Natural Behavior, Animal Rights, or Making Money – A Study of Swedish Organic Farmers' View of Animal Issues

A questionnaire study was performed among Swedish organic livestock farmers to determine their view of animal welfare and other ethical issues in animal production. The questionnaire was sent to 56.5% of the target group and the response rate was 75.6%. A principal components analysis (exploratory factor analysis) was performed to get a more manageable data set. A matrix of intercorrelations between all pairs of factors was computed. The factors were then entered into a series of multiple regression models to explain five dependent variables. Respondents were well educated and had long experience of farming. 81% were full-time farmers. They generally had a very positive attitude towards organic animal husbandry. They considered allowing animals their natural behavior a central aim, which is in accordance with organic philosophy. Farmers tended to be less approving of concepts like animal rights, dignity, and intrinsic value. When analyzing correlations between the factors, two groups of farmers emerged that were only partially correlated, representing different attitudes and behavioral dispositions. These may be interpreted as two subpopulations of organic livestock farmers in Sweden: those who saw organic farming as a lifestyle (``pioneer attitude') and entrepreneurs, who considered making money and new challenges more important. Their view of animal welfare differed. While the pioneers considered natural behavior a key issue, this was less important to the entrepreneurs, who also had a more approving attitude towards invasive operations such as castration and were more critical of the organic standards.     

Backgrounds of students of behavior in relation to their attitude toward animal well-being

Knowledge of the backgrounds of students of behaviour working in the field of applied animal behavior science may help us to recognize their influence on conclusions reached in a particular study and on more general points of view. This recognition may result in a speed up of the progress in this science, to the benefit of science and animals. Some types are: (1) Eco-ethologists (ethologists of the hunters-type). They like to stalk healthy wild animals in their natural environment. They are less interested in the abnormal behavior of domestic animals under husbandry circumstances. (2) Behaviorists. These are psychologists that still think in a man-animal dichotomy. They are not interested in animals for their own sake but as models for human behavior. (3) Behavior physiologists. These biologists are not primarily interested in behavior. Because of the type of experiments they perform they have an aversity against animal protectionists. (4) Ethologists of the farmers type. These ethologists want to posses animals, collect animal species, take care of them and breed them. They are able to speak on approximately the same wavelength as farmers as well as animal protectionists. (5) Zootechnicians of the farmers type. These scientists want to make a living out of animals and like to take care for them. They are also able to speak at approximately the same wavelength as farmers and animal protectionists.     

Sustainable Food Consumption: Exploring the Consumer “Attitude – Behavioral Intention” Gap

Although public interest in sustainability increases and consumer attitudes are mainly positive, behavioral patterns are not univocally consistent with attitudes. This study investigates the presumed gap between favorable attitude towards sustainable behavior and behavioral intention to purchase sustainable food products. The impact of involvement, perceived availability, certainty, perceived consumer effectiveness (PCE), values, and social norms on consumers’ attitudes and intentions towards sustainable food products is analyzed. The empirical research builds on a survey with a sample of 456 young consumers, using a questionnaire and an experimental design with manipulation of key constructs through showing advertisements for sustainable dairy. Involvement with sustainability, certainty, and PCE have a significant positive impact on attitude towards buying sustainable dairy products, which in turn correlates strongly with intention to buy. Low perceived availability of sustainable products explains why intentions to buy remain low, although attitudes might be positive. On the reverse side, experiencing social pressure from peers (social norm) explains intentions to buy, despite rather negative personal attitudes. This study shows that more sustainable and ethical food consumption can be stimulated through raising involvement, PCE, certainty, social norms, and perceived availability.     

基于计划行为理论的侵犯驾驶行为研究

从社会心理学的角度,通过问卷调查的方式,对驾驶员侵犯驾驶行为的产生动机进行分析;基于计划行为理论,研究构建了能揭示驾驶态度与行为关系的理论模型,并得出驾驶员对侵犯驾驶行为的态度、主观标准、知觉行为可控性等心理因素,通过行为意向的中介作用,对驾驶员实施侵犯驾驶行为具有预测作用的结论。同时,提出了从态度改变、建立社会支持体系、提高驾驶员的自我能力评估等方面入手对驾驶员侵犯驾驶行为进行矫正的策略。     

Spatial relationships between alcohol outlet densities and drunk driving crashes: An empirical study of Tianjin in China

Introduction: Numerous studies have demonstrated the close relationship between alcohol availability and alcohol-related crashes. However, there is still a lack of spatial empirical analysis regarding this relationship, particularly in large cities of developing countries. Differences in alcohol outlets and drinking patterns in these cities may lead to quite different patterns of crash outcomes. Method: 3356 alcohol-related crashes were collected from the blood-alcohol test report of a forensic institution in Tianjin, China. Density of alcohol outlets such as retail locations, entertainment venues, restaurants, hotels, and companies were extracted based on 2114 Traffic Analysis Zones (TAZ) together with the residential and demographic characteristics. After applying the exploratory spatial data analysis, this research developed and compared the traditional Ordinary Least Square model (OLS), Spatial Lag Model (SLM), Spatial Error Model (SEM) and Spatial Durbin Model (SDM) to explore spatial effects of all the variables. Results: The results of incremental spatial autocorrelation show that the most significant distance threshold of alcohol-related roadway traffic crashes is 3 km. The SDM is found to be the optimal spatial model to characterize the relationship between alcohol outlets and crashes. The number of alcohol-involved traffic crashes is positively related to population density and retail density, but negatively related to the company density, hotel density, and residential density within the same TAZ. Meanwhile, dense population and hotels have reverse spillover effects in adjacent zones. Conclusions: The significant spatial direct effect and spillover effect of alcohol outlet densities on drunk driving crashes should not be neglected. These findings could help improve transportation planning, traffic law enforcement and traffic management for large cities in developing countries.     

Knowledge,attitudes, and behaviors related to child safety restraint in citizens of Shenzhen Municipality,China, and the associations between these factors

Objective: A child safety restraint (CSR) is an effective measure to reduce the risk of child injury from traffic collisions. This study aims to explore knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding CSRs in a Chinese population.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey regarding CSR use was conducted from April to May 2014 in Shenzhen municipality. Respondents were parents who had at least one child 0 to 6 years of age and owned a car. These parents provided a self-report of demographic characteristics as well as information about their knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors toward CSR use.

Results: Most respondents had a fair level of knowledge about CSRs, with higher mean knowledge scores demonstrated among the respondents who were male, had an advanced degree, had a higher income, owned an expensive car, had an older child, drove frequently with children, and routinely drove greater distances with children. In addition, most respondents had a more positive attitude toward CSR use, with a higher mean attitude score among those who had an advanced degree, owned an expensive car, drove frequently with children, and routinely drove greater distances with children. However, some myths regarding CSR use also existed (e.g., parents can effectively protect their children in a car collision by holding them, they are not required to purchase the CSR for child safety if there is no mandatory provision by law, among others). Among 3,768 respondents who had at least one child and a car, 27.8% (1,047) had a CSR and 22.9% (864) used the CSR. A logistic regression model showed the likelihood of CSR ownership to be higher if respondents drove frequently or greater distances and was dependent on both the education level of the respondents and the age of the children. The frequency of CSR use increased as the age of children decreased (P = .0274). Respondents who owned a CSR and those who frequently used CSRs had higher mean knowledge and mean attitude scores.

Conclusions: This observational study found that although the majority of respondents had fair levels of knowledge and positive attitudes, they had lower rates of CSR ownership and use. Therefore, efforts at developing opportunities to expand public awareness of CSR use should be made to improve child passenger safety practices and eliminate child injury caused by traffic collisions.     

低负荷掺烟对燃煤锅炉NO_X生成及SCR脱硝控制的研究

以某2×330 MW亚临界燃煤锅炉为研究对象,应用数值模拟研究了低负荷下两种一次风掺烟烟气再循环方案对炉内煤粉燃烧以及NOX生成规律的影响,耦合锅炉热力计算研究了SCR入口烟温的变化规律。计算结果表明,合理掺烟方式以及掺烟比能有效降低炉膛出口NOX浓度,提高SCR入口烟温,但掺烟比例过大会影响炉内煤粉正常燃烧;较优的掺烟方案为一次风掺烟20%,同时维持空气量不变,此时炉膛出口NOX排放质量浓度降低了18.29 mg/m3,SCR入口烟温提高了15℃。采用一次风掺烟能有效控制低负荷下锅炉NO_x生成及烟气中的排放。     

Running Out of Water! Developing a Message Typology and Evaluating Message Effects on Attitude Toward Water Conservation

In three phases, this study identifies and evaluates the major messages being used in communication campaigns focused on the ongoing drought in California. A literature review in Phase 1 resulted in a typology of 12 message strategies. Following this typology, trained coders in Phase 2 evaluated water conservation messages (N?=?100) to determine whether each message utilized one or multiple strategies. The results revealed various frequencies of strategy application; and a correlational analysis rendered a pattern of strategy use in combinations. Phase 3 focused on a controlled message experiment applying the three most relevant strategies: conservation tips, loss aversion, and evidence of drought. Analysing data sampled from California residents (N?=?180), conservation messages, regardless of the strategy, led to attitude change in a negative direction. Additional analyses revealed interesting patterns of combinatorial strategy effects. The results call for a re-examination of message strategies as they may lead to several unfavourable outcomes.     

Land degradation a matter of attitude? A case study from southern Transylvania (Romania)

A better public perception and knowledge on land degradation increases the individual and collective responsibility in land use and land management. Based on interviews, this paper presents results of evaluation of public perception and attitude towards degrading phenomena in the central part of Romania, an area prone to geomorphologic processes, with different land uses and a high proportion of degraded land. The research reveals natural causes, improper land use, categories of land owned, socio-economic causes and involvement of institutions as key aspects of public perception. Our research could be useful in the identification and design of measures in regional planning to attract population in prevention, mitigation and rehabilitation actions on degraded land.     

控制排水条件下土壤氮素的运移

为研究暗管控制排水与非控制排水条件下, 不同排水出口控制高度对土壤中氮素分布和迁移的影响, 在湖北省荆州市四湖工程管理局丫角排灌试验站进行了野外试验。试验结果表明, 无论采取控制排水与否, 土壤垂直剖面上硝态氮浓度均有一致的变化规律： 20 cm处浓度最高, 在40~60 cm浓度急剧减小, 60~80 cm浓度值很小（1 mg/kg左右）; 控制排水对土壤硝态氮的减小率有显著影响, 表现在控制水位越高, 土层间硝态氮减小率最大; 控制排水能降低表层土壤硝态氮的迁移; 铵态氮与硝态氮迥然不同, 无论采取控制排水与否, 铵态氮在土壤垂直剖面上的含量变化不大; 控制排水对铵态氮的含量也有一定的影响, 表现在控制排水位越低, 土壤中铵态氮的含量越小.