bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impacting Factors and Temporal and Spatial Differentiation of Land Subsidence in Shanghai
Authors: Shi Yishao , Shi Donghui , Cao Xiangyang
Published: September 2018

This paper uses Grey Correlation Degree Analysis (GCDA) to obtain and compare the relationships between major impacting factors and land subsidence, and finds the spatial characteristics of subsidence in the urban centre by Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis (ESDA). The results show the following: (1) Annual ground subsidence in Shanghai has occurred in four stages: slow growth in the 1980s, rapid growth in the 1990s, gradual decline in the first decade of the 21st century, and steady development currently. (2) In general, natural impact factors on land subsidence are more significant than social factors. Sea-level rise has the most impact among the natural factors, and permanent residents have the most impact among the social factors. (3) The average annual subsidence of the urban centre has undergone the following stages: “weak spatial autocorrelation” → “strong spatial autocorrelation” → “weak spatial autocorrelation”. (4) The “high clustering” spatial pattern in 1978 gradually disintegrated. There has been no obvious spatial clustering since 2000, and the spatial distribution of subsidence tends to be discrete and random.
Linking Land and Sea through Collaborative Research to Inform Contemporary applications of Traditional Resource Management in Hawai‘i
Authors: Delevaux Jade M.S. , Winter Kawika B. , Jupiter Stacy D. , Blaich-Vaughan Mehana , Stamoulis Kostantinos A. , Bremer Leah L. , Burnett Kimberly , Garrod Peter , Troller Jacquelyn L. , Ticktin Tamara
Published: September 2018

Across the Pacific Islands, declining natural resources have contributed to a cultural renaissance of customary ridge-to-reef management approaches. These indigenous and community conserved areas (ICCA) are initiated by local communities to protect natural resources through customary laws. To support these efforts, managers require scientific tools that track land-sea linkages and evaluate how local management scenarios affect coral reefs. We established an interdisciplinary process and modeling framework to inform ridge-to-reef management in Hawai‘i, given increasing coastal development, fishing and climate change related impacts. We applied our framework at opposite ends of the Hawaiian Archipelago, in Hā‘ena and Ka‘ūpūlehu, where local communities have implemented customary resource management approaches through government-recognized processes to perpetuate traditional food systems and cultural practices. We identified coral reefs vulnerable to groundwater-based nutrients and linked them to areas on land, where appropriate management of human-derived nutrients could prevent increases in benthic algae and promote coral recovery from bleaching. Our results demonstrate the value of interdisciplinary collaborations among researchers, managers and community members. We discuss the lessons learned from our culturally-grounded, inclusive research process and highlight critical aspects of collaboration necessary to develop tools that can inform placed-based solutions to local environmental threats and foster coral reef resilience.
Sustainability Performance in Food Supply Networks: Insights from the UK Industry
Authors: Tsolakis Naoum , Anastasiadis Foivos , Srai Jagjit Singh
Published: September 2018

The purpose of this research is to introduce a qualitative sustainability performance assessment framework for food supply networks, based on the perception of their key stakeholders’ upper management. Moreover, the paper provides industry insights by exemplifying the value of the proposed framework for the UK food industry. A critical review on the most acknowledged sustainability assessment methodologies and tools resulted in the synthesis of the proposed framework. An illustrative application follows, based on data from semi-structured interviews with C-level executives from key players of the UK poultry sector. The results demonstrate an easy-to-use approach, with a comprehensive and sharp outcome on supply chain sustainability performance assessment. Industry insights demonstrate an adequate sustainability performance with respect to the entire supply chain. A detailed view on different echelons reveals specific areas that could be improved, such as the environmental performance at both farming (production) and processing levels. This work extends the scope of current sustainability performance assessment tools by providing a tangible triple bottom-line overview, as well as echelon-specific and indicator-specific details, in a user-friendly, yet straightforward, way. UK food industry insights are valuable for practitioners and academics. The illustration is based exclusively on C-level executives’ viewpoint; thus, any generalization of the results should be considered to this effect. Supply chain stakeholders, policy-makers, and researchers could perform a quick and reliable supply network sustainability performance assessment.
InSAR Monitoring of Italian Coastline Revealing Natural and Anthropogenic Ground Deformation Phenomena and Future Perspectives
Authors: Polcari Marco , Albano Matteo , Montuori Antonio , Bignami Christian , Tolomei Cristiano , Pezzo Giuseppe , Falcone Sergio , La Piana Carmelo , Doumaz Fawzi , Salvi Stefano , Stramondo Salvatore
Published: September 2018

In this work, we use X and C-band SAR data provided by the COSMO-SkyMed and ENVISAT missions to detect and measure some ground deformation phenomena along six coastal areas of Italy. In particular, we exploit multi-temporal interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR), i.e., small baseline subsets (SBAS) and interferometric point target analysis (IPTA) methods, to retrieve the deformation rate maps and time series for each investigated area. Multi-temporal InSAR analysis revealed local subsidence and uplifting effects in Ravenna Coastal Areas, Fiumicino, Campi Flegrei, Sibari Plain, Augusta Bay, and Taranto Gulf. Our work is meant as a demonstrator to show how InSAR-based analysis can provide a detailed understanding of the coastal hazards. Such analysis also opens up new monitoring scenarios such as the possibility of designing a near real-time surveillance service based on Sentinel-1 SAR data.
Effects of High Impact Grazing on Species Diversity and Plant Functional Groups in Grasslands of Northern Argentina
Authors: Kurtz Ditmar Bernardo , Giese Marcus , Asch Folkard , Windisch Saskia Helen , Goldfarb María Cristina
Published: September 2018

High impact grazing (HIG) was proposed as a management option to reduce standing dead biomass in Northern Argentinean (Chaco) rangelands. However, the effects of HIG on grassland diversity and shifts in plant functional groups are largely unknown but essential to assess the sustainability of the impact. During a two-year grazing experiment, HIG was applied every month to analyze the seasonal effects on plant species composition and plant functional groups. The results indicate that irrespective of the season in which HIG was applied, the diversity parameters were not negatively affected. Species richness, the Shannon–Wiener diversity index and the Shannon’s equitability index did not differ from the control site within a 12-month period after HIG. While plant functional groups of dicotyledonous and annual species could not benefit from the HIG disturbance, C3-, C4-monocotyledonous and perennials increased their absolute and relative green cover. Our results suggest that HIG, if not applied in shorter frequencies than a year, neither alters diversity nor shifts the plant species composition of the grassland plant community, but instead it promotes previously established rather competitive species. HIG could therefore contribute as an alternative management practice to the sustainable land use intensification of the “Gran Chaco” grassland ecosystem and even counteract the encroachment of “low value” species.
Design Methodology for Street-Oriented Block Housing Considering Daylight and Natural Ventilation
Authors: Kim Ho-Jeong , Kim Jin-Soo
Published: September 2018

This study presents a design methodology for street-oriented block housing, as a model for gradual small-scale block-unit development, that can secure two hours of continuous access to daylight on the winter solstice at azimuth angles of 0° and 60° in Seoul, South Korea, and, in addition, developed a methodology for wind path planning for existing types of developed housing. The results of this study have confirmed the feasibility of a housing design that can secure two hours of continuous access to daylight along with no less than 200 percent of development density, achieved through the elimination of self-shadows by using distances between residential buildings and shadow characteristics according to azimuth angles. In addition, the study identified an air flow stagnation section by assessing the air flow of the exterior space of street-oriented block housing in consideration of day-lit environments, and examined a planning model that can enhance natural ventilation potential by activating the air flow of the exterior space. Wind path planning was conducted for 24 alternatives that were produced based on the developed design methodology, and the wind velocity ratio of street-oriented block housing ranged from 0.34 to 0.59. In terms of disadvantages of street-oriented block housing in securing wind paths, this study confirmed that air flow could be strengthened by adjusting the form of the lower-part opening, which is open in the direction of incoming wind, designing a staggered mass layout in high-rise masses, and combining building floor heights. The above findings of this study suggest that a performance-based approach is necessary for the improvement of environmental performance in street-oriented block housing, in consideration of azimuth angles and the prevailing wind direction from the initial phase of planning.
Exploring City Development Modes under the Dual Control of Water Resources and Energy-Related CO2 Emissions: The Case of Beijing, China
Authors: Wang Yan , Xiao Weihua , Wang Yicheng , Hou Baodeng , Yang Heng , Zhang Xuelei , Yang Mingzhi , Zhu Lishan
Published: September 2018

Water and energy are basic resources for urban development. It is of extreme importance to balance economic development, water and energy security, and environmental sustainability at the city level. Although many studies have focused on energy-related CO2 emissions or water resources, individually, in relation to socioeconomic development, few studies have considered water and energy-related CO2 emissions as synchronous limiting factors. Here, taking Beijing as an example, a partial least squares STIRPAT model—a method that combines partial least squares with the STIRPAT (stochastic impacts by regression on population, affluence, and technology) model—was used to determine the main driving factors of water use and energy-related CO2 emissions at the regional scale from 1996 to 2016. The empirical results showed that the population, per capita gross domestic product (GDP), urbanization level, technology level, and service level, are all important factors that influence the total water use and energy-related CO2 emissions. Additionally, eight scenarios were established to explore suitable development modes for future years. Consequently, a medium growth rate in socioeconomic status and population, and a high growth rate in the technology and service level, were found to be the most appropriate development modes. This scenario would result in a total water use of 4432.13 million m3 and energy-related CO2 emissions of 173.64 million tons in 2030. The results provide a new perspective for decision makers to explore suitable measures for simultaneously conserving water resources and reducing energy-related CO2 emissions in the context of urban development.
Towards Sustainable Development of Online Communities in the Big Data Era: A Study of the Causes and Possible Consequence of Voting on User Reviews
Authors: Zhao Jie , Wang Jianfei , Fang Suping , Jin Peiquan
Published: September 2018

This paper focuses on the review voting in online communities, which allows users to express their own opinions in terms of User-generated Content (UGC). However, the sustainable development of online communities is likely to be affected by the social influence of UGC. In this paper, we study the so-called crowd intelligence paradox of review voting in online communities. The crowd intelligence paradox means that the quality of reviews is not highly connected with the increasing of review votes. This implies that a review with many votes is likely to be of low quality, and a review with few votes is likely to be of high quality. The crowd intelligence paradox existing in online communities inhibits users’ wishes of participating in social networks and may impact the sustainable development of online communities. Aiming to demonstrate the existence of the crowd intelligence paradox in online communities, we first analyzed a large set of reviews crawled from Net Ease Cloud Music, which is one of the most popular online communities in China. The maximum likelihood (ML) and the hierarchical regression approaches are used in this step. Then, we construct a new research model called the Voting Adoption Model (VAM) to study how different factors impact the crowd intelligence paradox in online communities. Particularly, we propose six hypotheses based on the VAM model and conduct experiments based on the measurement model and the structural model to evaluate the hypotheses. The results show that the quality of reviews is not influential to review votes, and the hot-site attribute is a dominant factor influencing review voting. In addition, the variables of the VAM model, including information credibility, perceived ease of use, and social influence have significant impacts on review voting. Finally, based on the empirical study, we present some research implications and suggestions for online communities to realize healthy and sustainable development in the future.
Introduction of Renewable Energy in the Spanish Wine Sector
Authors: Garcia-Casarejos Nieves , Gargallo Pilar , Carroquino Javier
Published: September 2018

The wine sector is very sensitive to the effects of climate change. Despite this, there is little use of renewable energy in the wine sector. In fact, the adoption of mitigation measures by companies depends on their own attitudes and interests. The objective of this work was to understand the use and disposition of Spanish wineries to incorporate renewable energy. In addition, subjective obstacles to and motivations for adoption could be identified. First, a survey was conducted on the Spanish wine sector. Second, the multivariate statistical technique of factor analysis was applied. Third, a set of indicators to describe the determinant factors that influence a winery’s decision to adopt renewable energy was obtained. Finally, a cluster analysis provided three different profiles. The first group comprised wineries that did not trust on the maturity of renewable energy. The second one comprised wineries that were not convinced about introducing renewable energy, either for environmental or reputational reasons. The third group comprised wineries convinced of the benefits of incorporating renewable energy. This work was done as a part of the European project: Renewable Energy in the Wine Industry (LIFE REWIND).
Critical Behavioral Risk Factors among Principal Participants in the Chinese Construction Industry
Authors: Xiang Pengcheng , Jia Fuyuan , Li Xiaohui
Published: September 2018

The main participants in construction projects are the client, contractors, material suppliers, and consultants such as the project supervisor. They play the most important roles in implementing construction projects, and their behavior has a significant impact on the project’s performance. Because each participant has their own particular interests, by virtue of proprietary information advantage, each individual participant is driven to achieve maximum benefit, which can result in improper behavior with respect to each other. The risk of this resulting in moral hazard and adverse selection based on information asymmetry is called behavioral risk among principal construction participants. Behavior is affected by various risk factors; successful implementation of construction projects depends on effective management of the key risk factors. This paper identifies and ranks the critical behavioral risk factors from the perspective of principal construction participants in the Chinese construction industry. The data used for analysis is based on an interview and questionnaire survey. Factor analysis is conducted with the assistance of SPSS17.0. Forty-one potential behavioral risk factors are identified, with 30 of those being critical, including “client changes project objective or investment direction”, “designer uses technological capability advantage to obtain profit”, and others. These findings contribute to the understanding of risk management in the construction industry in China. They also serve as a useful reference for further studies on the subject.
Usability of the EPC Tools for the Profitability Calculation of a Retrofitting in a Residential Building
Authors: Gonzalez Caceres Alex , Diaz Muriel
Published: September 2018

After the oil crisis in the 70s energy regulation codes were implemented, but a great portion of existing dwellings have not been retrofitted to current requirements. To face this issue several actions were taken in the European Union (EU), among these, the implementation of Energy Performance Certificates (EPC), which include a Recommendation List of Measures (RLMs) to retrofit buildings. Some concerns exist about the lack of confidence on these recommendations. The main objective of this study is to analyze the usefulness of the EPC, answering if it is possible to deliver a realistic financial assessment about renovation strategies using these tools. The study is based on three indicators: Consumption, energy saving variations and profitability. The study is based on a renovation project case study, where simulations and Life Cycle Cost Assessment (LCCA) were performed, in order to identify the different results that EPC’s and an energy efficiency assessment could lead to. The results show important differences in all the concepts evaluated.
An Assessment of the Implementation of the European Tourism Indicator System for Sustainable Destinations in Italy
Authors: Modica Patrizia , Capocchi Alessandro , Foroni Ilaria , Zenga Mariangela
Published: September 2018

The European Tourism Indicators System (ETIS) is a product of the European Union (EU) Sustainable Development Strategy, which was formulated with the objectives of promoting economic prosperity, social equity, cohesion, and environmental protection. In this paper, we present an analysis of the results of the implementation of the ETIS during the period 2013–2016, in the Italian tourist destination of South Sardinia. While the implementation of ETIS constitutes a significant advancement in Italy, and more widely in Europe, our findings reveal that an adaptive management approach is necessary for achieving the anticipated objectives and adapting these standardized indicators to different territorial contexts. Difficulties were encountered in both data collection and stakeholders’ involvement in the implementation process. Insufficient knowledge, and familiarity with the complex technical aspects of the indicator toolkit among primary stakeholders, was another constraint associated with its implementation. We believe that the findings of this analysis can provide guidelines and inputs for other European countries and tourist destinations that are currently in the process of implementing the ETIS toolkit or similar methodologies. In particular, the pioneering sustainable tourism performance measurement system (STPMS) can be adapted to meet local needs.
Classification and Measurement of the Firms’ Resources and Capabilities Applied to Eco-Innovation Projects from a Resource-Based View Perspective
Authors: Portillo-Tarragona Pilar , Scarpellini Sabina , Moneva Jose M. , Valero-Gil Jesus , Aranda-Usón Alfonso
Published: September 2018

Interest from academics, policy–makers and practitioners in eco-innovation has increased as it enables the optimization of the use of natural resources improving competitiveness and it provides a conceptual framework for corporate sustainability. In this context, this paper provides an in-depth analysis and a wide classification of the specific indicators for the integrated measurement of eco-innovation projects in business from a resource-based view (RBV). The specific metrics were tested to measure the economic-financial and environmental resources and capabilities applied by five Spanish firms to eco-innovation projects, selected as case studies.
Corporate Social Responsibility and Insider Trading: Evidence from China
Authors: Lu Chao , Zhao Xuetong , Dai Jingwen
Published: September 2018

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is the obligation of a company to pursue long-term goals, and is an important part of a sustainable society. It is related not only to the survival and sustainable development of the company, but also to the expectations of the public. CSR is an important way for companies to disclose non-financial information. Information disclosure can alleviate information asymmetry effectively, improve the quality of internal control, and affect the occurrence of insider trading. However, the existing research has paid less attention to the impact of non-financial information on CSR and insider trading, as well as the impact of the corporate nature and disclosure motivation on this relationship. This paper takes China’s 2011–2016 Shanghai and Shenzhen A-share listed companies as a sample to study the relationship between CSR and insider trading. The results show the following. (1) CSR and insider trading have a significant negative correlation. (2) From the perspective of the nature of the enterprise, the CSR of non-state-owned enterprises can significantly suppress the occurrence of insider trading, while the relationship is not significant for state-owned enterprises. (3) From the perspective of disclosure motivation, voluntary disclosure can significantly suppress the occurrence of insider trading. However, mandatory disclosure and semi-mandatory disclosure are not significant. The research in this paper is of great significance to encourage enterprises to fulfill their social responsibilities and improve the supervision of illegal insider trading.
Frame Analysis of ENGO Conceptualization of Sustainable Forest Management: Environmental Justice and Neoliberalism at the Core of Sustainability
Authors: Šimunović Nenad , Hesser Franziska , Stern Tobias
Published: September 2018

Normative judgments on sustainability underpin concepts that shape the supply scenarios of timber consumption. The modern understanding of sustainable forest management is shaped by a diverse spectrum of social demands, going beyond the principle of sustainable yield management. Rival stakeholders compete to incorporate their ideas and interpretations of sustainable forest management into policy institutions. Environmental non-governmental organizations (ENGOs) have emerged as one of the dominant stakeholders in the forest-based sector. We set out to explore ENGO-specific conceptualizations of sustainable forest management and investigate differences in understanding among various ENGOs. By conducting a frame analysis of ENGO press releases, we identified two master frames: environmental justice and environmentalist frames. A difference in the emphasis placed on procedural and distributive justice as well as a different standpoint in the commons versus commodity debate emerged as the main divergences between the master frames. The results of our study demonstrate how the differences between the master frames underpin different conceptualizations of sustainable forest management. On the one hand, the ENGOs associated with the environmental justice master frame advocate for the broader implementation of community forest management based on power-sharing. On the other hand, the ENGOs associated with the environmentalist master frame promote a wide range of approaches associated with ecosystem management and social forestry paradigms. Moreover, the ENGOs associated with the environmentalist master frame challenge the concept of sustainable forest management as defined by the Helsinki and Montreal process by advocating for ecosystem management. The ENGOs associated with the environmental justice master frame reject the mainstream concept of sustainable forest management in any guise. Future research on ethical issues underlying forestry concepts may provide more conceptual and operational clarity for both forest managers and policy-makers.
The Impact of Population Migration on Urban Housing Prices: Evidence from China’s Major Cities
Authors: Lin Yingchao , Ma Zhili , Zhao Ke , Hu Weiyan , Wei Jing
Published: September 2018

With increasingly high housing prices, the urban housing problem has changed from an economic issue to a livelihood issue in China. Taking 32 major cities in China as an example, this paper employed data from 2007 to 2016 to build a panel data model to empirically study the impact of population migration on urban housing prices. From the two perspectives of the national level and regional level (eastern region, central region and western region), the results of this study showed that (1) on the national level, population inflow had a significant positive correlation with urban housing prices, where a population inflow rate increase of 1% increased urban housing prices by 0.31%; and (2) on the regional level, a population inflow rate increase of 1% increased urban housing prices in the eastern region by 1.34%, but population inflow had no obvious impact on the urban housing prices in the central and western regions. Based on the results, this study suggested addressing housing supply imbalances through housing product diversification and affordable housing system improvement, and addressing construction land supply imbalances by building a perfect system linking land-use planning to population; at the same time, it also suggested building more nationally central cities following the urbanization trend, and taking this as the key to developing urban agglomerations, reasonably decentralizing the population flow, promoting the healthy and stable development of the real-estate market and advancing sustainable urbanization. The above conclusions have practical significance for China and other developing countries to coordinate population and urban development in the process of rapid urbanization.
The Weighted Arithmetic Mean–Geometric Mean Inequality is Equivalent to the Hölder Inequality
Authors: Li Yongtao , Gu Xian-Ming , Zhao Jianxing
Published: September 2018

In the current note, we investigate the mathematical relations among the weighted arithmetic mean–geometric mean (AM–GM) inequality, the Hölder inequality and the weighted power-mean inequality. Meanwhile, the proofs of mathematical equivalence among the weighted AM–GM inequality, the weighted power-mean inequality and the Hölder inequality are fully achieved. The new results are more generalized than those of previous studies.
Time-Dependent Behavior of a Circular Symmetrical Tunnel Supported with Rockbolts
Authors: Han Wei , Wang Gang , Liu Chuanzheng , Luan Hengjie , Wang Ke
Published: September 2018

Under the effect of initial stress and excavation disturbance, there exists interaction between rock mass and rockbolt in deeply buried tunnels. In order to fully explore the mechanism of rock mass supported with rockbolts, this article studied the time-dependent behavior of the rock mass supported with discretely mechanically or frictionally coupled (DMFC) rockbolts. The interaction model elastic solutions under distributed force model were analyzed, then the viscoelastic analytical solutions were conducted to describe the rheological properties of the coupling model, and the solutions were acquired by setting the constitutive models of the rockbolt and rock mass in terms of a one-dimensional Kelvin model and a three-dimensional Burgers model based on material properties and dimension. Several examples were performed and the influence of initial stress σ0, the viscosity parameters η1 and η2 of the three-dimensional Burgers model as well as the pre-tension T0 on reinforcement effect were analyzed. According to the proposed model, the smaller η2 is or the larger the pre-tension T0 is, the more effective the support effect. However, when the pre-tension is too large, the support effect is no longer significantly enhanced. In addition, the early reinforcement effect is controlled by the first creep stage in the Burgers model while the ultimate support effect is mainly influenced by the viscosity coefficient of the second creep stage in the Burgers model. This research can provide an important theoretical reference to guide the parameter design of rockbolt reinforcement engineering in a circular symmetrical tunnel.
Contribution of Moisture from Mediterranean Sea to Extreme Precipitation Events over Danube River Basin
Authors: Ciric Danica , Nieto Raquel , Ramos Alexandre M. , Drumond Anita , Gimeno Luis
Published: September 2018

In the most recent decades, central Europe and the Danube River Basin area have been affected by an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme daily rainfall, which has resulted in the more frequent occurrence of significant flood events. This study characterised the link between moisture from the Mediterranean Sea and extreme precipitation events, with varying lengths that were recorded over the Danube River basin between 1981 and 2015, and ranked the events with respect to the different time scales. The contribution of the Mediterranean Sea to the detected extreme precipitation events was then estimated using the Lagrangian FLEXPART dispersion model. Experiments were modelled in its forward mode, and particles leaving the Mediterranean Sea were tracked for a period of time determined with respect to the length of the extreme event. The top 100 extreme events in the ranking with durations of 1, 3, 5, 7, and 10 days were analysed, and it was revealed that most of these events occurred in the winter. For extreme precipitation, positive anomalies of moisture support from the Mediterranean were found to be in the order of 80% or more, but this support reached 100% in summer and spring. The results show that extreme precipitation events with longer durations are more influenced by the extreme Mediterranean anomalous moisture supply than those with shorter lengths. However, it is during shorter events when the Mediterranean Sea contributes higher amounts of moisture compared with its climatological mean values; for longer events, this contribution decreases progressively (but still doubles the climatological moisture contribution from the Mediterranean Sea). Finally, this analysis provides evidence that the optimum time period for accumulated moisture to be modelled by the Lagrangian model is that for which the extreme event is estimated. In future studies, this fine characterisation could assist in modelling moisture contributions from sources in relation to individual extreme events.
A Method for Detecting Abrupt Change of Sediment Discharge in the Loess Plateau, China
Authors: Shen Dandan , Bao Weimin , Ni Peng
Published: September 2018

In recent decades, the streamflow and sediment of the Yellow River has decreased sharply, especially the sediment discharge. The factors that lead to this phenomenon have become a widely concerned problem of the whole society. The analysis of abrupt change points of hydrological series is the key to divide datum period, so it is an important work in the research of streamflow and sediment reduction cause. So far, many methods have been proposed to detect abrupt change. However, most methods have great uncertainty due to the deficiencies of irrational structure of test statistics, ideal hypothesis or subjectivity. In this paper, a new method called moving average difference method for abrupt change points detection is proposed. It is proved to be effective through comparison with four commonly used methods via both synthetic series and real data case study. The results show that the proposed method has four distinct advantages: (1) The test statistic structure of the method has physical significance and is intuitive to understand; (2) It is more accurate in abrupt change detection; (3) It can detect all of the abrupt change points at one time; (4) It can detect the abrupt changes and calculate the corresponding mutation intensity simultaneously.
Characteristics and Outcomes of Exit Sites of Buried Peritoneal Dialysis Catheters: A Cohort Study
Authors: Keskar Vaibhav , Biyani Mohan , Blew Brian , Warren Jeff , McCormick Brendan B.
Published: September 2018

Buried peritoneal dialysis (PD) catheters are placed months before dialysis is needed and the exit site is created when the catheter is dissected out at the initiation of dialysis. In contrast, the exit site of an unburied catheter is created by the surgeon at the time of insertion. We reviewed all patients who initiated PD at our center over a 2-year period. At each clinic visit, exit sites were subjectively classified into standard predefined groups. Outcomes of interest were the frequency of perfect exit sites at 2, 6, and 12 months and rate of exit-site infections (ESIs) at 90 days. One hundred and seventy-seven patients initiated PD during the period of interest, and 169, 157, and 144 remained on PD at 2, 6, and 12 months, respectively. Ninety-three patients had buried catheters, and 76 patients had unburied catheters. Both groups had similar frequency of perfect appearance of exit sites at 2, 6, and 12 months (37/93 vs 41/76 at 2 months; 54/87 vs 43/70 at 6 months; 50/ 81 vs 35/ 63 at 12 months in buried and unburied groups, respectively). More patients with buried catheters had ESIs in the first 3 months (7/93 vs 1/76, p = 0.059). We conclude that exit sites of buried PD catheters do not differ qualitatively from those of unburied catheters. The trend towards more ESIs with buried catheters suggests that there may be clinical consequences of the tissue trauma at time of exteriorization.
Sustained Increase in Peritoneal Dialysis Prevalence through a Structured PD Initiation Service
Authors: Javaid Muhammad Masoom , Khan Behram Ali , Yeo Emily Xe , Teo Boon Wee , Subramanian Srinivas
Published: September 2018

A structured peritoneal dialysis (PD) initiation service provided by a dedicated team of nephrologists, interventionists, and PD nurses, taking patients through the stages of predialysis education and monitoring, dialysis catheter insertion, dialysis initiation, and follow-up in the immediate post-dialysis initiation period, can go a long way in expanding PD prevalence. The authors noticed a rapid expansion of their PD program following the introduction of such a service, and they share their experience in this article. A multidisciplinary team providing 1-stop coordinated care may help in alleviating the differences in patient selection criteria, minimize delays in PD catheter insertions, ensure timely initiation of dialysis, reduce the need to start dialysis urgently, actively identify and sort any teething issues, enhance patients’ confidence, and reduce technique failures.
Systemic Endotoxin in Peritoneal Dialysis Patients
Authors: Shendi Ali M. , Davies Nathan , Davenport Andrew
Published: September 2018

Previous reports linked systemic endotoxemia in dialysis patients to increased markers of inflammation, cardiovascular disease, and mortality. Many peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients use acidic, hypertonic dialysates, which could potentially increase gut permeability, resulting in systemic endotoxemia. However, the results from studies measuring endotoxin in PD patients are discordant. We therefore measured systemic endotoxin in 55 PD outpatients attending for routine assessment of peritoneal membrane function; mean age 58.7 ± 16.4 years, 32 (58.2%) male, 21 (38.2%) diabetic, median duration of PD treatment 19.5 (13 – 31) months, 32 (58.2%) using 22.7 g/L dextrose dialysates, and 47 (85.5%) icodextrin. The median systemic endotoxin concentration was 0.0485 (0.0043 – 0.103) Eu/mL. We found no association between endotoxin levels and patient demographics, markers of inflammation, serum albumin, N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide, extracellular volume measured by bioimpedance, blood pressure, PD prescriptions or peritoneal membrane transporter status, or medications. The measurement of endotoxin can be lowered by failure to effectively release protein-bound endotoxin prior to analysis and increased by contamination when taking blood samples and processing and storing the samples. Additionally, contamination with β–glucan from fungal cell walls and the use of different assays to analyze endotoxin can also give differing results. These factors may help to explain the disparate results reported in different studies. Our study would suggest that exposure to standard peritoneal dialysates does not substantially increase systemic endotoxin. However, until endotoxin assays can measure free and bound endotoxin separately, the role of endotoxin causing inflammation in PD patients remains to be determined.
Characterization of the complete mitochondrial genome of Parabreviscolex niepini Xi et al., 2018 (Cestoda, Caryophyllidea)
Authors: Xi Bing-Wen , Zhang Dong , Li Wen-Xiang , Yang Bao-Juan , Xie Jun
Published: September 2018

Parabreviscolexniepini is a recently described caryophyllidean monozoic tapeworm from schizothoracine fish on the Tibetan Plateau. In the present study, the complete mitochondrial genome of P.niepini is determined for the first time. The mitogenome is 15,034 bp in length with an A+T content of 59.6%, and consists of 12 protein-encoding genes, 22 tRNA genes, two rRNA genes, and two non-coding regions. The secondary structure of tRNAs exhibit the conventional cloverleaf structure, except for trnS1(AGN) and trnR, which lack DHU arms. The anti-codon of trnS1(AGN) in the mitogenome of P.niepini is TCT. The two major non-coding regions, 567 bp and 1428 bp in size, are located between trnL2 and cox2, trnG and cox3, respectively. The gene order of P.niepini shows a consistent pattern with other caryophyllideans. Phylogenetic analysis based on mitogenomic data indicates that P.niepini has a close evolutionary relationship with tapeworms Breviscolexorientalis and Atractolytocestushuronensis.
La résilience perdue des pêcheries du Delta Central du Niger
Authors: Quensière Jacques , Tounkara Samba Bocary , Kane Alioune
Published: September 2018

Si la résilience caractérise la capacité de résister aux perturbations, elle relève de la dynamique de systèmes complexes dont elle constitue une composante majeure de la survie et de l’organisation. La résilience d’un système biologique, écologique ou social caractérise ainsi sa capacité à s’adapter aux contraintes nouvelles imposées par son environnement, en se modifiant spontanément. Mais, sachant qu’un système contribue aussi à la caractérisation de son environnement, comment définir ce dernier et les changements qui perturbent le système de ceux qui le laissent indifférent sans sombrer dans l’évidence et la tautologie ? Mieux vaut donc raisonner sur les causes de disparition d’une résilience avérée comme celle des pêcheries du Delta Central du Niger. Certaines étrangetés des discours actuels n’en sont que plus évidentes.
Organisations locales  et résiliences collectives
Authors: Archambaud Lise , Gondard-Delcroix Claire
Published: September 2018

Dans les zones en situation de crise prolongée, les organisations humanitaires s’appuient fréquemment sur des dynamiques collectives pour assurer la distribution de l’aide sans toutefois prendre en considération les capacités de ces organisations à mener à bien une telle mission. Dans quelle mesure les organisations locales déjà affaiblies par le conflit sont-elles à même de fonctionner efficacement ? L’article s’appuie sur un cadre théorique novateur mobilisant le concept de capabilités collectives pour définir la résilience des organisations locales. Sur cette base, il identifie empiriquement les caractéristiques de la résilience collective afin d’analyser les effets produits par le conflit sur les dynamiques collectives. Il souligne la diversité des organisations locales en termes de capacités de résilience et ouvre des pistes de réflexion quant à l’accompagnement des organisations locales dans ces contextes.
Regards croisés sur les organismes de bassin en France et au Brésil dans la perspective des communs
Authors: Laigneau Patrick , Formiga-Johnsson Rosa Maria , Barraqué Bernard
Published: September 2018

Depuis la fin des années 1960, les agences et comités de bassin français ont œuvré pour l’institutionnalisation d’une gestion de l’eau comme bien commun, même si cela n’a pas toujours été reconnu en ces termes. Des institutions similaires ont été créées au Brésil dans les années 1990. Cet article propose d’analyser dans quelle mesure les redevances sur l’eau mises en place en France et au Brésil ont permis l’émergence et la consolidation d’actions collectives qui se rapprochent des principes des communs.
Los portales de archivos españoles: transparencia, interoperabilidad y orientación a los usuarios
Authors: Perpinyà Morera Remei , Cid-Leal Pilar
Published: September 2018

En el artículo se analizan las características de quince portales de archivos españoles. El objetivo de la investigación es evaluar hasta qué punto son exhaustivos con respecto a la información y recursos que ofrecen, la facilidad de uso, la orientación a los usuarios y la interoperabilidad. La investigación se enmarca en el ámbito de la difusión del patrimonio cultural en Europa. Entre otras conclusiones el estudio revela la necesidad de mejorar los portales, con el fin de convertirlos en herramientas útiles para visibilizar y hacer accesible el patrimonio archivístico español a cualquier tipo de usuario. Se evidencia también la necesidad de un compromiso más firme de las instituciones de las que dependen para desarrollarlos y, en general, aprovechar el potencial de Internet para difundir dicho patrimonio y aumentar la transparencia.
BPMS para la gestión: una revisión sistemática de la literatura
Authors: Martín-Navarro Alicia , Lechuga Sancho María Paula , Medina-Garrido José Aurelio
Published: September 2018

El objetivo de este trabajo es realizar un análisis sistemático de la literatura para mostrar el estado del arte en la investigación sobre los Sistemas de Gestión de Procesos de Negocio (BPMS, por sus siglas en inglés). Los BPMS representan una tecnología que automatiza los procesos de negocio, conectando a usuarios con sus tareas. Para ello, se realizó una revisión sistemática de la literatura de los últimos diez años, utilizando trabajos científicos indexados en las principales bases de datos del área de conocimiento. Los trabajos generados por la búsqueda fueron posteriormente analizados y filtrados. Entre los hallazgos de este estudio destaca el interés académico y el carácter multidisciplinar de la materia, identificándose este tipo de estudio en distintas áreas de conocimiento. Este estudio sirve como punto de partida para futuras investigaciones en este ámbito que servirían para desarrollar una teoría más robusta y ampliar el interés del tema por su impacto económico en la gestión por procesos.
Policies and Initiatives for the Internationalization of Higher Education in Oman
Authors: Alzadjali Amna Hashim Hamdan
Published: September 2018

This chapter studies the globalization of higher education in context of The Sultanate of Oman. It is a study on the understanding of internationalization of higher education which results in conclusions and recommendations on the enhancement of the future of internationalization of higher education in Oman. Internationalization of higher education is not new. In today's age of global knowledge and technology, an interconnected network and global awareness are increasingly viewed as major and sought-after assets. With the current labor market requiring graduates to have international, foreign language, and intercultural skills to be able to interact in a global setting, institutions such as World Trade Organization (WTO) and the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) are placing more importance on internationalization. Complying with WTO and GATS agreements, Oman had to liberalize its HE, open the door for foreign universities to have campuses inside its borders, and encourage outbound and inflow of students.
Internationalization of Higher Education in Southeast Asia
Authors: Sharma Ramesh Chander , Rajesh M.
Published: September 2018

In 1997, during the second ASEAN (Association of SouthEast Asian Nations) informal summit held in Kuala Lumpur, ASEAN Vision 2020 was adopted laying emphasis on integration of education and human capital development which was echoed in Hanoi Plan of Action (December 1997) and later on in Vientiane Action Programme (2004). During the first meeting of ASEAN Ministers of Education held at Singapore in 2006 the Cha-am Hua Declaration highlighted role of education in achieving enduring solidarity and unity among the nations and people of ASEAN. Recently an ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Blueprint 2025 was launched in 2016 recommending an innovative ASEAN approach to higher education with the purpose to promote greater people-to-people interaction and mobility within and outside ASEAN. This chapter discusses policies and practices for internationalization of higher education in South East Asia and how it is strengthening regional and global cooperation.
The Role of International Student Mobility and Language Policies in the Process of Internationalization of Higher Education
Authors: Göztaş Aylin , Özdemir Emel Kuşku , Topsümer Fusun
Published: September 2018

The current study, based on the quantitative research approach, is structured on the basic question of whether participation in exchange programs and foreign language variables affect attitudes towards intercultural communication sensitivity. The research, which was conducted with the participation of university students from seven different geographical regions and from different educational fields, provides findings that support the existence of a relation between the contact with a foreign culture and language. Learning about different cultures and learning a foreign language in interaction with the culture reinforce individuals' language skills and improve their awareness about different cultures. Furthermore, it is remarked that the participants who acquired a foreign language through participating in an international exchange program are more confident and responsible in their interactions compared to the other group.
Developing LGBTQ Competence in Faculty
Authors: Vaccaro Annemarie , Dooley Jr. Howard L. , Adams Jessica A.
Published: September 2018

Contemporary college campuses can be hostile and unwelcoming places for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) faculty, staff, and students. This chapter examines through the lens of structuration theory the implementation of an LGBTQ professional development series for faculty as an impetus to change such unwelcoming environments. The LGBTQ professional development series was designed to foster individual and organizational change by first increasing the LGBTQ cultural competency of faculty members, and second by providing these agents encouragement and tools to change unwelcoming structures within themselves, their organization, and their disciplinary influence.