Objectives:Rural areas are the weakest place for epidemic prevention and control,yet few studies have specifically conducted surveys in rural areas.The purpose of this study is to assess rural residents’knowledge of ...Objectives:Rural areas are the weakest place for epidemic prevention and control,yet few studies have specifically conducted surveys in rural areas.The purpose of this study is to assess rural residents’knowledge of the COVID-19 and its prevention in China.Methods:A cross-sectional survey study containing 1,426 samples was conducted in Fuqing,China to assess rural residents’knowledge of the COVID-19 and its prevention.Logistic regression was used to identify potential differences in participants’knowledge of COVID-19 and its prevention and control in different population subgroups.Results:The mean and median of residents’knowledge of COVID-19 was 5.53 and 6 points,respectively.The mean and median of residents’knowledge related to self-protection against COVID-19 was 10.34 and 11 points,respectively.Older adults(AOR45e59=2.26,95%CI 1.20 to 4.27;AOR60-69=3.13,95%CI 1.63 to 5.98;AOR70=4.68,95%CI 2.35 to 9.33)were more deficient in knowledge of COVID-19.Those who were better educated and with a higher average annual household income were less likely to be deficient in the knowledge of COVID-19 and knowledge of self-protection against COVID-19.Moreover,those who were single,divorced,or widowed(AOR=1.67,95%CI 1.13 to 2.46)were more deficient in the knowledge of self-protection against COVID-19.Conclusions:Our study suggests that when facing a pandemic like COVID-19,the key is to inform the public to understand simple and effective self-protection measures.Therefore,we call on the govern-ments to give priority to publicity and education on self-prevention measures for the targeted pop-ulations and regions.This is most evident among the vulnerable groups like those who were unmarried,elderly,and those with low education or low income.Similar suggestions may be of use in other countries as well.展开更多
Based on the field survey of the traditional village in Shanggantang,Hunan province,P.R.China,we analyzed ecological strategies in aspects of the whole human habitation environment and vernacular building human habita...Based on the field survey of the traditional village in Shanggantang,Hunan province,P.R.China,we analyzed ecological strategies in aspects of the whole human habitation environment and vernacular building human habitation environment.The ecological strategies included adapting to the local climate,reducing source consumption,utilizing local materials and so on.The research is to provide a reference to practice and theoretical development of eco-folk houses in the area.展开更多
In order to address the plight of rural financing, the 2007 China Banking Regulatory Commission, China's State Council started rural banks in provinces, towns and villages. There are so many problems faced by rural b...In order to address the plight of rural financing, the 2007 China Banking Regulatory Commission, China's State Council started rural banks in provinces, towns and villages. There are so many problems faced by rural banks. The most pressing issue is the sustainability of targeting deviate due to restraints, shortage of funds, and loan risks. In order to effectively address these issues, this paper presents some solutions展开更多
This paper carries out empirical analysis of the ration behavior of rural credit cooperatives in less developed regions in providing loan services to rural households. It also inspects the interaction between rural ho...This paper carries out empirical analysis of the ration behavior of rural credit cooperatives in less developed regions in providing loan services to rural households. It also inspects the interaction between rural households' demand for credit and the loan supply from rural credit cooperatives with simultaneous discrete model. The performance of supporting agriculture through a new round reform of rural credit cooperatives is doubtable in this sample region.展开更多
Urbanization of animal habitats has the potential to affect the natural communication systems of any species able to survive in the changed environment. Urban animals such as squirrels use multiple signal channels to ...Urbanization of animal habitats has the potential to affect the natural communication systems of any species able to survive in the changed environment. Urban animals such as squirrels use multiple signal channels to communicate, but it is un- known how ttrbanization has affected these behaviors. Multimodal commtmication, involving more than one sensory modality, can be studied by use of biomimetic mechanical animal models that are designed to simulate the multimodal signals and be pre- sented to animal subjects in the field. In this way the responses to the various signal components can be compared and contrasted to determine whether the multimodal signal is made up of redundant or nonredundant components. In this study, we presented wild gray squirrels in relatively urban and relatively rural habitats in Western Massachusetts with a biomimetic squirrel model that produced tail flags and alarm barks in a variety of combinations. We found that the squirrels responded to each unimodal component on its own, the bark and tail flag, but they responded most to the complete multimodal signal, containing both the acoustic and the moving visual components, providing evidence that in this context the signal components are redundant and that their combination elicits multimodal enhancement. We expanded on the results of Partan et al. (2009) by providing data on sig- naling behavior in the presence and absence of conspecifics, suggesting that alarm signaling is more likely if conspecifics are present. We found that the squirrels were more active in the urban habitats and that they responded more to tail flagging in the urban habitats as compared to the rural ones, suggesting the interesting possibility of a multimodal shift from reliance on audio to visual signals in noisier more crowded urban habitats [Current Zoology 56 (3): 313-326, 2010].展开更多
Referring to the 1 248 survey data of rural population in 14 provinces of China, the influencing factors of trip time choice were analyzed. Based on the basic theory of disaggregate model and its modelling method, nin...Referring to the 1 248 survey data of rural population in 14 provinces of China, the influencing factors of trip time choice were analyzed. Based on the basic theory of disaggregate model and its modelling method, nine grades were selected as the alternatives of trip time, the variables affecting time choice and the method getting their values were determined, and a multinomial logit (MNL) model was developed. Another 1 200 trip data of rural population were selected to testify the model's validity. The result shows that the maximum absolute error of each period between calculated value and statistic is 3.6%, so MNL model has high calculation accuracy.展开更多
This study aims to investigate two important issues: what are the determinants of public goods investment and what is the government's investment behavior in mountainous areas. The impacts of natural conditions, t...This study aims to investigate two important issues: what are the determinants of public goods investment and what is the government's investment behavior in mountainous areas. The impacts of natural conditions, target, and demand elements on public goods investment are analyzed with statistical method, and the determinants of public goods investment in the areas are obtained by using population-weighted and stepwise regression models with Eviews6.0 software with survey data in 2008 and calculated data based on GIS of 20 typical villages in mountainous regions in Sichuan, China. The results showed:(1) natural conditions are the important determinants of public investment. Mountainous villages with steep slope have relatively high levels of investment;(2) concentration of population and the educational levels of the village leaders also have important impacts on public goods investment;(3) the government is more concerned with public investment resources particularly in areas characterized by fragile ecological environment and poor agricultural output. These results suggest that the current investment strategy helps to reduce disparities in regional development.展开更多
This article deals with the results of the research on the behaviors of the rural buildings made up of local materials during earthquakes. This article reveals the mechanical properties of masonry detected based on ex...This article deals with the results of the research on the behaviors of the rural buildings made up of local materials during earthquakes. This article reveals the mechanical properties of masonry detected based on experimental research results on wall samples made of local materials such as mud bricks, clay and straw mixture, rubble stones and limestones cut in standard sizes. In addition, the constructive measures prepared for the earthquake resistance of rural structures and the application techniques of these buildings in common construction are also generalized in this article.展开更多
The Ridung Township is located in the northern part of Karub District of Chamdo city.Its township government is 34 kilometers from the government of Karub District.It sits at an altitude of 3,295 meters.Among its twel...The Ridung Township is located in the northern part of Karub District of Chamdo city.Its township government is 34 kilometers from the government of Karub District.It sits at an altitude of 3,295 meters.Among its twelve administrative villages,six are semifarming and semi-pastoral villages,four farming villages,and two pastoral villages.Wenda is one of the farming villages.Lozang Chojor is the vice head of the village committee,and a wellknown self-made man.展开更多
The arsenic contamination of underground water is a serious problem in rural areas of the Bengal region, where the water pipeline supply is not equipped. Those, who suffer from the contamination are mainly in the poor...The arsenic contamination of underground water is a serious problem in rural areas of the Bengal region, where the water pipeline supply is not equipped. Those, who suffer from the contamination are mainly in the poorest sector. In the region, the selection of drinking water sources is done by women. The local traditional custom of Parda may restrict women's behavior. In this paper, a quantitative way of evaluating women's psychological stress is proposed, and mechanisms of women's water selection are analyzed using behavioral model. Ultimately, the more acceptable ways of installing water facilities to local people in each village are discussed.展开更多
In rural area of sub-Saharan Africa, the electrification rate is only 23%. There are isolated diesel power stations in sub-Saharan countries. However, power production by diesel generator is relatively high compared t...In rural area of sub-Saharan Africa, the electrification rate is only 23%. There are isolated diesel power stations in sub-Saharan countries. However, power production by diesel generator is relatively high compared to that of national grid. In addition, public facilities such as rural school and health clinic have important role inproviding adequate public services in non-electrified communities. Therefore, in order to reduce power production cost, optimum configuration of the wind diesel hybrid generation system and the economic feasibility were studied. In the study, operational data of the existing diesel generator and wind potential were analyzed and optimum configuration of wind and diesel hybrid system was proposed. In addition, economic feasibility study of the hybrid system was conducted. In the result, EIRR (economic internal rate of return) of the proposed wind-diesel hybrid power plant was obtained as 10%.展开更多
Based on the ideas and framework of Mechanism Design Theory, the paper establishes model analysis on the differences rural financial demands and the choices of hierarchical supply behaviors, studies the relevant varia...Based on the ideas and framework of Mechanism Design Theory, the paper establishes model analysis on the differences rural financial demands and the choices of hierarchical supply behaviors, studies the relevant variables constraints choices on the rural financial supply and demand behavior, and thus presents a further improvement of the rural financial market variables, promotes the matching efficiency behavior selection between rural financial supply and demand, improves efficiency of the rural financial markets, strengthens financial supports for agriculture, rural areas and farmers.展开更多
The Worm Bank maintains that, compared to the growth of other industries, agricultural growth plays a more important role in reducing China's rural poverty. This stance, however, is contrary to the findings in this p...The Worm Bank maintains that, compared to the growth of other industries, agricultural growth plays a more important role in reducing China's rural poverty. This stance, however, is contrary to the findings in this paper. This paper asserts that China's experience in reducing rural poverty should be attributed to: (1) its earlier, unbalanced economic development strategies, which gave priority to heavy industries and industrialization and led to the economic boom," and (2) the expansion of non-agricultural sectors, which enabled poor rural households to engage in non-agricultural production. Thus, the key impetus to reducing poverty in rural China is industrialization. Due to its large population but limited farmlands, it may not be a good strategy for China to make agricultural development a priority because its relatively low value added and net profits are inept to promote economic development and reduce rural poverty.展开更多
Following China's rapid advance the process of industrialization and urbanization, a large number of rural labor into cities, abandoned land becomes a universal phenomenon and shows an enlarge spread trend. Therefore...Following China's rapid advance the process of industrialization and urbanization, a large number of rural labor into cities, abandoned land becomes a universal phenomenon and shows an enlarge spread trend. Therefore, the food security of our country is threatened. This article will according to the farmers' angle of view, from the farmers owned their own labor, land and capital three aspects, uses field survey data to analyze the relationship between the situation of human capital, employment policy, farmland status and management decision, income and investment decision-making this five aspects and land reclamation. The result shows that age, education, arable area, whether the land transfer, engaged in non-agricultural sector employment time, work area, per capita income, non-agricultural income and investment has a significant impact on arable land abandonment, and reflect the development potential of the family of peasants and a tendency of development having a positive correlation with arable land abandonment, this phenomenon reflects in our nation, the rural residents are divorced from the original rural living environment and integrate into cities, a gradual process of get rid of the original way of life in the new way.展开更多
The majority of livestock in the rural areas of Africa are indigenous types that are not well defined as breeds as perceived by the developed world. The animals in this important sector have remained largely uncharact...The majority of livestock in the rural areas of Africa are indigenous types that are not well defined as breeds as perceived by the developed world. The animals in this important sector have remained largely uncharacterised and face the risk of genetic dilution due to indiscriminate crossbreeding, breed replacement and neglect. This article uses two examples to describe a system that has been implemented in South Africa that allows indigenous livestock from rural keepers to enter the seed stock industry as recognized breeds. The first example is the indigenous Nguni breed of cattle that has been successfully developed into a seed stock breed, with a society celebrating its 25th anniversary in November 2011. The second example involves the challenges of developing a seed stock industry for some of the unimproved indigenous goat breeds of South Africa. Climate change is expected to have a more extreme effect on southern hemisphere continents than on other continents. Such negative effects will include high ambient temperatures, nutritional stress and altered patterns of animal diseases. With the likelihood of global warming, these adapted genotypes can play a very important role in sustainable livestock production.展开更多
This article aims at characterization and assessment of the financial behaviors of rural dwellers on non-cash payment markets and identification of factors determining the intensity of using individual methods of paym...This article aims at characterization and assessment of the financial behaviors of rural dwellers on non-cash payment markets and identification of factors determining the intensity of using individual methods of payment by the inhabitants of rural areas. The main source of data used for analysis and inference was information originating from the authors' own investigations conducted in 2013 on a group of 500 rural households and on a group of 150 trade and service points operating in non-urbanized areas. This work made use of statistical summary measures and Z2 independence test. According to the results of the conducted studies, forms of payment used by rural dwellers depend on many variables, of demographic, economic, and psychological character. Cash payments are more frequently used by persons possessing vocational or secondary education, elderly people, old-age pensioners, annuitants, or households with lower incomes. Also, persons who do not trust financial institutions or do not perceive benefits resulting from the use of non-cash instruments prefer cash. It is a group of households which require urgent educational activities in the area of non-cash payment instruments. A significant barrier to using non-cash payment instruments by rural dwellers was a limited access to non-cash channels. It is connected in the first place with a poorer development of financial infrastructure in rural areas (banks or cash points), insufficient Internet access conditioning a possibility to use electronic banking points, and also a worse development of credit card acceptance network. As has been demonstrated by the results of conducted studies, the main reason for a lack of point of sale (POS) terminals in retail and service-providing points operating in rural areas, in the opinion of their owners, is the very high interchange fee (50% indications), which under Polish conditions is one of the highest in the European Union (EU).展开更多
This longitudinal study presents a full view of three rural high school EFL teachers' stories about learning to do action research through reflection. It takes a closer look at the contributions of reflection to acti...This longitudinal study presents a full view of three rural high school EFL teachers' stories about learning to do action research through reflection. It takes a closer look at the contributions of reflection to action research, the challenges the teachers faced, and the changes they achieved. Over a 22-week semester, the three teachers engaged in a series of interrelated learning activities including journal writing, individual dialogues, group meetings and action research. The findings show that learning to do action research was a time-consuming and arduous task, and such difficukies arose when they identified research topics, formed research questions, collected data and wrote their reports. However, reflection through writing, talking and discussing pushed the process forward. The teachers' professional development was mainly reflected in the changes in teaching practices and beliefs. A revisit held seven years later confirms that teachers' ability to identify problems and to take action improved, but none of them tried to do further action research. For the teachers living in an unsupportive research context, integrating action research into teaching practices may not be a priority.展开更多
基金supported by funding from Fujian Medical University(Grant No.XRCZX 2020020Grant No.XRZCX 2017035,Grant No.XRZCX 2020034).
文摘Objectives:Rural areas are the weakest place for epidemic prevention and control,yet few studies have specifically conducted surveys in rural areas.The purpose of this study is to assess rural residents’knowledge of the COVID-19 and its prevention in China.Methods:A cross-sectional survey study containing 1,426 samples was conducted in Fuqing,China to assess rural residents’knowledge of the COVID-19 and its prevention.Logistic regression was used to identify potential differences in participants’knowledge of COVID-19 and its prevention and control in different population subgroups.Results:The mean and median of residents’knowledge of COVID-19 was 5.53 and 6 points,respectively.The mean and median of residents’knowledge related to self-protection against COVID-19 was 10.34 and 11 points,respectively.Older adults(AOR45e59=2.26,95%CI 1.20 to 4.27;AOR60-69=3.13,95%CI 1.63 to 5.98;AOR70=4.68,95%CI 2.35 to 9.33)were more deficient in knowledge of COVID-19.Those who were better educated and with a higher average annual household income were less likely to be deficient in the knowledge of COVID-19 and knowledge of self-protection against COVID-19.Moreover,those who were single,divorced,or widowed(AOR=1.67,95%CI 1.13 to 2.46)were more deficient in the knowledge of self-protection against COVID-19.Conclusions:Our study suggests that when facing a pandemic like COVID-19,the key is to inform the public to understand simple and effective self-protection measures.Therefore,we call on the govern-ments to give priority to publicity and education on self-prevention measures for the targeted pop-ulations and regions.This is most evident among the vulnerable groups like those who were unmarried,elderly,and those with low education or low income.Similar suggestions may be of use in other countries as well.
基金Funded by the Science and Technology Research Foundation of Hunan Government(No.08jj3106)
文摘Based on the field survey of the traditional village in Shanggantang,Hunan province,P.R.China,we analyzed ecological strategies in aspects of the whole human habitation environment and vernacular building human habitation environment.The ecological strategies included adapting to the local climate,reducing source consumption,utilizing local materials and so on.The research is to provide a reference to practice and theoretical development of eco-folk houses in the area.
文摘In order to address the plight of rural financing, the 2007 China Banking Regulatory Commission, China's State Council started rural banks in provinces, towns and villages. There are so many problems faced by rural banks. The most pressing issue is the sustainability of targeting deviate due to restraints, shortage of funds, and loan risks. In order to effectively address these issues, this paper presents some solutions
文摘This paper carries out empirical analysis of the ration behavior of rural credit cooperatives in less developed regions in providing loan services to rural households. It also inspects the interaction between rural households' demand for credit and the loan supply from rural credit cooperatives with simultaneous discrete model. The performance of supporting agriculture through a new round reform of rural credit cooperatives is doubtable in this sample region.
文摘Urbanization of animal habitats has the potential to affect the natural communication systems of any species able to survive in the changed environment. Urban animals such as squirrels use multiple signal channels to communicate, but it is un- known how ttrbanization has affected these behaviors. Multimodal commtmication, involving more than one sensory modality, can be studied by use of biomimetic mechanical animal models that are designed to simulate the multimodal signals and be pre- sented to animal subjects in the field. In this way the responses to the various signal components can be compared and contrasted to determine whether the multimodal signal is made up of redundant or nonredundant components. In this study, we presented wild gray squirrels in relatively urban and relatively rural habitats in Western Massachusetts with a biomimetic squirrel model that produced tail flags and alarm barks in a variety of combinations. We found that the squirrels responded to each unimodal component on its own, the bark and tail flag, but they responded most to the complete multimodal signal, containing both the acoustic and the moving visual components, providing evidence that in this context the signal components are redundant and that their combination elicits multimodal enhancement. We expanded on the results of Partan et al. (2009) by providing data on sig- naling behavior in the presence and absence of conspecifics, suggesting that alarm signaling is more likely if conspecifics are present. We found that the squirrels were more active in the urban habitats and that they responded more to tail flagging in the urban habitats as compared to the rural ones, suggesting the interesting possibility of a multimodal shift from reliance on audio to visual signals in noisier more crowded urban habitats [Current Zoology 56 (3): 313-326, 2010].
基金Project(51178158) supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of ChinaProjects(2010HGZY0010, 2011HGBZ0936) supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of China
文摘Referring to the 1 248 survey data of rural population in 14 provinces of China, the influencing factors of trip time choice were analyzed. Based on the basic theory of disaggregate model and its modelling method, nine grades were selected as the alternatives of trip time, the variables affecting time choice and the method getting their values were determined, and a multinomial logit (MNL) model was developed. Another 1 200 trip data of rural population were selected to testify the model's validity. The result shows that the maximum absolute error of each period between calculated value and statistic is 3.6%, so MNL model has high calculation accuracy.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China’s General Program (Grant NO. 41071350)the Main Direction Program of Knowledge Innovation of Chinese Academy of Sciences (KZCX2-EW-317)+1 种基金the Chinese Academy of Western Light (09R2340340) "Hundred Talents" project of Chinese Academy of Sciences: "Community Governance, Rural Tax Reform and Public Investment in Rural Areas" for their funding
文摘This study aims to investigate two important issues: what are the determinants of public goods investment and what is the government's investment behavior in mountainous areas. The impacts of natural conditions, target, and demand elements on public goods investment are analyzed with statistical method, and the determinants of public goods investment in the areas are obtained by using population-weighted and stepwise regression models with Eviews6.0 software with survey data in 2008 and calculated data based on GIS of 20 typical villages in mountainous regions in Sichuan, China. The results showed:(1) natural conditions are the important determinants of public investment. Mountainous villages with steep slope have relatively high levels of investment;(2) concentration of population and the educational levels of the village leaders also have important impacts on public goods investment;(3) the government is more concerned with public investment resources particularly in areas characterized by fragile ecological environment and poor agricultural output. These results suggest that the current investment strategy helps to reduce disparities in regional development.
文摘This article deals with the results of the research on the behaviors of the rural buildings made up of local materials during earthquakes. This article reveals the mechanical properties of masonry detected based on experimental research results on wall samples made of local materials such as mud bricks, clay and straw mixture, rubble stones and limestones cut in standard sizes. In addition, the constructive measures prepared for the earthquake resistance of rural structures and the application techniques of these buildings in common construction are also generalized in this article.
文摘The Ridung Township is located in the northern part of Karub District of Chamdo city.Its township government is 34 kilometers from the government of Karub District.It sits at an altitude of 3,295 meters.Among its twelve administrative villages,six are semifarming and semi-pastoral villages,four farming villages,and two pastoral villages.Wenda is one of the farming villages.Lozang Chojor is the vice head of the village committee,and a wellknown self-made man.
文摘The arsenic contamination of underground water is a serious problem in rural areas of the Bengal region, where the water pipeline supply is not equipped. Those, who suffer from the contamination are mainly in the poorest sector. In the region, the selection of drinking water sources is done by women. The local traditional custom of Parda may restrict women's behavior. In this paper, a quantitative way of evaluating women's psychological stress is proposed, and mechanisms of women's water selection are analyzed using behavioral model. Ultimately, the more acceptable ways of installing water facilities to local people in each village are discussed.
文摘In rural area of sub-Saharan Africa, the electrification rate is only 23%. There are isolated diesel power stations in sub-Saharan countries. However, power production by diesel generator is relatively high compared to that of national grid. In addition, public facilities such as rural school and health clinic have important role inproviding adequate public services in non-electrified communities. Therefore, in order to reduce power production cost, optimum configuration of the wind diesel hybrid generation system and the economic feasibility were studied. In the study, operational data of the existing diesel generator and wind potential were analyzed and optimum configuration of wind and diesel hybrid system was proposed. In addition, economic feasibility study of the hybrid system was conducted. In the result, EIRR (economic internal rate of return) of the proposed wind-diesel hybrid power plant was obtained as 10%.
文摘Based on the ideas and framework of Mechanism Design Theory, the paper establishes model analysis on the differences rural financial demands and the choices of hierarchical supply behaviors, studies the relevant variables constraints choices on the rural financial supply and demand behavior, and thus presents a further improvement of the rural financial market variables, promotes the matching efficiency behavior selection between rural financial supply and demand, improves efficiency of the rural financial markets, strengthens financial supports for agriculture, rural areas and farmers.
文摘The Worm Bank maintains that, compared to the growth of other industries, agricultural growth plays a more important role in reducing China's rural poverty. This stance, however, is contrary to the findings in this paper. This paper asserts that China's experience in reducing rural poverty should be attributed to: (1) its earlier, unbalanced economic development strategies, which gave priority to heavy industries and industrialization and led to the economic boom," and (2) the expansion of non-agricultural sectors, which enabled poor rural households to engage in non-agricultural production. Thus, the key impetus to reducing poverty in rural China is industrialization. Due to its large population but limited farmlands, it may not be a good strategy for China to make agricultural development a priority because its relatively low value added and net profits are inept to promote economic development and reduce rural poverty.
文摘Following China's rapid advance the process of industrialization and urbanization, a large number of rural labor into cities, abandoned land becomes a universal phenomenon and shows an enlarge spread trend. Therefore, the food security of our country is threatened. This article will according to the farmers' angle of view, from the farmers owned their own labor, land and capital three aspects, uses field survey data to analyze the relationship between the situation of human capital, employment policy, farmland status and management decision, income and investment decision-making this five aspects and land reclamation. The result shows that age, education, arable area, whether the land transfer, engaged in non-agricultural sector employment time, work area, per capita income, non-agricultural income and investment has a significant impact on arable land abandonment, and reflect the development potential of the family of peasants and a tendency of development having a positive correlation with arable land abandonment, this phenomenon reflects in our nation, the rural residents are divorced from the original rural living environment and integrate into cities, a gradual process of get rid of the original way of life in the new way.
文摘The majority of livestock in the rural areas of Africa are indigenous types that are not well defined as breeds as perceived by the developed world. The animals in this important sector have remained largely uncharacterised and face the risk of genetic dilution due to indiscriminate crossbreeding, breed replacement and neglect. This article uses two examples to describe a system that has been implemented in South Africa that allows indigenous livestock from rural keepers to enter the seed stock industry as recognized breeds. The first example is the indigenous Nguni breed of cattle that has been successfully developed into a seed stock breed, with a society celebrating its 25th anniversary in November 2011. The second example involves the challenges of developing a seed stock industry for some of the unimproved indigenous goat breeds of South Africa. Climate change is expected to have a more extreme effect on southern hemisphere continents than on other continents. Such negative effects will include high ambient temperatures, nutritional stress and altered patterns of animal diseases. With the likelihood of global warming, these adapted genotypes can play a very important role in sustainable livestock production.
文摘This article aims at characterization and assessment of the financial behaviors of rural dwellers on non-cash payment markets and identification of factors determining the intensity of using individual methods of payment by the inhabitants of rural areas. The main source of data used for analysis and inference was information originating from the authors' own investigations conducted in 2013 on a group of 500 rural households and on a group of 150 trade and service points operating in non-urbanized areas. This work made use of statistical summary measures and Z2 independence test. According to the results of the conducted studies, forms of payment used by rural dwellers depend on many variables, of demographic, economic, and psychological character. Cash payments are more frequently used by persons possessing vocational or secondary education, elderly people, old-age pensioners, annuitants, or households with lower incomes. Also, persons who do not trust financial institutions or do not perceive benefits resulting from the use of non-cash instruments prefer cash. It is a group of households which require urgent educational activities in the area of non-cash payment instruments. A significant barrier to using non-cash payment instruments by rural dwellers was a limited access to non-cash channels. It is connected in the first place with a poorer development of financial infrastructure in rural areas (banks or cash points), insufficient Internet access conditioning a possibility to use electronic banking points, and also a worse development of credit card acceptance network. As has been demonstrated by the results of conducted studies, the main reason for a lack of point of sale (POS) terminals in retail and service-providing points operating in rural areas, in the opinion of their owners, is the very high interchange fee (50% indications), which under Polish conditions is one of the highest in the European Union (EU).
基金funded by the Postgraduate Scientific Research and Innovation Project of Jiangsu Province(CXZZ13_0379)the Jiangsu Government Scholarship for Oversea Studies
文摘This longitudinal study presents a full view of three rural high school EFL teachers' stories about learning to do action research through reflection. It takes a closer look at the contributions of reflection to action research, the challenges the teachers faced, and the changes they achieved. Over a 22-week semester, the three teachers engaged in a series of interrelated learning activities including journal writing, individual dialogues, group meetings and action research. The findings show that learning to do action research was a time-consuming and arduous task, and such difficukies arose when they identified research topics, formed research questions, collected data and wrote their reports. However, reflection through writing, talking and discussing pushed the process forward. The teachers' professional development was mainly reflected in the changes in teaching practices and beliefs. A revisit held seven years later confirms that teachers' ability to identify problems and to take action improved, but none of them tried to do further action research. For the teachers living in an unsupportive research context, integrating action research into teaching practices may not be a priority.