[Objective] The aim was to isolate and identify a taxol-producing endophytic fungus from Taxus media. [Method] 32 strains of endophytic fungi were identified form the inner bark of T. media,and their fermentation prod...[Objective] The aim was to isolate and identify a taxol-producing endophytic fungus from Taxus media. [Method] 32 strains of endophytic fungi were identified form the inner bark of T. media,and their fermentation products were detected by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). [Result] Through the screening,a strain of taxol-producing endophytic fungi M57 was obtained,which could produce 45-50 μg/L of taxol,and M57 was defined as Rhizopus sp. through morphological observation and 18S rDNA sequence analysis. [Conclusion] The finding of Rhizopus sp. M57 provided a promising strain for producing taxol with taxol-producing fungi fermentation process.展开更多
Wheat straw biodegradability during anaerobic digestion was improved by treatment with potassium hydroxide (KOH) to decrease digestion time and enhance biomethane production and fertility value. KOH concentrations o...Wheat straw biodegradability during anaerobic digestion was improved by treatment with potassium hydroxide (KOH) to decrease digestion time and enhance biomethane production and fertility value. KOH concentrations of 1% (KI), 3% ([(2), 6% (K3) and 9% (l(4) were tested for wheat straw pretreatment at ambient temperature with a C:N ratio of 25:1.86% of total solids (TS), 89% of volatile solids (VS) and 22% of lignocellulose, cellulose and hemi- cellulose (LCH) (22%) were decomposed effectively with the wheat straw pretreated by 6% KOH. Enhanced bio- gas production and cumulative biomethane yield of 258 ml. (g VS)-1 were obtained increased by 45% and 41% respectively, compared with untreated wheat straw. Pretreated wheat straw digestion also yielded a digestate with higher fertilizer values potassium (l 38%), calcium (22%) and magnesium (16%). These results show that TS, VS and LCH can be effectively removed from wheat straw pretreated with KOH, improving biodegradability biomethane production and fertilizer value.展开更多
The main purpose of this study is to give evaluation of ecological services of Jilin Province, Northeast China. To take this value into decision-making and GDP accounting system is considered to be one of the economic...The main purpose of this study is to give evaluation of ecological services of Jilin Province, Northeast China. To take this value into decision-making and GDP accounting system is considered to be one of the economic solutions for ecological problems. The evaluation is based on the methods proposed by COSTANZA et al., and some modifications about unit value of forest and cropland system were made according to the real characters of ecosystem, climate, natural conditions etc., in Jilin Province. Total value of ecosystem services is about 554.404x10(9) yuan(RMB)/a, which is about 4.9 times of GDP of the corresponding period. The results of this study could be used as a fundamental work for the construction of ecological province, which was carried out from 2001, and could provide ecological information for decision-making. Furthermore, the necessities for the further studies on the evaluation of ecological services and natural capital were discussed.展开更多
Changes in tissue structure, rheological properties and water content of raw and heated sea cucumber meat were studied. Sea cucumber Stichopus japonicus was heated at 25℃, 70℃ and 100℃ water for 5 min. The structur...Changes in tissue structure, rheological properties and water content of raw and heated sea cucumber meat were studied. Sea cucumber Stichopus japonicus was heated at 25℃, 70℃ and 100℃ water for 5 min. The structural changes were observed using a light microscope and the rheological parameters (rupture strength, adhesive strength and deformation) determined using a texture meter. Microscopic photograph revealed that the structural change of heated meat was greater than that of raw meat. The rupture strength, adhesive strength and deformation of raw meat were smaller than those of the heated meat. Meanwhile, rheological parameters showed positive correlation with heating temperature. These changes are mainly caused by thermal denaturation and gelatinization of collagen during heating. These changes were also evidenced in observations using a light microscope and differential scanning calorimetry.展开更多
In order to evaluate the safety production situation of the coal mine effectively,selected the indicators about mine production safety, applied entropy method to determinethe objective weight of each index, calculated...In order to evaluate the safety production situation of the coal mine effectively,selected the indicators about mine production safety, applied entropy method to determinethe objective weight of each index, calculated the distance and close degree between themines and the ideal point and negative ideal point, and then evaluated the safety productionsituation of the mines according to the close degree.The results show that the methodprovides a reasonable, concise and more objective idea to evaluate the safety productionsituation of the mines.展开更多
In light of the practical need for research to inform policy in Beijing,this study evaluates the economic cost of the impact of PM 10 pollution in Beijing from 2001 to 2006,taking health as the main impact,and mortali...In light of the practical need for research to inform policy in Beijing,this study evaluates the economic cost of the impact of PM 10 pollution in Beijing from 2001 to 2006,taking health as the main impact,and mortality as the main outcome.Based on the literature review,this study adopts relatively conservative parameters as the basis for calculating the health impacts.It concludes that nearly 30%of mortality among registered residents above age 30 in Beijing can be attributed to PM 10 pollution,and that the economic cost equals 0.8%-1.2%of the city's GDP over the same period.This is lower than the results of previous studies,but still high enough to warrant a commitment to solve the city's air pollution problem.展开更多
The preservation of the traditional subsistence farming systems and the conservation of natural values (habitats, fauna and flora), in articulation with local development, was the key issues in this paper. The farme...The preservation of the traditional subsistence farming systems and the conservation of natural values (habitats, fauna and flora), in articulation with local development, was the key issues in this paper. The farmers have been able to manage the systems so as to cope with adverse conditions, but their future is quite uncertain. The methodology included: (1) field observation visits and cartographic information analysis of land use; (2) structured interviews with animal production and agro-forestry specialists; and (3) meetings with the participation of stakeholders. The paper concludes that depopulation is responsible for the increasing decline of agriculture and livestock. The decrease in agricultural activity in general and the consequent practices and traditional systems of agriculture causes changes in the landscape and has negative effects on nature conservation and biodiversity. Thus, we believe that the preservation and development of traditional economic activities linked to agriculture, agro-forestry and food processing are essential to maintain the typical landscape and to preserve natural values of Montemuro Site. The paper shows that in mountain areas, particularly those classified as nature network sites, farming, economic development and nature conservation are not antagonistic objectives.展开更多
Yam, Dioscorea esculenta which is a high value commodity is a threatened species in Ghana, due to several factors including neglect on the part of science, technology, research and development. Different doses of radi...Yam, Dioscorea esculenta which is a high value commodity is a threatened species in Ghana, due to several factors including neglect on the part of science, technology, research and development. Different doses of radiation were use to improve the size and market value of D. esculenta to promote it effective use and enhance effective conservation. We observed through repeated experiments that irradiation of yam planting material at 40 Gy gave the best results producing a M1 generation with a decreased number of tubers but with an increased tuber size per vine. Some yam characteristics are valued more than others, and prices vary across species, time, and market sites. Tuber weight exhibits an increasing marginal value and price per kilogram increases above an optimum size; therefore, yam producers and dealers derive additional reward from extra-large tubers. We conclude that, to effectively access and benefit from urban markets, producers should focus on the improved size and conical shaped-tubers, which are easy to process and meet the aesthetic qualities preferred by urban consumers. The implications for research on improved variety development to reduce poverty and for crop and resource management practices are drawn.展开更多
Value Management (VM) is a rigorous and systematic approach to improve the value and optimise the overall cost of a facility. It identifies opportunities to remove unnecessary costs while assuring that quality, reliab...Value Management (VM) is a rigorous and systematic approach to improve the value and optimise the overall cost of a facility. It identifies opportunities to remove unnecessary costs while assuring that quality, reliability, performance, and other critical factors will meet or exceed the customers’ expectations. It has been widely used in the construction industry in a number of countries. A recent survey, however, revealed several problems that hinder the wider use of this methodology in the industry. To overcome these problems, a feasibility study has been conducted to investigate whether or not a Group Support System (GSS) can support collaborative works in VM workshops. This paper introduces the development and structure of a prototype GSS which is designed to support the collaborative works of stakeholders in VM workshops. It begins with an introduction to the conceptual GSS framework and job plan, illustrating what GSS supports can be provided to VM workshops. This is followed by a detailed description of the GSS prototype system to demonstrate how these supports can be performed as an integrated computer system. The testing of the system is also discussed. The research findings provide strong evidence in supporting the notion of using GSS to improve VM implementation. The information support of GSS has been ranked to be the most useful GSS functions and most of the practitioners interviewed are highly interested in applying GSS to support VM workshops in the future.展开更多
The machinery, equipment, inventory, and other assets of the 21 st century company without people to work them. Corporations, by leave of the accounting profession, have no real economic value continue to omit the val...The machinery, equipment, inventory, and other assets of the 21 st century company without people to work them. Corporations, by leave of the accounting profession, have no real economic value continue to omit the value of human. And yet, there is a growing realization that people represent the largest proportion of corporate productive capacity relative to the current assets and fixed assets shown in corporate financial statements. This paper provides research on the top 50 of the Fortune 500 companies which confirm this material deficiency. There is a need to provide stakeholders with a "fair" knowledge of the value of corporate human capital to provide a higher standard of transparency and accountability in international financial reporting and to provide the basis for research into the sustainability and potential expansion of growth in the world economy. An appropriate standard for the valuation of human capital will provide the knowledge base for effective and efficient investment in human capital. Effective and efficient investment will be particularly valuable for governments and service industries and for those who wish to promote growth in Europe. Indeed, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is questioning the veracity of financial statements which fail to include "the most valuable" of corporate assets in their financial statements. Recently, the OECD has noted that human capital may be measurable "by the output potential of specific competencies"; "the fruits of (corporate) investment"; the objective measurement of the market "rental" price of human capital; and lastly, perhaps self-evident when it comes to physical capital, the output potential of corporate investment in their human capital inventory. This paper considers the conditions in the context of literature which reassesses theory and assumptions which have been made on the valuation of human capital. Human capital is a pre-requisite for tangible assets to be productive. The valuation of human capital will trigger the same sort of activity-based analysis of people power as computers brought to cost accounting. The knowledge century analysis of people power will take off when human capital is at last included in the list of assets on the corporate balance sheet.展开更多
Zea mays var. saccharata (sweet corn) is an important crops grown for food and feed in the tropics. In Indonesia, most of the land used for crops production is characterized by acid pH and low levels of nitrogen and...Zea mays var. saccharata (sweet corn) is an important crops grown for food and feed in the tropics. In Indonesia, most of the land used for crops production is characterized by acid pH and low levels of nitrogen and phosphorus. Phosphorus fertilizers have been widely used to improve soil fertility in Indonesia. Given the high cost of superphosphate (SP), the focus is now on rock phosphate (RP) fertilizer, which is relatively cheaper than SP and shows high solubility in acid condition. The combination of RP and manure during the decomposing process and the addition of decomposing microbes may be a promising technique to overcome the problem. A field experiment was conducted on a vertisol soil (low pH and low available nitrogen and phosphorus). The objective of the research is to evaluate the effect of combinations of manure enriched with RP (granular and non-granular) with three different decomposing microbes (EM4, starTmik and stardec) on sweet corn and dry matter production, phosphorus (P) and calcium (Ca) content in above-ground biomass. A completely randomized design with seven treatments and four replicates was used in this experiment. The size of the plots was 3 m x 2.5 m. The treatments were TO (manure), T1 (manure + EM4), T2 (manure + starTmik), T3 (manure + stardec), T4 (manure granular ~ EM4), T5 (manure granular + starTmik), T6 (manure granular + stardec). The manure was enriched with RP 66 kg P/ha (150 kg P2Os/ha) and inoculated with the biodecomposer according to the assigned treatment. The manure was applied in a rate of 30 t/ha. All plot received 125 kg KC1/ha (150 kg K20/ha) and 200 kg urea/ha as basal fertilization. Sweet corn was harvested 70 d after planting. Sweet corn plants were cut close to the ground and analyzed for dry matter yield (DM) and P and Ca content in the biomass. Result showed that sweet corn and DM yield and P content were not significantly influenced by the treatments. Ca content in the above-ground biomass, in turn, differed among the treatments. Manure enriched with RP fertilizer was not significantly diferent on Ca content of stover. Thus, it seems that no gain occurs in sweet corn production and nutritive value of stover from the addition of microbes to manure enriched with RP in a acid vertisol soil. In conclusion, manure enriched with RP with or without biodecomposer, in granular or non-granular form, resulted in similar on sweet corn and DM production, P and Ca content of stover.展开更多
The economic viability and social value of traditional aquaculture in rural Sierra Leone were evaluated. The hypothesis tested was that traditional methods of farming fish in ponds were not economically viable, so far...The economic viability and social value of traditional aquaculture in rural Sierra Leone were evaluated. The hypothesis tested was that traditional methods of farming fish in ponds were not economically viable, so farmers were investing their time/labour in less risky and more profitable livelihoods activities. The assumption in this assessment was that fish farming is an economic activity, and that for farmers to adopt or choose it over other livelihoods, the benefit-cost ratio of fish farming must be higher than that of alternative livelihoods. The main objective of the study was to assess why local farmers failed to adopt modem market oriented aquaculture production systems introduced by the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources in rural Sierra Leone. Two hundred farmers owning fishponds on family lands were interviewed using semi-structured questionnaires and farmers' responses were analyzed using statistical tools (SPSS 16.0). The mean contributions of different livelihoods to total annual incomes of farmers and the social values they attached to these livelihoods were compared. Results of the study suggested that traditional fish fanning was economically viable across the range of pond sizes sampled; but the medium-sized ponds were more profitable than the smallest and largest ponds, and labour accounted for 70% of total annual production costs in the systems assessed. The average benefit-cost ratio of 2.3 for fish fanning was favorable compared with that of 0.83 for rice farming, which was ranked as most popular livelihood activity by farmers. The payback period for traditional aquaculture investments was less than five years using informal investment loans (without interest), and was favorably compared with that for tree crops fanning, which was also popular among farmers. Additional benefits of fish fanning included social capital and maintenance of kinship relationships.展开更多
Originating from the genus Pistacia, the only edible species, Pistacia vera, covers at least 10 different sub-species and has a commercial value in the nut industry as a snack food. Pistachio kernels arc very popular ...Originating from the genus Pistacia, the only edible species, Pistacia vera, covers at least 10 different sub-species and has a commercial value in the nut industry as a snack food. Pistachio kernels arc very popular ingredients used in meat products and in the confectionary industry as a part of various pastry products. Historically, Iran has the advantage in supply side and leads the world in pistachio trade. Turkey comes in the third place in terms of production and provides over 70 thousand metric tons of pistachios in 2007, capturing 14 percent production share world wide. As being one of the major habitats of pistachios, Turkey has potential to develop new variaties and increase the productivity, thereby to take advantage of higher profits that may arise from foreign trade in pistachios. Even though pistachio production in Turkey has increased in the last 20 years, this opportunity is yet to be discovered since yield and quality factors are still at low levels, resulting in dramatic losses in foreign market shares. Possible remedies for this problem include irrigation made available to pistachio orchards, adopting new caltivars more tolerant to diseases, preventing the illegal entrance of Iranian pistachios, facilitating the unification of pistachio producers, provoking the consumption of fresh pistachios, and expanding the business into new international markets.展开更多
The increase on the competitiveness, the search on the customer satisfaction, the search by reducing waste in the civil construction were facts which helped entrepreneurs and companies to seek new ways of working, bei...The increase on the competitiveness, the search on the customer satisfaction, the search by reducing waste in the civil construction were facts which helped entrepreneurs and companies to seek new ways of working, being lean construction one of the ways to get that. Studies report that the application of the lean tools in construction was carried out in an isolated way. This type of application was pointed as a major factor limiting the extent of achievement in implementing lean principles. The aim of this studies is to identify opportunities to implement the principles of lean production in the service department of a construction company in Goi^is, proposing routines that try to implement the continuous improvement of its processes, eliminating waste, reducing the lead time, allow it to perform the mapping processes, applying the just-in-time and among others, providing services that add value to the customer satisfaction. It was possible to establish the average time for each step, allowing to identify possible improvements in the department, from the perspective of lean principles. The research paper concludes by pointing out the activities for the Department of Post Construction work from building companies, from lean concepts.展开更多
基金Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(20776058)New Century Training Programme Foundation for the Talents by the State Education Commission (NCET-06-0646)~~
文摘[Objective] The aim was to isolate and identify a taxol-producing endophytic fungus from Taxus media. [Method] 32 strains of endophytic fungi were identified form the inner bark of T. media,and their fermentation products were detected by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). [Result] Through the screening,a strain of taxol-producing endophytic fungi M57 was obtained,which could produce 45-50 μg/L of taxol,and M57 was defined as Rhizopus sp. through morphological observation and 18S rDNA sequence analysis. [Conclusion] The finding of Rhizopus sp. M57 provided a promising strain for producing taxol with taxol-producing fungi fermentation process.
基金Supported by Specialized Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higer Education(20120010110004)the Natural Science Foundation of Beijing(8142030)
文摘Wheat straw biodegradability during anaerobic digestion was improved by treatment with potassium hydroxide (KOH) to decrease digestion time and enhance biomethane production and fertility value. KOH concentrations of 1% (KI), 3% ([(2), 6% (K3) and 9% (l(4) were tested for wheat straw pretreatment at ambient temperature with a C:N ratio of 25:1.86% of total solids (TS), 89% of volatile solids (VS) and 22% of lignocellulose, cellulose and hemi- cellulose (LCH) (22%) were decomposed effectively with the wheat straw pretreated by 6% KOH. Enhanced bio- gas production and cumulative biomethane yield of 258 ml. (g VS)-1 were obtained increased by 45% and 41% respectively, compared with untreated wheat straw. Pretreated wheat straw digestion also yielded a digestate with higher fertilizer values potassium (l 38%), calcium (22%) and magnesium (16%). These results show that TS, VS and LCH can be effectively removed from wheat straw pretreated with KOH, improving biodegradability biomethane production and fertilizer value.
文摘The main purpose of this study is to give evaluation of ecological services of Jilin Province, Northeast China. To take this value into decision-making and GDP accounting system is considered to be one of the economic solutions for ecological problems. The evaluation is based on the methods proposed by COSTANZA et al., and some modifications about unit value of forest and cropland system were made according to the real characters of ecosystem, climate, natural conditions etc., in Jilin Province. Total value of ecosystem services is about 554.404x10(9) yuan(RMB)/a, which is about 4.9 times of GDP of the corresponding period. The results of this study could be used as a fundamental work for the construction of ecological province, which was carried out from 2001, and could provide ecological information for decision-making. Furthermore, the necessities for the further studies on the evaluation of ecological services and natural capital were discussed.
基金supported by the proiect sponsored by the Scientific Research Foundation for Returned Overseas Chinese Scholars,State Education Ministry(SRF for ROCS,SEM)the Natural Science Foundation of Shandong(No.2004BSO7003)and Qingdao(No.04-2-JZ-110)
文摘Changes in tissue structure, rheological properties and water content of raw and heated sea cucumber meat were studied. Sea cucumber Stichopus japonicus was heated at 25℃, 70℃ and 100℃ water for 5 min. The structural changes were observed using a light microscope and the rheological parameters (rupture strength, adhesive strength and deformation) determined using a texture meter. Microscopic photograph revealed that the structural change of heated meat was greater than that of raw meat. The rupture strength, adhesive strength and deformation of raw meat were smaller than those of the heated meat. Meanwhile, rheological parameters showed positive correlation with heating temperature. These changes are mainly caused by thermal denaturation and gelatinization of collagen during heating. These changes were also evidenced in observations using a light microscope and differential scanning calorimetry.
文摘In order to evaluate the safety production situation of the coal mine effectively,selected the indicators about mine production safety, applied entropy method to determinethe objective weight of each index, calculated the distance and close degree between themines and the ideal point and negative ideal point, and then evaluated the safety productionsituation of the mines according to the close degree.The results show that the methodprovides a reasonable, concise and more objective idea to evaluate the safety productionsituation of the mines.
基金Supported by the Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education(Grant no.20070001049):pricing policy for resources products incidence of welfare impactBeijing Science and Technology Commission D09040903670905:Study on the Regional Air Pollution Control Strategy and Policy
文摘In light of the practical need for research to inform policy in Beijing,this study evaluates the economic cost of the impact of PM 10 pollution in Beijing from 2001 to 2006,taking health as the main impact,and mortality as the main outcome.Based on the literature review,this study adopts relatively conservative parameters as the basis for calculating the health impacts.It concludes that nearly 30%of mortality among registered residents above age 30 in Beijing can be attributed to PM 10 pollution,and that the economic cost equals 0.8%-1.2%of the city's GDP over the same period.This is lower than the results of previous studies,but still high enough to warrant a commitment to solve the city's air pollution problem.
文摘The preservation of the traditional subsistence farming systems and the conservation of natural values (habitats, fauna and flora), in articulation with local development, was the key issues in this paper. The farmers have been able to manage the systems so as to cope with adverse conditions, but their future is quite uncertain. The methodology included: (1) field observation visits and cartographic information analysis of land use; (2) structured interviews with animal production and agro-forestry specialists; and (3) meetings with the participation of stakeholders. The paper concludes that depopulation is responsible for the increasing decline of agriculture and livestock. The decrease in agricultural activity in general and the consequent practices and traditional systems of agriculture causes changes in the landscape and has negative effects on nature conservation and biodiversity. Thus, we believe that the preservation and development of traditional economic activities linked to agriculture, agro-forestry and food processing are essential to maintain the typical landscape and to preserve natural values of Montemuro Site. The paper shows that in mountain areas, particularly those classified as nature network sites, farming, economic development and nature conservation are not antagonistic objectives.
文摘Yam, Dioscorea esculenta which is a high value commodity is a threatened species in Ghana, due to several factors including neglect on the part of science, technology, research and development. Different doses of radiation were use to improve the size and market value of D. esculenta to promote it effective use and enhance effective conservation. We observed through repeated experiments that irradiation of yam planting material at 40 Gy gave the best results producing a M1 generation with a decreased number of tubers but with an increased tuber size per vine. Some yam characteristics are valued more than others, and prices vary across species, time, and market sites. Tuber weight exhibits an increasing marginal value and price per kilogram increases above an optimum size; therefore, yam producers and dealers derive additional reward from extra-large tubers. We conclude that, to effectively access and benefit from urban markets, producers should focus on the improved size and conical shaped-tubers, which are easy to process and meet the aesthetic qualities preferred by urban consumers. The implications for research on improved variety development to reduce poverty and for crop and resource management practices are drawn.
文摘Value Management (VM) is a rigorous and systematic approach to improve the value and optimise the overall cost of a facility. It identifies opportunities to remove unnecessary costs while assuring that quality, reliability, performance, and other critical factors will meet or exceed the customers’ expectations. It has been widely used in the construction industry in a number of countries. A recent survey, however, revealed several problems that hinder the wider use of this methodology in the industry. To overcome these problems, a feasibility study has been conducted to investigate whether or not a Group Support System (GSS) can support collaborative works in VM workshops. This paper introduces the development and structure of a prototype GSS which is designed to support the collaborative works of stakeholders in VM workshops. It begins with an introduction to the conceptual GSS framework and job plan, illustrating what GSS supports can be provided to VM workshops. This is followed by a detailed description of the GSS prototype system to demonstrate how these supports can be performed as an integrated computer system. The testing of the system is also discussed. The research findings provide strong evidence in supporting the notion of using GSS to improve VM implementation. The information support of GSS has been ranked to be the most useful GSS functions and most of the practitioners interviewed are highly interested in applying GSS to support VM workshops in the future.
文摘The machinery, equipment, inventory, and other assets of the 21 st century company without people to work them. Corporations, by leave of the accounting profession, have no real economic value continue to omit the value of human. And yet, there is a growing realization that people represent the largest proportion of corporate productive capacity relative to the current assets and fixed assets shown in corporate financial statements. This paper provides research on the top 50 of the Fortune 500 companies which confirm this material deficiency. There is a need to provide stakeholders with a "fair" knowledge of the value of corporate human capital to provide a higher standard of transparency and accountability in international financial reporting and to provide the basis for research into the sustainability and potential expansion of growth in the world economy. An appropriate standard for the valuation of human capital will provide the knowledge base for effective and efficient investment in human capital. Effective and efficient investment will be particularly valuable for governments and service industries and for those who wish to promote growth in Europe. Indeed, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is questioning the veracity of financial statements which fail to include "the most valuable" of corporate assets in their financial statements. Recently, the OECD has noted that human capital may be measurable "by the output potential of specific competencies"; "the fruits of (corporate) investment"; the objective measurement of the market "rental" price of human capital; and lastly, perhaps self-evident when it comes to physical capital, the output potential of corporate investment in their human capital inventory. This paper considers the conditions in the context of literature which reassesses theory and assumptions which have been made on the valuation of human capital. Human capital is a pre-requisite for tangible assets to be productive. The valuation of human capital will trigger the same sort of activity-based analysis of people power as computers brought to cost accounting. The knowledge century analysis of people power will take off when human capital is at last included in the list of assets on the corporate balance sheet.
文摘Zea mays var. saccharata (sweet corn) is an important crops grown for food and feed in the tropics. In Indonesia, most of the land used for crops production is characterized by acid pH and low levels of nitrogen and phosphorus. Phosphorus fertilizers have been widely used to improve soil fertility in Indonesia. Given the high cost of superphosphate (SP), the focus is now on rock phosphate (RP) fertilizer, which is relatively cheaper than SP and shows high solubility in acid condition. The combination of RP and manure during the decomposing process and the addition of decomposing microbes may be a promising technique to overcome the problem. A field experiment was conducted on a vertisol soil (low pH and low available nitrogen and phosphorus). The objective of the research is to evaluate the effect of combinations of manure enriched with RP (granular and non-granular) with three different decomposing microbes (EM4, starTmik and stardec) on sweet corn and dry matter production, phosphorus (P) and calcium (Ca) content in above-ground biomass. A completely randomized design with seven treatments and four replicates was used in this experiment. The size of the plots was 3 m x 2.5 m. The treatments were TO (manure), T1 (manure + EM4), T2 (manure + starTmik), T3 (manure + stardec), T4 (manure granular ~ EM4), T5 (manure granular + starTmik), T6 (manure granular + stardec). The manure was enriched with RP 66 kg P/ha (150 kg P2Os/ha) and inoculated with the biodecomposer according to the assigned treatment. The manure was applied in a rate of 30 t/ha. All plot received 125 kg KC1/ha (150 kg K20/ha) and 200 kg urea/ha as basal fertilization. Sweet corn was harvested 70 d after planting. Sweet corn plants were cut close to the ground and analyzed for dry matter yield (DM) and P and Ca content in the biomass. Result showed that sweet corn and DM yield and P content were not significantly influenced by the treatments. Ca content in the above-ground biomass, in turn, differed among the treatments. Manure enriched with RP fertilizer was not significantly diferent on Ca content of stover. Thus, it seems that no gain occurs in sweet corn production and nutritive value of stover from the addition of microbes to manure enriched with RP in a acid vertisol soil. In conclusion, manure enriched with RP with or without biodecomposer, in granular or non-granular form, resulted in similar on sweet corn and DM production, P and Ca content of stover.
文摘The economic viability and social value of traditional aquaculture in rural Sierra Leone were evaluated. The hypothesis tested was that traditional methods of farming fish in ponds were not economically viable, so farmers were investing their time/labour in less risky and more profitable livelihoods activities. The assumption in this assessment was that fish farming is an economic activity, and that for farmers to adopt or choose it over other livelihoods, the benefit-cost ratio of fish farming must be higher than that of alternative livelihoods. The main objective of the study was to assess why local farmers failed to adopt modem market oriented aquaculture production systems introduced by the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources in rural Sierra Leone. Two hundred farmers owning fishponds on family lands were interviewed using semi-structured questionnaires and farmers' responses were analyzed using statistical tools (SPSS 16.0). The mean contributions of different livelihoods to total annual incomes of farmers and the social values they attached to these livelihoods were compared. Results of the study suggested that traditional fish fanning was economically viable across the range of pond sizes sampled; but the medium-sized ponds were more profitable than the smallest and largest ponds, and labour accounted for 70% of total annual production costs in the systems assessed. The average benefit-cost ratio of 2.3 for fish fanning was favorable compared with that of 0.83 for rice farming, which was ranked as most popular livelihood activity by farmers. The payback period for traditional aquaculture investments was less than five years using informal investment loans (without interest), and was favorably compared with that for tree crops fanning, which was also popular among farmers. Additional benefits of fish fanning included social capital and maintenance of kinship relationships.
文摘Originating from the genus Pistacia, the only edible species, Pistacia vera, covers at least 10 different sub-species and has a commercial value in the nut industry as a snack food. Pistachio kernels arc very popular ingredients used in meat products and in the confectionary industry as a part of various pastry products. Historically, Iran has the advantage in supply side and leads the world in pistachio trade. Turkey comes in the third place in terms of production and provides over 70 thousand metric tons of pistachios in 2007, capturing 14 percent production share world wide. As being one of the major habitats of pistachios, Turkey has potential to develop new variaties and increase the productivity, thereby to take advantage of higher profits that may arise from foreign trade in pistachios. Even though pistachio production in Turkey has increased in the last 20 years, this opportunity is yet to be discovered since yield and quality factors are still at low levels, resulting in dramatic losses in foreign market shares. Possible remedies for this problem include irrigation made available to pistachio orchards, adopting new caltivars more tolerant to diseases, preventing the illegal entrance of Iranian pistachios, facilitating the unification of pistachio producers, provoking the consumption of fresh pistachios, and expanding the business into new international markets.
文摘The increase on the competitiveness, the search on the customer satisfaction, the search by reducing waste in the civil construction were facts which helped entrepreneurs and companies to seek new ways of working, being lean construction one of the ways to get that. Studies report that the application of the lean tools in construction was carried out in an isolated way. This type of application was pointed as a major factor limiting the extent of achievement in implementing lean principles. The aim of this studies is to identify opportunities to implement the principles of lean production in the service department of a construction company in Goi^is, proposing routines that try to implement the continuous improvement of its processes, eliminating waste, reducing the lead time, allow it to perform the mapping processes, applying the just-in-time and among others, providing services that add value to the customer satisfaction. It was possible to establish the average time for each step, allowing to identify possible improvements in the department, from the perspective of lean principles. The research paper concludes by pointing out the activities for the Department of Post Construction work from building companies, from lean concepts.