Factors affecting sustainability of smart city services in China:From the perspective of citizens’ sense of gain

The citizen-centric smart city has become an essential paradigm for dealing with the problems caused by rapid urbanization. The Chinese government proposed enhancing citizens' sense of gain to achieve the citizen-centric development goal. To develop a more realistic improving path for the sustainability of smart city services (SCS), it is necessary to clarify the factors that affect citizens' sense of gain of smart city services (CSGSCS). To achieve this objective, 9 hypotheses were developed based on the modified expectation confirmation theory. Hypothesis testing, mediating effect testing, and heterogeneity analysis was conducted based on data collected from Nanjing citizens. The results indicate that: 1) Expectation-Perception Performance, including Content of SCS, Channel of SCS, and Support of SCS, all have positive direct effects on CSGSCS; 2) Expectation Confirmation directly affects CSGSCS and mediates the positive effect of the Expectation-Perception Performance on CSGSCS; 3) Heterogeneity of age and usage frequency have significant effects on CSGSCS. Finally, three policy implications were proposed, including encouraging citizens to participate in SCS supply, bridging the digital divide created by SCS, and improving the policy and legal system on SCS. This research enriches the academic framework and provides guidance for sustainable supply of SCS in similar cities around the world.</p

Factors affecting sustainability of smart city services in China:From the perspective of citizens’ sense of gain

The citizen-centric smart city has become an essential paradigm for dealing with the problems caused by rapid urbanization. The Chinese government proposed enhancing citizens' sense of gain to achieve the citizen-centric development goal. To develop a more realistic improving path for the sustainability of smart city services (SCS), it is necessary to clarify the factors that affect citizens' sense of gain of smart city services (CSGSCS). To achieve this objective, 9 hypotheses were developed based on the modified expectation confirmation theory. Hypothesis testing, mediating effect testing, and heterogeneity analysis was conducted based on data collected from Nanjing citizens. The results indicate that: 1) Expectation-Perception Performance, including Content of SCS, Channel of SCS, and Support of SCS, all have positive direct effects on CSGSCS; 2) Expectation Confirmation directly affects CSGSCS and mediates the positive effect of the Expectation-Perception Performance on CSGSCS; 3) Heterogeneity of age and usage frequency have significant effects on CSGSCS. Finally, three policy implications were proposed, including encouraging citizens to participate in SCS supply, bridging the digital divide created by SCS, and improving the policy and legal system on SCS. This research enriches the academic framework and provides guidance for sustainable supply of SCS in similar cities around the world.</p

Ultrasmall hexagonal NaGdF4:Yb nanoparticles: A theranostic approach to radiotherapy

Uniform sub 5-nm β-NaGdF4:Yb nanoparticles as bimodal contrast agent for T1 MRI and CT have exhibited dual imaging capability comparable to the commercially available contrast agents for both MRI (i.e. Gd-DTPA) and CT (i.e. Iohexol) modalities. In addition, these nanoparticles can act as radiosensitizer resulting in a significant cell reproductive death after irradiation. In the absence of irradiation treatment, no adverse effects were observed in the cells incubated with the nanoparticles, as further confirmed by MTS assay. These indicate good potential as theranostic agent to facilitate targeted radiation therapy for optimal eradication of tumor cells with minimal damage to the surrounding normal cells. Looking at the biodistribution of these nanoparticles based on ex vivo analysis of Gd3+ ions via ICP-MS implies body clearance through urine and feces within a reasonable timescale. Given all these properties, these ultrasmall NaGdF4:Yb nanoparticles can serve as a good candidate for the development and design of image-guided radiotherapy

A Subset of CXCR5+CD8+ T Cells in the Germinal Centers From Human Tonsils and Lymph Nodes Help B Cells Produce Immunoglobulins

Recent studies indicated that CXCR5+CD8+ T cells in lymph nodes could eradicate virus-infected target cells. However, in the current study we found that a subset of CXCR5+CD8+ T cells in the germinal centers from human tonsils or lymph nodes are predominately memory cells that express CD45RO and CD27. The involvement of CXCR5+CD8+ T cells in humoral immune responses is suggested by their localization in B cell follicles and by the concomitant expression of costimulatory molecules, including CD40L and ICOS after activation. In addition, CXCR5+CD8+ memory T cells produced significantly higher levels of IL-21, IFN-γ, and IL-4 at mRNA and protein levels compared to CXCR5−CD8+ memory T cells, but IL-21-expressing CXCR5+CD8+ T cells did not express Granzyme B and perforin. When cocultured with sorted B cells, sorted CXCR5+CD8+ T cells promoted the production of antibodies compared to sorted CXCR5−CD8+ T cells. However, fixed CD8+ T cells failed to help B cells and the neutralyzing antibodies against IL-21 or CD40L inhibited the promoting effects of sorted CXCR5+CD8+ T cells on B cells for the production of antibodies. Finally, we found that in the germinal centers of lymph nodes from HIV-infected patients contained more CXCR5+CD8+ T cells compared to normal lymph nodes. Due to their versatile functional capacities, CXCR5+CD8+ T cells are promising candidate cells for immune therapies, particularly when CD4+ T cell help are limited

Os Armários Vazios, de Maria Judite de Carvalho, e Ban Sheng Yuan (Amor de meia-vida), de Eileen Chang

Esta dissertação compara e analisa a obra Os Armários Vazios, da escritora portuguesa Maria Judite de Carvalho, publicada em 1966, e o romance Ban Sheng Yuan (Amor de meia-vida), da escritora chinesa Eileen Chang, publicado igualmente em 1966. Este trabalho ajudará a comparar o ambiente social e o desenvolvimento histórico da China e de Portugal na época, bem como contribuirá para analisar as semelhanças e diferenças de consciência e condição das mulheres nos dois países.This dissertation will compare and analyze the romance Empty wardrobes, by the Portuguese writer Maria Judite de Carvalho, published in 1966, and the novel Ban Sheng Yuan (Half a lifelong romance), by the Chinese writer Eileen Chang, also published in 1966. This work will help to compare the social environment and historical development of China and Portugal at the time, as well as analyze the similarities and differences in the consciousness and condition of women in the two countries at that time.Mestrado em Português Língua Estrangeira/Língua Segund

How to peak carbon emissions of provincial construction industry? Scenario analysis of Jiangsu Province

China has become the world's largest carbon emitter, and its commitment to peak carbon emissions by 2030 is important for global development. The construction industry is one of China's biggest carbon emitters, and its peak has a direct impact on China's carbon commitment. Due to the regional heterogeneity of different provinces, the carbon emission of construction industry (CECI) at provincial level is of unique significance. To accurately predict the peak of provincial CECI, a prediction model was established by system dynamics, including direct CECI, indirect CECI and operational CECI. Taking Jiangsu province as an example, the single and multiple scenario settings with increasing R&D investment, promoting energy-saving buildings and implementing carbon trading from 2016 to 2030 was carried out, indicating that: 1) Without any carbon emission reduction measures, the CECI would maintain an annual growth rate of 5.58% to reach 530.61 million tons by 2030, and the indirect and operational CECI account for the majority of total with an average annual growth rate of 8.02% and 2.79% respectively. 2) All three measures had good carbon reduction effects, which would reduce the total CECI by 26.46% 21.68% and 10.68% respectively by 2030, but only when implemented simultaneously can CECI peak before 2030, 308.77 million tons at 2029. In the end, three policy implications was put forward. The framework presented in this paper provided a basis for the prediction of peak CECI in a province or state, which can help policy makers plan a more reasonable low-carbon development roadmap

Cage-confinement of gas-phase ferrocene in zeolitic imidazolate frameworks to synthesize high-loading and atomically dispersed Fe–N codoped carbon for efficient oxygen reduction reaction

10.1039/c9ta04954aJournal of Materials Chemistry A716508-1651

The Role of Proton in High Power Density Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries

To design high-performance vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs), the influence of proton on electrocatalysts cannot be neglected considering the abundance of proton in a highly acidic electrolyte. Herein, the impact of proton on metal oxide-based electrocatalysts in VRFBs is investigated, and a proton-incorporating strategy is introduced for high power density VRFBs, in addition to unraveling the catalytic mechanism. This study discloses that the metal oxide-based electrocatalyst (WO3) undergoes in situ surface reconstruction by forming H0.5WO3 after incorporating proton. Experimental and theoretical results precisely disclose the catalytic active sites. The battery with H0.5WO3 designed by a proton-incorporating strategy achieves an attractive power density of 1.12 W cm–2 and sustains more than 900 cycles without an obvious decay, verifying the outstanding electrochemical performance of H0.5WO3. This work not only sheds light on the influence of proton on electrocatalysts for rational design of advanced VRFBs catalysts but also provides guidelines for the fundamental understanding of the reaction mechanism, which is highly important for the application of VRFBs