Disappearing nature? Agribusiness,biotechnology and distance in Argentine soybean production

A recent trend identified in the agro-food literature is that financialization in the global food system is further increasing the distance between farm and plate as well as abstracting physical commodities into market derivatives. How does food, a basic material need, become a commodity, a financial asset divorced from its physical form? This contribution explores the growing distance and abstraction of food from farm using Argentina's soy model as a case study. I explore the various drivers of distancing across the soy value chain in Argentina, including industrialization, globalization, corporatization and finance. I argue that the push for technological innovation by large-scale agribusinesses, in articulation with financial sector involvement, are both an example of and are instrumental in the process of distancing and abstraction identified in the agro-food literature. This paper also highlights how, despite agribusiness efforts to ‘displace’ and ‘disappear’ nature, these processes are never fully accomplished. I thus reflect on the socio-ecological contradictions that arise from the processes of distancing and abstraction which accompany the financialization of the corporate food system under neoliberal globalization.     

THE DIFFERENTIAL RISK OF RETALIATION BY RELATIONAL DISTANCE: A MORE GENERAL MODEL OF VIOLENT VICTIMIZATION*

This research attempts to elaborate a routine activity model of violent victimization by incorporating an explicit rational choice perspective on potential targets’ decision making to avoid violent encounters. We propose that the costs associated with a violent attack and the probability of offender retaliation depend on whether the offender's targeting strategy is opportunistic or deliberate—a function of the relational distance between the offender and target. Specifically, we propose that victim efforts to limit exposure to an offender may motivate a violent retaliatory response when the victim and offender are intimates compared to when they are strangers. We develop hypotheses based on these ideas and test them using data from the National Crime Victimization Survey (1992–2000). The results suggest that female targets are more sensitive to an offender's targeting strategy than are males. We conclude with a discussion of how knowledge of the potential risk of violent retaliation on the part of intimate and spousal offenders can be used to create more efficacious policies to protect victims of violence.     

电大远程开放教育面授辅导教学方式的探析

电大远程开放教育利用网络、远程教学等技术手段，给学生提供了便利的学习平台，但相应面授辅导教学滞后。应改变面授教学模式，树立以学生为中心的教学理念，将学生的需求作为课堂教学设计的依据，使面授教学做到“量体栽衣”，更具有针对性。在教学中加入多种生动有效教学元素，由被动学变为主动学，这样才能取得预期效果。     

Face recognition as a function of distance and illumination: A practical tool for use in the courtroom

Abstract

This paper describes a practical courtroom tool that provides insight in face recognition accuracy as a function of distance and illumination. Subjects were shown 3/4 target portraits with an exposition time of 12 seconds, immediately followed by a target-absent or target-present lineup of six full-face portraits. Subjects were asked to identify the target. Seven distances (3 to 40 meter) and nine illumination levels (0.3 to 3000 lux) were used which resulted in a 7?9 matrix, with in the cells a hit score and a false alarm score. From these rough data several other measures were derived, like d-prime, diagnostic value and some idealised scores. The scores represent the upper margins of recognition accuracy with the memory component reduced to a minimum. The results clearly indicate a systematic increase of recognition performance with decreasing distance and increasing illumination. The end result is a practical rule of thumb, the Rule of Fifteen: Even in ideal conditions the desired diagnostic value of 15 is reached at not more than 15 meters, not less than 15 lux.     

A framework for estimating probability of a match in forensic bite mark identification

In forensic dentistry, a human expert typically does the comparison and identification based on bite marks. Unlike DNA analysis, however, there is no quantitative basis with which to assign a probability for this given match. This paper proposes a framework for empirically estimating the probability of such a bite mark match and reports on initial experimental results. The methodology involved collection of dental population data (3D dental casts and bite mark images), image analysis for quantitatively measuring the degree of match (based on chamfer distance), and performing a logistic regression analysis using the collected population data to estimate the probability of match from the calculated degree of match. The model correctly predicted 35 of the 42 matches and 585 of the 588 mismatches. The method also has potential for use in other forensic applications in which the assignment of quantitative probabilities is important.     

我国居民收入分配差距扩大的现状、原因及对策

解决我国居民收入差距问题,必须大力发展经济,必须千方百计扩大非种植业就业,必须健全社会保障制度,必须用税收限制过高收入,必须大力促进机会平等的竞争,必须努力扩大中等收入者阶层.     

东西差距问题与政府政策供给

本文旨在研究我国转型时期东部地区与西部地区在经济发展中存在的差距问题,并力图揭示区际经济发展与政府政策供给之间的关系。论文主要分析了东西差距的表现、成因和影响,并提出了缩小东西差距的具体策略。     

Comparison of injuries caused by the pistols Tokarev,Makarov and Glock 19 at firing distances of 25, 50, 75 and 100 cm

Firings in the horizontal direction at cloth targets and at human skin from autopsy material were performed using the pistols 7.62 mm Tokarev (TT), 9 mm Makarov (PM) and 9 mm × 19 mm Glock 19 with common ammunition.     

浅谈网络教育对传统教育的影响及其发展趋势

对网络教育的形式、特点和未来教育发展趋势进行了剖析,指出传统成人教育必须适应现代教育的形势,改变传统观念,迎接新的挑战.     

Pioneers of peace research: II. Quincy Wright: Apostle of law

This is an interpretative review of Quincy Wright's A Study of War. In his anthropological and historical surveys, Wright traced warfare from the animals to the atomic age, including primitive warfare, civilized warfare, and modern warfare. These surveys suggested that war was primarily a function of civilization and imperialism. In order to control war, the conditions of peace have to be established. This means creating a new world order oriented toward justice and welfare rather than wealth and power. This is the task of world law, but the law cannot be effective without world acceptance of justice and welfare as standards of human behavior. A sense of world citizenship is required to support the law in its efforts to achieve justice, maintain order, and administer welfare. It would seem that something like world welfare is required to control world warfare.