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China’s energy transformation is at a critical stage, and virtual power plants are also in full swing. It is of great theoretical value and practical significance to identify whether virtual power plants can promote energy transformation. First, the concept of virtual power plant and energy transformation is defined, and the theoretical logic of interaction between virtual power plant and energy transformation is expounded. Then, the attribute model of the energy transition index is constructed from the attributes of energy system performance and energy transition maturity, and a double difference model is established. Finally, nine pilot provinces are taken as examples for empirical testing, and the results show that the implementation of virtual power plant pilot can promote energy transformation, but there are differences among provinces. The resource endowment and the degree of marketization and openness will have a differentiated effect on the promotion of energy transformation by virtual power plants.

R134a, a vehicle refrigerant used in the vehicle heat pump system, is regulated according to the Montreal Protocol. Refrigerants such as R1234yf, R744, and R290 in vehicle heat pump systems are being investigated to identify their alternatives. Because developing a new system exclusively for new refrigerants is costly, an empirical test was conducted on the R1234yf refrigerant in a heat pump system designed for the R134a refrigerant in an actual vehicle system. The heating, cooling, and battery-cooling modes were tested for the amount of refrigerant charge, and operability tests were conducted for the compressor load; heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC) air flow rate; coolant temperature; and flow rate of each mode. The optimal refrigerant charge in heating mode was 0.7 kg, and the optimal refrigerant charge in the cooling and battery-cooling modes was 0.9 kg. To yield the highest coefficient of performance of the system, the compressor load was 50%, the HVAC fan was 12 V, and the coolant flow rate was 10 LPM. The most efficient system operation was possible at a coolant temperature of 30 °C in the cooling and heating modes and at 20 °C in battery-cooling mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global climate change, continuous economic development and accelerated urbanisation have increased the frequency and complexity of various incidents. Risk assessment is an important means to deal with different crises and incidents. Based on the systematic analysis of the basic connotation, attribute relationship and main contents of risk assessment, this study extends the traditional two-dimensional risk matrix to multi-dimensional risk matrix. On this basis, this study further proposes four comprehensive risk assessment methods, including total ordinal, weighted average, Euclidean distance and two-norm methods. Empirical research was conducted by selecting three types of natural disasters, regional agro-meteorological disasters, geological disasters and forest fires, in 30 related regions in China between 2010 and 2019. The results indicated that compared to the two-dimensional risk matrix, the multi-dimensional risk matrix can intuitively characterise and compare the all-round risk situation of different regions, periods, types and dimensions, which is more helpful for a systematic analysis and risk comparison. All four evaluation methods proposed in this paper proved able to effectively conduct comprehensive regional risk evaluations with consistent results. However, when considering the fitting coefficient between the results obtained by various evaluation methods and the comprehensive evaluation results, it can be found that the accuracy (i.e. fitting coefficient) of Euclidean distance method is significantly higher than that of the other three methods. In the last 10 years, the temporal order of natural disaster risk in China has been more volatile, with Beijing, Shanxi, Tianjin, Hebei, Liaoning, Ningxia, Zhejiang, Shaanxi, Fujian and Gansu experiencing higher volatility in the ranking of natural disaster risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Light detection and ranging (LiDAR) is widely used in autonomous vehicles to obtain precise 3D information about surrounding road environments. However, under bad weather conditions, such as rain, snow, and fog, LiDAR-detection performance is reduced. This effect has hardly been verified in actual road environments. In this study, tests were conducted with different precipitation levels (10, 20, 30, and 40 mm/h) and fog visibilities (50, 100, and 150 m) on actual roads. Square test objects (60 × 60 cm2) made of retroreflective film, aluminum, steel, black sheet, and plastic, commonly used in Korean road traffic signs, were investigated. Number of point clouds (NPC) and intensity (reflection value of points) were selected as LiDAR performance indicators. These indicators decreased with deteriorating weather in order of light rain (10–20 mm/h), weak fog (<150 m), intense rain (30–40 mm/h), and thick fog (≤50 m). Retroreflective film preserved at least 74% of the NPC under clear conditions with intense rain (30–40 mm/h) and thick fog (<50 m). Aluminum and steel showed non-observation for distances of 20–30 m under these conditions. ANOVA and post hoc tests suggested that these performance reductions were statistically significant. Such empirical tests should clarify the LiDAR performance degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

R134a, a vehicle refrigerant used in the vehicle heat pump system, is regulated according to the Montreal Protocol. Refrigerants such as R1234yf, R744, and R290 in vehicle heat pump systems are being investigated to identify their alternatives. Because developing a new system exclusively for new refrigerants is costly, an empirical test was conducted on the R1234yf refrigerant in a heat pump system designed for the R134a refrigerant in an actual vehicle system. The heating, cooling, and battery-cooling modes were tested for the amount of refrigerant charge, and operability tests were conducted for the compressor load; heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC) air flow rate; coolant temperature; and flow rate of each mode. The optimal refrigerant charge in heating mode was 0.7 kg, and the optimal refrigerant charge in the cooling and battery-cooling modes was 0.9 kg. To yield the highest coefficient of performance of the system, the compressor load was 50%, the HVAC fan was 12 V, and the coolant flow rate was 10 LPM. The most efficient system operation was possible at a coolant temperature of 30 °C in the cooling and heating modes and at 20 °C in battery-cooling mode.

Light detection and ranging (LiDAR) is widely used in autonomous vehicles to obtain precise 3D information about surrounding road environments. However, under bad weather conditions, such as rain, snow, and fog, LiDAR-detection performance is reduced. This effect has hardly been verified in actual road environments. In this study, tests were conducted with different precipitation levels (10, 20, 30, and 40 mm/h) and fog visibilities (50, 100, and 150 m) on actual roads. Square test objects (60 × 60 cm2) made of retroreflective film, aluminum, steel, black sheet, and plastic, commonly used in Korean road traffic signs, were investigated. Number of point clouds (NPC) and intensity (reflection value of points) were selected as LiDAR performance indicators. These indicators decreased with deteriorating weather in order of light rain (10–20 mm/h), weak fog (

Background: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is increasingly prevalent in society, in part because of behavioral issues, with sedentary behavior, reduced exercise, and the consumption of foods with a high glycemic index being major contributors. There is evidence for the efficacy of mobile apps in promoting behavior change and lifestyle improvements in people with T2D. Many mobile phone apps help to monitor the condition of people with T2D and inform them about their health. Some of these digital interventions involve patients using apps on their own or in conjunction with health care professionals. Objective: This study aimed to test the acceptability of receiving app-based, daily physician feedback for patients with T2D that is informed by the continuous monitoring of their activity, food choices, and glucose profiles, with the aim of encouraging healthier behavior. The GLOOK! app was designed and developed by an academic research team and pilot-tested at an Australian public hospital. Methods: A total of 15 patients diagnosed with T2D wore a glucose monitor and an Apple Watch for 12 days. The uploaded data were integrated into the GLOOK! app on the patients’ smartphones, which also enabled the recording of activity and consumed food. A physician provided daily feedback to each individual through the app based on their data from each of the 12 days. At the beginning and end of the study, data were collected on vital signs, anthropometry, hemoglobin A1c level, fructosamine level, and fasting lipids level. Participants were also interviewed at the beginning and end of the study to assess the acceptability of the intervention and its potential impact on promoting positive behavior change. Results: Over the 12 days of the study, there was a significant reduction of 0.22% (P=.004) in hemoglobin A1c level. There were favorable changes in fructosamine and lipid fractions; however, none reached significance. There was also a fall of 0.65 kg in body weight and falls in blood pressure and pulse rate that did not reach significance. Patient feedback on the GLOOK! system was positive. Of the 15 participants, 13 (87%) were enthusiastic about continuing to use the app system if some usability and reliability aspects were improved. All participants regarded the personalized physician feedback as supportive and helpful in understanding their own health behavior. Of the 15 participants, 4 (27%) felt that using the system encouraged long-term behavior changes. Conclusions: A mobile app system that provides people with T2D daily, physician-generated, personalized feedback can produce favorable changes in glycemic and cardiovascular risk parameters—even in the short term—and encourage better self-management of their condition. Study participants found the experience of using the mobile app system acceptable and were motivated to establish longer-term lifestyle improvements through behavior changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Panel data of 285 Chinese cities and Tapio method are applied in decoupling analysis. • China's cities are generally facing deteriorating decoupling states of MSW. • N-shaped EKC hypothesis of MSW is established in eastern and central China. • Inverted N-shaped EKC hypothesis of MSW is established in western China. • Most cities still have to face more pressure brought by MSW in the next years. This study uses the Tapio elastic decoupling analysis method and an empirical model of the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) to analyze the decoupling between municipal solid waste (MSW) generation and economic development in 285 of China's cities from 2002 to 2017. The decoupling analysis results show that the decoupling states in China's cities generally improved first and then deteriorated in 2002–2017. The proportion of cities experiencing deterioration of decoupling states had increased to 60.00% by 2014–2017, and cities with a higher economic development level generally had more serious deterioration. The empirical test results support the N-shaped EKC hypothesis of MSW, which can explain why the decoupling state changed from improvement to deterioration. The difference of the economic level of sample cities (which determines their position on EKC) can also explain the spatial heterogeneity of the decoupling state and its changes; for example, the proportion of cities that have crossed the inflection point of Tapio decoupling elasticity (the per capita GDP is 13,130.89 yuan) to enter the deterioration stage is highest (100/101) in the economically developed eastern region, and is lowest (66/75) in the economically backward western region of China. In general, the empirical results of EKC can effectively support and explain the results of decoupling analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on extant literature taking a cross-sectional view of tourism experience, this study develops a measurement scale of cruising experience, considering interactions and evolution of diverse experiences with input from tourists. It empirically derives an experience structure without a presumed model. A mixed-method approach was adopted by combining 20 interviews and two rounds of surveys from qualified Chinese cruisers. The final measure demonstrates satisfactory reliability and validity and supports the hierarchical experience model, challenging conventional thinking around cruising experience. This study provides evidence for an alternative view of cruising experience along with insights to better understand Chinese cruisers' mindsets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reveals a significant inverted U-shaped relationship between population ageing and technological innovation in emerging market countries. The research explores this relationship from two perspectives: religion and region. First, when analysing different groups based on the proportion of religious population, it is observed that both countries with a high and low proportions of religiously affiliated individuals exhibit a significant inverted U-shaped relationship between ageing and innovation. As for regional variations, the Southern hemisphere countries displayed a significant relationship, while the Eastern and Western hemispheres did not. Education and research and development (R&D) investment positively influence innovation, particularly in countries with a lower proportion of religious population. Conversely, economic development and foreign investment hinder innovation in countries with a lower proportion of religious population but have a positive effect in countries with a higher proportion of religious population. This study, through mechanism analysis, found that ageing also has an inverted U-shaped impact on technological innovation by influencing both labour supply and human capital investment. Previous research has not addressed the ageing population and technological innovation in emerging market countries. The analysis establishes a theoretical foundation for emerging market countries' governmental macroeconomic regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pioneering work of Campbell et al. (1995a) presented four ways a corporate parent either creates or destroys value for the companies it owns. They are (a) stand alone, (b) linkage, (c) central functions and services, and (d) corporate development. Despite widespread acceptance of the concept of parenting advantage, empirical research remains scarce. Examining the methodological issues, this research describes the development of an instrument to measure the four strategies. An exploratory factor analysis yielded six distinct factors, accounting for 74.11% of the variance. The results partially validated the a priori classification scheme. A few factors partly reflected the measurement items (variables) gleaned from the four basic strategies. The factors are represented by a hybrid of items from different strategies. The paper concluded that the original conceptualizations of the strategies need to be better scrutinized and that further refinement of the operational definitions is also necessary.

Following its welcome revival in the late twentieth century, metaphysics in the analytic tradition has succumbed to decadence, with an astonishing variety of outlandish and extreme positions or "metaphysical follies" being taken seriously. This has caused an inevitable backlash among more scientifically-minded philosophers and incurred the scorn of scientists. Much of the reason for this is the blithe ignoring of empirical science by armchair metaphysicians. The roles of empirical knowledge in good, scientific metaphysics are however unclear. In virtue of its maximal generality, metaphysics is remote from straightforward empirical checks. This article explores, with historical and contemporary examples, the ways in which empirical information may inform and be fed back into metaphysics, the disputed role of common sense, and the delicate balance to be maintained, within a fallibilist, scientific metaphysics, between speculative, categorial and empirical elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Having a reasonable environmental management system is key to achieve regional green development. This article integrates environmental decentralization into an environmental/economic analytical framework, introducing a fiscal decentralization indicator to explore the mechanism of environmental decentralization and regional green development, and then tests this concept using Chinese provincial penal data. The results show that the spillover effect of green development is significant: Improving regional green development will promote green development in neighboring regions. At the national level, different categories of environmental decentralization have different effects, and these can also affect green development through both direct and indirect paths. There is also a positive interaction mechanism between these two variables. Moreover, the interaction between environmental and fiscal decentralization has a negative effect on regional green development, with the impact varying across regions. These findings play an important role in green development, industrial transformation, and advancement, especially in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The performance of LiDAR sensors deteriorates under adverse weather conditions such as rainfall. However, few studies have empirically analyzed this phenomenon. Hence, we investigated differences in sensor data due to environmental changes (distance from objects (road signs), object material, vehicle (sensor) speed, and amount of rainfall) during LiDAR sensing of road facilities. The indicators used to verify the performance of LiDAR were numbers of point cloud (NPC) and intensity. Differences in the indicators were tested through a two-way ANOVA. First, both NPC and intensity increased with decreasing distance. Second, despite some exceptions, changes in speed did not affect the indicators. Third, the values of NPC do not differ depending on the materials and the intensity of each material followed the order aluminum > steel > plastic > wood, although exceptions were found. Fourth, with an increase in rainfall, both indicators decreased for all materials; specifically, under rainfall of 40 mm/h or more, a substantial reduction was observed. These results demonstrate that LiDAR must overcome the challenges posed by inclement weather to be applicable in the production of road facilities that improve the effectiveness of autonomous driving sensors.

Macroeconomics is a very complex and huge system. With the improvement of China's market economy, it is of great theoretical significance and practical value to apply quantitative economics methods and models to study the macroeconomic state and forecast the economic development trend. The development of regional economy is restricted by natural conditions and social and humanistic conditions, and it is a complex system with many factors and levels. By using grey system theory, data processing can reduce its randomness and strengthen the inherent trend of data, so it is possible to use as few data as possible to establish a model describing economic system. Through empirical test, the author analyses the main factors of unbalanced regional economic development and puts forward the comparative advantages of regional development. According to the simulation results, the predicted results are stable and reliable. The conclusion of the study has a certain reference value for the formulation of macroeconomic policies. By strengthening the guidance of government classification, the regional economic disparity will be narrowed continuously. [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 article analyzes the cutting process of hard bars. Investigations conducted in industrial conditions demonstrated the presence of surface errors in the machined workpieces in the form of washboard patterns. The purpose of this study was to analyze the results of cutting on band sawing machines with different band saw blades. The cutting processes were conducted on three different horizontal band sawing machine types. Analyzed material was an alloy steel Ø40 mm rod with a hardened surface covered with a thin layer of chromium. The hardness of the outer layer was 547 HV with a core hardness of 180 HV. The surface topography measurements of the processed workpieces were carried out with the 3D Optical Profiler, which supplied information on the irregularities of the processed material texture. In each of the analyzed cases, a corrugated surface was obtained after sawing, which is the effect of the occurrence of the washboarding phenomenon, despite the fact that the teeth of each band saw had variable pitches. The washboarding phenomenon when cutting rods with hard surfaces is caused by the phenomenon of wave regeneration. Despite the use of variable pitch saw blades, the cutting process results in rippling of the sawn surface, which is caused by the high hardness of the outer layer of the workpiece, as well as by the type of tool with spring setting of teeth.

How generally Hamilton’s rule holds is a much debated question. The answer to that question depends on how costs and benefits are defined. When using the regression method to define costs and benefits, there is no scope for violations of Hamilton’s rule. We introduce a general model for assortative group compositions to show that, when using the counterfactual method for computing costs and benefits, there is room for violations. The model also shows that there are limitations to observing violations in equilibrium, as the discrepancies between Hamilton’s rule and the direction of selection may imply that selection will take the population out of the region of disagreement, precluding observations of violations in equilibrium. Given what it takes to create a violation, empirical tests of Hamilton’s rule, both in and out of equilibrium, require the use of statistical models that allow for identifying non-linearities in the fitness function.

To promote the risk-taking and stable development of the enterprise, the stimulus-body-reaction paradigm theory of the financial ecological environment was applied. First, according to the environment of the enterprise, the hypothesis that the financial ecological environment helped to improve the risk-taking level of the enterprise was proposed. By summarizing the enterprise risk-bearing metrics, the metrics suitable for the enterprise were selected. These specific indicators were used to evaluate the risk taking of the enterprise. The financial eco-environment measurement method was determined through the measurement of financial richness. Then, the OLS regression model was built. The research object was the shipping enterprises. Economic basic financial ecological environment dummy variables, development of financial ecological environment dummy variables, credit rating financial ecological environment dummy variables, rule of law situation financial ecological environment dummy variables were introduced. The relationship between the financial ecological environment and the risk-taking of enterprises was clarified. Finally, the OLS regression model was used to validate existing assumptions. The results showed that the good financial ecological environment significantly promoted the level of risk-taking of enterprises. Therefore, the higher the level of credit management, the stronger the role of the financial ecological environment in promoting the risktaking level of shipping companies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To judge the sustainable development of China's trade, further transform the foreign trade structure and improve the ecological environment, the emergy ecological footprint theory was applied. Ecological footprints were used to quantitatively analyze the ecological impact and sustainability of international trade. The parameters of the traditional ecological footprint measurement algorithm were unstable, and the true ecological comparative advantage between regions was neglected. The calculation results were relatively more accurate. To reflect the distribution of ecological resources benefits of international trade, the ecological trade conditions were estimated for China's trade footprint from 2010-2016.The results showed that during this period, China's import and export trade footprint was basically balanced, and the ecological trade conditions tended to rise in the volatility. After that, the import footprint grown much faster than the export footprint. The net import footprint was increasing. Therefore, China's advantages in the sustainable management of biological resources reflect a certain comparative advantage in real trade. Certain biological resource export capabilities are formed. It further promotes the development of China's trade industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces the development and actual test results of the Korean Smart Distribution Management System (KSDMS). The KSDMS has been designed and developed to cope with the lack of interconnection capability of the Dispersed Energy Resource (DER), to provide standardization and compatibility, and to implement automatic processing of service restoration, in the existing Distribution Automation System (DAS) in Korea. First, real-time system analysis and control application programs were developed, to solve the problems of the existing DAS; and the Distribution Management System (DMS) platform was developed, to run the developed application programs. Second, international standard-based communication, platform, and database structures were adopted, for standardization and compatibility. Third, a platform and application program functions were developed to process faults automatically; and a communication device and an intelligent electronic device (IED) were developed to automate fault restoration, through communication between devices. The KSDMS was evaluated by three tests: unit function test, platform and application program integration test, and empirical test. The first two were conducted on both small and large demonstration systems. The empirical test was performed at the Power Testing Center (PTC) in Gochang, and on a real system, at the Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), on Jeju Island. The test results verified that the KSDMS can actively resolve the problems of the existing DAS.

In this article we empirically test stage models of e-government development. We use Lee's classification to make a distinction between four stages of e-government: informational, requests, personal, and e-democracy. We draw on a comprehensive data set on the adoption and development of e-government activities in 510 Dutch municipalities over the period 2004-2009. Our results show that progression through stages of e-government is mostly linear. However, it seems that a single dimension is insufficient to explain e-government development at the level of more specific features of e-government. Our analysis demonstrates that municipalities sometimes adopt certain e-government features at a later stage even if features of an earlier stage are not adopted at all. These findings suggest that municipalities can-at the level of e-government features-immediately proceed to later stages without having to pass through earlier stages. We conclude that stage models may have some value for benchmarking municipalities at the level of stages, but are inadequate in explaining or predicting the development of features at the different e-government stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews and addresses a variety of issues relating to inclusive fitness. The main question is: are there limits to the generality of inclusive fitness, and if so, what are the perimeters of the domain within which inclusive fitness works? This question is addressed using two well-known tools from evolutionary theory: the replicator dynamics, and adaptive dynamics. Both are combined with population structure. How generally Hamilton's rule applies depends on how costs and benefits are defined. We therefore consider costs and benefits following from Karlin and Matessi's (1983) “counterfactual method”, and costs and benefits as defined by the “regression method” ( Gardner et al., 2011 ). With the latter definition of costs and benefits, Hamilton's rule always indicates the direction of selection correctly, and with the former it does not. How these two definitions can meaningfully be interpreted is also discussed. We also consider cases where the qualitative claim that relatedness fosters cooperation holds, even if Hamilton's rule as a quantitative prediction does not. We furthermore find out what the relation is between Hamilton's rule and Fisher's Fundamental Theorem of Natural Selection. We also consider cancellation effects – which is the most important deepening of our understanding of when altruism is selected for. Finally we also explore the remarkable (im)possibilities for empirical testing with either definition of costs and benefits in Hamilton's rule. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A significant problem with today’s intrusion detection systems is the high number of alerts they produce for events that are regarded as benign or noncritical by system administrators. A large number of solutions has been proposed to deal with this issue. This article tests SnIPS, a tool that correlates alerts from the intrusion detection system Snort and assigns beliefs that the host has been compromised on various occasions. The tests are performed against data collected from a cyber security exercise during which 51 compromises of monitored machines occurred. The beliefs assigned by SnIPS are not calibrated in the sense that they reflect the probability that a host has been compromised. However, a compromise is more likely when alerts have a high belief. Alerts from SnIPS with high beliefs also have better precision than the high-priority alerts from Snort, even if static network information is used to verify these alerts. However, the recall of SnIPS is lower than if high-priority alerts from Snort are used. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study investigates the factors that influence the intention of citizens of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to use a mobile government (mGov) platform. The UAE is one of the leading countries that offer this service in the Arab world. Advanced mobile technologies have transformed how people access government services and have allowed them to benefit from these services from any place at any time. Smartphones and mobile-application-based technologies are examples. Drawing on technology acceptance theories and relevant literature, this study develops a structural model that integrates the major theories of technology adoption - i.e., technology acceptance model (TAM), diffusion of innovation (DOI), and trust model - in order to investigate the predictors of mGov adoption in the UAE. The proposed model includes six main factors as significant predictors of intention to use mGov. The model is tested using structural equation modeling (SEM) with a partial least-squares (PLS) approach on data collected using an online verified questionnaire. Results indicate significant support for four of the six factors (the influence of compatibility, perceived ease of use, social influence, and trust in technology), but do not support the other two factors (perceived usefulness and trust in government). The study concludes with implications of the research and suggestions for future study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Viable System Model by Stafford Beer embodies a theory about the preconditions of organizational viability. This theory has been discussed extensively by the academics and professionals of organizational cybernetics. The theoretical claim of the Viable System Model (VSM) is bold. It asserts to specify the necessary and sufficient preconditions for the viability of any organization. The empirical evidence, to date, amounts to a substantial corpus of case studies from applications that support the claim of the theory. The present contribution leads beyond the status quo. Its purpose is to test the theory empirically, on the grounds of a broad survey and pertinent quantitative analysis. The available data support the hypotheses and therewith corroborate the theory of the VSM. This implies that the VSM is a reliable orientation device for the diagnosis and design of organizations to strengthen their vitality, resilience, and development potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Recherches en Sciences de Gestion is the property of ISEOR 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.)

Moral socialization of college students has been affected by both the logic guided by the society and the self-logic. The logic guided by the society is the logic that is guided by the present dominant moral will of the society, in which individuals can only make limited choices under the standard of the dominant logic. College students' moral socialization carries out the logic of free development from "no one" to "some one" under the guidance of Marx's theory of human science. Grasping the inherent regulation of moral socialization of college students based on the empirical test will be significant for optimizing the method and route of college students' moral socialization and improving it in an overall way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we demonstrate that fuzzy logic can provide a better tool for predicting recycling behaviour than the customarily used linear regression. To show this, we take a set of empirical data on recycling behaviour ( N = 664), which we randomly divide into two halves. The first half is used to estimate a linear regression model of recycling behaviour, and to develop a fuzzy logic model of recycling behaviour. As the first comparison, the fit of both models to the data included in estimation of the models ( N = 332) is evaluated. As the second comparison, predictive accuracy of both models for “new” cases (hold-out data not included in building the models, N = 332) is assessed. In both cases, the fuzzy logic model significantly outperforms the regression model in terms of fit. To conclude, when accurate predictions of recycling and possibly other environmental behaviours are needed, fuzzy logic modelling seems to be a promising technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we test the performance of the Regional Estimates of VEgetation Abundance from Large Sites (REVEALS) model using pollen records from multiple small sites. We use Holocene pollen records from large and small sites in southern Sweden to identify what is/are the most significant variable(s) affecting the REVEALS-based reconstructions, i.e. type of site (lakes and/or bogs), number of sites, site size, site location in relation to vegetation zones, and/or distance between small sites and large sites. To achieve this objective we grouped the small sites according to (i) the two major modern vegetation zones of the study region, and (ii) the distance between the small sites and large lakes, i.e. small sites within 50, 100, 150, or 200 km of the large lakes. The REVEALS-based reconstructions were performed using 24 pollen taxa. Redundancy analysis was performed on the results from all REVEALS-model runs using the groups within (i) and (ii) separately, and on the results from all runs using the groups within (ii) together. The explanatory power and significance of the variables were identified using forward selection and Monte Carlo permutation tests. The results show that (a) although the REVEALS model was designed for pollen data from large lakes, it also performs well with pollen data from multiple small sites in reconstructing the percentage cover of groups of plant taxa (e.g. open land taxa, summer-green trees, evergreen trees) or individual plant taxa; however, in the case of this study area, the reconstruction of the percentage cover of Calluna vulgaris, Cyperaceae, and Betula may be problematic when using small bogs; (b) standard errors of multiple small-site REVEALS estimates will generally be larger than those obtained using pollen records from large lakes, and they will decrease with increasing size of pollen counts and increasing number of small sites; (c) small lakes are better to use than small bogs if the total number of small sites is low; and (d) the size of small sites and the distance between them do not play a major role, but the distance between the small sites and landscape/vegetation boundaries is a determinant factor for the accuracy of the vegetation reconstructions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In social sciences, particularly in economics, ceteris paribus clauses give rise to special methodological problems, which make difficult both to regard its generalizations as genuine laws and to test such laws empirically. Daniel Hausman claims that the problem with ceteris paribus clauses in economics is that their content is not fully specified. This paper aims to discuss and cri-ticize Hausman’s reconstruction of an economic law and his ideas as to how they could be tested. Particularly, it will be argued that (a) Hausman does not explain how empirical evidence could be used to evaluate economic generalizations qualified by vaguely specified ceteris paribus clauses; (b) his explanation of the fundamental economic laws is careful and persuasive, but it makes impossible to test them empirically, both in experimental and ordinary economic settings; (c) although Hausman is not concerned with derived economic laws, according to his viewpoint they could, in principle, be tested; unfortunately, however, the tendency to include subjective factors among the clauses’ explicit components makes them also practically non-testable. Finally (d) it will be argued that the real problem with ceteris pari-bus clauses in economics is to be found in their failure to be well articulated by a social and economic theory.

Mobile technology changed how people utilise technology and provided opportunities to benefit from public services from anyplace and at anytime. Using mobile phones to access public services, and especially SMS-based services, are crucial to reach citizens anywhere anytime. This study tried to explore Jordanian citizens' perceptions towards using m-government. Using a questionnaire, an empirical test was conducted to investigate the influence of six predictors on the intention to use m-government. Results indicated significant support for the influence of perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, social influence, perceived responsiveness, and perceived compatibility, but not for perceived cost of service. Conclusions, implications, and future work are discussed at the end of this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]