Applying Stone in a Western Landscape: Ranchers,Conservationists, and Causal Stories in the “American Serengeti”

As the emergence of nongovernmental conservation efforts generates conflict among various stakeholders, the causal story that each party articulates regarding conservation and the causes of land degradation reflects their unique interests. This study uses existing literature to evaluate causal stories surrounding a contemporary conservation effort: Montana's American Prairie Reserve. Through qualitative review of web‐based documents and newspaper articles, it generates a preliminary account of key stakeholders' causal stories. The case study suggests that parties who might be disadvantaged by ascribing responsibility for environmental harms in an adversarial fashion may instead elect to articulate causal stories that are more neutral than existing approaches might forecast. The study concludes by suggesting that further development of causal story literature may enable it to better address contemporary conservation efforts.     

A 21st Century Low‐Carbon Transition in U.S. Electric Power: Extent,Contributing Factors,and Implications

The U.S. electric power sector has experienced a substantial shift of the generation mix since the turn of the century, moving from heavy reliance on coal‐powered generation to one drawing more from natural gas and, more recently, renewables. This transition has been forged by a mix of macroeconomic factors (recession and recovery); technological breakthroughs (horizontal drilling coupled with hydraulic fracturing; improvements in natural gas plant efficiency); clean energy policies at federal, state, and local levels of government; and private sector demands for carbon‐free energy sources. These factors have combined to reduce carbon emissions from electric power generation substantially this century. In this article we examine the extent of this transition, its causes, as well as the distinct American institutional factors steering it, including energy and environmental federalism, electoral politics, and the political economy of clean energy policy enactment and resistance.     

The Stability of 4-Chloromethcathinone in Blood and Vitreous Humor

We present results of our study on the stability of 4-chloromethcathinone (4-CMC) in authentic postmortem peripheral blood and vitreous humor samples. The stability of 4-CMC was determined in postmortem blood samples (for a period of 90 days) and vitreous humor (30 days) at three different temperatures: −15°C, +4°C, and + 23°C. The analyses were carried out using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple-quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QqQ-MS/MS). In both materials, the lowest 4-CMC stability was demonstrated at room temperature. The blood samples stored in a freezer (−15°C) showed stability for the entire study period (90 days), while in the case of the vitreous humor sample stored at the same temperature the concentration of the substance decreased by 53% after 30 days. The study carried out in authentic postmortem blood and vitreous humor samples confirms the previous reports of 4-CMC instability in biological material. Authors suggest that the biological material should be stored frozen until analyses are carried out as soon as possible after collection of the material.     

The Formal Delegation of Regulatory Decisions in the Telecommunication Sector: An Explanation Using Classification Trees

Research on regulation has traditionally focused on studying the delegation of regulatory competencies from political principals to an independent regulatory agency. In this article, we argue that this delegation is nuanced by different factors that affect whether a specific regulatory decision is formally delegated. We examine and explain formal delegation patterns at the level of individual regulatory decisions in twelve countries located in Europe, Latin America, and South Asia. The data were gathered by coding the twelve countries' telecommunications legislation. The data analysis was undertaken using a classification tree model—a nonparametric model. We found that the maturity of the market has the greatest effect on the formal delegation of regulatory decisions, but this effect is also influenced by the other theoretical factors considered, particularly the level of political constraints and the type of regulation.     

The Space Between: Demonization of Opponents and Policy Divergence

Prior research on policy conflicts indicates a tendency among policy actors to misperceive the influence of actors engaged in policy debates based on the degree of distance between their relative policy positions. This research develops a measure for assessing the degree and direction of the misperception effect. This measure is then utilized as a dependent variable to assess the relationship between theoretically relevant factors and the degree to which actors will exaggerate the influence of their opponents and allies. The research uses original survey data of policy actors engaged in the debate over hydraulic fracturing in New York. The results indicate misperceptions of relative influence are prevalent and most associated with the experience of a policy loss and holding relatively extreme policy beliefs. The findings provide new insight into factors that influence the demonization of political opponents. These insights are timely in the context of polarized debates over environmental and energy policy in the United States.     

论国有控股企业激励监控机制及其改进

国有企业股份制改造后存在的主要问题可归结于在公司治理结构方面存在着重大缺陷。包装式的股份制改革不可能解决存在于公司治理结构间的根本问题。公司治理的核心是建立并完善激励监控机制。由于公司各相关利益主体的制约,造成国有企业股份制改造后公司治理中存在不少问题,要结合国有企业实际,完善股份制企业治理结构。     

阿片依赖患者血清FT3、FT4、TSH浓度变化

观察34例阿片依赖患者血清FT3、FT4及TSH浓度变化，结果显示，FT3、FT4及TSH浓度均明显低于正常对照组（P＜0．01）。说明阿片类毒品对丘脑－垂体－甲状腺轴具有抑制和损伤作用。长期使用阿片类毒品，甲状腺激素水平明显下降，从而产生一系列相应的生理变化和临床表现。     

补肝益肾活血法治疗中重度斑秃临床观察

目的 评价补肝益肾活血法治疗中重度斑秃的临床疗效并探究其对患者外周血CD4+CD25+调节性T细胞亚群的影响。方法 选择中重度斑秃患者50例,根据就诊先后顺序将其随机分为治疗组和对照组各25例,对照组服用复方甘草酸苷片,治疗组给予补肝益肾活血之剂治疗,观察两组治疗前后斑秃严重程度评分（severity of alopecia tool,SALT）的变化,评价临床疗效,并利用流式细胞仪分析两组患者治疗前后外周血清CD4+CD25+调节性T细胞亚群的变化情况。结果 两组患者治疗12周后,SALT评分均显著低于治疗前（P<0.05）;两组患者治疗前后SALT评分差值比较,差异有统计学意义（P<0.05）。两组临床疗效的分布比较,差异有统计学意义（P<0.05）。两组患者血清CD4+CD25+调节性T细胞表达水平均较治疗前升高（P<0.05）,但均未达到正常组水平。结论 补肝益肾活血法能够有效治疗中重度斑秃,并可以提高患者外周血CD4+CD25+调节性T细胞水平,效果优于复方甘草酸苷。