The Regional Aspects of Rural Areas Competitiveness in the EU

The aim of this publication is to look at the problems of Polish rural areas from the perspective of the young generation of researchers, to show what problems they are interested in and what study methods and techniques they use to describe the phenomena occurring in Polish villages. The results of their studies were also presented to underscore the importance of these phenomena for the development of knowledge concerning the dynamic transformations in Polish rural areas. The Authors represent different fields of study (sociology, ethnography, economy and geography) from renowned academic centres such as University of Lodz, Institute of Rural and Agricultural Development, Polish Academy of Sciences (IRWiR PAN) in Warsaw, Life Science University of Poznan, Technical University in Warsaw, Institute of Urban Development in Krakow, and Maria Grzegorzewska University. What they have in common is interest in the problems of rural areas and their residents. They focus on the new model of rural development, very often identified with concepts such as multifunctional and sustainable development, on social innovation, the subject of transformations in rural residents' social roles, including rural women serving public roles, as well as on the strategies of coping with the reality used by residents of marginalized villages. The articles introduce the Readers to selected problems of development of Polish rural areas and help them to understand their complexity.Praca w części dofinansowana przez Polską Akademię Nauk / Polish Academy of Sciences IRWiR PAN / Institute of Rural and Agricultural Development, 00-330 Warszawa, ul. Nowy Świat 72, Poland

Approximating actual flows in physical infrastructure networks : the case of the Yangtze River Delta high-speed railway network

Previous empirical research on urban networks has used data on infrastructure networks to guesstimate actual inter-city flows. However, with the exception of recent research on airline networks in the context of the world city literature, relatively limited attention has been paid to the degree to which the outline of these infrastructure networks reflects the actual flows they undergird. This study presents a method to improve our estimation of urban interaction in and through infrastructure networks by focusing on the example of passenger railways, which is arguably a key potential data source in research on urban networks in metropolitan regions. We first review common biases when using infrastructure networks to approximate actual inter-city flows, after which we present an alternative approach that draws on research on operational train scheduling. This research has shown that 'dwell time' at train stations reflects the length of the alighting and boarding process, and we use this insight to estimate actual interaction through the application of a bimodal network projection function. We apply our method to the high-speed railway (HSR) network within the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region, discuss the difference between our modelled network and the original network, and evaluate its validity through a systemic comparison with a benchmark dataset of actual passenger flows

Knowledge Components and Methods for Policy Propagation in Data Flows

Data-oriented systems and applications are at the centre of current developments of the World Wide Web (WWW). On the Web of Data (WoD), information sources can be accessed and processed for many purposes. Users need to be aware of any licences or terms of use, which are associated with the data sources they want to use. Conversely, publishers need support in assigning the appropriate policies alongside the data they distribute. In this work, we tackle the problem of policy propagation in data flows - an expression that refers to the way data is consumed, manipulated and produced within processes. We pose the question of what kind of components are required, and how they can be acquired, managed, and deployed, to support users on deciding what policies propagate to the output of a data-intensive system from the ones associated with its input. We observe three scenarios: applications of the Semantic Web, workflow reuse in Open Science, and the exploitation of urban data in City Data Hubs. Starting from the analysis of Semantic Web applications, we propose a data-centric approach to semantically describe processes as data flows: the Datanode ontology, which comprises a hierarchy of the possible relations between data objects. By means of Policy Propagation Rules, it is possible to link data flow steps and policies derivable from semantic descriptions of data licences. We show how these components can be designed, how they can be effectively managed, and how to reason efficiently with them. In a second phase, the developed components are verified using a Smart City Data Hub as a case study, where we developed an end-to-end solution for policy propagation. Finally, we evaluate our approach and report on a user study aimed at assessing both the quality and the value of the proposed solution

Evaluation in Biblical Proverbs: A Linguo-Cultural Study from a Systemic Functional Perspective

The aim of this study is to examine more closely the realizations of evaluation in Biblical proverbs and to explain the role of evaluation in the construction of communities of shared values. The research method used in analyzing the corpus of 425 Biblical proverbs identified by Wolfgang Mieder is the appraisal analysis of J.R. Martin and P.R.R.White in combination with the culturematic analysis of R. Petrova. On the basis of the results obtained conclusions are drawn concerning the indexical and evaluative characteristics of the proverb cultureme. It is argued that the axiological charge proverbs get in actual use as a result of the inherent act of evaluation is an indispensable part of their meaning

Evaluation in Biblical Proverbs: A Linguo-Cultural Study from a Systemic Functional Perspective

The aim of this study is to examine more closely the realizations of evaluation in Biblical proverbs and to explain the role of evaluation in the construction of communities of shared values. The research method used in analyzing the corpus of 425 Biblical proverbs identified by Wolfgang Mieder is the appraisal analysis of J.R. Martin and P.R.R.White in combination with the culturematic analysis of R. Petrova. On the basis of the results obtained conclusions are drawn concerning the indexical and evaluative characteristics of the proverb cultureme. It is argued that the axiological charge proverbs get in actual use as a result of the inherent act of evaluation is an indispensable part of their meaning

Electrospinning of Chitosan-Based Solutions for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine

Electrospinning has been used for decades to generate nano-fibres via an electrically charged jet of polymer solution. This process is established on a spinning technique, using electrostatic forces to produce fine fibres from polymer solutions. Amongst, the electrospinning of available biopolymers (silk, cellulose, collagen, gelatine and hyaluronic acid), chitosan (CH) has shown a favourable outcome for tissue regeneration applications. The aim of the current review is to assess the current literature about electrospinning chitosan and its composite formulations for creating fibres in combination with other natural polymers to be employed in tissue engineering. In addition, various polymers blended with chitosan for electrospinning have been discussed in terms of their potential biomedical applications. The review shows that evidence exists in support of the favourable properties and biocompatibility of chitosan electrospun composite biomaterials for a range of applications. However, further research and in vivo studies are required to translate these materials from the laboratory to clinical applications

Firms and System Competitiveness in Italy

Recent evolution of the Italian industrial system shows how the concepts of localization/delocalization of economic production processes have very little to do with geographical and administrative borders. In this context, a very important and discussed element of complexity is represented by the evaluation of competitiveness. Problems regarding the concept and its proper measurement require a deep elaboration and regard the context of analysis, the information and the available statistical data sources. This book aims at discussing this complex phenomenon from a critical viewpoint both at a macro (economic systems) and at a micro (firms) level showing that they are intrinsically integrated

Geo-Design:

Geo-Design. Advances in bridging geo-information technology and design brings together a wide variety of contributions from authors with backgrounds in urban planning, landscape architecture, education and geo-information technology presenting the latest insights and applications of geodesign. Geo-Design is here understood as a hybridization of the concepts “Geo” – representing the modelling, analytical and visualisation capacities of GIS, and “Design” – representing spatial planning and design, turning existing situations into preferred ones. Through focusing on interdisciplinary design-related concepts and applications of GIS international experts share their recent findings and provide clues for the further development of geodesign. This is important since there is still much to do. Not only in the development of geo-information technology, but especially in bridging the gap with the design disciplines. The uptake on using GIS is still remarkably slow among landscape architects, urban designers and planners, and when utilised it is often restricted to the basic tasks of mapmaking and data access. Knowledge development and dissemination of applications of geodesign through research, publications and education, therefore, remain key factors. This publication draws upon the insights shared at the Geodesign Summit Europe held at the Delft University of Technology in 2014. All contributions in the book are double blind reviewed by experts in the field

Alkaline-Silicate REE-HFSE Systems

Development of renewable energy infrastructure requires critical raw materials, such as the rare earth elements (REEs, including scandium) and niobium, and is driving expansion and diversification in their supply chains. Although alternative sources are being explored, the majority of the world’s resources of these elements are found in alkaline-silicate rocks and carbonatites. These magmatic systems also represent major sources of fluorine and phosphorus. Exploration models for critical raw materials are comparatively less well developed than those for major and precious metals, such as iron, copper, and gold, where most of the mineral exploration industry continues to focus. The diversity of lithologic relationships and a complex nomenclature for many alkaline rock types represent further barriers to the exploration and exploitation of REE-high field strength element (HFSE) resources that will facilitate the green revolution. We used a global review of maps, cross sections, and geophysical, geochemical, and petrological observations from alkaline systems to inform our description of the alkaline-silicate REE + HFSE mineral system from continental scale (1,000s km) down to deposit scale (~1 km lateral). Continental-scale targeting criteria include a geodynamic trigger for low-degree mantle melting at high pressure and a mantle source enriched in REEs, volatile elements, and alkalies. At the province and district scales, targeting criteria relate to magmatic-system longevity and the conditions required for extensive fractional crystallization and the residual enrichment of the REEs and HFSEs. A compilation of maps and geophysical data were used to construct an interactive 3-D geologic model (25-km cube) that places mineralization within a depth and horizontal reference frame. It shows typical lithologic relationships surrounding orthomagmatic REE-Nb-Ta-Zr-Hf mineralization in layered agpaitic syenites, roof zone REE-Nb-Ta mineralization, and mineralization of REE-Nb-Zr associated with peralkaline granites and pegmatites. The resulting geologic model is presented together with recommended geophysical and geochemical approaches for exploration targeting, as well as mineral processing and environmental factors pertinent for the development of mineral resources hosted by alkaline-silicate magmatic systems

Wearing four hats: the role of local government in the making of planned innovation parks in China

Building innovation parks has been adopted by many governments to promote regional innovation capability and economic growth. Due to the decisive role of Chinese government and the special innovation park governing system, it is the local government has the practical power over the development of planned innovation parks. I order to explore how the local government leads the development of planned innovation parks, this thesis adopted three research routes to guide through the research: 1) use a life cycle perspective to explore the evolving roles of local governments; 2) use a method of classifying government policies and strategies into “hard” and “soft” to describe the actions of local governments; 3) use a demand-and-supply perspective to illustrate and evaluate the function of local governments. The local government acts as a developer, an enticer, a facilitator, and a regulator in the park development process