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[Purpose/Significance] Under the influence of various factors such as the pandemic, oil prices, and economic conditions, the global automotive industry has entered a period of downturn. Therefore, how to activate market potential and increase consumers' willingness to purchase cars has become an important research topic. Unlike many other products, test drives play a significant role in the car-buying process. [Method/Procedure] This study employs a questionnaire survey to explore how consumer perceptions of product aesthetics, space quality, and service quality during their initial visit to an automobile 4S store influence their test drive intention through two dimensions of brand image: symbolic and experiential. A structural equation model is used to establish a test drive intention impact model incorporating these dimensions. [Results/Conclusions] The study found that brand image, both symbolic and experiential, plays a significant mediating role in enhancing potential consumers' test drive intentions. Space image had the most significant impact on brand image. Although product aesthetics did not directly affect brand image experientially, they remained an important factor in enhancing brand image symbolically. [Contribution/Value] The results of this study can provide insights for automotive brand managers, automobile 4S store designers, and others aiming to promote the sustainable development of automotive consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of media and information technology has exerted profound influences over the relationship between human cognition and physical environment. Using the online images of Chongqing Central City and its affiliated districts that are found via search engines, this paper analyzes the scope of their visual field and the typology and the frequency of their content variables and explores the features and the regional differences of the city's space image, in order to expand and supplement the scope and the paradigm of city image study. The study finds that: 1 the visual field of the online images is significantly correlated with the economic status, spatial characteristics, and development level of the region; 2 the space image of certain districts of Chongqing Central City shown by the online images presents few local features; 3 the space image of mountains and rivers of Chongqing Central City and its affiliated districts is not sufficiently expressed by the online images; and 4 the Internet has become an important medium for city image study that can quickly identify the features and deficiencies of local image. It is proposed to highlight the role of publicity and communication of media technology in the field of planning, which can help to reach consensus among various parties in the dynamic process of urban development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The activation of surging glaciers in the Pamirs over the past 20 years has been studied. Glacier surges occurred in the basins of the Surkhob, Muksu, Sauksai, Seldara (including the Fedchenko Glacier system), Obihingou, and Vanch rivers. Pulsational processes were detected on 48 glaciers against the background of a general glacier retreat under the influence of global warming. Features of glacier activation, development of pulsational processes, and their completion are shown. There was no clear association of glacier surges with seismic events, with the exception of three cases when earthquakes caused rock collapses that could have caused glaciers to activate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of News of Kazakhstan Science / Novosti nauki Kazahstana is the property of NCSTE (JSC National Center for State Scientific and Technical Evaluations) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Traditional market-towns in Chengdu Plain are blessed with rich vernacular cultural resources. In addition to summarizing characteristics of landscape image, image of downtown street and cultural symbiosis image of the traditional market-town space, this paper, based on the discussion of the renewal design of the Ancient Luodai Town, analyzes the physical elements that constitute the space image, such as the street, interface, area, node and identifiability of landmark building, so as to explore how to create the space image of the traditional market-town with distinctive vernacular cultural characteristics in the construction of the vernacular human settlements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Tourism Tribune / Lvyou Xuekan is the property of Tourism Institute of Beijing Union University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The paper presents a hybrid classification method based on the determination of the optimal number of classes according to uncontrolled classification followed by image processing techniques of controlled classification. A criterion for determining the optimal number of classes is proposed based on the definition of averaged values differences of average spectral brightness among the classes. Space images from satellites Ikonos (2002, 2007) and QuickBird (2010) were used to study different time cuttings in the forests of the Carpathian region. A significant amount of ground observation was held for getting test information. A Hybrid Classification Method is used for different time cuttings by QuickBird satellite images and implemented in a software environment of ERDAS Imagine. In order to obtain acreage of cuttings made for the period of 2002-2007 and 2007-2010, a comparative analysis of cuttings is introduced in these time intervals and their area is determined on the basis of the digital images of polygons in the ArcGIS software environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For work materials used multispectral satellite imagery Landsat (7 channels), medium spatial resolution (14,25-90 m) and a digital elevation model (data SRTM).For interpretation of satellite images and especially their infrared and thermal channels allocated buried paleovalleys pre-paleogene age. Their total length is 228 km. By manifestation of the content of remote sensing paleovalleys distinctly divided into two types, long ribbon-like read in materials and space survey highlights a network of small lakes. By the nature of the relationship established that the second type of river paleovalleys flogs first. On this basis, proposed to allocate two uneven river paleosystem. The most ancient paleovalleys first type can presumably be attributed to karst erosion, blurry chalk and carbon deposits foundation. Paleovalleys may include significant groundwater resources as drinking and industrial purposes. Also we can control the position paleovalleys zinc and bauxite mineralization area and alluvial deposits include uranium mineralization valleys infiltration type and placer gold. Direction paleovalleys choppy, but in general they have a north-east orientation, which is controlled by tectonic zones of the foundation. These zones are defined as the burial place themselves paleovalleys and position of karst cavities in areas interfacing with other structures orientation. The association of mineralization to the caverns in the beds paleovalleys could generally present conditions of formation of mineralization and carry it to the «Niagara» type. The term is obviously best reflects the mechanism of formation of these ores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Space information, or information obtained by means of space remote sensing, is widely and effectively used by many countries to solve a lot of scientific, technical and applied problems. Most manufacturers of space remote sensing systems declared the high resolution values of their systems. However, these values are computed theoretically, without considering the various factors affected them. To determine the real resolution of the system, we have considered mathematical modeling which describes the influence of different factors on the satellite images resolution. Some of these factors are: atmosphere turbulence, image shift, residual defocusing, and diffraction. One of the most important characteristic of the images resolution is the modulation transfer function (MTF) which allows the estimation of different factors affected on the image resolution. The modulation transfer function (MTF) is a fundamental tool for assessing the performance of imaging systems. Various authors [Zhang et al. 2012, Hwang et al. 2008, Ryan et al. 2003] investigate different MTF assessment methods of high resolution satellite images: a slant-edge method, a knife-edge method, a sine wave method and a grill pattern. We propose a generalized approach for MTF assessment based on theoretical assumptions which allows to determine the influence of different factors. A comparative analysis of the modulation transfer function(s) for different space imaging systems shows that the image resolution depends mainly on the atmosphere turbulence and size of a sensor element. Additionally, we established that atmospheric turbulence significantly reduces the transmitting possibility of images. The parameters which describe the influence of turbulence required additional studies. The main goal of our researches is to show that real spatial image(s) resolution is much "inferior" than the value provided by the manufacturers of space remote sensing systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two methods of determining changes of objects (structures) using remote sensing data obtained in different times are considered in this article. The comparison of the percentage of destroyed buildings as a consequence of the earthquake in L'Aquila city (Italy) was implemented. For comparison two ways of data collection were used: obtaining data by the digitalization of objects before and after the disaster (using MapInfo software) and by automatic image classification using a special module Delta Cue (Erdas software). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]