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Gaining wide prominence in the global health arena, scaling-up increases the coverage of health innovations emerging from pilots and experimental projects to a larger scale. However, scaling-up in the health sector should not follow a linear 'pilot-diffusion' pathway in order to better facilitate local adaptation and policy refinement. This paper puts forth 'scaling-up through piloting' as a distinctive pathway for the strategic management of scaling-up in the health sector. It analyses the recent development of provider payment reforms in China, focusing particularly on the ongoing pilot programmes, namely diagnosis-related groups (DRGs) and diagnosis-intervention packet (DIP), that are being piloted in a dual-track fashion since 2020. Data were drawn from extensive documentary analysis and 20 in-depth interviews with key stakeholders, including decision-makers and implementers. This paper finds that scaling-up through piloting helps Chinese policymakers minimize the vast uncertainties associated with complex payment reforms and maximize the local adaptability of provider payment innovations. This pathway has forged a phased implementation process, allowing new payment models to be tested, evaluated, compared and adjusted in a full spectrum of local contexts before national rollout. The phased implementation creates a 'slower is faster' effect, helping reduce long-term negative consequences arising from improperly managed scaling-up in a complex system. Error detection and correction and recalibration of new policy tools can support national-level policy refinement in a more robust and dynamic fashion. Several key factors have been identified as crucial for strategic scaling-up: necessary central steering, a pragmatic piloting design, strong technical capacity and effective policy learning mechanisms [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper takes a low-energy building in Changchun, China, as an object to test and study the characteristics of two heating modes, AC/DC (Alternative current/Direct current) switching and AC/DC synthesis, from the perspectives of temperature change, irradiation intensity, power generation, electricity consumption, etc. Firstly, the experimental research was conducted under two heating cable modes by establishing mathematical models and a test rig, and it was found that the photoelectric conversion efficiency on sunny, cloudy, and overcast days was 18%, 14.5%, and 12%, respectively. A simulation model was established by TRNSYS to run an ultra-low-energy building throughout the year. It was found that the highest and lowest monthly power generation occurred in February and July, respectively. The annual power generation of the system was 6614 kWh, and the heating season power generation was 3293.42 kWh. In the current research, the DC electricity consumption was slightly higher than the AC electricity consumption. Under conditions of similar radiation intensity and power generation, the indoor temperature of the AC/DC synthesis cable heating mode were 1.38% higher than the AC/DC switching heating able mode, and the electricity consumption were 10.9% and 4.76% higher, respectively, than those of the AC switching heating cable mode. This is of great significance for clean-energy heating, energy savings, and emissions reduction in northern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Model's physical attractiveness plays an important role in online shopping. The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationships among model type, consumer's perceived amount of information and consumer's approach behaviour. Design/methodology/approach: Construal level theory and anchoring effect are used to develop hypotheses. The authors conducted an online experiment in China, and 229 females participated in this experiment. Findings: Compared with the professional model, the nonprofessional model triggers consumers' more perceived amount of information and approach behaviour. The latter effect is significantly enhanced in the website retailing context. Moreover, perceived amount of information positively affects approach behaviour. Practical implications: The findings can help fashion brands understand the roles of model type and the online retailing context in consumer behaviour. It offers guidance on how to improve its marketing strategy scientifically. It can also provide consumers with suggestions for making objective purchasing decisions. Originality/value: This study is one of the first to examine the effects of two model types (professional model or nonprofessional model) on consumers' perceived amount of information and approach behaviour within two online retailing contexts (website stores or webcast studio). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the formation of networked ceramic factories before the mid-eighteenth century in early modern China. Enquiring into the role of the state and private entrepreneurs in production innovation and design, it explores the notion of a 'factory'. In the context of large scale traditional production in East Asia, I periodize the evolving organizational structure of China's model of ceramic production and discuss two aspects of the state's negotiation with regional commercial kilns: 1) the impact on kiln structures and the exploitation of raw materials such as porcelain stones and colour pigment, and 2) an early modern design system which simultaneously regulated aesthetic forms, technological experiments, and fiscal planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In China, training schools are ubiquitous, where heterogeneous pedestrian flow (which consists of adults and children) widely occurs during the after-class period. In this paper, we develop a fine grid cellular CA model to describe the pedestrian behaviors (e.g., pick-up behavior, searching behavior, matching behavior, waiting behavior, leading behavior, and following behavior) at a training school during the after-class period and explore the effects of the special behaviors on each pedestrian's movement in and around a classroom. To describe the heterogeneous pedestrian flow accurately, (i) some questionnaire surveys are designed to extract some features of adult's and child's movement, and (ii) some video experiments are conducted to estimate/calibrate some parameters of interest in the proposed model. Finally, some strategies are designed to enhance the evacuation efficiency and the operational efficiency of training school. The numerical results indicate that the proposed model can reasonably match with reality, and the proposed strategies can enhance the evacuation efficiency and the operational efficiency of training school. The results can help the administrators to effectively manage the pedestrian evacuation at training school during the after-class period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As agricultural labor is decreasing, famous tea production is nearly hard to sustain and is getting more and more expensive in China. To improve the mechanization of tea plucking, this paper designs a self-propelled track-type tea plucking machine that integrates mechanic, hydraulic and electronics. The main parameters of chassis were optimized based on conditions of tea garden. And, three different kinds of cutter blades were designed and analyzed about vibration performance with finite element software. Also, a rigid-flex mixed motion model was established. Based on the model and plots, it is explicit that: 1) the blades move in a sine law; 2) the blades take a symmetrical deform from middle to end while moving; 3) the deformation increases along the blade from the center to sides. The single factor experiment revealed that both travel speed and speed ratio of cutting and travelling had a significant effect on quality indexes (integrity rate, unpicking rate, stubble unevenness) of plucked tea leaf. By universal rotary combination experiment of quadratic regression, the regression equations of three indexes about two experimental factors were established. And, the comprehensive optimization of three indexes was conducted with software Design expert. The optimal operating parameters of machine are as follow: travel speed is 0.41 m/s, speed ratio of cutting and travelling is 1.06; prediction of three indexes are that integrity rate could be reach to 78.26%, unpicking rate reduced to 0.82%, stubble unevenness reduced to 1.30 mm. The results of verification experiment are that: integrity rate could be reach to 77.41%, unpicking rate reduced to 0.87%, stubble unevenness reduced to 1.23 mm. These test indexes that are very close to the predicted values, all surpass the requests specified in the standard of tea plucking with machine. In all, the optimized parameter set is indeed synthetically optimal one that enables the wide use of this tea plucking machine, which can be used in the tea garden that has a lengthways slope less than 18°, a crosswise slope less than 20°, and a height of tea trees between 50-120 cm. From above, the tea plucking machine investigated in this paper provides an effective solution to present tea picking problem that is the bottleneck of tea industry. Further studies need to do for making this machine more automated and intelligent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2016, China became the third largest producer of shale gas in the world. The Chinese central government has been supporting shale gas development since 2011. There are hopes that shale gas development, along with major efforts in renewable energy systems, can bring a fundamental change in the nation's current coal-dependent energy system. Numerous challenges have slowed implementation including resistance to development of the industry by local residents living near shale gas sites. A significant body of research has examined the effectiveness of incentives in changing risk perceptions and attitudes toward the siting of industrial projects in the Western context. The present research identifies whether governmental incentives increase the extent of local support for shale gas projects in the Chinese context. Specifically, this paper strives to study two types of incentives: direct compensation to households bearing the potential negative impacts of shale gas projects and, household compensation accompanied by allocation of a portion of the shale tax revenues to local communities where the development occurs. An online survey with an embedded experiment was designed and conducted in August 2016 in five Chinese provinces where there are current or future shale gas projects. The experiment shows that household compensation alone or in combination with community reinvestment significantly increases local support of shale gas projects. Further, we found that the respondents most likely to be supportive after the experimental treatments are those who are young, more highly educated, have higher income, and perceive themselves as living close to a project. This research sheds light on how incentives might help contribute to resolution of siting controversies or prevent the onset of such controversies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The term 'experiment' is used in different ways to mean different things in school science. This study examines the meanings of 'experiment' and how they have changed in the intended chemistry curriculum (ICC) in China since the early 1950s. A mixed methodology was adopted to analyse the 11 ICC documents from a socio-historical perspective. The qualitative analysis identifies four meanings of 'experiment' in these various documents: (1) subject content, (2) pedagogy, (3) scientific processes, and (4) inquiry. The quantitative analysis shows that the frequency of two meanings of 'experiment', subject content and pedagogy, has decreased while two other ones, scientific processes and inquiry, has experienced an upward trend during the period under study. While analysing five typical ICCs in different decades, it was found that the distribution of the four meanings of 'experiment' in these ICC documents has become more balanced from the past to the present. Moreover, explanations are provided for the changing tendencies and the distributions of the four meanings of 'experiment' in the social contexts of China. The implications for science curriculum development, science teacher development, and future research are discussed in the last part of this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To match for the different temperature of the geothermal resource and strengthen the flexibility of organic Rankine cycle, a variable capacity power generation superstructure based on flash and organic Rankine cycle for geothermal energy was proposed. A combined flash-binary experimental prototype is newly established to investigate thermodynamic performance both on system and equipment in this paper. Pressured hot water is adopted as the extensive worldwide existed hydrothermal geothermal resource, eliminating the influence of the used heat transfer oil on evaporating process. The experimental results show that there is an optimal mass-flow rate of R245fa under the condition of different heat source temperature. Flash and binary power subsystem dominate the flash-binary power system, respectively, when the heat source temperature is 120 °C and 130 °C. The isotropic efficiency of modified compressor just between 0.2 and 0.25. The power output of per ton geofluid are 0.78 kWh/t and 1.31 kWh/t, respectively, when the heat source temperature are 120 °C and 130 °. These results will predict the operation data of flash-binary power plant driven by the low-medium temperature geothermal water for construction in western of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice husks as common agricultural remnants with low density and good thermal conductivity properties have been used in infill walls in the northern area of China. Accordingly, many tests and numerical simulations were conducted to address a difficult issue, the inaccurate estimation on the lateral load-bearing capacity of different types of husk mortar energy-saving (HMES) wallboards. The difficulty has not been overcome so far, implying that the novel methods are anticipated to achieve the accurate estimation. This paper tests the full-scale HMES wallboards with different openings and obtains the strains at the points distributed on the wallboard sides. The experimental strains are modeled as the approximate strain energy values to produce the characteristic parameter of the HMES wallboard's stressing state. Furthermore, the inherent working state characteristic points of HMES wallboards are revealed from the evolution of the characteristic parameter called as the normalized approximate strain energy sum, leading to the redefinition of the failure loads for the HMES wallboards. Finally, it investigates the stressing state mode evolution of the HMES wallboard around the failure loads. The achieved results provide the reference to the accurate estimation of the bearing capacity of the HMES wallboards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The new technique of filming in autumn and planting directly through the plastic film in spring is an effective method for water-saving and drought-resistant commercial potato production. However, there are currently no supporting film-drilling seeders available. To address this, a new potato seeder machine has been specifically designed for planting potatoes in the dryland, hilly, and mountainous areas of northwest China. This machine can perform top mulching and hole planting in both the autumn and spring seasons. This innovative potato seeder accomplishes several tasks simultaneously: seeding, inoculation (if desired), hole punching through the mulch film, seed placement, and soil covering. The machine features an optimized spoon-chain seeder with an eccentric coupling mechanism that ensures the hole-punching device stays perpendicular to the ground throughout planting, minimizing damage to the mulch film. Additionally, a dedicated seeding valve opening and closing mechanism was designed to extend the opening time of the hole-forming device's movable mouth beyond the potato's falling time, guaranteeing successful seed placement. Furthermore, a soil-covering device specifically designed for use with mulch film ensures proper soil retention after seeding. Through computer-aided design (RecurDyn V9R5 software) analysis, the hole-punching device's penetrating angle was optimized to minimize the tearing of the mulch film during entry into and exit from the soil. Rigorous field testing demonstrated the machine's effectiveness. The seeder achieved a 92% success rate for proper planting depth, an 88% success rate for accurate seed potato spacing, a 98% success rate for avoiding overplanting, and a 99% success rate for eliminating missed planting spots. These field test results meet or exceed national and industry standards, validating the machine's design goals. In essence, this innovative potato seeder, with its eccentric coupling mechanism, offers a one-pass solution for potato seeding, inoculation (optional), planting, and soil covering, significantly improving efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The economic miracle of the Chinese Diaspora in Southeast Asia has been attributed to their unique economic culture forged from Confucian thought and the emigration experience. However, this Spirit of Overseas Chinese Capitalism (SOCC) hypothesis, based largely on qualitative research, has not been validated through quantitative work. This paper provides, for the first time, empirical evidence from a values survey and experiment which show that only some of the hypothesised SOCC values and behaviours differentiate the Chinese from less economically successful ethnic groups in Malaysia. While we find no evidence that Confucian values explain the success of the Overseas Chinese we do find it may lie in their (a) more conductive work values and (b) greater intra-ethnic cooperativeness, both accentuated by the emigration experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reports on an experimental test of the effects of descriptive and injunctive norm appeals on intentions to prevent food waste in China and the United States (N = 1449), testing the role of cultural context and group orientation in this process. Results showed that the main effects of descriptive and injunctive norm messages on behavioural intentions were mediated by normative perceptions, and cultural context moderated both paths of this mediation. Specifically, with the same message exposure, Chinese participants perceived food waste prevention as more prevalent and socially approved compared to US participants. Normative perceptions interacted with cultural context to influence behavioural intentions, such that both descriptive and injunctive norm perceptions predicted stronger intentions to prevent food waste among Chinese participants compared to Americans. Group orientation yielded a main effect on behavioural intentions, instead of the moderation effects as expected. Findings suggest the need for culturally grounded and contextualized approaches to communication of social norms, as well as building cultural concepts into theories of social norms. This article is part of the theme issue 'Social norm change: drivers and consequences'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Financial education for children has drawn considerable attention and has recently been advocated in schools; however, its impact still needs to be examined with a more comprehensive evaluation framework. This study carries out a paired-design experiment to evaluate the effectiveness of the Aflatoun Child Social & Financial Education program, which is initiated by the International Children's Savings Foundation and covers more than 100 countries and millions of children and adolescents. The participants are students in grades 4–5 of primary schools in China. By using difference-in-differences estimation, this study finds that the Aflatoun curriculum can significantly improve children's behaviors in regular saving, rational consumption, and social participation. At the same time, unintended adverse negative effects are spotted in terms of children's attitudes and personality development. The estimation of its heterogeneous effects shows that financial education for children can achieve greater success in improving boys' financial behaviors and in underdeveloped areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We examine the other-regarding preferences of grade 3 and 5 rural and urban children in China. • We run a lab-in-field experiment using three simple allocation games. • We compare rural children by parent migration status to each other and city children. • For rural children, altruistic preferences developed most among those left behind by both parents. • By grade 5 the preferences of these children most resembled those of city children. Other-regarding preferences have a profound influence on both individual and societal success. In this paper, using a unique sample from China, we study the impact of two family background characteristics: parental migration and rural/urban status on both the level and the developmental formation of other-regarding preferences during childhood. Decades of economic reform have led to an unprecedented growth of economically driven rural-to-urban internal migration in China. Many migrant parents leave their children behind. According to figures from China's 2010 census, more than 61 million children from birth to 17 years were "left behind." In this lab-in-field experiment, we use three simple allocation games to study samples from four populations: rural children left behind by both parents, rural children left behind by one parent, rural non-left-behind children, and urban children. We expected that the development of altruistic preferences would be positively associated with parental presence. However, we found this was not the case. In fact, among rural children the development of altruistic preferences from Grade 3 to Grade 5 was most pronounced among those who were left-behind by both parents. Moreover, by Grade 5, it was these children whose preferences most resembled those of the urban children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A natural mud shale (MS) from Yichang Area, China was for the first time experimentally examined for its potential application to oily effluents treatment. The mineralogical compositions, surface structures and pore size distribution of the prepared MS particles were characterised using various advanced analytical technologies, respectively. The performance of the MS particles during the model diesel oil wastewater treatment was examined based on the designed adsorption experiments. Isothermal and kinetic features were investigated according to a variety of adsorption models. The results showed that some pores, cavities and fractures were distributed on the surface of MS particles. The efficiency of MS particles for removing diesel oil from the model oily effluent was associated closely with experimental conditions including the mass of MS particles, initial diesel levels, residence time and pH values. Equilibrium adsorption isotherms conformed to Langmuir model, indicating that the adsorption of diesel oil onto MS particles tended to monolayer adsorption. Kinetics of adsorption of diesel oil on MS complied with the pseudo-second-order model. This suggested that the whole oil removal rate was mainly controlled by chemisorption. Results of our study indicates potential utilisation of unmodified MS particles as an abundant and inexpensive adsorbent for low-concentration diesel oil wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the paper we review the recent progress of studies in unstable nuclei, mainly affiliated with the facilities of radioactive ion beams in China, including both experimental and theoretical aspects of researches. Many experiments for reactions, decays and structures have been performed targeting better understandings of properties of unstable nuclei. Special experimental measurements related to nuclear astrophysics have been done to seek insights into the processes of syntheses of elements in the universe. Theoretical calculations have provided many useful predictions on the behaviors of unstable nuclei, with model developments. Studies covered many mass regions from light to superheavy nuclei, giving plenty of information about the structures of unstable nuclei, towards the limits of existence of atomic nuclei. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Fatigue testing on full-scale CRTS III track model subjected to 30 million cycles. • Study on the evolution of fastener and isolation layer stiffness with fatigue load. • Prediction of the service life of key components of the track structure. • Study on the dynamic response of CRTS III track structure with fatigue load. Abstract Ballastless slab track have been developed and used worldwide to carter for high speed, high stability, high riding comfort, and low maintenance cost requirements of High Speed Railway (HSR) operations. To this ends, the Chinese Rail Track System (CRTS) III was designed and developed independently in China and adopted in new railway lines. The CRTS III is believed to have improved performance over the previously used CRTS I and II, severe structural damages in the form of cracks and delamination at the interface between the prefabricated slab and the SCC filling layer have been reported in service. This cannot be ignored because of the detrimental effects they have on bearing capacity and stiffness of the track. This paper presents an experimental study to evaluate the evolution of stiffness of fasteners and the isolation layer of CRTS III ballastless slab track. The experiments are based on full-scale test on three CRTS III slab track-subgrade structure model subjected to cyclic fatigue loadings up to 30 million cycles. The results of the study revealed the following: (1) The dynamic and static stiffness of the fastener increase by 116% and 30%, respectively. After 10 million cycles of fatigue loading, the ratio of dynamic to static stiffness become larger than 1.5. (2) the stiffness of isolation layer changes in accordance with quadratic function with a correlation coefficient of 0.999. The maximum stiffness obtains 2.4 times than its initial value at 30 million cycles of fatigue loading. (3) the acceleration of rail and slab track reduce by 63% and 34% respectively, while the acceleration of support foundation increases by 54%. The findings of this research can serve as a useful guide in the design and maintenance scheduling of the CRTS III slab track structure as well as references for future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A NG liquefaction process operating with MR and a rectifying column was studied. • The influences of valve openings and MR compositions on performances were analyzed. • Optimum operating parameters were obtained for NG with different pressures. Small-scale natural gas liquefiers are developing rapidly in China due to the scattered and remote distribution of natural gas sources with small reserve. Compared to the complexity of cascade process and the relatively higher power consumption of expander process, the mixed refrigerant process is a preferable choice for small-scale liquefaction systems considering its relatively simple structure and moderate power consumption. In this paper, a single-cycle natural gas liquefaction process operating with mixed refrigerants and a rectifying column was proposed for small-scale applications, which could utilize a commercial oil-lubricated compressor to realize the liquefaction of natural gas. Experiments were conducted to study the influences of the operating pressures and mixed refrigerant compositions on the overall performances. Relatively optimum SPC values of 4.49 kW h/kg, 1.98 kW h/kg, 1.61 kW h/kg and 1.29 kW h/kg were obtained for the liquefactions of 0.1 MPa, 0.3 MPa, 0.5 MPa and 0.7 MPa pure methane, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Firstly this paper designs solar heating biogas fermentation system, its volume is 6m3, and than calculates digester''s heat load based on Hohhot''s weather data. Finally, a U-tube collector system was carried out for 5 month experiment, this paper use October''s experimental data, looking for the heat matching relationship between the solar collector system and biogas fermentation system. We can conclude that at Hohhot, in October, the heat was absorbed by 2m2 solar collectors that was ran 8hours can met the 6m3 digester ‘s fermentation heat demands. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• The thermal performance of backfill coupled heat exchanger was evaluated. • The experimental and simulation studies of BCHE were carried out. • A comparative study of different backfill materials was conducted. • The influencing factors on energy utilization efficiency were evaluated. • The optimums backfill material and design parameters were obtained. Underground mines in China are rich in geothermal resources. Based on backfill mining technology, the collaborative development of deep mineral resources and geothermal resources can be realized. The key of this approach is to form artificial thermal reservoirs by heat storage backfill body and to extract geothermal energy as much as possible through the built-in pipe. It is important to investigate the backfill material and system parameter design to improve the heat storage and release performance of backfill body and enhance the extraction efficiency of geothermal energy in mine. In this paper, experimental and simulation studies of backfill coupled heat exchanger system with different backfill materials are carried out to make a comparative study. The backfill materials involved include traditional backfill material, natural flake graphite backfill material and paraffin RT28 backfill material. After comparing the heat storage and heat release behavior, liquid fraction variation and efficiency of different systems, the natural flake graphite backfill body which has better engineering value is selected to further conduct experiments to study the influence of surrounding rock temperature, initial temperature of backfill body and inlet water temperature on the thermal performance of the system. The results show that with the increase of surrounding rock temperature, initial temperature of backfill body, or the decrease of inlet water temperature, the total heat storage, heat release and energy utilization coefficient of the system all increase. When the initial temperature of backfill is 26 °C, surrounding rock temperature is 45 °C, inlet velocity and temperature are respectively 0.7 m/s and 18 °C, the energy utilization coefficient of the system is the highest, which is 81.4%. The research results are helpful to the design of heat storage backfill body and the improvement of thermal performance of the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among the numerous types of renewable energy technologies, wave energy technologies have been considered by many experts as one of the most promising for Taiwan. However, the amount of energy presently provided by wave energy technologies constitutes a minor percentage of Taiwan's total energy production. This paper presents experimental results using a laboratory water chamber, wherein the fundamental parameters of an oscillating water column (OWC) system's geometrical design are individually investigated and optimized for maximum amplification factor of wave energy to mechanically useful energy. The effects of back plate angle, fence plate and open wide parameters of chamber in a view of wave energy catching capability are analyzed. Three experimental models are evaluated to include a discussion of the back plate, fence plate, and open wide. The OWC's operation qualitatively differs from that predicted by linear theory, identify to critical flow characteristic; front wall down-wash in the water column. The surveys were then expanded to offer general arrangement or a planning material for the geometry optimization of the chamber that could potentially achieve the largest amplification factor of an oscillating water column (OWC) system. The amplification factor of the change in back angle of the OWC is significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, haze becomes a choking problem in northern China in winter. A HRV (heat recovery ventilator) is an effective device to provide clean indoor environment by supplying fresh outdoor air to residential and commercial buildings, but the HRV system must be combined with an air filter to remove the fine particular matter of the outdoor air. There is limited information regarding this integrated system. This paper investigates the influences of an air filter on the performances of the HRV system in three modes by experiment and the application potential is also reported for this integrated system in five climate zones of China. The experimental results show that the integrated system can meet the required threshold value of 75 μg/m 3 , but the installation of an air filter reduces the air flow rate and increases the power of the fan. Compared to the HRV system, the sensible heat efficiencies of the integrated system are increased; and the total sensible heat transfer capacities are slightly decreased in the three modes. The case study shows that in Harbin and Beijing, the integrated system can recover more energy than that in other three cities in winter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent surge in protectionist sentiment in countries around the world has rekindled the long-standing debate over the determinants of citizens' trade policy preferences. We examine the influence of two understudied but increasingly relevant factors – misinformation and economic threat – on support for international trade in the United States. We first show that more than 6–in–10 Americans endorse a salient misperception about Chinese currency manipulation despite extensive evidence to the contrary. Then, based on a preregistered survey experiment, we show that misinformation can be corrected, regardless of whether the threatening frame is present or not. In contrast to these results on factual beliefs, however, we find that trade policy preferences are considerably stable: neither anti-trade misinformation nor an economically threatening frame significantly reduces support for international trade. These findings suggest that political elites' strategy of 'playing the China card' by using misleading and threatening rhetoric is not so effective in mobilizing opposition to trade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research shows that government-controlled media is an effective tool for authoritarian regimes to shape public opinion. Does government-controlled media remain effective when it is required to support changes in positions that autocrats take on issues? Existing theories do not provide a clear answer to this question, but we often observe authoritarian governments using government media to frame policies in new ways when significant changes in policy positions are required. By conducting an experiment that exposes respondents to government-controlled media—in the form of TV news segments—on issues where the regime substantially changed its policy positions, we find that by framing the same issue differently, government-controlled media moves respondents to adopt policy positions closer to the ones espoused by the regime regardless of individual predisposition. This result holds for domestic and foreign policy issues, for direct and composite measures of attitudes, and persists up to 48 hours after exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: To take into account reasonably the safety requirements of the disabled on emergency evacuation in the design, usage, management and emergency response of public places, the authors of this paper organized on-site experiments for 100 disabled individuals (40 people with no supporting tools, 20 people using a single crutch and 40 people two crutches) and 17 healthy people at a subway station in Beijing. The experiments were designed to measure the unimpeded free walking speed of the participants during horizontal and stair ascending/descending movement, and to assess the possible impact of passage width on movement speed. Based on the results of the tests, the authors systematically analyzed the speed variation patterns with disability grade, gender and passage width. The validity of the value of an important parameter for evacuation safety design in the prescribed fire codes in mainland China, the width of a single stream of people, is assessed. Finally the results of the experiments are compared with that from other researches to identify the similarities and differences between them. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper provides an empirical analysis of the effects of telecommunications liberalisation on the fixed line telecommunications operators’ strategy formulation in Hong Kong. The analysis is based on an innovative experimental methodology to measure the level of quality of the major telecommunications operators in an international simple resale-based competitive market. A major finding is that intensified competition will lead to a tariff-quality equilibrium. Consequently, we discuss an appropriate regulatory regime for service quality. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• 52 tensile coupons of high-performance bolt material are tested. • Effects of test strain-rate on the elevated temperatures are clarified. • Elevated-temperature behaviour of the steel is elucidated at microstructure level. • Prediction equations are proposed for elevated-temperature performance. • Constitutive model of full-range stress-strain relation is developed. Mechanical properties of steel at elevated temperatures are critical to the fire-resistant analysis and the fire safety design of steel structures. Thus, one solution for improving the fire resistance is use of high-performance (HP) steel, such as fire-resistant (FR) steel. However, practical use of the FR steel in steel structures implies requirements of sufficient fire resistance for the high-strength (HS) bolts as well, so that the loading capacities of bolted connections commonly used in steel structures can be guaranteed in case of fire. In this paper, material properties of grade 10.9 HP bolts recently developed in China, possessing both fire resistance and corrosion resistance, are tested at various elevated temperatures. Their stress-strain curves, modulus of elasticity, yield strength, ultimate tensile strength (UTS), and elongation percentage after fracture are obtained. These results are compared with that of conventional HS bolts and with reduction factors given in national standards. Constitutive models and prediction equations of the HP bolts at elevated temperatures are proposed. Besides, the relationship between degradation in macro mechanical properties and change in microstructure is clarified. The research outcomes may provide essential bases for the fire response analysis of steel structures applying the FR steel and the HP bolts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How well do vignette designs capture actual behaviour in the real world? This study employs original survey data featuring both hypothetical vignettes and behavioural questions in order to assess the external validity of descriptive and causal inferences in survey experiments. The survey was conducted in a three-province, probability-proportional-to-size sample of 1,897 rural residents in China and focuses on the legal mobilization of citizens in response to grievances involving land rights. In terms of descriptive inference, we find that relative to the behavioural benchmark, hypothetical vignettes significantly over-estimate legal mobilization in response to a grievance, particularly for higher-cost actions like petitioning the government and litigating in court. We find that data from hypothetical vignettes affect causal inference as well, producing significantly different results regarding the effect of political connections and legal knowledge on legal mobilization. The study makes a contribution by identifying conditions under which hypothetical vignettes are less likely to produce valid inference. It engages a rich literature on disputing and legal mobilization in the field of Chinese politics and helps to resolve debates over the role of political connections and legal knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study used the dual-coding hypothesis to examine how melodramatic animation in crime news reports affects news learning among older children in Hong Kong. In total, 74 older children (mean age = 15.3) were exposed to news videos that either did or did not include melodramatic animation. The results showed that melodramatic animation helped the participants learn the news. The social implications of the results are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to present the results of an experiment that examines the effects of client management's increased disclosure of related party transactions (RPTs) on auditors' judgments of financial reports that contain RPTs. Design/methodology/approach: This study used a 2 × 2 between-subjects experiment to investigate auditors' judgments in response to questionable RPTs in a Chinese context. Findings: The results show that the auditor participants assessed a lower likelihood that the client's financial statements were intentionally misstated and that they were less likely to request additional evidence when the client management chose to disclose more, as opposed to less, detailed RPT information in their disclosure. Moreover, there was a significant interaction between disclosure level and client incentive to manipulate earnings on the likelihood of the auditor requesting additional evidence. Practical implications: This study should be of interest to regulatory agencies that have expressed concerns over auditing practices related to RPTs. Originality/value: The findings from this study help to provide a more in-depth understanding of disclosure literature by investigating voluntary RPT disclosure and the moderation role of clients' incentives to manipulate earnings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, an increasing number of single-box multi-cell composite box-girders with corrugated steel webs (SBMC-CBGCSWs) have been built in China and Japan. However, the torsional stiffness of SBMC-CBGCSW is dramatically decreased due to the employment of thin corrugated steel webs (CSWs). Investigations of SBMC-CBGCSW under pure torsion are relatively limited, therefore, additional research is needed to investigated to guarantee the safety of such bridges. In this paper, an experimental study on four scaled specimens subjected to pure torsion is conducted to understand the effect of the number of cells and spacing of CSWs on the full torsional response of SBMC-CBGCSW. The failure mode, cracking patterns, and buckling patterns of specimens are presented, and a new shear strain relationship between CSWs obtained from experimental results is proposed to evaluate the contribution of inner CSWs to the torsional behavior of SBMC-CBGCSW. Then, finite element analysis (FEA) models are created to compare with experimental results, such as torque-twist curves, shear strains of CSWs and shear strains of concrete slabs. Finally, a parametric study is performed to examine the effect of geometric factors, such as the ratio of width to height, ratio of width to span length, ratio of width to thickness of slab, number of cells and spacing of CSWs, on such bridges under torsion. • Cracking and buckling patterns and failure modes of 4 scaled SBMC-CBGCSWs under pure torsion are presented. • Effects of number of cells and spacing of CSWs on full torsional response are examined. • Torque-twist curves and shear strains obtained from FEA agree well with that of test. • A new shear strain relationship between CSWs is proposed. • Parametric study is performed to clarify the effect of geometric factors and find optimum positions of CSWs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of China Quarterly is the property of Cambridge University Press 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.)

As China's infrastructure grows rapidly, the use of concrete-filled steel tubular structures for engineering applications is attracting increasing interest owing to their high section modulus, high strength and good seismic performance. However, for concrete-filled steel tubular members with large width-to-thickness ratio, steel tubes are prone to outward buckling when they are subjected to axial compression. Welding of longitudinal stiffeners on the steel tubes is one of the most efficient approaches for delaying local buckling and thus improving the mechanical performance of such type of concrete-filled steel tubular members. This study attempts to investigate the axial compression behaviour of concrete-filled stiffened steel tubular members with square sections through experimental study and finite element analysis. First, 14 concrete-filled steel tubular stub columns, with different width-to-thickness ratios of steel tube and depth-to-thickness ratios of stiffener, were subjected to axial compression loads and tested. It was found that the use of stiffeners increases the ultimate strength and improves the stability of the stub columns. Later, an investigation on the behaviour of the stiffened concrete-filled steel tubular stub columns was carried out through a three-dimensional finite element analysis. The accuracy of the finite element analysis model was verified by the test results. A parametric study was conducted to further evaluate the stiffening schemes that influence the axial compression strength. Finally, the research findings were synthesized into a new simplified model to predict the load-carrying capacity of stiffened concrete-filled steel tubular stub columns that allows for large width-to-thickness ratios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of INMATEH - Agricultural Engineering is the property of INMATEH - Agricultural Engineering 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.)

This essay reviews methodological advances in Internet studies in Chinese politics. First, automated text analysis reduces the time and cost of examining texts, and makes it possible to conduct a large-scale analysis of textual data like social media posts. Tools of automated text analysis, such as supervised classification, ReadMe, and topic models, have been applied in Internet studies in Chinese politics. Second, the new methods also bring new opportunities for developing rigorous research designs: (1) the Internet can serve as a platform for online field and survey experiments; (2) in some cases, in particular natural experiments, big data make it easier to conduct causal inference; (3) and using big data, there is potential to make inference with regard to a broader context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Why are Chinese people moving abroad in unprecedented numbers? Using unique experimental and survey data, this research finds that Chinese citizens with more positive perceptions and, especially, overestimation of foreign socioeconomic conditions are more interested in going abroad. Moreover, correcting socioeconomic overestimation of foreign countries reduces their interest in leaving China, indicating that there is a causal effect from rosier perceptions of foreign conditions to higher interest in going abroad, and emigration does not always represent well-informed “voting with the feet.” The relationship between international political knowledge and exit intentions, on the other hand, is not significant or consistent, suggesting that Chinese citizens’ interest in going abroad is more socioeconomic than political in nature. These results contribute to the study of citizen misinformation, challenge a prevalent assumption in the international migration literature, and help us understand one of the most important social trends in the world's largest developing and authoritarian country. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study focuses on the shear-friction behavior of a groove interface with transverse reinforcement between existing concrete and newly poured concrete, which has been adopted in the rehabilitation project of three prestressed concrete box girder bridges in China. A series of push-off specimens with groove interfaces was tested with parameters of concrete strength, groove geometry, and reinforcement ratio. For comparison purposes, monolithic specimens and roughened specimens with or without transverse reinforcement were also tested to failure. Cracking loads, ultimate loads, residual strengths, cracking patterns, and failure modes were recorded. Load-slip curves, load-dilation behaviors, and load-strain relationships in steel reinforcement have been investigated. The groove on the surface of the existing concrete can significantly enhance shear-friction capacity of the interface between new and existing concrete. The transverse reinforcement can improve deformation capacity and residual resistance. The nonsimultaneous failure of concrete and steel reinforcement is revealed. Based on the shear-friction mechanism, the test results are compared with the existing design provisions. Design details on applying the proposed groove interface in the actual bridge rehabilitation are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay explores the scientific lives of two Republican-period institutions: the Henry Lester Institute of Medical Research, based in Shanghai; and the Chongqing No. 3 Children's Home. Despite their differences, these two spaces sheltered and nurtured scientific experimentation and functioned as heterotopic sites that controlled who could produce scientific knowledge and which kinds of scientific objects could become visible. By examining closely the research work of Bernard E. Read, StephenM. K. Hu, and the team of nutrition scientists from National Jiangsu Medical College, this article argues that how space became hospitable for scientific experiment and how science refashioned space were mutually constitutive processes. This process of coproduction was critical to and, at times, contested through expressions of expertise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With lamprophyre and pyrite from the Laowangzhai gold deposit, Yunnan Province, China, as starting materials, and at pressures from 1.5 to 3.0 GPa and temperatures from 1160 160 to 1560°C, an experimental study was carried out on the liquid immiscibility of lamprophyre-sulfide melt at high temperature and ultra-high pressure in the DS-29A cubic 3600T/6-type high pressure apparatus. Results showed that the liquid immiscibility of lampropyre- sulfide melt in the magmatic system would happen during the early magmatic evolution (high temperature and high pressure conditions) and was controlled by temperature and pressure. The sulfide melt which was separated from the lamprophyric melt would make directional movement in the temperature and pressure field and assemble in the low-temperature and low-pressure region. Because the density of SM is higher than that of the lamprophyric melt, the former would gather together at the bottom of the magma chamber and there would exist a striking boundary between the two melts. On the other hand, the results also suggested that there would be little possibility for lamprophyric magma to carry massive gold, and lamprophyres can’t provide many of ore-forming materials (Au) in the processes of gold mineralization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An integral 3D numerical model based on the structural characteristics of the impact sprinkler was constructed to simulate the relationship between flow rates and inlet pressures as well as the flow field distribution by computational fluid dynamics (CFD). A commonly used PY140 sprinkler in China with three different flow straighteners in lengths of 80, 140 mm and 200 mm respectively and without flow straightener was investigated under inlet pressures ranging from 300 kPa to 500 kPa numerically and experimentally. The simulation results obtained revealed that the predicted relationship of flow rates and inlet pressures was in good agreement with the measurements. Fixing a proper flow straightener can effectively improve the turbulent flow state inside the sprinkler and lead to a more uniform velocity at the nozzle outlet. The sprinkler with a flow straightener resulted in a larger pressure loss within the internal flow than the sprinkler without flow straightener. A longer flow straightener caused a smaller turbulent kinetic energy at the nozzle outlet, which indicated that the length of flow straightener had no significant effect on the flow rate. As well, it was found that reversed flow happened near the nozzle outlet with a diffused angle of 90° could be observed clearly. The decrease of the diffused angle from 90° to 60° can supply a larger flow rate, which was verified by an experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents abstracts of several studies on environmental geochemistry. Some of the abstracts presented include "Biogeochemical Cycling of Nutrients in Karstic Catchments, Southwestern China: Linkages to Changes of Eco-Environments," by Congqiang Liu and "Emerging Organic Contamination in China," by Guibin Jiang and colleagues.