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The purpose of this paper is to study the corrosion behavior of Q235 steel in the bentonite-based resistance-reducing agent (RRA) with different infiltration rates of underground water.

The corrosion behavior of the steel in underground water was assessed by weight loss experiment, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and polarization curve.

The results showed that the corrosion rate of the steel in the RRA pastes was much lower than that in the original acidic soil. The underground water infiltration slightly accelerated the corrosion rate of the steel in the RRA pastes, but the acceleration role is weak. The bentonite-based RRA can be compatibly applied in the acidic soil.

The bentonite-based RRA can significantly reduce the corrosion rate of the steel and is suitable to compatibly apply in the acidic soil.

The purpose of this paper is to present an econometric model to empirically analyze the influence of production patterns and transaction style on raw milk quality. More specifically, the paper examines the effects of these institutions on both nutrition and safety aspects of raw milk quality.

Using data collected from 396 households in Inner Mongolia, this paper adopts a multiple linear regression model (OLS/FGLS) and a zero-inflated Poisson regression model to test two hypotheses proposed according to theory and descriptive analysis.

The empirical results indicate that both production pattern and transaction style significantly affect raw milk quality. Production pattern has a more significant effect on raw milk nutrition, while transaction style has a more significant effect on raw milk safety.

Current government policies focus on reducing household production and regulating private milk collection stations. From a comprehensive quality perspective, these policies are not effective in that they cannot guarantee raw milk safety and have little effect on improving raw milk nutrition. Alternatively, promoting dairy farmers' specialized cooperatives may be a more effective policy measure.

In contrast to other studies, this paper adopts a comprehensive quality perspective that examines both nutritional and safety characteristics rather than focusing on any single quality indicator, separately analyzing the factors influencing raw milk nutrition and raw milk safety. Therefore, the conclusion of this paper provides a new perspective in addressing the current raw milk quality problems facing China's dairy industry.

The purpose of this study is to explore how nationalistic appeals may affect consumers’ perception and purchasing of targeted brands. Qualitative historical data from old China (1900–1949) reveal that social movement groups can adopt nationalistic appeals assisted by meaning framing – defined as a creative interpretation of symbols, designs, behaviors, social events and cultural identities to serve social and political goals – to shape consumers’ attitudes toward foreign brands. After examining the mechanisms and processes underlying consumer boycotts from 1900 to 1949, the responsive strategies of affected foreign companies are illustrated.

Critical historical research method is applied to historical data and historical “traces” from China’s corporate documents, memoirs, posters, advertisements, newspapers and secondhand sources documenting Chinese boycotts from 1900 to 1949.

Consumers may pursue interests beyond economic interests. Nationalistic appeals can mobilize consumer boycotts against foreign brands that were perceived to support or relate to targeted countries. Political framing of certain events shapes consumers’ perceptions and concomitant brand choices.

Although differences between historical and current contexts may require tailoring past marketing strategies to current conditions, past strategies can inform current and future strategies.

Strategies adopted by foreign companies in old China (1900–1949) can help contemporary companies design effective marketing strategies for a hostile marketplace infused with nationalistic appeals and competing interests.

Although local companies can adopt economic or political nationalism to realize their economic goals, it represents a double-edged sword that can harm national brands.

A historical analysis of nationalistic business appeals in pre-1949 China can inform the counterstrategies modern companies adopt to overcome consumer boycotts.

The purpose of this paper is to provide readers with the main findings and conclusions of papers presented at the 2011 CAER‐IFPRI International Conference held under the theme “Is China entering a high food price era?”

The authors conduct a desk review of papers presented at the conference and provide a brief summary of the analytical tools, and main findings and conclusions of each presentation.

These reviews show that, while there seems to be an increase in the prices of agricultural commodities on the Chinese market, in real terms, these rises fall far below the increases in the prices of industrial commodities. Thus, expert views remain divided on whether China is entering an era of high food price.

The discussions initiated by the conference theme aroused researchers' curiosities for further studies into understanding the current level of food prices in China.

Successful implementation of a building information modeling (BIM) for building operation and maintenance (O&M) requires purposeful, early-design identification of end-user-specific model exchange requirements. This paper aims to provide a semantic data-rich classification system for model objects to convey facilities management (FM) requirements in BIM guidelines in support of efficient FM-BIM data workflows.

A modularized, repeatable and technical solution for semantic requirements of BIM exchange objects was developed through ontology-based data mapping of the industry foundation classes. The proposed solution further contextualizes syntax per the buildingSMART Data Dictionary schema and provides an implementation agreement to address the quality issues of discipline BIMs and establish consistent modeling and naming conventions to facilitate automated BIM data workflow.

The level of semantics (LOS) development framework and the results of LOS implementation focusing on a building mechanical system case project are presented and discussed to showcase the increased efficiency resulting from its implementation throughout the BIM data management workflows.

This study represents a pioneering effort to create and implement the LOS schema as a modularized solution in support of automatic BIM data creation, adjustment, verification and transition across the design, construction and O&M workflows of a large owner organization in the Midwest USA.

This paper presents a review concerning the analytical and inverse methods of small punch creep test (SPCT) in order to evaluate the mechanical property of component material at elevated temperature.

In this work, the effects of temperature, specimen size and shape on material properties are mainly discussed using the finite element (FE) method. The analytical approaches including membrane stretching, empirical or semi-empirical solutions that are currently used for data interpretation have been presented.

The state-of-the-art research progress on the inverse method, such as non-linear optimization program and neutral network, is critically reviewed. The capabilities of the inverse technique, the uniqueness of the solution and future development are discussed.

The state-of-the-art research progress on the inverse method such as non-linear optimization program and neutral network is critically reviewed. The capabilities of the inverse technique, the uniqueness of the solution and future development are discussed.

The purpose of this study is to elucidate the size effect (groove width, unit length and area density) of the hexagonal texture on tribological properties under lubrication.

The tribological properties of nine hexagonal textures with different hexagon lengths and groove widths have been investigated under mixed lubrication to elucidate the size effect.

Overall, the friction coefficient decreases as the groove width increases within the examined range, whereas the hexagon length shows an optimal value around 3 mm. In particular, one hexagonal texture (3 × 3 mm) exhibits lower friction coefficients and less wear losses than the others. Interestingly, two hexagonal textures of similar area density (1 × 1 mm and 3 × 3 mm) yield the worst and best tribological performances, respectively, which can be explained by the simulated distribution of equivalent stress.

The tribological properties of nine hexagonal textures are examined under lubrication. The 3 × 3 texture exhibits lower friction coefficient and wear loss than the others. Two textures of similar area density yield the worst and best tribological performances. The results agree with the simulated distribution of equivalent stress.

The emergence of the Software-as-a-service (SaaS) licensing model dramatically changes how enterprise software is released. Especially, it is favored by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) because of the cost-friendly feature. In contrast, many large enterprises (LEs) own relatively abundant budgets and prefer the on-premise software to fulfill demands through customization. Considering the differentiated cost-acceptance level among customers, this study aims to address the versioning problem of the enterprise software faced by software firms.

A two-point distribution model is formulated to calculate the maximal profits software firm earned from both LEs and SMEs under three strategies (On-premise, SaaS and Hybrid). Then through profit comparison, this paper obtains the optimal versioning strategy and corresponding feasible conditions. Finally, the optimal solutions are derived concerning social welfare.

A significant finding is that moving to SaaS becomes necessary for the software firms in product releases since the on-premise strategy will not be optimal. Based on this, this paper discovers that when LEs own a cost-acceptance level close to that of SMEs, the hybrid strategy is the only optimal choice. When LEs become less sensitive to costs, the hybrid strategy is suggested if the customization cost falls below the threshold. Otherwise, the SaaS strategy becomes the optimal option. The conclusions explain why some software vendors transit to “cloud companies” thoroughly and provide practical insights for software firms’ future decisions.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is the first information economics study to consider consumer cost sensitivity in discussing enterprise software versioning. The differentiated cost-acceptance level is introduced to describe the customer utilities, and the results uncover the necessity of moving to SaaS under diversified customer composition. This work provides significant theoretical value and practical insights.

Although scholars have provided sufficient empirical evidence on the effect of peer knowledge hiding on new product development (NPD) project team outcomes, little attention has been given to the relationship between project manager knowledge hiding and individual outcomes. Drawing on the job resources-demands model and a dyadic stressor perspective, this study aims to explore the effect of project manager knowledge hiding on subordinates’ turnover intentions as well as the mediating roles of challenge- and hindrance-related stress.

This study conducted a multiple-source survey of NPD project managers and their subordinates in China. Hypotheses were tested by using data collected from 171 manager–subordinate dyads in NPD projects.

The findings revealed that project manager knowledge hiding was positively associated with subordinates’ turnover intentions, challenge-related stress and hindrance-related stress. Project manager knowledge hiding imposed a positive indirect effect on turnover intentions through hindrance-related stress, whereas the mediating effect of challenge-related stress was not significant.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is one of the first to investigate the individual outcomes of top-down knowledge hiding as well as the mediating roles of challenge- and hindrance-related stress in the context of NPD projects.

The purpose of this paper is to study the correlation between the dynamic features of the running-in attractor and the wear particle group, so as to characterize the running-in attractor by means of the wear particle group.

Wear particles are collected in phased wear experiments, and their dynamic features are investigated by the equivalent mean chord length L. Then, the correlation between the equivalent mean chord length L and the correlation dimension D of the running-in attractor is studied.

In the wear process, the equivalent means chord length L first decreases, then remains steady, and finally increases, this process agrees with the increase, stabilization and decrease of the correlation dimension D. Therefore, the wear particle group has a dynamic nature, which characterizes the formation, stabilization, and disappearance of a running-in attractor. Consequently, the dynamic characteristics and evolution of a running-in attractor can be revealed by the wear particle group.

The intrinsic relationship between the wear particle group and the running-in attractor is proved, and this is advantageous for further revealing the dynamic features of the running-in attractor and identifying the wear states.