Yongfeng Zhu, Zilong Wang and Jie Yang
The existing three-stage network Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) models with shared input are self-assessment model that are prone to extreme efficiency scores in pursuit of…
Abstract
Purpose
The existing three-stage network Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) models with shared input are self-assessment model that are prone to extreme efficiency scores in pursuit of decision-making units (DMUs) efficiency maximization. This study aims to solve the sorting failure problem of the three-stage network DEA model with shared input and applies the proposed model to evaluate innovation resource allocation efficiency of Chinese industrial enterprises.
Design/methodology/approach
A three-stage network cross-DEA model considering shared input is proposed by incorporating the cross-efficiency model into the three-stage network DEA model. An application of the proposed model in the innovation resource allocation of industrial enterprise is implemented in 30 provinces of China during 2015–2019.
Findings
The efficiency of DMU would be overestimated if the decision-maker preference is overlooked. Moreover, the innovation resource allocation performance of Chinese industrial enterprises had a different spatial distribution, with high in eastern and central China and low in western China. Eastern China was good at knowledge production and technology development but not good at commercial transformation. Northeast China performed well in technology development and commercial conversion but not in knowledge production. The central China did not perform well in terms of technology development.
Originality/value
A three-stage network DEA model with shared input is proposed for the first time, which makes up for the problem of sorting failure of the general three-stage network model.
Details
Keywords
Yi Liu, Fanhua Wu, Xinwei Tian, Xiaoyang Hu, Yongfeng Liu, Xiandong Zhao, Rongjun Qu, Chunnuan Ji and Yuzhong Niu
This paper aims to focus on the preparation of Kevlar fiber (KF) and alkaline hydrolyzed KF (KF-H) to improve the dispersed condition of polyaniline (PAn), as the aggregation of…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to focus on the preparation of Kevlar fiber (KF) and alkaline hydrolyzed KF (KF-H) to improve the dispersed condition of polyaniline (PAn), as the aggregation of PAn would lead to some adsorption sites buried. And then the materials were used to enrich anionic dye Congo red (CR) from aqueous solution.
Design/methodology/approach
The materials (KF@PAn and KF-H@PAn) were designed by means of “diffusion-interfacial-polymerization” under mild condition as high affinity due to the structural properties of PAn, KF and KF-H. The dispersed degree of PAn on the surface of KF and KF-H was validated according to adsorption efficiency for CR.
Findings
The content of PAn introduced was not beyond 20 wt.%, while adsorption capacity for CR was significantly enhanced by 4–8 times (on the basis of kinetic data) according to the calculation only by the content of PAn due to KF and alkaline hydrolyzed KF exhibited almost no adsorption for CR, indicating dispersed situation of PAn coating was greatly enhanced and more active sites exposed, which was favorable for the adsorption process. Presence of NaCl would exhibit a more or less positive effect on CR uptake, suggesting the materials could be used for high salt environment.
Research limitations/implications
The investigated means of dispersed degree of PAn on the surface of KF and KF-H are the further and future investigation.
Practical implications
This study will provide a method to improve the dispersed situation of PAn and a theoretical support to treat anionic dyes from aqueous solution especially for salt environment.
Originality/value
The results showed that the dispersed condition of PAn on the surface of KF and KF-H was greatly improved. According to the adsorption capacities for CR, it can be concluded that part of adsorption sites were buried due to the aggregation of PAn, and introduction of KF and KF-H, buried adsorption sites decreased greatly. This study will provide a method to decrease buried adsorption sites of PAn and a contribution for their convenient application in wastewater treatment especially for high salt environment.
Details
Keywords
Changsheng Hu and Yongfeng Wang
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the trading behaviors of retail investors and investigate their impacts on stock returns.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the trading behaviors of retail investors and investigate their impacts on stock returns.
Design/methodology/approach
As retail investors are considered as the main noise traders in the capital market, using the trading records of Chinese retail investors from 2005 to 2009, the authors study their trading preferences and the correlation of their trades. Then, they use a multifactor model to test whether the co‐movement of stock returns could be explained by individual sentiment.
Findings
The authors' results show that the small‐cap stocks are obviously preferred by retail investors. Meanwhile, the net stock demands of retail investors are systematically correlated, even when the effect of market risk is excluded. In the perspective of the net stock demands, the authors use BSI to measure the individual sentiment, finding that individual sentiment plays an important role in the formation of the cross‐section of stock returns. However, the authors' results imply that BSI is a reverse indicator to predict the future returns, which implies that the trading behaviors of retail investors are irrational.
Originality/value
Consistent with behavioral theory, the authors' findings support the viewpoint that stock returns could be affected by the systematic correlated trading of retail investors. To some extent, their findings highlight the need to know more details of individual investors' trading behaviors through which the fluctuations of asset prices can be better understood.
Details
Keywords
Yi Liu, Guangyao Qiu, Tao Li, Ang Yan, Yongfeng Liu, Rongjun Qu and Changmei Sun
To treat water pollution, especially the contamination resulted from organic dyes has aroused significant attention around the world, this study aims to prepare the metal organic…
Abstract
Purpose
To treat water pollution, especially the contamination resulted from organic dyes has aroused significant attention around the world, this study aims to prepare the metal organic framework (MOF) materials hybridizing with poly(p-phenylene terephthalamide) (PPTA) by means of a facile refluxing method and to systematically investigate adsorption performance for anionic dye Congo red as target molecule from aqueous solution.
Design/methodology/approach
The MOF materials hybridized by PPTA were fabricated by virtue of a facile refluxing method, characterized by thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray powder diffraction, Fourier transform infrared and pore structure.
Findings
The results showed that pseudo-second-order kinetic model could better describe the adsorption process for all the four materials, whereas Elovich model also fitted the process for the hybrid materials with PPTA. Adsorption isotherm analyses indicated that Langmuir isotherm could be used to describe the adsorption process. Introduction of appropriate amount of PPTA could enhance the adsorption affinity of the MOF materials for Congo red, and the maximum adsorption capacity could reach as high as 1,053.41 mg/g while that of the MOF material without PPTA was 666.67 mg/g, indicating introduction of PPTA could change the microenvironment of the MOF materials and increase the adsorption sites, leading to high adsorption efficiency.
Research limitations/implications
The microstructure of MOF hybridized materials in detail is the further and future investigation.
Practical implications
This study will provide a method to prepare MOF materials with high efficiency to treat anionic dyes like Congo red from aqueous solution.
Originality/value
Owing to the special characteristics of PPTA and similar to carbon tube, PPTA was introduced into MOF material to increased corresponding water stability. Because of aromatic ring and amide group on the surface of PPTA, the adsorption efficiency of the hybridized MOF material with appropriate amount of PPTA was greatly enhanced.
Details
Keywords
Yongfeng Li, Yaotong Pan, Wenqiang Yang, Xiaochang Xu, Junpeng Xu and Lei Zhang
This study aims to solve the problem of repair path planning between multiple small-size defects in the field of additive manufacturing (AM) repair by using Python-based ant…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to solve the problem of repair path planning between multiple small-size defects in the field of additive manufacturing (AM) repair by using Python-based ant colony algorithm (ACO). The optimal parameter combination scheme is obtained by discussing the influencing factors of parameters in the ACO.
Design/methodology/approach
The effects of the information heuristic factor α, the expected heuristic factor ß and the pheromone volatile factor ρ on the simulation results were investigated by designing a three-factor and three-level orthogonal experiment. The fast convergence of ACO in finding the optimal solution of multiple small-size defect repair path problem is proved by comparing the simulation results with those of genetic algorithm (GA) on the same data set.
Findings
The ACO can effectively solve the repair path planning problem between multiple small-size defects by optimizing the parameters. In the case of 50 defect locations, the simulation results of the ACO with optimized parameters are 159.8 iterations and 3,688 average path lengths, while the GA has 4,027.2 average path lengths under the same data set and the same number of iterations, and by comparison, it is proved that the ACO can find the optimal solution quickly in the small-size defects repair path planning problem, which greatly improves the efficiency of defect repair.
Originality/value
The parameter-optimized ACO can be quickly applied to the planning problem of repair paths between multiple small-size defects in the field of AM repair, which can better improve the defect repair efficiency and reduce the waste of resources.
Details
Keywords
Yongfeng Liu, Yi Liu and Duolong Di
The purpose of this study is to focus on the preparation of macroporous adsorption resins (MARs) functionalized with carbazole and N-methylimidazole, and adsorption behaviors of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to focus on the preparation of macroporous adsorption resins (MARs) functionalized with carbazole and N-methylimidazole, and adsorption behaviors of (–)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and caffeine (CAF) on the functionalized MARs.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on the Friedel–Crafts and amination reactions, novel MARs functionalized with carbazole and N-methylimidazole were synthesized and characterized by the BET method. Accordingly, adsorption behaviors and structure-activity relationships for EGCG and CAF were studied in detail.
Findings
The results showed that pseudosecond-order kinetic model was provided with a better correlation for the adsorption of EGCG and CAF onto L-1 and L-2, and pseudofirst-order kinetic model was the most suitable model to illustrate the adsorption process for EGCG and CAF on L-3. The result indicated that Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin–Pyzhev and Dubinin–Radushkevich isotherms all could better illustrate the adsorption processes of EGCG and CAF on L-1, L-2 and L-3.
Practical implications
This study provides theoretical guidance and technical support for the efficient separation and purification of EGCG and CAF from waste tea leaves by MARs on a large scale. In addition, the results showed that this novel MARs would provide useful help and be used in large-scale production of active ingredients from natural products in the industry and other fields.
Originality/value
Adsorption kinetic models such as pseudofirst-order, pseudosecond-order and intra-particle diffusion kinetic models, and adsorption isotherm models such as Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin–Pyzhev and Dubinin–Radushkevich isotherms models were adopted to illustrate the adsorption mechanisms of EGCG and CAF. The main driving forces for MARs with no functional groups were pore sieving effects, p–p conjugation effects and hydrophobic interactions, and the other significant driving forces for MARs functionalized with carbazole and N-methylimidazole were electrostatic interactions, ion-dipole and hydrogen bonding interactions. This study might provide scientific references and useful help for large-scale separating and enriching active ingredients in natural products using the technology of MARs with special functional groups.
Details
Keywords
Fanhua Wu, Yuyu Zhang, Tao Li, Yongfeng Liu, Yi Liu, Zhiang Yuan and Rongjun Qu
The purpose of this study was to prepare carboxylated attapulgite (APT-COOH) and then be used as one of the ligands to prepare metal organic framework (MOF) hybrid materials to…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to prepare carboxylated attapulgite (APT-COOH) and then be used as one of the ligands to prepare metal organic framework (MOF) hybrid materials to reduce the cost of MOF materials and improve the dispersed condition of APT. And then the materials were used to enrich anionic dye Congo red from aqueous solution.
Design/methodology/approach
The MOF hybrid materials were designed by means of facile reflux method rather than hydrothermal method, characterized by Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectrometer and pore structure. The dispersed degree of APT-COOH in the MOF materials was validated according to adsorption efficiency for Congo red.
Findings
Due to introduction of APT-COOH, the microenvironment of the MOF materials changed, leading to different adsorption behaviors. Compared to the MOF material without APT-COOH, the adsorption capacities of the hybridized MOF materials with different amounts of APT-COOH introduced increased by 4.58% and 15.55%, respectively, as the initial concentration of Congo red solution of 300 mg/L. Meantime, hybridized MOF materials were suitable to remove Congo red with low concentration, while the MOF material without APT-COOH was appropriate to enrich Congo red with high concentration.
Research limitations/implications
The microstructure of MOF hybrid materials in detail is the further and future investigation.
Practical implications
This study will provide a method to reduce the cost of MOF materials and a theoretical support to treat anionic dyes from aqueous solution.
Originality/value
APT-COOH was prepared and used as one of the ligands to synthesize MOF material to improve the dispersed degree of APT-COOH and reduce the cost of the MOF materials. The adsorption efficiency was greatly enhanced with low concentration of Congo red solution, and the results indicated that hydrogen bonding, electrostatic interaction, and p-p conjugation were involved in the adsorption process. The prepared MOFs materials exhibited excellent adsorption efficiency, which made the present materials highly promising and potentially useful in practical application as adsorbents to enrich anionic dyes such as Congo red from aqueous solution.
Details
Keywords
Jianfeng Zhao, Bodong Liang and Qiuxia Chen
The successful and commercial use of self-driving/driverless/unmanned/automated car will make human life easier. The paper aims to discuss this issue.
Abstract
Purpose
The successful and commercial use of self-driving/driverless/unmanned/automated car will make human life easier. The paper aims to discuss this issue.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper reviews the key technology of a self-driving car. In this paper, the four key technologies in self-driving car, namely, car navigation system, path planning, environment perception and car control, are addressed and surveyed. The main research institutions and groups in different countries are summarized. Finally, the debates of self-driving car are discussed and the development trend of self-driving car is predicted.
Findings
This paper analyzes the key technology of self-driving car and illuminates the state-of-art of the self-driving car.
Originality/value
The main research contents and key technology have been introduced. The research progress as well as the research institution has been summarized.
Details
Keywords
Dawei Zhang, Haiyang Li, Hongchang Qian, Luntao Wang and Xiaogang Li
This study aims to construct a double layer heat insulation coating based on hollow glass microspheres (HGMs) and to investigate the effect of particle size on barrier property…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to construct a double layer heat insulation coating based on hollow glass microspheres (HGMs) and to investigate the effect of particle size on barrier property and heat insulation performance.
Design/methodology/approach
The waterborne double layer coating was composed of an anticorrosive epoxy ester primer and an HGM-containing silicone acrylic topcoat. With varied HGM sizes (20 μm, 40 μm, 60 μm and a 1:3 w/w mixture of 20 and 60 μm particles), the coating was immersed in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution for 28 days and was then subjected to a salt spray test for 450 h. The barrier properties of the coating were evaluated through electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Heat insulation performance was examined using a self-made device.
Findings
The addition of HGMs decreased the barrier properties of the coating by creating particle/resin interfaces for water penetration. In the HGMs-containing coatings, the use of larger HGMs showed relatively good barrier properties because of the lower particle density. The coating with smaller particles yielded a higher heat insulating capacity as indicated by lower equilibrium temperatures.
Research limitations/implications
Future work will be focused on improving the barrier properties of the coating. Field exposure tests should also be performed to assess the long-term performance of the coating.
Practical implications
The mechanical properties of the coatings in this study also implied that HGMs can be used to develop scratch-resistant and impact-resistant coatings. Other potential applications for further studies include the uses of HGMs for coatings with improved fire retardancy and electromagnetic interference shielding.
Originality/value
A double layer coating was developed to provide balanced performance on both anticorrosion and heat insulation. The effects of HGM size were particularly highlighted.
Details
Keywords
Yaqin Zou, Xuemei Jiang, Caiyun Wen and Yang Li
After the Collective Forest Tenure Reform (CFTR) in China, the enthusiasm of farmers for forestry management is stimulated. However, the forest tenure security varies among…
Abstract
Purpose
After the Collective Forest Tenure Reform (CFTR) in China, the enthusiasm of farmers for forestry management is stimulated. However, the forest tenure security varies among farmers, making the research conclusions of its impact on forestry management efficiency inconsistent. Based on the survey data of 1,627 households from the collective forest regions in 6 provinces of China in 2017, this paper not only discusses the differences of farmers' forestry management efficiency after the reform, but also further explores the heterogeneous impact of forest tenure security on forestry management efficiency in combination with different forest management types.
Design/methodology/approach
This study employed the stochastic frontier production function model to measure the forestry management efficiency of farmers. Then, Tobit models were used to discuss the influencing factors of farmers' forestry management efficiency.
Findings
The results demonstrate that the improvement of farmers' forest tenure security can effectively improve forestry management efficiency, but the effect is affected by forest management types. For farmers who manage economic forests and non-timber forests, safe tenure promotes the forestry management efficiency; while for those who manage ecological public welfare forests, tenure security plays an opposite role.
Originality/value
Therefore, satisfying farmers' differentiated demands for forest tenure according to forest management types to improve forest tenure security and further refining supporting policies of collective forestry reform is of great significance to improve the efficiency of farmers' forestry management in collective forest regions.