GUEST EDITORIAL: Cutting corners in chemical risk limitation

The first genetically modified crops and foods to be approved for commercial use in the European Union have prompted intense controversy. Food retailers and processors have been forced to take up the concerns voiced by their customers. New networks of groups have formed to oppose the technology. In response to these pressures, regulators who approved the products have had to reconsider questions they had previously dismissed or officially resolved. Governments have devised more precautionary measures of various kinds. For example, they have increased the burden of evidence for demonstrating safety, have broadened the practical definition of the ‘adverse effects’ which must be prevented, and have devised marketstage precautions for such effects. These extra measures manage the risk debate as well as any risks. In such ways, the technocratic model of European harmonization is being challenged and superseded. This may allow differences in national practices to be viewed as valuable expert resources for a different harmonization model, rather than as deviations from a universal rational norm. Regulatory conflicts offer precautionary opportunities, which could lead to more flexible and democratic procedures. Theoretical perspectives – on risk, uncertainty, precaution, European integration, expertise and the internal market – help illuminate these possibilities.     

Ireland: contested precaution and challenged institutions

Irish policy on GMOs has generally cited precaution as its basis, although the official responses to marketing applications demonstrate a generally favourable attitude towards the technology. The official policy assumes that the current safety regulation can ensure that products reaching the market are safe, and that consumers can make their own ethical and political choices regarding GMOs, facilitated by full labelling of such products and ingredients. This view has been made more explicit with recent official statements. A national consultation process resulted in a report which strongly favours GM technology, but the whole process has been questioned by critics of GM crops. Many disagreements remain, particularly around the range of issues open to discussion. Many actors and organisations opposed to GMOs argue that the debate has been too narrowly focused on scientific aspects of health and environmental protection; they attempt to widen the scope to include other aspects, such as political and ethical concerns. This effort challenges the mediating institutions and their capacity to regulate an issue which involves uncertainty.     

煤炭上市公司并购重组市场效应的实证研究

理论上讲,煤炭业的产业特性决定了并购重组能够大大提升企业资源配置的效率。本文利用2004～2009年中国煤炭业上市公司并购中小型煤炭企业的19个样本数据,对煤炭企业并购的市场效应进行了实证检验。结果显示：在并购主体宣布并购重组的窗口期内,投资者获得了显著为正的累计超额回报,表明投资者对并购事件给予了积极评价,从而为正在进行的煤炭业资源整合提供了支持性依据。     

Shift of the short-term temperature mortality relationship by a climate factor - some evidence necessary to take account of in estimating the health effect of global warming

Several studies have reported a 'V'-shaped relationship between short-term temperature and mortality rates, characterized by mortality rates that are higher when the temperature is extremely low or high than when the temperature is moderate. To quantify the effect of adaptation to a certain climate on this V-shaped short-term temperature-mortality relationship, we studied the prefecture-specific relationship between daily maximum temperature and mortality rates for 65+-years-old Japanese from 1972 to 1990. For both genders, the optimum daily maximum temperature (OT) category at which the mortality rate was minimum ranged from 23C-28 C to 33+C, and the OT level became lower when the climate became colder. The mean OT level was lower for women than for men by 1.7C. The mortality rate at the OT was almost constant across prefectures, regardless of the climate. From the results, we considered that the adaptation effect on the short-term temperature-mortality relationship is mainly described by the 'horizontal shift model': the V-shape moves horizontally according to the climate. This 'shift' should be taken into account in estimating the health effect of global warming, and the model would be useful for the estimation.     

上海近期发展风险资本市场支撑科技创新的政策路径

国家自主创新能力的提升离不开多层次资本市场的支撑,资本市场是自主创新的引擎和推进器,任何科技创新成果的产业化都需要与资本有效结合才能实现。因此,加快构建一个全方位支撑科技创新的风险资本市场体系,是我国当前的一项紧迫任务,也是上海市"创新型城市"建设的迫切要求。本文在分析存在问题的基础上,进一步提出了上海市近期发展风险资本市场支撑科技创新的可行性政策路径。