The Dynamic Effects of Perceptions of Dread Risk and Unknown Risk on SNS Sharing Behavior During Emerging Infectious Disease Events: Do Crisis Stages Matter?

In response to the increasing prevalence of emerging infectious disease (EID) threats, individuals are turning to social media platforms to share relevant information in ever greater numbers. In this study, we examine whether risk perceptions related to user-generated content have dynamic impacts on social networking site (SNS) sharing behavior in different crisis stages. To answer this question, we applied psychometric analysis to evaluate how dread risk and unknown risk can characterize EID threats. Drawing broadly on the literature of risk perceptions, self-perception theory, and crisis stages, we relied on microblogs collected from Sina Weibo, utilizing the vector autoregression model to analyze dynamic relationships. We found that perceptions of dread risk have a dominant and immediate impact on SNS sharing behavior in the buildup, breakout, and termination stages of EID events. Perceptions of unknown risk have a dominant and persistent impact on sharing behavior in the abatement stage. The joint effect of these two types of risk perception reveal an antagonism impact on SNS sharing behavior, and perceptions of dread- and unknown risk have interaction effects from the buildup to termination stages of EID events. To check robustness, we analyzed keywords related to perceptions of dread- and unknown risk. The results of this study support the empirical application of Slovic’s risk perception framework for understanding the characteristics of EID threats and provide a picture of how perceptions of dread- and unknown risk exert differential time-varying effects on SNS sharing behavior during EID events. We also discuss theoretical and practical implications for the crisis management of EID threats. This study is among the first that uses user-generated content in social media to investigate dynamic risk perceptions and their relationship to SNS sharing behavior, which may help provide a basis for timely and efficient risk communication

Perturbation Method for Solar/Infrared Radiative Transfer in a Scattering Medium with Vertical Inhomogeneity in Internal Optical Properties

A new scheme based on perturbation method is presented to solve the problem of solar/infrared radiative transfer (SRT/IRT) in a scattering medium, in which the inherent optical properties (IOPs) are vertically inhomogeneous. The Eddington approximation for SRT and the two-stream approximation for IRT are used as the zeroth-order solution, and multiple-scattering effect of inhomogeneous IOPs is included in the first-order solution. Observations show that the stratocumulus clouds are vertically inhomogeneous, and the accuracy of SRT/IRT for stratocumulus clouds by different solutions is evaluated. In the spectral band of 0.25–0.69 μm, the relative error in absorption with inhomogeneous SRT solution is 1.4% at most, but with the homogeneous SRT solution, it can be up to 7.4%. In the spectral band of 5–8 μm, the maximum relative error of downward emissivity can reach −11% for the homogeneous IRT solution but only −2% for the inhomogeneous IRT solution

One-pot melamine derived nitrogen doped magnetic carbon nanoadsorbents with enhanced chromium removal

Novel nitrogen doped magnetic carbons (NMC), in-situ synthesized through facile pyrolysis-carbonization processes using Fe(NO3)3 and melamine as precursors, were demonstrated as excellent nanoadsorbents to remove Cr(VI) effectively. The achieved removal capacity in both neutral and acidic solution was 29.4 and 2001.4 mg g−1 respectively, much higher than the reported adsorbents so far. The unprecedented high adsorption performance can be attributed to the incorporation of the nitrogen dopant, which increased the negative charge density on the surface of adsorbent and thereby enhanced the interaction between the adsorbents and Cr(VI) ions. The density functional theory (DFT) calculation demonstrated that the nitrogen dopants can decrease the adsorption energy between the Cr(VI) ions and NMC (−3.456 kJ mol−1), lower than the undoped sample (−3.344 kJ mol−1), which boosted the adsorption behavior. Chemical rather than physical adsorption was followed for these magnetic nanoadsorbents as revealed from the pseudo-second-order kinetic study. Furthermore, the NMC showed high stability with recycling tests for the Cr(VI) removal

Poly(vinylidene fluoride) derived fluorine-doped magnetic carbon nanoadsorbents for enhanced chromium removal

Newly designed fluorine-doped magnetic carbon (F-MC) was synthesized in situ though a facile one-step pyrolysis-carbonization method. Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) served as the precursor for both carbon and fluorine. 2.5% F content with core-shell structure was obtained over F-MC, which was used as a adsorbent for the Cr(VI) removal. To our best knowledge, this is the first time to report that the fluorine doped material was applied for the Cr(VI) removal, demonstrating very high removal capacity (1423.4 mg g−1), higher than most reported adsorbents. The unexpected performance of F-MC can be attributed to the configuration of F dopants on the surface. The observed pseudo-second-order kinetic study indicated the dominance of chemical adsorption for this process. High stability of F-MC after 5 recycling test for the Cr(VI) removal was also observed, indicating that F-MC could be used as an excellent adsorbent for the toxic heavy metal removal from the wastewater

Using a Hybrid Multiple-Criteria Decision-Making Technique to Identify Key Factors Influencing Microblog Users’ Diffusion Behaviors in Emergencies: Evidence from Generations Born after 2000

Recently, some appalling events have attracted wide attention, such as the RYB (Red, Yellow and Blue) child abuse incident, the killing of stewardesses by online car-hailing, and the swine fever epidemic. With the development of mobile Internet, Microblog has accelerated the spread of emergencies. Diffusion behavior is affected by different motivations, and motivation theory declared that internal and external motivations are the direct influencing factors of users’ behavioral intention. Therefore, this study uses a hybrid multiple-criteria decision-making (MCDM) technique, combining the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) and analytical network process (ANP) to identify the key factors influencing user’s diffusion behaviors in emergencies. According to the results of empirical study, perceived usefulness, perceived emotionality, perceived accessibility, information timeliness, and information authoritativeness are identified as the key factors influencing user’s diffusion behaviors. Finally, we propose some managerial suggestions to help stakeholders control online public opinion effectively

OKC-enabled online knowledge integration: role of group heterogeneity and group interaction process

Purpose: Online knowledge integration has been an important concern of the online knowledge community as it can lead to various positive outcomes of online knowledge coproduction. This paper identifies online knowledge integration factors by considering group heterogeneity and group interaction process. Design/methodology/approach: Based on the categorization-elaboration model (CEM) and interactive team cognition (ITC) theory, a research model that reflects the antecedent's factors and mediating factors of online knowledge integration was developed and empirically examined based on data collected from 2,339,836 data extracted from Wikipedia. Findings: Group interaction process plays an essential mediator role in online knowledge integration. Group knowledge heterogeneity negatively influences online knowledge integration and group experience heterogeneity positively, and they both positively promote online knowledge integration through group interaction process with different paths. Research limitations: Our research concerns the OKC context in one setting (Wikipedia). We expect that the results will generalize to other OKC platforms. Practical implications: The findings of the study could assist the online knowledge community's organizers to understand the motivational mechanisms of online knowledge integration. Group interaction process could be regarded as the key role to promote group wisdom and maintain group independence. Social implications: We advance the understanding of the online knowledge integration and gain a richer understanding of the importance of group interaction independence for online knowledge integration based on the agreement of group wisdom. It suggested keeping group interaction independence is an important aspect for highly online knowledge integration among heterogeneity groups. Originality/value: This study extends CEM and ITC theory to the domain of knowledge integration context and finds the mechanism between group heterogeneity and online knowledge integration by introducing the group interaction process. © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited

Secondary structures and their effects on antioxidant capacity of antioxidant peptides in yogurt

The pH, thermal, urea, and trifluoroethanol treatments were used to denature yogurt antioxidant peptides, and their antioxidant capacities and secondary structures were analysed. Results showed that yogurt peptides treated at pH 6.0 or above 50°C exhibited higher antioxidant activity than the control, whereas trifluoroethanol treatment resulted in a reduction and urea treatment held invariability. Peptide secondary configuration analyses revealed that these treated peptides significantly decreased their α-helical conformation but enhanced the β-sheet presence as well as an obvious alteration on β-turn and random coil structures. These peptide conformation alterations contributed to their antioxidant property increase

Protocol for fabrication and characterization of two-dimensional lead halide perovskite thin-film transistors

Summary: Two-dimensional (2D) lead halide perovskites (LHPs) are highly attractive for fabricating thin-film transistors (TFTs), but it remains a challenge for 2D LHP TFTs to work at room temperature (RT). Here, we present a protocol for fabricating 2D LHP TFTs that operate well at RT and exhibit high bias-stress stability and storage stability. We describe steps for preparing materials and equipment followed by fabrication of devices. We then detail measurement of device output characteristics and extraction of performance parameters.For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Qiu et al. (2023).1 : Publisher’s note: Undertaking any experimental protocol requires adherence to local institutional guidelines for laboratory safety and ethics