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Carbon storage in protected land is a practical climate stabilization strategy. It is increasingly being recognized as an essential means of safeguarding biomass carbon and improving local ecological conditions. Yet, increasing soil carbon sequestration by setting aside nature reserves does not depend only on the scale of the reserve but more so on the implementation and enforcement of the reserve protection policy. This paper aims to discuss the aforementioned issues.

The authors show how nature reserves established and managed by different administrative levels affect carbon sequestration. Empirically, the authors estimate a time-varying difference-in-difference model that exploits China's distinct four-layered hierarchical nature reserve management system at the county level.

The findings show that higher administrative level (i.e. national and provincial) nature reserves have no effects on the carbon dynamic. However, reserves managed by lower administrative levels (i.e. prefecture- and county-level) are associated with reduced carbon sequestration. The results imply local governments fail to fulfil their responsibilities for nature reserves protection, leading to increased extractive activities and declined ecological biomass.

Responsibility and accountability mechanisms for the violation of the nature reserves requirements need to be stipulated accordingly. Greater emphasis should be placed on nature reserves at the base level. The central government should continue efforts toward the establishment of ad hoc and independent management agencies at the ground-management level that are free of influence from base-level governments.

The heterogeneity in the performance of nature reserves across administrative levels confirms that ecosystem service quality is highly dependent on establishment, management and supervision. This provides a better understanding of the socio-ecological interdependence of protected areas.

Container shipping is a crucial component of the global supply chain that is affected by a large range of operational risks with high uncertainty, threatening the stability of service, manufacture, distribution and profitability of involved parties. However, quantitative risk analysis (QRA) of container shipping operational risk (CSOR) is being obstructed by the lack of a well-established theoretical structure to guide deeper research efforts. This paper proposes a methodological framework to strengthen the quality and reliability of CSOR analysis (CSORA).

Focusing on addressing uncertainties, the framework establishes a solid, overarching and updated basis for quantitative CSORA. The framework consists of clearly defined elements and processes, including knowledge establishing, information gathering, aggregating multiple sources of data (social/deliberative and mathematical/statistical), calculating risk and uncertainty level and presenting and interpreting quantified results. The framework is applied in a case study of three container shipping companies in Vietnam.

Various methodological contributions were rendered regarding CSOR characteristics, settings of analysis models, handling of uncertainties and result interpretation. The empirical study also generated valuable managerial implications regarding CSOR management policies.

This paper fills the gap of an updated framework for CSORA considering the recent advancements of container shipping operations and risk management. The framework can be used by both practitioners as a tool for CSORA and scholars as a test bench to facilitate the comparison and development of QRA models.

Although being considered for adoption by stakeholders in container shipping, application of blockchain is hindered by different factors. This paper investigates the potential operational risks of blockchain-integrated container shipping systems as one of such barriers.

Literature review is employed as the method of risk identification. Scientific articles, special institutional reports and publications of blockchain solution providers were included in an inclusive qualitative analysis. A directed acyclic graph (DAG) was constructed and analyzed based on network topological metrics.

Twenty-eight potential risks and 47 connections were identified in three groups of initiative, transitional and sequel. The DAG analysis results reflect a relatively well-connected network of identified hazardous events (HEs), suggesting the pervasiveness of information risks and various multiple-event risk scenarios. The criticality of the connected systems' security and information accuracy are also indicated.

This paper indicates the changes of container shipping operational risk in the process of blockchain integration by using updated data. It creates awareness of the emerging risks, provides their insights and establishes the basis for further research.

This paper aims to investigate the grey scheduling, which is the combination of grey system theory and scheduling problems with uncertain processing time. Based on the interval grey number and its related definitions, properties, and theorems, the single machine scheduling with uncertain processing time and its general forms are studied as the research object. Then several single machine scheduling models are reconstructed, and an actual production case is developed to illustrate the rationality of the research.

In this paper, the authors first summarize the definitions and properties related to interval grey numbers, especially the transitivity of the partial order of interval grey numbers, and give an example to illustrate that the transitivity has a positive effect on the computational time complexity of multiple interval grey number comparisons. Second, the authors redefine the general form of the single machine scheduling problem with uncertain processing time according to the definitions and theorems of interval grey numbers. The authors then reconstruct three single machine scheduling models with uncertain processing time, give the corresponding heuristic algorithms based on the interval grey numbers and prove them. Finally, the authors develop a case study based on the engine test shop of K Company, the results show that the proposed single machine scheduling models and algorithms with uncertain processing time can provide effective guidance for actual production in an uncertain environment.

The main findings of this paper are as follows: (1) summarize the definitions and theorems related to interval grey numbers and prove the transitivity of the partial order of interval grey numbers; (2) define the general form of the single machine scheduling problem with interval grey processing time; (3) reconstruct three single machine scheduling models with uncertain processing time and give the corresponding heuristic algorithms; (4) develop a case study to illustrate the rationality of the research.

In the further research, the authors will continue to summarize more advanced general forms of grey scheduling, improve the theory of grey scheduling and prove it, and further explore the application of grey scheduling in the real world. In general, grey scheduling needs to be further combined with grey system theory to form a complete theoretical system.

It is a fundamental work to define the general form of single machine scheduling with uncertain processing time used the interval grey number. However, it can be seen as an important theoretical basis for the grey scheduling, and it is also beneficial to expand the application of grey system theory in real world.

purpose of this paper is providing a solution for flexible flow shop scheduling problem with uncertain processing time in aeronautical composite lay-up workshop.

A flexible flow scheduling model and algorithm with interval grey processing time is established. First, according to actual needs of composite laminate shop scheduling process, interval grey number is used to represent uncertain processing time, and interval grey processing time measurement method, grey number calculation and comparison rules, grey Gantt chart, and other methods are further applied. Then a flexible flow shop scheduling model with interval grey processing time (G-FFSP) is established, and an artificial bee colony algorithm based on an adaptive neighbourhood search strategy is designed to solve the model. Finally, six examples are generated for simulation scheduling, and the efficiency and performance of the model and algorithm are evaluated by comparing the results.

Results show that flexible flow shop scheduling model and algorithm with interval grey processing time can provide an optimal solution for composite lay-up shop scheduling problems and other similar flow shop scheduling problems.

Uncertain processing time is common in flexible workshop manufacturing, and manual scheduling greatly restricts the production efficiency of workshop. In this paper, combined with grey system theory, an intelligent algorithm is used to solve flexible flow shop scheduling problem to promote intelligent and efficient production of enterprises.

This paper applies and perfects interval grey processing time measurement method, grey number calculation and comparison rules, grey Gantt chart and other methods. A flexible flow shop scheduling model with interval grey processing time is established, and an artificial bee colony algorithm with an adaptive domain search strategy is designed. It provides a comprehensive solution for flexible flow shop scheduling with uncertain processing time.

This paper aims to investigate the impact of ownership concentration of the largest shareholder and foreign ownership on the demand for an external audit for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in six Latin American countries. In particular, the authors test whether foreign-owned firms (compared with domestic private-owned firms) and domestic firms with minority foreign shareholders are more likely engaged in audit assurance.

The authors applied the logit model to estimate the impact of ownership concentration and owner/shareholder type on audit demand, using a sample of 4,609 SMEs. The probabilities of being audited for firms in these countries are then calculated from the estimation results.

The empirical results suggest an inverse relationship between ownership concentration and audit demand only for Uruguay and Peru. However, foreign-owned firms and domestic private-owned firms with minority foreign ownership have a high probability of being audited for all sample countries.

Policymakers in developing countries may promote foreign investments in domestic private-owned firms to improve their corporate transparency and governance.

This study contributes to the growing literature on the impact of ownership on audit demand by particularly focusing on foreign owners and foreign minority shareholders. The findings indicate that foreign ownership (either majority or minority) contributes to corporate transparency and business environments in emerging countries.

Observes that Singaporean construction firms have made increasing investments in China in recent years. It is important that these firms, as well as their Chinese counterparts, appreciate and understand each other’s cultural differences/similarities. Although Singaporean culture appears to be based predominately on Chinese culture, there remain differences between the two, which, if not properly understood, can lead to misunderstandings and ineffective working. Using the four dimensions of a national culture established by Hofstede, this study is concerned with examining what constitutes Singaporean and Chinese culture. Through two case studies in China, with Singaporean and Chinese employees, the study identifies cross‐cultural influences brought about by the two cultures which can affect project effectiveness.

This study aims to improve the tribological performance of Babbitt alloy under oil lubricant condition. Thus, the surface was treated into oleophobic state by modifying with low surface energy fluorosilane (1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecyltriethoxysilane). It is believed that the oleophobic surface offered excellent wear resistance of Babbitt-based tribo-pairs.

By modifying the Babbitt alloy with low surface energy fluorosilane and measuring the oil contact angle, the wetting behavior was evaluated. Using Pin on Disk tribometer, the tribological properties of bare Babbitt and modified Babbitt were quantified. The samples after the friction test were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and the anti-wear performance was evaluated under dry and oil lubrication conditions.

Results showed that oil contact angle of modified Babbitt was109° which was tripled compared to that of prime surface, which indicates the oleophobic behavior was greatly improved. Under dry conditions, the friction coefficient of the modified surface with different load conditions is slightly lower than that of the bare surface, while the friction coefficient of the modified surface under lubrication conditions is significantly decreased compared to that of the bare surface. Interestingly, under low load and high load, the wear rate of the modified Babbitt alloy surface is only 1/4 and 1/3 of that of the bare surface, respectively.

The work proposed an effective method to improve the Babbitt tribological performances and will lighten future ideas for the Babbitt alloy bearing with high wear resistance, which is beneficial to improve the service life of sliding bearings and has huge promotion and application value in the manufacture of sliding bearings.

Babbitt bush is easy to cause severe adhesive wear due to unexpected journal fall. This paper aims to improve wear resistance of Babbitt bush.

A soft/hard hybrid surface mircoprofile of Babbitt alloy/steel was fabricated by a technology of laser texture combined with hot-pressing. The friction and wear performances of bare steel (steel-h), Babbitt bush on steel (steel-s) and Babbitt filled in dimples of steel (steel-hs) were conducted on a ball-on-disc tester under dry and lubricated conditions.

The results showed that wettability of steel-hs was enhanced by forming soft/hard hybrid surface. Compared with steel-s, the stability of friction coefficient curve of steel-hs was improved without increasing coefficient friction. The wear resistance of steel-hs was remarkably enhanced under dry and lubricated conditions.

The originality of this paper is as following: to improve the tribological properties and to prolong service life of steel-s, soft/hard hybrid surface of Babbitt filled in dimples of steel substrate was successfully fabricated by laser texturing combined with hot-pressing. This paper showed that the lipophilicity of steel-hs was best among those of steel-s and steel-h. Babbitt alloy as a soft filler on dimples of steel substrate improved anti-wear of steel-s remarkably. It provides a new way to fabricate Babbitt as bushing on steel substrate.