论“Precautionary Principle”一词的中文翻译

目前国内学者对“PrecautionaryPrinciple”的翻译并不统一，存在“预防原则”、“风险预防原则”、“审慎预防原则”和“预警原则”等译法。法律术语的翻译应当严谨、准确。从“precautionary”的含义，“PrecautionaryPrinciple”的概念，“PrecautionaryPrinciple”与相关概念的区别，以及“PrecautionaryPrinei—pie”的起源这四个角度考察，可以看出“PrecautionaryPrinciple”具有针对不确定的危险应采取一种谨慎态度的意思，并与近义词“PreventivePrinciple”（预防原则）存在显著区别。而“预警原则”一词能够较为精确地反映二者的区别，突出了“PrecautionaryPrinciple”的特点，是“PrecautionaryPrinciple”的较佳译名。

China’s High Savings Rate Puzzle:Role of Precautionary Saving

Academics have yet to agree on the effectiveness of the precautionary saving theory in explaining Chinese households’saving behavior.With the Wenchuan megaearthquake of 2008 as an uncertain event to overcome the endogeneity problem of income volatility,this paper puts forward a brand-new hypothesis that"an earthquake influences household saving rate through its effects on expected income and the variance of expected income."Then,we employ propensity score matching-difference-in-differences(PSMDID)method,the systematic GMM methods,the synthetic control method,together with instrumental variable method,for an analysis of Chinese Household Income Project(CHIP)and inter-provincial data at the micro and macro levels,respectively.We find that the Wenchuan mega-earthquake was followed by an increase in the variance of household expected income in Sichuan and a significant rise in the household saving rate.Second,social protection is negatively correlated with expected income,and has a significant substitutive relationship with saving rate.This finding indirectly proves that the earthquake’s impact on the household saving rate is subject to the variance of expected income,shedding light on how the precautionary saving motivation works in the real world.

The Difficult Path from Perception to Precautionary Action-Participatory Modeling as a Practical Tool to Overcome the Risk Perception Paradox in Flood Preparedness

The risk perception paradox illustrates the perception of natural hazards as not directly related to a willingness to act or engage in precautionary behavior. Yet the utilization of participatory processes can help to overcome this gap. In a practical example in the watershed of the Danube River and its contributing streams in Germany,we aimed to solve questions about the value of participatory modeling as a method to bridge the gap linked to flood polder planning and a relocation of a dike for protection against high floods(centennial floods and rarer). Local communities, citizen initiatives, and nongovernmental environmental organizations joined together for round table discussions initiated by the water management authorities. A participatory modeling process enabled these diverse stakeholders to engage with the experts who built the groundwater models for the planning process. As part of this study, two case studies are presented. In the first example, neutral mediators assisted the round table ‘‘Flood Polder Katzau(Danube)'' in order to cultivate mutual trust and understanding between the authorities and the former opponents of the project. This process is still ongoing,challenged by long-term planning and the more immediate obstacle of current political changes. The second case studyis located on the river Alz, a tributary of the river Inn,which flows into the Danube, where the relocation of a dike was planned. This article demonstrates how participatory modeling contributes to bridging the gap between a local resident's risk perception and real action in the case of flood preparedness.

CRITICAL THINKING ABOUT THE PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE IN CHINA＇S FOOD SAFETY LAW

We are living in a risk society where people devised the Precautionary Principle in order to minimize the harm caused by risk ex ante. Compared to the previous Food Hygiene Law （FHL） and the 2009 Food Safety Law, the 2015 revised Chinese Food Safety Law （FSL） made a real breakthrough in the sense that it legitimates an important principle in food safety governance. Apart from laying down the fundamental importance of this principle in food safety regulations, the FSL 2015 also invented arrangements from different aspects in order to implement this principle. In other words, the FSL 2015＇s incorporation of the Precautionary Principle in a very real sense marked a transition from a demonstrative preventive food safety management regime to a more effective precautionary regime. However, the Precautionary Principle needs to be adopted in a ＂precautionary＂ way since this principle has its own limitations and defects. Incautious application of the principle may create new risks. This article compares the European approach in implementing the Precautionary Principle, and examines China＇s legal arrangements against negative impacts brought by the Precautionary Principle. Three perspectives are discussed： independence of scientific institutes; proportionality in risk management measures, and the shift of burden of proof for market authorization.

Precautionary Effort Investment under Cross Risk Aversion

This paper deals with the effort problem under multiple risks in bivariate utility setting. We identify preference conditions to insure positive or negative effect of a background variable uncertainty on effort in the presence of other risks. We allow for the simultaneous presence of wealth and background variable uncertainties. We investigate the joint effect of two-source uncertainties on effort when two risks are either small or positive quadrant dependent. Our work extends the previous model of effort to bivariate utility framework and presents new insights into the issue of optimal effort under uncertainty.

Mediation effects of online public attention on the relationship between air pollution and precautionary behavior

This study investigates the mediation effects of online public attention on the relationship between air pollution and precautionary behavior based on a merged real-world data set that includes daily air quality,Internet search and media indices,social media discussions,and product purchases.Using a Bayesian structural equation modeling approach,we show that online public attention to air pollution increases when air pollution increases,and such attention is captured by more media reports,social media discussions,and Internet searches.A comprehensive relationship involving direct and indirect effects between air pollution and precautionary behavior is established.Air pollution has a positive effect on proactive defensive behaviors,reflected in increased purchases of preventive products,and this effect is partially mediated by online media coverage and the public's Internet searches.Air pollution also motivates passive defensive behaviors,reflected in decreased purchases of outdoor sports products,and this effect is partially mediated by social media coverage.These results suggest that governments could improve the quality of policy making by considering the different roles of various forms of online public attention in the public's risk perceptions of and reactions to air pollution.

Legal response to environmental health risks in a risky society

The protection of public health is one of the legislative purposes of China’s environmental legal system.Article 39 of the Environmental Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China establishes an environmental and health risk assessment system.The health risk assessment system has biases in understanding,and it fails to face up to the functional transformation from the ex-post relief of environmental damage to the pre-prevention prevention of health risks in the environmental legal system;lack of a complete environmental and health legal system,unclear environmental and health risk assessment framework,and unclear environmental and health risk assessment frameworks.Health risk management capabilities need to be improved,there is a lack of specialized environmental and health risk assessment institutions,and there is a lack of supporting risk assessment technical standard system construction.It is necessary to combine practical experience with China’s national conditions and actual needs,construct an environmental health risk assessment system with Chinese characteristics from both the entity and the procedure,strengthen legislative support,and improve my country’s environmental and health laws on the basis of objective and scientific protection of the assessment process.Institutional system,establish a national environmental health risk assessment expert committee as soon as possible,improve my country’s environmental and health risk assessment framework,strengthen environmental and health management capacity building,improve the environmental and health risk assessment technical system,and promote the development of China’s environmental and health risk assessment system develop and give play to the institutional mission of safeguarding public health.

Machine learning insights on intensive care unit-acquired weakness

Intensive care unit-acquired weakness(ICU-AW)significantly hampers patient recovery and increases morbidity.With the absence of established preventive strategies,this study utilizes advanced machine learning methodologies to unearth key predictors of ICU-AW.Employing a sophisticated multilayer perceptron neural network,the research methodically assesses the predictive power for ICU-AW,pinpointing the length of ICU stay and duration of mechanical ventilation as pivotal risk factors.The findings advocate for minimizing these elements as a preventive approach,offering a novel perspective on combating ICU-AW.This research illuminates critical risk factors and lays the groundwork for future explorations into effective prevention and intervention strategies.

Ethical framework on risk governance of synthetic biology

Synthetic biology is an emerging multidisciplinary field that aims to design and construct new biological systems not found in nature.Whereas synthetic biology may yield tremendous benefits,it may also pose substantial risks to human health and the environment that must be addressed.In this paper,we examined the environmental risks associated with synthetic biology,including changes to or depletion of the environment,competition with native species,horizontal gene transfer,pathogenicity or toxicity,bioterrorism,and laboratory biosecurity.We highlight three approaches for assessing environmental risks in synthetic biology:solution-focused risk assessment,Bayesian networks,and network of networks for sustainable capacity building.An ethical governance framework is proposed to facilitate innovation while minimising risks.This framework emphasises the precautionary principle and balancing stakeholder interests prior to project development and commercialisation.Overall,we underscore the importance and urgency of assessing and managing the environmental risks of synthetic biology to ensure its safe and ethical development and application.

Long-Term Improvement in Precautions for Flood Risk Mitigation:A Case Study in the Low-Lying Area of Central Vietnam

Local actors appear as inseparable components of the integrated flood risk mitigation strategy in Vietnam.Recognizing this fact,this study examined the long-term improvement in precautions taken by commune authorities and households between two major floods in 1999 and 2017 by applying both quantitative and qualitative methods.Two flood-prone villages were selected for a survey;one in a rural area and the other in a suburban area of Thua Thien Hue Province,central Vietnam.The findings indicate that most villagers doubted the structural works’efficacy and were dissatisfied with the current efforts of local authorities.Households’self-preparation thus became the decisive factor in mitigating risk.While most households have paid greater attention to flood precautions in 2017,others seem to be lagging.Poverty-related barriers were the root causes restraining households in both rural and suburban villages.The suburban riverine residents were further identified as vulnerable by their limitations in upgrading structural measures,which was ascribed to the inconsistency in the ancient town’s preservation policy.This multidimensional comparison,in terms of vulnerability,emphasized the importance of space-function links in the suburb and the contradictions of different policy initiatives,such as landscape rehabilitation,disaster prevention,and livelihood maintenance.