Determinants of temporary labour migration in southern India

We present new data from three village panchayats in northwest Tamil Nadu and investigate the associations between demographic and socioeconomic factors with temporary labour migration from this setting. Individual (n?=?1110) and household (n?=?278) level logistic regression models were used to demonstrate how factors at each of these levels can influence temporary labour migration trajectories. Young males were most likely to temporarily migrate for work from this region. Additionally, large households from historically disadvantaged castes with marginal land and housing were most likely to have at least one migrant member. Households with multiple migrant members appear to use temporary migration to cope with serious deprivation relative to households with only one migrant member. These findings provide a strong case that can be compared to other settings in India and can be used to inform improved policy and targeted development initiatives to support temporary migrant workers and their households.     

从朝鲜时代的宫中仪礼看遮日的功能和特性——以19世纪以后宫中宴享为中心

朝鲜时代宫中举行仪礼行事时,经常排设和使用一种名为“遮日”的能够隔断日射和降雨的幕构造设施。作者以19世纪以后宫中宴享为中心分析了遮日的功能与特性,详细探讨了遮日的构成、种类、材料和排设方式等具体特性,并对在宫中仪礼行事的举行地如何使用遮日加以推断性的复原。     

Droughts as random events in the Maya lowlands

Because the values of most of the parameters controlling the occurrence and severity of a drought in a given location are unknown, and no periodicity has been observed, droughts can be considered random events. Running a random number generator within the limits of the annual rainfall variability relevant to the Maya lowlands, and defining a “Lean Year”, it is observed that strings of lean years occur quite frequently. Defining “Severe Drought”, “Disaster”, and “Catastrophe” based on the length of these strings, it is observed that a severe drought occurs on average every 32 years, a disaster occurs on average every 130 years, and a catastrophe on average every 500 years. These values fit the measured variability of the Yucatan climate, as observed in lake core sediments and in the post conquest written records. It also fits the average occurrence of “megadroughts” in the US Great Plains.The fit between the random occurrence model and the actual, “measured” occurrence of droughts supports the notion that for all practical purposes, droughts had been random events in the Maya region and could not be predicted. The lack of evident periodicity could be one of the reasons why means for long-term storage of food products were not developed there. It may also have affected the relationship between the priesthood and the general populace in that region.Since the method described here can be applied to any climatic region once the rainfall variability and the sensitivity of the local agriculture are known or can be estimated, if similar results are found they may probably have affected other regions with other ancient cultures in a similar way.     

20世纪50年代安徽水灾中医疗救助活动述论——以1954年淮河水灾为例

20世纪50年代安徽淮河地区遭遇严重水灾,各级各地政府紧急组织救灾活动,并对灾后的农村进行医疗救助。本文以安徽省卫生厅档案资料为依据,梳理、阐述1954年安徽淮河水灾后各级各地政府的医疗救灾措施,揭示医疗救灾活动在社会救灾中的作用,探究其取得成效的原因及存在的不足之处。     

Are rocks still water‐wet in the presence of dense CO2 or H2S?

The various modes of acid gas storage in aquifers, namely structural, residual, and local capillary trapping, are effective only if the rock remains water‐wet. This paper reports an evaluation, by means of the captive‐bubble method, of the water‐wet character in presence of dense acid gases (CO₂, H₂S) of typical rock‐forming minerals such as mica, quartz, calcite, and of a carbonate‐rich rock sampled from the caprock of a CO₂ storage reservoir in the South‐West of France. The method, which is improved from that previously implemented with similar systems by Chiquet et al. (Geofluids 2007; 7 : 112), allows the advancing and receding contact angles, as well as the adhesion behavior of the acid gas on the mineral substrate, to be evaluated over a large range of temperatures (up to 140°C), pressures (up to 150 bar), and brine salinities (up to NaCl saturation) representative of various geological storage conditions. The water‐receding (or gas‐advancing) angle that controls structural and local capillary trapping is observed to be not significantly altered in the presence of dense CO₂ or H₂S. In contrast, some alteration of the water‐advancing (or gas‐receding) angle involved in residual trapping is observed, along with acid gas adhesion, particularly on mica. A spectacular wettability reversal is even observed with mica and liquid H₂S. These results complement other recent observations on similar systems and present analogies with the wetting behavior of crude oil/brine/mineral systems, which has been thoroughly studied over the past decades. An insight is given into the interfacial forces that govern wettability in acid gas‐bearing aquifers, and the consequences for acid gas geological storage are discussed along with open questions for future work.     

试析河南汉墓出土陶仓楼的分期及区域特征

本文在陶仓楼类型划分基础上,认为河南汉墓出土的陶仓楼至西汉晚期在豫中地区首先出现,为二层带腰檐建筑.西汉末至东汉早期此型陶仓楼向高层发展,区域由豫中扩展到豫北地区.东汉早期豫西、豫西南地区出现二层无腰檐陶仓楼.这时期河南陶仓楼数量和式样增多,分布范围广泛.东汉中期为陶仓楼繁荣期,豫北地区出现带附楼的院落式陶仓楼.东汉晚期各区域陶仓楼走向衰落.     

Policy Change and Learning in Response to Extreme Flood Events in Hungary: An Advocacy Coalition Approach

In an analysis of the 200‐year history of flood management in Hungary, I use the advocacy coalition framework and the focusing event literature to examine what policy change occurs and what is learned as a result of experiencing extreme and damaging flood events. By analyzing the policy response to a series of extreme floods (1998–2001) in this newly democratizing nation, I attempt to identify the factors that influenced the occurrence of policy change and policy‐oriented learning. In 2003, Hungary enacted a comprehensive flood management program that included economic development and environmental protection goals, a distinct departure from Hungary's historical structural approach to flood management. However, it is less clear that long‐lasting changes in belief systems about how floods should be managed have occurred. In this analysis, I argue that processes external to the flood policy subsystem (e.g., process of democratization and Hungary's accession to the European Union), along with the occurrence of the extreme flood events, enabled a coalition of individuals and organizations to press for policy change.     

五帝时代(距今6-4千年)中国的气候

历史学研究表明,古代文献如《史记》记载的五帝:黄帝、颛顼、帝喾、唐尧、虞舜,可能应该视为一个时代,而不局限于五个人。获得较多支持的观点是:这个时代约在6-4kaBP,而且也不限于华夏集团,至少还包括东夷集团、苗蛮集团等。因此,从地望上讲,也不限于中原地区,还包括东部沿海及长江中游。考古学研究表明,6-4kaBP正是新石器时代晚期,后期可称为铜石并用时代。从考古文化来看,中原地区为仰韶文化中、晚期到龙山文化。东部地区为大汶口文化及(山东)龙山文化。其中在3500BC是仰韶文化中、晚期的交界,以及大汶口文化早、中期的交界。环境考古研究表明,6-4kaBP是一个由湿润气候向干旱气候转变的过渡时期。特别6.0-5.6kaBP有湿润气候的证据。4kaBP前后则明显进入晚全新世的干旱期,在此期间还包括5.5kaBP和4.2-4.0kaBP两次气候突变。现代气候资料及模拟研究表明,由早、中全新世的湿润气候向晚全新世的干旱气候转变的主要原因为岁差变化。但是,5.5kaBP及4.2-4.0kaBP的两次冷干气候突变,则可能与热盐环流的突然减弱有关,而热盐环流减弱可能是太阳活动减弱的结果。     

Asian migration to Australia: Changing trends and implications

International migration between Asia and Australia has undergone profound change in the last two decades. This paper outlines the major changes which have occurred in this movement. The proportion of Australia's resident population born in Asia has increased from 1.1 % in 1976 to 5.5 % in 2001. Asians now make up more than a third of new settlers to Australia but there has been an increased diversity in the flow of Asian settlers to Australia as well as the substantial increase in numbers. Australian international migration has entered a new era since the mid‐1990s with a greatly increased flow of temporary workers to Australia. The inflow of these workers is less dominated by Asia‐born people than is the permanent flow except for student migration. There is also an increasing flow of movers from Australia to Asia. Much current knowledge and research remain focused on Asian permanent settlement in Australia. While this is important and worthwhile, there is a need to broaden the work to encompass the full range of population movements between Asia and Australia if the impact of international migration is to be adequately assessed.     

Natural flood management: small-scale progress and larger-scale challenges

ABSTRACT

Management of fluvial flood risk in the UK is undergoing a paradigm shift, with a change in emphasis from solely working with structural defences to considering catchment-based measures which attenuate flood runoff. Natural Flood Management (NFM) is promoted as a method that can reduce flood risk through the alteration, restoration or use of landscape features. Here we highlight the potential to manage runoff locally in the rural landscape using NFM by targeting flow pathways and utilising floodplains and riparian zones. Using two case study examples from the UK, we show that by accumulating dispersed small-scale storage in small catchment areas (<10 km²) can assist in attenuating flood runoff. However, there is currently a lack of evidence of measure effectiveness at larger catchment scales and for managing extreme flood events. Nevertheless, there is a strong evidence base to suggest many of these measures deliver a range of different ecosystem services if installed in the correct location in the landscape.