AIDS mitigation through agriculture‐based interventions in rural contexts: Junior farmer field and life schools and future livelihoods in central Mozambique

This article summarizes findings from a research project on junior farmer field and life schools (JFFLS) as an agriculture‐based intervention to improve the livelihood prospects of children and orphans made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS in central Mozambique. In the sites investigated JFFLS have opened up concrete present and potential livelihood options in agriculture and beyond. More generally, the resource profile dynamics of participants are altered in ways that provide strong grounds to believe that the skills and knowledge they have gained will positively impact the trajectories of their future lives. In terms of HIV/AIDS mitigation, the findings recommend livelihood‐based interventions aimed at altering the vulnerability context of specific population groups.     

A statistically significant signature of multi-decadal solar activity changes in atmospheric temperatures at three European stations

We study the effect of solar variability on temperatures recorded in three European stations with the longest gapless series available (Prague, Bologna and Uccle). Following a pattern recognition approach, we partition daily temperature “indices” (minimum, maximum and range) in two separate classes with respect to the level of solar activity (high H vs low L 11 year cycles). Using the two-sample Kolmogorov–Smirnov statistics, multiple shuffles of data, and other partitions, we demonstrate that the separation between the probability distribution functions of H and L temperatures is statistically significant and robust. We find that average annual variations for the H and L classes display common and site-specific patterns. For practically all series considered, differences between graphs of annual change for the two classes H and L are large (～1 °C). Solar activity accounts, at least in part, for the multi-decadal variations in temperature observed at these European sites in the past two centuries.     

Modeling the Removal of Reactive Red 120 on Pistachio Husk

In this study, the adsorption of reactive red 120 (RR 120) on pistachio husk, and the modeling of the adsorption was investigated. Characterization of the pistachio husk was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The pH_zpc of pistachio husk was found to be pH 8.5. Increasing the initial pH value decreased (p < 0.01) the amount of dye adsorbed. However, increasing the initial dye concentration from 50 to 900 mg/L at pH 1 increased (p < 0.01) the equilibrium dye uptake from 20.83 to 182.10 mg/g. Results indicated that this adsorbent had great potential for the removal of RR 120 dye. The logistic model was found to be the most suitable of the kinetic and equilibrium models tested to describe the adsorption of the dye. The parameters determined from the logistic model were well correlated with the initial dye concentration, and were seen to increase with the increasing initial dye concentration, but this was not observed from pseudo‐second order kinetics.     

Decomposition of algal lipids in clay-enriched marine sediment under oxic and anoxic conditions

A series of laboratory incubation experiments were conducted to examine the decomposition of algal organic matter in clay-enriched marine sediment under oxic and anoxic conditions. During the 245-day incubation period, changes in the concentrations of TOC, major algal fatty acid components (14:0, 16:0, 16:1, 18:1 and 20:5), and n-alkanes (C₁₆–C₂₃) were quantified in the samples. Our results indicate that the organic matters were degraded more rapidly in oxic than anoxic conditions. Adsorption of fatty acids onto clay minerals was a rapid and reversible process. Using a simple G model, we calculated the decomposition rate constants for TOC, n-alkanes and fatty acids which ranged from 0.017–0.024 d⁻¹, 0.049–0.103 d⁻¹ and 0.011 to 0.069 d⁻¹, respectively. Algal organic matter degraded in two stages characterized by a fast and a slow degradation processes. The addition of clay minerals montmorillonite and kaolinite to the sediments showed significant influence affecting the decomposition processes of algal TOC and fatty acids by adsorption and incorporation of the compounds with clay particles. Adsorption/association of fatty acids by clay minerals was rapid but appeared to be a slow reversible process. In addition to the sediment redox and clay influence, the structure of the compounds also played important roles in affecting their degradation dynamic in sediments.     

A new method for the estimation of oceanic mixed-layer depth using shipboard X-band radar images

Shipboard X-band radar images acquired on 24 June 2009 are used to study nonlinear internal wave characteristics in the northeastern South China Sea. The studied images show three nonlinear internal waves in a packet. A method based on the Radon Transform technique is introduced to calculate internal wave parameters such as the direction of propagation and internal wave velocity from backscatter images. Assuming that the ocean is a two-layer finite depth system, we can derive the mixed-layer depth by applying the internal wave velocity to the mixed-layer depth formula. Results show reasonably good agreement with in-situ thermistor chain and conductivity-temperature-depth data sets.     

Remote sensing of ecosystem services: An opportunity for spatially explicit assessment

Ecosystem service is an emerging concept that grows to be a hot research area in ecology. Spatially explicit ecosystem service values are important for ecosystem service management. However, it is difficult to quantify ecosystem services. Remote sensing provides images covering Earth surface, which by nature are spatially explicit. Thus, remote sensing can be useful for quantitative assessment of ecosystem services. This paper reviews spatially explicit ecosystem service studies conducted in ecology and remote sensing in order to find out how remote sensing can be used for ecosystem service assessment. Several important areas considered include land cover, biodiversity, and carbon, water and soil related ecosystem services. We found that remote sensing can be used for ecosystem service assessment in three different ways: direct monitoring, indirect monitoring, and combined use with ecosystem models. Some plant and water related ecosystem services can be directly monitored by remote sensing. Most commonly, remote sensing can provide surrogate information on plant and soil characteristics in an ecosystem. For ecosystem process related ecosystem services, remote sensing can help measure spatially explicit parameters. We conclude that acquiring good in-situ measurements and selecting appropriate remote sensor data in terms of resolution are critical for accurate assessment of ecosystem services.     

淋水碎裂顶板煤巷锚固试验研究与实践

煤巷顶板锚固区域富水岩层支护中出现的沿锚杆（索）钻孔持续渗、淋、涌水难题是工程中亟待解决的问题。采用一种新型锚杆（索）防水锚固剂进行了相关防水性配比试验研究;为了获得煤系碎裂顶板持续渗水作用下粉砂岩强度变化规律,在现场与实验室分别进行渗水试验。结果表明：NS-1不饱和聚酯树脂及添加2%的XS-1高分子速溶胶粉是防水型锚固剂关键点;在静水浸泡作用下,粉砂岩抗压强度呈现先缓慢增大而后快速衰减的变化规律;在动水渗流、循环风干作用下粉砂岩在36～42 h内裂隙开度增加,强度持续弱化。研究了粉砂岩顶板水与支护体耦合作用关系,在团柏煤矿101101巷道进行新型锚固剂锚杆（索）锚固试验,防水型锚固剂在钻孔渗流量为140 mL/s时,仍能达到208 kN的锚固效果;试验结果表明,对锚杆、锚索施加高预应力和采用防水锚固剂可保证顶板淋水碎裂煤巷的稳定。     

Oxidation and emission of methane in a monomictic lake (Rotsee, Switzerland)

The build-up of methane in the hypolimnion of the eutrophic Lake Rotsee (Lucerne, Switzerland) was monitored over a full year. Sources and sinks of methane in the water column were characterized by measuring concentrations and carbon isotopic composition. In fall, high methane concentrations (up to 1 mM) were measured in the anoxic water layer. In the oxic layer, methane concentrations were much lower and the isotopic composition shifted towards heavy carbon isotopes. Methane oxidation rates peaked at the interface between oxic and anoxic water layers at around 8–10 m depth. The electron balance between the oxidants oxygen, sulphate, and nitrate, and the reductants methane, sulphide and ammonium, matched very well in the chemocline during the stratified season. The profile of carbon isotopic composition of methane showed strong indications for methane oxidation at the chemocline (including the oxycline). Aerobic methane oxidizing bacteria were detected at the interface using fluorescence in situ hybridization. Sequencing the responsible organisms from DGGE bands revealed that aerobic methanotrophs type I closely related to Methylomonas were present. Sulphate consumption occurred at the sediment surface and, only towards the end of the stagnation period, matched with a zone of methane consumption. In any case, the flux of sulphate below the chemocline was not sufficient to oxidize all the methane and other oxidants like nitrate, iron or manganese are necessary for the observed methane oxidation. Although most of the methane was oxidized either aerobically or anaerobically, Lake Rotsee was still a source of methane to the atmosphere with emission rates between 0.2 mg CH₄ m^?2 day^?1 in February and 7 mg CH₄ m^?2 day^?1 in November.