Conversion Policy Research Articles

Is Bhutan destined for 100% organic? Assessing the economy-wide effects of a large-scale conversion policy.

Organic agriculture (OA) is considered a strategy to make agriculture more sustainable. Bhutan has embraced the ambitious goal of becoming the world’s first 100% organic nation. By analysing recent on-farm data in Bhutan, we found organic crop yields on average to be 24% lower than conventional yields. Based on these yield gaps, we assess the effects of the 100% organic conversion policy by employing an economy-wide computable general equilibrium (CGE) model with detailed representation of Bhutan’s agricultural sector incorporating agroecological zones, crop nutrients, and field operations. Despite a low dependency on agrochemicals from the onset of this initiative, we find a considerable reduction in Bhutan’s GDP, substantial welfare losses, particularly for non-agricultural households, and adverse impacts on food security. The yield gap is the main driver for a strong decline in domestic agricultural production, which is largely compensated by increased food imports, resulting in a weakening of the country’s cereal self-sufficiency. Current organic by default farming practices in Bhutan are still underdeveloped and do not apply the systems approach of organic farming as defined in the IFOAM organic farming standards. This is reflected in the strong decline of nitrogen (N) availability to crops in our simulation and bears potential for increased yields in OA. Improvement of soil-fertility practices, e.g., the adoption of N-fixing crops, improved animal husbandry systems with increased provision of animal manure and access to markets with price premium for organic products could help to lower the economic cost of the large-scale conversion.

Assessing the impact of antibiotic stewardship program elements on antibiotic use across acute-care hospitals: an observational study.

Antibiotic use varies widely between hospitals, but the influence of antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) on this variability is not known. We aimed to determine the key structural and strategic aspects of ASPs associated with differences in risk-adjusted antibiotic utilization across facilities. Observational study of acute-care hospitals in Ontario, Canada METHODS: A survey was sent to hospitals asking about both structural (8 elements) and strategic (32 elements) components of their ASP. Antibiotic use from hospital purchasing data was acquired for January 1 to December 31, 2014. Crude and adjusted defined daily doses per 1,000 patient days, accounting for hospital and aggregate patient characteristics, were calculated across facilities. Rate ratios (RR) of defined daily doses per 1,000 patient days were compared for hospitals with and without each antimicrobial stewardship element of interest. Of 127 eligible hospitals, 73 (57%) participated in the study. There was a 7-fold range in antibiotic use across these facilities (min, 253 defined daily doses per 1,000 patient days; max, 1,872 defined daily doses per 1,000 patient days). The presence of designated funding or resources for the ASP (RRadjusted, 0·87; 95% CI, 0·75-0·99), prospective audit and feedback (RRadjusted, 0·80; 95% CI, 0·67-0·96), and intravenous-to-oral conversion policies (RRadjusted, 0·79; 95% CI, 0·64-0·99) were associated with lower risk-adjusted antibiotic use. Wide variability in antibiotic use across hospitals may be partially explained by both structural and strategic ASP elements. The presence of funding and resources, prospective audit and feedback, and intravenous-to-oral conversion should be considered priority elements of a robust ASP.

How Do Policies and Actors’ Attitudes, Interests and Interactions Influence Farmland Conversion Outcomes in Land-Use Planning?

Conversion of farmland to built-up land threatens future supply of food and other ecosystem services. However, little research covers how different goods provided by farmland are taken into consideration in planning processes or how different actors influence land-use outcomes. This paper explores this by undertaking a comparative case study in two Norwegian municipalities. One of the main findings is that the national policies’ emphasis on food security is not decisive for local farmland preservation decisions. The land-use plan of the municipality which has the strictest farmland conversion policy is guided by other local values, such as the farmland’s provision of place identity and local food. In both municipalities, informal support networks of developers, other landowners, business interests, and politicians are established. Farmland preservation interests were less visible locally, and politicians found conversion proposals difficult to resist. The municipality which had converted most farmland was in favor of opening more land for development than needed. Then, the possibility space for development interest groups to influence land-use outcome increased. Findings indicate that farmland preservation policies require more emphasis on local public goods and inclusion of farmland preservation interests within the community. Further, farmland preservation strategies could benefit from linking agricultural policies and land-use planning, as well as more restrictive land-use planning.

Land Politics under Market Socialism: The State, Land Policies, and Rural–Urban Land Conversion in China and Vietnam

This paper undertakes a comparative analysis of rural–urban land conversion policies in China and Vietnam, and examines the ideology of the state in land policymaking under a market socialism environment. It argues that land policies in both countries include ambiguous boundaries, which allow the socialist state to legitimize its politico-administrative power in land management and retain strong intervention capacity in the land market. In addition to similarities, land policies in China and Vietnam show significant differences in terms of the ownership of rural land and related legislation on land expropriation and transactions. Together, these distinctions cause divergent impacts on the interests and motivations of multiple stakeholders in rural land conversion. It is further observed that the state in both countries is characterized by dynamic, complex, and self-coordinated institutional systems, in which multiple levels of government have different driving forces and strategies in land development. The internal structure of authority in rural–urban land conversion between the multiple levels of government is readjusted by the regulatory land control of the central government.

Study on the Development of S & T Achievements Transformation Policy in Anhui Province—Based on the Quantitative Analysis of 101 Policy Texts

The transformation of scientific and technological achievements is the terminal chain of the whole innovation value chain. Converting scientific and technological achievements into realistic productivity is advantageous to realize the effective integration of science and technology with economy. The policy of transformation of scientific and technological influences the development and core competitiveness of local industries to varying degrees. In this paper, the analysis of policy statistics and multi-dimension are introduced into the research on the transformation of scientific and technological achievements in Anhui Province. Based on the sample of 101 scientific and technological achievements conversion policies from 2001 to 2018 in Anhui Province, this paper analyzes the time distribution, policy types, layout of policy-making subjects, and the use of different types of policy tools. Finally, through the above analysis, summarizing the problems existing in Anhui Province’s scientific and technological achievements transformation policy and carrying out further reflections, in order to provide reference for the optimization and improvement of Anhui’s scientific and technological achievements conversion policy in the future.

Implementing Antimicrobial Stewardship in Two Community Nepali Hospitals

BackgroundAntimicrobial stewardship programs (ASP) are crucial to improving patient outcomes and decreasing resistance, but the effectiveness and the presence of ASP in low-income countries, like Nepal, are unknown. Nepal has no formal ASP efforts or antimicrobial regulations, which has lead to an increased prevalence of resistance in the community. We developed and implemented an educational ASP training program to identify areas for ASP in two community hospitals in Kathmandu. With a multidisciplinary team of clinicians and Nepal stakeholders, we developed an ASP toolkit aimed to improve patient outcomes through antimicrobial optimization.MethodsA 1-day conference on ASP and resistance was held at a community hospital in Kathmandu, with subsequent field observations, microbiologic hospital surveillance, and 2,016 antibiogram review. Eleven physician champions (PC) from the two hospitals were selected for formal ASP instruction. ASP protocols were developed with stakeholders and included (i) empiric and definitive antibiotic selection recommendations, (ii) renal dose-adjustment guidelines, (iii) evidence-based duration of therapy recommendations, and (iv) an intravenous-to-oral antimicrobial conversion policy. Two days of fieldwork and stakeholder feedback occurred. A post-test PC evaluation was performed with the intent to gather feedback for implementation of a post-prescription review and feedback (PPRF) system incorporating AMS protocols related to antimicrobial optimization.ResultsThe most prevalent infectious organism isolated was Escherichia coli (51%). Most E. coli isolates were commonly resistant to first-line or broad-spectrum antibiotics: 49% ceftriaxone, 46% ciprofloxacin, 22% piperacillin/tazobactam, and 32% meropenem. The overall PC response to ASP toolkit was positive: 73% of PC felt the guidelines would be useful in making decisions about antimicrobials. Cost and availability of antimicrobials were identified as barriers to successful implementation.ConclusionDevelopment of a simple ASP toolkit can be an effective means to bring awareness appropriate antimicrobial use, and may be extrapolated to other low-income countries. Stakeholder buy-in is necessary for a successful international interventional program.Disclosures L. M. Kaljee, Merck: Grant Investigator, Grant recipient; T. Prentiss, Merck, Inc.: Investigator, Research grant; R. D. Joshi, Merck: Grant Investigator, Grant recipient; B. Shrestha, Merck: Grant Investigator, Research grant; D. C. Bajracharya, Merck: Grant Investigator, Grant recipient; M. J. Zervos, Merck: Grant Investigator, Grant recipient; Genentech: Grant Investigator, Grant recipient; Cempra: Grant Investigator, Grant recipient; Medicines Company: Consultant, Consulting fee

Earning a Peace Dividend in a Crisis Environment: The Greek Case

AbstractIn this paper we attempt to assess the extent to which conversion policies involving the shift of resources from the defence to the non-defence sector may entail some form of peace dividend for the economy of Greece. The issue has become one of increasing importance during the past few years during which the demand for growth-supporting policies has been a top priority requirement as an antidote to the recession. The paper employs a VAR model in order to investigate the interactions among the growth rate of gross domestic product and alternative measures of defence expenditure. We find that defence spending and more so, expenditure on defence equipment, under the present circumstances in which the bulk of the procurement represents import payments is not related in any form of Granger-causal relationship with the economic growth of Greece. Our results point to the fact that there can be no possibility of a peace dividend under the circumstances prevailing, unless defence procurement policies shift to an import – substitution strategy.

The Importance of Polytechnics for Africa's Development

Most African countries that were former British colonies replicated the British higher education system and created both universities and polytechnics. However, in order to increase their tertiary education enrolment, these countries are gradually upgrading their polytechnics to universities. This article argues that this is a wrong move as polytechnics are as important as universities for Africa’s development, and calls for a re-consideration of the polytechnics conversion policy.

‘The dynamics of “post-crisis” spatial planning: A comparative study of office conversion policies in England and The Netherlands

Land policies governing individual and institutional rights to buildings and land are shaped by the socio-cultural, political and economic contexts within which they emerge and are (re)embedded within. This leads to considerable variation across place and space. Yet within this diversity commonalities emerge, not least in the ‘rationales’ that inform the development and implementation of land policies. These are explored via a comparative study of England – where market-based reforms have guided land use planning measures for some time – and The Netherlands; a country which is taking steps to introduce market-based values such as competition, efficiency and flexibility into its ‘regulatory’ spatial planning system. Through this comparison, we explore the way in which neoliberal political ideology and financial imperatives, sharpened by the 2008 global economic downturn, have resulted in changes to English and Dutch land policies. We illustrate this discussion by referring to land use policies under which authorities have sought to facilitate a change of land use, for example from office to residential usages. In both countries, these reforms have been introduced as part of attempts to make planning more ‘efficient’ and supportive of real estate markets. While there is variation in some of the drivers and apparatus used, we find parallels between the two countries’ experiences. Our paper argues that fiscal austerity, economic uncertainty and the import of market values reproduces a shared reality of governance reform amongst the two countries, creating opportunities for critical learning between them.

Impact of Conversion to Open Surgery on Early Postoperative Morbidity After Laparoscopic Resection for Rectal Adenocarcinoma: A Retrospective Study.

The impact of conversion to open surgery after a laparoscopic resection for rectal adenocarcinoma on postoperative morbidity is still unclear. Most previous studies included colon and rectal carcinomas and produced conflicting results. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of conversion to open surgery on early postoperative morbidity in patients who underwent a laparoscopic resection for rectal adenocarcinoma. This was a retrospective bicentric study. It included all consecutive patients who underwent a laparoscopic resection for nonmetastatic rectal adenocarcinoma between January 2005 and December 2013. The impact of conversion to open surgery on 30-day postoperative morbidity was analyzed by univariate and multivariate analyses. Risk factors for conversion were also investigated by univariate and multivariate analyses. One hundred thirty-one patients were included. The conversion rate was 26.7%. The global 30-day morbidity rate was 31.3% (41 patients). The conversion to open surgery was associated with higher rates of postoperative complications, anastomotic leaks, and reoperations. It was also an independent predictive factor to postoperative morbidity in the multivariate analysis (P = .01; odds ratio 2.86; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.23-6.63), in addition to T4 tumors (P = .04; odds ratio 3.92; 95% CI 1.05-14.61). Risk factors for conversion in the multivariate analysis were T4 tumors (P = .006; odds ratio 6.09; 95% CI 1.66-22.32) and the height of the tumor (P = .025; odds ratio 2.7; 95% CI 1.13-6.43). This study showed that conversion to open surgery after laparoscopic proctectomy for rectal adenocarcinoma was associated with higher rates of early postoperative complications. It also showed that T4 tumors and the height of the tumor were independent factors associated with the conversion to open surgery. Reducing postoperative morbidity could be achieved by a better patient selection and a policy of early conversion.

Greasing the wheels, or a spanner in the works? Permitting the adaptive re-use of redundant office buildings into residential use in England

This paper explores the challenges involved in planning the adaptation of the urban built environment. It approaches this subject by appraising a recently introduced national planning policy (the permission to convert office buildings into residential use without planning permission) in England. Drawing on interviews conducted with planning practitioners, it is possible to unravel the impact of this policy instrument at the coal face of the discipline. The office-to-residential conversion policy has removed the long-established process of local planning discretion in England in favour of a developer led planning policy. Consequently, there has been a tactical manipulation of additional planning tools, originally designed for other use, to re-exert influence at the local level by local planning authorities. Rather than greasing the wheels of office-to-residential conversion, the new policy has thrown a spanner in the works of a unique local planning process that was originally developed to manage urban change. The paper concludes by calling for local planners to reformulate their role in planning urban adaptation by reasserting their role as “market actors” through the development of city information models, the exploitation of professional communication networks and the transference of their own tacit knowledge.

Changes in biodiversity and trade-offs among ecosystem services, stakeholders, and components of well-being: the contribution of the International Long-Term Ecological Research network (ILTER) to Programme on Ecosystem Change and Society (PECS)

The International Long-Term Ecological Research (ILTER) network comprises > 600 scientific groups conducting site-based research within 40 countries. Its mission includes improving the understanding of global ecosystems and informs solutions to current and future environmental problems at the global scales. The ILTER network covers a wide range of social-ecological conditions and is aligned with the Programme on Ecosystem Change and Society (PECS) goals and approach. Our aim is to examine and develop the conceptual basis for proposed collaboration between ILTER and PECS. We describe how a coordinated effort of several contrasting LTER site-based research groups contributes to the understanding of how policies and technologies drive either toward or away from the sustainable delivery of ecosystem services. This effort is based on three tenets: transdisciplinary research; cross-scale interactions and subsequent dynamics; and an ecological stewardship orientation. The overarching goal is to design management practices taking into account trade-offs between using and conserving ecosystems toward more sustainable solutions. To that end, we propose a conceptual approach linking ecosystem integrity, ecosystem services, and stakeholder well-being, and as a way to analyze trade-offs among ecosystem services inherent in diverse management options. We also outline our methodological approach that includes: (i) monitoring and synthesis activities following spatial and temporal trends and changes on each site and by documenting cross-scale interactions; (ii) developing analytical tools for integration; (iii) promoting trans-site comparison; and (iv) developing conceptual tools to design adequate policies and management interventions to deal with trade-offs. Finally, we highlight the heterogeneity in the social-ecological setting encountered in a subset of 15 ILTER sites. These study cases are diverse enough to provide a broad cross-section of contrasting ecosystems with different policy and management drivers of ecosystem conversion; distinct trends of biodiversity change; different stakeholders’ preferences for ecosystem services; and diverse components of well-being issues.

Charlemagne’s ›Jihād‹ Revisited: Debating the Islamic Contribution to an Epochal Change in the History of Christianization

In 2006, Yitzhak Hen published an article under the title »Charlemagne’s Jihad«, proposing that Charlemagne’s policy of forced conversion of the Saxons – the earliest combination of conquest and forced conversion in the history of Christianity – had actually been modelled on a typically ›Islamic‹ approach to other religious groups. Hen argued that Charlemagne’s expedition to Zaragoza in 777-778 as well as his reception of Hispanic refugees such as Theodulf at court acquainted the Frankish king with this Islamic approach which was then duly applied to the Saxons. The primary aim of the article is to raise and – at least partially – answer questions that arise from Hen’s hypothesis. The first part of the article is thus dedicated to questioning if Islam of the late eighth century had already developed a systematic approach to non-Muslim religions that could be adopted by external observers. Even if Islam had already developed clear principles of dealing with other religions in the period under investigation, it cannot be taken for granted that the Carolingians and their informants were aware of these principles. The second part of the article then examines what Charlemagne and his entourage could have known about the Muslim treatment of non-Muslims. Since Hen’s entire argument hinges on specific passages of the Capitulatio de partibus Saxoniae which he defines as ›Islamic‹, this part of the article also discusses if these passages clearly reflect Islamic influence or rather build on previous Christian methods of dealing with other religions and of promoting the expansion of Christianity. Against this backdrop, the conclusion takes into account the possible historical causes for the Carolingian merging of conquest and forced conversion.

Sweden’s Russian Lands, Ingria and Kexholm Province, 1617 – ca. 1670: The Interaction of the Crown with Its New Subjects

The Swedish policy of religious conversion, harsh taxation and competition for labour and taxpayers were the key issues in the political and social history of Ingria and Kexholm Province during the seventeenth century. During the war of 1656-1658, the Russian tsar got and finally retained tens of thousands of new taxpayers and settlers from these Swedish dependencies as a substitute for the fact that Russia had not been able to reconquer the territories it had lost to Sweden forty years earlier. The article explores the interaction between the Swedish Crown and its Ingrian subjects and pays due attention to the fact that this interaction materialized in conditions which were more unfavourable to the Crown than the ones prevailing in the core area of the Swedish kingdom. The religious policy of the Swedish Government towards the Orthodox failed almost completely. The strivings and identity of the Orthodox were in a too sharp contrast to the religious objectives of the Government. Time also worked against the Government’s policy. It did not have enough time to show whether positive results could be reached. Economic reasons also played a role in alienating the Orthodox in Ingria and in Kexholm Province from Sweden. The fiscal needs dictated by the great-power policy were colossal, and no part of the Kingdom of Sweden could opt for a free ride. Until the 1656-1658 war, Orthodox peasants simply preferred to desert to Russia rather than oppose these policies. In the early days of the war, some of them rebelled, many voluntarily joined the withdrawing Russian troops and others were forcibly abducted; as a consequence, Sweden lost a great number of taxpayers permanently. The crop failures related to the Little Ice Age as well as the tax increases and conscriptions ordered by King Gustav II Adolf and the ensuing regency regime, together with the attraction of the swidden lands in the east, on the other hand, drove thousands of Lutheran Finns in Viborg Karelia and Savo to migrate to Ingria and Kexholm Province. The Crown was neither able to prevent the Finnish peasants, farm hands and deserters from moving to the newly conquered eastern territories, freed from conscription, nor could it contain the migration of the Orthodox population from those same territories. After the war of 1656-1658, the population there consisted of Lutheran Finns everywhere, except in the Western parts of Ingria and the North-eastern fringe of Kexholm Province. The article is based mainly on the correspondence between the Swedish Government and Ingrian governor-generals (the so-called Riksregistratur and the Livonian Collection in the Swedish National Archives) as well as Finnish, Swedish and Russian research literature.

예산 및 도로 유지관리 : 저교통량 도로의 포장 변경을 위한 추가연구의 필요성

PURPOSES : This paper presents a description of the current issues facing road managers regarding the surface-type conversion of low-volume roads for cost savings. METHODS: The paper reviews previous works conducted toward this end, acknowledges gaps in the current research, and lays out what information is needed for further studies. RESULTS : If the cost to maintain an unsurfaced road is less than the cost of maintaining a surfaced road, then there is potential for cost savings for the management agency. However, the problem is bigger than simply maintaining the roads that already exist. If unsurfaced roads prove to be more economical than surfaced roads, then the cost to convert from a surfaced to an unsurfaced roadway, and vice versa, when necessary, must also be examined. CONCLUSIONS : No other studies have addressed the un-surfacing of a road for cost savings, and it is therefore unknown whether substantial savings can be realistically obtained by converting from a surfaced to an unsurfaced road. To determine whether a conversion policy would be a viable option, additional data and research are needed.

On the Design of Contingent Capital with a Market Trigger

ABSTRACTContingent capital (CC), which aims to internalize the costs of too‐big‐to‐fail in the capital structure of large banks, has been under intense debate by policy makers and academics. We show that CC with a market trigger, in which direct stakeholders are unable to choose optimal conversion policies, does not lead to a unique competitive equilibrium unless value transfer at conversion is not expected ex ante. The “no value transfer” restriction precludes penalizing bank managers for taking excessive risk. Multiplicity or absence of equilibrium introduces the potential for price uncertainty, market manipulation, inefficient capital allocation, and frequent conversion errors.

On the Design of Contingent Capital with Market Trigger

Contingent capital (CC), which intends to internalize the costs of too-big-to-fail in the capital structure of large banks, has been under intense debate by policy makers and academics. We show that CC with a market trigger, in which direct stake-holders are unable to choose optimal conversion policies, does not lead to a unique competitive equilibrium, unless value transfer at conversion is not expected ex-ante. The no value transfer'' restriction precludes penalizing bank managers for taking excessive risk. Multiplicity or absence of an equilibrium introduces the potential for price uncertainty, market manipulation, inefficient capital allocation, and frequent conversion errors. These results point to the need to explore alternative designs of a prudential capital structure for banks.

KEBIJAKAN ALIH FUNGSI LAHAN UNTUK PEMBANGUNAN KAWASAN PERUMAHAN DI KABUPATEN CIREBON

The growth of the housing industry in Cirebon is growing rapidly the last five years . This correlates with the urgent needs of the land , sparking rampant conversion of agricultural land . Is the land acquisition have noticed regulations set zoning in which productive agricultural land as a safeguard sustainable food security . Cirebon District Regulation No. 17 Year 2011 on Spatial Planning has arranged it . But the problem is , whether the land conversion policy in Cirebon has been referred to the applicable law and how policy formulation over the land to be allocated for housing development .

Landscape dynamic characteristics using satellite data for a mountainous watershed of Abha, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The changes in land use/land cover (LULC) play a major role in the study of various aspects of environmental issues. Land use is the results of various socioeconomic activities taking place at various urban and regional setups. In this paper, landscape dynamic characteristics are investigated by using remote sensing and geographic information system in mountainous watershed of Abha, Saudi Arabia. Land use classes were mapped and assessed from a time series of maps of year 2000–2010. The LULC transformations were also analyzed according to elevation and slope. Assessment of the data shows that LULC had undergone substantial changes in this semi-arid mountainous watershed from 2000 to 2010. During this period, the sparse vegetation and water bodies decreased from 48.47 to 39.31 km2 and 0.30 to 0.11 km2, respectively, whereas build-up area increased from 17.02 to 36.36 km2. The area under water bodies has reduced due to construction activities, disturbance in drainage network, and sedimentation in the watershed. The areas having high altitudes were exposed to changes in landscape characteristic. In the regions having lower altitude (1,950–2,350), an agricultural land has decreased, whereas build-up land has increased. As a result of rough structure, only small flat areas, located in this sections and valley channels, may be used as build-up land. Slope gradient had also an influence on the distribution of LULC. The assessment of land use and land cover type distribution by slope category provided the baseline for the implementation of the nationwide land conservation policy of conversion of agricultural land to forestland in order to control high soil erosion risk. The changes in land use and land cover in the studied watershed were mainly controlled by human factors (land management, construction, and population pressure) rather than natural factors.

Air Quality and Climate Impacts Due to CNG Conversion of Motor Vehicles in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Dhaka had recently experienced rapid conversion of its motor vehicle fleet to run on compressed natural gas (CNG). This paper quantifies ex-post the air quality and climate benefits of the CNG conversion policy, including monetary valuations, through an impact pathway approach. Around 2045 (1665) avoided premature deaths in greater Dhaka (City Corporation) can be attributed to air quality improvements from the CNG conversion policy in 2010, resulting in a saving of around USD 400 million. Majority of these health benefits resulted from the conversion of high-emitting diesel vehicles. CNG conversion was clearly detrimental from climate change perspective using the changes in CO2 and CH4 only (CH4 emissions increased); however, after considering other global pollutants (especially black carbon), the climate impact was ambiguous. Uncertainty assessment using input distributions and Monte Carlo simulation along with a sensitivity analysis show that large uncertainties remain for climate impacts. For our most likely estimate, there were some climate costs, valued at USD 17.7 million, which is an order of magnitude smaller than the air quality benefits. This indicates that such policies can and should be undertaken on the grounds of improving local air pollution alone and that precautions should be taken to reduce the potentially unintended increases in GHG emissions or other unintended effects.