现代农业地域模式及现存问题

随着社会生产力的发展，农业现代化是世界农业发展的必然趋势，我国也正处于向现代化农业过渡的阶段。介绍国外现代农业模式以及出现的相关问题，可以为我国农业发展起到重要的借鉴作用。     

论公安机关司法鉴定机构设立模式的完善

随着司法改革的逐渐深入，与证据制度、诉讼制度、司法制度有密切联系的司法鉴定制度必然要随之做出相应的调整。公安机关司法鉴定机构经过50余年的发展历程，现已成为我国司法鉴定机构中的主体力量。为适应侦查工作的需要，公安机关司法鉴定机构在一定时期内仍有存在的必要。为了克服“自侦自鉴”所带来的弊端，可以严格分立、分设侦查职能部门和从事鉴定活动的部门。另外，为适应诉讼活动及司法改革的实践需要，可以允许公安机关的司法鉴定机构依法面向社会从事有偿服务。     

制度选择文化：一种文化史观

文章认为,制度与文化的关系虽然复杂,但是,就人类历史发展的整体逻辑来看,是制度选择文化:人类历史初期,文化孕育着早期社会制度;然而,社会制度的现实基础是生产力的发展和生产关系的建构;自从人类社会以物质生产实践为基础以来,文化不再是维系社会的核心机制,在这里,更多的是具体的社会制度(经济制度、政治制度、法律制度等)选择了文化的具体样式。     

Blood and sperm traces on human hair. A study on preservation and detection after 3-month outdoor exposure

Hair can retain important biological traces for forensic investigations. Forensic scientists are used to looking for such traces on clothing and skin of victims, however, when decomposition kicks in and all that remains of the victims is the skeleton, hair may be the only tissue representing the surface of the body at the time of a crime on which biological traces of an aggressor may have been left and still be detectable. Given the lack of research on this topic, this pilot study aims to assess the capacity of hair to retain semen and blood in hair, and the possibility to detect these fluids with well-known techniques and to obtain a useful genetic profile even when exposed to environmental conditions (Open Natural Environment (woods), Open Man Made Environment (urban)) for three months.Results showed that both traces were always visible and detectable with almost all techniques in the Control Environment, while in the two open environments some difficulties arose. However, biomolecular analysis was effective up to three months on both fluids in the Natural Environment and up to two months and one week respectively on blood and semen in the Man Made Environment. The Combur Test, OBTI, and Luminol were effective on blood up to three months in both environments while Sperm-HY-Liter and observation of cellular components were effective on semen up to at least 1 month and PSA testing was positive up to 1 week in both environments.The present work can be considered an encouraging starting point for the analysis of biological traces on hair in forensic contexts, regardless of the PMI, since blood and semen related to a crime may survive.     

Food distribution's socio-economic relationships and public policy: Mexico City's municipal public markets

Traditional food supply systems, like municipal public markets (MPM), are in crisis. Nevertheless, MPMs continue to demonstrate importance in the lives of the cities. In this article we discuss the case of Mexico City and the importance of the public markets for its neighbourhoods. We present the results of two research projects, completed in Mexico City at two different historical times and interpreted longitudinally. The results demonstrate the importance of socio-economic relationships for MPM's survival and potential. The article concludes with public policy recommendations to permit conservation, given the MPM's importance for the city's social cohesion.     

Farmer-to-farmer extension: opportunities for enhancing performance of volunteer farmer trainers in Kenya

Farmer-to-farmer extension (FFE) is playing a complementary role to formal extension services in facilitating the spread of agricultural technologies and improving farmers’ capacities. The effectiveness and sustainability of such programmes depend on volunteer farmer trainers (VFTs) having technical skills and overcoming process-related challenges that hinder them from achieving the desired outcomes. This article uses quantitative and qualitative data collected from seven sites to explore the challenges experienced by VFTs as they share their knowledge on livestock feed innovations in a dairy development project in Kenya. Sustainable opportunities for enhancing VFTs’ performance are discussed.     

Rural development from the ground up: agro-food initiatives in Tasmania

Concerns about the decline of rural agricultural communities have recently refocused on new economic opportunities available in regional food production. This article analyses three on-the-ground case studies of rural development projects in Tasmania, Australia that aimed to develop new regional food opportunities. It analyses these projects to identify how local food producers can create viable economic alternatives in rural settings. The projects illustrate that the existence of regional food assets alone is not enough to guarantee economic development success: rural producers need connections into relevant knowledge networks if they are to identify and respond to new agro-food market opportunities.     

Collective action in small-scale mushroom production in Swaziland: does organisational form matter?

While substantial literature is available on the determinants of small-scale farmers’ participation in collective action, and the welfare impacts of producing and/or marketing collectively, studies on the likely implications of organisational form on producers’ collective behaviour remain scant. This article attempts to address this knowledge gap by using an example of different forms of small-scale mushroom-producing groups in Swaziland. Given the importance of collective action in sub-Saharan Africa, the overall results of this article provide valuable insights into alternative means of coordinating commercial small-scale agricultural activities, which can improve producers’ ultimate benefits while reducing the likelihood of internal free-riding.     

Erstwhile villages in urban India

In the process of urbanisation villages are becoming parts of cities or towns, and are becoming almost irreversibly transformed as a result. Erstwhile villages, now parts of cities and towns, are on the margins of an urbanising India. They are lagging behind other parts of the cities in terms of receiving basic urban services and infrastructures. Urban development processes should look at the specific issues and concerns of these villages independently from the need and scope of planning for the city at large. This would make the transition from rural to urban status fair and inclusive for erstwhile villagers.     

Farmers,peanuts, and aflatoxins in Uganda: A gendered approach

This article describes a collaborative research for development project that used participatory methods to engage smallholder farmers in Uganda in post-harvest aflatoxin management. It is based primarily on qualitative research with peanut growers tracing ‘the path of the peanut’ through their hand-drawn maps and journal writing. By focusing on everyday life and including recipes and drawings, this research encouraged women's participation and emphasised women's roles. A unique partnership among universities, women's organisations, and farmers created an environment of mutual learning and produced a book documenting food preparation and other post-harvest practices as part of a study and capacity-building effort on peanuts and aflatoxins.