Tao, Virtue, Benevolence, Righteousness and Propriety:On the Core Values of Shu School

The core concepts of Confucianism were developed over the change of the times by Confucian scholars after Zi Si and Mencius, and have formed their respective structures: The three great principles of "benevolence, wisdom and bravery," and the self-cultivation model of "benevolence, righteousness and propriety" by Confucius. Following Confucius, Zi Si vigorously advocated the five virtues of "benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and sage."Mencius initiated the four cardinal virtues of "benevolence, righteousness, propriety and wisdom."Xun Zi often constructed the collocation of "benevolence and righteousness, rites and music, and loyalty and trustworthiness."Dong Zhongshu finally developed the five constant virtues of "benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness."In a simple, clear, practical and feasible way, the core values of Confucianism have won support among the people and have had an impact on Chinese society for more than two thousand years. Being open and inclusive, the connotation of Confucianism took advantage of the strengths of different schools of philosophy in ancient China, and adopted changes from philosophies with positive attitudes. The Bashu area, in the southwest of China, has inherited the tradition of adhering to the Tao(natural order of the Universe) and valuing morality. Shu scholars have creatively built the core values of "the Tao, virtue, benevolence, righteousness and propriety," and developed a characteristic branch of philosophy above and beyond the Confucian scholars of the Central Plains. This concept stems from Yan Junping of the Western Han Dynasty, promoted by Yang Xiong, developed by Zhao Rui of the Tang Dynasty, Zhang Shangying and Su Dongpo of the Song Dynasty, and Lai Zhide of the Ming Dynasty, then further developed by Liu Yuan and Duan Zhengyuan of the Qing Dynasty, and formed the persistent system of core values of the Shu School. Compared with the values of orthodox Confucianism, the core values of the Shu School have the functions of"a unity of metaphysics and physics"and"a combination of theory and practice,"which remedy the lack of Confucianism's ultimate concern for ontology and the lack of Taoism's realistic concern for practicality.

Evaluation of the Application Benefit of Meteorological High Performance Computing Resources

The meteorological high-performance computing resource is the support platform for the weather forecast and climate prediction numerical model operation. The scientific and objective method to evaluate the application of meteorological high-performance computing resources can not only provide reference for the optimization of active resources, but also provide a quantitative basis for future resource construction and planning. In this paper, the concept of the utility value B and index compliance rate E of the meteorological high performance computing system are presented. The evaluation process, evaluation index and calculation method of the high performance computing resource application benefits are introduced.

Trade Benefits and Environmental Costs of GVCS: A Case Study of the BRICS

As the international trading system has developed with the division of Global value Chains (GVCS), the export trade of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS) has grown rapidly. The resulting growth of carbon emissions has drawn wide attention from the international community, necessitating the comparison of the trade benefits and environmental costs of the BRICS participation in GVCS. Based on the Eora database, this paper constructs a decomposition framework for the calculation of export value-added and embodied carbon, based on a multi-region input-output (MRIO) model. The trade benefits and environmental costs paid by the BRICS’ total exports from 1990 to 2015 were measured and the imbalance was analyzed, along with the causes. The results show that the main value-added and carbon embodied in the BRICS’ exports originate from their own countries, and the domestic value-added content of the BRICS’ exports decreased while the foreign value-added content increased.

Food Supply Values and Their Factors of Three Pond Aquaculture Ecosystems: A Case Study of Shanghai

Studies on food supply values,the basis of eco-service values,and their factors of different pond aquaculture ecosystems are helpful to explain the influences of the inputted factors and their variations among these ecosystems and provide information for stakeholders to adjust their decisions and behaviors to increase their total eco-service values. On the basis of continued records from 2011 to 2012 of 18 ponds of three pond aquaculture ecosystems,namely Litopenaeus vannamei,Macrobrachium nippponensis and carp fresh water pond aquaculture ecosystems in Qingpu,Fengxian,and Jiading,three suburban districts of Shang,this paper analyzed the costs,returns,net food supply values and their regional and temporal fluctuations. The results showed that:(1) the net food supply values of the three ecosystems are 143252. 4,135883. 7,and 52623. 1Yuan /Ha in 2011 correspondently,with the Litopenaeus vannamei pond aquaculture ecosystem(LVPAE) ranking highest and the carp pond aquaculture ecosystem(CPAE) lowest among them,and the trend was same in 2012,but the values decreased than that of 2011 with the rate of 30. 0%( LVPAE),38. 0 %( Macrobrachium nippponensis pond aquaculture ecosystem,MNPAE) and 13. 7 %( CPAE).(2)The dominant factors of the net food supply values of these ecosystems are the produce price and variable costs; fry and feed costs are the main variable factors producing the noticeable difference among the ecosystems.(3) The cost- benefit ratio of per unit product of the CPAE,LVPAE and MNPAE changed from 27. 5%,91. 7%,129. 0% in 2011 to 23. 0%,73. 8% and 63. 8% in 2012,with the CPAE ranked lowest among them in both years.(4) For all the three ecosystems,their net food supply values may not always change in same trends with their net eco-service values,if stakeholders want to keep a balance between these two types of values,MNPAE should be encouraged in these districts.

Dry Season Feeding Technologies: Assessing the Nutritional and Economic Benefits of Feeding Hay and Silage to Dairy Cattle in South-Western Uganda

South-western Uganda annually experiences prolonged drought that results in dramatic drop in milk production of dairy cattle. This study was conducted to assess the nutritional value and economic benefits of feeding silage and hay to dairy cattle in the sub-region. The cross-sectional study covered seven districts with 105 farmers interviewed during the wet and 45 others in the dry season. Up to 88 soil samples were collected and analyzed for soil texture, soil pH, organic matter and total Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, Calcium, Sodium and Magnesium. Likewise, 148 forage (105 fresh, 25 silage and 18 hay) tissues from 21 pasture species were collected and analyzed for nutritional values. Using a questionnaire, data on production costs and milk revenues were collected for cost-benefit analysis. Results showed that silage of Napier grass treated with molasses (10.2 MJ/kg) and hay of naturally established pastures (10.6 MJ/kg) had the highest metabolisable energy (ME) values, while the lowest (8.30 MJ/kg) was for star grass. Hay of star grass presented the highest level of crude protein (21.4%) with maize (corn) showing the lowest (9.38%). Digestibility of hay of naturally established mixed pastures was the highest (64.4%), followed by that of silage of Napier grass treated with molasses (62.0%), while star grass hay had the lowest (52.6%). With exception of silage made from maize, all the other six forms of silage had a good crude protein (CP) content. Regardless of the good CP content (≥9.9%), all silage untreated with additives was poor in quality since its ME was less than 9.9 MJ ME/kg and ration digestibility less than 67%. Nonetheless, feeding of silage and hay increased milk yield and farm productivity with a benefit-cost ratio of 5.5 and 2.7 for silage and hay respectively.

Introduction to Urban and Community Forestry in the United States of America: History, Accomplishments, Issues and Trends

The urban and community forestry movement in the United States has matured over the last 20 years from managing street trees, to understanding the benefits of trees in urban ecosystems, and now to managing urban green infrastructure. This paper introduced the history, development, and major accomplishments of the urban and community forestry movement, highlighted the economic, ecological, environmental, and social values of forests and trees to communities, and discussed issues and trends of the urban and community forestry program in the United States.

Economic Viability of Smallholder Agroforestry and Beekeeping Projects in Uluguru Mountains, Tanzania: A Cost Benefit Analysis

Agroforestry and beekeeping are widely promoted as prospective Nature- Based Income Generating Activities (NIGAs) to improve livelihoods while at the same time enhancing biodiversity conservation in degrading agro-ecologies. These activities can diversify and increase famers’ incomes and support instinctive biota and fauna resilience. However, evidence to showcase and compare their long-term benefits is scant. We use the case of Uluguru Mountains in Tanzania to evaluate and compare viability of agroforestry and beekeeping projects using the Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) approach. The results of analysis yielded positive NPVs for both agroforestry and beekeeping projects at discount rates not higher than 8.2% and 8.5% respectively. Overall, the comparison of economic viability between agroforestry and beekeeping projects revealed that the former was relatively more profitable than the later in terms of both the NPV and Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) criteria. However, the Internal Rate of Return (IRR) for beekeeping was slightly higher than that of agroforestry. Yet, we underscore the fact that these two projects can jointly be implemented to enhance livelihoods of farmers and support biodiversity conservation in the study area and other parts with similar agro-ecologies in developing countries. However, farmers in these agro-ecologies need to be supported by governments and non-government development partners in terms of training and inspiration to shift from orthodox farming to sustainable NIGAs.

Cognitive Interpretation of Confucian Righteousness

According to traditional Confucianism,righteousness means obligation,goodness,courtesy,and responsibility.As a basic component of Confucian thoughts,it is closely related to other Confucian virtues,like benevolence,courtesy,filial piety,faith,etc.Meanwhile,righteousness was practiced and proved to be significant in governing a country in several states of Pre-Qin period.It still works nowadays.In connotation,righteousness not only means ethical order between human beings,but also highlights the value system stressing morality,still it underlines humane responsibility of obligation being intrinsic quality.Therefore,righteousness plays an important role in modern society.Apart from helping to establish favorable profit conception to promote individual realm of life,it also helps to promote an upright and clean social environment and build harmonious socialist society.

Behavioral Decision-Making of Key Stakeholders in Public-Private Partnerships:A Hybrid Method and Benefit Distribution Study

Public-private partnerships(PPPs)have been used by governments around the world to procure and construct infrastructural amenities.It relies on private sector expertise and funding to achieve this lofty objective.However,given the uncertainties of project management,transparency,accountability,and expropriation,this phenomenon has gained tremendous attention in recent years due to the important role it plays in curbing infrastructural deficits globally.Interestingly,the reasonable benefit distribution scheme in a PPP project is related to the behavior decisionmaking of the government and social capital,aswell as the performance of the project.In this paper,the government and social capital which are the key stakeholders of PPP projects were selected as the research objects.Based on the fuzzy expected value model and game theory,a hybrid method was adopted in this research taking into account the different risk preferences of both public entities and private parties under the fuzzy demand environment.To alleviate the problem of insufficient utilization of social capital in a PPP project,this paper seeks to grasp the relationship that exists between the benefit distribution of stakeholders,their behavioral decision-making,and project performance,given that they impact the performance of both public entities and private parties,as well as assist in maximizing the overall utility of the project.Furthermore,four game models were constructed in this study,while the expected value and opportunity-constrained programming model for optimal decision-making were derived using alternate perspectives of both centralized decision-making and decentralized decision-making.Afterward,the optimal behavioral decision-making of public entities and private parties in four scenarios was discussed and thereafter compared,which led to an ensuing discussion on the benefit distribution system under centralized decision-making.Lastly,based on an example case,the influence of different confidence levels,price,and fuzzy uncertainties of PPP projects on the equilibrium strategy results of both parties were discussed,giving credence to the effectiveness of the hybrid method.The results indicate that adjusting different confidence levels yields different equilibriumpoints,and therefore signposts that social capital has a fair perception of opportunities,as well as identifies reciprocal preferences.Nevertheless,we find that an increase in the cost coefficient of the government and social capital does not inhibit the effort of both parties.Our results also indicate that a reasonable benefit distribution of PPP projects can assist them in realizing optimum Pareto improvements over time.The results provide us with very useful strategies and recommendations to improve the overall performance of PPP projects in China.

Use of Stone Dust in the Design of High Performance Concrete

This research evaluated the suitability of stone dust in the design and production of High Perfor-mance Concrete (HPC). HPC mix was designed, tested, costed and a comparison of concrete classes used in the market (Class 25, 30 and 35) done using Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA). The cost benefit was analyzed using Internal Rate of Return (IRR) and Net Present Value (NPV). Laboratory tests established the properties concrete obtained from the design mix. Compressive strength, slump, and modulus of elasticity were tested and analyzed. Structural analysis using BS 8110 was done for a 10 storey office building to establish the structural member sizes. Members obtained from concrete Classes 25, 30, 35 and the new compressive strengths from HPC (Class 80) were obtained and compared. Analysis was done for structural members’ sizes and area freed as a result of de-signing with HPC as well as the steel reinforcement used. To justify the initial cost of HPC if ado- pted, the Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) was used to estimate increased costs versus income resulting from increased let table space created. The minimum class of concrete used in design was limited to Class 25 N/mm2. The research shows that it is possible to manufacture high strength concrete using locally available stone dust. The stone dust sampled from Mlolongo quarries achieved a characteristic strength of 86.7 N/mm2 at a water cement ratio of 0.32. With the results structural analysis of a 10 storey office structures with columns spaced at 8 meters center to center was de-signed using the four classes and results compared. There was a reduction of columns from 1.2 m wide to 0.65 m wide (over 45%) when concrete class changes from Class 25 to Class 80 creating over 3% of the total space area per floor. Cost benefit analysis using Net Present Value (NPV) and Internal Rate of Return (IRR) presented business case for the use of HPC. With Class 80, the IRR was at 3% and NPV being 8% of the total initial investment. The steel reinforcement increased by 8.64% using Class 30, 11.68% using Class 35 and reduced by 8.37% at Class 80. Further analysis needs to be done to understand the trend of steel reinforcement keeping all the member sizes the same. In this study the member sizes were optimized based on the steel reinforcement and serviceability. This paper provides useful information to design Engineers and Architects and inform future design of multi storey structures.

Global Value Chain Optimization Effect of the Belt and Road Initiative-From the Perspective of Improving Participating Countries’Position in the Division of Labor

To promote the reconstruction and optimization of the global value chains(GVCs),it is essential to tackle the prominent contradictions and problems including inequality of opportunity and status in the evolution of the GVC division of labor.The Belt and Road Initiative(BRI)promoted by China has obtained remarkable achievements in this regard;however,there lacks sound theoretical and empirical evidence as to whether the BRI has driven the GVCs to develop towards a more equitable direction.This paper employs the difference-in-differences model to empirically analyze the GVC optimization effect of the BRI.In addition,on the basis of the so-called“five-pronged approach”index,the paper uses the mediating effect model to test the mechanism of influence.The empirical results suggest that the BRI has helped participating countries along the routes to increase their position in GVC division of labor significantly through the mediating mechanism of four out of the“five-pronged approach”,namely policy coordination,road connectivity,unimpeded trade,and currency convertibility.The strengthening of and closer people-to-people ties has not yet appeared to be an effective mediator,and a possible explanation may be that its influence is indirect and lagging.

Analysis of System Value Evolution Trends of Energy Storage in Decarbonization Process

With the continuous expansion of the scale of renewable energy installation,the demand for energy storage has increased significantly.However,there are significant differences in the value of energy storage in different scenarios,and the phenomenon of diminishing marginal benefits of energy storage is becoming more apparent.Therefore,themulti-dimensional value evolution trend of energy storage has become a key issue.This study selects indicators from three dimensions of energy storage:low-carbon emission reduction,smoothing wind and solar power fluctuations,and saving generation costs,quantifying the economic,environmental,and technical values of energy storage.This forms a quantitative evaluation system for energy storage value.By comparing the calculated system values under different energy storage capacities,the marginal value evolution trend of energy storage is obtained.Meanwhile,considering factors such as the utilization rate of renewable energy,the change in energy storage value under different scenarios is analyzed.The results show that the value of long-duration energy storage is significantly affected by the energy storage capacity.Specifically,when the charge-discharge efficiency of longduration energy storage reaches 0.6 or above,the system value increases significantly.Additionally,appropriately reducing the cost of energy storage capacity also helps to improve its system value.

Operational mechanism of comprehensive benefit evaluation of existing building energy efficient renovation project based on value-added life

The comprehensive benefit evaluation of the existing building energy efficient renovation project cannot be separated from the scientific and effective evaluation mechanism.Based on the value-added life perspective,this paper analyzes the implementation subject,standard,system and principle of the comprehensive benefit evaluation of the existing building energy efficient renovation project.It plans the process of comprehensive benefit evaluation,and builds a scientific and reasonable operation platform of evaluation system,with a view to promoting the effective implementation of the comprehensive benefit evaluation of existing building energy-saving retrofits.

Valuation of debris flow mitigation measures in tourist towns:a case study on Hongchun gully in southwest China

The estimation of the value on the engineering project in tourist towns is usually very challenging and controversial. In this study, an attempt has been made to evaluate the economic value of the debris flow control engineering in tourist towns by integrating both welfare and disaster economics. The total value of debris flow prevention and control engineering in tourist towns(VDFE) includes investment cost(IC), disaster mitigation benefit(DMB), and loss of brand value(LBV). Here DMB is assessed by the cost-benefit method. The LBV is estimated by incorporating brand equity and costbenefit methods. The engineering for debris flow control in the Hongchun Gully of southwest China was built to protect Yingxiu tourist town and was assessed as an example. The IC for the engineering is180 million RMB, however, the VDFE reaches as high as 3401 million RMB, of which the LBV is 169 million RMB, and the input-output ratio is 1:18. Thus, the LBV cannot be neglected in case of VDFE estimation process. The more developed the tourism in one town or city is, the greater the LBV and the higher the VDFE are.

Moments and limiting distribution of a portfolio of whole life annuity policies

A dual random model of a portfolio of variable amount whole life annuity is set with the mth moment of the present value of benefits, and the respective expressions of the moments under the assumption that the force of interest accumulation function is Wiener process or Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process. Furthermore, the limiting distribution of average cost of this portfolio is discussed with the expression of the limiting distribution under the assumption that the force of interest accumulation is an independent increment process.

Utilization of Amaranth Flour in Preparation of High Nutritional Value Bakery Products

Amaranth has become an unconventional crop that interesting of scientists and researchers due to its unique nutritional properties, in addition to bear the water lack and be suitable for all types of soil. The objective of this study was to utilize amaranth flour in preparation of high nutritional value bakery products, crackers and tortilla produced by using amaranth flour instead of corn flour (w/w) by 0%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% levels substitution. The prepared products were evaluated for its chemical composition, minerals content, amino acids composition, fatty acid composition, color analysis, biological active compounds analysis and sensory evaluation. Results showed that substitution with amaranth flour increased protein, fat, ash and fiber. As for minerals and amino acid, it indicated that the formula No. 3 (25% corn flour/75% amaranth flour) in crackers and the formula No. 2 (50% corn flour/50% amaranth flour) in tortilla contained higher amount of minerals such as iron, calcium, potassium, zinc, magnesium, manganese, copper and phosphorus, and of the essential amino acids such as Leucine, Lysine and valine. On the other hand the formula No. 3 in crackers had the highest unsaturated fatty acids content and lowest of total saturated fatty acids content. While the formula No. 2 in tortilla had the highest saturated fatty acids content and lowest of unsaturated fatty acids content. The results also showed that the incorporation of amaranth flour in the preparation of the crackers and tortilla led to significantly decreased yellowness and lightness compared with control. Also, results indicated that crackers and tortilla which prepared with amaranth flour exhibited higher antioxidant activity than control formulas. Concerning sensory evaluation of crackers, results showed significant decrease in appearance, color and overall acceptability while, tortilla had significant decrease in general appearance, color and total score at all formulas. Based on the results obtained here, amaranth is a rich source of bioactive compounds and due to its nutritional benefits, it can be used in the development and enhancement of functional foods.

Nutritional Value of Date Fruits and Potential Use in Nutritional Bars for Athletes

The date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is one of the oldest primary staple crops in Southwest Asia and North Africa. Date palms are also grown in Australia, Mexico, South America, Southern Africa, and the United States, especially in Southern California, Arizona, and Texas. Date fruit is a high nutritional value food that is rich in carbohydrates, dietary fibers, proteins, minerals and vitamin B complex such as thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pantothenic (B5), pyridoxine (B6), and folate (B9). Carbohydrates comprise 70% of date fruit mainly as fructose and glucose. Minerals in date fruits are calcium, iron, magnesium, selenium, copper, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, sulfur, cobalt, fluorine, and manganese. Date fruits are highly nourishing and may thus confer numerous potential health benefits. In recent years, a huge interest in the abundant health promoting properties of date fruits has led to the need to develop new food products using dates as a source of nutrients. Thus, the aim of this paper is to review the nutritional value of date fruits in the context of the potential use of dates in nutrition bars for athletes.

The Viewpoint of Righteousness and Benefit in China's Diplomacy:Learning from the Traditional and Building the Contemporary

The contemporary viewpoint of righteousness and benefit,proposed by President Xi Jinping of China in 2013,initially originated from the traditional concept during the Spring and Autumn period and the Warring States period over 2000 years ago.On the evolution,traditional views are usually individual-and domestic-level based;feudal kings were assumed the subject(dominant stakeholder)of practice with the people objects(passive takers);the subject and object enjoyed a hierarchical relationship in the domestic society.The contemporary concept focuses fully on the international level,viewing Chinese state as the subject and its neighbors(as well as some developing countries)as objects;they maintain an equal relationship in the international community.The upgraded analysis level and the changed subject and object as well as the altered relationship between them drive China's diplomacy to practice the contemporary righteousness-benefit viewpoint.Nowadays,the group of subject players expanded to include not only Chinese government but also Chinese enterprises,whose responsibilities still need additional clarification.For China case,the government is assumed to take the major responsibility in practicing righteousness,with enterprises for benefit.Subjects and objects enjoy a mutually beneficial relationship with each other;China,as the subject of practicing righteousness,naturally has the expectations to get righteousness in return from the objects.The contemporary viewpoint of righteousness and benefit will work as a practicing guidance to China's diplomacy,entailing a working mechanism to put it into practice.If implementation of such viewpoint fails to take route,correction mechanism from economic side will be needed as war is not always considered the ideal way.

How do Beijing Residents Value Environmental Improvements in Remote Parts of China

The benefits of climate adaptation policy are sometimes underestimated because its nonuse values perceived by people indirectly afected are usually ignored.Using data from a representative sample of Beijing’s urban population,it is shown that people living at a distance perceive nonuse values of climate change adaptation measures aimed at improving the environmental conditions in the Tarim River Basin in Northwest China.Using the contingent valuation method the monetized benefit of a particular set of climate adaptation measures experienced by a Beijing household is approximated.It is concluded that not only the preferences of local people,but also of people living in other parts of China should be considered when deciding if a climate adaptation policy is worthwhile implementing from a social welfare point of view.

聚焦场景的10G PON精准部署方案

当前千兆用户和千兆应用迅猛发展,各运营商都开始加快千兆光网建设,但在10G PON口升级过程中存在设备造价高及网络建设复杂性高两个难点,通过建立“GPON千兆承载能力测算模型”“千兆投资效益分析模型”和“千兆价值小区识别模型”3个模型,模拟测算某移动网络演进时最佳的10G PON口部署场景,实现10G PON口精准部署,高效支撑千兆业务发展。3个模型适用于任何地区任意运营商,只需要输入对应PON现状数据及小区现状数据,即可模拟输出相应的10G PON部署场景。