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This study aims to develop and validate a measure for conspicuous compensatory consumption. Compensatory consumption phenomenon is gaining increased significance in consumer behavior literature. In a symbolic-rich culture, the use of possessions creates a perfect venue for self-construction and self-repairing to make up for one’s psychological deficiencies and inadequacies.

A mixed research design of qualitative and quantitative methodologies is adopted by using elicitation techniques, interviews and survey data. Extensive development and validation procedures are used. A series of studies, encompassing a total sample of 1,782, are reported.

The current study offers a valid and reliable measure for conspicuous compensatory consumption by chronologically following the stages of the scale development process. Compensatory consumption had a negative influence on subjective happiness and a positive influence on negative affect and satisfaction with life. Respondents with high materialism scores had significantly higher compensatory tendencies than the low materialism group. The low self-compassionate group had significantly higher compensatory tendencies than the high self-compassionate group.

The current study provides theoretical contributions to consumer behavior research by providing a valid and reliable measure for conspicuous compensatory consumption. Contrary to past scales that followed a mood-alleviation perspective where therapeutic shopping is used to regulate negative emotions, this scale is novel in adopting a self-completion approach where products are pursued for a tactical effort to offset threatened self-concepts.

Sustainable urban rail transit requires noise barriers. However, these barriers’ durability varies due to the differing aerodynamic impacts they experience. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the aerodynamic discrepancies of trains when they meet within two types of rectangular noise barriers: fully enclosed (FERNB) and semi-enclosed with vertical plates (SERNBVB). The research also considers the sensitivity of the scale ratio in these scenarios.

A 1:16 scaled moving model test analyzed spatiotemporal patterns and discrepancies in aerodynamic pressures during train meetings. Three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics models, with scale ratios of 1:1, 1:8 and 1:16, used the improved delayed detached eddy simulation turbulence model and slip grid technique. Comparing scale ratios on aerodynamic pressure discrepancies between the two types of noise barriers and revealing the flow field mechanism were done. The goal is to establish the relationship between aerodynamic pressure at scale and in full scale.

The aerodynamic pressure on SERNBVB is influenced by the train’s head and tail waves, whereas for FERNB, it is affected by pressure wave and head-tail waves. Notably, SERNBVB's aerodynamic pressure is more sensitive to changes in scale ratio. As the scale ratio decreases, the aerodynamic pressure on the noise barrier gradually increases.

A train-meeting moving model test is conducted within the noise barrier. Comparison of aerodynamic discrepancies during train meets between two types of rectangular noise barriers and the relationship between the scale and the full scale are established considering the modeling scale ratio.

WHERE computer programmes are not available for the solution of kinetic heating problems, the estimation of equilibrium and transient surface temperatures on bodies in supersonic flow becomes tedious, especially where the transient conditions are to be analysed. A current method of performing these calculations for a turbulent boundary layer is here synthesised into nomogram form.

The work described in this paper is part of a current programme that has two objects: (1) to investigate further the reasons for the different scaling behaviour of steel in steam and carbon dioxide, although these gases have similar oxygen potentials; (2) to provide background information for an investigation into the effect of variations in re‐heating furnace atmospheres upon scaling and scale adhesion.

The concept of the evolution of the distribution function is used to derive an energy‐scale distribution that is able to describe transport phenomena, including inter‐valley transfer effect, in the scale as small as the energy relaxation time. The energy‐scale distribution is used to study the evolution of electrons in n‐type GaAs under the influence of rapid change in field. Results indicate that, near the peak of strong velocity overshoot or the bottom of pronounced undershoot in the Γ valley caused by the rapid change in field, the energy‐scale distribution can not respond as fast as the distribution function calculated from the Monte Carlo method. The average velocity resulting from the energy‐scale distribution therefore leads to less pronounced overshoot and undershoot than those obtained from the Monte Carlo method. However, since velocity overshoot and undershoot are not pronounced in the L‐valleys, the L‐valley energy‐scale distribution is in excellent agreement with that determined by the Monte carlo simulation.

The Chinese Government relies heavily on increasing farming scale to address the new challenges facing China’s agricultural development. A basket of polices targeted at increasing farming scale has been issued in recent years thereby resulting to debates over large-scale farming in China. The purpose of this paper is to summarize and highlight the debate over China’s on-going large-scale farming.

This paper contributes to the policy debates over large-scale farming in China by reviewing the existing literature on the positive and negative impacts of large-scale farming on agricultural development, land productivity, and national food security. This paper overviews the different ideas and findings of studies associated with the topic.

The mainstream literature supports the idea that large-scale farming will address the challenges facing China’s agricultural development, while others argue that it crowds out the benefits of small farmers, and raises concerns over inequalities of resources allocation and income distribution, and undermines social stability. While proponents argue that large-scale farming may lead to rise in land productivity, opponents argue that it may result into decrease in land productivity and national grain output.

This paper is a policy review based on existing works. It organizes the different debates over large-scale farming in China, and highlights the key arguments put forward.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the formation, pickling ability and adhesion of thermal oxide scales on the hot-rolled recycled steels produced from the medium and thin slabs. Because the scale on the steel produced from the medium slab was relatively thick of about 11 µm, it contained cracks after hot-rolling. Thus during pickling, the scale was uniformly attacked with the simultaneous dissolution of the inner scale because of the penetration of acid through cracks. However, the scale on the steel produced from the thin slab was thinner of about 6 µm and thus, nearly crack-free. The pickling solution thus attacked the scale surface uniformly. At longer pickling periods, pits were also nucleated and propagated. Concurrently, the tensile testing machine with a CCD camera has been applied to observe scale adhesion.

The formation, pickling ability and adhesion of thermal oxide scales on the hot-rolled recycled steels produced from the recycled slab, e.g. medium slab and thin slab, were investigated. The morphology and phase identification were examined by using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. Furthermore, the adhesion behaviour of oxide scale was investigated by immersion test and tensile test with a CCD camera.

For the scale formation, it was found that the hematite and magnetite were formed on the hot-rolled recycled steels produced from the medium and thin slabs. For the immersion test, it was found that the scale on hot-rolled recycled steels produced from the medium slab was more difficult to be pickled as represented by the longer time for the complete pickling. This was consistent with the result of tensile test; the steel produced from the medium slab had better scale adhesion as represented by the higher strain initiating the first spallation of scale.

The effects of slab types and its alloying element were investigated to understand the scale adhesion behaviour. The empirical pickling mechanisms and the mechanical adhesion energy were proposed. It led to the understanding in the control of alloying element in the hot-rolled steel.

The purpose of this paper is to produce up‐to‐date inventories for satisfaction and Likert scales that contain commonly used scale point descriptors and their respective mean scale values and standard deviations.

All data were collected online using the SSI Survey Spot Panel. This panel is national (USA) in scope. Thirty‐nine satisfaction items and 19 agreement items were tested on a random sample consisting of individuals 21‐65 years old.

The mean value and the standard deviation were calculated for each of these descriptors. Even though only six of the items that had been tested by Jones and Thurstone (1955) were included in the list of satisfaction scale descriptors, the semantic meanings of those six have changed very little over the years.

One limitation might be that scale point descriptor inventories developed within the context of health insurance might not be valid in other service contexts.

Since the present study focuses on Likert and satisfaction scales which are frequently used in service environments, the major contribution of this study is to provide services marketers with quantitative measurement of the meanings of commonly used scale point descriptors. This permits the development of successive and/or equal interval scales and thus aids in the analyses of data sets. It will thus help service marketers to develop questionnaires that more accurately reflect actual consumer satisfaction and opinions.

The development of up‐to‐date inventories for satisfaction and Likert scales.

Discusses the data analysed in the present study which was collected from 284 Qatari men and women college students. Examines the internal reliability estimates, construct and concurrent validity of the Protestant ethic scale. Internal consistency estimates of reliability and the pattern of relationships among the scales yielded similar results to those reported in the Western culture. Shows that, the factor analysis yielded four interpretable factors for the Protestant ethic scale, two factors for the work ethic scale, two factors for the Protestant ethic attitudes and five factors for the total items of the three Protestant work ethic scales and the leisure ethic scale. Posits that, these results are generally consistent with previous research findings, and, similar to previous research findings, the mean scores of the three Protestant ethic scales were relatively higher than those generally reported in developed countries. Suggests that, the results show that the three Protestant work ethic scales are moderately valid and reliable instruments to use for studying Arabian Gulf students.

One of the problems in the production of narrow hot‐rolled mild steel strip is the formation, at the edges of the strip, of scale that can be extremely resistant to pickling; This extreme resistance to pickling of ‘hard edge scale’ sometimes requires repickling of a considerable percentage of coils with consequent loss of production and deterioration of surface finish. The paper considers in detail the correlation between the microstructure of scale on the strip and its pickling behaviour. It is shown that certain characteristics of the microstructure, peculiar to ‘hard edge scale’, i.e. increased thickness, the presence of a primary magnetite layer, greater degree of wüstite transformation and the nature and presence of haematite, can be suppressed to a greater or lesser degree by variations in the cooling cycle. It is considered that no single one of these structural differences between hard edge scale and that which is removed readily from the centre of the strip would, by itself, interfere with pickling, but when these characteristics occur together repickling is made necessary. The above observations and conclusions are supported by results obtained from pickling tests carried out in the laboratory on samples taken from a wide range of coils.