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This paper explores through Schumacher's perspective on ‘the proper use of land’: the reasons for, and the means and consequences of, monitoring soil condition in managing agricultural landscapes sustainably. This particular perspective illustrates its argument with soil monitoring initiatives operating at various scales within the global agricultural context. Schumacher's land management goals are health, beauty and permanence, yet productivity is the goal most land managers focus on. The chosen indicators for soil monitoring need to reflect these goals. Hence, the indicators of choice for monitoring soil condition are attributes that can be: easily measured, improve soil productivity or protect the soil. Often attributes that have intrinsic ‘beauty’ (value), maintain ‘health’ (function) in ecosystems and are difficult to measure are ignored as soil condition indicators. The usefulness of information gained through monitoring soil condition is to make decisions that will be relevant for varied audiences and at different points in the decision-making process.

The purpose of this paper is to design a unified operational design domain (ODD) monitoring framework for mitigating Safety of the Intended Functionality (SOTIF) risks triggered by vehicles exceeding ODD boundaries in complex traffic scenarios.

A unified model of ODD monitoring is constructed, which consists of three modules: weather condition monitoring for unusual weather conditions, such as rain, snow and fog; vehicle behavior monitoring for abnormal vehicle behavior, such as traffic rule violations; and road condition monitoring for abnormal road conditions, such as road defects, unexpected obstacles and slippery roads. Additionally, the applications of the proposed unified ODD monitoring framework are demonstrated. The practicability and effectiveness of the proposed unified ODD monitoring framework for mitigating SOTIF risk are verified in the applications.

First, the application of weather condition monitoring demonstrates that the autonomous vehicle can make a safe decision based on the performance degradation of Lidar on rainy days using the proposed monitoring framework. Second, the application of vehicle behavior monitoring demonstrates that the autonomous vehicle can properly adhere to traffic rules using the proposed monitoring framework. Third, the application of road condition monitoring demonstrates that the proposed unified ODD monitoring framework enables the ego vehicle to successfully monitor and avoid road defects.

The value of this paper is that the proposed unified ODD monitoring framework establishes a new foundation for monitoring and mitigating SOTIF risks in complex traffic environments.

Reciprocating compressors offer an efficient method of compressing almost any gas composition in a wide range of pressures and have numerous applications. Condition monitoring of critical rotating machinery is widely accepted by operators of centrifugal compressors. However, condition monitoring of reciprocating machinery has not received the same degree of acceptance. An earlier study (Townsend et al., 2016) was conducted on temperature monitoring. The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of continuous pressure monitoring on electric-driven compressors.

This research analyzes the impact of continuous pressure monitoring on a fleet of 14 compressors transporting CO₂ for enhanced oil recovery. The reliability and efficiency data on 14 reciprocating compressors over a three-year period were analyzed for failures detectable by the condition monitoring technology. The engineering economic analysis is presented to determine the impact this technology will have on the productivity of the compressors.

The study considers utilizing condition monitoring technology to analyze the pressure of the swept volume of the compressor cylinders. The results of the study indicate that continuous pressure monitoring technology has a strong impact on the productivity of the compressor fleet. The internal rate of return not only exceeds the operators hurdle rate, but the payback period is also dramatic. Pressure monitoring was found to be economically better than temperature monitoring.

The study reveals the economic benefits of implementing condition monitoring in the form of continuous pressure monitoring on reciprocating compressors.

The concerns that implementing a new structured innovation with increased oversight may lead to reduced job autonomy and poorer work attitudes. These concerns have been cited as a barrier to evidence-based treatment (EBT) implementation. However, previous research found lower turnover among child welfare providers implementing an EBT with fidelity monitoring compared to those administering services as usual (SAU). The authors hypothesized that changes in job autonomy, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment would be no worse among providers in EBT conditions and fidelity monitoring conditions compared to SAU and no monitoring conditions.

Survey data were collected from 208 service providers over four waves at six month intervals as part of a 2 (EBT vs SAU) by 2 (fidelity monitoring vs no monitoring) hybrid effectiveness-implementation trial. Superiority testing was conducted to determine whether there were significant differences over time on the outcomes as a function of experimental condition. Non-inferiority testing examined whether the EBT condition is not inferior to SAU and monitoring not inferior to no monitoring on the outcomes.

No evidence of superiority was found for any conditions over time on the outcomes. Non-inferiority testing indicates EBT is not inferior to SAU and monitoring is not inferior to no monitoring on the outcomes.

This study provide empirical quantitative data regarding job attitudes and job autonomy perceptions over time following EBT implementation. In light of the current findings, concerns regarding the impact of EBT implementation on provider job perceptions should be minimized.

Faced with the financing problem of small-medium enterprises (SMEs), China has attempted to establish as many as third party's collateral institutions. The paper aims to study the design of collateral arrangements including collateral fee rates, risk sharing, collateral capital requirements, types of collateral institutions and recollateral institution, etc.

The paper extends the model of Holmstrom and Tirole to develop the analytic framework of the theory of financing collateral. From the perspective of contract design, the paper establishes a moral hazard model focusing on the minimum capital requirement of the borrower under the condition of risk neutral and limited liability, while considering the structure of lender-collateral institution-borrower.

According to the research, only under certain conditions can third party's collateral arrangements tackle the financing problems of SMEs. Diversification, anti-collateral and linked-transactions are three means to improve financing conditions, but the most important way is efficient monitoring by collateral institutions, especially when it has relative advantage over the lender. In order to improve financing conditions of SMEs, China should rely more on efficient monitoring by banks not on excess development of collateral institutions, meanwhile relax rigid collateral supervision policies. Collateral institutions should be industry-specific, association or transaction-related type.

First, from the perspective of contract design, the paper analyzes the comprehensive institutional arrangements of third party's collateral considering mutual relationships of component elements and develops the analytic framework of the theory of third party's collateral, especially points out necessary conditions of its efficient arrangements. Second, the paper studies various efficient financing mechanisms under the institutional arrangements of third party's collateral and focusing on the role of monitoring and monitors, and the paper also has important policy implications, i.e. the paper should develop specific collateral institutions and promote monitoring role of credit institutions.

When induction motors are considered, there is no specific cost model for net savings per year due to condition-based maintenance (CBM) covering various parameters such as downtime, energy, quality, etc. The purpose of this paper is to develop a cost model for the financial viability of the implementation of CBM for induction motors.

A literature review has been carried out to identify the existing failure modes of motor, available condition monitoring techniques, the usefulness of CBM and different maintenance models available. Then, a cost model considering all parameters has been proposed.

A cost model has been proposed for the maintenance of induction motors. Method for the economic evaluation of the model has also been suggested in the paper. The application of the model has been illustrated through a case study of a steel plant, which suggests that investment in the condition monitoring of induction motors increases the net profit of the organization.

The proposed model is specifically designed for induction motors. All the motors under consideration are assumed to be of the same specifications, and fault in any motor is supposed to have the same effect on quality, cost, criticality, etc., of the operation and end product.

This paper will help the maintenance manager in decision making when maintenance action has to be carried out for a given motor under CBM for the better utilization of the equipment and resources. This paper also shows how to compute ROI on CBM investment.

The paper provides a cost model for the economic evaluation of implementing CBM for induction motors which will be useful to researchers and maintenance managers in effective decision making and maintenance planning. The methodology and the cost models are the original contribution of the authors.

The collection and dissemination of standardized performance information about students, teachers, schools and school systems offer potentially important tools for school accountability and resource allocation as well as school improvement in developing countries. However, performance monitoring systems in developing countries are in many cases copied from those in high-income countries without a clear understanding of their functioning in contexts of limited resources and capacity for change. The purpose of this paper is to examine the conditions under which and the mechanisms through which system-wide performance monitoring affects school-level organization and processes in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

The review employs realist synthesis because of the complexity and dynamism of conditions in LMICs, the wide variability in available literature and the aim of explaining how particular organizational outcomes arise, given particular conditions. The authors draw on findings from a systematic review of 22 studies and reports, published since 2001, related to the implementation of performance monitoring.

The findings highlight key barriers to the use of data to inform school accountability and improvement. Capacity to collect, interpret and use data is an important condition to both effective external accountability as well as improvement of schools.

The review uses realist approaches to building middle-level theories to help scholars, educational advisers, policy makers and educational leaders understand the causal processes that result in certain outcomes from monitoring activities and to identify the conditions that are necessary for those processes to have the desired outcomes.

The great need for an optimum preventive maintenance strategy coupled with the fast‐developing condition‐monitoring techniques has given rise to the invention of relevant condition predictor (RCP)‐based maintenance approach. The main purpose of this approach is to prevent the failures due to gradual deterioration of mechanical items in order to improve system reliability and availability. This is done by monitoring relevant condition predictors of constituent maintenance significant items of the system, taking into account the availability and cost‐effectiveness of the monitoring techniques. A comprehensive review of all constituent items is carried out and a systematic approach is used to decide an optimum maintenance policy for each corresponding group of items. An optimum time to the examination of relevant condition predictors is derived mathematically with required reliability as the optimisation criterion in order to implement the RCP‐based maintenance activities.

For organizations to be effective, their employees need to rely upon each other even when they do not trust each other. One tool managers can use to promote trust-like behavior is monitoring. In this chapter, we report results from a laboratory study that describes the relationship between monitoring and trust behavior. We randomly and anonymously paired participants (n=210) with the same partner, and had them make 15 rounds of trust game decisions. We find predictable main effects (e.g. frequent monitoring increases trust behavior) as well as interesting strategic behavior. Specifically, we find that anticipated monitoring schemes (i.e. when participants know before they make a decision that they either will or will not be monitored) significantly increase trust behavior in monitored rounds, but decrease trust behavior overall. Participants in our study also reacted to information they learned about their counterpart differently as a function of whether or not monitoring was anticipated. Participants were less trusting when they observed trustworthy behavior in an anticipated monitoring period, than when they observed trustworthy behavior in an unanticipated monitoring period. In many cases, participants in our study systematically anticipated their counterpart's untrustworthy behavior. We discuss implication of these results for models of trust and offer managerial prescriptions.

Millions of properties have suspended timber ground floors globally, with around ten million in the UK alone. However, it is unknown what the floor void conditions are, nor the effect of insulating such floors. Upgrading floors changes the void conditions, which might increase or decrease moisture build-up and mould and fungal growth. The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of the current global evidence and present the results of in situ monitoring of 15 UK floor voids.

An extensive literature review on the moisture behaviour in both uninsulated and insulated suspended timber crawl spaces is supplemented with primary data of a monitoring campaign during different periods between 2012 and 2015. Air temperature and relative humidity sensors were placed in different floor void locations. Where possible, crawl spaces were visually inspected.

Comparison of void conditions to mould growth thresholds highlights that a large number of monitored floor voids might exceed the critical ranges for mould growth, leading to potential occupant health impacts if mould spores transfer into living spaces above. A direct comparison could not be made between insulated and uninsulated floors in the sample due to non-random sampling and because the insulated floors included historically damp floors. The study also highlighted that long-term monitoring over all seasons and high-resolution monitoring and inspection are required; conditions in one location are not representative of conditions in other locations.

This study presents the largest UK sample of monitored floors, evaluated using a review of current evidence and comparison with literature thresholds.