indicate that the values ofΔh andΔH are independent of the rhizome burial depth;instead,they are only related to the diameter of the rhizome.For both the numerical simulations and the physical model experiment,the estimation errors ofΔh andΔH for the rhizome diameters can be constrained to less than 6%and 5%,respectively,which shows that the estimation of the rhizome diameters using GPR based RTM imaging technology is reasonable and effective and its high estimation accuracy meets the technical requirements.

Satisfaction of Village Doctors with the Township and Village Health Services Integration Policy in the Western Minority-inhabited Areas of China

Township and Village Health Services Integration Management（TVHSIM） is an essential form of China＇s two-tiered health service integration plan at the township and village level. Its main purpose, also one of the target goals in China＇s new healthcare reform, is to gradually integrate rural health services and appropriately allocate rural health resources. This study aims to assess the village doctors＇ satisfaction with the TVHSIM and provide scientific base to further improve TVHSIM. A cross-sectional study was carried out in which 162 village doctors from Qinghai, Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang in western China were interviewed. Descriptive analysis, independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, Spearman rank correlation and multiple linear regression were used to analyze the difference and relevance between village doctors＇ personal characteristics and their satisfaction with TVHSIM and six subscales. Village doctors with different years of practice, social insurance status and essential medical knowledge level showed statistically significant differences in their satisfaction levels（all P〈0.05）. Age（P〈0.05） and years of practice（P〈0.01） were negatively correlated with Drug and Medical Device Management and Financing Management. Essential medical knowledge level（P〈0.05） was negatively correlated with Operations Management as well. However, social insurance status（P〈0.05） was positively correlated with Human Resources Management and Drug and Medical Device management. Gender, age and years of practice respectively had significant influence on village doctors＇ satisfaction with TVHSIM（P〈0.01）. In conclusion, in order to further promote TVHSIM policy in rural China, a well-rounded social insurance model for village doctors is urgently needed. In addition, the development of TVHSIM is regionally imbalanced. Efficient and effective measures aiming at rationalizing gender and age structure and enhancing essential medical training should be carefully considered.

Fluid Inclusions of Orogenic Gold Deposits in the Zhongchuan Area,Western Qinling and Their Geological Significance

Orogenically-derived gold deposits of the Zhongchuan area in the western Qinling are distributed in the exo-contact thermal metamorphic zone. The country rocks hosting the deposits are predominantly of Devonian age with low-grade metamorphism and strong deformation with the ore deposits directly controlled by multi-level tectonic systems. Three types of inclusions from these deposits have been recognized: CO2-H2O, CO2-rich, and aqueous. The ore-forming fluids were mainly CO2-NaCl-H2O type characterized by rich CO2, low salinity, high temperature and immiscibility. Incorporated with earlier isotopic data, the regional geological setting and features of diagenesis and metallogeny, it can be concluded that the ore-forming fluids were derived from deep magma and mixed with meteoric and metamorphic water. The deposits formed during an intra-continent collisional orogeny, and some of the materials derived from the deep might have been involved in the ore-forming process.

Identification of the Concealed Structures in the Beiya Area of Western Yunnan

The interpretation of regional gravity and magnetic data, especially the extracted information about concealed targets and structures, provide important evidence for geological structure research, oil-gas resource assessment, mineral potential forecast and prospective area delineation. Several interpretation methods have been proposed to determine structural boundary, including vertical derivative, horizontal first-order derivative, total horizontal derivative, total gradient modulus, tilt derivative, and theta graph, and each have their advantages and disadvantages. This study used the tilt derivate method to obtain bouguer gravity anomalies in the Beya area, as shown in Fig. 1a.

Variation of Air-Sea Heat Fluxes over the Western Pacific Warm Pool Area and Its Relationship with the South China Sea Summer Monsoon Onset

Based on oceanic and atmospheric parameters retrieved by satellite remote sensing using a neural network method, air-sea heat fluxes over the western Pacific warm pool area were calculated with the advanced the advanced Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Response Experiment 3.0 (COARE3.0) bulk algorithm method. Then, the average annual and interannual characteristics of these fluxes were analyzed. The rela- tionship between the fluxes and the South China Sea (SCS) summer monsoon onset is highlighted. The results indicate that these fluxes have clear temporal and spatial characteristics. The sensible heat flux is at its maximum in the Kuroshio area, while the latent heat flux is at its maximum in the North Equatorial Current and Kuroshio area. The distribution of average annual air-sea heat fluxes shows that both sensible and latent heat fluxes are maximized in winter and minimized in summer. The air-sea heat fluxes have obvious interannual variations. Correlation analysis indicates a close lag-correlation between air-sea heat fluxes in the western Pacific warm pool area and at the SCS summer monsoon onset. The lagcorrelation can therefore predict the SCS summer monsoon onset, providing a reference for the study of precipitation related to the monsoon.

Analysis on the Changes of Temperature and Heat Resources in Rural Area of Chaoyang in Western Liaoning

[Objective] The aim was to study the change characteristics of temperature and heat resources in rural area of Chaoyang in western Liaoning. [Method] Based on the data from rural meteorological station in Chaoyang in western Liaoning from 1966 to 2010, the change characteristics of temperature and heat resources in rural area in Chaoyang were analyzed by means of serial correlation and climate tendency method, so as to master its climate situation. [Result] The annual average value of daily average temperature, daily maximum temperature and daily minimum temperature in rural area of Chaoyang in western Liaoning from 1966 to 2010 showed fluctuation variation, and the annual average value of daily maximum temperature increased most obviously with the climatic tendency of 0.328 ℃/10 a and highest significant level, so it played an important role in temperature increase, next came daily average temperature (0.151 ℃/10 a), while there was no obvious decrease in daily minimum temperature. The average of daily maximum temperature in winter half year increased more obviously than that in summer half year, with the climatic tendency of 0.417 and 0.250 ℃/10 a, respectively; the trend of daily average temperature reached low significant level, and there was no obvious variation in daily minimum temperature. In addition, ≥10 ℃ accumulated temperature in rural area of Chaoyang in western Liaoning went up obviously, with the climatic tendency of 42.59 ℃·d/10 a, namely it increased by 192 ℃·d in recent 45 years. [Conclusion] The study could provide climatic reference for the adjustment of agriculture structure and varieties distribution.

Implement PPET Strategy and Develop Ecotourism of Minority Areas in Western China——Take Xinlong County of Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan Province as An Example

To help the poor and to develop tourism are two mportant problems in poverty-stricken areas. However, they were isolated for years.The PPET strategy was put forward in this paper based on PPT.The feasibility and the realistic meaning of the strategy in developing the ecotourism, overcoming poverty, and achieving prosperity of minority areas inwestern China are analyzed bytaking Xinlong county of Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan Province as an example.

Mechanical model of precursory source proces for strong earthquakes in western Yun－nanarea——conceptandnumericalsimula┐tion

The strong earthquakes in western Yunnan area, mainly occur along great interplate strike slip faults and have a dominant depth layer about 10～20 km; the seismic rupture is characterized by strike slip rupture. Considering the Yunnan lithospheric structure and dynamic background, we think that earthquakes occurring at this area might have such a kind of nucleation process: because of the multi layers and heterogeneities of lithospheric structure, a zone of concentrated shear strain or of slip might be formed at the moderate or deep portions of lithosphere, and spread upward along faulting boundary, toward the earths surface under the background field of tectonic movement of lithospheric plates. The slip front will encounter the maximum shear resistance zone on the fault surface in this process, be barried and blocked, and form a seismic gap. With the increase of tectonic load, this slip zone will continuously spread forward, traverse and lead to instable crack of the whole blocked zone, and cause a great earthquake. We have derived an approximate integral equation describing this seismic process; the numerical results show that the model has an instable nonlinear accelerating evolution period which might have important significance for the generation of earthquake precursors.

Primary Deformation Analyses of High Pressure Metamorphic Rock in Western Dabie Mountain Area

In the western Dabie Mountain area, the eclogites have similar compositions and tectonic environment, which could be contrastively researched. Except for the reservation of the early structural deformation inside and outside of the eclogite lens, there is no obvious difference between the characteristics of the foliation and lineation in the eclogite lens from the one in surrounding region. So this paper concludes that the eclogites or blueschists (high pressure metamorphic rocks, i. e. HPM) are basically situated in the original position. The eclogites are mostly superposed by the ductile shear zone and show the feature of structural displacement, but so far we have not discovered any large scale structural zone to uplift eclogite return. Based on the analyses of finite strain measure, petrofabric analysis and TEM image for some minerals such as quartz and garnet, we could efficiently know the deforming characteristics of the eclogite in the prophase and anaphase of the main deforming epoch, and finally determine the forming condition of eclogite according to the strain and the differential stress. This paper puts forward preliminary conclusion that some HPM rocks could be formed by the deep layer embedding and local stress concentration in the process of regional metamorphism.

Structural Styles of Fronts of Thrust-Detachment Faults in Petroleum-bearing Areas of Western China

The front of a thrust-detachment fault may have various styles such as decoupling, fold, forethrust and backthrust ones because of differences in magnitude, direction and time of the forces exerted on the fault and the inhomogeneity of rock mechanical properties. They have different characteristics and are usually associated with gravity structure, inverse structure and diapir structure. These structures exist together in the same thrust-detachment fault and can influence, compensate for and convert into each other. They provide important grounds not only for the study of the dynamic state, propagation mode, evolutionary process and formation mechanism but also for the analysis of the petroleum generation, migration, accumulation and preservation and arrangement of drill holes in foreland basins.

Demand of Rural Public Goods in Western Ethnic Minority Areas

In the context of Development of the West Regions and the construction of new countryside,on the basis of defining the concept of public goods,this article analyzes the status quo and layers of demand of rural public goods in western ethnic minority areas:the demand of rural public goods in ethnic minority areas shows "pyramid" structure,that is,the most basic layer is production-based rural public goods,followed by life-based rural public goods and democratic-management-based rural public goods.Finally the countermeasures for achieving effective demand of rural public goods are put forward as follows:adhere to customers(farmers)-oriented principle;innovate upon the rural residents' demand expression mechanism of public goods in ethnic minority areas;achieve diversification of supply subject of rural public goods in ethnic minority areas.

Analysis on Variations of the Temperature and Precipitation in North Slope Area of the Western Tianshan in Recent 50 Years

[Objective] The research aimed to analyze variation characteristics of the temperature and precipitation in north slope area of the Western Tianshan in recent 50 years.[Method] According to temperature and rainfall data from 1961 to 2010 at three meteorological stations in north slope area of the Western Tianshan,climate change in the zone in recent 50 years was analyzed by using linear trend analysis method and 5-year sliding average method.[Result] The temperature in north slope area of the Western Tianshan showed significant warming trend.The annual average temperature significantly increased at 0.3 ℃/10 a in recent 50 years.But rise rates of the temperature in different seasons were different:autumn> winter> spring> summer.The annual rainfall in north slope area of the Western Tianshan in recent 50 years overall presented relative increase trend.Seen from annual rainfall,it significantly increased at 16.9 mm/10 a.Seen from seasonal rainfall,except in autumn,rainfalls in other three seasons in the past 50 years all showed significant increase trends,with amplitude of 3.2-11.2 mm/10 a.The largest increase amplitude was in summer.After a small precipitation peak in the 1980s,autumn rainfall slightly declined in the past 20 years.[Conclusion] The climate in north slope area of the Western Tianshan become warm and wet.

Countermeasures on Elevating Self-development Ability of Western Rural Areas on the Basis of Visual Threshold of Human Capital

The thesis underscores the significant role of human capital in elevating rural self-development ability.The investment of human capital is making great contribution to western rural economic growth,and it plays an irreplaceable role in promoting the socio-economic development prominently.The characteristics of human resources development in western rural areas for the moment are analyzed as follows:the employment structure is simple;the structure of human resources is irrational;the shortage of human resources aggregate is accompanied by the critical phenomenon of idling;the human resources drain badly;there is low input and low output of talents.The thesis also propounds the fundamental approaches in order to elevating self-development ability of western rural areas:we should practise and implement National Medium and Long-term Planning of Talents Development and lay down as soon as possible the detailed matching policies and measures based on the reality of western rural areas;we should develop the education in western rural areas vigorously,and formulate the developmental strategies of bridging "knowledge gap";we should establish sound rural human resources development system,and reinforce the degree of training returning-home migrant workers;we should adjust the structure of human investment timely as needed,and strengthen the degree of human capital investment conspicuously.