Analysis of off-farm work decisions among smallholder farm households in Burkina Faso

This article investigates off-farm work decisions by smallholder farm households. Using data on 1,101 households from Burkina Faso, it demonstrates that in addition to the usual household socio-demographic characteristics, remittances, access to information and beneficiary of specific training affect off-farm work decisions, as well as rainfall factors and idiosyncratic health shocks. Community characteristics such as accessibility and number of inhabitants are also key factors. While suggesting that off-farm work is less likely to be undertaken for accumulation purposes, these results have important policy implications. In particular, policy measures should consider each segment as a separate entity.     

From discourse to policy: US policy communities’ perceptions of and approaches to climate change and security

ABSTRACT

Increasingly, a diverse set of policy communities, including those with defence, development and environmental mandates, frame climate change as a security threat. Most often this discursive formation labels climate change as a ‘threat multiplier’. This framing, however, is vague, linear and leaves many questions unanswered regarding how institutions can develop and implement policy that addresses the joint challenges of climate change, conflict and security. Utilising a mixed-methods approach, and grounding data collection in US policy communities, this article examines how policy actors and institutions integrate climate-security discourses into policy processes. The objective of this research is to provide direct insight into how the discourses and technical understandings of climate-security transition into policy priorities and implementation realities. This research identified three common approaches to climate-security: (1) A challenge of adaptation and resilience; (2) A potent political argument; and (3) An issue of limited importance and feasibility. These approaches, however, are inconsistent across sectors and within organisations, suggesting a lack of cohesion and considerable challenges in identifying and responding to climate change as a ‘threat multiplier’.     

新形势下发展基层工人队伍的先进性

新形势下,工人阶级特别是基层工人队伍,如何进一步发扬其先进性,已成为一个十分重要的问题。面对诸多新的挑战,工人队伍要继续发扬其先进性,在建设社会主义市场经济和实现中华民族伟大复兴中发挥重要作用。     

论公司经营范围的准确定位

公司作为一种营利性组织,必须以其组织章程规定的经营范围为基础进行经营活动。传统公司法中,对超范围经营活动,法律赋予其绝对无效的法律后果。随着经济的发展,体制的转变,经营范围的绝对性受到了质疑。本文分析了经营范围的功能及社会经济基础的变化,认为我们可以借鉴发达国家的做法,采用相对无效原则。不将其全盘否定,放宽限制,给公司充分的经营自由,同时兼顾政府的公共事务管理职能。     

关于经济全球化背景下中国政府职能转变的思考

加入WTO ,加快了中国经济全球化的进程 ,同时受到更多约束的是中国政府 ,因此政府只有适应经济全球化的挑战 ,进一步转变政府职能。政府职能不再是“守夜人”。针对目前存在的主要问题 ,本文提出在五个方面的政府职能的转变 ,最终创造有效率的市场环境 ,促进中国经济持续稳定地发展。     

以人为本的人性论基础浅论

“以人为本”成为我国新的治国理念。它是我国依法治国方略的必然要求,也是三个代表重要思想的应有之义。本文试图从以人为本的人性论基础角度论述以人为本与人性理论的关系,以更好地理解以人为本的内涵。     

刑事自由裁量权基本问题

刑事自由裁量权是指在刑事法适用过程中,涉及刑事法适用的官方人员在所适用的刑事法规则内容允许的范围内,有权在可以采取的多种行为中作出选择。刑事自由裁量权具有绝对性,同时也具有相对性。绝对性是指裁量行为是任意的,不受限制。相对性是指刑事自由裁量权仅仅是一种弱式自由裁量权。行使刑事自由裁量权的主体涉及公安人员、检察官和法官。公安人员和检察官行使的自由裁量权主要是依据刑事诉讼法的程序性权力。法官行使的自由裁量权除程序性权力之外,主要是依据刑法的实体性权力。     

知识产权公权化理论的解读和反思

知识产权的权利属性是知识产权研究的基本理论问题.因传统的视知识产权为私权的观点在面对知识产权相较于其他私权的特殊性及其领域内层出不穷的新问题时常常遭遇无法解释的困境,所以,有些学者提出了"知识产权公权化"理论,即在承认知识产权私权本质属性的前提下,指出知识产权是公权化的私权,试图以此来寻到新的"突破口".但事实上,该理论因其立论依据本身就存在疑问,是经不起推敲的,它是在社会思潮运动影响下对知识产权权利客体特殊性的一种误读.知识产权作为私权的根本属性不应该因为知识产权所呈现出的某些独特性而被改变,在当前承认并且强调知识产权的私权属性具有重大意义.     

2005年上海地区乳牛球虫感染的季节动态

为了解上海地区乳牛球虫感染的季节变化情况,对上海地区3个牧场乳牛抽样直肠采集粪便,检查了718头乳牛粪样。结果,查出球虫阳性牛269头,平均感染率为37.46%,其中1月龄以内牛的感染率为33.89%,1~12月龄牛的感染率为42.33%,12月龄以上牛的感染率为25.95%。平均感染率最高的4月份为44.44%,最低的8月份为28.57%。3个牧场球虫阳性牛的感染强度(OPG值)为0~169 000个,平均OPG值为9 477个,其中1月龄以内牛的OPG值为8 270个,1~12月龄牛的OPG值为4 318个,12月龄以上牛的OPG值为145个。调查发现了6种球虫,分别是牛艾美球虫(Eimeria bovis)、椭圆艾美球虫(E.ellipsoidalis)、邱氏艾美球虫(E.zurnii)、怀俄明艾美球虫(E.wyomingensis)、柱状艾美球虫(E.cylindri-ca)、亚球形艾美球虫(E.subspherica)。结果表明,2005年上海地区乳牛球虫感染率无明显季节差异,12月龄内乳牛的球虫感染率与感染强度均明显高于12月龄以上乳牛,乳牛球虫的优势虫种为牛艾美球虫、椭圆艾美球虫、邱氏艾美球虫。     

Bushwhacking the Democratic Peace

The invasion of Iraq has been justified, ex post , as for the purpose of promoting the democratic peace. It does not, however, appear to have been a principal goal ex ante . Most democratic peace theorists, moreover, do not endorse democratic regime change by great-power external military intervention. Success is difficult to achieve (usually at high cost), and the conditions in Iraq were not promising even had the occupation been carried out more competently. Greater success in democratization has been achieved by UN peacekeeping operations, and by various regional international organizations using a variety of peaceful measures to ensure free elections, constrain authoritarian leaders, and empower democratic forces. International organizations, notably those whose membership is largely composed of democracies, are especially likely to succeed in promoting democracy.