Ethical Tools to Support Systematic Public Deliberations about the Ethical Aspects of Agricultural Biotechnologies

This special issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics presents so-called ethical tools that are developed to support systematic public deliberations about the ethical aspects of agricultural biotechnologies. This paper firstly clarifies the intended connotations of the term “ethical tools” and argues that such tools can support liberal democracies to cope with the issues that are raised by the application of genetic modification and other modern biotechnologies in agriculture and food production. The paper secondly characterizes the societal discussion on agricultural biotechnology and defends the thesis that normative perspectives fuel this discussion, so one cannot come to grips with this discussion if one neglects these perspectives. The paper thirdly agrues that no such thing exists as “one” societal debate in which these issues should be discussed. There are several interwined debates, and different actors participate in different discourses. Some practical instruments are necessary in order to include the right issues in these debates. These instruments will be coined as “ethical tools,” since they are practical instruments that can be used (tools) in order to support debates and deliberative structures for a systematic engagement with ethical issues (hence, ethical tools). Finally, the paper clarifies the ethics of these ethical tools and presents the tools as discussed in the remainder of this special issue: 1) tools to include ethical issues in public consulation and involvement; 2) tools to support systematic reflection upon ethical issues in decision-making; and 3) tools to support explicit communication about values in the food chain.     

甘肃省冬春季人工增雨雪作业指挥系统

为了提高甘肃省人工增雨雪的水平和效果，准确、及时地把握作业气象条件，使人工增雨雪在抗旱减灾中取得更好的社会、经济效益，研制建立了“甘肃省冬春季人工增雨雪作业指挥系统”。该系统包括作业信息系统、作业指挥系统和效果检查系统共3个分系统。详细介绍了各分系统的组成和功能。     

GIS在城市防震减灾应急决策中的应用

将地理信息系统（ＧＩＳ）技术应用于城市防震减灾工作,建立了“上海市防震减灾应争决策信息系统（宝山试点区）”。介绍了该系统的组成及各功能模块的结构和作用,并重点分析了系统的核心模块：地震灾害快速评估子系统和地震应急决策信息子系统。     

Standardising and mapping open-source information for crisis regions: the case of post-conflict Iraq

Painting an accurate picture of the situation on the ground in countries in crisis is vital for the efficiency of humanitarian aid and reconstruction agencies. This study describes a method for standardising and mapping the plethora of open-source information. The test site for the study is post-conflict Iraq. Important information on aid distribution, reconstruction and security in Iraq can be derived from the reports of humanitarian aid agencies and the media, before being formatted, inserted into a database and mapped. The product is a visual, cartographic structure of otherwise random information, showing which organisations are working in the country, which thematic and geographic areas are being prioritized in the field, and which areas most frequently experience security events. This type of mapping not only highlights the overall working environment within different parts of the country, but it may also serve as a decision-making tool for donors and humanitarian aid agencies planning to deploy personnel.     

促进我国企业安全投入的对策

针对目前我国企业安全投入普遍偏少的现状,从企业目标出发,分析得出了影响企业目标的主要途径,即企业内部优化决策、企业之间生产竞争和引进高素质人才。并由主要途径分析安全投入对企业经济决策的影响,得出目前我国企业不积极进行安全投入的3点要因:由于企业决策者主观判断失误而导致的降低安全投入;企业为取得同行业之间的竞争先机,愿意冒险降低安全投入;由于企业安全生产状况信息的不透明,容易导致应聘者根据企业的规模、市场占有率、员工待遇等透明信息来判断企业安全生产状况,而导致安全投入少的企业易引进高素质人才。针对分析得出的结论,提出了一系列相应的对策措施,以改善我国的安全生产投入状况。     

大庆油田分布式防震减灾信息和辅助决策系统——系统框架研究

简要论述了国内外防震减灾信息和辅助决策系统的发展状况。以大庆油田防震减灾信息和辅助决策系统为基础，详细探讨了分布式防震减灾系统的框架研究，包括ArcIMS的应用、系统框架的二次开发、数据库的远程连接和调用和系统框架的集成等。同时阐述了分布式网络GIS已经成为防震减灾信息和辅助决策系统建设的一个重要发展方向和它的应用价值。     

A NONLINEAR PROGRAMMING ALGORITHM FOR REAL-TIME HOURLY RESERVOIR OPERATIONS1

ABSTRACT: The optimization of real-time operations for a single reservoir system is studied. The objective is to maximize the sum of hourly power generation over a period of one day subject to constraints of hourly power schedules, daily flow requirement for water supply and other purposes, and the limitations of the facilities. The problem has a nonlinear concave objective function with nonlinear concave and linear constraints. Nonlinear Duality Theorems and Lagrangian Procedures are applied to solve the problem where the minimization of the Lagrangian is carried out by a modified gradient projection technique along with an optimal stepsize determination routine. The dimension of the problem in terms of the number of variables and constraints is reduced by eliminating the 24 continuity equations with a special implicit routine. A numerical example is presented using data provided by the Bureau of Reclamation, Sacramento, California.     

青藏铁路决策的战略环境影响识别

本文在对青藏铁路决策进行分析的基础上,论述了对青藏铁路决策进行战略环境影响识别的必要性,探讨了青藏铁路施工期和运营期的环境影响,并提出了减缓环境影响的措施。