Erratic rainfall and temperature regimes, strongly affect agricultural productivity. To address the reduction in production, this study assessed the effect of Zai pit depths on selected soil properties and cowpea grow...Erratic rainfall and temperature regimes, strongly affect agricultural productivity. To address the reduction in production, this study assessed the effect of Zai pit depths on selected soil properties and cowpea growth and grain yield. “Zai” pit technology was tested in two locations falling under Agroecological Zone IV (relatively dry areas) <i>i.e.</i> Katumani in Machakos County and Naivasha in Nakuru County, Kenya, aiming to determine the combined effect of four “Zai” pit depths and two levels of manure (plots with manure and plots without manure) on selected soil properties, growth and yield of cowpea. Experiment was laid out in split plot arrangement, with manure levels as the main plot factor and “Zai” pit depths (Flat: Z<sub>0</sub>, 30 cm: Z<sub>30</sub>, 45 cm: Z<sub>45</sub> and 60 cm: Z<sub>60</sub>) as subplot factor, replicated four times. Cowpea (M66 variety) was used as the test crop. Inorganic N and extractable P were significantly (P < 0.05) higher, at 1.37 mg<span style="white-space:nowrap;"><span style="white-space:nowrap;">⋅</span></span>kg<sup><span style="white-space:nowrap;"><span style="white-space:nowrap;">−</span></span>1</sup> for N<sub>in</sub> and 80.4 mg<span style="white-space:nowrap;"><span style="white-space:nowrap;">⋅</span></span>kg<sup><span style="white-space:nowrap;"><span style="white-space:nowrap;">−</span></span>1</sup> for P<sub>ex</sub> in Zai pits compared to flat plots which were at 0.91 mg<span style="white-space:nowrap;"><span style="white-space:nowrap;">⋅</span></span>kg<sup><span style="white-space:nowrap;"><span style="white-space:nowrap;">−</span></span>1</sup> for N<sub>in</sub> and 47.1 mg<span style="white-space:nowrap;"><span style="white-space:nowrap;">⋅</span></span>kg<sup><span style="white-space:nowrap;"><span style="white-space:nowrap;">−</span></span>1</sup> for P<sub>ex</sub>. The values of N<sub>in</sub> and P<sub>ex</sub> also varied depending on depths, with Z<sub>45</sub> having highest N<sub>in</sub> at 1.17 against the least, at 0.89 in the Z<sub>0</sub>, while Pex was highest in Z<sub>30</sub> at 102.3 mg<span style="white-space:nowrap;"><span style="white-space:nowrap;">⋅</span></span>kg<sup><span style="white-space:nowrap;"><span style="white-space:nowrap;">−</span></span>1</sup> while Z<sub>0</sub> having the least P<sub>ex</sub> of 89.7 mg<span style="white-space:nowrap;"><span style="white-space:nowrap;">⋅</span></span>kg<sup><span style="white-space:nowrap;"><span style="white-space:nowrap;">−</span></span>1</sup>. Generally, crops in “Zai” pitted plots were larger in diameter at 0.46 cm than crops in flat plots at 0.42 cm. Better performance was observed in yield, with Z<sub>30</sub> yielding 30.5% against 18.2% Flat plots in Machakos while 27.9% in Z<sub>30</sub> against 22.5% from Flat plots in Naivasha. This study demonstrated great potential of “Zai” pit technology on crop production, as reflected on improved growth and yield of cowpeas. Combining “Zai” pits with manure increases soil N<sub>in</sub>, P<sub>ex</sub> and is a guarantee of great crop performance in terms of high final yields.展开更多
Previous literature shows that scholars differ considerably on what zai and-zhe indicate.By making use of an oral speech corpus,we analyzed and tested the data with regard to the functions of "zai" and "...Previous literature shows that scholars differ considerably on what zai and-zhe indicate.By making use of an oral speech corpus,we analyzed and tested the data with regard to the functions of "zai" and "-zhe" and found that zai indicates the action is in progress,and it is narrative,while-zhe expresses the ongoing state of an action and is descriptive;-zhe can be used after the first verb in a serial verbal con struction to indicate the accompanying action,while zai does not have this function;in complex sentences,the zai clause is temporal in na ture while-zhe clause is treated as a manner adverbial.展开更多
The prevailing farming system in Burkina Faso is smallholder agriculture based on cereal production, especially sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) which form the staple diet for the population. Production is consta...The prevailing farming system in Burkina Faso is smallholder agriculture based on cereal production, especially sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) which form the staple diet for the population. Production is constantly challenged by climate hazards, striga (Striga hermonthica (Del.) Benth.) infestation, inefficient farming practices and declining soil fertility. To address these concerns, one study on several agroecological techniques was conducted from 2013 to 2015 in a participative manner with more than 150 male and female farmers from four communities. Each farmer was asked to test out two or three agroecological techniques of his choice and to measure these new techniques against their usual farming practices. These techniques combined the use of organic fertilizer (5 t/ha) and/or mineral fertilizer (2 g/seed hole) with the systems of crop rotation and mixed cropping, in addition to the improved za? technique and the half-moon method. Plant material was composed of local landraces and improved varieties of sorghum, sesame and cowpea. On-farm application of agroecological techniques resulted in significantly increased sorghum production in all four communities. The rates of increase for grain yield were 8% for the half-moon fields and more than 130% for the rotation systems when compared to the farmers’ usual practices. More limited results were achieved with the chemical components of the soil after two years of experimentation. Only the soil’s organic matter showed improvement over the first year. This study shows that crop rotation, mixed cropping and the improved za? technique in combination with compost and improved drought-resistant varieties constitute agroecological strategies favorable to the intensification and diversification of farming systems in the studied locations. The farmers were above all impressed by the on-site management of compost by means of the za? technique which enabled large-scale fertilization of fields.展开更多
Chinese astronomy reached its pinnacle in the Song Dynasty(960-1279)as culture continued to prosper to a new height.The invention of the“Taiping Armillary Sphere”by Zhang Sixun,who was from Bazhong in the Shu area(t...Chinese astronomy reached its pinnacle in the Song Dynasty(960-1279)as culture continued to prosper to a new height.The invention of the“Taiping Armillary Sphere”by Zhang Sixun,who was from Bazhong in the Shu area(today’s Sichuan province),marked a milestone in the astronomical development in China.This article delves into the driving forces behind Zhang Sixun’s outstanding contributions to astronomy from the perspectives of the important role of astronomy in the politics of the Song Dynasty,the great attention the imperial court paid to astronomy,and the influence of the Shu culture,which centers on the belief“Tian Shu Zai Shu”(the rule of the universe is best observed in Shu).展开更多
The essay aims to analyze the concept and the paradigm of harmony in the metaphysical system of the Neo-Confucian philosopher Zhang Zai.It argues that Zhang Zai's concept of Great Harmony not only inherits the tra...The essay aims to analyze the concept and the paradigm of harmony in the metaphysical system of the Neo-Confucian philosopher Zhang Zai.It argues that Zhang Zai's concept of Great Harmony not only inherits the traditional centrality of this idea within the Confucian tradition,but actually presents the most advanced idea of harmony up to his time.In Zhang Zai's philosophy,harmony becomes the Way itself,which includes the realm of principles and the outward and functional manifestations of reality.This essay will deal with harmony in two ways: first with Zhang Zai's direct use of the concept in the Zhengmeng and second,applying the paradigm of harmony to other of Zhang Zai's key concepts such as qi氣,void (xu虛)and natural dispositions (xing 性).展开更多
Focussing on Sheikh Zayed,the founder of the United Arab Emirates,this paper examines the way norm entrepreneurship functions in nation-building.As an effectual norm entrepreneur who championed certain transformative ...Focussing on Sheikh Zayed,the founder of the United Arab Emirates,this paper examines the way norm entrepreneurship functions in nation-building.As an effectual norm entrepreneur who championed certain transformative nation-building norms,Sheikh Zayed transformed the UAE into a modern state without sacrificing its traditional identity.Politically,these norms include the adoption of federalism as a governing mechanism,his practice of consultative and consensus governance,adherence to an unwritten social contract between rulers and citizens,and the promotion of philanthropy as a tool of foreign policy.Socially,Sheikh Zayed promoted tolerance,empowered women,and provided a safety net for the vulnerable.Economically,his economic philosophy was pragmatic and effectively distributed wealth,set up a sovereign fund,diversified the economy,invested in economic and social infrastructure,and pursued environmental conservation.展开更多
As the key principle in the literary and artistic world of the Mao Zedong era,“going into the thick of life”is far more than a mere approach to discovering material and themes for writing.The path of“going into the...As the key principle in the literary and artistic world of the Mao Zedong era,“going into the thick of life”is far more than a mere approach to discovering material and themes for writing.The path of“going into the thick of life”set upon the premise of“diving deep into work”stems from the two principles established together in Mao Zedong’s“Talks at the Yan’an Forum on Literature and Art”(Zai Yan’cm wenyi zuotanhui shang de jianghua)and the rectification movement:reform of revolutionaries and intellectuals through“combination with the masses of workers,peasants and soldiers,”and second,reform of revolutionary politics via the“mass line,”designed to trigger the creativity of the masses.Each of these two principles is the precondition of the other.on the one hand,“going into the thick of life”based on the premise of“diving deep into work”offers the subjective perspective of the revolutionaries deeply involved in the local social reform-their difficulties,frustrations,and necessary self-adjustments when revolutionary ideals and the subjective attitudes towards policies conflicted with the realities of practice.On the other hand,different from official chronicles and local archives,records of their actions and real observations provide us with a sort of experiential perspective from the grass-roots level which appears more rich,complete and vivid,enabling us to view the problems of revolution from the perspective of the social system in operation,on top of the possibility of seeing the society from the subjective stance of revolution.The detailed records of the 1953 cooperative establishment presented in Xu Guangyao riji(Xu Guangyao diary)offers us a fine example of a text about Agoing into the thick of life.^Despite the failure of his writing plan,all of the harassment and frustrations recorded in the diary possess special epistemological value,offering a clear-cut picture of the friction and interaction between the logic of real-life practice and the logic of action based upon ideology,which constituted the<Veality,;of revolutionary practice in the Mao era.Meanwhile,it hints as well at the peculiarity and challenges of the requirements set upon literature of realism in the Mao era.展开更多
文摘Erratic rainfall and temperature regimes, strongly affect agricultural productivity. To address the reduction in production, this study assessed the effect of Zai pit depths on selected soil properties and cowpea growth and grain yield. “Zai” pit technology was tested in two locations falling under Agroecological Zone IV (relatively dry areas) <i>i.e.</i> Katumani in Machakos County and Naivasha in Nakuru County, Kenya, aiming to determine the combined effect of four “Zai” pit depths and two levels of manure (plots with manure and plots without manure) on selected soil properties, growth and yield of cowpea. Experiment was laid out in split plot arrangement, with manure levels as the main plot factor and “Zai” pit depths (Flat: Z<sub>0</sub>, 30 cm: Z<sub>30</sub>, 45 cm: Z<sub>45</sub> and 60 cm: Z<sub>60</sub>) as subplot factor, replicated four times. Cowpea (M66 variety) was used as the test crop. Inorganic N and extractable P were significantly (P < 0.05) higher, at 1.37 mg<span style="white-space:nowrap;"><span style="white-space:nowrap;">⋅</span></span>kg<sup><span style="white-space:nowrap;"><span style="white-space:nowrap;">−</span></span>1</sup> for N<sub>in</sub> and 80.4 mg<span style="white-space:nowrap;"><span style="white-space:nowrap;">⋅</span></span>kg<sup><span style="white-space:nowrap;"><span style="white-space:nowrap;">−</span></span>1</sup> for P<sub>ex</sub> in Zai pits compared to flat plots which were at 0.91 mg<span style="white-space:nowrap;"><span style="white-space:nowrap;">⋅</span></span>kg<sup><span style="white-space:nowrap;"><span style="white-space:nowrap;">−</span></span>1</sup> for N<sub>in</sub> and 47.1 mg<span style="white-space:nowrap;"><span style="white-space:nowrap;">⋅</span></span>kg<sup><span style="white-space:nowrap;"><span style="white-space:nowrap;">−</span></span>1</sup> for P<sub>ex</sub>. The values of N<sub>in</sub> and P<sub>ex</sub> also varied depending on depths, with Z<sub>45</sub> having highest N<sub>in</sub> at 1.17 against the least, at 0.89 in the Z<sub>0</sub>, while Pex was highest in Z<sub>30</sub> at 102.3 mg<span style="white-space:nowrap;"><span style="white-space:nowrap;">⋅</span></span>kg<sup><span style="white-space:nowrap;"><span style="white-space:nowrap;">−</span></span>1</sup> while Z<sub>0</sub> having the least P<sub>ex</sub> of 89.7 mg<span style="white-space:nowrap;"><span style="white-space:nowrap;">⋅</span></span>kg<sup><span style="white-space:nowrap;"><span style="white-space:nowrap;">−</span></span>1</sup>. Generally, crops in “Zai” pitted plots were larger in diameter at 0.46 cm than crops in flat plots at 0.42 cm. Better performance was observed in yield, with Z<sub>30</sub> yielding 30.5% against 18.2% Flat plots in Machakos while 27.9% in Z<sub>30</sub> against 22.5% from Flat plots in Naivasha. This study demonstrated great potential of “Zai” pit technology on crop production, as reflected on improved growth and yield of cowpeas. Combining “Zai” pits with manure increases soil N<sub>in</sub>, P<sub>ex</sub> and is a guarantee of great crop performance in terms of high final yields.
文摘Previous literature shows that scholars differ considerably on what zai and-zhe indicate.By making use of an oral speech corpus,we analyzed and tested the data with regard to the functions of "zai" and "-zhe" and found that zai indicates the action is in progress,and it is narrative,while-zhe expresses the ongoing state of an action and is descriptive;-zhe can be used after the first verb in a serial verbal con struction to indicate the accompanying action,while zai does not have this function;in complex sentences,the zai clause is temporal in na ture while-zhe clause is treated as a manner adverbial.
文摘The prevailing farming system in Burkina Faso is smallholder agriculture based on cereal production, especially sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) which form the staple diet for the population. Production is constantly challenged by climate hazards, striga (Striga hermonthica (Del.) Benth.) infestation, inefficient farming practices and declining soil fertility. To address these concerns, one study on several agroecological techniques was conducted from 2013 to 2015 in a participative manner with more than 150 male and female farmers from four communities. Each farmer was asked to test out two or three agroecological techniques of his choice and to measure these new techniques against their usual farming practices. These techniques combined the use of organic fertilizer (5 t/ha) and/or mineral fertilizer (2 g/seed hole) with the systems of crop rotation and mixed cropping, in addition to the improved za? technique and the half-moon method. Plant material was composed of local landraces and improved varieties of sorghum, sesame and cowpea. On-farm application of agroecological techniques resulted in significantly increased sorghum production in all four communities. The rates of increase for grain yield were 8% for the half-moon fields and more than 130% for the rotation systems when compared to the farmers’ usual practices. More limited results were achieved with the chemical components of the soil after two years of experimentation. Only the soil’s organic matter showed improvement over the first year. This study shows that crop rotation, mixed cropping and the improved za? technique in combination with compost and improved drought-resistant varieties constitute agroecological strategies favorable to the intensification and diversification of farming systems in the studied locations. The farmers were above all impressed by the on-site management of compost by means of the za? technique which enabled large-scale fertilization of fields.
文摘Chinese astronomy reached its pinnacle in the Song Dynasty(960-1279)as culture continued to prosper to a new height.The invention of the“Taiping Armillary Sphere”by Zhang Sixun,who was from Bazhong in the Shu area(today’s Sichuan province),marked a milestone in the astronomical development in China.This article delves into the driving forces behind Zhang Sixun’s outstanding contributions to astronomy from the perspectives of the important role of astronomy in the politics of the Song Dynasty,the great attention the imperial court paid to astronomy,and the influence of the Shu culture,which centers on the belief“Tian Shu Zai Shu”(the rule of the universe is best observed in Shu).
文摘The essay aims to analyze the concept and the paradigm of harmony in the metaphysical system of the Neo-Confucian philosopher Zhang Zai.It argues that Zhang Zai's concept of Great Harmony not only inherits the traditional centrality of this idea within the Confucian tradition,but actually presents the most advanced idea of harmony up to his time.In Zhang Zai's philosophy,harmony becomes the Way itself,which includes the realm of principles and the outward and functional manifestations of reality.This essay will deal with harmony in two ways: first with Zhang Zai's direct use of the concept in the Zhengmeng and second,applying the paradigm of harmony to other of Zhang Zai's key concepts such as qi氣,void (xu虛)and natural dispositions (xing 性).
文摘Focussing on Sheikh Zayed,the founder of the United Arab Emirates,this paper examines the way norm entrepreneurship functions in nation-building.As an effectual norm entrepreneur who championed certain transformative nation-building norms,Sheikh Zayed transformed the UAE into a modern state without sacrificing its traditional identity.Politically,these norms include the adoption of federalism as a governing mechanism,his practice of consultative and consensus governance,adherence to an unwritten social contract between rulers and citizens,and the promotion of philanthropy as a tool of foreign policy.Socially,Sheikh Zayed promoted tolerance,empowered women,and provided a safety net for the vulnerable.Economically,his economic philosophy was pragmatic and effectively distributed wealth,set up a sovereign fund,diversified the economy,invested in economic and social infrastructure,and pursued environmental conservation.
文摘As the key principle in the literary and artistic world of the Mao Zedong era,“going into the thick of life”is far more than a mere approach to discovering material and themes for writing.The path of“going into the thick of life”set upon the premise of“diving deep into work”stems from the two principles established together in Mao Zedong’s“Talks at the Yan’an Forum on Literature and Art”(Zai Yan’cm wenyi zuotanhui shang de jianghua)and the rectification movement:reform of revolutionaries and intellectuals through“combination with the masses of workers,peasants and soldiers,”and second,reform of revolutionary politics via the“mass line,”designed to trigger the creativity of the masses.Each of these two principles is the precondition of the other.on the one hand,“going into the thick of life”based on the premise of“diving deep into work”offers the subjective perspective of the revolutionaries deeply involved in the local social reform-their difficulties,frustrations,and necessary self-adjustments when revolutionary ideals and the subjective attitudes towards policies conflicted with the realities of practice.On the other hand,different from official chronicles and local archives,records of their actions and real observations provide us with a sort of experiential perspective from the grass-roots level which appears more rich,complete and vivid,enabling us to view the problems of revolution from the perspective of the social system in operation,on top of the possibility of seeing the society from the subjective stance of revolution.The detailed records of the 1953 cooperative establishment presented in Xu Guangyao riji(Xu Guangyao diary)offers us a fine example of a text about Agoing into the thick of life.^Despite the failure of his writing plan,all of the harassment and frustrations recorded in the diary possess special epistemological value,offering a clear-cut picture of the friction and interaction between the logic of real-life practice and the logic of action based upon ideology,which constituted the<Veality,;of revolutionary practice in the Mao era.Meanwhile,it hints as well at the peculiarity and challenges of the requirements set upon literature of realism in the Mao era.