Farmers’contract breach behavior is cited as one of the major stumbling blocks in the sustainable expansion of contract farming in many developing countries.This paper examines farmers’contract breach decisions from...Farmers’contract breach behavior is cited as one of the major stumbling blocks in the sustainable expansion of contract farming in many developing countries.This paper examines farmers’contract breach decisions from the perspective of time preferences.The empirical analysis is based on a household survey and economic field experiments of poultry households participating in contract farming conducted in Jiangsu Province,China.A discounted utility model and a maximum likelihood technique are applied to estimate farmers’time preferences and the effect of time preferences on contract breach in the production and sales phases are explored with a bivariate probit model.The results show that,on average,the poultry farmers in the sample are generally present biased and impatient regarding future utility.The regression results show that farmers with a higher preference for the present and a higher discount rate are more likely to breach contracts,and time preferences play a greater role in the production phase than in the sales phase.When considering heterogeneity,specific investments and transaction costs promote contract stability only for farmers with a low degree of impatience.Moreover,compared with large-scale farmers,small-scale farmers’contract breach decisions are more significantly affected by their time preferences.These results have implications for contract stability policies and other issues that are impacted by the linking of behavioral preferences to agricultural decisions.展开更多
Based on the oral interview of six different types of rural families in Houdian Village,Longkou City,Shandong Province,combined with the adjustment of rural reform policies,this paper analyzed reasons for the reform o...Based on the oral interview of six different types of rural families in Houdian Village,Longkou City,Shandong Province,combined with the adjustment of rural reform policies,this paper analyzed reasons for the reform of rural planting structure in China since the reform and opening-up and elaborated the general outline of the reform of the planting structure.From the changes in farmers' attitudes,it explored the achievements and shortcomings of rural reform in the past 40 years.It discussed problems such as shortage of labor resources and vacancy of family education of teenagers in the current sustainable development of rural areas.Finally,it came up with some recommendations for the development of rural areas.展开更多
Building Information Modelling (BIM) is a technology and a process that has brought changes in the construction’s traditional procurement system. Kenya lacks contractual guidelines on implementation of BIM;this makes...Building Information Modelling (BIM) is a technology and a process that has brought changes in the construction’s traditional procurement system. Kenya lacks contractual guidelines on implementation of BIM;this makes the adoption of BIM slow and difficult. Previous research has identified a gap in contractual relationships, roles and resulting risks. The objectives of this study were to investigate BIM adoption in Nairobi and to investigate the influence of BIM on Engineering Contract Management (ECM)</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> in Nairobi Kenya</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">. The survey research was a descriptive study with 175 responsive questionnaires. Respondents comprised of Civil Engineers, Construction Project Managers, Architects, Quantity Surveyors, Contractors and Facility Managers. Data was collected through self-administered questionnaire and in-depth interview. Descriptive analytics, correlation and Exploratory factor analysis methods were used to analyse quantitative data. Qualitative data was analysed thematically. It emerged that adoption level was at 56.6% and shallow understanding of BIM capabilities remains to be a barrier to its adoption and implementation. It also emerged that BIM improves ECM;when time, cost, quality, collaboration and return on investment improve, ECM becomes easier. Latent factors found in BIM and ECM relationship were Legal Implications, awareness and knowledge, efficiency, versatility, mandate and leadership, and competitiveness. Further, the study found out that BIM influence on ECM demands for establishment of standards, guidelines, policy, legal framework, and regulations, which can be achieved by amending the public procurement act which dictates the operation of all the other standard forms of contract. Further research should be conducted to measure whether the understanding of BIM had positively improved.展开更多
AIM To investigate the mechanisms underlying the potential contribution of the heme oxygenase/carbon monoxide(HO/CO) pathway in the constipating effects of granisetron. METHODS For in vivo studies, gastrointestinal mo...AIM To investigate the mechanisms underlying the potential contribution of the heme oxygenase/carbon monoxide(HO/CO) pathway in the constipating effects of granisetron. METHODS For in vivo studies, gastrointestinal motility was evaluated in male rats acutely treated with granisetron [25, 50, 75 μg/kg/subcutaneous(sc)], zinc protoporphyrin IX [Zn PPIX, 50 μg/kg/intraperitoneal(ip)] and hemin(50 μmol/L/kg/ip), alone or in combination. For in vitro studies, the contractile neurogenic response to electrical field stimulation(EFS, 3, 5, 10 Hz, 14 V, 1 ms, pulse trains lasting 10 s), as well as the contractile myogenic response to acetylcholine(ACh, 0.1-100 μmol/L) were evaluated on colon specimens incubated with granisetron(3 μmol/L, 15 min), Zn PPIX(10 μmol/L, 60 min) or CO-releasing molecule-3(CORM-3, 100, 200, 400 μmol/L) alone or in combination. These experiments were performed under co-treatment withor without atropine(3 μmol/L, a muscarinic receptor antagonist) or NG-nitro-L-Arginine(L-NNA, 100 μmol/L, a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor).RESULTS Administration of granisetron(50, 75 μg/kg) in vivo significantly increased the time to first defecation(P = 0.045 vs vehicle-treated rats), clearly suggesting a constipating effect of this drug. Although administration of Zn PPIX or hemin alone had no effect on this gastrointestinal motility parameter, Zn PPIX co-administered with granisetron abolished the granisetron-induced constipation. On the other hand, co-administration of hemin and granisetron did not modify the increased constipation observed under granisetron alone. When administered in vitro, granisetron alone(3 μmol/L) did not significantly modify the colon's contractile response to either EFS or ACh. Incubation with Zn PPIX alone(10 μmol/L) significantly reduced the colon's contractile response to EFS(P = 0.016) but had no effect on contractile response to ACh. Co-administration of Zn PPIX and atropine(3 μmol/L) abolished the Zn PPIX-mediated decrease in contractile response to EFS. Conversely, incubation with CORM-3(400 μmol/L) alone increased both the contractile response to EFS at 10 Hz(10 Hz: 71.02 ± 19.16 vs 116.25 ± 53.70, P = 0.01) and the contractile response to ACh(100 μmol/L)(P = 0.012). Co-administration of atropine abolished the CORM-3-mediated effects on the EFS-mediated response. When granisetron was co-incubated in vitro with ZnP PIX, the ZnP PIX-mediated decrease in colon contractile response to EFS was lost. On the other hand, co-incubation of granisetron and CORM-3(400 μmol/L) further increased the colon's contractile response to EFS(at 5 Hz: P = 0.007; at 10 Hz: P = 0.001) and to ACh(ACh 10 μmol/L: P = 0.001; ACh 100 μmol/L: P = 0.001) elicited by CORM-3 alone. L-NNA co-administered with granisetron and CORM-3 abolished the potentiating effect of CORM-3 on granisetron on both the EFSinduced and ACh-induced contractile response.CONCLUSION Taken together, findings from in vivo and in vitro studies suggest that the HO/CO pathway is involved in the constipating effects of granisetron.展开更多
足球合同违约不仅导致赔偿,还可能引发体育制裁。将此类由体育制裁引发的争议提交至国际体育仲裁院(Court of Arbitration for Sport,CAS),须将足球主管机构作为被诉方。在审查此类案件中,仲裁庭首先确认合同违约是否发生在保护期内;对...足球合同违约不仅导致赔偿,还可能引发体育制裁。将此类由体育制裁引发的争议提交至国际体育仲裁院(Court of Arbitration for Sport,CAS),须将足球主管机构作为被诉方。在审查此类案件中,仲裁庭首先确认合同违约是否发生在保护期内;对违约球员、违约俱乐部和诱导球员违约俱乐部施加的体育制裁不同,仲裁庭的审查要件和裁判标准也存在区别。在处理此类案件的过程中,CAS尊重足球主管机构在体育制裁方面的裁量权,同时确保这一裁量权的行使正当及在合理范围之内。展开更多
surveys the evolution of the contract system of 'responsibility linked to production' in the cooperative economy of China’s socialist agricultural sector and makes a critical analysis of the old model in whic...surveys the evolution of the contract system of 'responsibility linked to production' in the cooperative economy of China’s socialist agricultural sector and makes a critical analysis of the old model in which labor was deployed in a concentrated way and remuneration paid according to workpoints. He thereby brings to light two specific characteristics of China’s agriculture—the scattered and independent nature of the labor and the unified control and coordination over the process of production by the combination of households—and the two requirements resulting from these. The author holds that the key to the economic nature of the 'contract system of responsibility linked to production' lies in two unique, often puzzling, economic phenomena in the cooperative economy under the system of collective ownership: 1. labor is carried out independently and in a decentralized manner; and 2. remuneration is not based on workpoints but is directly obtained by individuals according to the product. In the process of analyzing these two phenomena, the author differentiates the modes of labor and the relations of production, and clarifies the process of production of the rural contract system’s combination of centralization and decentralization, and the essence of the two-tiered policy. He also formulates the category of 'standard output' to describe a characteristic of the mode of distribution in the rural contract system, that is, the calculation of remuneration according to a standard output. The paper also discusses the rural economy and its development after the institution of the contract system of 'responsibility linked to production' but due to limited space this will be published in a later article.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(72003082 and 71573130)the Project of Philosophy and Social Science Research in Colleges and Universities in Jiangsu Province of China(2020SJA1015)+1 种基金the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions,China(PAPD)the China Center for Food Security Studies,Nanjing Agricultural University,China。
文摘Farmers’contract breach behavior is cited as one of the major stumbling blocks in the sustainable expansion of contract farming in many developing countries.This paper examines farmers’contract breach decisions from the perspective of time preferences.The empirical analysis is based on a household survey and economic field experiments of poultry households participating in contract farming conducted in Jiangsu Province,China.A discounted utility model and a maximum likelihood technique are applied to estimate farmers’time preferences and the effect of time preferences on contract breach in the production and sales phases are explored with a bivariate probit model.The results show that,on average,the poultry farmers in the sample are generally present biased and impatient regarding future utility.The regression results show that farmers with a higher preference for the present and a higher discount rate are more likely to breach contracts,and time preferences play a greater role in the production phase than in the sales phase.When considering heterogeneity,specific investments and transaction costs promote contract stability only for farmers with a low degree of impatience.Moreover,compared with large-scale farmers,small-scale farmers’contract breach decisions are more significantly affected by their time preferences.These results have implications for contract stability policies and other issues that are impacted by the linking of behavioral preferences to agricultural decisions.
基金Supported by Scientific Research Projects of College Students in Shandong Province:Reform of Rural Planting Structure in China since the Reform and Opening-up Based on an Oral Interview(18SSR021)
文摘Based on the oral interview of six different types of rural families in Houdian Village,Longkou City,Shandong Province,combined with the adjustment of rural reform policies,this paper analyzed reasons for the reform of rural planting structure in China since the reform and opening-up and elaborated the general outline of the reform of the planting structure.From the changes in farmers' attitudes,it explored the achievements and shortcomings of rural reform in the past 40 years.It discussed problems such as shortage of labor resources and vacancy of family education of teenagers in the current sustainable development of rural areas.Finally,it came up with some recommendations for the development of rural areas.
文摘Building Information Modelling (BIM) is a technology and a process that has brought changes in the construction’s traditional procurement system. Kenya lacks contractual guidelines on implementation of BIM;this makes the adoption of BIM slow and difficult. Previous research has identified a gap in contractual relationships, roles and resulting risks. The objectives of this study were to investigate BIM adoption in Nairobi and to investigate the influence of BIM on Engineering Contract Management (ECM)</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> in Nairobi Kenya</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">. The survey research was a descriptive study with 175 responsive questionnaires. Respondents comprised of Civil Engineers, Construction Project Managers, Architects, Quantity Surveyors, Contractors and Facility Managers. Data was collected through self-administered questionnaire and in-depth interview. Descriptive analytics, correlation and Exploratory factor analysis methods were used to analyse quantitative data. Qualitative data was analysed thematically. It emerged that adoption level was at 56.6% and shallow understanding of BIM capabilities remains to be a barrier to its adoption and implementation. It also emerged that BIM improves ECM;when time, cost, quality, collaboration and return on investment improve, ECM becomes easier. Latent factors found in BIM and ECM relationship were Legal Implications, awareness and knowledge, efficiency, versatility, mandate and leadership, and competitiveness. Further, the study found out that BIM influence on ECM demands for establishment of standards, guidelines, policy, legal framework, and regulations, which can be achieved by amending the public procurement act which dictates the operation of all the other standard forms of contract. Further research should be conducted to measure whether the understanding of BIM had positively improved.
基金Supported by Universitàdegli Studi di Bari,protocol No.10110 tit-VIII/2
文摘AIM To investigate the mechanisms underlying the potential contribution of the heme oxygenase/carbon monoxide(HO/CO) pathway in the constipating effects of granisetron. METHODS For in vivo studies, gastrointestinal motility was evaluated in male rats acutely treated with granisetron [25, 50, 75 μg/kg/subcutaneous(sc)], zinc protoporphyrin IX [Zn PPIX, 50 μg/kg/intraperitoneal(ip)] and hemin(50 μmol/L/kg/ip), alone or in combination. For in vitro studies, the contractile neurogenic response to electrical field stimulation(EFS, 3, 5, 10 Hz, 14 V, 1 ms, pulse trains lasting 10 s), as well as the contractile myogenic response to acetylcholine(ACh, 0.1-100 μmol/L) were evaluated on colon specimens incubated with granisetron(3 μmol/L, 15 min), Zn PPIX(10 μmol/L, 60 min) or CO-releasing molecule-3(CORM-3, 100, 200, 400 μmol/L) alone or in combination. These experiments were performed under co-treatment withor without atropine(3 μmol/L, a muscarinic receptor antagonist) or NG-nitro-L-Arginine(L-NNA, 100 μmol/L, a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor).RESULTS Administration of granisetron(50, 75 μg/kg) in vivo significantly increased the time to first defecation(P = 0.045 vs vehicle-treated rats), clearly suggesting a constipating effect of this drug. Although administration of Zn PPIX or hemin alone had no effect on this gastrointestinal motility parameter, Zn PPIX co-administered with granisetron abolished the granisetron-induced constipation. On the other hand, co-administration of hemin and granisetron did not modify the increased constipation observed under granisetron alone. When administered in vitro, granisetron alone(3 μmol/L) did not significantly modify the colon's contractile response to either EFS or ACh. Incubation with Zn PPIX alone(10 μmol/L) significantly reduced the colon's contractile response to EFS(P = 0.016) but had no effect on contractile response to ACh. Co-administration of Zn PPIX and atropine(3 μmol/L) abolished the Zn PPIX-mediated decrease in contractile response to EFS. Conversely, incubation with CORM-3(400 μmol/L) alone increased both the contractile response to EFS at 10 Hz(10 Hz: 71.02 ± 19.16 vs 116.25 ± 53.70, P = 0.01) and the contractile response to ACh(100 μmol/L)(P = 0.012). Co-administration of atropine abolished the CORM-3-mediated effects on the EFS-mediated response. When granisetron was co-incubated in vitro with ZnP PIX, the ZnP PIX-mediated decrease in colon contractile response to EFS was lost. On the other hand, co-incubation of granisetron and CORM-3(400 μmol/L) further increased the colon's contractile response to EFS(at 5 Hz: P = 0.007; at 10 Hz: P = 0.001) and to ACh(ACh 10 μmol/L: P = 0.001; ACh 100 μmol/L: P = 0.001) elicited by CORM-3 alone. L-NNA co-administered with granisetron and CORM-3 abolished the potentiating effect of CORM-3 on granisetron on both the EFSinduced and ACh-induced contractile response.CONCLUSION Taken together, findings from in vivo and in vitro studies suggest that the HO/CO pathway is involved in the constipating effects of granisetron.
文摘足球合同违约不仅导致赔偿,还可能引发体育制裁。将此类由体育制裁引发的争议提交至国际体育仲裁院(Court of Arbitration for Sport,CAS),须将足球主管机构作为被诉方。在审查此类案件中,仲裁庭首先确认合同违约是否发生在保护期内;对违约球员、违约俱乐部和诱导球员违约俱乐部施加的体育制裁不同,仲裁庭的审查要件和裁判标准也存在区别。在处理此类案件的过程中,CAS尊重足球主管机构在体育制裁方面的裁量权,同时确保这一裁量权的行使正当及在合理范围之内。
文摘surveys the evolution of the contract system of 'responsibility linked to production' in the cooperative economy of China’s socialist agricultural sector and makes a critical analysis of the old model in which labor was deployed in a concentrated way and remuneration paid according to workpoints. He thereby brings to light two specific characteristics of China’s agriculture—the scattered and independent nature of the labor and the unified control and coordination over the process of production by the combination of households—and the two requirements resulting from these. The author holds that the key to the economic nature of the 'contract system of responsibility linked to production' lies in two unique, often puzzling, economic phenomena in the cooperative economy under the system of collective ownership: 1. labor is carried out independently and in a decentralized manner; and 2. remuneration is not based on workpoints but is directly obtained by individuals according to the product. In the process of analyzing these two phenomena, the author differentiates the modes of labor and the relations of production, and clarifies the process of production of the rural contract system’s combination of centralization and decentralization, and the essence of the two-tiered policy. He also formulates the category of 'standard output' to describe a characteristic of the mode of distribution in the rural contract system, that is, the calculation of remuneration according to a standard output. The paper also discusses the rural economy and its development after the institution of the contract system of 'responsibility linked to production' but due to limited space this will be published in a later article.
