System of crop intensification for more productive,resource-conserving,climate-resilient,and sustainable agriculture: experience with diverse crops in varying agroecologies

With continually increasing demand for food accompanied by the constraints of climate change and the availability and quality of soil and water, the world’s farmers are challenged to produce more food per hectare with less water, and with fewer agrochemical inputs if possible. The ideas and methods of the system of rice intensification which is improving irrigated rice production are now being extended/adapted to many other crops: wheat, maize, finger millet, sugarcane, tef, mustard, legumes, vegetables, and even spices. Promoting better root growth and enhancing the soil’s fertility with organic materials are being found effective means for raising the yields of many crop plants with less water, less fertilizer, reduced seeds, fewer agrochemicals, and greater climate resilience. In this article, we review what is becoming known about various farmer-centred innovations for agroecological crop management that can contribute to agricultural sustainability. These changes represent the emerging system of crop intensification, which is being increasingly applied in Asian, African, and Latin American countries. More research will be needed to verify the efficacy and impact of these innovations and to clarify their conditions and limits. But as no negative effects for human or environmental health have been identified, making these agronomic options more widely known should prompt more investigation and, to the extent justified by results, utilization of these methodologies.     

旅游目的地地格的理论源流、本质与测度指标

全球化背景下,在旅游目的地开发与营销过程中忽视了地方的本质特征,旅游目的地竞争走向“无地方性”与“无个性”的地方趋同陷阱。地格理论融合地理学的地方性理论、营销学的品牌个性理论、旅游学的推拉理论以及管理学的资源基础论,提出旅游目的地开发与营销成功的关键是以地格为依托,即关注目的地长期积累形成的生活方式的本质特征,避免地方趋同。本文指出具有代表力、吸引力与竞争力的旅游地格是旅游目的地的品牌基因,还从旅游目的地政府、游客和居民视角出发,运用定性与定量相结合的方法,创建了由自然环境、人文环境与群体性格组成的地格因子体系。     

Engines of Growth in China: The Limits of Informal Institutions

Abstract:

Since the 1978 reforms, China has experienced rapid economic and social development. GDP growth has been in the double digits on average yearly, creating the fastest sustained economic growth recorded by a major economy in history. Not only did this transform the economy and society at large, China reached important milestones in terms of reducing poverty and creating prosperity in a short period of time. This article uses the conceptual framework of new institutional economics to examine China’s economic growth and how growth has been achieved largely by ‘informal institutions’ that are grounded in culture, customs, and private interactions that emerge spontaneously. The trajectory by which these informal institutions left their imprint on China’s complex economic landscape and how they can constrain future economic growth are also of central importance. After examining decentralization and risk management practices, property rights, and the legal system, we emphasize the importance of creating formal institutions necessary for long-term growth, most importantly innovation. Preliminary evidence shows total factor productivity is tapering off which may reflect the constraints of China’s institutional environment. This ought to be reversed if China is to enjoy long-term sustained growth.     

GIS-based fuzzy multi-criteria approach for optimal site selection of fire stations in Istanbul,Turkey

Fire stations play a central role in protection and response activities as part of emergency management services in cases of fire incidences. With the rising urban populations and city expansions, the demand for more fire services resultantly increases. It then becomes critical to effectively plan the location of emergency facilities to adequately service the population and ensure the protection of lives and infrastructure. This study, therefore proposes the use of the fuzzy extension of the Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) method of Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP), hence called fuzzy AHP, integrated with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) approach to optimally site new fire stations for the case of Istanbul region. This proposed fuzzy approach simulates the subjective expert judgements for the preferences of the six criteria assessed for fire station suitability mapping and thereby accounted for the uncertainty of crisp comparison values via triangular fuzzy numbers (TFNs). The criteria weights evaluated from this procedure were used in a weighted overlay analysis of the reclassified criteria map layers in ArcGIS to generate a fire station suitability map. These resultant fuzzy AHP criteria weights were validated using another MCDM technique, called Best-Worst Method (BWM) and found to be comparable and consistent. The criteria that had the strongest influence on the selection of sites for fire stations were identified to be: the density of hazardous material facilities (DHM), a high population density (HPD) and proximity to main roads (PMR) with associated weights of 33.3%, 24.4% and 15.2%, respectively. Based on a thorough assessment within the areas represented by class values ranging from 3 to 5 on the suitability map, a total of 34 new fire station sites were selected complementing the existing 121 fire stations. Further, a prioritization analysis from low, medium to high, was performed to plan the phases for the construction of new fire stations in view of competing budgetary needs and resource constraints. The methodology to achieve this was proposed and modelled for enhancing the decision-making process in urban fire station site selection studies.     

Dynamic efficiency evaluation of Italian judicial system using DEA based Malmquist productivity indexes

The aim of this study is the empirical analysis of the Italian judicial system, measuring its efficiency and productivity. For this purpose, in details, the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and Malmquist indexes were used, since they are recognized by the current literature as successful techniques to evaluate the performance of decision making units, namely the courts of law in our field of application.The statistical data on the administration of justice in Italy, as reported in Dossier n. 11 May 2013, Senate Research Services, Research Office on Institutional Issues, Justice and Culture, XVII legislature, shows that the efficiency crisis of justice in Italy began in the 1970s of the last century, aggravating during the ‘80s, and reaching its most critical moment during the 1990s. Several studies emphasize the relevance of the effects of inefficiency upon the judicial system on the credit and financial markets.The present analysis, using data that covers a wide time span and is disaggregated at district level, has set the goal of measuring the efficiency of the individual Italian judicial offices while assessing the progress of productivity in its components, by the means of technological progress and scale efficiency. The efficiency analysis that was carried out transcends the aspect of judicial taxation, considering how the passage of time has impacted on judicial efficiency.Considering the judges and judicial administration employed, in the new, pending and finished cases during the years ranging from 2011 to 2016, the results highlighted a distinct heterogeneity among courts, depending on their geographical location. The five-year period that was considered, included the years in which the judicial geographical distribution reform entered into force, so to better comprehend how this complex reform influenced the recovery of efficiency of the judicial offices. Furthermore, by breaking down the index into change in efficiency and change in technology, this work offers a further glimpse into judiciary organization. The application of combined DEA method and Malmquist indexes for evaluating court efficiency in a large time frame showed very interesting and useful results, relevant for judicial administration.     

将“合伙人制”融入“合作制”的一项尝试——基于MGL合作社的案例解读与探讨

当前,合作社异化已成为阻碍合作社进一步发展的痛点,其中"合作制"下社员剩余索取权和控制权的丧失是矛盾核心,因而探求其改进方式对合作社长远发展、实现乡村振兴有重要意义。本文基于效率与公平衡量维度,通过对MGL合作社这一典型案例进行剖析发现,有效的合作社在治理结构和利益分配上具备"合伙人制"特征,并且基本契合不完全契约理论有关能够有效解决契约双方信息不对称以及剩余索取权、控制权被少数社员占有的论述。对此,应充分重视合伙人制在合作社发展中的内在有效性,弱化其是否具有规范的外在形式。     

内部控制、僵尸企业与审计特征

以2010—2017年深沪两市全部A股上市公司为研究样本，分析僵尸企业的审计特征并探讨内部控制对两者关系的调节效应。研究发现：相比于非僵尸企业，僵尸企业具有倾向于支付更低的审计费用、更有可能收到非标意见和更有可能选择非高质量审计师进行审计的特征，同时，僵尸企业内部控制环境更差。进一步研究发现，更高的内部控制质量使得僵尸企业更有可能收到标准无保留的审计意见，但非僵尸企业审计收费更高且更有可能选择高质量审计师。基于产权性质的进一步研究发现：（1）国有僵尸企业支付更低的审计费用，且中央国企支付的审计费用更低；（2）民营僵尸企业更有可能收到非标审计意见；（3）民营僵尸企业和地方国有僵尸企业更有可能选择非高质量审计师进行审计，且地方国有僵尸企业倾向性更强。从公司治理角度研究僵尸企业的审计特征，为识别僵尸企业提供了经验证据。     

推动国有企业廉洁文化建设,以文化自信坚定理想信念

习近平总书记在党的十九大报告中指出:“没有高度的文化自信,没有文化繁荣兴盛,就没有中华民族伟大复兴。”廉洁文化建设是反腐倡廉工作的重要内容,是一项长期的、艰巨的、复杂的系统工程。论文结合福建省三钢(集团)有限责任公司在开展廉洁文化建设工作中的工作实践,对廉洁文化在企业发展中的重要意义、存在的问题及有效运用进行了分析与探讨,对推进廉洁文化进国企具有较为积极的指导意义。     

A股“垃圾股”退市难的原因及对策分析

退市难一直是A股的难题,退市率极低。由于退市制度设计缺陷、IPO非市场化及监管不到位等原因,致使“垃圾股”的“壳”价值高,上市公司保“壳”冲动高。在当前IPO加速的背景下,科学合理地提高退市率,积极完善退市制度,使A股形成“有进有出”的良性生态环境是亟待解决的问题。     

基于物联网技术的智能交通控制系统研究

作为物物相连的互联网,物联网通过信息传感设备,把互联网与任何物品相连接,为构建智能交通信号控制与采集的体系提供了可能。论文从基于物联网的智能交通系统整体框架入手,并着重分析其在交通控制和信号采集两个子系统中的运用,指出物联网技术将全面提升交通管理水平。