Search results

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the public relied heavily on digital media to stay tuned for the latest update. Media preference could increase risk perceptions, although the influence of diverse media exposure remains unknown. Based on protection motivation theory, this study aims to investigate how digital media exposure diversity and information verification influence vaccination intention.

Analyzing survey data from 837 respondents in China, this study examined the effects of digital media exposure on information verification, including their influences on the threat appraisal, coping appraisal, vaccine misinformation beliefs, subjective norms and trust in vaccines.

Results indicate that diversity of digital media exposure increased threat appraisal (perceived severity) and coping appraisal (response efficacy and self-efficacy), while information verification increased only coping appraisal (response efficacy and self-efficacy). In addition, diversity of digital media exposure decreased vaccine misinformation beliefs. Furthermore, digital media exposure and information verification were linked to vaccination intention via the mediations of response efficacy, subjective norms and trust in vaccines.

This study is the first of its kind to investigate media exposure diversity in the context of vaccination and health crises. Our findings extended the PMT framework by exploring proactive information-related behaviors as antecedents of mediation processes. In addition, we examined misinformation beliefs, social norms and trust as societal influences. Theoretical and practical implications are also discussed.

In order to discover a new adsorbent that can be used to purify dye wastewater in the textile and apparel industry, a novel type of graphene oxide/gluten composite material using an improved acid bath coagulation method was synthesized, which can remove methylene blue in an aqueous environment.

After experimentally compounding different ratios of graphene oxide and gluten, the graphene oxide/gluten composite material with 20% graphene oxide content and superlative adsorption effect was chosen. The synthesized material was characterized by different techniques such as FT-IR and SEM, indicating the microstructure of the material and the success of the composite. Various factors were considered, namely, the influence of temperature, dosage, pH and contact time. The isotherms, kinetics and thermodynamic parameters were successively discussed.

The qmax value of 214.29 mg/g of the material was higher compared to the general sorbent, thus, the graphene oxide/gluten composite material was a suitable sorbent for methylene blue removal. Overall, the graphene oxide/gluten composite material can be considered as an effectual and prospective adsorbent to remove methylene blue in the textile and apparel industrial effluent.

Graphene oxide is a potentially excellent sorbent. However, the high dispersibility of GO is detrimental to adsorption, it disperses rapidly in an aqueous solution making separation and recovery difficult. The high load capacity and recyclability of gluten as a colloid make it a suitable carrier for fixing GO. Studies on the combination of GO and GT into composite adsorption material and for the removal of dyes from dyeing wastewater have not been reported. The composite material research on GO and GT can provide new ideas for the research of these kinds of materials and contribute to its wider and convenient application in wastewater treatment.

The purpose of this paper is to make compliant training control of exoskeleton for ankle joint with electromyograph (EMG)-torque interface.

A virtual compliant mapping which is modeled by mass-spring-damper system is incorporated into the whole system at the reference input. The EMG-torque interface contains both data acquisition and torque estimator/predictor, and extreme learning machine is utilized for joint torque estimation/prediction from multiple channels of EMG signals.

The reference ankle joint angle to follow is produced from the compliance mapping whose input is the measured/predicted torque on healthy subjects. The control system works well with the desired angle to track. In the actuation level, the input torque to drive the ankle exoskeleton is less than the actual torque of the subject(s). This may have positive influence on diminishing overshoot of input torque from motors and protect the actuators. The torque prediction and final tracking control performance demonstrate the efficiency of the presented architecture.

This work can be beneficial to compliant training of ankle exoskeleton system for pilots and enhance current training control module in rehabilitation.

The purpose of this paper is to propose a wheel/rail mixed lubrication model to study the water lubrication behavior of wheel/rail contact interface.

The numerical simulation method is applied in this paper. A deterministic mixed lubrication model considering surface roughness and transient state is established. The quasi-system numerical and finite difference method are used for numerical solution. The model is verified by comparing with the experimental data in the literature under the same conditions.

Under wet conditions, the change of train speed will change the lubrication state of the wheel/rail contact interface. With an increasing speed, the average film thickness and the film thickness ratio increase, while the adhesion coefficient, the contact load ratio and the contact area ratio decrease. When the creep ratio increases from 0% to 0.5%, the wheel/rail adhesion coefficient and subsurface stress increase sharply. With the increase of axle load, the average film thickness decreases and the adhesion coefficient increases.

This paper aims to improve the mixed lubrication theory by analyzing the characteristics of wheel/rail friction and lubrication, so as to provide some guidance and theory for train driving behavior.

Using the deterministic model, the lubrication state of the wheel/rail contact interface affected by various external factors and the adhesion behavior of wheel/rail progressive process from boundary lubrication to mixed lubrication are studied.

The purpose of this paper is to establish a maturity evaluation model for the application of construction steel structure welding robotics suitable for the actual situation and specific characteristics of engineering projects in China and then to assess the maturity level of the technology in the application of domestic engineering projects more scientifically.

The research follows a qualitative and quantitative analysis method. In the first stage, the structure of the maturity model is constructed and the evaluation index system is designed by using the ideas of the capability maturity model and WSR methodology for reference. In the second stage, the design of the evaluation process and the selection of evaluation methods (analytic hierarchy process method, multi-level gray comprehensive evaluation method). In the third stage, the data are collected and organized (preparation of questionnaires, distribution of questionnaires, questionnaire collection). In the fourth stage, the established maturity evaluation model is used to analyze the data.

The evaluation model established by using multi-level gray theory can effectively transform various complex indicators into an intuitive maturity level or score status. The conclusion shows that the application maturity of building steel structure welding robot technology in this project is at the development level as a whole. The maturity levels of “WuLi – ShiLi – RenLi” are respectively: development level, development level, between starting level and development level. Comparison of maturity evaluation values of five important factors (from high to low): environmental factors, technical factors, management factors, benefit factors, personnel and group factors.

In this paper, based on the existing research related to construction steel structure welding robot technology, a quantitative and holistic evaluation of the application of construction steel structure welding robot technology in domestic engineering projects is conducted for the first time from a project perspective by designing a maturity evaluation index system and establishing a maturity evaluation model. This research will help the project team to evaluate the application level (maturity) of the welding robot in the actual project, identify the shortcomings and defects of the application of this technology, then improve the weak links pertinently, and finally realize the gradual improvement of the overall application level of welding robot technology for building steel structure.

The purpose of this paper is to purify the wastewater in the garment industry.

The preparation of the calcium alginate (CA)/activated carbon (AC) composite membrane was achieved by vacuum freeze-drying and the cross-linking reaction between sodium alginate and CaCl₂. Effective parameters in the methylene blue (MB) adsorption such as temperature, dose, contact time and pH were discussed. The adsorption properties of the composite membrane were investigated by isotherm, kinetics and thermodynamic analysis. The adsorption equilibrium data were described by the adsorption isotherm Langmuir model and the Freundlich model. The pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order and intra-particle diffusion equations were selected to evaluate the kinetics. The thermodynamic study described that the adsorption reaction was spontaneous and exothermic.

The AC/CA membrane is an efficient and powerful adsorbent to remove MB in printing and dyeing wastewater, and provides a new idea for the selection of adsorption materials for industrial printing and dyeing wastewater.

The composite membrane research on CA and AC can provide new ideas for the research of these kinds of materials.

The paper contributes to its wider and convenientapplication in wastewater treatment.

Studies on the combination of CA and AC into adsorption membranes and for the removal of dyes from printing and dyeing wastewater have not been reported. A novel composite material is provided for treatment dyeing wastewater in garment production. The composite membrane research on CA and AC can provide new ideas for the research of these kinds of materials and contribute to its wider and convenient application in wastewater treatment.

The purpose of this paper is to study the effect of doping, annealing temperature and visible optical excitation on CuO-ZnO nanocomposites’ acetone sensing properties and introduce an attractive candidate for acetone detection at about room temperature.

ZnO nanoparticles doped with CuO were prepared by sol-gel method, and the structure and morphology were characterized via X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, energy dispersive spectroscopy and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller. The photoelectric responses of CuO-ZnO nanocomposites to cetone under the irradiation of visible light were investigated at about 30°C. The photoelectric response mechanism was also discussed with the model of double Schottky.

The doping of CuO enhanced performance of ZnO nanoparticles in terms of the photoelectric responses and the gas response and selectivity to acetone of ZnO nanoparticles, in addition, decreasing the operating temperature to about 30ºC. The optimum performance was obtained by 4.17% CuO-ZnO nanocomposites. Even at the operating temperature, about 30ºC, the response to 1,000 ppm acetone was significantly increased to 579.24 under the visible light irradiation.

The sensor fabricated by 4.17% CuO-ZnO nanocomposites exhibited excellent acetone-sensing characteristics at about 30ºC. It is promising to be applied in low power and miniature acetone gas sensors.

In the present research, a new nanocomposite material of CuO-ZnO was prepared by Sol-gel method. The optimum gas sensing properties to acetone were obtained by 4.17% CuO-ZnO nanocomposites at about 30ºC operating temperature when it was irradiated by visible light with the wavelength more than 420 nm.

Detection of hidden defects of aluminum alloy plate with damping coating is a challenging problem. At present, only a few non-destructive testing methods exist to address this engineering problem. Without the restriction of skin effect, remote field eddy current (RFEC) overcomes the interference caused by the damping coating. The RFEC, which has potential advantages for detecting the hidden defects of aluminum plate with damping coating, can penetrate the metal plate to detect buried depth defects. This study aims to test how thick the RFEC sensor can penetrate the metal plate to detect the buried defects.

The magnetic field distribution characteristics are analyzed, the magnetic field intensity distribution is calculated, and the structure and parameters of the coil, magnetic circuit and shielding damping are determined through the two- and three-dimensional finite element simulation methods. Optimal excitation frequency is obtained, and the distance between the excitation coil and detection coil is determined by analyzing the relationship between excitation frequency and remote field points.

Simulation and experimental results verify the feasibility of applying the RFEC detection technology in detecting the hidden defects of aluminum alloy plate with damping coating.

In this paper, the RFEC testing model of hidden defects in aluminum plate sample with damping coating is established by using the finite element method.

The topic of impulsive buying has been studied by researchers for nearly 70 years and made a large number of valuable discoveries. However, most of the existing research studies focused on the impulse buying behavior in the context of single person shopping from the perspective of individuals and lack of research on impulse buying behavior in the context of shopping with others from the perspective of communities. Given that consumers' decision-making in the presence of others is significantly different from that when they are alone, it is necessary to probe into the internal mechanism of impulse purchase behavior in the context of shopping with others.

In total three experiments were used to test the hypothesis. Study 1 examines the differences in the motivation of impulsive desire among consumers with different impulsive traits. A total of 240 undergraduates were recruited to participate in the study. The purpose of study 2 is to examine the effect of external attribution on consumer guilt, which leads to the failure of self-control. A total of 256 undergraduate students participated in the study 2. The purpose of study 3 was to test the moderating effect of the intensity of ties on the impact of goal on impulse purchase intention. A total of 240 subjects participated in study 3.

When shopping with companions, consumers with different impulse traits have different initial impulses in the face of temptation, but they may have a similar higher willingness to buy on impulse. There are two reasons: on the one hand, consumers with high-impulsive traits produce a higher desire to buy on impulse driven by hedonistic motivation. In contrast, consumers with low-impulse traits will also have a higher impulse purchase desire driven by prosocial motivation. On the other hand, external attribution can lead to the failure of self-control and impulse purchase behavior. However, the above effects only occur when there is a strong connection between consumers.

First, this paper simulates the phenomenon of impulse purchase in the relational situation through experimental methods; if the research based on the real consumption scenario can be carried out, the research results will be more convincing. Second, whether there are other intermediary mechanisms, such as whether external attribution can affect consumers' self-control through perceived social support, need to be further tested. Finally, it is also necessary to examine the role of other regulatory variables, such as consumers' sense of power, the type of self-construct, etc., and these research clues will further enrich the research on impulsive buying in the context of relationship.

First, businesses can launch more accurate marketing strategies for consumers who are shopping together, find ways to reduce consumers' attention to their own responsibility or fault and guide them to conduct external attribution to their impulsive consumption behavior. The findings also have implications for consumers to control their own impulse purchase behavior. In addition, the results of this study can provide new insights into the government to prevent social crisis and carry out consumer education.

The key contribution of the current research is that, unlike existing studies that focus on the exploration of impulsive buying in the context of single person shopping, this study explores the internal mechanism and causal process on how consumers' impulsive buying behavior occurs when shopping with others. The authors further make a contribution to a self-control theory by demonstrating that external attribution has a negative effect on self-control in relational situations. Finally, this study also finds that the intensity of ties can moderate the impacts of focus goals on impulsive buying behavior.

The purpose of this paper was to evaluate corrosion resistance of superheater T91 material based on high temperature corrosion experiments with a condensate environment.

The contributions of water temperature, chloride concentration and corrosion time were considered and analyzed for modeling corrosion kinetics. The corrosion tendency also was predicted, and the results were compared with higher temperature exposures of T91 tube material installed in a biomass power plant.

High temperature exposure tests showed that the corrosion rates of T91 material would increase with temperature; there was a very evident corrosion acceleration point in 110°C. It was concluded that dimensional homogeneity analysis can serve as a viable evaluation method for T91 superheater material.

Dimensional homogeneity analysis was used as evaluation method for anti-corrosion performance of T91 superheater material.