A study of sustainable practices in the sustainability leadership of international contractors

With an increasing global need for sustainable development, numerous world‐leading construction corporations have devoted significant efforts to implementing sustainable practices. However, few previous studies have shared these valuable experiences in a systematic and quantitative way. RobecoSAM has published The Sustainability Yearbook annually since 2004, which lists the sustainability leaders in various industries, including the construction industry. Learning from those sustainability leaders in the construction industry can provide useful references for construction‐related companies when developing their sustainable development strategies. Based on a comprehensive literature review, this paper identified 51 methods used for improving sustainability performance and 34 outcomes achieved via these methods. These methods and outcomes are used for coding the sustainable practices of sustainability leaders in the construction sector. Using the coding system, 133 annual sustainability reports issued by 22 sustainability leaders (The Sustainability Yearbook, RobecoSAM 2010–2016) in the construction sector were analyzed using content analysis. Social network analysis was then employed to identify the key adopted methods and achieved outcomes (KAMAO) of these leaders. The dynamic trend and regional analysis of KAMAO are also presented. These KAMAO findings provide valuable guidance for international contractors to develop a better understanding of the primary sustainable methods adopted by sustainability leaders in the construction sector and the top outcomes achieved by these leaders. The findings also provide a useful reference for international contractors to evaluate their current sustainability‐related strategies and make improvements.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/156206/2/sd2020.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/156206/1/sd2020_am.pd

Peaks of transportation CO2 emissions of 119 countries for sustainable development: Results from carbon Kuznets curve

Transportation has significantly boomed energy consumption and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Understanding and forecasting the dynamic statuses of transportation CO2 emissions is a necessary step before making strategies to decrease CO2 emissions. Carbon Kuznets curve (CKC) hypothesis has been frequently validated properly to present the changing statuses of CO2 emissions in the literature. This study tests the CKC hypothesis using the data recording the CO2 emissions of transportation sectors of 119 countries over the period of 1995–2014, then turning points (TPs) are calculated for the countries where CKC hypothesis is turned out supported. Based on the CKC models, this study identifies different types of TPs, i.e. TP of carbon intensity (TPCI), TP of per capita CO2 emissions (TPPC), and TP of total CO2 emissions (TPTC) of the countries whose data support the CKC hypothesis. According to the earliness of the turning years (TYs) (TYCI, TYPC and TYTC) – the years when CO2 emissions peak – of individual countries, this study identified a step‐wise decoupling strategy for different countries, i.e. (1) first to reach the TPCI, (2) then to reach the TPPC, and (3) finally to reach the TPTC. As a result, the CKC hypothesis was supported by the data of 58 countries, among which, there are still seven countries having not reached any of the three TPs, 23 countries have reached the first‐step TP (TPCI), 9 countries have reached the second‐step TP (TPPC), and 19 countries have reached the third‐step TP (TPTC).Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/156198/2/sd2008.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/156198/1/sd2008_am.pd

Outcomes of surgery for patients with Behcet’s disease causing aortic pseudoaneurysm: a shift from open surgery to endovascular repair

OBJECTIVES: Behcet’s disease is a form of systematic vasculitis that affects vessels of various sizes. Aortic pseudoaneurysm is one of the most important causes of death among patients with Behcet’s disease due to its high risk of rupture and associated mortality. Our study aimed to investigate the outcomes of Behcet’s disease patients with aortic pseudoaneurysms undergoing open surgery and endovascular aortic repair. METHODS: From January 2003 to September 2014, ten consecutive patients undergoing surgery for aortic pseudoaneurysm met the diagnostic criteria for Behcet’s disease. Endovascular repair was the preferred modality and open surgery was performed as an alternative. Systemic immunosuppressive medication was administered after Behcet’s disease was definitively diagnosed. RESULTS: Eight patients initially underwent endovascular repair and two patients initially underwent open surgery. The overall success rate was 90% and the only failed case involved the use of the chimney technique to reach a suprarenal location. The median follow-up duration was 23 months. There were 7 recurrences in 5 patients. The median interval between operation and recurrence was 13 months. No significant risk factors for recurrence were identified, but a difference in recurrence between treatment and non-treatment with preoperative immunosuppressive medication preoperatively was notable. Four aneurysm-related deaths occurred within the follow-up period. The overall 1-year, 3-year and 5-year survival rates were 80%, 64% and 48%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Both open surgery and endovascular repair are safe and effective for treating aortic pseudoaneurysm in Behcet’s disease patients. The results from our retrospective study indicated that immunosuppressive medication was essential to defer the occurrence and development of recurrent aneurysms