The Impact of Changes of Property Rights on Farmland Use:An Empirical Study of China during Transition

In China, farmland property rights characterized by the household-responsibility system (HRS) have been improved since the reform and opening-up. The rights of use, transfer and gain become more stable, authorized and complete. This paper firstly analyzes the impact on farmland productivity, which comes from the improvement of farmland property rights. Then, an economet- ric model is built to test the above analysis. It concludes that changes of property rights will affect farmland performance in China. In the end, some policy implications are explored for fur- ther reforms.

The Application of Remote Sensing Monitoring Method and Groundwater Model for Water Rights Management in Haihe River basin

Groundwater is an important water resource in Haihe River basin,North China.The number of aquifers that appear to be declining under conditions of groundwater overdraft is increasing.To effectively manage the water resources,there is a strong scientific need to analyze the net use of this important water resource and to quantify the water rights allocation for improved understanding of the future water

Relations between Environmental Right for Citizens and the Right to Use Environmental Resources owned by Company and Enterprise

From angles of administrative law and private law, the article analyzes relations between environmental right for citizens and the right to use environmental resources owned by company and enterprise and points out three principles to balancing two relations: A principle of equal protection, a principle that general interest is superior to special interest as well as taking an account for special interest, in specific circumstances, for example, in the circumstance that clashes between environmental and economic interests can not be avoided, policy makers can put an emphasis on more important social interest according after considering weight of each interest. Finally, the article reaches a conclusion that China should establish system of environmental right for citizens from legislative and administrative levels so that a harmonious society can be constructed with guarantee.

Right ventricular pacing: the best site is yet to be defined

The right ventricular (RV) apex is the traditional site to provide stable and reliable chronic ventricular pacing. Interest in alternate site pacing has grown since RV apical pacing has been associated with increased mortality and morbidity compared to normal atrio-ventricular conduction. 1-4 Alternate pacing sites include the RV septum and outflow tract.

Recent Advances on the Technologies to Increase Fertilizer Use Efficiency

To increase fertilizer use efficiency （FUE） and to minimize its negative impact on environment have been the focal points in the world for a long time. It is very important to increase FUE in China for its relatively low FUE and serious losses of nutrients. Recent advances of the technologies to increase FUE are reviewed in this article. These include site-specific and real-time nitrogen management, non-destructive quick test of the nitrogen status of plants, new types of slow release and controlled release fertilizers, site-specific nutrient management, and use of urease inhibitor and nitrification inhibitor to decrease nitrogen losses. Future outlook in technologies related to FUE improvement is also discussed.

Implantation of Lumenless Pacing Leads at the Inter-atrial Septum and Right Ventricular Outflow Tract with Deflectable Catheter-sheath

Current permanent right ventricular and right atrial endocardial pacing leads are implanted utilizing a central lumen stylet. Right ventricular apex pacing initiates an abnormal asynchronous electrical activation pattern, which results in asynchronous ventricular contraction and relaxation. When pacing from right atrial appendage, the conduction time between two atria will be prolonged, which results in heterogeneity for both depolarization and repolarization. Six patients with Class Ⅰ indication for permanent pacing were implanted with either single chamber or dual chamber pacemaker. The SelectSecure 3830 4-French （Fr） lumenless lead and the SelectSite C304 8.5-Fr steerable catheter-sheath （Medtronic Inc., USA） were used. Pre-selected pacing sites included inter-atrial septum and right ventricular outflow tract, which were defined by ECG and fluoroscopic criteria. All the implanting procedures were successful without complication. Testing results （mean atrial pacing threshold： 0.87 V; mean P wave amplitude： 2.28 mV; mean ventricular pacing threshold： 0.53V; mean R wave amplitude： 8.75 mV） were satisfactory. It is concluded that implantation of a 4-Fr lumenless pacing lead by using a streerable catheter-sheath to achieve inter-atrial septum or right ventricular outflow tract pacing is safe and feasible.

Heritage Corridor Construction:New Idea for Protection of Heritage along the Right Bank of the Yalu River

This paper analyzed feasibility,mode,and significance of heritage corridor construction along the right bank of the Yalu River.It stated that the region along the right bank of the Yalu River conforms to characteristics of heritage corridor and is suitable for heritage corridor theory.For Liaoning and Jilin provinces integrating their tourism into the One Belt and One Road strategy,and promoting harmonious use of regional tourist resources,vigorous development of tourism,and targeted poverty alleviation through tourism,the heritage corridor construction is of profound significance.

Timberland Investing and Private Property Rights in the United States of America

Investments in rural land for agriculture, timber, and other natural resource purposes occur frequently and globally. Fundamental principles of liberty and property found in the United States of America’s (“US”) legal system, from its origins to recent US Supreme Court decisions, continue to positively benefit holders of real estate in the Southern US, through a deep-rooted public policy of supporting private property rights and rural economic development. This stable rule of law enhances the long-term adaptability and sustainability of timberland as an asset class. This article is a commentary. It combines legal research methodology with the observations and conclusions of the authors. Its purpose is to demonstrate that the existence of alienable, documentable ownership, and related property rights create inherent stability and security. These principles form the basis of a culture that is defined by the rule of law and is “open for business.” This business mindset is particularly prevalent in the Southern US.

Interpretation of the Marrakesh Treaty Based on the Human Rights Model of Disability

The Marrakesh Treaty is,in essence,a human rights treaty.The interpretation and implementation of the treaty cannot be separate from the view on the persons with disabilities from the perspective of human rights.Based on this view,the interpretation of the treaty should reflect its value of promoting equality,instead of granting privileges to the persons with disabilities.During its implementation,it should be forbidden to aggravate the social alienation of the persons with disabilities by making excessive stipulations.Taking the implementation of the treaty as an opportunity,promoting the transformation of the view on the persons with disabilities from the individual model to the human rights model and facilitating the concept of“building the intangible accessible environment”can maximize the significance of the treaty.

Effect of a program to control perioperative blood glucose on the incidence of nosocomial infections in patients with diabetes: A pilot study

Aim: To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of a pilot program to control perioperative blood glucose in patients with diabetes. Methods: A pre-post intervention study was conducted in a 280-bed hospital in Spain. In the year 2008 we implemented perioperative insulin protocols aimed at blood glucose values from 80 to 180 mg/dL. Surgical patients with diabetes admitted on year 2009 (intervention group) were compared with a control group of patients with diabetes admitted for surgery on year 2007, matched 1:1 by traditional wound class. Results: We analyzed 96 patients. Implemented protocols were followed in 48% of patients intra-operatively and 75% of patients postoperatively. Patients in the intervention group had reductions in blood glucose at surgery 150 +/- 61 mg/dL vs. 172 +/- 53 mg/dL;p = 0.05), greater proportion of target glucose values throughout hospitalization (67% vs. 55%;p = 0.07), and reductions in the incidence of nosocomial infections after controlling for confounders (Odds Ratio: 0.20;95% Confidence intervals: 0.06 - 0.72;p = 0.014) when they were compared with the control group: The incidence of hypoglycemia was similar between two groups (0.12% vs. 0.10%, p = 0.867), respectively. Conclusion: Although our protocol needs improvements to increase implementation it was useful to control blood glucose safely and for reducing nosocomial infections.

The features of soil erosion and soil leakage in karst peak-cluster areas of Southwest China

Through utilizing water flow monitoring, rock scratching, soil wood piles and radionuclide ^(137)Cs tracing in the Longhe karst ecological experimental site(hereinafter referred to"Longhe site"), Pingguo County, Guangxi Province, the features and values of soil erosion and soil leakage in different geomorphologic locations and land uses in the karst peak-cluster depressions are showed clearly. There are four kinds of geomorphologic locations in the karst peak-cluster depression, namely peaks, strip, slopes and depression. The soil leakage modulus in the peaks and strips respectively occupy 92.43% and 96.24% of the total mean soil erosion modulus at experimental sites. On the slope, soil leakage accounted for about 75%. At the bottom of depression, surface water was the main factor of soil erosion, and at last most soil leaked into underground rivers from sinkholes. The total soil erosion modulus and the contribution rates of relative surface soil erosion in regard of peaks, slopes and depressions gradually increased. There are also five major types of land use in the karst peak-cluster depressions, farmland, Kudingcha tea plantations, young Lignum Sappan fields, shrub-grassland and pastures. The soil erosion modulus of slope farmland has the highest value with an increasing trend year by year. But soil erosion modulus of other four land use types decreased by year, which shows the "grain for green" will result in better soil protection. By handling with rocky desertification and ecological rehabilitation in Longhe site, the mean soil erosion modulus of the karst peak-cluster depression has decreased about 80% from 2003 to 2015.

The Implementation Mode of No-Fly Zones in International Relations

A No-Fly Zone(NFZ)is a unique mode of humanitarian intervention which is understudied in international relations.This article focuses on the political dimension of NFZs in international relations and investigates their implementations by empirically reviewing all three cases of NFZs to date.There may be efforts by intervening states to highlight humanitarian crises among certain targets to secure UN authorization for the NFZs;yet the implementation of NFZs is also driven largely by the security interests of enforcing states.As a result,there is the potential for those states implementing NFZs to transcend legal authorization and sometimes use excessive force,with likely calamitous results for local populations,or in extreme cases,accomplishing regime change by supporting opposition parties in target states.

The Influence of Memetic Primers in Online Comments in Video Game Blogs

Through investigating a particular blog, several factors were found which have significant influence on reader actions. This study uses the term “memetic primers” for those styles that most often cause readers to take notice of a particular comment, remember information included in it, and take action. The memetic primers were derived in a discourse analysis. The study discovered the memetic primers using logic-of-inquire approach to the online comments. While evidence indicated that the usefulness of some primers was low, it emerged those negatively written comments where the most common impact on a comment’s volume.

The Implementation of the Marrakesh Treaty in China:Theoretical Disputes and Institutional Arrangements

The Marrakesh Treaty is an international treaty specifically concluded by the World Intellectual Property organization(WIPo)to address the“book famine”for people who are blind,visually impaired,or otherwise print disabled.It uses the tools of copyright law and policy for the purpose of human rights.Prior to the conclusion of the Marrakesh Treaty,the international intellectual property treaties were all focused on intellectual property protection and the higher level of protection.The Marrakesh Treaty is the first international intellectual property treaty to highlight the limitation and exceptions of rights and explicitly use human rights discourse.There were some theoretical disputes during the negotiation of the Marrakesh Treaty,mainly because the international community failed to reach a consensus on such basic theoretical issues as the relationship between copyright and human rights and the legal nature of the Marrakesh Treaty.When implementing the Marrakesh Treaty in domestic law,China should face theoretical disputes,coordinate the protection of copyright and the promotion of human rights on the basis of its national conditions,and make corresponding institutional arrangements.

Developing the Commons: Models of Rural Land Trust in China

In recent years,experiments on land trusts(xin tuo)have been made in the rural areas of China.To better understand such practice,this research identifies four case studies based on their operational structures and divides them into government-led models and market-led models.The government-led models include the Yiyang Model in Hunan Province,and the Longgang Model in Hubei Province.The market-led models include the Suzhou Model in Anhui Province,and the Golden Field Series Model in Jiangsu Province.This paper compares their profit-sharing mechanisms with specific attention given to the incentives for the villagers.Findings suggest that the villagers’profits are limited in both models.The government-led models concern less about profits but more on reusing the desolated agricultural land.The market-led models are profit-driven therefore tend to exclude the villagers from the profit-sharing process.

Geospatial Analysis of Environmental and Safety Risks of Railways on Vulnerable Land Users in Point Douglas and St. Boniface Communities in Winnipeg, Canada

Train rails are associated with environmental and safety risks, often concentrating industry near their yards and rails. ArcGIS was applied to map the rail network, land uses, and industrial sites in Point Douglas and St. Boniface in Winnipeg, Canada. We identified 123 land uses with vulnerable populations needing assistance in evacuation from hospitals, senior living facilities, schools and early childhood centres within a buffer of two km of the rails and conducted hotspot analysis. About two-fifths of the total population, 39% in Point Douglas and 40% in St. Boniface, are at risk from fire, spill or train derailment involving dangerous goods and requiring evacuations or isolation.

Discussion on Registration Validity Doctrine of Housing Land Use Right

Relationship between the registration and right change of housing land use right is not clearly stipulated in the Property Law. Land registration involves functions of private law and public law. It is partial to only considering private rights dimension when deciding whether registration validity doctrine or registration confrontation doctrine should be implemented in housing land use right. Compilation of land use planning, implementation of land use control and promotion of arrangement project in rural residential area all rely on sound and complete housing land registration data. To clarify housing land right adscription, eliminate hidden troubles causing housing land dispute and promote the establishment of harmonious countryside can never be achieved without housing land registration data. To carry out registration validity doctrine of housing land use right can effectively guide farmers' registration behavior and thus build a perfect registration information system of housing land use right. After the cross-village and even cross-town arrangement in rural residential areas, rural acquaintance society has transformed into semi-acquaintance society and even stranger society. Therefore, housing land use right commending its existence with registration in public form has been a necessary choice in legislation.

Study on Circulation and Management of Rural Land Use Right

Currently,agriculture and rural economy have entered a new development stage. According to market demands and comparative advantages of regional resources,strategic adjustment of agricultural structure and realizing transformation from traditional agriculture to modern agriculture have become primary tasks. Land is the essential element of agricultural production,making innovation upon rural land use system and establishing flexible and effective land circulation system concern efficiency and optimization of agricultural resource allocation and development of rural element market. With more and more farmers engaged in secondary and tertiary industries,land left by those farmers is circulated to those farmers willing to do farming. Rural land circulation is inevitable trend of economic and social development,but it is a progressive process. To realize smooth rural land circulation,there must be standardized system.

Wood use and forest management by Neolithic millet farmers at the Xinglong site,northern China

The origin and development of agriculture and its relationship with climate change are hotly debated topics among environmental archaeologists.In this study,we analyzed wood charcoal materials from the Neolithic Xinglong site in northern China in order to understand the woody vegetation around the site and how early millet farmers shaped local woodlands.Our results suggest that the area around the Xinglong sites during 8700-7000 yr BP was primarily woodlands,including Prunus sibirica shrubs,Ulmus and Acer forests,and Populus stands near waterways.From 8000 to 7000 yr BP,the warm and humid climate probably contributed to the expansion of Acer,Rhamnus,and Juniperus,and may have facilitated the development of early millet agriculture.Among these ancient wood fragments that we studied,the high percent of Prunus charcoal appears to indicate an abundance of fruit trees,which might have constituted the main component of local vegetation.Meanwhile,the wood taxa illustrate the existence of a variety of ecological habitats,and it is logical to assume that people made full use of the locally available wood resources.Notably,Populus and Ulmus were the dominant sources of fuel.The results of tree-ring curvature analyses indicate that people mainly collected trunks or large branches of Ulmus,Populus,Acer,and Juniperus timbers.We interpret the increasing use of Prunus twigs and the declining percentage of Prunus charcoal in the period between 8000-7000 yr BP as indicating that people started to protect and manage wild fruit trees.They may have started pruning to acquire more food resources as part of the cultural responses and adaptation strategies employed by these early millet cultivators.