The Role of Norm Entrepreneurship in Nation-Building:Sheikh Zayed of the United Arab Emirates

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.

Use of Agroecological Techniques by Smallholder Farmers to Improve Sorghum Productivity in Burkina Faso

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.

Zai Pit Effects on Selected Soil Properties and Cowpea (<i>Vigna unguiculata</i>) Growth and Grain Yield in Two Selected Dryland Regions of Kenya

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.e. 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: Z0, 30 cm: Z30, 45 cm: Z45 and 60 cm: Z60) 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⋅kg−1 for Nin and 80.4 mg⋅kg−1 for Pex in Zai pits compared to flat plots which were at 0.91 mg⋅kg−1 for Nin and 47.1 mg⋅kg−1 for Pex. The values of Nin and Pex also varied depending on depths, with Z45 having highest Nin at 1.17 against the least, at 0.89 in the Z0, while Pex was highest in Z30 at 102.3 mg⋅kg−1 while Z0 having the least Pex of 89.7 mg⋅kg−1. 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 Z30 yielding 30.5% against 18.2% Flat plots in Machakos while 27.9% in Z30 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 Nin, Pex and is a guarantee of great crop performance in terms of high final yields.

Zhang Sixun and the Prosperous Astronomy in the Song Dynasty

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).

The Functions of the Durative Aspect Markers "Zai" and "-Zhe"

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.

Zai:Kuorky的表述误导他人

大家好。我一直想把自己关于dota的一些想法分享给大家,可是一直找不到一个合适的渠道。简单来说吧,其实我对这一所谓DOTA闹剧最大的想法就是,在论坛上经过激烈的讨论之后,所有的事情都会被曲解。我会在这篇blog里就dota爱好者和dota选手之间的关系问题说一下自己的想法。

Structuring Reality: The Metaphysics of Harmony in Zhang Zai's Zhengmeng Philosophical System

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).

Disturbance during “Going into the Thick of Life”: Studies around Xu Guangyao Diary

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.

相对剩余价值的生产Zai工资上的表现

《政治经济学常识》的教学中,有人问:“相对剩余价值生产的条件下,必要劳动时间的缩短,工资应相应地减少,为什么发达资本主义国家工人的工资反比过去高了?”对此,我们需要分析相对剩余价值的生产在工资上的表现,才能把问题搞明白。在相对剩余价值的生产中,资本家通过全社会劳动生产率的普遍提高,降低工人所需生活资料的价值,从而缩短必要劳动时间,提高剥削程度,攫取更多的剩余价值。如果工人对生活资料的需要量没有随着劳动生产率的提高而增加,货币的价值也没有变化,那么,必要劳动时间的缩短就会表现为工人工资的减少。但是,在资本主义社会的实际生活中,这些因素都是在变化的。因为,随着科学技术的进步,