Northeast Provinces Research Articles

Hydrological characteristics of karstic groundwater in the northeast Viet Nam as studied by isotopic techniques

The stable water isotopic composition (δ2H and δ18Ο), tritium (3H) activity, dissolved organic carbon, alkalinity, as well as the composition of carbon 13 (δ13C) in dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) of 36 water samples taken from 16 resurgences in the northeast provinces of Viet Nam in the dry (Mar 2008) and rainy (June 2008) seasons were analyzed to elucidate hydrological characteristics of the karstic aquifers in the area. The stable water isotopic composition of the water samples collected clearly demonstrated that the karstic groundwater in the region was recharged from the local meteorological water. The tritium activity in the samples was found to be in between 3 and 4 TU, falling in the range of the 3H activity in the local precipitation and thus meaning that the traveling of recharge water to the resurgences was very short. Concentrated and diffuse allogenic recharges seem to be important sources of karstic groundwater in the study region. Water in the karstic aquifers could be classified into three types as: (a) water from karstic areas with dense vegetation cover that causes DIC be depleted in carbon 13 (13δ −10‰). This implies that there are several sources of carbon dioxide contributing to the DIC in water of the karstic aquifers in the study region. Among other potential sources, the atmospheric CO2, CO2 from carbonate rock dissolution, biomineralization of soil organic matters and plant roots respiration seem to be important sources of the DIC in the waters of this region. The results show high vulnerability towards anthropogenic contaminants of karstic groundwater in the study region.

Detection of leptospiral antibodies by microscopic agglutination test in north–east of Iran

Objective To detect leptospiral antibodies by microscopic agglutination test (MAT) in north–east of Iran. Methods This study was conducted to evaluate prevalence of human leptospiral infections by MAT, using six current reference strains of Leptospira interrogans in north–east of Iran. A total of 285 serum samples were collected from three north–east provinces of Iran, from December, 2009 to June, 2010. Results Antibodies were detected at least against one serovar of Leptospira interrogans in 45 sera (15.79 %) among 285 samples at a dilution 1:100 or greater. Positive titers against more than one serovar were detected in 24 sera of the positive samples. Therefore, there were 75 positive reactions against different serovar of Leptospira interrogans. Positive titers were recorded against serovar icterohaemorrhagiae (31 samples), hardjo (26 samples), grippotyphosa (7 samples), pomona (5 samples), canicola (4 samples) and ballum (2 sample). Conclusions In present study the most prevalent ( Leptospira icterohaemorrhagiae) and the least prevalent ( Leptospira ballum) serovar are different from previous studies. Maybe, species and prevalence of serovars change during the time in one area and between regions.

Spirometric Standards for Healthy Children and Adolescents of Korean Chinese in Northeast China

In China there are 1,923,842 Korean Chinese, who live mostly (92.27%) in the country's three northeast provinces. In spite of this sizeable number, no spirometric data are available at present on them. The present study investigated normal spirometric reference values for the Korean Chinese children and adolescents. Spirometry was performed in 443 healthy Korean Chinese children and adolescents aged 8-18 yr with measurements of forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), peak expiratory flow (PEF) and maximum mid-expiratory flow (MMEF). Reference equations for FEV1, FVC, PEF and MMEF were derived by using multiple regression analysis. All of the measured spirometric parameters correlated positively with height and age significantly (P < 0.001). The predicted values of FVC and FEV1 were higher than values obtained by using Caucasian and other Asian equations (P < 0.001). A set of spirometric reference equations has been derived using a relatively large, healthy, non-smoking young Korean Chinese population with a wide range of ages and heights, the results of which differ from those gained from several other reference equations. These reference equations should be used for evaluation of lung function in this population.

An Empirical investigation of the Impact of Organizational factors on the Perceived Job Performance of Shop Floor Employees of Large scale Garment Industries in Sri Lanka

Existing literature reveals a gap in the empirical knowledge in respect of organizational factors that impact perceived job performance (PJP) at the large scale garment industries. The present study empirically evaluated four organizational factors that could have impact on the perceived job performance namely Leadership Style, Organization Structure, Organization Culture and Performance Evaluation. The study involved 236 shop floor employees who were selected randomly from 12 large scale garment factories in each province except North and North East provinces in Sri Lanka. Methods such as univariate, bivariate, regression and hypothesis testing were used for data analysis. The results indicated that all the independent variables were positively and significantly correlated to the perceived job performance. However, results regressing the independent variables on the perceived job performance showed that Leadership style, Organization Structure and Performance Evaluation are strong predictors of perceived job performance while organization culture variable is excluded from the model. On the whole, the independent variables accounted for almost 36% of the variance in the perceived job performance. DOI: 10.4038/suslj.v6i1.1691 Sabaragamuwa University Journal, vol 6, no. 1, pp 82-92

Hepatitis antibody profile of Royal Thai Army nursing students

We report on a viral hepatitis serosurvey done on 381 nursing students in Bangkok; 360 (94%) were female. The mean age was 20 (+/-3.6) years (range 16-41 years); 143, 92, 86 and 59 students came from Thailand's Central, North, Northeast and South provinces, respectively. The overall prevalence of hepatitis A, B, C and E antibody in the students was 8.9%, 10.8%, 0.5% and 11.5%, respectively. The highest seroprevalence to hepatitis A was observed in cadets from the southern region of Thailand. Seroprevalence rates to hepatitis A and B were less than in other reported studies in Thailand.

Supply-side Economics in the People's Republic of China's Regional Context: A Quantitative Investigation of Its VAT Reform

The People's Republic of China (PRC) has now decided to shift its value-added tax (VAT) from production-based to consumption-based. This transition is currently piloted in the three provinces of the northeast PRC, and is expected to be extended to the whole country in the coming 2 or 3 years. Using a two-region dynamic general equilibrium model with overlapping generations, this paper investigates the macroeconomic and welfare effects of the VAT transition in PRC. The distribution effects between generations are also analyzed to get a sense of public opinion toward the reform. We put special emphasis on the pace of reform by analyzing the pre-announcement effects and the inter-regional impacts of tax reform that began in one pilot region. The simulation results suggest large welfare gains from the VAT transition. However, the pilot reform in the northeast provinces, which delays the national implementation of consumption-based VAT, would involve substantial transitional costs for the rest of the PRC.

Diversity and Geographical Distribution of Phytoplasmas infecting China‐tree in Argentina

AbstractYellows diseases associated with phytoplasmas cause high mortality in China‐tree (Melia azedarach) in Argentina, but there has been no previous large‐scale survey to determine their diversity and geographical distribution. To assess the presence and identity of phytoplasmas affecting this species throughout the country, 425 samples of symptomatic trees collected at different geographic locations were analysed by a polymerase chain reaction (using universal and group‐specific primers) and restriction fragment length polymorphism. Phytoplasmas belonging to 16SrIII‐B group were detected at almost every location sampled, whereas 16SrXIII‐C group phytoplasmas, reported for the first time in Argentina, were only found in two regions sharing similar agro‐ecological characteristics (Northeast provinces and Tucumán). Double infections with 16SrIII‐B and 16SrXIII‐C group phytoplasmas were also recorded. Nucleotide sequencing of the 16S rDNA of three Argentinian 16SrXIII‐C group phytoplasma isolates revealed high identity (99.6–99.3%) with the CbY1 isolate reported from Bolivia.

An analysis on spatial field effect of domestic tourist flows in China

Based on the data of tourism sampling check from 1999 to 2003 in China, and in the context of spatial field effect,this psper uses factor analysis to show the basic character of domestic tourist flows origin, distribution, centralization, decentralization and their relativity of tourist flows spatial network. The results are as follows: (1) Economy is the main driving force of the tourist flows origin, the effect of cultural driving force is intensifying and tourist resource is the main driving force of the tourist distribution. Now, China has formed four tourist flows original fields and five tourist destinations. (2) Influenced by market principle, the hierarchical structure of tourist centralization fields and decentralization fields represents the spatial sequence model of K = 3. (3) The regional structure of tourist centralization fields show the character of U form, and the regional structure of tourist decentralization fields represent the pattern of third class ladder. (4) The spatial network indexes of β and γ indicate that the relativity of tourist flows spatial network is feebleness. Finally, the paper regards that China should expedite the tourism development of the zones three namely the two zones of the Yangtze and Yellow river drainage areas and the three regions of the south coastal provinces, the north coastal provinces and northeast provinces in China. They are the key directions to push energetically the cooperation among tourist regions, endeavor to construct the tourist spatial network system, adjust and optimize the directions and quantity of tourist flows, as well as the key factors to enhance the network level of tourist flows.

Prevalence of cerebral palsy in north-east Italy from 1965 to 1989.

This study examines the prevalence of cerebral palsy (CP) in two north-east Italian provinces, Padua and Rovigo (overall population 1030 000). Six-hundred and ten children with a diagnosis of CP (330 male, 280 female), born between 1965 and 1989, were studied. The prevalence of CP progressively increased from the 1960s to the mid-1980s, and then decreased in the 5-year period, 1985 to 1989. These quantitative changes were associated with qualitative ones. For example, the number of low-birthweight (LBW) infants progressively increased, similar to results of epidemiological studies from other European countries. The clinical features of the types of CP in this study (hemiplegia, diplegia, ataxic diplegia, quadriplegia, pure ataxia, dyskinesia) generally correspond with those described in other studies. However, the prevalence of quadriplegia in this study is higher. The prevalence of types of CP related to preterm birth, such as diplegia, increased over the years, while those associated with term babies, such as dyskinesia, decreased. This study suggests that prenatal factors are associated with some types of CP, while in others, such as diplegia, quadriplegia, and dyskinesia, the perinatal factors are notable. Perinatal factors were associated with LBW children, while prenatal factors were greater for normal-birthweight infants. The variation in the prevalence of CP over the years, with two peaks corresponding with the introduction of neonatal intensive care units in Padua and Rovigo, suggests that changes in neonatal care could influence the levels of CP, independent of the original presence of predisposing prenatal factors.

Costs of supply chains of Miscanthus giganteus

Miscanthus is a perennial C 4-grass of East Asian origin that can have a future as an agricultural crop, producing raw material for energy, building materials and geotextiles. The costs of plant establishment, production, harvest, storage and transport have been investigated as components in various chains of primary production of miscanthus to compare those chains and to calculate the price for which the processing industry could buy the crop if it would be introduced in the north-east provinces of the Netherlands. All parameters concerning contractor costs, transport distances, crop rotation and best farming practice have been chosen according to the up-to-date situation of this area. Three possible scenarios were investigated on the basis of farm labour input and the use of the margin in the cost calculation. Costs for eight different chains were compared from soil preparation until transport to the processing plant. Planting was evaluated with plantlets and rhizomes. For harvesting, existing choppers and balers were chosen, in addition to prototypes for a compact roller and whole stem harvester. To reduce transport cost of chopped material, an adapted recycling paper compacting machine was included in the calculations. With regard to transport, different systems were analysed and some calculation on costs, correlated to transport distances, were carried out. Drying costs are not included in the calculations since they depend too much on the variable weather conditions. It was concluded that costs of chopped and baled products do not differ much for the farmers scenario. Chopped product is cheapest when production is performed by the Miscanthus company. Costs then are 126 ECU/ton. Storage and transport costs are lowest when density of the product is high, so compact rolled and compacted materials are cheapest for larger transport distances. The whole stem harvester should have a higher capacity than assumed to further decrease costs. This harvest method however also offers a long harvest period without drying costs.

Flexible Specialization in the Southern European Periphery: The Growth of Garment Manufacturing in Peonia County, Greece

Since the mid-1970s a number of rural areas on the periphery of Southern Europe have undergone rapid economic growth and structural transformation. They appeared to be following the earlier and much celebrated experience of the Third Italy comprising the North-East and Central provinces. The major form of industrial organisation which emerged in these regions was the small “flexible” firm, which was widely regarded as an alternative to the principles of Taylor-Fordism that lay at the heart of the industrialisation process of the more favored regions. However, almost from the outset the idea that flexible specialization presented a coherent and robust organisational paradigm has been controversial. Much of the debate was directed towards Spain and Portugal, but Greece, though an integral part of the Southern European space and despite its earlier accession to the European Community (hereafter, EC), has only attracted a limited degree of scholarly interest.

A KIND OF LOVING: ILLEGITIMACY, GRANDPARENTS AND THE RURAL ECONOMY OF NORTH EAST SCOTLAND, 1750-1900

a tendency to inflame the passions'.1 In the interpretation ofScottish sexual behaviour we had to consume a good deal more speculative stodge, little of it any more efficacious, until in the mid 1970s Christopher Smout and Ian Carter engaged in combat over the causes of Scotland's distinctive geographical distribution ofbastardy ratios during the nineteenth century.2 That debate was inconclusive, but along witb Michael Teitelbaum's analysis of the British fertility decline it prompted Peter Laslett to suggest that: 'Scotland can perhaps be called the classic country in the study of illegitimacy, at least in the English speaking world.'3 Quinquennial bastardy ratios by counties between 1855 and 1939 showed a pronounced regional pattern, with levels consistently highest in the North East and South West peninsular provinces. Banffshire, indeed, maintained its position as the county with the highest index of extramarital fertility from 1861 to 1921, while comparison of age-specific illegitimate fertility rates indicated that in 1855 'a teenage girl in Banff was more than 20 times as likely to have a bastard as one in Ross'.4 These facts alone are sufficient to justify Smout's plea for a series of detailed local studies to discover who had the bastards, where and why. However, despite the exemplary work ofWrightson and Levine and others in England, in Scotland there is a dearth of specialised community studies using linkage techniques such as family reconstitution.5 Whereas long term trends in England have been generated from a set of good parisb registers spanning the three hundred years before 1837, Scotland is not blessed with a set of surviving records from which to reconstruct national tendencies until after this date. Mitchison and Leneman have provided