When does centrality matter? Scientific productivity and the moderating role of research specialization and cross‐community ties

The present study addresses the ongoing debate concerning academic scientific productivity. Specifically, given the increasing number of collaborations in academia and the crucial role networks play in knowledge creation, we investigate the extent to which building social capital within the academic community represents a valuable resource for a scientist's knowledge‐creation process. We measure the social capital in terms of structural position within the academic collaborative network. Furthermore, we analyse the extent to which an academic scientist's research specialization and ties that cross‐community boundaries act as moderators of the aforementioned relationship. Empirical results derived from an analysis of an Italian academic community from 2001 to 2008 suggest academic scientists that build social capital by occupying central positions in the community outperform their more isolated colleagues. However, scientific productivity declines beyond a certain threshold value of centrality, hence revealing the existence of an inverted U‐shaped relationship. This relationship is negatively moderated by the extent to which an academic focuses research activities in few scientific knowledge domains, whereas it is positively moderated by the number of cross‐community ties established. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

建设用地地质灾害危险性评估的初步研究

建设用地地质灾害危险性评估是国家强制执行的工程建设工作程序之一,亦是一项起点高、难度大、操作性强的新型技术工作.本文初步分析了人类工程活动与地质灾害的关系,介绍了我国建设用地地质灾害危险性评估工作的研究现状、意义及存在的主要问题.     

Arabian,Asian, western: a cross-cultural comparison of aircraft accidents from human factor perspectives

Introduction. Rates of aviation accident differ in different regions; and national culture has been implicated as a factor. This invites a discussion about the role of national culture in aviation accidents. This study makes a cross-cultural comparison between Oman, Taiwan and the USA. Method. A cross-cultural comparison was acquired using data from three studies, including this study, by applying the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS) framework. The Taiwan study presented 523 mishaps with 1762 occurrences of human error obtained from the Republic of China Air Force. The study from the USA carried out for commercial aviation had 119 accidents with 245 instances of human error. This study carried out in Oman had a total of 40 aircraft accidents with 129 incidences. Results. Variations were found between Oman, Taiwan and the USA at the levels of organisational influence and unsafe supervision. Seven HFACS categories showed significant differences between the three countries (p?<?0.05). Conclusion. Although not given much consideration, national culture can have an impact on aviation safety. This study revealed that national culture plays a role in aircraft accidents related to human factors that cannot be disregarded.     

地震应急避难需求的系统动力学研究

为定量研究地震应急避难人群的规模及变化规律,建立需求分析的系统动力学模型。该模型包括建筑物倒塌,断水和电梯停运3种因素造成的需求。参考汶川地震中板房建设速度和电梯修复速度,以及日本关于地震断水率的研究成果,建立非线性模型拟合各需求的变化规律。采用Vensim软件建立系统动力学模型,分析各需求的综合变化规律。采用上海市徐汇区的数据进行案例演算,并与其他研究方法对比分析仿真误差。仿真结果表明:建筑物损坏对人群数量的影响很大,但是灾后1个月内断水的影响最大;相对于工程技术因素,人因对需求有重要的影响。     

Social capital networks for achieving sustainable development

There have been few empirical studies investigating whether and how social capital (SC) relates to better achievement of sustainability goals and, if so, how. This research investigates the roles three types of SC, namely, bonding, bridging, and bracing SC, play in achieving sustainable development (SD), using a case study of the Japanese region to explore the process of SC accumulation leading to collective action. The research question as to whether SC accumulation makes a difference in the progress towards sustainability is addressed qualitatively and quantitatively using a case study, and network and regression analysis; in particular the impact and functions of bracing SC are closely investigated. The study concludes that SC accumulation can indeed make a difference in achieving sustainability and that bracing SC plays an essential role in expediting the processes of goal sharing and resource flow by connecting various networks across sectors and scales, thereby making collective action possible. These findings suggest that creating an environment in which the generation of all three types of SC is encouraged may help local governments to achieve their desired policy goals for SD.     

Mapping civil society: the ecology of actors in the Toronto region greenbelt

ABSTRACT

Civil society’s potential as a force for solving complex societal problems – particularly those that require a challenge to the status quo – has provoked practical and theoretical interest, with its potential largely reliant on the perception that it is a ready if variable source of social capital resources. However, there are no guarantees that civil society will use its social capital for the greater good. Civil society encompasses a range of groups, some more inward-looking and oriented to private interests, and others more outward-looking and oriented to public interests. This divergent character of civil society was evident in the three campaigns for greenspace protection that eventually led to the creation of the Toronto region greenbelt, where civil society organisations (CSOs) from both growth and conservation camps contended for influence, each succeeding at different times. But over time (a time when state actors were increasingly in need of non-state partners to help solve complex governance problems), coalitions of environmental CSOs in the three campaigns – to protect the Niagara Escarpment, Oak Ridges Moraine and surrounding countryside – became more effective at influencing government to protect greenspace. A comparison of the coalitions using a framework based on key attributes of CSOs – missions and memberships – suggests that the environmental coalitions were more effective when they recruited more members with a diverse set of resources arising from both bonding and bridging social capital. In general, the more inclusive and public-interested the CSOs, the more effective the challenge to the status quo.     

The conservationists’ concerns: on national administration response to integrated use and protection planning

This paper examines the Norwegian national authorities’ responses to combined use and protection planning for huge protected areas and their buffer zone in northern Norway. The processes were chaired by county delegates and included a wide range of stakeholders. In-depth semi-structured interviews, participatory observation and document analyses have been conducted to investigate the potential of these processes and response from national environmental authorities. The paper suggests that national environmental authorities partly ignored the potential strengths associated with combined use and protection plans and over-emphasised the potential environmental threats stemming from local management. Moreover, these trade-offs seemed to be guided on a rather vague scientific basis. In conclusion, the paper argues that central environmental administration needs to (i) engage actively in participatory processes, (ii) present clear rationales, if rejecting local initiatives, (iii) acknowledge the potential for man–nature relationships as beneficial for environmental assets, and (iv) relate interpretation of law to integrative policies.     

现代环境与人体健康研究综述

环境与健康是人类永恒的主题。本文介绍了环境与健康的关系,总结了在全球气候变化、臭氧层损耗、生物多样性的丧失、土地荒漠化和干旱、环境污染以及城市化等多方面给人类健康带来的影响,探讨了人体总暴露研究、地理信息系统技术在本领域的应用,最后概括了我国在这一领域的研究现状。     

油气储运设施事故的人为因素分析与预防

结合心理学知识从人为因素的角度分析和归纳了油气储运设施事故的原因,提出了应对人为因素负面影响的措施和对策。     

Runoff variation affected by precipitation change and human activity in Hailiutu River basin,China

For recent years, runoff generation and hydrological processes in Hailiutu River basin have been greatly changed by climate change and human activity, especially water and soil conservation construction. In this study, the trends in precipitation, evapotranspiration (ET) and river runoff as well as the effects of precipitation change and human activity on runoff variation have been studied. The results showed that during 1960–2000, annual precipitation and river runoff, monthly precipitation and ET in September and October as well as monthly runoff in all months showed a significant decrease. In addition, peak flow and base flow had a large decrease. Under the joint influence of precipitation change and human activity, the mean annual runoff decreased by 35 million m³ from the baseline period (1960–1985) to the change period (1986–2000), which accounted for 60.9% and 39.1% of the total runoff decrease, respectively. Precipitation change played a primary role in the decrease of annual runoff whereas human activity, particularly water and soil conservation construction, also had remarkable impacts on runoff variation.