Search results

A series of environmental pollution issues and economic improvement go hand in hand. Since financial listed companies contribute significantly to the national economic development, China has been paying increasing attention to the development of the financial industry. The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship among the development level of the financial industry, over-investment of the listed companies and environmental pollution through a macro-level and micro-level mechanism.

In this study, we adopt the 2011–2017 panel data of listed companies in the manufacturing industry to study the impacts of the financial industry on environmental pollution. Meanwhile, the paper uses a mediator model, and over-investment is introduced to the econometric model as a mediator to explore whether the development of the financial industry can affect the environmental pollution through over-investment.

A U-shaped relationship between financial industry development and environmental pollution was observed through a macro-perspective; additionally, over-investment of the listed companies significantly increased environmental pollution, along with a significant mediator effect of over-investment. A significant positive correlation was observed between financial industry development and environmental pollution in the East region of China, while the correlation was negative in the Central and West regions. The mitigation effect of financial industry development on environmental pollution was more significant in the low-end manufacturing industry, compared with basic and high-end manufacturing industries.

Strengthening the incentives and supervision toward company managers, reducing over-investment behaviors, encouraging suitable financial industry development to reduce financial risks, improving environmental conservation laws and regulations, and implementing stringent penalty mechanisms for environmental conservation are necessary.

The purpose of this paper is to use systemic thinking to explain and predict the cost of logistics outsourcing, and to devise policies to minimize the cost of risk.

A method of system dynamics is adopted to capture the dynamic interaction of logistics outsourcing systems and to analyze the impact of some factors in the system on policy decisions over a long‐term horizon.

This paper illustrates the internal mechanism of the logistics outsourcing cost of risk systems by virtue of system dynamic principles, to develop a system dynamics model, and to give a quite detailed description of how the model could work.

The results of the simulation analysis provide useful information for logistics outsourcing risk managers.

This paper contributes to the discussion on the use of system dynamics for studying logistics outsourcing cost of risk.

Aiming at the cavitations and noise problem of hydraulic cone valve and based on the radial force analysis of the valve core, the radial deviation of the spool is considered to obtain the changing rules of cavitations and noise.

The solid model of the internal flow field of cone valve is established. The mesh models are divided using ICEM-CFD software. The numerical simulation of the liquid-gas two-phase flow is performed on the cavitation and noise of the flow field inside the cone valve based on FLUENT software. The visible experimental platform for cavitation and noise of hydraulic cone valve is built. According to the contrast of the experimental results, the correctness of the simulation results is verified.

The results show that the radial deviation causes the position of the cavitation accumulates in the valve cavity on the side of the upper cone. In addition, the strength of the cavitation changes slowly with the half cone angle of 45°, and the noise level is the smallest. Furthermore, appropriately increasing the opening degree within a reasonable range can effectively suppress cavitation and reduce the noise level.

The cavitation can be suppressed and the noise level can be reduced by means of changing the three factors, which lays the foundation for the design and theoretical research of the cone valve.

The purpose of this paper is to propose a type of hybrid bearing lubricated with supercritical carbon dioxide (S-CO₂) and to investigate the stiffness and damping characteristics of the bearing under hydrostatic status.

Established a test rig for radial bearings lubricated with S-CO₂ and used it to measure the dynamic coefficients by recording the relative and absolute displacements of bearing. Test bearing is mounted on a nonrotating, stiff shaft. Using static loading experiments to obtain structural stiffness. The dynamic coefficient regularities of the test bearing under hydrostatic status were revealed through dynamic loading experiments.

Experiment results indicate that test bearing displayed increased stiffness when subjected to high excitation frequencies and low excitation forces, as well as elevated damping when exposed to low excitation frequencies and low excitation forces. Additionally, an increase in either environmental pressure or hydrostatic recess pressure can elevate the dynamic coefficient. The effect of temperature on the dynamic coefficient is more pronounced around the critical temperature of S-CO₂.

Designed a type of hybrid bearing for use in the Brayton cycle that is lubricated with S-CO₂ and uses hydrostatic lubrication during start-stop and hydrodynamic lubrication during high-speed operation. The hybrid bearing reduces the wear and friction power consumption of gas bearing. However, few experimental analyses have been conducted by researchers in this field.

This paper aims to characterize the relationship between the interelectrode capacitance (C) of metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) and the applied bias voltage (V) by a fractional-order equivalent model.

A Riemann–Liouville-type fractional-order equivalent model is proposed for the C–V characteristic of MOSFETs, which is based on the mathematical relationship between fractional calculus and the semiconductor physical model for the interelectrode capacitance of metal oxide semiconductor structure. The C–V characteristic data of an N-channel MOSFET are obtained by Silvaco TCAD simulation. A differential evolution-based offline scheme is exploited for the parameter identification of the proposed model.

According to the results of theoretical analysis, mathematical derivation, simulation and comparison, this paper illustrates that, along with the variation of bias voltage applied, the interelectrode capacitance (C) of MOSFETs performs a fractional-order characteristic.

This work uncovers the fractional-order characteristic of MOSFETs’ interelectrode capacitance. By the proposed model, the influence of doping concentration on the gate leakage parasitic capacitance of MOSFETs can be revealed. In the pre-defined doping concentration range, the relative error of the proposed model is less than 5% for the description of C–V characteristics of metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs). Compared to some existing models, the proposed model has advantages in both model accuracy and model complexity, and the variation of model parameters can directly reflect the relationship between the characteristics of MOSFETs and the doping concentration of materials. Accordingly, the proposed model can be used for the microcosmic mechanism analysis of MOSFETs. The results of the analysis produce evidence for the widespread existence of fractional-order characteristics in the physical world.

This paper aims to examine the complex role of consumer participation by empirically testing a theoretical model within the online context of consumer using product recommendation agents (RAs) that integrates consumer participation into the technology acceptance model (TAM). Recent research starts questioning whether consumer participation is a double-edged sword, although its positive effects have been widely documented in the services marketing literature.

Data were collected from 243 respondents comprising both genders with varied age groups, education levels, household income and ethnicities. Participants interacted with an existing RA, searching product information for a simulated purchase involving either high or low financial risk. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and Structural equations modeling (SEM) were used for assessing construct validity and testing hypotheses, respectively.

Consumer participation was found to positively affect enjoyment but negatively affect perceived ease of use of an RA, which was exacerbated when the purchase was of high financial risk. Predictions based on TAM were all supported in this study.

This research evidenced consumer participation’s dual-effect and identified financial risk as a moderator of consumer participation’ negative effect. Future research could employ a different design such as using controlled lab settings and conducting longitudinal studies to replicate the study.

Findings from this research provide guidance to RA design regarding the amount of consumer participation, consumer perceptions of RA use (ease of use, usefulness and enjoyment) and financial risk involved in the purchase.

This research sheds new light on the role of consumer participation through uncovering its dual-effect, thus complementing the services marketing and RA literature.

The aim of this paper is to argue for the values of familial caring and relationships in addition to the provision of social media technology during the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong.

The discussion of this paper has adopted an inter-disciplinary approach by integrating health care system and psychological analysis, based on cultural philosophical argument through the hermeneutic approach of classical texts and critical analysis.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the dilemma between the public health measures for COVID-19 and sustaining elderly social psychological health through familial connection. From a Confucian perspective, the practice of filial piety (xiao, 孝), which demands taking care of parents, is essential for one’s moral formation, and for one’s becoming a virtuous (ren, 仁) person. The necessity of taking care of elderly parents by adult children is not something that can be explained in terms of consequentialism. Indeed, the rising trend of instrumental rationality seems to weaken rather than strengthen the sense of filial obligation. In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic which tends to separate connections between family members, the author argues that we should emphasize the values of familial caring and relationship because it enhances the elderly’s characteristic of resilience.

This paper shows that while social media technology has mitigated the negative effect of social distancing, such online relationships should never replace the bodily connections between the elderly and their family members from a Confucian perspective.

The embedding of digital technology and the fuzzy organizational boundary have changed the operation of platform innovation ecosystem (PIE). Specifically, as an important energy of PIE, the internal logic of knowledge flow needs to be reconsidered in the context of digital age, which will be helpful to select the cultivation and governance strategy of PIE.

A dual case-analysis is applied to open the “black box” of knowledge flow in the PIE from the perspective of enabled by digital technology, by taking the intellectual property (IP) operation platform as cases.

The research findings are as follow: (1) The knowledge flow mechanism of PIE is mainly demonstrated through the processes of knowledge acquisition, knowledge integration and knowledge spillover. During this process, connectivity empowerment and scenario empowerment realize the digital empowerment of the platform. (2) Connectivity empowerment provides a channel of knowledge acquisition for the digital connection between participants in PIE. In the process of knowledge integration, scenario empowerment improves the opportunities for accurate matching and collaborative innovation between knowledge supplier and demander, and enhance the value of knowledge. The dual effect of connectivity empowerment and scenario empowerment has accelerated the knowledge spillover in PIE. Particularly, connectivity empowerment expands the range of knowledge spillover, and scenario empowerment affects the generativity of the platform, resulting in the enhancement of platform’s capability to embed and expand its value network. (3) Participants have been benefitted from the PIE enabled by digital technology through three key modules (knowledge acquisition, knowledge integration and knowledge spillover), as the result of knowledge flow.

This study focuses on the knowledge flow mechanism of PIE enabled by digital technology, which enriches the PIE theory, and has enlightenments for the cultivation of digital platform ecosystem.

The purpose of this paper is to prepare Ti(C,N) coatings on TA15 treated and not treated by shot peening using double glow plasma alloying technique. The effect of shot peening on the wear behavior of Ti(C,N) coatings is discussed.

The Ti(C,N) coatings were prepared by double glow plasma alloying technique on two different TA15 substrate; one is shot peened and the other is not.

Ti(C,N) coating on SP-treated TA15 was thicker and denser, and the grain size was smaller compared with that on original TA15. Compared with the Ti(C,N) coating on original TA15, the wear resistance of that on SP-treated TA15 is improved. Ti(C,N) coating on SP-treated TA15 showed higher nanohardness and bearing capacity than that on original TA15.

For double glow plasma alloying technique, surface quality, surface activity and other factors will have influence on the thickness and density of the coating. The wear mechanisms of Ti(C,N) coating on original TA15 are serious abrasive wear and oxidation wear. However, the wear mechanism of Ti(C,N) coating on SP-treated TA15 is slightly oxidation wear.

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-07-2020-0283/

Student participation has been an important issue for information literacy (IL) teachings. The purpose of this paper is to promote active student participation in IL courses with Rain Classroom, an intelligent teaching tool.

Using mixed method research, the paper presents a practical case study of the author’s experiences with Rain Classroom to improve teaching and learning of IL.

The study shows that Rain Classroom helps implement problem-based learning, promote student participation in class interaction and optimize learning experience, which facilitates a shift of the IL course from passive to active learning.

It is known that university public courses have large class sizes (more than 50 students per class), and, therefore, class interaction is difficult to organize. So this is a big issue for the researchers to study.

The proposed Rain Classroom is a free teaching tool and can be used in other academic libraries to enhance active student participation in IL lessons.

The paper includes implications for improving interaction in large-size conference or trainings using Rain Classroom.

The existing literature has not traced the reports on using the Rain Classroom to enhance student participation in IL courses in academic libraries. This paper intends to fill this gap and share practical methods and experiences, deepening the application research of Rain Classroom.