Strategic Planning Needs the Right Information

There is a need to undertake a considerable research and analysis project to search out and gather the requisite information required for business development. A prerequisite is the need to better understand what is meant by the terms data and information, as they are often used interchangeably. What kind of information is required for business development, and where and how it can be found? There is the ‘hard' transaction data from software applications that help manage operations. This data is provided by the information system and can give strategic performance information. A review of the staff competencies can indicate the potential for business advantage. It is helpful to discover the dependencies between business activities. The complexity and volume of data to be searched and analysed indicates a need for a special information management project. It is imperative to store the information appropriately with a clear architectural structure for easy retrieval.

Asphaltene Management Leading to Significant Reduction of Production Deferment Through New Technology Trial MFC Tool

In Southern Oman, PDO is producing from several high pressure (500-1000 bar), deep (3-5 km) and sour fields (1-10 mol % H2S). Over time, wells from one field (S A3) started having asphaltene deposition in the wellbore. Recently, the impact on production became severe resulting in high deferment, increased HSE exposure with plugging and high intervention costs. Asset team kicked off an asphaltene management project to tackle this problem, with one initiative being a field trial of a new technology, Magnetic Fluid Conditioner (MFC) to avoid/delay asphaltene plugging in the wellbore. This paper discusses the asphaltene management strategy and field trial results from this new tool deployed to prevent/delay asphaltene deposition.

Impact on Knowledge of Blackgram Growers in Periyar Vaigai Command Area of Madurai District

The World Bank Supported TN IAM (Irrigated Agriculture Modernization) Project is a follow up of IAMWARM presently it was called as (Irrigated Agriculture Modernization and Water-Bodies Restoration and Management) Project which has made significant development and impacts in the Tamil Nadu state by modernizing irrigation infrastructure, improving water use efficiency, enhancing yield and productivity of agriculture in a climate resilient production systems, diversification towards high-value crops, strengthening the institutional reforms through Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM) and Water Users Association (WUA). Madurai District of Tamil Nadu was purposively selected for this study because Tamil Nadu Irrigated Agriculture Modernization Project was conducted under Tamil Nadu Agricultural University. The foremost objective of the study is to assess the knowledge level of respondents in the study area. According to crop production technology aspects revealed that (79.00%) of the beneficiaries possessed knowledge in using VBN 6 variety for cultivation. The study concluded that majority (80.00%) of the beneficiaries were possessed knowledge on (cultural control) fixation of light traps, crop rotation (77.50%) and sowing carry out in proper season.

ANALYSIS OF CHANGES IN THE TECHNOLOGICAL PROCESS OF DEVELOPMENT AND COMPONENTS OF THE LAND MANAGEMENT PROJECT REGARDING THE ALLOCATION OF THE LAND PLOT

The article is devoted to the study of changes that have occurred during the development of the land management project for the allocation of land when changing regulations in the field of land management and cadastre. Land management projects for the allocation of land plots are developed in the case of the formation of new land plots from state and communal lands and in the event of a change in the purpose of land plots. They can also provide for the division, consolidation of land owned by one person. The main documents regulating the technological process of land management project development for land allotment are the Land Code and the Law of Ukraine "On Land Management", which consists of 6 stages: obtaining a project development permit, concluding an agreement with the developer of land management documentation, project development, project approval, entering data into the State Land Cadastre and project approval. Identified changes in the technological process of development of land management project for the allocation of land, which include: 1. The powers of local governments and executive authorities to transfer land ownership have been changed. At the same time, powers were tied to the boundaries of territorial communities instead of the boundaries of settlements. 2. Simplified the procedure for cadastral survey of land. The procedure of agreeing on the boundaries of the land plot and restrictions, transferring the boundaries in kind (on the ground) and establishing boundary markers becomes optional. 3. The state examination of land management documentation was canceled. 4. Simplified the procedure for approving the land management project for the allocation of land. The agreement with the territorial body of the State Geocadastre on the location of the land plot and the bodies implementing the state policy in the field of cultural heritage protection, forestry, water management, environmental protection, urban planning and architecture has been canceled. The following is added to the cadastral plan of the land plot: information on the transfer in kind (on the ground) of the boundaries of protection zones, coastal protection strips and beach zones, sanitary protection zones, sanitary protection zones and zones of special land use regime and land boundaries; information on the established boundary markers.

Sustainable Construction Engineering and Management

The Special Issue covers sustainability as an emerging requirement in the fields of construction management, project management and engineering. We invited authors to submit their theoretical or experimental research articles that address the challenges and opportunities for sustainable construction in all its facets, including technical topics and specific operational or procedural solutions, as well as strategic approaches aimed at the project, company or industry level. Central to developments are smart technologies and sophisticated decision-making mechanisms that augment sustainable outcomes. The Special Issue was received with great interest by the research community and attracted a high number of submissions. The selection process sought to balance the inclusion of a broad representative spread of topics against research quality, with editors and reviewers settling on thirty-three articles for publication. The Guest Editors invite all participating researchers and those interested in sustainable construction engineering and management to read this summary of the Special Issue and of course to access the full-text articles for deeper analyses.

Beluga whale stewardship and collaborative research practices among Indigenous peoples in the Arctic

Beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) are an integral part of many Arctic Indigenous cultures and contribute to food security for communities from Greenland, across northern Canada and Alaska to Chukotka, Russia. Although the harvesting and stewardship practices of Indigenous peoples vary among regions and have shifted and adapted over time, central principles of respect for beluga and sharing of the harvest have remained steadfast. In addition to intra-community cooperation to harvest, process and use beluga whales, rapid environmental change in the Arctic has underscored the need for inter-regional communication as well as collaboration with scientists and managers to sustain beluga populations and their cultural and nutritional roles in Arctic communities. Our paper, written by the overlapping categories of researchers, hunters, and managers, first provides an overview of beluga hunting and collaborative research in seven regions of the Arctic (Greenland; Nunatsiavut, Nunavik, Nunavut, and the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, Canada; Alaska; and Chukotka). Then we present a more detailed case study of collaboration, examining a recent research and management project that utilizes co-production of knowledge to address the conservation of a depleted population of beluga in Nunavik, Canada. We conclude that sustaining traditional values, establishing collaborative management efforts, the equitable inclusion of Indigenous Knowledge, and respectful and meaningful collaborations among hunters, researchers and managers are essential to sustaining healthy beluga populations and the peoples who live with and depend upon them in a time of rapid social and environmental change.

Factors influencing caregiver burden by dementia severity based on an online database from Seoul dementia management project in Korea

Backgrounds As the prevalence of dementia rises, caregiver burden also increases in South Korea, especially for informal family caregivers. This study aimed to analyze factors affecting caregiver burden by the severity of dementia based on data of patients in Seoul. Methods A total of 12,292 individuals aged ≥65 years enrolled in the Seoul Dementia Management Project from 2010 to 2016 in an online database were selected. Caregiver’s burden was assessed using the Korea version of Zarit Burden Interview. Multiple regression analyses were performed to determine factors associated with primary caregiver’s burden after stratifying the severity of dementia. Results Most patients showed moderate levels of cognitive impairment (49.4%), behavior problems (82.6%), and ADL dependency (73.6%). After stratifying the severity of dementia, caregivers caring for patients with mild symptoms of dementia were experienced with higher caregiver burden if patients were under a lower score of IADL. Significant factors for caregiver burden among caregivers supporting patients with moderate symptoms of dementia include caregivers’ residence with patients, subjective health status, and co-work with secondary caregivers. Lastly, caregivers for patients with severe dementia symptoms experienced a higher caregiver burden from limited cognitive function, problematic behavior, and caregivers’ negative health status. Conclusion In terms of sample size, this study had far more patients than any other domestic or international study. It was meaningful in that it analyzed characteristics of patients with dementia and caregivers affecting the burden of caregivers in Korea. Intensive social supports with multiple coping strategies focusing on different levels of patients’ clinical symptoms and caregivers’ needs should be planned to relieve the caregiver burden.