Search

This article describes a systematic literature review focused on identifying substantial drawbacks in the current curricula and on the challenges to developing AI-driven curricula. One hundred thirty articles were read in depth and qualitatively analyzed. The results suggest that educational stakeholders should integrate AI into the curriculum with the aim of developing students' critical thinking and interdisciplinary and real-world problem-solving in alignment with digital and contemporary educational settings. The study also seeks to catalyze the development of future, related impact studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the previous studies on successful digital transformation initiatives in government organizations and deduces the tangible and intangible benefits to showcase some real-life examples and evidence. This article provides a thorough evaluation of the available literature on successful digital transformation initiatives. It analyzes 53 important success elements grouped across seven dimensions, giving a conceptual framework for executing digital transformation in government organizations. The research identifies key success elements that are crucial for digital transformation, emphasizing the importance of clear planning, flexibility, agility, and robust data security measures. This study provides practical insights for organizations aiming to undertake digital transformation initiatives, highlighting strategies to overcome hurdles and maximize benefits. This study contributes a proposed conceptual framework and empirical evidence to guide academics, professionals, and decision-makers in effectively navigating and leveraging digital transformation in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crime can drastically alter a neighborhood’s social and economic fabric, creating fear and instability that disrupt communal harmony and daily life. To address the growing impact of crime and the need for efficient analysis and predictions, we introduce the Geographic Crime Analysis Framework (G.C.A.F.). This new framework enhances the capability to analyze and predict urban crime activities through advanced spatial–temporal geographic crime analysis techniques. The G.C.A.F. addresses gaps in existing methods by comprehensively evaluating various approaches, discussing their advantages and disadvantages, and determining their suitability for specific situations. Additionally, it introduces criteria for evaluating the efficiency of different geographic crime prediction methods, aiding in selecting the most appropriate approach for given objectives. The framework concludes with a comparison of the effectiveness of each method in crime prediction and analysis. By implementing the G.C.A.F., law enforcement, and policymakers can more effectively combat crime, thereby improving public safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a comprehensive framework for the sustainable management of groundwater resources in the Makutupora basin, Dodoma, Tanzania. The framework was developed through a systematic four‐phase methodology. Phase I involved a literature and document review to generate foundational insights. Phase II comprised a review of existing conceptual frameworks to identify best practices. Phase III included primary data collection through interviews, focus groups, and stakeholder surveys to understand current challenges and capacities. Phase IV involved synthesizing the findings to develop the proposed management framework. The framework includes a nested, multi‐scale structure with four hierarchical levels, overarching goals, primary management functions, specific operations, and subordinate tasks. It was informed by sustainability Principles and Intergrated Water Resources Mangagement concepts. The framework facilitates coordinated planning and implementation across relevant organizations through well‐defined roles and regular monitoring/evaluation. Key functions address resource assessment, regulatory compliance, stakeholder participation, financing, and capacity development. Validation by subject matter experts strengthened the framework's grounding in evidence and enhanced its implementation, adaptability, and long‐term sustainability. The final framework is envisioned as a dynamic decision support tool to address the complexities of groundwater utilization, protection, and conservation in an equitable, adaptive manner for current and future generations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable spatial planning increasingly emphasizes the protection and restoration provided by nature to human welfare, yet scientifically assessing and managing the societal utilization status of natural ecological assets (EAs) remains a challenge. This study introduces a novel classification of EAs based on the degree of dependency of human societies, and establishes an assessment framework for the spatial utilization status of EAs, incorporating indicators related to "pattern-quality-supply-demand- risk". These indicators are integrated into the construction of ecological security patterns to optimize the management of EAs. Validated in Changxing County, Zhejiang Province, China, key findings include: (1) In 2020, the EAs of Changxing provided a value of CNY 77.936 billion, with livable climate assets dominating and carbon assets least prevalent. (2) Urban development has led to EA loss, with the most significant losses in high-supply areas and the highest loss risks in areas with scarce EAs, yet maintaining an overall balance of supply and demand. (3) In 2020, the total area of EA sources in Changxing was 487.34 km2, accounting for 34% of the total land area, with 42.34% classified as high-security zones and 11.21% as high-alert zones. This study proposes an approach to ecological spatial optimization management that integrates the spatial utilization status of EAs, providing planners with practical tools and illustrative cases for seamlessly incorporating localized ecological elements into spatial planning. Our research applies to regions facing challenges related to EA loss and striving for sustainable development, offering strategies for ecological restoration, compensation, and optimization management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI) tools has contributed to various image-generation techniques. These tools have had a significant effect on how we perceive contemporary communication. This study presents a broad overview of the challenges and consequences associated with the influence of AI on communication, and its findings are supported by thoughts collected from various books and academic publications. Nevertheless, incorporating AI into communication through synthetic imagery raises concerns about communication that require careful consideration. This study investigates various ethical concerns and the significance of ethical guidelines and responsible practices in creating these applications. It intricately weaves together philosophical reflections, ethical deliberations, and societal responsibilities, shedding light on the complex interplay between ethics, technology, and human values within the context of machine development and broader societal realms.

Sustainable spatial planning increasingly emphasizes the protection and restoration provided by nature to human welfare, yet scientifically assessing and managing the societal utilization status of natural ecological assets (EAs) remains a challenge. This study introduces a novel classification of EAs based on the degree of dependency of human societies, and establishes an assessment framework for the spatial utilization status of EAs, incorporating indicators related to “pattern-quality-supply-demand-risk”. These indicators are integrated into the construction of ecological security patterns to optimize the management of EAs. Validated in Changxing County, Zhejiang Province, China, key findings include: (1) In 2020, the EAs of Changxing provided a value of CNY 77.936 billion, with livable climate assets dominating and carbon assets least prevalent. (2) Urban development has led to EA loss, with the most significant losses in high-supply areas and the highest loss risks in areas with scarce EAs, yet maintaining an overall balance of supply and demand. (3) In 2020, the total area of EA sources in Changxing was 487.34 km², accounting for 34% of the total land area, with 42.34% classified as high-security zones and 11.21% as high-alert zones. This study proposes an approach to ecological spatial optimization management that integrates the spatial utilization status of EAs, providing planners with practical tools and illustrative cases for seamlessly incorporating localized ecological elements into spatial planning. Our research applies to regions facing challenges related to EA loss and striving for sustainable development, offering strategies for ecological restoration, compensation, and optimization management.

This study investigates the previous studies on successful digital transformation initiatives in government organizations and deduces the tangible and intangible benefits to showcase some real-life examples and evidence. This article provides a thorough evaluation of the available literature on successful digital transformation initiatives. It analyzes 53 important success elements grouped across seven dimensions, giving a conceptual framework for executing digital transformation in government organizations. The research identifies key success elements that are crucial for digital transformation, emphasizing the importance of clear planning, flexibility, agility, and robust data security measures. This study provides practical insights for organizations aiming to undertake digital transformation initiatives, highlighting strategies to overcome hurdles and maximize benefits. This study contributes a proposed conceptual framework and empirical evidence to guide academics, professionals, and decision-makers in effectively navigating and leveraging digital transformation in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Due to the impact of global climate change, many cities in China have been hit by severe rainstorms, leading to increasingly frequent urban waterlogging disasters. In recent years, nature‐based solutions (NbS) have received widespread attention and recognition, providing new ideas and approaches to addressing urban waterlogging issues. First, this article reviews the development process and concept of NbS and analyzes its core ideas and principles. Second, it analyzes the guiding role of NbS in urban waterlogging management and compares the commonalities and differences between NbS and three related waterlogging concepts. To ensure that urban waterlogging management is operational and dynamic, and that there is effective communication among stakeholders, this article proposes a comprehensive framework for the application of NbS in urban waterlogging management. Finally, this article analyzes the opportunities and potential of NbS applied to urban environmental issues. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2023;19:1414–1421. © 2023 SETAC Key Points: Compared with current methods, nature‐based solutions (NbS) are entire life cycles and can efficiently resolve urban waterlogging.We divided urban waterlogging management into four stages and constructed a dynamic feedback framework with operability to ensure that urban waterlogging management is feasible and dynamic.We developed targeted NbS guiding principles based on the different objectives and priorities of the four stages of problem‐solving to ensure effective communication among stakeholders in the four stages of this dynamic feedback framework.We present a comprehensive application framework for urban waterlogging management based on NbS that combines the dynamic feedback framework with NbS guiding principles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In order to facilitate processes and provide innovative services, Most of organizations pay special attention to using data center services to host new platforms, services and tools to manage and run their systems. In the field of data center cybersecurity, all aspects need to be considered to identify the causes and then solve the problems. Therefore, in this study, we seek to identify and provide management codes that consider all internal and external aspects of cyber security.In this research, using NIST cybersecurity framework and existing localized framework for Identify management codes of Comprehensive framework for data center cybersecurity by systematic literature review (SLR), 1831 documents was extracted by searching the Science direct, Scopus and ISC articles. After necessary examinations, 63 of them were identified as related documents. They were analyzed and coded using the Meta- synthesis method. Finally, the extracted features were classified into 5 main category and 23 sub categories and 108 codes, which were related to data center cyber security, i.e. Identification, protection, detection, response and retrieval.Introduction In recent years, the volume of data has increased to such an extent that the 21st century is known as the data century (Calzada & Almirall, 2020). However, this increase in the volume of data and the need to ensure the security of the production and maintenance center and data services have been raised as an emerging issue in the management of information systems. Utilization of the data center, which is considered as the most important vital infrastructure of the organization, and huge investment has been made and the existential importance of these centers in providing the information and services needed by the society, causes an increase in cyber threats against them and increases the motivation of the threat actors to endanger the security of these centers. (Kazemi et al., 2022). The researcher's main approach is to identify and present data center cyber security management codes with an integrated and intelligent approach.Problem StatementIdentify management codes of Comprehensive framework for data center ‌ cybersecurity Based on the NIST model with an integrated and intelligent approach.The review of internal research in the field of cyber security also shows that no research has been conducted that has examined the security of the organizational data center separately. Adopting this point of view, which includes all the dimensions and components, and the codes affecting the cyber security of the data center, can be a useful approach in this regard.Materials and Methods The current research method is qualitative and Meta- synthesis method. In this research, in order to review data center cyber security literature, Sandelowski and Barroso's seven-step model has been used (Sandelowski & Barroso, 2006).Research Findings By systematically reviewing data center cyber security literature and coding and analyzing them, the main categories and components of this framework were identified. In total, the results of coding the sources led to the identification of the components of the framework and its dimensions. Based on the investigations, a total of 108 management codes were classified in the form of 23 components and extracted as components of the intelligent and integrated cyber security framework of the data center, which were identified in the 5 main categories of identification, protection, discovery, response and recovery.Conclusion In this research, using NIST cybersecurity framework and existing localized framework for Identify management codes of Comprehensive framework for data center cybersecurity by systematic literature review (SLR), 1831 documents was extracted by searching the Science direct, Scopus and ISC articles. After necessary examinations, 63 of them were identified as related documents. They were analyzed and coded using the Meta- synthesis method. Finally, the extracted features were classified into 5 main category and 23 sub categories and 108 codes, which were related to data center cyber security, i.e. Identification, protection, detection, response and retrieval.The innovation of the current research is from the aspect of studying the framework of cyber security with the approach of integrated and intelligent management of data centers, and therefore the development of a framework that can help organizations in facing cyber threats of data centers active in information and communication infrastructures is one of the goals of this research. Integrity and intelligence in paying attention to each of the components of the above dimensions, which are connected and integrated like the links of a chain, and the continuous and rotating monitoring of that is the necessary intelligence to learn from the previous actions of oneself and others and to prevent the repetition of threats to the cyber security of the organization's data centers.In this research, using NIST cybersecurity framework and existing localized framework for Identify management codes of Comprehensive framework for data center cybersecurity by systematic literature review (SLR), 1831 documents was extracted by searching the Science direct, Scopus and ISC articles. After necessary examinations, 63 of them were identified as related documents. They were analyzed and coded using the Meta- synthesis method. Finally, the extracted features were classified into 5 main category and 23 sub categories and 108 codes, which were related to data center cyber security, i.e. Identification, protection, detection, response and retrieval.

Abstract Throughout history, the different cycles of change that traditional commercial centres (bazaars) have undergone in different Islamic cities call attention to the hidden abilities insuring their resilience until today. To understand the way in which these bazaar areas absorb and adapt to change, this paper investigates the resilience awareness of a specific case study ‘the bazaar of Bursa’, by dealing with key morphological, behavioural and institutional aspects. Several resilience assessment frameworks have been developed, including cultural, economic, and spatial proxies. However, most of them have focused on physical structures while assessing resilience concretely. This study represents a first step towards a Framework Proposal for resilience assessment in traditional commercial centres (bazaars) combining together tangible and intangible features specific to the historical bazaar of Bursa as a case study using a quantitative approach in a form of a survey. The findings showed a clear overlap between the tradesmen’s perception of factors affecting resilience in the bazaar of Bursa and those proposed by authors. This research may help decision-makers gain a better understanding of the key hidden factors promoting resilience in such historical urban fabrics and guide them in making adequate planning decisions in the future.

For mankind's survival and development, water, energy, and food (WEF) are essential material guarantees. In China, however, the spatial distribution of WEF is seriously unbalanced and mismatched. Here, a collaborative governance mechanism that aims at nexus security needs to be urgently established. In this paper, the Yellow River Basin in China with a representative WEF system, was selected as a case. Firstly, a comprehensive framework for WEF coupling coordination was constructed, and the relationship and mechanism between them were analyzed theoretically. Then, we investigated the spatiotemporal characteristics and driving mechanisms of the coupling coordination degree (CCD) with a composite evaluation method, coupling coordination degree model, spatial statistical analysis, and multiscale geographic weighted regression. Finally, policy implications were discussed to promote the coordinated development of the WEF system. The results showed that: 1) WEF subsystems showed a significant imbalance of spatial pattern and diversity in temporal changes; 2) the CCD for the WEF system varied little and remained at moderate coordination. Areas with moderate coordination have increased, while areas with superior coordination and mild disorder have decreased. In addition, the spatial clustering phenomenon of the CCD was significant and showed obvious characteristics of polarization; and 3) the action of each factor is self-differentiated and regionally variable. For different factors, GDP per capita was of particular importance, which contributed most to the regional development's coupling coordination. For different regions, GDP per capita, average yearly precipitation, population density, and urbanization rate exhibited differences in geographical gradients in an east-west direction. The conclusion can provide references for regional resource allocation and sustainable development by enhancing WEF system utilization efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Is there one legitimate form of luxury, or are there many acceptable luxury forms? The answer is that it all depends on the perspective used to define luxury, and who is involved in doing so. Luxury research is a solid field of study. However, most studies in marketing and consumer research focus on the exclusive nature of luxury consumption and mainly adopt a goods-centric and conventional approach. Doing so does not allow scholars to capture the holistic aspects of luxury perceptions and consumption. To address this issue, this review article draws on recent developments calling for more approaches beyond the conventional conceptualization of luxury and advancing our understanding of it. This can be achieved by offering a comprehensive and multilayered framework to define luxury, which is viewed through various theoretical lenses, units of analysis, and the stakeholders involved in luxury domains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of recycled materials is regulated by standards for chemical analysis of leachate and binders. This study, based on air emission contribution aims at completing the comprehensive framework for RAP acceptance in road construction. Results show that fumes studied are composed of PAH in low quantities and in variable proportions depending on the manufacturing process and the mix design. Incorporation of 40 % recycled material into hot and warm manufacturing process increases total PAH concentrations in emissions by 8 % and 26 %, respectively. In addition, the results showed that carcinogenic particulate PAH in emissions from mixes incorporating recycled materials are attributable to RAP itself, suggesting that the pavement capture organic compounds functioning as a pollution sink. Importance of integrating a specific analysis of air emissions into the overall environmental characterization with the analysis of some pollutants will opened to directing road infrastructure construction and maintenance strategies towards more sustainable industrial practices. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to facilitate processes and provide innovative services, Most of organizations pay special attention to using data center services to host new platforms, services and tools to manage and run their systems. In the field of data center cybersecurity, all aspects need to be considered to identify the causes and then solve the problems. Therefore, in this study, we seek to identify and provide management codes that consider all internal and external aspects of cyber security. In this research, using NIST cybersecurity framework and existing localized framework for Identify management codes of Comprehensive framework for data center cybersecurity by systematic literature review (SLR), 1831 documents was extracted by searching the Science direct, Scopus and ISC articles. After necessary examinations, 63 of them were identified as related documents. They were analyzed and coded using the Meta- synthesis method. Finally, the extracted features were classified into 5 main category and 23 sub categories and 108 codes, which were related to data center cyber security, i.e. Identification, protection, detection, response and retrieval. Introduction In recent years, the volume of data has increased to such an extent that the 21st century is known as the data century (Calzada & Almirall, 2020). However, this increase in the volume of data and the need to ensure the security of the production and maintenance center and data services have been raised as an emerging issue in the management of information systems. Utilization of the data center, which is considered as the most important vital infrastructure of the organization, and huge investment has been made and the existential importance of these centers in providing the information and services needed by the society, causes an increase in cyber threats against them and increases the motivation of the threat actors to endanger the security of these centers. (Kazemi et al., 2022). The researcher's main approach is to identify and present data center cyber security management codes with an integrated and intelligent approach. Problem Statement Identify management codes of Comprehensive framework for data center cybersecurity Based on the NIST model with an integrated and intelligent approach. The review of internal research in the field of cyber security also shows that no research has been conducted that has examined the security of the organizational data center separately. Adopting this point of view, which includes all the dimensions and components, and the codes affecting the cyber security of the data center, can be a useful approach in this regard. Materials and Methods The current research method is qualitative and Meta- synthesis method. In this research, in order to review data center cyber security literature, Sandelowski and Barroso's seven-step model has been used (Sandelowski & Barroso, 2006). Research Findings By systematically reviewing data center cyber security literature and coding and analyzing them, the main categories and components of this framework were identified. In total, the results of coding the sources led to the identification of the components of the framework and its dimensions. Based on the investigations, a total of 108 management codes were classified in the form of 23 components and extracted as components of the intelligent and integrated cyber security framework of the data center, which were identified in the 5 main categories of identification, protection, discovery, response and recovery. Conclusion In this research, using NIST cybersecurity framework and existing localized framework for Identify management codes of Comprehensive framework for data center cybersecurity by systematic literature review (SLR), 1831 documents was extracted by searching the Science direct, Scopus and ISC articles. After necessary examinations, 63 of them were identified as related documents. They were analyzed and coded using the Meta- synthesis method. Finally, the extracted features were classified into 5 main category and 23 sub categories and 108 codes, which were related to data center cyber security, i.e. Identification, protection, detection, response and retrieval. The innovation of the current research is from the aspect of studying the framework of cyber security with the approach of integrated and intelligent management of data centers, and therefore the development of a framework that can help organizations in facing cyber threats of data centers active in information and communication infrastructures is one of the goals of this research. Integrity and intelligence in paying attention to each of the components of the above dimensions, which are connected and integrated like the links of a chain, and the continuous and rotating monitoring of that is the necessary intelligence to learn from the previous actions of oneself and others and to prevent the repetition of threats to the cyber security of the organization's data centers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Throughout history, the different cycles of change that traditional commercial centres (bazaars) have undergone in different Islamic cities call attention to the hidden abilities insuring their resilience until today. To understand the way in which these bazaar areas absorb and adapt to change, this paper investigates the resilience awareness of a specific case study 'the bazaar of Bursa', by dealing with key morphological, behavioural and institutional aspects. Several resilience assessment frameworks have been developed, including cultural, economic, and spatial proxies. However, most of them have focused on physical structures while assessing resilience concretely. This study represents a first step towards a Framework Proposal for resilience assessment in traditional commercial centres (bazaars) combining together tangible and intangible features specific to the historical bazaar of Bursa as a case study using a quantitative approach in a form of a survey. The findings showed a clear overlap between the tradesmen's perception of factors affecting resilience in the bazaar of Bursa and those proposed by authors. This research may help decision-makers gain a better understanding of the key hidden factors promoting resilience in such historical urban fabrics and guide them in making adequate planning decisions in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Evaluating urban flood resilience from the resilience evolution process. • Conducting a comparative analysis of flood resilience across various cities. • Employing a CNN-based method to extract powerful features for flood resilience. Enhancing urban resilience represented a viable strategy to mitigate flooding induced by intense human activities and climate change. However, existing studies often concentrated on system attributes or isolated resilience characteristics, failing to offer a holistic evaluation of urban flood resilience performance. Thus, it was imperative to develop a comprehensive flood resilience framework that incorporated the resilience evolution process including resistance, economic and function recovery. Consequently, this study endeavored to devise a synthesized framework for evaluating urban flood resilience, subsequently employing a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) model for simulation. The findings indicated that: (1) Guangzhou's maximum resistance capacity diminished from 0.52 to 0.50 as rainfall return periods altered, while Dongguan exhibited the lowest resistance, decreasing from 0.42 to 0.40. Regarding functional recovery capacity, Guangzhou ranked highest (0.35) and Foshan lowest (0.19); (2) according to Triangular Fuzzy Number-based AHP (TFN-AHP) analysis, the area classified as highest in resilience decreased from 15.6% to 12.1% of the total, whereas the low resilience area increased from 7.6% to 8.7%; (3) Zhuhai and Zhaoqing were primarily clustered along the resistance axis, in contrast, Dongguan was distinguished by its advancement along the axis of functional recovery.(4) CNN simulations yielded precise outcomes, with the Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve (AUC) and predictive accuracy (ACC) values exceeding 0.8,respectively. The insights provided by this research were crucial for entities tasked with flood risk management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, remote sensing using survey-grade UAVs has been gaining tremendous momentum in applications for the coastal hydro-environment. UAV-based remote sensing provides high spatial and temporal resolutions and flexible operational availability compared to other means, such as satellite imagery or point-based in situ measurements. As strict requirements and government regulations are imposed for every UAV survey, detailed survey planning is essential to ensure safe operations and seamless coordination with other activities. This study established a comprehensive framework for the planning of efficient UAV deployments in coastal areas, which was based on recent on-site survey experiences with a portable unmanned aerial vehicle (pUAV) that was carrying a heavyweight spectral sensor. The framework was classified into three main categories: (i) pre-survey considerations (i.e., administrative preparation and UAV airframe details); (ii) execution strategies (i.e., parameters and contingency planning); and (iii) environmental effects (i.e., weather and marine conditions). The implementation and verification of the framework were performed using a UAV–airborne spectral sensing exercise for water quality monitoring in Singapore. The encountered challenges and the mitigation practices that were developed from the actual field experiences were integrated into the framework to advance the ease of UAV deployment for coastal monitoring and improve the acquisition process of high-quality remote sensing images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water is a strategic commodity that needs to appropriate planning for equitable distribution. Water and Wastewaters Industrial (WWI) in Iran needs strategic planning. A 4-stage Comprehensive framework for strategy formulation is used for strategic planning in this applied research. In initiating stage, WWI's mission statement is determined based on nine main features and then at input stage, External Factors Evaluation (EFE) matrix and Internal Factors Evaluation (IFE) matrix are inserted. In the matching stage, the three matrices including SWOT, internal and external matrices, and strategic position and action evaluation (SPACE) are formed. The output of this stage is extraction conservative strategies. At decision making stage the most attractive strategy with a score of 5.96 is selected using Quantitative Strategic Planning matrix. This strategy is named "Outsourcing to the private sector and support from consultants, contractors and manufacturers in order to enhance their participation in the field of water and wastewater activities". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Human beings face a growing supply–demand risk in ecosystem services (SDRES) due to anthropogenic environmental change and human activity. It is urgent to construct an integrated framework that can identify where and the extent to which SDRES threatens human wellbeing. Objectives: This study attempts to construct a framework to characterize SDRES. This framework could help optimize ecosystem management and protect priority areas at high risk. Methods: We used the overlay analysis method to construct a framework that characterizes eight risk levels using four comprehensive indicators: supply–demand ratio, the trend of supply–demand ratio, ES supply trend, and trade-off and synergy. We assessed the supply–demand risk of freshwater, grain, and soil conservation services in the Qinling Mountains Region of China, as a case study to illustrate the feasibility of the framework. Results: Our results showed the different supply–demand risk levels of freshwater, grain, and soil conservation services in the Qinling Mountains Region. Supply–demand risk for freshwater and grain were similar, with high-risk areas distributed mainly in urban regions. High-risk areas for soil conservation service were patchy and scattered throughout the region. Conclusions: The framework and indicators proposed in this study are applicable for SDRES assessment at regional scales. This spatially-explicit model can help inform decision-makers with priority areas setting and develop effective risk management strategies. Future studies could integrate scenario simulation and multi-scale assessments into the SDRES framework to further reduce the uncertainty in risk assessment models and improve risk mitigation capability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the rapid spread of multimedia data and online observations by users, the importance of researching on machine vision also, analyzing and automatic understanding of video data content is progressively increasing. Human motion recognition in video data is a crucial research subject in machine vision science that has plenty of applications, for instance, video surveillance, video indexing, robotics, human-computer interface and multimedia retrieval. Despite a high number of researches conducted on this topic, there is a necessity to achieve a more in-depth understanding, complete classification, and evaluation of existing human motion recognition stages. The novelty of this paper, our comparative analytical framework includes three major parts. Firstly, three different stages are introduced in recognizing human motion consisting of background subtraction, feature extraction, and machine learning classification. Secondly, five essential criteria are defined for evaluating the proposed human motion recognition methods. Finally, our comparative analysis of human motion recognition stages comprises two models. The analysis of background subtraction methods is based on applying the criteria for a qualitative comparison. Next, the feature extraction and machine learning classification methods are examined by specifying their main idea, benefits and challenges. Our comparative analytical framework can be beneficial for every researcher in this field by simplifying accurate selection and development of human motion recognition methods in future works. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to meet the requirements of high-tech enterprises for high power quality, high-quality operation and maintenance (O&M) in smart distribution networks (SDN) is becoming increasingly important. As a significant element in enhancing the high-quality O&M of SDN, situation awareness (SA) began to excite the significant interest of scholars and managers, especially after the integration of intermittent renewable energy into SDN. Specific to high-quality O&M, the paper decomposes SA into three stages: detection, comprehension, and projection. In this paper, the state-of-the-art knowledge of SND SA is discussed, a review of critical technologies is presented, and a five-layer visualization framework of the SDN SA is constructed. SA detection aims to improve the SDN observability, SA comprehension is associated with the SDN operating status, and SA projection pertains to the analysis of the future SDN situation. The paper can provide researchers and utility engineers with insights into the technical achievements, barriers, and future research directions of SDN SA.

Due to the absence of a comprehensive framework for IT governance, the main objective of the study is to identify all components of IT governance and present them in the form of a comprehensive IT governance framework .The localization of provided framework for the automotive industry is the secondary objective of the study. In this regard, the research questions are: what is the comprehensive framework of IT governance? What are the components and dimensions of a comprehensive framework of IT governance? What is the localized comprehensive framework of IT governance for the Iranian automotive industry? All researches on IT governance were investigated using meta-synthesis qualitative method and were limited to 96 selected articles by performing a meta-synthesis process. Then, the five categories, 19 concepts and 79 codes of IT governance were identified through detailed study of these articles. Then, a comprehensive framework of IT governance was presented. For localizing, a questionnaire designed based on the identified IT governance components, and distributed among the automotive industry experts. Statistical hypothesis testing of collected data led to the rejection of cross/functional job rotation component in the automotive industry. To demonstrate the applicability of the framework, the IT governance status of ATLAS holding company was evaluated based on the comprehensive framework that localized for automotive industry.

The decrease in fertility rates and the increase in the average age of individuals are the main reasons behind the aging of the population. Challenges that come with an aging population include proper nursing care. Because the cost of healthcare is high and falls that cause injury or death in the elderly are escalating, they are a challenge for public welfare and research into reliable surveillance is essential. Non-intrusive fall detection systems are vital for reducing fall trauma and machine vision is an appropriate solution for detecting unusual events such as falls. Because there are varieties of vision-based fall detection (VBFD) methods and a comprehensive framework is lacking, comparison and evaluation of existing methods are difficult. In the current study, an analytical framework having three main components is proposed. First, existing VBFD methods are classified into three categories. Next, general evaluation criteria are defined for analysis of the proposed categorizations. Finally, each method is qualitatively analyzed using the proposed categorizations. The proposed framework can accurately provide identification and analytical comparison of existing methods. In addition, it can allow selection of the most appropriate methods and suggest improvements for existing methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, a scientific debate is ongoing about modeling nerve impulse propagation. One of the models discussed is the celebrated Hodgkin-Huxley model of the action potential, which is central to the electricity-centered conception of the nerve impulse that dominates contemporary neuroscience. However, this model cannot represent the nerve impulse completely, since it does not take into account non-electrical manifestations of the nerve impulse for which there is ample experimental evidence. As a result, alternative models of nerve impulse propagation have been proposed in contemporary (neuro)scientific literature. One of these models is the Heimburg-Jackson model, according to which the nerve impulse is an electromechanical density pulse in the neural membrane. This model is usually contrasted with the Hodgkin-Huxley model and is supposed to potentially be able to replace the latter. However, instead of contrasting these models of nerve impulse propagation, another approach integrates these models in a general unifying model. This general unifying model, the Engelbrecht model, is developed to unify all relevant manifestations of the nerve impulse and their interaction(s). Here, we want to contribute to the debate about modeling nerve impulse propagation by conceptually analyzing the Engelbrecht model. Combining the results of this conceptual analysis with insights from philosophy of science, we make recommendations for the study of nerve impulse propagation. The first conclusion of this analysis is that attempts to develop models that represent the nerve impulse accurately and completely appear unfeasible. Instead, models are and should be used as tools to study nerve impulse propagation for varying purposes, representing the nerve impulse accurately and completely enough to achieve the specified goals. The second conclusion is that integrating distinct models into a general unifying model that provides a consistent picture of nerve impulse propagation is impossible due to the distinct purposes for which they are developed and the conflicting assumptions these purposes often require. Instead of explaining nerve impulse propagation with a single general unifying model, it appears advisable to explain this complex phenomenon using a 'mosaic' framework of models in which each model provides a partial explanation of nerve impulse propagation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To indicate health status of bridges and help stakeholders make decision on maintenance, a comprehensive framework has been proposed to evaluate structural efficiency of suspension bridges using analytic hierarchy process. First, the analytical hierarchy model (i.e. hierarchical network together with data aggregation algorithms) has been constructed using multi-source data, including visual inspection, non-destructive testing and structural health monitoring information. Age-dependent variable weight theory is developed to account for the service history of elements ensuring the alignment of variation trend of index weights with the objective law in bridge maintenance and management activities. To overcome the limitations of factor-based variable weight model for weight adjustment, the factor- and age-based variable weight model has been adopted for data aggregation. Finally, four cases are used to test the effectiveness of the three models (i.e. constant weight model, factor-based variable weight model and factor- and age-based variable weight model). By comparing the performance of the three models, the recommended maintenance strategy derived from factor- and age-based variable weight model aligns more with the actual strategy than the other two. The factor- and age-based variable weight model outperforms both the factor-based variable weight model and constant weight model in helping bridge owners make maintenance decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Earthquakes are natural disasters which human beings cannot control, causing significant damage to the economy and society as a whole. In particular, earthquakes affect not only buildings but also lifeline structures such as water distribution, electric power, transportation, and telecommunication networks. The interruption of these networks is critical because it can directly damage the facilities and, at the same time, cause long-term loss of the overall system for society. In recent years, there has been increasing interest in the uncertainties of ground motion, deterioration of pipelines, and interdependency of lifelines. Therefore, it is essential to predict the damage through possible earthquake scenarios and accounting for factors affecting lifeline structures. This study proposes a comprehensive framework to quantify the impact of earthquakes on the connectivity of urban water transmissions. The framework proposes the following steps to predict damage from earthquakes: (1) estimate the ground motion considering the spatial correlation, (2) propose a modified failure probability of buried pipelines considering deterioration, and (3) evaluate the seismic fragility curves of network components and the interdependency among water treatment plants, pumping plants, and substations. For numerical simulations, an actual water network system in South Korea was constructed using graph theory, and the magnitudes and locations of the epicenters were determined based on historical earthquake data. Finally, the reliability performance indicators (e.g., connectivity loss and serviceability ratio) were measured when earthquakes of various magnitudes occurred in the urban area. This framework will enable the prediction of damage from earthquakes and enhance decision making to minimize the extent of damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays big changes can be observed through developing competition in various fields especially in markets. Every organization is confronting fast changes and should schedule and manage its action truly, otherwise, it is not able to be successful and continue to live in this turbulent competitive environment of marketing. Power plant according to their essential role changes in environ mental situation and market power must choose the best strategy to surpass their competitors. In this study we used comprehensive framework for marketing approach of Esfahan power plant comprehensive strategy. First, statement mission and vision of the organization is appointed. Then in the entrance level of company situation analysis in accordance with External Evaluation Matrix, Internal Factor Evaluation Matrix and emphasis on financial and human dimensional is presented. In the level of comparison, Internal-External Matrix and SWOT Matrix was produced and we used Competitive Profile Matrix and comparison this matrix to five main power plants of country include (Esfahan Montazeri, Azarbayejan Sharghi (Tabriz), Bisoton (Kermanshah) , Hormozgan (Bandarabbas), Tehran Besat) to appointed the situation of the company in marketing and the decision level, we used quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix to identity different strategic selection, then to select the best strategy, some questionnaires distributed among determiner directors, then the questionnaires evaluated and the comparison judged and the best strategy for Esfahan power plant selected. It is include the improvement of liquidity through adjustment to power market criterions to optimize and increase the level of technology.

Agriculture systems worldwide need to adopt sustainable cropping solutions to deal with existing issues of malnutrition, food insecurity, resource depletion and lifestyle health issues. Millets offer one such solution as they have nutritional, environmental and economical superiority over the most common staple grains in India viz. rice and wheat. The present literature review attempts to study different segments of the existing value chain of millets. The novelty of this study lies in the fact that it clearly identifies issues preventing large-scale consumption of millets, indicates the mathematical approaches that can be used to arrive at the alluded short and long-term strategies for millet promotion and proposes a roadmap to bring back millets to urban and rural plates. The findings of this study advocate having an integrated approach to enhance value chain efficiencies and developing a comprehensive framework for millet promotion, considering socio-economic, environmental and health sustainability. [Display omitted] • Green Revolution resulted in a decline in area under millet cultivation. • Value chain inefficiencies are hampering large scale consumption of millets. • 'Millet Value Chain Revolution' is required for revival of millets in India. • Systematic upgradation of Green Revolution framework considering sustainability. • Mathematical approaches can be utilized to arrive at short and long term strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]