Ecocultural Attributes: Evaluating Ecological Degradation in Terms of Ecological Goods and Services Versus Subsistence and Tribal Values

It is becoming increasingly clear that scientists, managers, lawyers, public policymakers, and the public must decide how to value what is provided by, and is a consequence of, natural resources. While “Western” scientists have clear definitions for the goods and services that ecosystems provide, we contend that these categories do not encompass the full totality of the values provided by natural resources. Partly the confusion results from a limited view of natural resources derived from the need to monetize the value of ecosystems and their component parts. Partly it derives from the “Western” way of separating natural resources from cultural resources or values, and partly it derives from the false dichotomy of assuming that ecosystems are natural, and anything constructed by man is not natural. In this article, we explore the previous assumptions, and suggest that because cultural resources often derive from, and indeed require, intact and unspoiled natural ecosystems or settings, that these values are rightly part of natural resources. The distinction is not trivial because of the current emphasis on cleaning up chemically and radiologically contaminated sites, on restoration of damaged ecosystems, on natural resource damage assessments, and on long‐term stewardship goals. All of these processes depend upon defining natural resources appropriately. Several laws, regulations, and protocols depend upon natural resource trustees to protect natural resources on trust lands, which could lead to the circular definition that natural resources are those resources that the trustees feel they are responsible for. Where subsistence or tribal peoples are involved, the definition of natural resources should be broadened to include those ecocultural attributes that are dependent upon, and have incorporated, natural resources. For example, a traditional hunting and fishing ground is less valued by subsistence peoples if it is despoiled by contamination or physical ecosystem degradation; an Indian sacred ground is tarnished if the surrounding natural environment is degraded; a traditional homeland is less valued if the land itself is contaminated. Our argument is that intact natural resources are essential elements of many cultural resources, and this aspect requires and demands adequate consideration (and may therefore require compensation).     

Slnnes：逻辑＋神经网络专家系统工具

信息与认知科学的原理表明，人工智能和网络表现了两种不同的思维方式。它具有共同的基础,这就是对信息的处理；只是处理的方法和机制各有千秋。它们相辅相成，正好构成了智能理论的完备框架。本文详细介绍的专家系统工具Slnnes就是在信息科学和认知科学理论的基础上寻求人工智能专家系统和神经网络的有机结合而形成的统一体系。     

数字化和人工智能对刑事责任的扩散

数字化和人工智能在很大程度上作用于刑法中的罪责并改变了个人责任的基本概念。对于人类与机器人和人工智能系统之间的合作,要在个案中详细地审查：机器如何参与决定的作出,人类的行为空间如何发挥作用,以及个人的罪责是否被阻却或至少被极大地减轻。完全或在部分范围内让机器作出决定,会对罪责概念以及进一步对刑事责任产生许多问题,包括过失犯的预见可能性、客观归责、不当行为的可证明性等。在刑法上进行新的调整可能是有必要的,这涉及罪责、可归责性、可证明性和量刑,同时必须寻找刑法以外的其他解决方案,以持续防止数字化和人工智能系统对刑事责任的扩散。     

订单农业核心价值与创新动能的双重检视

订单农业作为小农户与现代农业有效衔接的重要经营模式,对其核心价值与创新动能进行深入探析意义重大。通过静态混合博弈均衡及多案例比较分析方法,凝练出三个重要结论:(1)订单农业依然具有旺盛的生命力,订单农业的创新首先表现在缔约双方是农业龙头企业与规模化的农民合作社／家庭农场,小农户则通过与合作社、家庭农场实现融合发展来参与订单生产;(2)订单农业的创新还表现在将简单的商品交易契约内化为生产流程中系统的生产阶段性服务契约,订单提供者以社会化服务供应为代价,促使订单承接方让渡／共享生产的管理权限;(3)提供农业生产全流程社会化服务有助于订单履约环境的优化。最后提出针对性政策建议来保障订单农业的稳健发展。     

我国绿色基础设施的经济价值预算与分析

绿色基础设施是自然的生态基础设施和半自然的市政绿色空间的结合,它遵循自然发展的规律,在改善生态环境和保护生物多样性的同时,也蕴藏着新的经济增长点.本研究尝试构建绿色基础设施经济价值评价指标,测算全国各省的绿色基础设施经济价值(2004-2015),探究其区域分布状况,并进一步运用灰色模型预测2016年、2020年和2025年我国绿色基础设施的经济价值,以期提升人们对绿色基础设施的认识,为在城市规划中建设和完善绿色基础设施提供参考,促进生态环境与经济的良性循环,推动城市可持续发展.     

An Exploration of “Superb Competences” in College Teachers in the Context of U-Learning

Ubiquitous learning (U-learning), a potential shortcut for China to modernize its education, is treated in this discussion as a mentality and means for citizens in high-tech society to seek a lifelong education. Thus situated, this article presents an exploration of “superb competences”—material intelligence, internet thinking, and brain-related neuro knowledge—in college teachers outside their trained professional areas. It is believed that once the teachers are equipped with the material intelligence, internet thinking, and brain-related neuro knowledge, real U-learning practice is ensured and its rationale will be developed. Material intelligence and internet thinking are evolved from and closely related to technological development, and therefore constitute the essential requirements of U-learning in terms of technical and educational cognitive framework. A good knowledge of brain related neuroscience, the third competence, guarantees the scientific rooting of every element in the designing of U-leaning tasks, whose success resides in a serious respect of cognitive nature and rules of the brain. The building of such superb competences, as is argued at the end of the paper, relies on various supports, like policies and technological aids, from all levels of educational administration in the country as well as each individual teacher’s personal understanding and efforts.     

农户兼业、生产性服务与水稻种植面积决策——基于11省1646户农户的实证研究

本文基于全国11省1646户农户调研数据,构建实证模型分析了农户兼业、生产性服务与水稻种植面积之间的关系。结果表明,在兼业农户比重和平均兼业水平都很高的背景下,兼业导致的“劳动力流失效应”在纯农户和兼业农户的种植面积决策中均有所体现,并且在一兼农户中表现最为显著,而“投资效应”仅体现在纯农户的种植面积决策上。接受生产性服务有助于提高各类农户的种植面积,能够缓解种稻劳动力流失对种植面积造成的负面影响,同时能够缓解一兼农户农业收入比重下降对种植面积造成的负面影响。由此,加强粮食产业生产性服务体系建设、加大纯农户粮食生产补贴力度等是稳定我国水稻生产的重要举措。     

Staff rostering in call centers providing employee transportation

We address the staff rostering problem in call centers with the goal of balancing operational cost, agent satisfaction and customer service objectives. In metropolitan cities such as Istanbul and Mumbai, call centers provide the transportation of their staff so that shuttle costs constitute a significant part of the operational costs. We develop a mixed integer programming model that incorporates the shuttle requirements at the beginning and end of the shifts into the agent-shift assignment decisions, while considering the skill sets of the agents, and other constraints due to workforce regulations and agent preferences. We analyze model solutions for a banking call center under various management priorities to understand the interactions among the conflicting objectives. We show that considering transportation costs as well as agent preferences in agent-shift assignments provides significant benefits in terms of both cost savings and employee satisfaction.     

财务共享服务与企业竞争力的关系——基于双重差分模型的实证检验

从分析财务共享服务效果的视角出发，以市场结构、基础资源和新能力理论为依据，建立了评价企业竞争力的财务指标体系。研究结果显示：在市场地位方面，实施财务共享服务增强了企业资金管控效果，使营业收入质量提高，但是营业收入增长率却呈现负增长，说明财务共享服务对市场拓展能力的影响具有延迟效应；在资金资源方面，财务共享服务提高了企业的资金筹措能力和偿债能力，风险控制能力增强，使企业获得资金资源竞争优势；在企业能力方面，财务共享服务能够降低成本、增加绩效，更好地服务企业战略，提升企业的盈利能力和创新能力。总之，实施财务共享服务能够促使企业财务管理转型升级，为未来发展赢得先机，可增强企业竞争力。     

Mitigating Harm: Considering Harm Reduction Principles in Work with Sexually Exploited Young People

A growing awareness of child sexual exploitation (CSE) in the United Kingdom and throughout the world has prompted human service and legal/policy professionals to seek ways of engaging young people experiencing sexual exploitation, although much remains unknown regarding effective practice, and whether or not current knowledge regarding best practices with young people can be expanded to address CSE. This paper considers how principles of harm reduction, a public health approach widely used to engage adults and young people in help‐seeking behaviours, can be considered as part of a children's rights‐centred approach to policy and practice with young people experiencing CSE.