Preface

Prefac

Preface: Knowledge Science, Engineering and Management 13th International Conference, KSEM 2020, Hangzhou, China, August 28–30, 2020, Proceedings, Part I

Preface: Knowledge Science, Engineering and Management 13th International Conference, KSEM 2020, Hangzhou, China, August 28–30, 2020, Proceedings, Part

A quantitative review of matching papers in economics: Evolution, diversity, and gender

Matching theory studies how agents pair and transact with each other in settings where preferences, complementarities, and sometimes frictions influence outcomes. Such environments, known as matching markets, include contexts where the identity of transacting parties matters, such as labour and marriage markets, school choice, organ donation, and so on. Between 1975 and 2020, the field of matching grew rapidly within economics, with its share of total publications increasing tenfold. Matching papers represented about 2 per 10,000 economics papers in 1975, rising to 20 per 10,000 by 2020. The number of journals publishing research on matching markets expanded from under 1% to nearly 8% of economics journals, and the share of matching papers in Top-5 journals increased from 1% in 1995 to 5% by 2020. The number of researchers in the field increased continuously until the mid-2000s before levelling off, suggesting consolidation within a specialised community. Textual analysis and hierarchical clustering organically reveal the field?s internal structure, identifying several subfields based on the concepts and the language used in paper titles and abstracts. The clusters correspond to distinct methodological traditions and application areas, such as macro-labour, market design, marriage and family economics, housing, and so forth, illustrating the conceptual breadth and specialisation within the field. Collaboration patterns in the field evolved over time. Co-authorship became more common earlier than in the broader profession, with over 50% of matching papers being co-authored by 1990. However, economics overall then surpassed matching in team size and intensity of collaboration. By 2020, matching papers averaged 2.3 authors, compared to over 3 in economics more broadly. Female representation increased but lagged behind the discipline. Around 10% of matching papers had at least one female author in 1990, rising to 25% by 2020, which is about a decade behind the broader trend in the profession. Growth in participation largely came through mixed-gender teams, while all-female authorship remained rare. Matching papers remained more male-dominated and less likely to feature mixed-gender collaboration than economics papers in general.</p

Dissolved oxygen prediction using regularized extreme learning machine with clustering mechanism in a black bass aquaculture pond

Dissolved oxygen prediction using regularized extreme learning machine with clustering mechanism in a black bass aquaculture pon

Particle sizing using dielectrophoresis-active hydrophoresis

A particle sizing technique using dielectrophoresis-active hydrophoresis is presented in this study. This method can measure particle diameters without complex optical tools and electric impedance, and can be adjusted by modulating the external voltage. The separation region is designed to amplify the slight differences in the lateral positions of the particles. The calibration line is obtained from the lateral positions of standard beads and then utilised to measure the distribution of 8 μm beads with a high coefficient of variation (CV). This calibration line is tunable when distinguished voltages are applied. The diameter estimated using DEP-active hydrophoretic sizing is compared with the data obtained using the transmission electron microscope (TEM) method, and it is shown that our DEP-active hydrophpretic technique can potentially be a versatile method for sizing particles inside a microfluidic device

A hybrid dielectrophoretic and hydrophoretic microchip for particle sorting using integrated prefocusing and sorting steps

This work explores dielectrophoresis (DEP)-active hydrophoresis in sorting particles and cells. The device consists of prefocusing region and sorting region with great potential to be integrated into advanced lab-on-a-chip bioanalysis devices. Particles or cells can be focused in the prefocusing region and then sorted in the sorting region. The DEP-active hydrophoretic sorting is not only based on size but also on dielectric properties of the particles or cells of interest without any labelling. A mixture of 3 and 10 μm particles were sorted and collected from corresponding outlets with high separation efficiency. According to the different dielectric properties of viable and nonviable Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells at the medium conductivity of 0.03 S/m, the viable CHO cells were focused well and sorted from cell sample with a high purity

Job satisfaction and hospital performance rated by physicians in China: A moderated mediation analysis on the role of income and person–organization fit

This study tested the effect of person–organization fit (P-O fit) in mediating the link between job satisfaction and hospital performance with income as a moderator. A questionnaire survey was conducted on 301 physicians from two public hospitals in Zhejiang province of China. Respondents were asked to rate their job satisfaction, value congruence (P-O fit) with the hospital, and the hospital’s performance. The mediating effect of P-O fit on the link between job satisfaction and hospital performance was tested through partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Income was introduced to the model as a moderator on the “P-O fit → hospital performance” and “job satisfaction → hospital performance” path, respectively. Higher job satisfaction and P-O fit were associated with higher ratings on hospital performance (p < 0.01). P-O fit had a partial mediating effect on the association between job satisfaction and hospital performance, accounting for 73% of the total effect. The effects of P-O fit and job satisfaction on hospital performance were stronger in the respondents with higher income. Overall, high job satisfaction is associated with high ratings on hospital performance, which is partially mediated through P-O fit. Value congruence is particularly important when financial tools are used to incentivize hospital physicians.</p

Plant defense metabolites influence the interaction between an insect herbivore and an entomovirus

The tri-trophic interaction of plants, insect herbivores, and entomoviruses is an important topic in ecology and pest control. The susceptibility of insect herbivores to entomoviruses (e.g., nucleopolyhedroviruses) is influenced by host plants; however, the role of plant secondary metabolites in determining such susceptibility is poorly understood. Metabolomic analyses of Brassica oleracea, Glycine max, and Ipomoea aquatica plants, which differ in how they affect the susceptibility of Spodoptera exigua to nucleopolyhedroviruses among 14 plants, suggested that the plant secondary metabolites genistein, kaempferol, quercitrin, and coumarin play a role in influencing nucleopolyhedroviruses susceptibility. Subsequently, transcriptomic analysis of caterpillars, treated with nucleopolyhedroviruses alone or with one of these four phenolics, identified four genes (CYP340K4, CXE18, GSTe, and GSTe1) that were significantly downregulated by the phenolics. Functional characterization of these genes suggested that their downregulation significantly increased larval sensitivity to nucleopolyhedroviruses and altered aspects of the immune response. Our findings provide new insight into the role of plant defense metabolites in influencing the interactions between insect herbivores and entomopathogens and identify plant secondary metabolites as potential synergists of viral agents for the control of agricultural pests

Green extraction of phenolic compounds from foxtail millet bran by ultrasonic-assisted deep eutectic solvent extraction: Optimization, comparison and bioactivities

An ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE) protocol using deep eutectic solvent (DES) was employed to extract phenolic compounds from foxtail millet bran (FMB). DES composed with betaine and glycerol in a 1:2 M ratio was selected basing on the total phenolic content (TPC) extraction yield, with the optimal extraction technology investigated using response surface methodology (RSM) with Box-Behnken design (BBD). The optimized process obtained was as follows: DESs with water content of 29 mL/100 mL, ultrasonic power at 247 W, extraction temperature of 61 °C, and extraction time of 31 min. The TPC of the extract was 7.80 ± 0.09 mg ferulic acid equivalent (FAE)/g under the optimum extraction conditions, with the result corresponding well with the model prediction. DES-based UAE produced higher total phenolics, total flavonoids, in vitro antioxidant activity and acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity than the conventional solvent extraction. The phenolic extract from FMB with DES-based UAE was mainly composed of fifteen phenolic compounds, with p-coumaric acid, apigenin-C-dihexoside, and N′, N″-di-p-coumaroylspermidine being the predominant phenolic compounds. Additionally, 1-O-p-coumaroylglycerol was detected for the first time in FMB. The microstructure differences of the FMB samples following extraction were confirmed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM)

Multi-solute solid solution behavior and its effect on the properties of magnesium alloys

The low-density magnesium (Mg) alloys are attractive for the application in aerospace, transportation and other weight-saving-required fields. The mechanical properties and corrosion properties of Mg alloys are the key-property issues for the wide application. It is surprising to find that the solid solution of alloying elements in the α-Mg phase can have multi-effects on the properties of Mg alloys, e.g., solid solution strengthening, solid solution corrosion-resistance-enhancing, etc. Additionally, the alloy design theory of “solid solution strengthening and ductilizing” proposed by Pan and co-workers has attracted extensive attentions. It is promising that by selected proper multi-alloying-elements (with optimal ratio) solid solutioned in the α-Mg phase, the comprehensive properties of Mg alloys can be synergistically improved. In this work, the solid solution behavior of Mg alloys and the followed solid solution property-enhancing effects were reviewed. The mechanisms proposed recently by researchers for these solid solution property-enhancing behaviors were presented, and the related calculations and predictions were also described. It is shown the demonstrations of the fundamentals for the solid solution property-enhancing of Mg alloys, especially from the atomic inter-reaction aspects, still require elaborated characterization work and calculation work. Additionally, it could be expected that the multi-solute in Mg alloys can bring many possibilities, or, in another saying, “cocktail effects”. With understanding the multi-solute interaction behavior and the corresponded solid solution property-enhancing effects, the good balanced high-performance Mg alloys can be developed