Integrating Managerial Pattern and Competitive Advantages: The Moderation of Competitive Inertia

In dynamic competition, the competitive inertia is determined by components both inside and outside of company. This paper investigated that, after integration, how can firm appropriately alter their integrating managerial pattern, according to competitive inertia, in order to achieve better advantages cause from integration. Through 10-year data of the oligopoly enterprises in airconditioner industry in China, the analysis demonstrated that, improving flexibilities of integration managerial pattern helps to build differentiation advantages, while negative to cost advantages; while firm competitive inertia grew, systematicness of integration managerial pattern would have positive effects on differentiation advantages, while negative on cost advantages.Key words: Integrating managerial pattern; Competitive dynamics; Competitive inertia; Competitive advantage

National Environmental Meteorological Services in China

The environmental meteorological services in China are concerned with atmospheric environmental quality, which is directly related to human activities and affects human health. In recent years, air pollution and other environmental problems have attracted nationwide attention in China, so the environmental meteorological services have been developed rapidly. To provide better meteorological monitoring and forecasting services, the Environmental Meteorological Centre of China Meteorological Administration was established in March 2014 by integrating the resources of various national service units. We review the development of China’s national environmental meteorological services and highlight their current status including major technological capabilities. We also explore future trends of the national environmental meteorological services by analysing deficiencies, gaps in supply and demand, and capabilities of the current environmental meteorological services

Effects of Strategic Tillage on Soil Physicochemical Properties and Grain Yield in the North China Plain

No-till (NT) practice has been widely adopted to improve soil quality, but soil compaction and soil organic carbon (SOC) stratification under long-term NT limit crop production. Strategic tillage (ST), based on single tillage, is proposed as an attractive management practice to sustain the benefits of continuous NT and mitigate its adverse effects. Four tillage systems, including continuous rotary tillage (RT), NT, rotary tillage + subsoiling (RS), and no-till + subsoiling (NS), were implemented to investigate the effects of strategic tillage (i.e., RS and NS) on soil physical properties (compaction and aggregates), SOC, and crop yield in the North China Plain (NCP). The results showed that ST as expected decreased soil bulk density, penetration resistance, and SOC stratification compared with RT and NT at 0–20 cm soil depth (p < 0.05). At 0–10 cm soil depth, more macroaggregates (>0.25 mm) were observed in NT and NS, contributing to higher mean weight and geometric mean diameters, this compared with RT and RS. Additionally, macroaggregate associated SOC was higher, thus resulting in higher SOC storage in NT (31.4–33.4 Mg ha −1) and NS (33.3–35.4 Mg ha−1) at 0–30 cm depth (p < 0.05). Low soil compaction and high SOC in NS were beneficial for the grain yield of wheat and maize, significantly higher by 8.7–32.5% and 14.0–29.8% compared with the other treatments, respectively (p < 0.05). Based on our findings, NS seems to be a promising alternative tillage system to improve soil physicochemical properties and crop production in the NCP. More studies are therefore needed to better understand the benefit of NS

Multifunctional PMMA@Fe3O4@DR Magnetic Materials for Efficient Adsorption of Dyes

Magnetic porous microspheres are widely used in modern wastewater treatment technology due to their simple and quick dye adsorption and separation functions. In this article, we prepared porous polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) microspheres by the seed-swelling method, followed by in situ formation of iron oxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticles within the pore. Then, we used diazo-resin (DR) to encapsulate the porous magnetic microspheres and achieve PMMA@Fe3O4@DR magnetic material. We studied the different properties of magnetic microspheres by different dye adsorption experiments before and after the encapsulation and demonstrated that the PMMA@Fe3O4@DR microspheres can be successfully used as a reusable absorbent for fast and easy removal of anionic and aromatic dyes from wastewater and can maintain excellent magnetic and adsorption properties in harsh environments

Imitation of variable structural color in paracheirodon innesi using colloidal crystal films

Spacing variation of adjoining reflecting thin films in iridophore is responsible for the variable interference color in the paracheirodon innesi. On the basis of this phenomenon, colloidal crystal thin films with different structures are fabricated from monodisperse poly(styrene-methyl methacrylate-acrylic acid) (PSMA) colloids. The relationship between the colors and structures of the films is investigated and discussed according to the principle of light interference. A two-layer colloidal film having uniform color is researched and it displays diverse colors before and after swelling by styrene (St), which can be used to mimic the variable structural color of the paracheirodon innesi

Carbon dioxide capture by dendrimer-modified silica nanoparticles

Aminosilane-and dendrimer-modified silica nanoparticles were synthesized in the presence of (3-aminopropyl)trimethoxysilane and melamine-based dendrimer, respectively. The surface properties, morphology and carbon dioxide adsorption/desorption performances of the silica nanoparticles before and after surface modification were studied and compared. Severe aggregation of the silica nanoparticles was largely minimized after surface modification. The carbon dioxide adsorption capacity of the dendrimer-modified silica nanoparticles was significantly enhanced in comparison with the unmodified and aminosilane-modified silica nanoparticles because of the large surface area and presence of functional groups exhibiting CO affinity in the former

Application and design of esterase-responsive nanoparticles for cancer therapy

Nanoparticles have been developed for tumor treatment due to the enhanced permeability and retention effects. However, lack of specific cancer cells selectivity results in low delivery efficiency and undesired side effects. In that case, the stimuli-responsive nanoparticles system designed for the specific structure and physicochemical properties of tumors have attracted more and more attention of researchers. Esterase-responsive nanoparticle system is widely used due to the overexpressed esterase in tumor cells. For a rational designed esterase-responsive nanoparticle, ester bonds and nanoparticle structures are the key characters. In this review, we overviewed the design of esterase-responsive nanoparticles, including ester bonds design and nano-structure design, and analyzed the fitness of each design for different application. In the end, the outlook of esterase-responsive nanoparticle is looking forward