Sustainability reporting by Australian local government authorities

This qualitative study investigates the Western Australian (WA) local government authorities’ sustainability reporting practices, in the absence of mandatory reporting guidelines, through content analysis of their websites. Calculations from comparing the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)’s disclosures with those of 140 local council websites were used to develop a sustainability reporting disclosure index. The findings indicate that sustainability reporting remains moderately practised by local government authorities, despite stakeholder demand for proactive disclosures. The discourse analysis shows that Western Australia’s strategic planning for sustainable development is the key force propelling councils towards sustainability reporting practices. The findings also suggest that WA local government authorities are increasing sustainability disclosures to legitimate their social and environmental initiatives. The findings have policy implications for regulators and/or government in Western Australia, with practical implications for local council authorities and/or managers in developing awareness of sustainable operations. The study also contributes to local government authorities’ growing awareness of sustainable service operations.     

How Measurement Error in Content Analysis and Self-Reported Media Use Leads to Minimal Media Effect Findings in Linkage Analyses: A Simulation Study

In the debate on minimal media effects and their causes, methodological concerns about measurement are rarely discussed. We argue that even in state-of-the-art media-effects studies that combine measures of media messages and media use (i.e., linkage analyses), measurement error in both the media content analysis and the media use self-reports will typically lead to severely downward-biased effect estimates. We demonstrate this phenomenon using a large Monte Carlo simulation with varying parameters of the content analysis and the survey study. Results show that measurement error in the content analysis and media use variables does indeed lead to smaller effect estimates, especially when the media messages of interest are relatively rare. We discuss these findings as well as possible remedies and implications for future research.     

决策者到底如何归因?——一项基于美国外交档案的研究

面对充满不确定性的世界。个体通常通过一种被称为归因的心理机制从不完全的信息中解释他人做出某种行为的原因。类似但更为特殊的心理机制也会发生在当一个国家的决策者需要理解另一个国家的行为以采取某种应对之策的时候。当外交决策者们在试图解释他国的行为时,他们会将哪些变量纳入他们的考虑范畴?他们对他国行为进行归因的方式是否会因情境的不同而有所变化?如果确实有所变化,那么他们在归因时将会存在哪些倾向和偏见?外交决策者通常从能力、决心、利益、意图和该国所处的战略环境五个维度来认知另一个国家行为的原因。而恐惧和族群中心主义均会作用于这五个维度,并且在不同的情境下,两者在各维度的作用方式有所差异。为了验证唐世平提出的行为归因理论,作者采用了一种特殊的内容分析技术——逐字解释文本分析——对1945-1947年间的美国外交档案进行了分析和编码,试图利用二战结束至冷战开始这段时间内美国的主要决策者对苏联行为所进行的数以百计的归因,并对上述归因理论进行经验上的探索。验证结果表明,描述性的证据分析部分支持了这一新的归因理论,但也挑战了这一理论中关于能力、决心和环境维度的部分推断。     

TD-RAPD技术用于罂粟品种鉴定初探

目的探索TD-RAPD技术用于罂粟品种鉴定的可行性。方法采用改良CTAB法从罂粟叶片中提取DNA;TD-RAPD技术对种植于云南西双版纳地区的1个罂粟样品进行扩增分析。结果建立了罂粟DNA提取方法,从10个随机引物中筛选出6个引物用于罂粟TD-RAPD分析。结论TD-RAPD技术可用于罂粟DNA的分子标记,为罂粟DNA数据库建立提供技术方法,最终从DNA分子水平上追溯罂粟植物毒源。     

Validation studies of the ParaDNA® Intelligence System with artificial evidence items

Short tandem repeat (STR) profiling is one of the mostly used systems for forensic applications. In certain circumstances, STR profiling is time-consuming and costly, which potentially leads to delays in criminal investigations. LGC (Laboratory of the Government Chemist, UK) Forensics has developed a robust STR profiling platform called the ParaDNA^® Intelligence Test System which can provide early tactical intelligence and aid investigators in making informed decisions on sample prioritization for detection. Here, we validated the ParaDNA intelligence test for its application in forensic cases using a range of mock evidence items following guidelines set by the Scientific Working Group on DNA Analysis Methods (SWGDAM). Specifically, we tested the sensitivity and accuracy of the ParaDNA intelligence test, as well as the success rates for detecting mock samples and for use in case scenarios. Our findings demonstrate that the ParaDNA intelligence test generates useful DNA profiles, especially for samples such as blood, saliva, and semen that contain ample DNA, indicating the benefits of including ParaDNA as a prior step in forensic STR profiling pipelines.     

格式条款内容规制的规范体系

在规制合同内容的规范群内部存在着体系化的分工。格式条款内容规制规范不能适用于核心给付条款。其根本原因在于,市场机制通常虽不能作用于附随条款但却能作用于核心给付条款。这并不意味着核心给付条款就不受法律秩序的规制。对于不当合同的介入,通常需要合意度低下和均衡度不足两个要件的合力。合同法第40条的意义,在于将所有利用格式条款之情形的合意推定为程度较低的合意。如此一来,在对格式条款作内容规制时,便不再需要举证合意度的低下。     

思维教学文化：内涵特征、主要功能和生成策略

思维教学存在着一种思维型的教学文化，这种思维教学文化是思维教学生存和发展的文化土壤。文章首先对思维教学文化的内涵和特征进行分析，在此基础上对这种新型教学文化的促进、变革和提升功能进行阐释，最后，提出思维型教学文化的生成需要教学主体更新教学观念、深化思维教学理念；变革教学行为，拓展思维教学方法；改革教学制度，保证思维教学环境。     

警察职业、职业警察与警察职业化

警察职业是在社会分工出国家这一组织形式的时候,为适应维护国家安全和社会治安秩序的需要而产生的。但有了警察职业,并不意味着职业警察就产生了。职业警察,是适应资本主义经济、政治和社会的需要建立新型警察制度时出现的。职业警察的产生标志着警察走上了职业化发展的道路。对照一般职业化和世界警察职业化发展的要求,我国警察还存在着职业化程度不高的问题。为此,我国警察必须坚定不移地走职业化发展的道路。警察职业化是警察正规化的必由之路。     

中国高校教师聘任制政策文本研究

本文通过内容分析的研究方法，对依据“可获得性”原则搜集到的47所高等学校教师聘任制度样本，从13个方面比较了具体内容的异同，对我国目前各地高校教师聘任制度改革的整体状况进行了统计分析和说明。研究发现，各地高校在政策制定上都与国家相关规定的基本精神保持了高度一致，相互之间不存在显著差异，这些都充分反映了我国高等教育高度行政化、高度集权化的特点。现阶段，我国高校教师聘任制度建设已初步形成体系，并发挥了一定作用，但是仍然存在各个方面的具体问题，需要进一步深化和落实聘任制度改革。     

DNA指纹图在法医学鉴定中应用的研究(Ⅰ)

应用 MYO DNA 探针对中国人进行了 DNA 遗传指纹图检验。从两个家系16人及100个无关个体中取肘静脉血提取 DNA,用限制性内切酶 HinfⅠ或 HaeⅢ水解,1%琼脂糖凝胶电泳分离,经 Southern印迹转移,MYO DNA 探针杂交,获得了清晰可辨的 DNA 指纹图谱。结果每个个体在3.0Kb 以上均能检出10条以上杂交区带,个体间的相关概率<4×10~(-9),由杂交区带构成的图谱是个体特异的,杂交区带遵循孟德尔的显性遗传方式由亲代向子代遗传;具有 DNA Fingerprints 的特点。对两起亲子鉴定的案例进行指纹图检验,孩子所存在的杂交区带,除来自母亲外,其余可在嫌疑父亲带中找到,肯定了孩子与嫌疑人的父子关系。MYO DNA 探针在亲子鉴定与个人识别的法医学鉴定中有着重要的实用价值。