Why do I buy number 8? – A sequential mixed methods study on auspicious consumption in China

China is developing rapidly in a capitalistic mode, however, rationality , as an ethos of capitalism defined by Weber (1958) is not presented as purely in many economic activities in China. Auspicious consumption (AC) appears to be an example for such irrational activities. Auspicious consumption is a type of consumption or practices that are considered to magically bring worldly favorable outcomes. The term auspicious consumption was created for this research to study this unique and prevalent but unexplored consumption pattern in China. The objectives of auspicious consumption are for achieving pragmatic ends through magical means. The examples such as spending a fortune to obtain a license plate with auspicious numbers 88888 and consulting a Fengshui expert before buying a house are very common practices in China. Auspicious consumption is conceptually different than consumption of magic, superstition, paranormal beliefs and folk religion, therefore, it has not been defined and studied sufficiently by these existing theories. An extensive review of literature was performed on a number of theories related to this phenomenon, including theories of sociology of consumption, magic, magic and capitalism, neo-Confucianism, superstition and folk religion. The literature review helped guiding the key questions for this research, and further understanding AC and its place in among the sociological theories. Due to the lack of theories, in-depth interviews were conducted and analyzed on 26 Chinese consumers and a grounded theory approach was used for the analysis and to address the following research questions: 1) What AC do people practice in contemporary China? 2) What motivates Chinese consumers to engage in AC? Various statistical analyses are then performed on a national survey (secondary) dataset to investigate 3) how popular is AC in mainland China, and verify 4) the determining factors generated from the grounded theory, as well as test 5) its relationships with demographic factors. The findings from the grounded theory analysis show that AC can be categorized into objects, services and practices; AC consumers are motivated by symbolic factors such as conspicuousness, bandwagon and propriety, as well as psychological factors such as cheering up , coping with fear and stress that come from uncertainty, and spiritual sustenance. Besides, habit is another motivational factor for AC. The findings from the quantitative secondary data analysis confirm that coping with uncertainty, cheering up and belief in magic are motivational factors to AC. In which, coping with uncertainty is the strongest predictor of AC, and the effects of the other two factors are a lot weaker. The quantitative study also shows that consumers engage in customary AC regardless of their beliefs in AC magical effects; the participation in AC in mainland China was 44% in 2010; age, gender, marital status and healthy conditions were related with AC participation; the greater the belief in Daoism and/or Buddhism, the greater the belief in magic magical effects

Motivations of Luxury Consumption in America vs. China

China\u27s luxury consumption has increased dramatically in recent years. According to a 2012 report, Chinese consumption of luxury goods accounted more than one fourth of worldwide consumption, and Mainland China ranked as the 5th largest personal luxury goods market (McKinsey & Company, 2012). China\u27s expenditure on luxury goods accounts for 20% of personal income, while globally average expenditure was 4% of income (HuiCong D&B Market Research, 2009). However, data from the World Bank shows that in 2012, China\u27s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita was only 7% of the U.S. The goal of this thesis is to investigate differences in luxury consumption motivations between American consumers, Chinese consumers residing in America, and Chinese consumers residing in China. The thesis also will explore the effects of cultural factors on motivations. Social surveys were created and conducted in a Midwestern American University to get the data for the two samples of American consumers and the Chinese Immigrants. For the Chinese sample a social survey was conducted in three different college-level institutions. The set of hypothesis was created based on inferences from the theoretical framework. Statistical analyses were performed to test the validity of these hypotheses in terms of the three samples. Some hypotheses are strongly supported. For example, we found that materialism was a strong driver for different motivations for luxury consumption. Also, we found that a stronger emphasis on Social Dominance values in the Chinese sample than the American one. There were, however, some hypothesis that were not supported. Suggestions are offered for future research on this important and timely topic

APPLICATION OF ANGLES-WITH-PLATE RETROFIT IN REPAIRING DISTORTION-INDUCED FATIGUE DAMAGES IN STRINGER TO FLOORBEAM CONNECTIONS AND SKEWED GIRDER TO CROSS-FRAME CONNECTIONS

Caused by secondary stresses, distortion-induced fatigue is a serious problem faced by many aging bridges. The angles-with-plates retrofit developed at the University of Kansas has shown its potential to effectively and cost-efficiently repair distortion-induced fatigue damage in straight girder to cross-frame connections (Bennett et al. 2014). The performance of the retrofit in this application motivated the researchers to investigate its performance in other types of connections susceptible to distortion-induced fatigue. This thesis consists of two parts. Each part includes a description of two physical tests and a series of computer simulations. Part I describes an investigation on single-plate and double-angle stringer to floorbeam connection subassemblies. Part II describes a study conducted on 20-degree and 40-degree skewed girder to cross-frame connection subassemblies. Both studies were aimed at evaluating the efficacy of the angles-with-plate retrofit in repairing distortion-induced fatigue damage. The efficacy of the angles-with-plate retrofit in stopping fatigue crack propagation was evaluated through physical tests. Cyclic loads were applied on the connection subassemblies to initiate and propagate fatigue cracks. The angles-with-plate retrofit was then applied to repair the damaged connections. Computer simulations of the tested specimens were used to quantitatively analyze effectiveness of the retrofit in reducing stress demands at damaged regions. The results indicated that the angles-with-plate retrofit can efficiently mitigate distortion-induced fatigue damage in these connections. In the tests of the single-plate connection and the skewed girder to cross-frame connections, the retrofit successfully stopped the development of fatigue cracks. The computer simulation results indicated that in the single-plate connection subassembly, the retrofit was able to reduce the peak stress at cracks in the floorbeam web by 80% and by 90% for cracks at the floorbeam web-to-flange weld; in the skewed girder to cross-frame connection subassemblies, the retrofit reduced the peak stress in the 20-degree connection and 40-degree connection by 56% and 66%, respectively (Chen 2015). The double-angle connection subassembly did not show any sign of fatigue damage, therefore, the retrofit was not tested on it

Crossover from Non-Fermi-Liquid to Pseudogap Behavior in the Spectral of Local Impurity in Power-Law Diverging Multichannel Kondo Model

Motivated by the emergence of higher-order van Hove singularities (VHS) with power-law divergent density of states (DOS) ($\rho_c(\omega)=\rho_0/|\omega|^{r}$, $0<r<1$) in materials, we investigate a multichannel Kondo model involving conduction electrons near the higher-order van Hove filling. This model considers $M$ channel and $N$ spin degrees of freedom. Employing a renormalization group analysis and dynamical large-$N$ approach, our results reveal a crossover from a non-Fermi liquid to pseudogap behavior in the spectral properties of the local impurity at the overscreened fixed point. At this critical fixed point, we precisely determine the conditions under which the crossover occurs, either by tuning the exponent $r$ or the ratio $\kappa=M/N$ to a critical value. The results of this study provide novel insights into the non-Fermi liquid and pseudogap behaviors observed in strongly correlated systems, shedding light on the intriguing interplay between higher-order van Hove singularities and multichannel Kondo physics.Comment: 5 pages, 5 fugure

Analytical Investigation of Saddle Connections for Overhead Sign Trusses with Respect to Strength and Fatigue Performance

Bridge-type overhead truss sign structures (OHTSS) are widely used over active highways across the states. An OHTSS is comprised of a 3D truss and two support frames at each end. The structures are usually made of steel or aluminum. Many state DOTs use their own types of connections that are not documented in specifications. Since 2015, the Kansas DOT has used a type of ‘saddle connection’ at the joints of truss chords and support frame pipes. Wind loads are the primary type of load a sign structure resists besides the gravity load. Since wind loads are periodic, fatigue properties are important in the design of OHTSS. As a newly developed connection, the Kansas DOT sought information regarding the mechanical performance of the saddle connection. Studies were needed to verify the safety of the connections, particularly regarding its fatigue susceptibility. This report present a study mainly aimed at evaluating the fatigue susceptibility of the saddle connections using finite element analysis (FEA). The study consisted of the following four parts: Part 1 - Global behavior analysis: an analysis aimed at determining the global behavior of the structures and the location of critical connections. Linear-elastic material properties were used. Part 2 - Structural Hot Spot Stress analysis: an analysis was performed to determine structural Hot Spot Stresses along each weld in the critical connections identified in Part 1. Linear- elastic material properties were used. Part 3 – Effective notch stress analysis: a linear-elastic analysis using the effective notch stress method to evaluate three welds identified to have larger stresses in Part 2. Linear-elastic material properties were used. Part 4 – Extreme loading analysis: An analysis to evaluate the behavior of the saddle connections and the overall structures under extreme loading and provide comments regarding the strength-related safety of the saddle connections. Elastic-perfectly plastic material properties were used. Sign structures of four span lengths, including 60 ft, 83 ft, 110 ft, and 137 ft, were analyzed in Part 1 and Part 2. The 137 ft span structure was analyzed in part three using the effective notch stress method. The 60 ft and 137 ft span structures were analyzed in part four. In Parts 1 and 2, AASHTO fatigue loads, including natural wind gusts and truck-induced gusts, were applied in six load modes. They included: natural wind blowing from the back, front, and side of sign structures; and truck-induced gusts acting on the right, middle, and left 12 ft of sign trusses. In Part 3, the AASHTO fatigue load of the natural wind blowing from behind the sign structure was applied. In Part 4, the overall structures and the saddle connections were loaded until the analysis terminated. The termination of analysis was governed by loss of stiffness due to the yielding of material. The study resulted in conclusions that the natural wind in the direction facing the sign panel almost always governed the fatigue demand. The bottom saddle connections were more susceptible to fatigue damage than the top saddle connections, especially the stiffener-to-pipe weld in the bottom saddle connection. Fatigue failures of the saddle connections are not likely to occur in expected real use, but attention should be paid to the stiffener-to-pipe weld in the bottom saddle connection. The analysis of the structures under extreme loading suggests that the ultimate strength of saddle connections do not govern the strength of the overall structures.The Kansas Department of Transportatio

Determination of Fatigue Resistance of Coupler Connections in Aluminum Overhead Truss Structures

Overhead truss sign structures (OHTSS) are widely used over highways across the nation. An overhead truss sign structure is comprised of a truss and two supporting frames at each end, and can be made using aluminum or steel. Aluminum overhead truss sign structures are generally more prone to vibration issues due to their light weight (Fouad, et al. 2003). Before 2015, aluminum overhead truss sign structures constructed in Kansas used an identical type of coupling assembly to provide connection between vertical poles and horizontal trusses. There are approximately 450 sign structures that use this type of connections over active highways in the State of Kansas. The coupler connection was designed in the early 1970s. At that time, experimental tests were conducted to determine the static strength of the connection (McCollom 1973), however, no prior research has been conducted to evaluate the fatigue performance of the coupler connection. Many of these connections have now been in service for 30-40 years and research is needed to evaluate the fatigue performance of the connections. This report presents a study aimed at evaluating the fatigue performance of the coupler connections used in bridge-type overhead truss sign structures. It consists of two parts. The first part describes a series of finite element (FE) analyses that were used to determine the behavior of the coupler connections in expected real use. The results indicated that among all loading cases analyzed in this study, the out-of-plane responses of the sign structures were more significant than in-plane responses. The coupler connections behaved like idealized pinned connections, with little to no capability to transfer moments; therefore, the rivets connecting the interior two couplers were found to undergo mostly direct tension and shear. A rational experimental testing plan was developed according to the findings of the finite element analyses. The second part of this study included performing 22 fatigue tests on newly-fabricated coupling assemblies obtained from Steve Johnson Fabrication, Inc. (Wichita, KS), the company that manufactures most OHTSS in Kansas. The experimental tests were conducted to characterize the fatigue performance of the coupler connection, utilizing AASHTO S-N curves. The fatigue tests were conducted in three directions, such that the rivet was loaded in: 1) tension, 2) vertical shear, and 3) horizontal shear. These loading conditions on the rivet represented, respectively: 1) truss out-of-plane shear, 2) truss in-plane shear, and 3) truss chord axial force. The testing program revealed that the coupler connection has much better fatigue resistance when loaded in shear than in tension. Despite poor tensile fatigue performance, fatigue failure is still considered to be unlikely in OHTSS applications, due to very low stress demands found from finite element analyses.The Kansas Department of Transportatio

Molecular Characterization of Cultivated Bromeliad Accessions with Inter-Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR) Markers

Bromeliads are of great economic importance in flower production; however little information is available with respect to genetic characterization of cultivated bromeliads thus far. In the present study, a selection of cultivated bromeliads was characterized via inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers with an emphasis on genetic diversity and population structure. Twelve ISSR primers produced 342 bands, of which 287 (~84%) were polymorphic, with polymorphic bands per primer ranging from 17 to 34. The Jaccard’s similarity ranged from 0.08 to 0.89 and averaged ~0.30 for the investigated bromeliads. The Bayesian-based approach, together with the un-weighted paired group method with arithmetic average (UPGMA)-based clustering and the principal coordinate analysis (PCoA), distinctly grouped the bromeliads from Neoregelia, Guzmania, and Vriesea into three separately clusters, well corresponding with their botanical classifications; whereas the bromeliads of Aechmea other than the recently selected hybrids were not well assigned to a cluster. Additionally, ISSR marker was proven efficient for the identification of hybrids and bud sports of cultivated bromeliads. The findings achieved herein will further our knowledge about the genetic variability within cultivated bromeliads and therefore facilitate breeding for new varieties of cultivated bromeliads in future as well

Towards General and Efficient Online Tuning for Spark

The distributed data analytic system -- Spark is a common choice for processing massive volumes of heterogeneous data, while it is challenging to tune its parameters to achieve high performance. Recent studies try to employ auto-tuning techniques to solve this problem but suffer from three issues: limited functionality, high overhead, and inefficient search. In this paper, we present a general and efficient Spark tuning framework that can deal with the three issues simultaneously. First, we introduce a generalized tuning formulation, which can support multiple tuning goals and constraints conveniently, and a Bayesian optimization (BO) based solution to solve this generalized optimization problem. Second, to avoid high overhead from additional offline evaluations in existing methods, we propose to tune parameters along with the actual periodic executions of each job (i.e., online evaluations). To ensure safety during online job executions, we design a safe configuration acquisition method that models the safe region. Finally, three innovative techniques are leveraged to further accelerate the search process: adaptive sub-space generation, approximate gradient descent, and meta-learning method. We have implemented this framework as an independent cloud service, and applied it to the data platform in Tencent. The empirical results on both public benchmarks and large-scale production tasks demonstrate its superiority in terms of practicality, generality, and efficiency. Notably, this service saves an average of 57.00% memory cost and 34.93% CPU cost on 25K in-production tasks within 20 iterations, respectively

Methylation levels at IGF2 and GNAS DMRs in infants born to preeclamptic pregnancies

BACKGROUND: Offspring of pregnancy complicated with preeclampsia are at high risk for hypertension, stroke and possibly obesity. The mechanisms behind the association of intrauterine exposure to preeclampsia and high risk of health problems in the later life remain largely unknown. The aims of the current investigation were to determine the changes in DNA methylation at IGF2 and GNAS DMR in offspring of preeclamptic pregnancy and to explore the possible mechanisms underlying the association between maternal preeclampsia and high risk for health problems in the later life of their offspring. RESULTS: Umbilical cord blood was taken from infants born to women of preeclampsia (n=56), gestational hypertension (n=23) and normal pregnancy (n=81). DNA methylation levels of IGF2 and GNAS DMR were determined by Massarray quantitative methylation analysis. Methylation levels at IGF2 DMR were significantly lower in preeclampsia than normal pregnancy. The average methylation level at IGF2 DMR was significantly correlated with preeclampsia even after birth weight, maternal age, gestational age at delivery and fetal gender were adjusted. The difference in methylation level was not significantly different between mild and severe preeclampsia. The methylation level at GNAS DMR was not significantly correlated with birth weight, maternal age, gestational age at delivery, fetal gender, preeclampsia or gestational hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: We concluded preeclampsia induced a decrease in methylation level at IGF 2 DMR, and this might be among the mechanisms behind the association between intrauterine exposure to preeclampsia and high risk for metabolic diseases in the later life of the infants