Search results

Evaluating mechanical properties of simply made samples by 3D printing technology at nanoscale provides a clear path to better understand larger-scale responses of complex natural rocks. Therefore, to realize the similarity between synthetically manufactured materials and natural geomaterials, this study focused on nanoscale mechanical characterization of a 3D printed object with only two constituent components (gypsum powder and infiltrant).

The study method includes nanoindentation technique combined with numerical simulation via discrete element method (DEM).

Four typical load-displacement curves were identified from nanoindentation of total test points indicating a typical elastic-plastic behavior of the 3D printed gypsum rock sample. Mechanical parameters such as Young’s modulus and hardness were calculated by energy-based methods and a positive correlation was observed. The infiltrant was found to considerably be responsible for the majority of the sample nano-mechanical behavior rather than the gypsum particles, thus expected to control macroscale properties. This was decided from deconvolution and clustering of elastic modulus data. Particle flow modeling in DEM was used to simulate the nanoindentation process in a porous media yielding rock-alike mechanical behavior.

The results show a matching load-displacement response between experimental and simulation results, which verified the credibility of simulation modeling for mechanical behavior of 3D printed gypsum rock at nanoscale. Finally, differential effective medium theory was used to upscale the nanoindentation results to the macroscale mechanical properties, which provided an insight into the geomechanical modeling at multiscale.

As a crucial element of city planning, an adequately planned logistics center for agricultural products can improve the circulation efficiency of agricultural products, thereby contributing to a convenient lifestyle of urban residents. First, this study analyzed the functional zones of urban green logistics centers for agricultural products based on low-carbon idea. A method was also proposed to calculate the area of each functional zone. Moreover, this study proposed a layout planning innovation method of urban green logistics centers for agricultural products based on logistics motion line analysis and logistics intensity calculation. Lastly, this study analyzed the application processes of the layout planning methodology according to the topographical conditions of Huai’an logistics center project case in China. Results of the case study show that the construction innovation method proposed in this study is scientific, reasonable, and practical. The construction innovation method can be also used for the planning and designing of similar urban logistics centers.

This study aims to fabricate a cool phthalocyanine green/TiO₂ composite pigment (PGT) with high near-infrared (NIR) reflectance, good color performance and good heat-shielding performance under sunlight and infrared irradiation.

With the help of anionic and cationic polyelectrolytes, the PGT composite pigment was prepared using a layer-by-layer assembly method under wet ball milling. Based on the light reflectance properties and color performance tested by ultraviolet-visible-NIR spectrophotometer and colorimeter, the preparation conditions were optimized and the properties of PGT pigment with different assembly layers (PGT-1, PGT-3, PGT-5 and PGT-7) were compared. In addition, their heat-shielding performance was evaluated and compared by temperature rise value for their coating under sunlight and infrared irradiation.

The PGT pigment had a core/shell structure, and the PG thickness increased with the self-assembly layers, which made the PGT-3 and PGT-7 pigment show higher color purity and saturation than PGT-1 pigment. In addition, the PGT-3 and PGT-7 pigment showed 11%–16% lower light reflectance in the visible region. However, their light reflectance in the NIR region was similar. Under infrared irradiation the PGT-5 and PGT-7 pigment coating showed 1.1°C–3.4°C and 1.3°C–4.7°C lower temperature rise value than PGT-1 pigment coating and physical mixture pigment coating, respectively. And under sunlight the PGT-3 pigment coating showed 1.5–2.6°C lower temperature rise value than the physical mixture pigment coating.

The layer-by-layer assembling makes the core/shell PGT composite pigment possess low visible light reflectance, high NIR reflectance and good heat-shielding performance.

This research aims to explore how outsider entrepreneurs maintain harmonious guanxi with stakeholders (especially the government) in an ethnic minority area of less-developed western China.

This paper is derived from an ethnographic study undertaken by the first author who lived for 12 consecutive months in the case area.

This research indicates that outsider entrepreneurs need to balance between standards required by industry associations and sound “guanxi”, between bureaucratic arrangements and business practice, between economic profit and lifestyle within a guanxi-dominated society. It may be argued that the continuance of relationships represents the continuance of resources and benefits and the maintenance of social and political capital.

One issue in the relationship with local governments is the question to what degree politicians can influence enterprises’ business? Political guanxi is thus an important key to any understanding of the local political scene. In China, the Chinese philosophy that Harmony is the most precious is a strategy often adopted in mediation and operation.

Factors including guanxi, entrepreneurs’ operation motivations, government-directed political system, indigenous people and culture and Butler’s tourism area life cycle (TALC) model are considered in the discussion. This study expands the knowledge pertaining to hostels in China in relation to their interaction with local governments and locals to maintain a good guanxi. It highlights the multiple dimensions of guanxi in terms of micro-and macro-perspectives with reference to functionality and cultural requirements.

The paper seeks to compare, through empirical evidence, two widely adopted models (the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Diffusion of Innovations (DoI) model) to an underutilized one (Perceived Characteristics of the Innovation) in order to examine which is better in predicting consumer adoption of internet banking (IB), while investigating innovation attributes vis‐à‐vis other important predictors of adoption of innovations, such as consumer personal characteristics.

The data derive from both users and non‐users of IB through a web survey. The paper assesses the psychometric properties of the measures through confirmatory factor analysis and then employs logistic regression analysis in order to assess and compare the ability of the models to accurately predict consumer adoption of IB.

The paper finds that PCI performed significantly better than TAM and DoI in predicting consumer adoption of IB, whereas the addition of consumer demographics and psychographics further improved the predictive ability of the overall logit model.

Limitations of the study include the non‐random nature of the IB non‐users sample, and the fact that this was a study of a single shopping context (i.e. banking). Non‐usability innovation characteristics are important predictors of consumer adoption of technologically based innovations. Bank managers should reconsider their segmentation and targeting strategies in the light of more refined as well as new segmentation criteria.

The PCI model has never been examined within online contexts. The paper also incorporates other non‐usability types of characteristics (i.e. social, psychological) into TAM and DoI, and identifies the moderating role of shopping context, between innovation characteristics and decision to adopt.

It has been ten years since the policy was implemented, but the effect of the policy needs to be tested empirically. This paper aims to explore the mechanism of policy influence on regional innovation ability by measuring the effectiveness of policy by innovation ability indicators. Further, it reflects the problems in the process of the transformation and development of resource-based cities in recent years and points out the direction for the development of the cities in the future. In addition, this paper discusses the differences between regions and cities in China and seeks the path to narrow the gap.

This paper mainly uses the difference-in-difference method for the research. This study divided China’s resource-based cities and non-resource-based cities into experimental groups and control groups, and explored the effect of the transformation and development of resource-based cities and the changes of their innovation ability under the influence of the National Sustainable Development Plan for Resource-based Cities (NSDPRC). More carefully, this paper uses the fixed effects regression model, propensity score matching method, bootstrap method and other methods to improve the empirical results.

This paper finds that NSDPRC significantly improves the innovation ability of resource-based cities, although there is some lag in this effect. Research on the influence mechanism of policies shows that NSDPRC improves the marketization degree of resource-based cities and reduces the proportion of the secondary industry in such cities. Finally, the results of the heterogeneity analysis confirm that policies are more popular in western China and that resource-based cities in growth, maturity and decline are more vulnerable to policy influence. The development of policy effectiveness also requires the size of a city, and maintaining a healthy and reasonable scale is necessary for urban development.

First, the existing research on the development of resource-based cities is mainly from the perspective of economy and environment, but rarely from the perspective of innovation ability, and the index to measure urban development is relatively single. This paper will compensate for this deficiency. Second, different from the European and American countries that have basically completed the industrial transformation, the research on Chinese cities will provide a reference for the transformation of developing countries. Finally, from the perspective of resource endowment theory and innovation theory, this paper discusses the influence of SDPNRBC mechanism on the innovation ability improvement of resource-based cities, and further improves and enriches the theory.