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We examine how technology affordances impact clan control mechanisms in organizations. Using an interpretive multisite case study of the use of body-worn cameras in police organizations and technology affordance theory, we identify five technology affordances (Practice Visualization, Behavior Sanitization, Panoptic Supervision, Multiplex Evaluation, and Evidence Persistence). Actualization of these affordances constitutes affordance-based control, which reconfigures clan control mechanisms and extends the scope and intensity of bureaucratic control in our case sites, thereby bureaucratizing the clan. Our study makes significant contributions to affordances, organizational control, and technology-mediated control theory and practice. First, we develop a process model of affordance-based control, demonstrating technology's role in constraining and enabling employees and supervisors to enact clan and bureaucratic control, respectively. Second, we show how affordance-based control extends the control relationship from traditional dyadic supervisor-employee control to triadic supervisor-technology-employee control. Finally, our study shows how affordance-based control facilitates the co-creation of control mechanisms by actualizing employee and supervisor affordances individually and jointly. Thus, affordance-based control can afford participatory supervision, empowering employees to have an input in control mechanisms that were historically imposed on them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to identify the level of application of university governance principles (strategic orientation, independence, management orientation, accountability, participation, transparency, and control mechanisms) at Taiz University, the level of its achievement of sustainable development, and to verify the extent to which the application of university governance principles at Taiz University reflects the university’s achievement of sustainable development. To achieve that, the descriptive analytical approach and an electronic questionnaire were used to collect data from a purposeful sample of expert categories and specialists in the study’s subject and variables, consisting of (36) academic members, all of whom were subjected to statistical analysis using the (SPSS) program to descriptive analysis of the variables and dimensions of the study and using the (SEMPLS) program to evaluate the study model and test the study hypothesis. The results of the study showed that there is a weak level of application of university governance principles at Taiz University and also its achievement of sustainable development, and there is a strong statistically significant effect of university governance principles on Taiz University’s achievement of sustainable development from the study sample’s opinion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the framework of the paper, the author elaborates on the issue of corruption and its harmful effect in several segments of social life. It is emphasized that corrupt actions are a negation of the value system which is based on modern civilizational understandings. By denying the system of values, corruption creates a parallel system contrary to the normatively defined one, that is, it acts as its counterthesis and through it opposite effects are created, that is, a parallel system that is aimed at circumventing and breaking the established rules and creating a chaotic state. In that direction, the author also presents the relationship between corruption and the rule of law, completely opposite concepts, where corruption is the negation of the rule of law. If the rule of law is in the direction of the correct application of norms by independent institutions with institutional and personal integrity of employees, then corruption is aimed at undermining such integrity and managing institutions in a way that allows abuse of public powers by individuals or groups . The author emphasizes the impact of corruption on economic growth, the level of poverty and the existence of organized crime. All of these relationships have a common point of connection, which is the disruption of the financial system and enabling the enrichment of corrupt persons through the violation of legal norms. The high level of corruption in a country has a strong negative effect on economic development, since state resources are spent in a way that is contrary to what is legally established, through various forms of abuse, mostly in the area of public procurement, through embezzlement, fraud and similar actions. In addition, the author emphasizes that the high degree of corruption does not create competitive conditions, but illegal monopolies are created and maintained as such, and foreign investors avoid such countries for investment because there is legal uncertainty and dysfunctional institutions. Through the analyzing of the relationship between corruption and organized crime, the author emphasizes that countries with weak institutions and a high degree of corruption are particularly vulnerable, and there the groups that deal with organized crime grow stronger. The author points out that the more organized crime groups become financially powerful, the more their efforts to infiltrate politics, that is, institutions, and therefore also in the implementation of legal regulations, will strengthen. This is a particularly dangerous situation and if they succeed in such a goal, then there are serious problems in the functioning of the legal state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the framework of the paper, the author elaborates on the issue of corruption and its harmful effect in several segments of social life. It is emphasized that corrupt actions are a negation of the value system which is based on modern civilizational understandings. By denying the system of values, corruption creates a parallel system contrary to the normatively defined one, that is, it acts as its counterthesis and through it opposite effects are created, that is, a parallel system that is aimed at circumventing and breaking the established rules and creating a chaotic state. In that direction, the author also presents the relationship between corruption and the rule of law, completely opposite concepts, where corruption is the negation of the rule of law. If the rule of law is in the direction of the correct application of norms by independent institutions with institutional and personal integrity of employees, then corruption is aimed at undermining such integrity and managing institutions in a way that allows abuse of public powers by individuals or groups . The author emphasizes the impact of corruption on economic growth, the level of poverty and the existence of organized crime. All of these relationships have a common point of connection, which is the disruption of the financial system and enabling the enrichment of corrupt persons through the violation of legal norms. The high level of corruption in a country has a strong negative effect on economic development, since state resources are spent in a way that is contrary to what is legally established, through various forms of abuse, mostly in the area of public procurement, through embezzlement, fraud and similar actions. In addition, the author emphasizes that the high degree of corruption does not create competitive conditions, but illegal monopolies are created and maintained as such, and foreign investors avoid such countries for investment because there is legal uncertainty and dysfunctional institutions. Through the analyzing of the relationship between corruption and organized crime, the author emphasizes that countries with weak institutions and a high degree of corruption are particularly vulnerable, and there the groups that deal with organized crime grow stronger. The author points out that the more organized crime groups become financially powerful, the more their efforts to infiltrate politics, that is, institutions, and therefore also in the implementation of legal regulations, will strengthen. This is a particularly dangerous situation and if they succeed in such a goal, then there are serious problems in the functioning of the legal state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Groundwater, as an essential resource, holds significant importance for human production and livelihoods. With the deterioration of the water environment, the issue of groundwater quality has become an urgent international concern. This study focused on the Fenghuang Mountain Area (FMA) and collected a total of 41 sets of samples including pore groundwater (PGW), fissure groundwater (FGW), karst groundwater (KGW), and river water (RW). Hydrochemical analysis methods were employed to identify the hydrochemical characteristics and controlling factors. The entropy-weighted water quality index (EWQI) and health risk assessment model were utilized to assess the groundwater quality and nitrate health risk, respectively. The results indicated that the dominant anion and cation in both groundwater and surface water in the FMA were HCO3− and Ca2+, respectively, with the main hydrochemical type being HCO3-Ca. Groundwater and surface water in the FMA were primarily controlled by rock weathering process, with ion concentrations influenced mainly by the dissolution of halite, sylvite, carbonates (calcite and dolomite), silicates, and gypsum, as well as by reverse anion exchange process. PGW was significantly affected by agricultural activities, with NO3− concentration closely related to human activities. The water quality of FGW was relatively good, with Class I and Class II water accounting for the highest proportion, reaching 84.62%. The high-value area of EWQI in PGW was influenced by human activities. The impact of nitrate health risk on children was significantly greater than on adults, with FGW having the lowest health risk and PGW having the highest health risk. The research results can provide important guarantees for the rational development and utilization of water resources in the FMA and the sustainable development of the economy in Northeast China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kyrgyzstan, with increased political activity and dynamic changes in the governance system, faces problems with the constitutional and legal responsibility of state bodies and their officials, which require the development of effective forms of governance for sustainable strategic development to address them. Therefore, the study aimed to identify problematic aspects of constitutional and legal responsibility in Kyrgyzstan. Statistical analysis, formal logical and comparative methods, and legal and comparative methods were used in the study. The main problems in the system of constitutional and legal liability in Kyrgyzstan were identified, which include insufficient clarity and application of regulations, incomplete implementation of mechanisms for supervision and control over the activities of state bodies and their officials, and limited access of citizens to judicial protection in cases of violation of their constitutional rights. In addition, the study identified problems in the court practice of considering cases of constitutional and legal liability, including delays in the process of consideration and insufficient effectiveness of the measures taken. Based on these findings, specific recommendations were developed containing proposals for improving the legislation, namely, defining the mechanisms of constitutional and legal liability and eliminating contradictions in regulations, strengthening verification mechanisms and mandatory introduction of a reporting system, expanding the possibility of going to court, including reducing barriers to access to legal aid. Thus, the practical significance of this study is that its findings provide a basis for the development of specific measures and reforms aimed at improving the system of constitutional and legal liability in Kyrgyzstan and ensuring the protection of the constitutional rights of citizens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fruits and vegetables are an important part of the human diet, but during transportation and storage, microbial pathogens attack and spoil fruits and vegetables, causing huge economic losses to agriculture. Traditionally used chemical fungicides leave chemical residues, leading to environmental pollution and health risks. With the emphasis on food safety, biocontrol agents are attracting more and more attention due to their environmental friendliness. Endophytic fungi are present in plant tissues and do not cause host disease. The volatile organic compounds (VOCs) they produce are used to control postharvest diseases due to their significant antifungal activity, as well as their volatility, safety and environmental protection characteristics. This review provides the concept and characterization of endophytic fungal VOCs, concludes the types of endophytic fungi that release antifungal VOCs and their biological control mechanisms, as well as focuses on the practical applications and the challenges of applying VOCs as fumigants. Endophytic fungal VOCs can be used as emerging biocontrol resources to control postharvest diseases that affect fruits and vegetables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of OPUS Journal of Society Research is the property of OPUS - International Journal of Society Research and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

We consider viral spreading processes, such as pandemics, in finite networks. For such processes, we propose and analyze a new model which combines two stochastic functions in the spreading intensity of a node, and accounts for two types of super-spreading. The first reflects personal properties of each node and the second reflects occasional spreads in the network. Consequently, studying the spreading dynamics requires the analysis of a stochastic process consisting of those two functions which drastically differ in their dynamics. One (personal) is biasly-modified throughout the process as infected nodes" leave the game" and the distribution of the susceptible population changes. The second (occasional) remains constant throughout the process. We show that the mix between these functions affects dramatically the threshold for the end of the spread (known as the Herd Immunity Threshold, or HIT). We address operational aspects and examine the effectiveness of control mechanisms that restrict the interaction among the population in order to suppress the spread (e.g. lockdowns). We reveal and establish that although different policies might have similar immediate impacts, not all lockdowns are "born equal", and may drastically differ on the long-term impact: While some reduce the HIT, others may be counter-productive in the long-run and, perhaps surprisingly, increase the HIT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern beekeeping uses various technological solutions to control and manage apiaries, but many need help with problems related to energy consumption and the inability to adapt to changing conditions. This article presents the development of the conceptual model of hardware-software complex architecture, focusing on the modularity and flexibility of the system. The main idea is to use a universal programmable logic controller with a modular architecture, which allows users to quickly adapt the system to new tasks by adding or replacing sensors and control mechanisms. The proposed approach considers minimizing energy consumption using energy-efficient LoRa technology for data transmission. Such a system's main advantages and potential risks are considered, and formulas for calculating energy consumption during data transmission are presented. The article can serve as a guide for specialists in the field of beekeeping and developers of automation systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lithium–oxygen battery has the highest theoretical specific energy among all battery systems, while the actual value falls significantly short. The hindered oxygen and/or electron transport result(s) in limited utilization of the porous air electrode, while achieving a quantitative understanding of the electrochemistry and mass transport coupling is challenging. Herein, a porous electrode with highly consistent and controllable channel units is pioneered that excludes the randomness of disordered pores and consequently enables the investigation of control mechanisms. A three‐dimensional dynamic heterogeneous model is developed, providing the first spatio‐temporal distribution of LiO2 and revealing its reversed diffusion trajectories at limited electron transport. The synergistic combination of experiments and models identifies the crucial role of channel sizes on mechanisms that are divided into mass, hybridization, and electron transport control. For macropores, improving Li2O2 conductivity and mitigating solid‐liquid interface damage are urgent compared to enhancing oxygen diffusion. The unit model offers a promising approach to quantitatively understand the reaction and transport mechanisms in other battery systems with porous electrodes. This work represents a break through in knowledge of control mechanisms and guides the design of disordered electrodes for high‐performance lithium–oxygen batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Latinoamericana de Estudios sobre Cuerpos, Emociones y Sociedad is the property of Revista Latinoamericana de Estudios sobre Cuerpos, Emociones y Sociedad and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

We advance an account that grounds cognition, specifically decision-making, in an activity all organisms as autonomous systems must perform to keep themselves viable-controlling their production mechanisms. Production mechanisms, as we characterize them, perform activities such as procuring resources from their environment, putting these resources to use to construct and repair the organism's body and moving through the environment. Given the variable nature of the environment and the continual degradation of the organism, these production mechanisms must be regulated by control mechanisms that select when a production is required and how it should be carried out. To operate on production mechanisms, control mechanisms need to procure information through measurement processes and evaluate possible actions. They are making decisions. In all organisms, these decisions are made by multiple different control mechanisms that are organized not hierarchically but heterarchically. In many cases, they employ internal models of features of the environment with which the organism must deal. Cognition, in the form of decision-making, is thus fundamental to living systems which must control their production mechanisms. This article is part of the theme issue 'Basal cognition: conceptual tools and the view from the single cell'.

Fruits and vegetables are an important part of the human diet, but during transportation and storage, microbial pathogens attack and spoil fruits and vegetables, causing huge economic losses to agriculture. Traditionally used chemical fungicides leave chemical residues, leading to environmental pollution and health risks. With the emphasis on food safety, biocontrol agents are attracting more and more attention due to their environmental friendliness. Endophytic fungi are present in plant tissues and do not cause host disease. The volatile organic compounds (VOCs) they produce are used to control postharvest diseases due to their significant antifungal activity, as well as their volatility, safety and environmental protection characteristics. This review provides the concept and characterization of endophytic fungal VOCs, concludes the types of endophytic fungi that release antifungal VOCs and their biological control mechanisms, as well as focuses on the practical applications and the challenges of applying VOCs as fumigants. Endophytic fungal VOCs can be used as emerging biocontrol resources to control postharvest diseases that affect fruits and vegetables.

While coalition agreements are significant in structuring government behaviour, their comprehensiveness varies considerably across cabinets. We argue that the average correspondence between parties' priorities and portfolio allocation is important in explaining the comprehensiveness of coalition agreements because coalition parties that have obtained their preferred portfolios have less incentive to negotiate a detailed coalition agreement. We test our argument by combining newly collected data on coalition agreements drafted by 218 cabinets in 24 Western and Eastern European countries from 1945 to 2014 with data on the distribution of ministerial portfolios. We find that the shorter and less comprehensive the agreements, the higher the correspondence between parties' priorities and portfolio allocation. Our results have important implications for our understanding of coalition governments and the relationship between government formation and cabinet governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aims to evaluate the influence of the culture of family’s commitment on strategic flexibility and the mediating effects of control mechanisms from the perspectives of agency and stewardship theories in Brazilian family firms. For data analysis, it was performed Structural Equation Modeling (MEE-SmartPLS). The study’s results show that the relationship between the family commitment culture and strategic flexibility is not direct, but mediated by stewardship control mechanisms. However, agency mechanisms do not mediate the relationship between family’s commitment culture and strategic flexibility. The study advances the discussions about the coexistence of control mechanisms in family firms, contributes by evaluating mechanisms that precede strategic flexibility, in addition to investigating strategic flexibility in a pandemic context. Furthermore, it provides insights for companies to reflect on the most appropriate use of mechanisms that encourage strategic flexibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Response is an effective tool for exercising power in humour, since it can make a person seem funny. In the same way, the lack of response can make a person seem unfunny. In this article I argue that failed jokes make a female skiing pundit on TV seem humourless and that this is due to the other interlocutors refraining from giving adequate responses. The material is from a sports programme about cross-country skiing on Swedish Television. The aim of the case study is to find out how power is exercised discursively in humour that fails and to discuss possible implications the rejections may have on notions of gender. The theoretical framework used is a feminist post-structuralist discourse analysis in combination with an analysis of internal and external control mechanisms. The discursive practice of repeated rejections of the female pundit may have consequences for her possibilities in seeming humorous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Management & Organization Review is the property of Cambridge University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Globally, New Public Management reforms have transformed work in many areas of the public sector. A key aspect of these reforms has been devolution: the provision of greater local autonomy over resources and decision making as part of a broader decentralisation strategy. Important questions about managers' work in devolved settings, not in the least in public education, remain to be addressed. The 2012–18 'Local Schools, Local Decisions' reform to public education in the Australian state of New South Wales was framed by familiar aims: to achieve 'efficiency and effectiveness' through greater local control. Recognising principals as the nexus of this ostensible local authority, principals' work in the final stages of the reform's implementation were investigated. Through the utilisation of labour process theory to examine tensions in this focal employment relationship, three key control mechanisms in the work of principals were identified: a reduction of the indeterminacy gap through principals' management of resources; the degradation of work under devolution; and the legitimation of the state through principals' work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) have become one of the popular tools implemented by governments to ensure transparency on a global scale. This research evaluates the contribution of control mechanisms to the reliability of public financial and accounting information in the era of IPSAS adoption and introduces the new guidelines to be put in place in order to achieve a higher level of transparency and hence reliable public financial information that is comparable with previous years and with information from other governments in the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the control degree in success criteria operationalization. A literature review reveals that control degree relates to two patterns operationalizing success criteria: one directed to measurement and measure selection; the other directed to operationalization through the conceptualization of a relationship between a specific factor and project success. While in both patterns tight control emerges, nevertheless a difference arises which implies that the control degree in these operationalization patterns varies. In the first pattern, control tends to be generic. The second provides opportunities to tailor the control of project success, considering the specific project and its context. Furthermore, this study shows that it is essential to include control suitability for making success criteria operationalization effective, in the sense of supporting project management to achieve project success. The theoretical contribution of this study is to link the field of project success and management control, adding that success criteria operationalization concerns control degree, i.e., tight/loose control.

Corruption distorts the decisions of economic agents, discourages investors, and heavily impedes a country's progress by diverting public resources for private gain. To combat fraud and corruption, it is necessary to implement a combination of control mechanisms, including the use of auditing methods, continuous monitoring, compliance procedures, operational controls, and any other control tools within the framework of internal control, specifically targeting the fraud that occurs in the banking sector. It is important to note that the ISA 240 standard does not guarantee the detection of all frauds, as some frauds can be sophisticated and intentionally concealed. However, by providing clear guidance and strengthening fraud-related audit procedures, the standard aims to improve the overall quality of audits and enhance public trust in financial statements. Our article will provide an overview of this offense while highlighting various definitions of potential frauds and the relevance of organizational theories and their correlation with fraud and corruption. The article will also identify the prioritization of controls within entities within the banking system, as well as the shortcomings and gaps in control within financial organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Signos is the property of Universidad Santo Tomas and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Bursa Uludağ Journal of Economy & Society / Bursa Uludağ Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi is the property of Uludag Universitesi Iktisadi ve Idari Bilimler Fakultesi Dergisi and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Public Money & Management is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract Background Many birds species range over vast geographic regions and migrate seasonally between their breeding and overwintering sites. Deciding when to depart for migration is one of the most consequential life-history decisions an individual may make. However, it is still not fully understood which environmental cues are used to time the onset of migration and to what extent their relative importance differs across a range of migratory strategies. We focus on departure decisions of a songbird, the Eurasian blackbird Turdus merula, in which selected Russian and Polish populations are full migrants which travel relatively long-distances, whereas Finnish and German populations exhibit partial migration with shorter migration distances. Methods We used telemetry data from the four populations (610 individuals) to determine which environmental cues individuals from each population use to initiate their autumn migration. Results When departing, individuals in all populations selected nights with high atmospheric pressure and minimal cloud cover. Fully migratory populations departed earlier in autumn, at longer day length, at higher ambient temperatures, and during nights with higher relative atmospheric pressure and more supportive winds than partial migrants; however, they did not depart in higher synchrony. Thus, while all studied populations used the same environmental cues, they used population-specific and locally tuned thresholds to determine the day of departure. Conclusions Our data support the idea that migratory timing is controlled by general, species-wide mechanisms, but fine-tuned thresholds in response to local conditions.

The rule of law is the central piece of the puzzle of a state’s democracy. From the point of view of institutions, the three powers of the State are called, together, to create and strengthen the mechanisms for the functioning of democracy. In this equation, the respect for human rights is the motive of the approach, and parliaments, through their mission and strategic position in relation to governments, can be guarantors of this approach. Based on the principles underlying the European edifice and on the relevant documents of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on the restoration of violated rights and by supervising and monitoring the enforcement of judgments delivered by the European Court of Human Rights, we argue that national parliaments, through internal control structures, can be the foundation of state democracy.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study the effectiveness of the risk management system in the European context, especially with regard to the risk management committee, the uncertainty of the environment and company performance. In summary, it evaluates European companies listed on the stock exchange in France, Germany and the United Kingdom to determine how risk management systems influence financial companies' performance. Design/methodology/approach – To study the effectiveness of risk management systems and their influence on performance, the large companies selected in our sample are fairly representative of the European market, according to the Dutch indices of each country (SBF 120 in France, HDAX 110 in Germany and FTSE 100 in United Kingdom).The empirical evidence is based on an international quantitative analysis, using a data set involving 320 companies listed on the stock exchange over a ten-year period from 2005 to 2014. Findings – The results indicate that the establishment of a risk management and control system by a company positively influences its management, and its performance level and value creation also improve. The results of this study demonstrate a significant strengthening of the role of the risk management committee in the three countries. The surveillance function is reinforced, and in particular, the internal control system is accentuated. Research limitations/implications – This study has some limitations that can form leads for future research. One of these limitations is the sample size. The authors have represented the European context by three countries that certainly constitute great European powers, but have regulations different from other countries. The company size is also a possible research element. Indeed, risk management system varies between large, small and medium-sized enterprises, so it is important to study each type of company well. Originality/value – This study identifies the risk management committee as a mechanism of control that is highly important in the company, and it proposes an international framework that comparatively and empirically evaluates how the risk management system used in large European companies can improve their financial performance.

Groundwater is an important resource of water in arid and semi-arid agricultural regions. Thus, identification of hydrogeochemical characters and the influence of geospatial variability and flow pooling are of significance on groundwater resources management and making irrigation decisions in salinized areas. The study specifically focused on the Hetao Irrigation District located in the semi-arid region of northern China. A total of 85 groundwater samples (42 from the upstream Shenwu Irrigation Area (SWIA), 43 from the downstream Wulate Irrigation Area (WLTIA)) were collected, and 15 water quality indexes were analyzed. Methods including mathematical statistics, Piper diagram, Gibbs model, forward succession model, and ionic rations were used to analyze the hydrochemical characteristics and evolution mechanisms, RSBC, PS, SAR, WQI were selected to evaluate water quality and irrigation suitability from the perspective of salt and alkali damage. Results showed that the groundwater of the study area is weakly alkaline, SWIA is mainly fresh water (47.62%), WLTIA is mainly brackish water (65.12%), and the hydrochemistry of the groundwater consists of Cl–Na type and Cl·SO–Ca·Mg. The solute content of downstream (WLTIA) is higher than that of upstream (SWIA), Na+ and Cl− have obvious advantages in WLTIA, and they are the main contribution indicators of groundwater TDS in the study area. The groundwater is subjected to the ongoing influence of rock weathering, ions exchange, and evaporate crystallization Na+ mainly originates from the dissolution of evaporate salt rock and silicate rock, and Ca2+ from the dissolution of gypsum and carbonate. The order of contribution of different rocks is evaporation rock > silicate rock > carbonate rock. Based on the classifications of sodium absorption ratio (SAR), residual sodium bicarbonate (RSBC), and potential salinity (PS), most of the groundwater samples are unsuitable for irrigating, and the groundwater quality of the SWIA is better than that of the WLTIA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autoinhibition is a design principle realized in many molecular mechanisms in biology. After explicating the notion of a design principle and showing that autoinhibition is such a principle, we focus on how researchers discovered instances of autoinhibition, using research establishing the autoinhibition of the molecular motors kinesin and dynein as our case study. Research on kinesin and dynein began in the fashion described in accounts of mechanistic explanation but, once the mechanisms had been discovered, researchers discovered that they exhibited a second phenomenon, autoinhibition. The discovery of autoinhibition not only reverses the pattern in terms of which philosophers have understood mechanism discovery but runs counter to the one phenomenon-one mechanism principle assumed to relate mechanisms and the phenomena they explain. The ubiquity of autoinhibition as a design principle, therefore, necessitates a philosophical understanding of mechanisms that recognizes how they can participate in more than one phenomenon. Since mechanisms with this design are released from autoinhibition only when they are acted on by control mechanisms, we advance a revised account of mechanisms that accommodates attribution of multiple phenomena to the same mechanism and distinguishes them from other processes that control them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In view of the problems found in the in-depth interviews of the current situation of rural non-point source pollution control mechanism in Nantong City and their reasons, the following six countermeasures and suggestions are put forward, including giving full play to the role of fighting bastion of the Party branch and building a mechanism for Party building to lead the control of non-point source pollution in rural areas, giving prominence to the dominant role of farmers and establishing farmers' endogenous motivation excitation mechanism for rural non-point source pollution control, improving the interest coordination mechanism among multiple governance subjects and building a modern control system for rural non-point source pollution, combining regulations, administrative, economic, technical and other means of rural non-point source pollution control and strengthening the synergistic integration mechanism of multiple means of control, reconstructing the information disclosure mechanism of rural non-point source pollution control and building a Comprehensive trust mechanism of multiple control subjects, and improving the mechanism for coordinating the supply of policy tools and ensure that basic mechanisms play their due role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Living organisms act as integrated wholes to maintain themselves. Individual actions can each be explained by characterizing the mechanisms that perform the activity. But these alone do not explain how various activities are coordinated and performed versatilely. We argue that this depends on a specific type of mechanism, a control mechanism. We develop an account of control by examining several extensively studied control mechanisms operative in the bacterium E. coli. On our analysis, what distinguishes a control mechanism from other mechanisms is that it relies on measuring one or more variables, which results in setting constraints in the control mechanism that determine its action on flexible constraints in other mechanisms. In the most basic arrangement, the measurement process directly determines the action of the control mechanism, but in more complex arrangements signals mediate between measurements and effectors. This opens the possibility of multiple responses to the same measurement and responses based on multiple measurements. It also allows crosstalk, resulting in networks of control mechanisms. Such networks integrate the behaviors of the organism but also present a challenge in tailoring responses to particular measurements. We discuss how integrated activity can still result in differential, versatile, responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Birdsong is used in reproductive context and, consequently, has been shaped by strong natural and sexual selection. The acoustic performance includes a multitude of acoustic and temporal characteristics that are thought to honestly reveal the quality of the singing individual. One major song feature is frequency and its modulation. Sound frequency can be actively controlled, but the control mechanisms differ between different groups. Two described mechanisms are pressure‐driven frequency changes in suboscines and control by syringeal muscles in oscines. To test to what degree these different control mechanisms enhance or limit the exploitation of frequency space by individual species and families, we compared the use of frequency space by tyrannid suboscines and emberizid/passerellid oscines. We find that despite the different control mechanisms, the songs of species in both groups can contain broad frequency ranges and rapid and sustained frequency modulation (FM). The maximal values for these parameters are slightly higher in oscines. Furthermore, the mean frequency range of song syllables is substantially larger in oscines than suboscines. Species within each family group collectively exploit equally broadly the available frequency space. The narrower individual frequency ranges of suboscines likely indicate morphological specialization for particular frequencies, whereas muscular control of frequency facilitated broader exploitation of frequency space by individual oscine species.

A common motivation for engaging in reductionistic research is to ground explanations in the most basic processes operative in the mechanism responsible for the phenomenon to be explained. I argue for a different motivation--directing inquiry to the level of organization at which the components of a mechanism enable the work that results in the phenomenon. In the context of reductionistic accounts of cognitive information processing I argue that this requires going down to a level that is largely overlooked in these discussions, that of chemistry. In discussions of cognitive information processing, the brain is often viewed as essentially an electrical switching system and many theorists treat electrical switching as the level at which mechanistic explanations should bottom out. I argue, drawing on examples of peptidergic and monoaminergic neurons, that how information is processed is determined by the specific chemical reactions occurring in individual neurons. Accordingly, mechanistic explanations of cognitive information processing need to take into account the chemical reactions involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Contabilidade, Gestao E Governanca is the property of Revista Contabilidade, Gestao E Governanca and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)