How Values Shape Program Perceptions: The “Organic Ethos” and Producers’ Assessments of U.S. Organic Policy Impacts

Among the more recognizable programs related to natural and sustainable food is the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Program. Although the robustness of the organic food market is difficult to contest, many debate the extent to which U.S. organic policy outcomes adequately serve consumers and the organic agriculture producers they rely on. This paper engages the debate from the perspective of certified organic producers. Drawing on the results of a nationwide survey of USDA‐certified producers, we first provide a snapshot of how producers assess the environmental, consumer, and market impacts of U.S. organic food policy. We then examine the extent to which organic producers’ policy impact perceptions are associated with their alignment with an “organic ethos”—understood as producers’ commitment to core organic principles and the organic movement. The paper highlights producers’ values as perceptual filters and cognitive mechanisms that help shape producers’ policy impacts perceptions, illustrating a contributing factor to the enduring nature of organic policy debates.     

Multiple Streams in Hawaii: How the Aloha State Adopted a 100% Renewable Portfolio Standard

Renewable portfolio standards (RPS) are an important policy tool for reducing carbon emissions and advancing the global shift toward renewable energy. As the U.S. federal government backs away from commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, subnational governments play an increasingly important role in mitigating climate change. In June 2015, Hawaii became the first state in the United States to adopt a 100% RPS. Through understanding the conditions that gave rise to Hawaii’s RPS, policy actors will be better informed as they navigate policy processes in other states and jurisdictions. This study uses Kingdon’s Multiple Streams Framework (MSF) to explore the policy process that led to Hawaii’s 100% RPS. Data were collected during the summer of 2016 via interviews with 25 key policy actors and informants in Hawaii. Expectations based on the MSF are confirmed, and the results suggest factors that might be included or explored in future studies of RPS adoption.     

Conservation in Context: Toward a Systems Framing of Decentralized Governance and Public Participation in Wildlife Management

Governance scholars have long championed the adaptive utility of decentralized management institutions, in part due to their ability to bring diverse stakeholders into decision‐making processes. However, research into the link between decentralization and participation often looks at policy design but bypasses important system feedbacks that shape sustained participation over time. To paint a more robust picture detailing how decentralization and participation are related, this paper uses a complex systems framework to explore interacting structural, operational, and cultural components of decentralized wildlife governance institutions in the United States and Botswana. Through this comparative analysis, I argue that the landscape of public participation in decentralized governance institutions appears to be significantly impacted by three factors: 1) how decentralization processes occurred, 2) where in the process of decision making participation is situated, and 3) perceptions of power distribution between groups with competing interests.     

Simple and simultaneous quantification of cyanide,ethanol, and 1-propanol in blood by headspace GC–MS/NPD with Deans switch dual detector system

Cyanide is a powerful and rapidly acting poison. In Japan, cyanide poisoning is rare, and regular cyanide testing can be costly and time consuming. In contrast, alcohol analysis is routinely performed in most forensic laboratories. In this study, we attempted to develop a method for the simultaneous quantification of cyanide and alcohols in blood using headspace gas chromatography (HS–GC). As nitrogen-phosphorus detection (NPD) is more sensitive to hydrogen cyanide than mass spectrometry (MS), a Deans switch was used to switch the detectors during a single run. The separation provided by three analytical columns, PoraBOND Q, CP-Sil 5 CB, and HP-INNOWax, was investigated, and PoraBOND Q was selected. The use of HS–GC–MS/NPD with a Deans switch enabled the simple and simultaneous quantification of cyanide, ethanol, and 1-propanol. Eighteen other volatile compounds were detected in the SIM/scan mode of the MS.     

The devil we know and the angel that did not fly: An examination of devil/angel shift in twitter fracking “debates” in NY 2008–2018

Recent work has applied the Narrative Policy Framework (NPF) to examine narrative strategies in policy debates on social media platforms. We contribute to the literature by applying the NPF to fracking policy debates in New York using well-established Natural Language Processing tools, including sentiment analysis. We combine this computational approach with a qualitative hand-coding of pro- and antifracking Twitter influentials. This approach allows us to consider a much larger corpus of tweets over a much longer time frame than has been done thus far. We adapt and test NPF propositions related to the use of the devil/angel shift strategies before and after a major state-wide policy change, that is, a state-wide moratorium on high volume hydraulic fracturing or fracking. Overall, we find evidence for the use of the devil shift narrative strategy by the pro-fracking coalition aimed at the Governor prior to the moratorium. After the moratorium, the relative percentage of Tweets containing devil shift sentiments decreases as the pro-fracking coalition generally downshifts in its use of angel shift language without a corresponding increase in devil shift language, whereas, conversely, the anti-fracking coalition generally downshifts in its use of devil shift language without a general increase in angel shift language. When we shifted our analysis to Tweets containing fracking and the Governor, we found a similar postban decrease in devil shift language among anti-fracking users. Our findings offer lessons for using computational tools in the NPF as an approach to expand analytic ability and for the operationalization of concepts such as narrative strategies and policy entrepreneurs.     

试析边疆恐怖主义事件的成因及特征——以“5·22”暴恐袭击为例

近年来,我国边疆陆续发生了多起恐怖主义犯罪事件。以2014年“5·22”暴恐袭击事件为例,探讨边疆恐怖主义活动的方式、特征及成因,对今后如何更好地打击与防范边疆恐怖主义犯罪活动具有重要意义。     

20世纪30年代吉隆坡福建人的籍贯分布——以吉隆坡福建义山收据为中心的考察

经过19世纪后期数十年的发展,吉隆坡由一个小城逐渐变成雪兰莪州的首府,来自中国的福建人的人数也逐渐增长。虽然并未能如广府人和客家人的数量之多,但也最终成为吉隆坡第三大方言社群。通过分析30年代福建义山收据,可以发现闽南方言群占福建籍人的八成以上。其中泉州下辖的安溪、南安、永春三县又分别成为其中占人数前三位的县份社群。20世纪上半叶安溪、南安、永春三县籍的成功新客就对吉隆坡福建人的形成和发展带来深远的影响。     

构建农村社区居家养老模式的法律思考——以海南为例

随着我国人口老年化的加剧,作为人口占多数的农村养老问题也受到更多的关注。由于家庭结构变化,中国家庭4-2-1模式的普遍存在,传统家庭养老面临巨大挑战,新型的农村社区居家养老应运而生。但由于法律建设的不健全,农村社区养老在实践中面临困境。要解决这一问题,就要基于法律的思维,构建完善的农村社区居家养老模式。     

江苏省猪高热病病例主要继发感染病毒的多重PCR检测

应用建立的2个多重PCR方法,对2005~2006年收集于江苏省的211份猪高热病疑似病料进行了检测。结果,PRRSV阳性率为51.2%,PCV2阳性率为44.1%,CSFV阳性率为10.4%,PPV阳性率为3.9%,PRV阳性率为2.4%。2005年病料中PCV2阳性率为21.2%,2006年为73.2%;2005年PRRSV阳性率为38.1%,2006年为67.7%。2006年猪高热病疫情比2005年严重,PCV2和PRRSV可能在其中发挥了协同致病作用。对10个PRRSV分离株ORF5基因和Nsp2基因进行的测序表明,2006年分离株Nsp2基因中有连续87个碱基的缺失。     

鸡肾型传染性支气管炎病毒的分离鉴定

从陕西省榆林市某蛋用种鸡场疑似肾型传染性支气管炎病鸡中分离到了1 株肾型IBV(定名为YL 04),并对分离病毒进行了血凝性、血凝抑制性、致病性、鸡胚矮小化、电镜特征等生物学特性鉴定及S1基因5′端的RT PCR鉴定。结果表明,该分离株经10 g/L胰酶处理后的各代病毒尿囊收集液均可凝集鸡红细胞;标准阳性血清可特异性地抑制其凝集性;可复制出与自然发病相同的病例;病毒传代物有明显的致鸡胚矮小化作用;透射电镜下可见有近似球形、直径100 nm左右的冠状病毒粒子;用RT PCR方法扩增到1 条373 bp的目的片段,其核苷酸序列与IBV CQ/01/2004株序列的同源性达98%。