Why Is Web-based Supply Chain Management Popular in China? A Factor Endowment’s Perspective

Web-based system-to-human integration and direct system-to-system integration are alternative information technologies for supply chain management. Although the system-to-system mode is known to be more effective than the Web-based mode for data sharing, the web-based mode is dominant in the supply chain of Chinese firms. Is it a suboptimal or the most appropriate choice? We develop an analytical model to investigate how a manufacturer selects an optimal mode from competing technologies, including manual mode, Web-based mode and system-to-system mode. The contribution of this study is three-fold. First, the expected degree of information sharing influences the manufacturer’s selection. Manual mode is the optimal selection when the expected degree of information sharing is low, whereas system-to-system mode is the optimal choice when the expected degree is high. When the expected degree of information sharing is intermediate, Web-based mode is the optimal choice. Second, based on factor endowment theory, we find that labor endowment and technology endowment can influence the adoption intervals of these three modes. And third, when labor endowment is on the decline and technology endowment is on the rise in the early stage, the Web-based mode is the optimal choice than manual mode or system-to-system mode. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed

Characterization of long-chain acyl-CoA synthetases which stimulate secretion of fatty acids in green algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Additional file 1. Complete list of primers used in this study

Effect of Al alloying on cavitation erosion behavior of TaSi2 nanocrystalline coatings

To broaden the scope of non-aerospace applications for titanium-based alloys, both hexagonal C40 binary TaSi2 and ternary Al alloyed TaSi2 nanocrystalline coatings were exploited to enhance the cavitation erosion resistance of Ti-6Al-4V alloy in acidic environments. To begin with, the roles of Al addition in influencing the structural stability and mechanical properties of hexagonal C40 Ta(Si1-xAlx)2 compounds were modelled using first-principles calculations. The calculated key parameters, such as Pugh\u27s index (B/G ratio), Poisson\u27s ratio, and Cauchy pressures, indicated that there was a threshold value for Al addition, below which the increase of Al content would render the Ta(Si1-xAlx)2 compounds more ductile, but above which no obvious change would occur. Subsequently, the TaSi2 and Ta(Si0.875Al0.125)2 coatings were prepared and their microstructure and phase composition were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Both the two coatings exhibited a uniform thickness of 15 μm and a densely packed structure mainly composed of spherically shaped nanocrystallites with an average diameter of about 5 nm. Nanoindentation measurements revealed that Al alloying reduced the hardness (H) and elastic modulus (E) values of the TaSi2 coating. Ultrasonic cavitation erosion tests were carried out by immersing coated and uncoated samples in a 0.5 M HCl solution. The cavitation-erosion analysis of the tested samples was investigated by various electrochemical techniques, mass loss weight and SEM observation. The results suggested that both coated samples provided a better protection for Ti-6Al-4V against the cavitation-erosion damage in acidic environments, but the addition of Al further improved the cavitation-erosion resistance of the TaSi2 coating

Thermochemical oxidation of methane induced by high-valence metal oxides in a sedimentary basin

Thermochemical oxidation of methane (TOM) by high-valence metal oxides in geological systems and its potential role as a methane sink remain poorly understood. Here we present evidence of TOM induced by high-valence metal oxides in the Junggar Basin, located in northwestern China. During diagenesis, methane from deeper source strata is abiotically oxidized by high-valence Mn(Fe) oxides at 90 to 135 °C, releasing 13C-depleted CO2, soluble Mn2+ and Fe2+. Mn generally plays the dominant role compared to Fe, due to its lower Gibbs free energy increment during oxidation. Both CO2 and metal ions are then incorporated into authigenic calcites, which are characterized by extremely negative δ13C values (−70 to −22.5‰) and high Mn content (average MnO = 5 wt.%). We estimate that as much as 1224 Tg of methane could be oxidized in the study area. TOM is unfavorable for gas accumulation but may act as a major methane sink in the deep crustal carbon cycle.This study was supported by funds from the Natural Science Foundation of China to W.-X.H. (41830425, 41230312) and X.-L.W. (41573054), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities to X.-L.W. (020614380056), and the Outstanding PhD Candidate Program of Nanjing University to X.K

Observation of a phononic higher-order Weyl semimetal

Weyl semimetals are extraordinary systems where exotic phenomena such as Fermi arcs, pseudo-gauge fields and quantum anomalies arise from topological band degeneracy in crystalline solids for electrons and metamaterials for photons and phonons. On the other hand, higher-order topological insulators unveil intriguing multidimensional topological physics beyond the conventional bulk-edge correspondences. However, it is unclear whether higher-order topology can emerge in Weyl semimetals. Here, we report the experimental discovery of higher-order Weyl semimetals in its phononic analog which exhibit topologically-protected boundary states in multiple dimensions. We create the physical realization of the higher-order Weyl semimetal in a chiral phononic crystal with uniaxial screw symmetry. Using near-field spectroscopies, we observe the chiral Fermi arcs on the surfaces and a new type of hinge arc states on the hinge boundaries. These topological boundary arc states link the projections of Weyl points in different dimensions and directions, and hence demonstrate higher-order multidimensional topological physics in Weyl semimetals. Our study establishes the fundamental connection between higher-order topology and Weyl physics in crystalline materials and unveils a new horizon of higher-order topological semimetals where unprecedented materials such as higher-order topological nodal-lines may emerge

High-performance chiral all-optical logic gate based on topological edge states of valley photonic crystal

For all-optical communication and information processing, it is necessary to develop all-optical logic gates based on photonic structures that can directly perform logic operations. All-optical logic gates have been demonstrated based on conventional waveguides and interferometry, as well as photonic crystal structures. Nonetheless, any defects in those structures will introduce high scattering loss, which compromises the fidelity and contrast ratio of the information process. Based on the spin-valley locking effect that can achieve defect-immune unidirectional transmission of topological edge states in valley photonic crystals (VPCs), we propose a high-performance all-optical logic OR gate based on a VPC structure. By tuning the working bandwidth of the two input channels, we prevent interference between the two channels to achieve a stable and high-fidelity output. The transmittance of both channels is higher than 0.8, and a high contrast ratio of 28.8 dB is achieved. Moreover, the chirality of the logic gate originated from the spin-valley locking effect allows using different circularly polarized light as inputs, representing "1" or "0", which is highly desired in quantum computing. The device's footprint is small, allowing high-density on-chip integration. In addition, this design can be experimentally fabricated using current nanofabrication techniques and will have potential applications in optical communication, information processing, and quantum computing.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figure

国内外关于医疗纠纷处置的利益相关者比较研究*

Objective: We learn about the methods, process, effects of each stakeholder and the principles of the disposition of medical dispute home and abroad through stakeholder analysis. Methods: We investigate the methods, process and the principles of the disposition of medical dispute home and abroad by literature retrieval, key informant interview and depth interview. Results: The stakeholders of medical disputes mainly include patients and families, medical staff and hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, governments, laws, non-government organizations and media. They play different roles in medical disputes and have different effects. Over all, patients and families, medical staff and hospitals have the greatest effect and then laws, media, government, non-government organizations and pharmaceutical companies. Conclusion: Different stakeholders affect the disposition of medical disputes differently. It is crucial to establish harmonious relationship between patients and doctors and to build harmonious society by untangling the responsibility between all the stakeholders and dispose medical disputes quickly and effectively.目的  通过利益相关者分析了解目前国内外医疗纠纷的处置办法、处理流程、各利益相关者的影响和责任推定原则。方法  通过文献检索、知情人访谈和深入访谈法，调查国内外目前医患纠纷处置的方法、流程和责任界定并进行比较。结果  医疗纠纷所涉及的利益相关者主要包括患者及家属、医疗人员和医院、医药公司、政府、法律、非政府组织和媒体，他们对医疗纠纷处置具有不同的立场和影响，其中患者及家属和医疗人员及医院的影响最大，其次为法律和媒体、政府、非政府组织、医药公司。结论  各个利益相关者对医疗纠纷处置的影响程度不同，合理评判各个利益相关者在医疗纠纷中的责任，快速、有效地解决医疗纠纷，是构建和谐医患关系和和谐社会的关键之一

Photonic Localization of Interface Modes at the Boundary between Metal and Fibonacci Quasi-Periodic Structure

We investigated on the interface modes in a heterostructure consisting of a semi-infinite metallic layer and a semi-infinite Fibonacci quasi-periodic structure. Various properties of the interface modes, such as their spatial localizations, self-similarities, and multifractal properties are studied. The interface modes decay exponentially in different ways and the modes in the lower stable gap possess highest spatial localization. A localization index is introduced to understand the localization properties of the interface modes. We found that the localization index of the interface modes in the upper stable gap will converge to two slightly different constants according to the parity of the Fibonacci generation. In addition, the localization-delocalization transition is also found in the interface modes of the transient gap.Comment: 20 pages, 5figure