The key indicators of transboundary water appor- tionment based on international laws and cases

Transboundary water, more competitive utilization and uncertain availability under the globalization trend, the issue of its apportionment which directly impacts national benefits of each riparian state is becoming one of the important topics in the world. Water is scarce in China, the most important upstream state in Asia, and this task has to be thought over in the coming future. Based on ＂International Freshwater Treaties Database＂ （1820-2007） by Oregon State University, and publications and reports on transboundary water utilization and management since 1999, 28 indicators of water apportionment adopted in 49 international treaties and cases in 1864-2002 are divided into 6 types, the spatial and temporal characteristics of the adopted indicators are analyzed in order to find the key indicator（s） of transboundary water apportionment. The major results include： the major adopted indicators, have significant differences among 5 regions/continents, the indicators at rank first and second place in the developed region （North America and Europe） according to the adopted times are ＂keeping minimum water flow＂ and ＂mean annual runoff＂, but in the developing region （Asia, Africa and South America）, the ranking order of the above two indicators is reversed; the major adopted indicators in the watersheds with insufficient water are ＂mean annual runoff＂ and ＂keeping minimum water flow＂, the ones in the watersheds with sufficient water are ＂keeping minimum water flow＂ and ＂maximum water intake＂; the international treaties signed from the first phase to the fourth phase, the developing process shows a progress of ＂fewer-increasing a lot-decreasing rapidly-equation basically＂, the regional distribution of the treaties shifts mainly from the developed region to the developing one, especially to Asia and Africa; the major adopted indicators shifts from ＂keeping minimum water flow＂ and ＂mean annual runoff＂ in 1864-1945, to ＂keeping minimum water flow＂ and ＂maximum water intake＂ in 1946-1971, then to ＂hydraulic facility operation＂ and ＂mean annual runoff＂ in 1972-1991, and finally to ＂keeping minimum water flow＂ and ＂mean annual runoff＂ in 1992-2002, the process shows similar a loop. Finally, the key indicator on transboundary water apportionment can be determined as ＂keeping minimum water flow＂.

New Framework for Evaluating Ecosystem Quality in Nature Reserves based on Ideal References and Key Indicators

With increasing numbers and types of nature reserves(NRs),objective evaluation and comparison of the effects of different nature NRs on conservation efforts are of great importance for protecting species diversity,ensuring reasonable national economic input,and adjusting government management schemes.Developing a method for the combined assessment of flagship or umbrella species and ecosystem quality will improve the evaluation of NRs.However,it is also important to establish a new framework for rapid evaluation of ecosystem quality,supported by the advantages of scientific,economic,and regular principles.Here,we proposed a new framework that incorporates the novel concept of ideal references into evaluation systems,which will facilitate the comparison of results from different periods and regions.Furthermore,from the perspective of making the framework as objective,rapid,and economical as possible,we recommended some key ecological indicators,such as net primary productivity,soil organic matter,plant diversity,for use in the new evaluation framework.The new framework,referred to as“ideal reference and key indicators”(IRKI),can sufficiently meet the requirements for the rapid evaluation of ecosystem quality both regionally and nationally.Furthermore,IRKI can identify the restoration potential and restoration periods of NRs,thus facilitating the rational distribution of resources and enhancing the protective effect.There are many types of NRs in China,and it is necessary to partially alter the assessment methods or parameters for different types of NRs.Overall,IRKI provides a simple,clear,and comparable framework that will strongly enhance the conservation of protected areas(PAs)and facilitate the standardization of management practices.

Monitoring and Measuring Event Decision-Making Process Using Key Performance Indicators： Evidence From Italian Cruise Terminals

This paper investigates the control systems and coordination mechanisms applied in the relationships between cruise line companies and terminal concessionaires in the cruise events management when the ships are stopping on the quay. Using a case study methodology and focusing on the Italian context, this exploratory study, through a qualitative approach, interviewed two main cruise terminal concessionaires and indirectly observed events planned by cruise companies in sea ports selected for outlining the role of control systems, coordination, and knowledge sharing between the players in cruise events decision-making processes. The first results show that the cruise event management processes on ship berthing and on terminal are separated. The cruise companies don＇t involve terminal concessionaires in the event organization considering them only service suppliers Also, the concessionaires conceive the events planned in the cruise infrastructures as a business unit to optimize the space use, without any forms of coordination or control with cruise companies. Knowledge sharing, coordination, and control among the two players could support the planning, and management of ＂new cruise events＂ in which the visitors may be led from the infrastructure to the ships stopped on the quay. This study offers a set of key performance indicators to support the management, control, and coordination of each inter-organizational relationship identified. Managerial implications and suggestions for improving cruise events management have been provided.

Beyond Defense: Proactive Approaches to Disaster Recovery and Threat Intelligence in Modern Enterprises

As cyber threats keep changing and business environments adapt, a comprehensive approach to disaster recovery involves more than just defensive measures. This research delves deep into the strategies required to respond to threats and anticipate and mitigate them proactively. Beginning with understanding the critical need for a layered defense and the intricacies of the attacker’s journey, the research offers insights into specialized defense techniques, emphasizing the importance of timely and strategic responses during incidents. Risk management is brought to the forefront, underscoring businesses’ need to adopt mature risk assessment practices and understand the potential risk impact areas. Additionally, the value of threat intelligence is explored, shedding light on the importance of active engagement within sharing communities and the vigilant observation of adversary motivations. “Beyond Defense: Proactive Approaches to Disaster Recovery and Threat Intelligence in Modern Enterprises” is a comprehensive guide for organizations aiming to fortify their cybersecurity posture, marrying best practices in proactive and reactive measures in the ever-challenging digital realm.

Unlocking quality in endoscopic mucosal resection

A review of the development of the key performance metrics of endoscopic mucosal resection(EMR),learning from the experience of the establishment of widespread colonoscopy quality measurements.Potential future performance markers for both colonoscopy and EMR are also evaluated to ensure continued high quality performance is maintained with a focus service framework and predictors of patient outcome.

Addressing the Issues and Developments Correlated with Envisaged 5G Mobile Technologies: Comprehensive Solutions

Fifth Generation(5G)communications are regarded as the cornerstone to household consumer experience improvements and smart manufacturing revolution from the standpoint of industries’objectives.It is anticipated that Envisaged 5G(E5G)mobile technology would be operational in certain developed countries by 2023.The Internet of Things(IoTs)will transform how humans live when combined with smart and integrated sensing devices,such as in-home sensing devices.Recent research is being carried out all over the world to produce a new technique that can be crucial in the success of the anticipated 5G mobile technology.High output,reduced latency,highly reliable,greater scalability,high performance,capacity,bandwidth efficiency,virtual open-air transmission,and efficient energy mobile wireless communications are all being investigated currently.In this work,a comprehensive path for addressing the difficulties and developments associated with 5G mobile technology is provided.The debate and description of a complete analysis of current situations,certain characteristics and prospective scenarios,important technologies,problems and advances,and spectrum allocation of envisioned 5G mobile technologies are provided.Furthermore,this paper analyzes the most notable elements of 5G mobile technology,such as Cognitive Radio(CR),flexibility,accessibility,and cloud-based service offers,which will assure 5G mobile technology’s dominance as the main protocol for international communication.Eventually,this paper provides a method for integrating CR with current wireless communication systems,the necessity for further evolution of the E5G network,and the need for comprehensive consideration of architecture evolution and function enhancement to enhance the E5G mobile technologies.

Feasibility analysis of widely accepted indicators as key ones in river health assessment

Index systems on river health assessment are difficult for using in practice, due to the more complex and professional indicators adopted. In the paper, some key indicators which can be applied for river health assessment in general were selected, based on the analysis of 45 assessment index systems with 902 variables within around 150 published papers and documents in 1972–2010. According to the fields covered by the variables, they were divided into four groups： habitat condition, water environment, biotic status and water utilization. The adopted number and the accepted degrees in the above systems of each indicator were calculated after the variables were combined into the indicators, some of the widely accepted indicators which can reflect different aspects of river condition were selected as key indicators in candidate. Under the correlation analysis amongst the key indicators in candidate, 8 indicators were finally suggested as the key indicators for assessing river health, which were： coverage rate of riparian vegetation, reserved rate of wetland, river continuity, the changing rate of water flow, the ratio of reaching water quality standard, fish index of biotic integrity, the ratio of water utilization and land use.

6G Mobile Network Requirements and Technical Feasibility Study

The sixth generation(6G)mobile network is envisaged to be commercially deployed around 2030,which will profoundly change people's lifestyles and accelerate the digitalization of society.To ensure that the requirements of 6G can be achieved,it is essential to establish a set of key performance indicators(KPIs).This paper comprehensively assesses the KPIs not only from the service requirements but also from the technical feasibility points of view.Specifically,theoretical derivations of KPIs have been clarified,and numerical evaluations have been conducted with reasonable technical assumptions.Evaluation results show that some KPIs defined from the service requirements can be improved through advanced technologies while some are still challenging for practical implementations,such as Tbps-level peak data rate and 0.1 ms user plane latency.In addition,it is also necessary to comply with multiple KPIs for some cases.Furthermore,based on the technical analysis,the potential enabling technologies are outlined and foreseeable implementation challenges as well as possible solutions are presented,which promotes a more reasonable design for 6G mobile network.

Soil profile characteristics of high-productivity alluvial cambisols in the North China Plain

The North China Plain（NCP） is one of major breadbaskets in China. Crop growth and grain yield differ significantly with spatial variations of soil properties. This study aims to identify the key soil properties in relation to the grain yield for the winter wheat（Triticum aestivum L.）-maize（Zea mays L.） cropping system in a high-productivity farmland of the NCP. The field trials were conducted in three fields with different grain yield levels in Tai＇an City, Shandong Province, China, during the 2009–2012 period. Consistent field management strategies were applied in the three fields. Fifty-one physical and chemical indicators of the soil profile as related to grain yield were evaluated. An approximate maximum of 17.8% annual average grain yield difference was observed in the fields during the period of 2009–2012. The soil indicators were classified into three clusters with specific functions using cluster analysis, and three key indicators were extracted from each cluster to characterize the different soil properties of three fields. The first cluster represented soil water retention capacity, and the key indicator was available soil water（ASW）, which ranged from 153 to 187 mm in the 1.2 m profile and was correlated positively with grain yield. The second cluster represented soil water conductivity, as measured by saturated hydraulic conductivity（K s）. The higher yield field had a greater capacity to retain topsoil water for its lower K s（1.9 cm d^–1） in the 30–70 cm soil layer as compared to the lower yield field. The third cluster represented nutrient storage and supply, as indicated by the ratio of nutrient content to silt＋clay content of the top soil layer. The ratio of soil organic matter（OM）, total nitrogen（TN）, available P, exchangeable K＋ to silt＋clay content in the 0–20 cm soil layer were 19.0 g kg^–1, 1.6 g kg^–1, 94.7 mg kg^–1, 174.3 mg kg^–1 in the higher yield field, respectively, and correlated positively with the grain yield. By characterizing the differences in soil properties among fields with different yield levels, this study offers the scientific basis for increasing grain yield potential by improving the soil conditions in the NCP.

5G technology requirements and related test environments for evaluation

To meet the considerably increase of mobile data traffic and wireless communication connections around 2020,the 5th generation(5G)mobile network will necessarily consider more frequency bands,enabling technologies and diversified key performance indicators and test environments comparing with existing network,for example Long Term Evolution.More specifically,the obvious difference between 5G and previous wireless communication system are not only included eMBB(enhance mobile broadband) usage scenario,but also introduced mMTC(massive machine type communications)and URLLC(ultra-reliable and low latency communications) usage scenarios.Hence,in order to evaluate 5G related technologies,some novel test environments will be widely discussed,as well as,certain new key performance indicators will be drawn into5 G evaluation methodology for satisfied new requirements.We will discuss characteristic of these 4 candidate test environments,such as indoor isolated environment,high speed train environment;and the definition of 15 keys performance indicator will be explained and clarified,for example,Throughput,Network Energy Efficiency,Device Connection Density and so on.Furthermore,high-level assessment method of each test environment also will be initially considered.It is notable that an initial evaluation of indoor isolated environment also can be found,which the results show that there are 3 times average cell spectral efficiency than IMT-advanced's in same test environment.

Novel Universal Windowing Multicarrier Waveform for 5G Systems

Fifth Generation(5G)systems aim to improve flexibility,coexistence and diverse service in several aspects to achieve the emerging applications requirements.Windowing and filtering of the traditional multicarrier waveforms are now considered common sense when designing more flexible waveforms.This paper proposed a Universal Windowing Multi-Carrier(UWMC)waveform design platform that is flexible,providing more easily coexists with different pulse shapes,and reduces the Out of Band Emissions(OOBE),which is generated by the traditional multicarrier methods that used in the previous generations of the mobile technology.The novel proposed approach is different from other approaches that have been proposed,and it is based on applying a novel modulation approach for the Quadrature-Amplitude Modulation(64-QAM)which is considered very popular in mobile technology.This new approach is done by employing flexible pulse shaping windowing,by assigning windows to various bands.This leads to decreased side-lobes,which are going to reduce OOBE and boost the spectral efficiency by assigning them to edge subscribers only.The new subband windowing(UWMC)will also maintain comprehensively the non-orthogonality by a variety of windowing and make sure to keep window time the same for all subbands.In addition,this paper shows that the new approach made the Bit Error Rate(BER)equal to the conventional Windowed-Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing(W-OFDM).This platform achieved great improvement for some other Key Performance Indicators(KPI),such as the Peak to Average Power Ratio(PAPR)compared with the conventional(W-OFDM)and the conventional Universal Filtered Multicarrier(UFMC)approaches.In particular,the proposed windowing scheme outperforms previous designs in terms of the Power Spectral Density(PSD)by 58%and the(BER)by 1.5 dB and reduces the Complementary Cumulative Distribution Function Cubic Metric(CCDF-CM)by 24%.

Anomalous Cell Detection with Kernel Density-Based Local Outlier Factor

Since data services are penetrating into our daily life rapidly, the mobile network becomes more complicated, and the amount of data transmission is more and more increasing. In this case, the traditional statistical methods for anomalous cell detection cannot adapt to the evolution of networks, and data mining becomes the mainstream. In this paper, we propose a novel kernel density-based local outlier factor(KLOF) to assign a degree of being an outlier to each object. Firstly, the notion of KLOF is introduced, which captures exactly the relative degree of isolation. Then, by analyzing its properties, including the tightness of upper and lower bounds, sensitivity of density perturbation, we find that KLOF is much greater than 1 for outliers. Lastly, KLOFis applied on a real-world dataset to detect anomalous cells with abnormal key performance indicators(KPIs) to verify its reliability. The experiment shows that KLOF can find outliers efficiently. It can be a guideline for the operators to perform faster and more efficient trouble shooting.

Simple,intuitive key performance indicators for flag state performance and its pilot application in Latin-America

The presence of sub-standard ships has been a long-standing concern in the maritime domain and a slew of measures are implemented to tide over the problem.Measurement is a key to verifying the success of measures adopted to enhance maritime safety and protect the marine environment.While there is an abundance of literature based on Port State Control inspections it is argued that in addition to the prevailing indicators of flag State performance deeper insights are to be gained by exploring indicators in other areas such as findings of IMO member State audits.This paper proposes simple and intuitive indicators in conjunction with existing indicators to identify trends in flag State performance and explores application of the indicators to a select set of member States in Latin-America region.The paper concludes that the proposed indicators have the potential for global application.

Is the Time Right for a Change in Company Reporting？ Development of Company Reporting from Financial to Non-financial Information

Published financial statements and information on company performance include in the past only financial information and neglected non-financials. Investments decisions nowadays rely not only on pure financial information. The last developments of accounting rules and regulations and the current practice in company reporting put non-financial information and other decision useful non-GAAP measures in focus. A higher number of non-financial information could be found in actual company reports compared to prior years and document a shift in the reporting culture from disclosing only financial performance to an integrated reporting that also reports about performance of the total organisation and the contribution to society. Today, an integrated reporting that combines financials with non-financials and as the standard report of companies is not achieved. One step to an integrated reporting is the EU Accounts Modernisation Directive 2003/51/EC which integrated non-financial key performance indicators （KPIs） in the obligatory reporting for companies. Another step that fosters the development of companies reporting is rooted on the EU Directive 2014/95/EU （CSR directive）. The directive includes rules to make non-financial information obligatory and more harmonized in published company reports. The disclosing of non-financial information, like sustainability and social responsibility, is now obligatory, harmonized and regulated in the EU.

Effectiveness of Budgetary Entities

This paper acquaints readers with the practice of effectiveness evaluation in the public sector. The purpose of this paper is to study performance measurement according to the changes in public sector reform by focusing on performance-based budgeting in Russia. This paper suggests that the construction process of performance measurement should be aligned with outputs and outcomes of budget policy. The main research materials for this paper are based on data from a survey and follow-up interviews of budgetary managers and accountants. The survey result sets priorities and weighted some indicators to the measurement of effectiveness in the public sector. The data of this study were not large, but the study led to understanding how effectiveness is seen by budgetary managers and how measurement systems should be structured. Texts and contents from different sources such as financial annual reports and budgetary entities＇ websites provided insightful and interesting findings.

World-Class Dispatching Management Practices Featured by KPIs Centered Self-Adaptive Management Process

This paper builds a self-adaptive management process in the power system dispatching area, aiming to effectively monitor the grid operation, dynamically adjust control strategy, optimize working process and ensure the continuous improvement of operational performance. By building a negative feedback and dynamic balanced management mechanism, ECPRCB （East China Power Regulation Center Branch） is able to keenly sense the internal and external changes, efficiently coordinate all kinds of resources and improve the operational performance. As a result, self-adaptive management effectively boosts ECPRCB to reach the goal of being a world-class dispatching center with high operational performance, competent internal operation, adequate resources support and strong growth motion.

Profit loss indicator:a novel maintenance indicator applied for integrated planning

In production environment today, ＂silo think- ing＂ is a challenge where controlling an asset associated with several disciplines and departments can lead to a sub- optimal result. This requires a more integrated approach with an integrated planning （IPL） framework. In this framework novel maintenance key performance indicators （KPIs） are needed. The purpose of this article is to develop the novel maintenance KPI profit loss indicator （PLI）. This indicator is based on measuring both on the ＂hidden fac- tory＂ and waste in production, presenting it as a financial measure. The notion ＂hidden factory＂ is used as a meta- phor for measuring the time losses in industry through the maintenance KPI overall equipment effectiveness （OEE）. This indicator divides the time losses into availability losses, performance losses and quality losses. In addition, a financial measure for waste based on literature from Toyota production system （TPS） and waste treatment and disposal is also included in PLI. Through a case study in the saw mill industry PLI is demonstrated and evaluated. It is expected that this indicator will be demonstrated in several industry branches in the future.

Soil Quality in Relation to Agricultural Production in the North China Plain

Sustainable agricultural production is of vital importance to food supply security. This study aimed to investigate crop yield response to spatial variability of soil quality at a county scale in the North China Plain （NCP） and subsequently derive key soil quality indicators. Soil samples were geo-referenced and taken in 2008 from both surface （0-20 cm） and subsurface （20-40 cm） layers in 132 fields throughout the Fengqiu County, located in the centre of the NCP, for subsequent soil properties＇ analyses. Annum crop yields were obtained from the same fields where soil samples were collected. Soil quality was evaluated based on a fuzzy set with 13 soil properties, and its spatial distributions were investigated by integrating geostatistical analysis and geographic information system （GIS） techniques. Soil quality indices were classified into five grades, and their spatial distributions were mapped within the county. The surface soil qualities were about one to two grades higher than the subsurface soil. The quality indices for surface and subsurface soils were positively associated with the annual crop yields, suggesting the importance of both. Soil organic matter, total nitrogen, available P, and available K contributed 50% of the combined weight to the soil quality index and were identified as key indicators of soil quality status in the area in terms of sustainability.

Quantitative and qualitative research on service quality evaluation system in NGN

With the development of next generation network （NGN）, reasonable service quality evaluation is essential in network management. Based on NGN service characteristics, this article presents a comprehensive service quality evaluation system from two perspectives： quantitative and qualitative. From the quantitative point of view, this article brings forward the normalized service level achievement function （NSLA function） at technical layer. Also, with mean opinion score （MOS） mode, it proposes customer satisfaction assessment methods at customer perception layer. From the qualitative perspective, a hierarchical model is established, which forms mapping relations from the upper customer perception to the lower service quality parameters, and then the influence of different service parameters on customer satisfaction degree can b＇e denoted by the fuzzy analysis hierarchy process （FAHP） algorithm. Quantitative and qualitative evaluations together form a comprehensive solution which is universal, customer-oriented and flexible. Demonstrated by the representative voice service, the proposed system is proved reliable and applicable to service evaluation in NGN.