＂Institutionalization＂ as Weapons of the Weak： ASEAN Countries and the South China Sea Disputes

＂Institutionalization＂ can be understood as a process of norm and law setting to regulate and control individual attitudes. An institutionalized area could be more stable and ordered, then the relationships between the factors can be identified by the predicted signals. Institutions can help to provide a key form of such frameworks, through which all states, but especially the stronger states, can use rules and other normative expectations of conduct in the international relation. Weaker states, in return, gain limits on the action of the leading states and access to the political process, in which they can press their interests. This article analyzes the disputes in the South China Sea~, particularly between China and ASEAN countries to prove the argument. It is argued that ASEAN, in the situation of power asymmetry between dominant （power-holders） and dominated groups, has used ＂institution＂ and ＂institutionalization＂ as a countermeasure to constrain the powerful China in the two ways： （1） trying to lock-in China in a rule-based order, in order to restrict its power, and （2） by institutionalizing the way in which the disputes in the South China Sea should be resolved, ASEAN countries want to create a frameworks for setting rules of games, which are shaped by principles and norms instead of balance-of-power.

The Institutionalization of Life Cycle Assessment in Mexico

This article presents a study of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) at a slaughterhouse located in north-western Mexico with the purpose of testing the premise of a low degree of institutionalization of Industrial Ecology in Mexico. The article aims at analyzing the current role played by the Mexican academia in increasing the degree of institutionalization of the concept of LCA in northwestern Mexico. There was conducted a life cycle analysis study according to the standards ISO 14040: 2006, NMX-SAA-14040-IMNC-2008NOM in a Federally Inspected Type (TIF by Spanish acronym) Slaughterhouse in the state of Sonora in Northwest Mexico. The slaughter process was characterized by observing the production tasks during several walkthroughs the production lines and by having short interviews with workers, supervisors, and the manager. The CH4 emissions were calculated using the guidelines suggested by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC 2006). The present LCA case study revealed opportunities for improving the environmental performance of the slaughterhouse by taking measures such as the reduction of CH4 from enteric fermentation since methane was one of the main greenhouse gases responsible for climate change. Although, the LCA generated reliable information in terms of climate change or water eutrophication, the chances of implementing sustainable initiatives were unlikely because the benefits to reduce the impacts to climate change or to reduce the water crisis would be unnoticeable and unaffordable for companies. Findings in this study also confirmed the importance of Mexican universities for promoting and conducting more LCA studies among private and public organizations in order to guide firms towards this tool. The case study here presented gives insights to LCA stakeholders in Mexico to implement or improve the effectiveness of their potential LCA initiatives through the identification of strategies, opportunities, and barriers.

Institutionalization of Surveillance in Nigeria, a Benchmarking of the Brazilian Fiscal Responsibility Act

Nigeria ranks among the countries with the highest fiscal indiscipline in the globe regardless of the parameters used. The country has also a weak tax collection system which results in tax evasion, and there is insignificant revenue, thus making the state and the municipalities dependent on federal allocations. The current study objectifies to propose the enactment of the Fiscal Responsibility Act （FRA） for the Nigerian Public Administration based on the frameworks implemented in Brazil. As a glance, the basic arithmetic that guides the Act is spending must equal revenue. The study is anchored on the premise that the FRA brings innumerable benefits to the populace by stabilizing public spending and paving way for a consistent budgetary forecast and its compliance thereby contributing to uphold transparency. Methodologically wise, the study adopts a case study approach and also used the interpretative style in order to strive on the action needed, which tends to be interventionist. Upon analysis of the secondary documents at our disposal, we conclude that control tools such as the SIAFEM system which is the backbone of FRA will be an essential artifact to institutionalize surveillance and also assist the Nigerian government in curtailing spending and also orientate accountability at all levels be it federal, state or municipal.

E-Government in Social and Economic Development： The Asymmetric Roles of Information, Institutionalization and Diffusion

There are documented differences between the success and failure factors in the developed and developing countries with regard to the adoption and embracement of Openness in e-Government practice models. This paper posits that e-Government constitutes a critical context for social and economic development in both developed and developing countries. The paper also suggests that e-Government encompasses more than just technology, that is, attempts to highlight the social and economic implications of changes that have occurred in recent years as a result of the transparency and accountability of government and how software usage can influence digital inclusion, trust and privacy and possible strategies to eliminate the digital divide by encouraging greater public and commercial use and re-use of government information through putting govermnent data on the Web. In addition to leveraging economic development, e-Government also helps to stream line govemment services to more social based values of inclusion and citizens＇ participation, accessibility and power relationship ratios. Although e-Government is not a new phenomenon in most developed countries such as the US, UK, Japan, most of the European countries and some developing countries in Asia and Africa which have already announced their Open Government Initiatives and data portals it also leads to greater information asymmetry among citizens and government and also, institutionalization and diffusion asymmetry of the practice of the current Openness in e-Government models within developed and developing countries. Drawing on organizational decision-making research and following the explorative and grounded based research approach the findings of this research are that the information asymmetry between citizens and government and asymmetry in institutionalization and diffusion within developed and developing countries are widely attributed to socio-economic and political variations in developed and developing countries. Unless these differences are skill fully identified and accommodated as such into the development and use models, Openness in e-Government efforts would not help achieve the social and economic development goals by both developed and developing countries.

The Process of Environmental Institutionalization in Mozambique

The late 1980s began a transition from a centrally planned economic system to a market economy in Mozambique. This transition was marked by a gradual decentralization of public administration and the cross consideration of environmental issues. In our times, research and environmental studies are globally centrals to multiples fields of knowledge, based on this we try to reflect on the process of institutionalization of environmental issues in Mozambique. Our goal is to analytically explorer the political, social and economic contours that allow characterizing the beginning of this process. This article is the result of exploratory research using the qualitative method of analysis. The results showed that the beginning of the environmental issue institutionalization process in Mozambique was the result of various government initiatives and financial demands inherent in the development process, and filled in rhetorical strategies of different styles and motives, being pierced by political conflicts and fmancial, both at the state level as the meagerly existing civil society in this period. In this paper, we present and analyzed the socio-historical circumstances that interspersed the process of environmental institutionalization, indicating exogenous and endogenous factors that proved decisive for the current environmental institutional status in Mozambique.

Institutionalization of a Human Community with a Shared Future and Principles of International Law

The doctrine of building“a human community with a shared future”(HCSF)is a Chinese diplomatic strategy in the new era moving closer to the center of global affairs.It includes enriched ideas about international law and the essential elements of institutionalization.The emergence and development of modem international law have revealed the critical importance of the ideas about international law as guidance for institutions.It is necessary and possible to institutionalize the HCSF by setting its ideas as principles of international law.The principles of international law for the HCSF are those of durable peace,universal security,common prosperity,coexistence of different civilizations,and sustainable development.The new five principles of the HCSF are integrated with the existing general principles of international law and Chinese proposals for the new era,which is not only the development of Chinese-initiated Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence but also a new contribution to the contemporary international law.It will be the new guidance to advance the profound changes of international relations unseen in a century for the common interest of mankind.

Ranking academic institutions based on the productivity,impact,and quality of institutional scholars

Purpose:The quantitative rankings of over 55,000 institutions and their institutional programs are based on the individual rankings of approximately 30 million scholars determined by their productivity,impact,and quality.Design/methodology/approach:The institutional ranking process developed here considers all institutions in all countries and regions,thereby including those that are established,as well as those that are emerging in scholarly prowess.Rankings of individual scholars worldwide are first generated using the recently introduced,fully indexed ScholarGPS database.The rankings of individual scholars are extended here to determine the lifetime and last-five-year Top 20 rankings of academic institutions over all Fields of scholarly endeavor,in 14 individual Fields,in 177 Disciplines,and in approximately 350,000 unique Specialties.Rankings associated with five specific Fields(Medicine,Engineering&Computer Science,Life Sciences,Physical Sciences&Mathematics,and Social Sciences),and in two Disciplines(Chemistry,and Electrical&Computer Engineering)are presented as examples,and changes in the rankings over time are discussed.Findings:For the Fields considered here,the Top 20 institutional rankings in Medicine have undergone the least change(lifetime versus last five years),while the rankings in Engineering&Computer Science have exhibited significant change.The evolution of institutional rankings over time is largely attributed to the recent emergence of Chinese academic institutions,although this emergence is shown to be highly Field-and Discipline-dependent.Practical implementations:Existing rankings of academic institutions have:(i)often been restricted to pre-selected institutions,clouding the potential discovery of scholarly activity in emerging institutions and countries;(ii)considered only broad areas of research,limiting the ability of university leadership to act on the assessments in a concrete manner,or in contrast;(iii)have considered only a narrow area of research for comparison,diminishing the broader applicability and impact of the assessment.In general,existing institutional rankings depend on which institutions are included in the ranking process,which areas of research are considered,the breadth(or granularity)of the research areas of interest,and the methodologies used to define and quantify research performance.In contrast,the methods presented here can provide important data over a broad range of granularity to allow responsible individuals to gauge the performance of any institution from the Overall(all Fields)level,to the level of the Specialty.The methods may also assist identification of the root causes of shifts in institution rankings,and how these shifts vary across hundreds of thousands of Fields,Disciplines,and Specialties of scholarly endeavor.Originality/value:This study provides the first ranking of all academic institutions worldwide over Fields,Disciplines,and Specialties based on a unique methodology that quantifies the productivity,impact,and quality of individual scholars.

Changes and Adjustments:The Rule of Law Response to Medical Institution Data Compliance

Medical institution data compliance is an exogenous product of the digital society,serving as a crucial means to maintain and balance the relationship between data protection and data sharing,as well as individual interests and public interests.The implementation of the Healthy China Initiative greatly benefits from its practical significance.In practice,data from medical institutions takes varied forms,including personally identifiable data collected before diagnosis and treatment,clinical medical data generated during diagnosis and treatment,medical data collected in public health management,and potential medical data generated in daily life.In the new journey of comprehensively promoting the Chinese path to modernization,it is necessary to clarify the shift from an individual-oriented to a societal-oriented value system,highlighting the reinforcing role of the trust concept.Guided by the principle of minimizing data utilization,the focus is on the new developments and changes in medical institution data in the postpandemic era.This involves a series of measures such as fulfilling the obligation of notification and consent,specifying the scope of data collection and usage,strengthening the standardized use of relevant technical measures,and establishing a sound legal responsibility system for data compliance.Through these measures,a flexible and efficient medical institution data compliance system can be constructed.

From Ancient Rituals to Modern Spirituality:The Evolution and Personalization of Religious Experience

This paper explores the evolution of religious experience from ancient nature worship and ancestor reverence to modern individualized spirituality.It examines how early spiritual practices were deeply intertwined with daily life,later becoming institutionalized through formalized religions with complex rituals and doctrines.The rise of mysticism,emphasizing personal connections with the divine,persisted alongside institutional religions.In contemporary society,the shift towards"spiritual but not religious"reflects a return to personalized spiritual paths,driven by individualism and the desire for direct,meaningful spiritual experiences.This trend's implications for both individuals and society are also discussed.

2024国际标准化(麒麟)大会在南京成功举办

Directed by International Electrotechnical Committee(IEC),German Commission for Electrical,Electronic&Information Technologies(DKE),and British Standards Institution(BSI),the 2024 International Standardization(Chilin)Forum was held at the IEC Promotion Center(Nanjing)on June 25 with the theme of“Digital empowerment and the synergy between electricity and carbon:International standardization driving sustainable development”.The forum was co-hosted by Nanjing Municipal Government,State Grid Corporation of China,China Huaneng Group Co.,Ltd.,and Chinese Society for Electrical Engineering.It was jointly held by China Three Gorges Corporation Association for Science and Technology,NARI Group Corporation,IEC Promotion Center(Nanjing),Nanjing Chilin Science and Technology Innovation Park,and Institute of Next Generation Power Systems and International Standards of Wuhan University.

Can We Manage Coastal Area? Will We?——The Institutional Change of the Coastal Area Management of Taiwan

The Coastal Zone Management Act was finally promulgated in 2015,while Ministry of the Interior was asked to draft a coastal management act in 1991 by Executive Yuan.It was until the government’s lifting of martial law in 1987,vigorous activities started prevailing on coastal areas.And relevant legal documents were on sea reclamation for development in the 1980’s by Council of Agriculture.The approval of“Taiwan Coastal Area Natural Environment Protection Plan”showed an era of environmental protection in 1980s.However,it was surely not market driven,similar to land development,but some efforts by the administration systems.Through all the years,the efforts were put on drafting plans and these efforts were not quite sounding.The coastal disasters and further climate change caught the attention of relevant NGOs,scholars,politicians,and the society.At the critical juncture the government was made to react to outside demands.And then the Coastal Zone Management Act was passed by Legislative Yuan,establishing an integrated coastal management system in Taiwan.As such,it is proposed to look into this long process of the attempt with the concept of institutional change in order to understand this coastal environmental preservation and protection issue in a broader scope.

Determinants of Satisfaction at Work and Its Reflections on Performance

This study examines the relationship between job satisfaction and performance,investigating personality traits and satisfaction aspects among employees of a Federal Higher Education Institution.A questionnaire was administered to 658 participants,using structural equation modeling for analysis.Results highlighted that challenging work,neuroticism,and self-esteem significantly influenced overall workplace satisfaction,while general satisfaction,self-efficacy,and lack of attention were key determinants of work performance.This emphasizes the importance for managers to prioritize factors enhancing employee satisfaction,as it positively correlates with job performance.

System Assimilation of E-Skills in Tertiary Institutions to Empower Graduates in South Africa

The value of system assimilation is to improve working relationships between tutors and learners while increasing workflow efficiency among tertiary institutions with low operational costs. E-skills could be described as electronic education development, to assist ICT professionals to reach their future career goals and aim to help users boost their ICT skills. In a society that is expanding, it is also a crucial issue to take into account. Researchers have turned their attention to this topic because of its significance and contribution to the empowerment of graduates in digital education. Many scholars have proposed many methods for integrating e-skills into society with impressive results, but the rising rate of graduate unemployment in South Africa is gradually becoming a big worry in our society. A model based on Activity Theory (AT) and e-skills will be developed in our tertiary institution to equip graduates with skills that will increase their employability and provide more individualized work opportunities as part of this study’s effort to solve this issue. With the use of the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) and Cronbach’s Alpha for validity and reliability testing, the study will create an experimental performance to assess the approach taken to measure e-skills in tertiary institutions to empower graduates in South Africa. The study established that system development and e-skilled models for tertiary institutions are growing gradually, especially in South African institutions, that empower graduates with profitable employability with experiences to improve work operation in the industries. In conclusion, system development and e-skills are very demanding but important to empower graduate employability to determine competency in the professional workforce.

A Review on Determinants Affecting Commercialization of Academic Institution Final Year Projects

Final year project is an important training and assessment component incorporated in many courses of academic institution.The ability to translate ideas,research,and creativity into actual products,services,or businesses shows how successful and impactful people or institutions can be in the wider economy.However,in most of the cases,the outcomes of the final year project usually remain as academic discussion without maximizing their potential to be converted into a commercialized product or services.In this review,theory and applications are discussed to understand how entrepreneurial skills and networking abilities,components of individuals’human capital can impact the commercialisation of final year projects.Furthermore,determinants affecting commercialization of final year projects will also be explored namely:entrepreneurial skills,networking ability,access to resources,institutional support as well as creativity and innovation.

Research on the Problems and Countermeasures of the Landing of Negotiated Drugs

Objective To provide reference for better landing of the negotiated drugs in the future.Methods Relevant data on the negotiated drugs in designated medical institutions and retail pharmacies from the website of the Medical Security Bureau was obtained,and then the allocation and problems of negotiated drugs were summarized and analyzed.Results and Conclusion The main problem for the landing of negotiated drugs is the difficulty of using them in medical institutions.First,there is a small number of designated medical institutions that can use some negotiated drugs.Second,the negotiated drugs vary greatly in the designated medical institutions.Lastly,some designated retail pharmacies do not supply the negotiated drugs.The difficulties in using the negotiated drugs can include subjective reasons and objective reasons.Retail pharmacies are not the official places where patients can use the negotiated drugs.Besides,if medical institutions do not supply and use negotiated drugs,it will pose a great risk to drug safety.Negotiated drugs should be used in designated medical institutions ultimately,which is conducive to safeguarding the rational drug use for patients.

Analysis of the Current Situation of Drug Clinical Trial Institutions in Shaanxi Province

To understand the current situation of institutional registration in Shaanxi Province after the implementation ofregistration system management in drug clinical trial institutions.Relevant information was collected on the“Announcement on the Accreditation of Drug Clinical Trial Institutions”issued by the National Medical Products Administration from 2005 to August 2022,the record management information system of drug and medical device clinical trial institutions,and the drug clinical trial registration and information publicity platform.A retrospective analysis was carried out in terms of institutional development,regional distribution,registered majors,principal investigators,and the number of drug clinical trials.After the implementation of institution registration,the number of drug clinical trial institutions in Shaanxi Province increased by 47.4%,884 principal investigators were registered,the number of registered majors expanded from 58 qualified to 117,and the professional scope increased by 50.4%.The policy of institution registration is conducive to promoting the rational use of medical resources and the development of drug clinical trial institutions and improving the healthy development of the pharmaceutical industry in Shaanxi Province.

Research on the Coordinated Development of Inclusive Finance and Financing for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises

As an important force in promoting economic and social development,small and medium-sized enterprises play a crucial role in enhancing China’s economic strength,creating employment opportunities,and promoting industrial structural transformation.However,due to their inherent weaknesses,small and medium-sized enterprises often face difficulties in financing within the traditional financial service system.This makes it difficult for small and medium-sized enterprises to inject vitality into the development of the market economy by expanding their financing scale.Since 2013,China has vigorously developed inclusive finance and extended the services of traditional financial institutions to small and medium-sized enterprises,providing policy guidance,resource support,and technical support to alleviate the financing difficulties of small and medium-sized enterprises.Based on this,this article focuses on the current financing problems faced by small and medium-sized enterprises and specifically elaborates on how to lower the financing threshold for small and medium-sized enterprises and broaden their financing channels through inclusive finance,in order to promote the development of inclusive finance and a virtuous cycle of financing for small and medium-sized enterprises.

强基层:深圳南山区域医疗联合体的策略和效果

目的分析区域医疗联合体(以下简称“医联体”)政策指引下深圳南山区域医联体发展的探索,为其他地区医药卫生体制改革提供参考。方法通过知情人访谈、现场调研、二次资料分析、头脑风暴等方法剖析深圳南山区域医联体强基层的策略背景、实施内容和实施效果。结果统一管理所有基层医疗卫生机构,实行标准化建设,有助于更好地发展基层医疗卫生机构;实施区域学科联盟,以契约方式加强医院和基层医疗卫生机构的人员联系,具有可行性。结论强基层是医药卫生体制改革的重点,深圳南山区域医联体强基层的策略具有参考借鉴价值。

新医改后我国乡镇卫生院医疗服务量变化趋势及其影响因素:基于29个省际面板数据的实证分析

目的了解我国乡镇卫生院医疗服务量情况,明确不同因素对乡镇卫生院医疗服务量的影响及其程度,为进一步发挥乡镇卫生院功能提供依据。方法数据来自2010—2019年《中国农村统计年鉴》《中国人口和就业统计年鉴》《中国卫生健康统计年鉴》《中国交通年鉴》,对新一轮医药卫生体制改革后我国29个省(自治区、直辖市)乡镇卫生院医疗服务量情况进行描述性分析。利用面板数据分析乡镇卫生院医疗服务量的影响因素,包括乡镇卫生院医疗卫生资源配置,以及农村地区经济、老龄化、教育、社会发展水平。结果2009—2018年我国乡镇卫生院医疗服务量整体呈上升趋势。卫生资源配置是影响乡镇卫生院医疗服务量的重要因素;农村道路密度对医疗服务量有显著正向影响,即农村道路密度越高,医疗服务量越多;农村地区老龄化水平、居民教育水平对出院人数具有负向影响。结论我国仍需重视乡镇卫生院卫生资源配置,关注卫生资源配置数量、质量与效率;提高乡镇卫生院服务能力,拓展服务内涵,持续推进强基层建设。

三级医疗机构医院卫生技术评估实施现况

目的分析三级医疗机构医院卫生技术(hospital-based health technology assessment,HB-HTA)评估开展现状,为完善医疗机构HB-HTA的应用提供参考和依据。方法运用便利抽样方法,对国家卫生健康委员会医疗管理服务指导中心HB-HTA工作试点医院和已开展HB-HTA的其他医院进行问卷调查和关键知情人访谈。结果共调查19家三级医疗机构,开展HB-HTA有利于促进医疗机构科学管理决策、保障医疗质量和安全、节约医院预算、提高HB-HTA认知水平。但目前HB-HTA还存在缺乏长期持续开展的激励机制、缺乏HB-HTA相关专业人才和部门、HB-HTA流程过于繁杂、卫生技术评估时效性较差、决策支持效率较低、研究结果推广率低等问题。结论建议加强政策、资金支持,注重加强医院内部卫生技术评估人才的引进和能力培训,积极鼓励和引导医院内部建立具体HB-HTA小组或者部门,探索开发HB-HTA支持决策流程的智能化工具或软件,通过多种方式促进评估成果和评估报告的传播共享,不断完善HB-HTA的开展。