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We develop a monotone finite volume element scheme for the diffusion problem on arbitrary polygonal grids inspired by the scheme in the literature ([35]). The main contributions of this paper include three aspects. Firstly, some auxiliary lines or points are introduced for any polygonal element so that it can be partitioned into two or more triangles, and one novel type of its control volume is concomitantly designed. In this paper, we mainly discuss quadrilateral grids. Secondly, some piecewise linear finite element spaces are imported for the trial spaces. Fictitious elements, continuous extensions and the nonlinear two-point flux idea can all be inherited from the triangular case. Therefore, the monotonicity of the scheme is easily proved only by the assembling of some triangles' element stiff matrices. Thirdly, the agreeable adaptability for distorted grids is completely borned. The strict convexity restriction on the grids can also be removed, the concave or severely distorted polygonal (such as quadrilateral) grids are transformed as the convex and general regular triangles. Finally, numerical results confirm its monotonicity, accuracy and stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper studies the automated optimization of reconfigurable robot cells to support engineering planning activities. The specific type of reconfigurable robot cells under investigation allows an arbitrary arrangement of functional machine modules on a base plane accessible to the robotic manipulators. The research is motivated by the fast-growing configuration space of reconfigurable robot cells which results from the configurability of the cell layout and the performed workflows. Searching for optimized configurations within this configuration space is an iterative procedure which currently requires lots of manual efforts and expert assessment skills for each iteration. Performing many optimization iterations requires much time, which typically results in only a few performable iterations and thus in suboptimal configurations. To compensate for this, automated support for the underlying planning problem is required. The specific planning problem under investigation concerns finding motion-time optimized layout configurations for fixed workflows. This planning problem was chosen because of its strong association with the productivity of robot cells and the fact that it is the basis for further considerations on the influences of performed workflows. The main contribution of the research is a guideline concerning the decomposition of the mentioned optimization problem. This decomposition concerns the specific formulation of the optimization problem as well as its solving principle. The approach of the paper is to compare combinations of single- and multi-objective problem formulations as well as single- and multi-step solving procedures. Respective variants of evolutionary and conventional algorithms are tested for solving the optimization problems. The experiments are conducted using a specifically developed simulation and optimization framework which supports layout reconfiguration, robot path planning, and time parametrization based on state-of-the-art methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Space habitats, facing extreme conditions in space and on other planetary bodies, should have redundancy and versatility. Although the main challenges in the field have been identified as changes in gravity, radiation protection, extreme temperatures (fluctuations), changes in daylight patterns, and lack of (or less) atmosphere, more (unknown) challenges will inevitably emerge. Therefore, space habitats should extend beyond redundancy and adapt to their surroundings. There are many adaptability strategies for terrestrial habitats but none of these strategies were developed to work in the extreme conditions of outer space. This paper proposes application of a novel adaptability strategy, the Rhythmic Buildings strategy, which aims to develop buildings that adapt to the rhythms of the building's context (frequency, speed, and intensity of changes occurring on the case study location). The strategy is applied to the case study of a Martian habitat at Jezero Crater. The Rhythmic Buildings strategy includes the Rhythmic Framework and its 33 parameters (such as daylight and outdoor temperature) as well as analytical, technical, and design tools – collectively the Rhythmic Toolbox. First, the Framework tool was used to map the changes in the context following the environmental, economy, and society aspects. The rhythms of the case study context include local temperature, pressure, solar radiation, strong weather events (i.e. storms), but also comfort needs of the crew. These rhythms were then translated into a habitat design using an adapted version of the bubble diagram method. Lastly, novel technologies and materials were selected to address the rhythms which includes adaptive properties of materials. Results of the study show that the context's most important challenges are the daily temperature fluctuations and weekly crew schedule, while the most promising adaptability opportunity lies in the daily daylight rhythm. The design that followed the Rhythmic Buildings strategy directly addresses nine out of the 33 parameters and indirectly addresses a further five parameters. The proposed Martian habitat utilises the rhythms of daily temperature cycles and the 24 h daylight rhythm to reinforce the materials structures. The habitat is adaptive and responsive to its surroundings and the crew's needs. In the discussion, speculations are made on how space architecture can develop itself by intrinsically adapting to the rhythms of the environment and evolve into their own typologies, distinctly different than Earth architecture. • Introduces an adaptability strategy for Space Architecture called Rhythmic Buildings. • Using a novel analysis and design Toolbox to design a Martian habitat. • Design of a habitat that responds to the rhythms of the context. • Outlines criteria for the use of responsive materials and ISRU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Skills for adaptability are gaining growing relevance for life in the 21st century. • To date, research on such skills has focused on learners in high-income contexts. • Research in Rwanda explored teachers' approaches to foster cognitive flexibility. • Teachers used a mix of practical exercises, group work and classroom transitions. • Difficult learning conditions and large class sizes still impede teachers' efforts. Major recent global challenges have highlighted the increasing importance of education systems fostering children's skills for adaptability and capacity for responding to change. Competences such as creativity, innovation and problem solving could be particularly valuable, but in countries like Rwanda little is currently known about how schools and teachers nurture them in the classroom. This paper adopts a psychological framework based on learners' cognitive flexibility to address that gap, drawing on exploratory qualitative data from interviews and lesson observations in primary schools in Kigali, Rwanda. The findings identify teachers' use of practical exercises, group work and frequent transitions between activities and languages as potentially supporting different aspects of children's cognitive flexibility. The paper concludes with implications for nurturing learners' skills for adaptability in similar low-income contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the popularity of resilience has become an appealing perspective on cities in both academic and policy discourse. As urban losses and challenges of cities and their communities associated with natural and man-made disasters continue to increase, the consideration of resilience in the planning for future urban areas is of vital significance. Most of the literature reviews have failed to address resilience design principles that could be further used as an implementation method in urban planning. To develop better links between urban resilience theory and practice, and to help in closing the implementation gap; this paper develops a resilient prototype model for future growing cities (new urban formation) to sustainably function before disaster, and to adapt during/after emergency situations. The model is constructed by incorporating resiliency-related strategies including biodiversity, networks, multifunctionality, modularization and adaptive design, into the planning process. It also aims to develop integral uncertainty-oriented design solutions that cover all vulnerable facilities needed by the communities to provide both, physical and social resiliency. This is done by adopting the main resilience instrumental components during the formation of the model. Testing the prototype model for its abilities revealed its aimed characteristics to be robust, redundant, flexible, reflective, resourceful, inclusive, and integrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a key equipment in deep-sea drilling and production operations, the riser tensioner provides a nearly constant tensioner for the riser to overcome the influence of the floating platform on the riser when it is makingheave motion with the waves. In the harsh deep-water area, when the tethers of Tension Leg Platform (TLP) failure, the Top Tensioned Risers (TTRs) will jump, resulting in the migration of the riser resonance region, which will cause the parametric resonance and interference phenomenon of the riser. Therefore, based on Adams and AMESim co-simulation, this paper calculates the dynamic characteristics of the displacement tension of the tensioner system on the traditional TLP under tether failure. Based on the dynamic characteristics of the tensioner system, a synchronous control strategy of the displacement tension of the tensioner under tether failure is proposed. The strategy uses the opening of the anti-recoil valve to realize the stable recovery of the riser and adjusts the output tension of the tensioner in the recoil process of the riser through the proportional relief valve. Compared with the traditional control method and non-control method, the effectiveness of this strategy is verified. The results show that the designed displacement tension synchronization control strategy can provide more stable tension for the riser, and the displacement amplitude of the hydraulic cylinder is smaller, which can realize the stable recovery of the riser. Moreover, it is found in many simulations that the opening of the main valve and the displacement curve of the hydraulic cylinder mainly affect the retraction speed of the hydraulic cylinder, and the maximum opening pressure of the proportional relief valve affects the output tension of the tensioner system. • The dynamic characteristics of the tensioner is simulated when the tendon of TLP fails instantaneously. • A hydraulic control system is designed to overcome the influence of a platform on risers. • A double-cavity synchronous control method is adopted for the hydraulic cylinder to realize the compensation control. • Dynamic responses of the cylinders in the anti-recoil control process considering the second-order wave force are simulated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transitional spaces have been widely applied in building designs. They may account for 10–40% of total volume in different types of buildings. Maintaining an acceptable level of thermal comfort for transitional spaces poses challenges to building designers and engineers. However, there is not in general a recommended acceptable comfort range for transitional spaces, nor are there specific thermal comfort prediction methods. This paper aims to investigate the thermal environmental performance and people's adaptive comfort in transitional spaces, by conducting field studies, which include on-site questionnaire surveys and physical measurements. Field studies were carried out for three selected case study buildings in Cardiff, each having some forms of transitional space. They were the National Assembly for Wales Senedd, the Hadyn Ellis Building and the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. The total responses from the questionnaire surveys were 736 and 580, for all buildings, during the summer period in 2017 and the winter period in 2018 respectively. This paper first presents the findings from the field studies, followed by in-depth analysis of human adaptability to thermal environment. Strong correlations were identified between clothing value and indoor operative temperature. People's adaptability to the thermal environment is confirmed, with nearly 80% of the respondents opting for self-adaptive actions to overcome uncomfortable situations. The identified 90% acceptability comfort band (−0.5 < TSV< +0.5) were 4.0 °C and 4.2 °C for the summer period and the winter period respectively, implying that a fine control of the indoor temperature to maintain an acceptable comfort level is not necessary. 1. Total 1316 (736 in summer and 580 in winter) valid questionnaires were collected from the building transitional spaces of three different public buildings in Cardiff, UK; 2. Indoor operative temperature was well-correlated with thermal sensation votes; 3. Acceptable temperature ranges, neutral temperature and preferred temperature were identified; 4. A fine temperature control was unnecessary; 5. People's adaptability to the thermal environment was confirmed; 6. People in cold climate was found to have higher preferred temperature than neutral temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Characteristics of coral sand are closely related to its formation process. • The addition of coral sand/ powder significantly affect the rheological properties. • The adsorption of PCEs by coral sand/ powder affected by many factors. • Molecular modification or sacrificial agent can improve PCEs' dispersion ability. Coral sand owns high porosity and water absorption, which has a strong adsorption effect on polycarboxylate superplasticizer (PCEs) in cement-based materials and will significantly decrease the dispersion ability of PCEs. This paper gives an overall review about the properties of coral sand and its effects on the fluidity and rheological properties of cement-based materials. The interactions between coral sand and PCEs, and the methods to reduce the adsorption of coral sand to PCEs are analyzed and discussed. The adsorption of PCEs by coral sand requires cations as the intermediate medium, as well as affected by the competitive adsorption of anions. Compound sacrificial agent may be a more promising scheme to improve the adaptability of PCEs in coral aggregate cement-based materials (CCMs) compare with the PCEs molecular modification. This paper can provide ideas for the development of high-performance CCMs and the research about the adaptation of PCEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates how inter-organizational learning in networks and global value chains (GVCs) has contributed to resilience in Poland's food processing and clothing industries. The Polish economy has been widely accepted as resilient since Poland's transition from a planned to a market economy. Through drawing on the regional resilience literature, this paper develops a network-oriented framework of sectoral resilience that integrates network evolution, inter-organizational learning in networks, and the role of history. It uses unique primary data from the period of Poland's abovementioned transition (1989–2001), which is complemented with secondary data on the networking activities of Polish firms in the two abovementioned sectors between 2004 and 2018. In turn, the firms' interactive learning is found to function as an important contributor to their path-dependent network trajectories and resilience. Moreover, knowledge networks and GVCs present different dynamics in terms of their effects on learning and result in uneven sectoral resilience. Learning from knowledge spillovers and by interacting with the co-existence of adaptation- and adaptability-related network characteristics has guided both the studied sectors towards developing short-term adaptive capacity for path-extension and sustainability. Learning from advanced science and technology (S&T) and education regarding exclusive adaptability-related network characteristics has driven Poland's food-processing industry's path-evolving long-term capability to be fully resilient. • Inter-organizational learning in networks creates path-dependent network trajectories. • Learning dynamics in knowledge networks & GVCs resulted in uneven sectoral resilience. • Evolution of food-processing firms' networks indicates long-term sectoral resilience. • Co-existence of adaptation & adaptability in learning induces at best path extension. • Long-term path-evolving resilience occurs through exclusive adaptability in learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To settle in a given area, man has to deal with the surrounding environment and the geomorphological processes that shaped it. Landscape defines the available resources and landscape changes are related to tectonics, hydrography and variations in climate and biota. To cope with environmental limitations, man developed efficient techniques and capabilities to survive, making the best use of natural resources. The Fars arc (southern Iran) is known for being the cradle of some of the earliest civilizations in Iran. It comprehends the southeastern sector of the Zagros Mountains, a Cenozoic orogen formed after the collision between Arabia and central Iran. The landscape is dominated by a series of folding structures which isolate internal basins. This configuration, together with arid climate conditions, limited biological resources, and the occurrence of natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, landslides, water salinity, biological/climatic changes and droughts, all dictated the development and pattern of human settlements. This paper aims to give a broad overview on the deep influence exerted by geomorphological processes, such as tectonics, earthquakes, landslides, sea level fluctuations, and climate changes, on the emergence and development of human settlements in the Fars arc which, with its long-lasting and documented civilization history, represents an ideal test site to study the interaction between nature and man. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing awareness of climate change is constantly moving the attention of designers and policymakers from typical and current scenarios to future layouts. This new approach introduces a degree of uncertainty that should be accounted in the building design process. The multitude of possible scenarios suggests considering dynamic system that can adapt themselves to unpredicted operating conditions. The aim of this study is to test a new approach and a new flexibility metric analysing the behaviour of a high-performance dynamic internal curtain in current and future scenarios. The first part of the paper focuses on the optimization of the dynamic system in the current scenario; this preliminary analysis represents the traditional design approach and is considered the baseline for all the comparisons. Hence, defining a matrix of likely scenarios, this paper explores the behaviour of three different selected control strategies – always off (i.e., no curtain), fixed control, optimized control – in the different scenarios considering possible variations of i) climate, ii) urban context, iii) internal loads, and iv) building use. The main outcomes of the research are, on the one hand, the comparisons of the control strategies and the benefits of the dynamic system and, on the other hand, the definition of a new metric that can properly describe the flexibility of the building systems with reference to the future scenarios analysed. This metric is based on six classes – which describe the statistical distribution of the energy consumptions of all the scenarios simulated in the matrix – and an index called Energy Flexibility Index (EFI) that quantifies the flexibility of the technology considered. The case study analysed highlights how implementing a dynamic shading system, considering the same building use, can increase the EFI of nearly 21% for non-optimized control strategy and up to 23% when optimized. While changing the building use in residential reduces these values respectively, to 6% and 7%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This special issue arises from the panel organized by Tuija Virtanen at the 2015 International Pragmatics Association conference in Antwerp, for which I was invited to act as discussant. The aim of this paper is to draw together some of the dominant themes that emerge from the varied contributions collected here, and to offer a number of reflections on them. In particular, it focuses critically on the notions of adaptability and affordances, and the relations between them in the context of new media. It also highlights the need to understand these phenomena as developments in a longer tradition of literate practice and communicative interaction with changing mediational means. The conclusion considers the implications of an increased emphasis on the related concepts of practice and technique, to which human agency is central, and which, it argues, would help to provide a clearer link between the kinds of adaptability discussed in the individual papers and broader historical and theoretical perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper offers a systematic review of the literature on the use of information technology (IT) in logistics and supply chain management to achieve competitive advantage. While IT has revolutionized traditional logistics and supply chains to achieve numerous benefits such as increased efficiency and responsiveness, it is not still clear to what extend IT has contributed to competitive advantage within logistics and supply chains. This paper contributes to this debate by: (i) reporting the literature on the role of IT in achieving competitive advantage within logistics and supply chains based on the linkages between ‘adaptation’, ‘alignment’, and ‘agility’, (triple A’s) (Lee, 2004), and (ii) discussing managerial implications and identifying future research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changing consumer trends, waves of retail decentralisation, and various socio-economic and environmental shocks have exacerbated the well-recognised challenges of retail-dominant English high streets in recent years. The decline and 'death' of the high street has been the subject of many policy responses aiming at transforming high streets as viable multifunctional hubs and local community anchors. However, this vision implies a narrative change of high street viability beyond established economic and property-oriented interpretations, which is presently unclear in conceptual and operational terms. This paper identifies the conceptual ambiguities and tensions evident in English policy and reframes high street viability at the confluence of other 'loose concepts' (sustainability, resilience, adaptability, liveability). Through a scoping review, this paper synthesises studies discussing these interrelated concepts, and presents their development since the influential URBED Vital and Viable Town Centres report. We argue that the factors contributing to the interrelated concepts form a joint effort towards achieving high street viability, but can also be distinguished by temporal variations and areas of concentration. • A renewed interest in high street viability necessitates a reframing of the concept • We address the conceptual and operational ambiguity of high street viability in English policies over the past 30 years • We illustrate the confluence of viability in relation to sustainability, resilience, liveability and adaptability • High street viability is a dynamic concept that corresponds to the long-term, changing challenges and needs of communities [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays one can find sustainability strategies, innovative architectural solutions which can respond to required changes to buildings over time in line with current requirements of owners and users of the buildings. It is desirable to replace monofunctional and static objects by adaptable ones which represent the new spatial, structural and program strategies of design. In this paper, the results of the research, which is aimed at adaptability of sports facilities, are published. The first part of the paper is aimed at analyse expression of the concept of adaptability in architectural theory and literature. The concept is divided into categories which comprehensively describe different levels of adaptability. In this part, the studies from the 20th century, which examine the strategy development of adaptability, are also described. The main part of the paper shows results of sport facilities which have been studied. Selected examples of buildings demonstrate the process of adaptation in a certain time frame. The analyses carried out examines common elements in the context of sports activities, architecture and adaptability of these spaces. Comparison of the results of the analyses of sports facilities primarily documents the tools and components necessary to achieve a certain degree of adaptability in this program. The final part presents recommendations for design of adaptable sports facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents an overview of adaptable envelopes and shading systems applied in contemporary architecture; it offers a study of different design approaches and a brief analysis of exemplifying case studies. The aim of the research is the gathering of built examples relevant to outlining a state of the arts of adaptive façade systems and also understanding their environmental performances. Nowadays two different trends emerge in building development. On the one side the new challenge is given by the possibility to reconfigure the new spaces following environmental changes and users needs, while on the other the focus is on the increase of efficiency and the optimisation of materials for reducing energy consumptions in constructions. The building envelope is the primary subsystem through which external conditions and environmental changes can be regulated and therefore acquires great relevance in the development of new approaches to sustainable building solutions. In this review paper several examples are shown and compared, understanding the search for dynamics applied in architecture and the effectiveness from an environmental sustainability point of view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The vulnerability of extensive sheep systems in marginal areas, and their capacity to deliver important socio-economic functions and ecosystem services, can be studied through the lens of resilience theory. This research aims to explore how alternative farm management patterns contribute to build resilience in the extensive sheep farming system of Huesca, northeaster Spain. The methodology is based on the content analysis of in-depth interviews to farmers. We follow a specified framework based on the definition of the resilience capacities of robustness, adaptability and transformability, and propose to assess nine case-specific attributes. Results show that sheep farms have undertaken four management patterns to develop over time, namely, extensification, intensification, re-orientation, and conservation. Patterns conservation and extensification appear to promote robustness and adaptability necessary to keep delivering characteristic functions, whereas transformability is much more evident in re-orientation and intensification patterns that re-address the farms' original functions. Matching with natural resources, traditions and perspectives, and farmers' networks are crucial resilience attributes for extensive farming. On the other hand, financial and labour resources, and on-farm diversity favour re-orientation and intensification. The paper casts light on the diverse ways through which farms build their own resilience, and highlights the importance of a balanced development of alternative trajectories for the whole farming system's resilience. • The concepts of robustness, adaptability and transformability are applied. • Farms build different resilience capacities depending on the management pattern. • Attributes determining different resilience capacities are identified. • Transformative patterns are predominant, and favoured by the policy framework. • The simultaneous development of alternative patterns promotes resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This paper provides a comprehensive conceptual analysis of disaster resilience in climate-vulnerable communities. • The research employs the Walker and Avant Method to elucidate the notion of resilience within the framework of climate vulnerability. • A practical framework and a set of ecological indicators are proposed for environmental impact assessments in disaster resilience. • The research provides tangible illustrations of the proposed approaches and indicators in practical contexts. Resilience is a prior term of debate in vulnerability research irrespective of discipline. Nowadays the resilience concept has been used abnormally in many cases without realizing its intended meaning. Therefore, this study clarifies the resilience concept in the context of climate vulnerability. An integrated review of the literature has been done by the PRISMA approach to identify the most relevant documents. Besides Walker and Avant Method has been used to analyze the concept of resilience. The use of concept in different disciplines, historical perspectives, dimensions, attributes, consequences, and relationship with vulnerability and adaptability have been reviewed to clarify it. This study also provides a theoretical and workable definition of resilience from the perspective of climate change and natural hazards. A conceptual framework has been developed with concept mapping, contributing to the existing debate on resilience study. A case analysis has been done by focusing on a climate-vulnerable community living in the riverine islands in Bangladesh. This article shows that socio-ecological systems approach to defining small island disaster resilience has shortcomings. Additionally, the research-policy divide in resilience studies is exacerbated by the paucity of studies that use the participatory approach to identify disaster resilience indicators. The study makes a compelling case for further research on how to turn academic discoveries into a resource that might benefit local people, particularly those on small islands. The study suggests that social community-based resilience should be developed to protect geographically isolated communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Billions of people lack access to inexpensive clean energy and live in energy poverty. However, exogenous shocks like pandemics or extremely high temperatures can exacerbate such challenges, particularly in newly poverty-relieved villages. We demonstrate empirically how external shocks can weaken newly poverty-relieved villages' ability to use clean energy—in this case, residential electricity consumption. A household electricity consumption dataset in over 700 poverty-stricken villages spanning from January 2016 to June 2020 has been compiled. The results show that there is a significant socioeconomic heterogeneity in the capacity of electricity consumption in poverty-relieved villages. Specifically, electricity consumption in newly poverty-relieved villages has an increasing trend, while areas with a poorer peripheral economy or a greater proportion of poor households show a muted increase. What's more, such an increase in newly poverty-relieved villages is lacking in strength due to their limited adaptability to extreme temperatures, no matter high or low temperatures. Additionally, compared to their counterparts with no pandemic, the growth of electricity consumption in newly poverty-relieved villages significantly decreased during the national COVID-19 pandemic. This study provides insights for policymakers to adjust policy designs to address the limited adaptability of this vulnerable group to clean energy consumption. This paper adds to the policy discussion of the increased costs of electricity generation due to low carbon transition in energy systems, and the urgency for policy to address this issue to avoid social injustice. • This study contributes the capacity and adaptability of clean energy consumption assessment in poverty-relieved villages. • There is a significant socioeconomic heterogeneity in the capacity of electricity consumption in poverty-relieved villages. • A welfare dependency behavior characteristic in poverty-relieved villages has been revealed. • Poverty-relieved villages show low adaptability under extreme temperatures and external shocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents and analyzes the results of the application of computer-adaptive testing in knowledge evaluation of the programming language C++. The participants of the research were college students majoring in computer engineering from a polytechnic college (Republic of Serbia) with an average age of 20. The research was conducted over a two-year period. Overall 199 students took part in this research. Two groups of students, the experimental, and the control one were observed. The students in the experimental group took the computer adaptive test and the students from the control group did the paper-and-pencil test. For the purposes of determining the effects of applying the computer adaptive test for knowledge evaluation, the adaptive test was realized in the MATLAB software package. The test consists of multiple choice questions with five possible answers. The questions for the test are divided into three clusters according to the level of difficulty (easy, medium and hard). The score is calculated from the level of difficulty. The difficult questions earn more points than the easy ones. The examinees may answer the same percentage of questions correctly, but an examinee will gain a better score assuming they correctly answered more difficult items. The results of the research show that there is a statistically significant difference between the results of the control and experimental group. The students who worked on a computer-adaptive test achieved a higher average score than the students who did the traditional test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of shifting the built environment to a circular economy, this paper first provides a meta-synthesis of the literature that clarifies the strategies related to the asset lifecycle in the circular economy (CE) context. The definitions of forty-two approaches, classified into seven categories (A to G) were analysed to identify their differences and similarities using a text mining method. Based on the definitions, approaches', their needs and requirements, and their benefits and impacts have been listed. Four variables have been identified: the asset phases (V1), the sustainable approaches (V2), the benefits and impacts (V3) and the needs and requirements (V4). As the main contribution to knowledge, two diagrams have been drawn to picture the relationships between, first, V1, V2 and V3 and secondly V1, V2 and V4. An additional contribution is semantic information captured and drawn in a Force Directed Graph (FDG) to clarify the diversity of existing approaches and their relationships. More than a hundred approaches/concepts are staged in a diagram and their links are identified. Particularly the importance of the design phase and its related approaches are developed. The FDG illustrates the complexity of the building projects involving multiple stakeholders. The paper also provides the limitations of the variety of approaches that should be overcome to achieve CE. In particular, the limitations of reuse (components cannot be reused indefinitely) and limitations of design-only approaches (like prefabrication where deconstruction is not prepared). Further research is recommended about the Product Service Systems associated with Extended Producer Responsibility that appears to be key enablers for the CE. Work is also needed to define the circularity of buildings and the associated circularity assessment tools. The outputs could be used to rationalise policies to foster these approaches to enable the construction sector to develop strategies to overcome the current obstacles to the transition to a circular economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focusses on the spatial practices of resilience put in place by individual professionals who face changes and challenges related to their life and career aspirations. In the frame of changing labour markets, and a transition to precarious work in post-Fordist regimes of production, this paper draws attention to the case of visual artists in London. Through a multi-scalar approach to the analysis of resilience, the paper shows that artists have to learn how to navigate through temporary and flexible work arrangements by learning skills that enable a strategic adaptability. A resilient artistic career is portrayed as a geographically situated process that is often played out through complementary and alternative communication channels and spaces that are mostly located outside the mainstream and established art system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The health and performance of students and teachers are influenced by the internal environment of school buildings such as noise levels, indoor temperature, air quality and light. Providing good internal environmental conditions with minimum energy for schools has long been a concern in school design guidelines around the world. The growing necessity to save energy in an uncertain future and to provide a good indoor environment in schools suggests that school designers should approach design more holistically in order to offer a better internal environment and to reduce the gap between design and performance. This paper investigates design issues in UK schools through case study analysis and a review of the literature. The main reasons for these design issues can be attributed to the lack of optimisation of different internal environment factors and their relation with energy consumption; the lack of understanding occupants’ response to the environment; the lack of building adaptability and the inappropriate application or use technology. This paper urges school designers to look at these factors holistically in order to overcome these problems in the future design of UK schools. This study also suggests an Environmental Circle to look at the interrelation between comfort factors through their sub factors in a holistic manner in order to prevent any conflict between. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper brings forth a distributed self adaptive intrusion detection system (IDS) based on programmable mobile agents which can act as a key line of defense against major security attacks. The proposed intrusion detection model is organized as a combination of the two trends in IDS; the rule based and the behavior based scheme. Also this model draws out the merits of both the host based and networks based IDSs and deploy them wisely considering the critical features of MANETs. In contrast to many proposed and implemented IDSs, this is an efficient framework conscious of the inherent constraints of MANETS and are self adaptive in nature. In addition to this, the use of light weight mobile agents provide a low overhead mechanism which in turn is well suited to MANET characteristics. Through this paper, an attempt to improvise the mobile agents is done by making it tamper evident which is very essential as the agents can be compromised and thereby turning all the efforts of the IDS futile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to test the effectiveness and adaptability of speed reduction markings (SRMs) in downhill sections on urban roads with distinct roadway grades. Empirical data including vehicle speed and acceleration were collected in a driving simulator. Subjective questionnaires were conducted, and two indexes – the relative speed difference and standard deviation of acceleration – were developed to evaluate the effectiveness and adaptability of SRMs. Meanwhile, the effectiveness of driving simulator related to different road alignments and types of SRMs has been validated through a field test. Results of subjective questionnaires showed that the majority of subjects had no feelings of nervousness, but they were affected by SRMs while driving through downhill sections in all four scenarios (i.e., downhill sections with vertical grades of 3, 2, 1.5 and 1%). In terms of vehicle speed and acceleration, the results of the analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the contrast analysis (S–N–K method) indicated that SRMs were significantly effective when roadway grades of downgrade sections were 1.5, 2 and 3%, while transverse speed reduction markings (TSRMs) had significantly worse adaptability ( P < 0.05). Therefore, this research recommends that TSRMs could be placed in downhill sections with roadway grades of 1.5 or 2%; longitudinal speed reduction markings (LSRMs) could be placed in downhill sections with a roadway grade of 3%. Whether SRMs are placed in downhill sections with a roadway grade of 1% would depend on other factors such as financial issues and crash records, which are not considered in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assembly processes are characterized by frequent changes and a high density of information being displayed to workers. These challenges necessitate cognitive worker assistance solutions that are individually and situatively adaptable. Adaptation in digital assistance is primarily based on the type of human-technology interaction, which essentially can be deterministic, adaptive or adaptable. Hence, this paper presents a method for determining the type of adaptation appropriate for functionalities of cognitive worker assistance in series production. Adaptivity and adaptability function as design parameters concerning dialog initiatives in system interaction. While adaptivity is characterized by system-initiated changes, adaptability implies an interaction initiative of the assembly operator. Based on defined functionalities according to product- and process-specific framework conditions, scenario-based characteristics are identified and categorized. Beside different user perspectives, information technology efforts for implementing assistance systems are examined to evaluate the potential for enabling agile assembly systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Healthcare supply chains (HSCs) have been hard hit by disruptions such as COVID-19. Keeping pace during this interruption has been a significant challenge. HSCs' adaptability and collaboration using artificial intelligence techniques (AITs) have been recognized as key components of supply chain resilience for managing disruption. The current study aims to investigate how AITs might help improve HSC resilience (HSCR) by facilitating improved adoption and collaboration throughout its operation. Data was collected from the Indian healthcare sector and analyzed using the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) technique. Additionally, an examination was conducted to determine the potential moderating role of supply chain dynamism (SCD) on the adoption and cooperation of HSCs with HSCR. The research shows that AITs encourage HSC adaptability and collaboration in their operations and that HSCR results from both factors. Moreover, SCD does not moderate the link between HSC adoption and HSCR but does moderate the link between HSC cooperation and HSCR. By enhancing HSC adaptability and effective collaboration with AI-enabled systems, AITs may help HSC stakeholders deal with disruptions in healthcare sector operations. • Healthcare supply chains (HSCs) have been hard hit by disruptions like COVID-19 • Paper investigates how Artificial Intelligence might enhance HSC resilience. • Supply chain dynamism (SCD) is also investigated in the context of HSCs • AI encourages HSC adaptability and collaboration, and leading to HSC resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The new method of the organization of the distributed adaptive computations is offered in the presented paper. The method allows using resources of computers united by a network for solving coherent tasks. The main feature of the given method is adaptive correcting of process of computation if parameters of computing nodes are varying or nodes fail. This ability is achieved because of system decentralization and multiagent approach: all nodes of computing system are equal and nodes have to unite to solve incoming tasks. Also this paper presents algorithms based on the developed method and program model of decentralized computing system. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The investigation presented in this paper has three main objectives. The first one is to study, through a case study, if it is possible to acceptably predict the energy consumption of a massive residential free-running building, when the exact behavior of the occupants is unknown or actual indoor conditions are not monitored, assuming standard use and occupation schedules, for the dry climate of the Argentinean Northwest. The second objective of the paper is to detect the possible causes of differences between actual and predicted energy consumption through an exhaustive thermal monitoring and occupant''s behavior, in order to obtain an improved model of the building giving more accurate predictions of the energy consumption. The third objective is to analyze the effect on the annual energy consumption of changing the massive envelope by a lightweight one. The comparison of real and simulated consumptions under comfort conditions defined by ASHRAE Standard 55 shows that simulations overestimated the energy consumption for heating and cooling. The main causes were detected from the experimental monitoring, indicating a lower use of the air conditioning equipment than the supposed initially. Simulations were improved to consider actual use and occupation conditions. Finally, an annual simulation of the improved model performed by changing the envelope material to a lightweight one showed that energy consumption for heating was increased, while energy consumption for cooling was decreased. In an annual balance, the massive walls are preferable over lightweight ones in arid sunny climates as in the Argentinean Northwest, giving energy savings of around 25%. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Maintaining system performance in the presence of uncertainties in design and operating environments is both challenging and increasingly essential as system lifetimes grow longer. In response to perturbations brought on by these uncertainties, such as disturbances, context shifts, and shifting stakeholder needs, systems can continue to deliver value by being either robust or changeable. These lifecycle properties, sometimes called “ilities”, have been proposed as means to achieve system value sustainment in spite of changes in contexts or needs. Intentionally designing for these lifecycle properties is an active area of research, and no consensus has formed regarding how these and other “ilities” might trade off. This paper describes ongoing research that investigates empirical examples of system changes in order to characterize these changes and to develop a categorization scheme for framing and clarifying design approaches for proactively creating ilities in a system. Example categories from the data for system changes include: the perturbation trigger for the change, the type of agent executing the system change, and the valid lifecycle phase for execution. In providing a structured means to identify system change characteristics, this paper informs future research by framing possible relationships between ilities and design choices that enable them. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In the European Mediterranean basin, pasture-based sheep farming systems are mostly located in marginal/High Nature Value areas. These production systems are multifunctional, and their economic, environmental and social roles are equally important and recognised by policy makers and by society. However, the number of animals and holdings is decreasing, and there is great uncertainty regarding the reproducibility of these farming systems, which depends on many internal and external farm factors and their interactions. The aim of this paper was to perform a comprehensive assessment of sustainability in different sheep farming systems in north eastern Spain using the MESMIS framework. We followed a case-study approach to perform an in-depth investigation of 4 sheep meat and dairy farms with different intensities of reproduction management. Critical points of sustainability, including weaknesses and opportunities, were obtained using a participatory process with stakeholders (farmers and technical advisers) that resulted in the selection of 37 sustainability indicators that were classified according to the systemic attributes defined by MESMIS (productivity, stability, self-reliance, adaptability, equity) and according to the classical sustainability pillars (social, economic and environmental). Some underlying patterns could be observed when analysing sustainability pillars, attributes and indicators. A positive relationship between productivity and intensification level in meat farms was observed; however, economic sustainability was determined not only by on-farm but also by off-farm activities. The economic efficiency of farming (without considering subsidies) was mainly explained by the capture of added value in the dairy systems and the combination of high animal productivity as well as high forage and feed self-sufficiency in the meat systems. Social issues were also central to explaining sustainability at the farm level, including the prospects of generational turnover and the manner in which farmers perceive and rate their activity. A clear trade-off between economic and environmental indicators was observed, i.e., the higher the economic sustainability, the lower the environmental sustainability. Each farm scored differently for diverse attributes, pillars and individual indicators. The scores differed according to size, structure, resource availability and managerial skills, which implies that it would be difficult to apply a holistic sustainability analysis to farming systems instead of individual farms. A number of methodological questions arose during the evaluation process relative to the stakeholders perception of these indicators, their relevance and meaning, the reference values for comparison, or their validity to assess sustainability across spatial and temporal scales. These questions are discussed in the paper. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The resilience of elements in a critical infrastructure system is a major factor determining the reliability of services and commodities provided by the critical infrastructure system to society. Resilience can be viewed as a quality which reduces the vulnerability of an element, absorbs the effects of disruptive events, enhances the element's ability to respond and recover, and facilitates its adaptation to disruptive events similar to those encountered in the past. In this respect, resilience assessment plays an important role in ensuring the security and reliability of not only these elements alone, but also of the system as a whole. The paper introduces the CIERA methodology designed for Critical Infrastructure Elements Resilience Assessment. The principle of this method is the statistical assessment of the level of resilience of critical infrastructure elements, involving a complex evaluation of their robustness, their ability to recover functionality after the occurrence of a disruptive event and their capacity to adapt to previous disruptive events. The complex approach thus includes both the assessment of technical and organizational resilience, as well as the identification of weak points in order to strengthen resilience. An example of the application of the CIERA method is presented in the form of a case study focused on assessing the resilience of a selected element of electrical energy infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The simulation and optimization of complex engineering designs in automotive or aerospace involves multiple mathematical tools, long-running workflows and resource-intensive computations on distributed infrastructures. Finding the optimal deployment in terms of task distribution, parallelization, collocation and resource assignment for each execution is a step-wise process involving both human input with domain-specific knowledge about the tools as well as the acquisition of new knowledge based on the actual execution history. In this paper, we present a policy-driven adaptive and reflective middleware that supports smart cloud-based deployment and execution of engineering workflows. This middleware supports deep inspection of the workflow task structure and execution, as well as of the very specific mathematical tools, their executions and used parameters. The reflective capabilities are based on multiple meta-models to reflect workflow structure, deployment, execution and resources. Adaptive deployment is driven by both human input as meta-data annotations as well as adaptation policies that reason over the actual execution history of the workflows. We validate and evaluate this middleware in real-life application cases and scenarios in the domain of aeronautics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper proposes a methodology for modeling and simulation the operation of Complex Systems considering the energy perspective which may feature both discrete and continuous as well as linear and nonlinear sub-systems. The methodology integrates in a unified view, sub-systems with behavioral or phenomenological models, each of them featuring a set of inputs, outputs and control variables with their associated actions. A proactive optimization process is defined in terms of system level flexibility as well as operation self-adaption, and is leveraging on model simulations to calculate over a time window the system outputs for a set of given inputs and actions. We aim to determine the optimal plan of actions over a set of predicted inputs that will minimize the distance between the system outputs and a given target. To prove its effectiveness, we model and simulate the thermal-electrical processes inside a Data Center, aiming to optimize its operation by exploiting the thermal energy flexibility to re-use the otherwise wasted heat in nearby neighborhoods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract With the spectacular development of pervasive computing and the widespread use of mobile technologies, the user usually resorts to a wide variety of user platforms. Moreover, the applications deployed on such platforms usually lack specific support for people suffering from disabilities. This is especially valid in the Tunisian context where the current status of digital accessibility is far from being perfect since the developer's community still ignores accessibility-related programming techniques. Consequently, further efforts are still required to resolve the issues related to the growing variety of available devices and of accessibility difficulties met by different categories of users. Therefore, in this paper we are introducing a model driven approach that aims to assist local and worldwide communities of developers throughout the development process of accessible user interfaces (UIs) targeting several emerging platforms. Based on a set of models from different abstraction levels followed by transformations, this approach provides a generic framework that integrates accessibility concerns starting from the design time. It allows the generation of accessible interfaces with a focus on the graphical and adaptation aspects on various platforms regardless of the developer expertise in UI accessibility. 1 Highlights • Improving the development of accessible applications for developers worldwide. • Metamodels of accessible user interface, interaction platforms, execution platforms. • Transformations from abstract accessible UI models to executable UIs. • Development of model editors to assist users create required models. • Evaluation of the framework to show the usability and efficiency of the approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advances in internet technologies have spurred global growth in manufacturing on an unprecedented scale. Distributed global manufacturing requires these industries to support flexible, large scale automation to meet dynamically changing user requirements and to allow interconnection for data exchange between various components of the manufacturing enterprise. The proceeding needs are addressed with design of Networked Manufacturing Systems (NMS) anchored in Industry 4.0. In this paper, we address the requirements for and the salient features of the design of NMS illustrated using an automotive panel stamping process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Epidemiological studies on the impact of outdoor temperature to human health have demonstrated the capability of humans to adapt to local climate. However, there is limited information on the association between indoor temperature and human health, despite people spending most of their time indoors. The problem stems from the lack of sufficient indoor temperature measurement in the population. To overcome this obstacle, this paper presents an indirect epidemiological approach to evaluate the impact of high indoor temperature on mortality. The relationships between indoor-outdoor temperatures in different climate zones identified in the literature were combined with the outdoor temperature-mortality curves of the same locations to obtain the local indoor minimum mortality temperatures (iMMT), the temperature at which mortality is lowest, which by implication is the temperature at which the population is most comfortable on average. We show that the iMMT varies and has a weak linear relationship with the distance to the equator, which provides evidence of human adaptation to local indoor temperatures. These findings reinforce the adaptive comfort theory, which states that people can adapt to local indoor environment and establish their thermal comfort. Recognising the human adaptability to local climate will direct flexible and optimized policy to protect public health against extreme temperature events. This will also help reduce energy consumption for regulating indoor temperature without compromising the occupants' health. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • First study of indoor minimum mortality temperature (iMMT) in different climates. • iMMT of a city has an association with its distance to the equator. • Variation of iMMT indicates that people adapt to their local climates. • The finding supports the adaptive thermal comfort standard. • Energy could be saved by being adjusted to local climate rather than a universal standard. The estimated indoor minimum mortality temperatures are different from the outdoor minimum mortality temperatures but varied similarly across climate zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Elderly and disabled people can experience considerable difficulties when driving a powered wheelchair, especially if they do not possess the fine steering capacities that are required to perform certain manoeuvres, like avoiding obstacles or docking at tables. In order to help these people, several “intelligent” wheelchairs have been developed in the past, meaning that a powered wheelchair was endowed with the abilities to provide navigational assistance to its user. In such a scenario, control over the wheelchair is shared between the user and the intelligent assistance. The problem of the existing intelligent wheelchairs is, however, that the rules for assistance are hard-coded and by consequence not adaptable to the personal handicap and needs of a specific user. Therefore, this paper proposes a new, more user-centered approach to shared wheelchair control. The presented framework executes two tasks: it continuously estimates the user’s intention and it determines whether the user needs assistance to achieve that intention. An implicit user model is introduced and incorporated in the framework, in order to make the execution of both tasks adaptable to a specific user. This paper presents the proposed framework, along with experimental results in simulation and on a real wheelchair. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In many cases, product families are established on top of a successful pilot product. While this approach provides an option to measure many concrete attributes like performance and memory footprint, adequateness and adaptability of the architecture of the pilot cannot be fully verified. Yet, these properties are crucial business enablers for the whole product family. In this paper, we discuss an architectural assessment of one such seminal system, intended for monitoring electronic subsystems of a mobile machine, which is to be extended to support a wide range of different types of products. This paper shows how well the assessment reveals possible problems and existing flexibilities in assessed system, and this way helps different stakeholders in their further decisions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Adaptability is emerging as an important attribute or nonfunctional requirement (NFR) for embedded systems. Intuitively, adaptability is the ability of a software system to accommodate changes in its environment. However, in order for the embedded system to be adaptable its architecture, the first step in the development, should itself be adaptable. It will be helpful if the generation of this architecture could be automated. In this paper, we describe a tool called the Software Architecture Adaptability Assistant (SA3) that helps generate adaptable architectures. SA3 uses the properties of the NFR Framework, in particular its knowledge base properties, to create a catalog of various constituents of architecture such as components and connections, and then searches the catalog to find adaptable constituents for the architecture. In this paper, we describe the theory behind SA3 and then describe the tool itself. We then demonstrate the architecture generation capability of the tool for embedded systems. We also discuss why these architectures are adaptable as well as point out directions for further improvement. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The 'sites and services' approach was conceived during the 1970s as a possible solution to tackle the issue of precarious housing in the global south. After providing land, infrastructures and services, the urban poor were allowed to incrementally build their dwellings. Despite initial criticism, the effectiveness of this approach has eventually been reconsidered. This paper aims to contribute to the long-lasting discussion on 'sites and services' projects by exploring their relationship with urban adaptability. Following the identification of the enabling conditions for adaptability at the neighbourhood scale, a fieldwork analysis has been conducted in the Indian neighbourhood of Charkop, located in the outskirts of Mumbai and first developed within a 'sites and services' programme. The results have shown that legal tenure, a hierarchical spatial plan aligned with the socioeconomic context, and a soft regulatory framework influenced by residents' associations and informal processes played a decisive role in the long-term project's success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the characteristics of dynamic vehicle mass, multi-operation scenes, and multi-energy-source and multi-energy-consumption-source, the energy optimization problem of concrete truck mixers remains a challenge. To this end, in this paper, a novel hybrid powertrain with a single-shaft parallel for the upper-part system and extended-range for the driving system is utilized and an adaptive online energy management strategy with multi parameters including the driving cycle, vehicle mass, battery state of charge (SOC), and remaining mileage is presented. First, a driven-data clustering method with fuel consumption differentiation is adopted. Then, using the parallel computing genetic algorithm-optimized rule-based method, a driving condition knowledge base, including optimal control models of the various typical driving conditions under multi-parameter combinations, is built to realize the adaptability and robustness. Parameter identifiers are designed, including a sparrow search-optimized-based deep mixed kernel extreme-learning machine recognizer and a vehicle mass recognizer based on sensor and working scene fusion for obtaining corresponding information online. Finally, simulation experiments are conducted to validate the performance and robustness of the presented control strategy. Results indicate it can reduce fuel consumption by an average value of 15.17% and performs better in the convergence level of terminal SOC in five real composite driving conditions. • Multi-parameter adaptive strategy for variable-mass muti-source system is designed. • A driving condition knowledge base including multiple optimal models is built. • An online recognizer for varying vehicle mass is fused into the control strategy. • SSA-optimized DMKELM is exploited for accurate driving cycle identification. • Results verify the control strategy performance under multi-real test conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A self-developed grasping force system which enables damage-free grasping monitors grasping force in real time. • A self-developed posture system keeps the end-effector in a safe workspace and ensures the security of picking. • The end-effector is modeled with a human reference and has relatively independent knuckles. • All knuckles are driven by ropes, and the end-effector is adaptable to different sizes and shapes of pears. More and more fruit harvesting robots have been used in fresh fruit harvesting. Because many fruits are vulnerable, achieving damage-free picking is a challenge for most harvesting robots. Controlling the grasping force of the end-effector is the key to achieving damage-free picking. In this paper, a rope-driven adaptive end-effector for damage-free pear-fruit picking is developed with reference to the human hand, including the human grasping method and the robotics model. A self-developed grasping force system is fitted to the inside of the fingers for real-time control of the end-effector grasping force. A self-developed posture system is installed at the finger knuckles to ensure that the posture of the fingers is in a safe working state. The number of fingers of the end-effector is three, with each finger consisting of two knuckles. Each knuckle is driven by a servo through a rope. Finally, the experiments show that the end-effector grasps stably. And it could adapt to different sizes and shapes of pear fruits. The average grasping time is 0.605 s. The grasping success rate of all fruits is 100 %, and the grasping damage rate is 0 %. This end-effector effectively solves the problem of other end-effectors failing to grasp or causing damage to the fruits. The development of the end-effector positively affects picking operations in agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Scholars argue that conventional environmental governance approaches have not been effective in reversing or slowing the deterioration of coupled social-ecological systems (SESs). Recent research suggests that resilience thinking offers a useful framework to analyse problems in SESs and could help improve the effectiveness of associated governance systems. Much of the available literature explores this from a theoretical perspective, identifying advantages from resilience thinking to improve governance of SESs. This paper builds on this literature, creating a set of attributes that are used to assess the specific challenges of a particular multi-level Tasmanian coastal governance context, and thus clarify where intervention responses are best directed. In this context, a low level of resilience capacity was apparent across the entire governance system. At the national level, we determined that knowledge management and sharing processes, and the diversity of expertise were the only attributes contributing to resilience capacity, with other attributes insufficiently developed to support any level of resilience. The performance was similarly poor at the Tasmanian state level, with leadership, adaptive planning, organisational flexibility and a supportive legislation framework at critically low capacity. Inter-organisational attributes also required significant improvement. On the other hand, a regional natural resource management body and two coastal local governments demonstrated attributes supportive of resilience capacity, including aspects related to leadership, transparent decision-making, stakeholder engagement, organisational learning, knowledge sharing and flexibility. These findings confirm that resilience thinking can offer practical suggestions for how to improve governance of this, particularly challenging context. Highlights • Resilience-based coastal governance has adaptational and transformational capacities. • Sixteen attributes are proposed for developing resilience-based governance. • The overall resilience capacity of Tasmanian coastal governance is low. • Improving resilience capacity requires strategic planning and leadership support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The limited resilience of agricultural and food systems, and of rural communities, has become an important concern in rural and agricultural policy. However, while the term has been heavily theorised and discussed, particularly in the natural and environmental sciences, it is sufficiently ambiguous to support divergent and even contradictory policy goals and farmers' strategies. This paper focuses on the more encompassing notion of social-ecological resilience and contends that among the causes of this divergence are the disparate spatial and temporal scales used to assess and plan enhancing resilience. Based on empirical evidence, we show that strategies that may increase farmers' abilities to persist in a difficult economic environment may undermine the resilience of the wider region, while decisions that enhance farmers’ resilience in the short term may lock them onto a path that weakens their future resilience. Using case studies from 14 different countries across Europe and beyond, we address two main questions. Firstly, how the notion of resilience is being operationalised at a farm or regional level. That is to say, what are the different strategies that farmers, rural residents and other decision-makers in rural areas are using to enhance resilience? Secondly, we look at how the outcomes of implementing these strategies vary according to spatial and temporal factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to high efficiency, energy saving, environmental friendliness and safety, the air source heat pump (ASHP) has drawn much attention in the cold and serve cold climate areas of China. In recent years, the Chinese governments further promote the application of air source heat pump in the cold and server area in order to reduce conventional energy consumption and haze occurrence frequency in heating season. The outdoor air temperature is low and fluctuates greatly in these areas, which might lead to unstable running, low efficiency and frequent frost. In this paper, the development direction of ASHP in cold and serve cold was pointed out by analyzing the existing problems of air source heat pump under low temperature condition. These results could provide some references for promotion and application of ASHP in cold and serve cold area like Qinghai province. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses an approach for selecting executors of business processes based on profit and social-quality criteria. The approach relies on a trusted authority to ensure the transparency and fairness of the selection. Executors are known as slaves and exhibit certain social qualities (e.g., selfishness and goodwill) in response to the requests of owners of business processes known as masters. A set of simulation tests are carried out to demonstrate the feasibility of the approach in term of what selection strategy is best, i.e., profit-based, social quality-based, or both. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]