Importance of individual events in temporal networks

Records of time-stamped social interactions between pairs of individuals (e.g., face-to-face conversations, e-mail exchanges, and phone calls) constitute a so-called temporal network. A remarkable difference between temporal networks and conventional static networks is that time-stamped events rather than links are the unit elements generating the collective behavior of nodes. We propose an importance measure for single interaction events. By generalizing the concept of the advance of event proposed by [Kossinets G, Kleinberg J, and Watts D J (2008) Proceeding of the 14th ACM SIGKDD International conference on knowledge discovery and data mining, p 435], we propose that an event is central when it carries new information about others to the two nodes involved in the event. We find that the proposed measure properly quantifies the importance of events in connecting nodes along time-ordered paths. Because of strong heterogeneity in the importance of events present in real data, a small fraction of highly important events is necessary and sufficient to sustain the connectivity of temporal networks. Nevertheless, in contrast to the behavior of scale-free networks against link removal, this property mainly results from bursty activity patterns and not heterogeneous degree distributions.Comment: 36 pages, 13 figures, 2 table

Implementing ISO 14001 in the engineering and construction sectors: a systematic review

There is a need within society to manage its impacts on the environment. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) ISO 14001 tool, based on the original BS 7750 standard, was created in 1996 and subsequently updated in 2004 and 2015; it has become the most prevalent type of environmental management system (EMS) adopted worldwide. Engineering and construction organisations wanting to implement ISO 14001 should be fully acquainted with the advantages and disadvantages of adopting an EMS. Using the Scopus academic database, this study used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses method to identify and select publications (since 1999) for systematic review. Examination of the chosen articles (n = 46) revealed a limited number of works per annum, with a peak in 2011 (n = 6). The most frequently reported benefits are ‘enrichment of green corporate and public image’, ‘improved environmental performance’ and ‘regulation compliance’, while the barriers are ‘costs’, ‘lack of experience, expertise or knowledge’ and ‘lack of training’. Further analysis, using the VOSviewer software, shows the network relationships between article keywords, notably that sustainability is increasingly listed (since 2011) and links with most other keywords. This suggests that the engineering and construction sectors may be seeing beyond the cost barrier and are realising the positive difference that ISO 14001 can contribute to their operations, their local/national communities and the UN Sustainable Development Goals

Evaluation de la diversité génétique chez les bananiers diploïdes (Musa

La majorité des bananiers cultivés sont triploïdes. Importants en sélection, les bananiers diploïdes sont analysés pour la compréhension de l'organisation génétique du complexe d'espèces Musa. A l'aide de 30 sondes uniques nucléaires cartographiées, le polymorphisme de longueur de fragments de restriction (RFLP) est utilisé pour analyser la diversité génétique de 160 variétés de bananiers diploïdes : 70 clones séminifères (sauvages) appartenant aux espèces Musa acuminata, M. balbisiana et M. schizocarpa et 90 variétés parthénocarpiques (cultivars). Des allèles spécifiques à chacune des 3 espèces ont été trouvés. M. acuminata est l'espèce la plus polymorphe; sa structuration est discutée. Il est montré que M. schizocarpa est relativement proche de M. acuminata banksii, M. balbisiana se révélant beaucoup plus éloignée. Tous les diploïdes parthénocarpiques présentent des allèles M. acuminata, confirmant le rôle de cette espèce dans l'origine de la parthénocarpie. L'existence de cultivars hybrides M. acuminata par M. schizocarpa est démontrée. (Résumé d'auteur

A Phenomenological Inquiry of Building and Living in European Earthship Homes

Earthships remain a relatively underexplored type of sustainable/alternative home. This is the first study to investigate the personal experiences of constructing and living in European Earthship homes. The aim of this study is to reveal insights into the ‘hands-on’ practical experience of persons who have constructed their own Earthship homes and to gather insights into the collective experience of these dwellers on the realities of living full time in an Earthship home. A phenomenological methodology, using an inductive research approach, was utilised through a qualitative research strategy to solicit insights into the personal experiences of these unique persons. The main themes and sub-themes that emerge from the analysis are that anyone from any background can make the shift to building/living in an Earthship home. However, a mixed skill set and knowledge of building trades, plus physical and emotional prowess, are needed for the long-haul build process, which, together with access to financial means and/or available materials, are critical factors that influence the outcome of the Earthship building. Meanwhile, once constructed, off-grid living in an Earthship home gives dwellers a greater connectivity with the natural world, raises awareness of consumerism and leads to enhanced appreciation of human impacts