915 research outputs found

    Prosumer-to-customer exchange in the sharing economy:Evidence from the P2P accommodation context

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    Numerous prosumers who share their spare resources have contributed significantly to sharing economy development in recent years. Existing research on the sharing economy has primarily focused on the service demand side of consumers, thus neglecting the service supply side of individual prosumers. Understanding of the service exchange between prosumers and customers in the peer-to-peer (P2P) sharing economy remains limited. Drawing on the motivation, opportunity, and ability (MOA) model and social exchange theory, we developed a conceptual framework to explore how prosumers' service attributes influence consumers in a P2P accommodation sharing context. Using 313 questionnaires and 112 paired objective data points from prosumers in one popular P2P accommodation platform (i.e., Xiaozhu.com), this research found that prosumers' economic motivation, service flexibility, and service knowledge level have distinct effects on consumers' transactional based and relational-based participation. We also found a moderating role of prosumers' shared property management on these effects

    Adaptability evaluation of electronic vehicle identification in urban traffic: a case study of Beijing

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    Tehnologija elektroničke identifikacije vozila (EVI) često se uvodi kako bi se izvršila naplata cestarine u vrijeme zagušenja prometa. U radu je predstavljena metoda za procjenu prilagodljivosti EVI-a te razmatrana provedivost te tehnologije u nadzoru zagušenja na temelju procjene. Najprije je određena dinamika sustava u svrhu kvalitetne analize učinka EVI-a na sustav gradskog prometa s nizom povratnih informacija. Zatim je izgrađen model za procjenu prilagodljivosti EVI-a temeljen na analizi glavnih komponenti (principal component analysis - PCA) i analizi dobivenih podataka (data envelopment analysis – DEA). Zbog brojnih izlaznih varijabli sastavljen je PCA model kako bi se smanjile veličine varijabli. Nakon toga, predstavljena su dva scenarija primjene EVI-a za naplatu cestarine u vrijeme zagušenja prometa u Pekingu. Scenario 1 je obuhvatio 5 % ukupnog broja vozila, kao i naplatnu zonu unutar 2nd Ring Road. U međuvremenu, scenarijem 2 je obuhvaćeno 5 % više vozila i uključen je Zhongguancun West District baziran na scenariju 1. Prema dobivenim rezultatima procjene, scenarij 1 je označen kao u osnovi prilagodljiv, a scenarij 2 kao prilagodljiv, odnosno scenarij 2 je prepoznat kao prilagodljiviji i izvodljiviji nego scenarij 1. Osim toga, analizirali su se trendovi prilagodljivosti dvaju scenarija u periodu između 2003. i 2012. te se pokazalo da su bili u skladu s postojećom situacijom. Procjenjivanjem prilagodljivosti tih tehnologija prije njihove primjene u praksi, ti su rezultati značajno utjecali na određivanje područja od prioriteta u primjeni tehnologije interneta stvari (Internet of Things-IoT).Electronic vehicle identification (EVI) technology is often introduced to implement congestion-based toll. This paper presented an ex ante evaluation method for EVI adaptability and discussed the feasibility of this technology in congestion charge on the basis of assessment. First, system dynamics was introduced to qualitatively analyze the effect of EVI on urban traffic systems with feedback chains. An EVI adaptability evaluation model was then developed based on principal component analysis (PCA) and data envelopment analysis (DEA). Given numerous output variables, a PCA model was built to reduce variable dimensionalities. Subsequently, two scenarios of EVI application under a congestion-based toll in Beijing were presented and calculated according to field data. Scenario 1 covered 5 % of the total vehicles, as well as the toll zone within the 2nd Ring Road. Meanwhile, scenario 2 covered 5 % more vehicles and included Zhongguancun West District based on scenario 1. According to evaluation result, the adaptability classifications of scenarios 1 and 2 were identified as basic adaptive & adaptive respectively, and that scenario 2 was more adaptive and feasible than scenario 1. In addition, the adaptability trends of the two scenarios between 2003 and 2012 were analyzed and proved to be consistent with the practical situation. The findings had significant implications for policy makers who determined the priority domains of internet of things technology applications by assessing the adaptability of these technologies before deployment

    High-quality mesoporous graphene particles as high-energy and fast-charging anodes for lithium-ion batteries.

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    The application of graphene for electrochemical energy storage has received tremendous attention; however, challenges remain in synthesis and other aspects. Here we report the synthesis of high-quality, nitrogen-doped, mesoporous graphene particles through chemical vapor deposition with magnesium-oxide particles as the catalyst and template. Such particles possess excellent structural and electrochemical stability, electronic and ionic conductivity, enabling their use as high-performance anodes with high reversible capacity, outstanding rate performance (e.g., 1,138 mA h g-1 at 0.2 C or 440 mA h g-1 at 60 C with a mass loading of 1 mg cm-2), and excellent cycling stability (e.g., >99% capacity retention for 500 cycles at 2 C with a mass loading of 1 mg cm-2). Interestingly, thick electrodes could be fabricated with high areal capacity and current density (e.g., 6.1 mA h cm-2 at 0.9 mA cm-2), providing an intriguing class of materials for lithium-ion batteries with high energy and power performance

    Diversity and structure of soil bacterial communities in the Fildes Region (maritime Antarctica) as revealed by 454 pyrosequencing

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    This study assessed the diversity and composition of bacterial communities in four different soils (human-, penguin-, seal-colony impacted soils and pristine soil) in the Fildes Region (King George Island, Antarctica) using 454 pyrosequencing with bacterial-specific primers targeting the 16S rRNA gene. Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Verrucomicrobia were abundant phyla in almost all the soil samples. The four types of soils were significantly different in geochemical properties and bacterial community structure. Thermotogae, Cyanobacteria, Fibrobacteres, Deinococcus-Thermus, and Chlorobi obviously varied in their abundance among the 4 soil types. Considering all the samples together, members of the genera Gaiella, Chloracidobacterium, Nitrospira, Polaromonas, Gemmatimonas, Sphingomonas and Chthoniobacter were found to predominate, whereas members of the genera Chamaesiphon, Herbaspirillum, Hirschia, Nevskia, Nitrosococcus, Rhodococcus, Rhodomicrobium, and Xanthomonas varied obviously in their abundance among the four soil types. Distance-based redundancy analysis revealed that pH (p < 0.01), phosphate phosphorus (p < 0.01), organic carbon (p < 0.05), and organic nitrogen (p < 0.05) were the most significant factors that correlated with the community distribution of soil bacteria. To our knowledge, this is the first study to explore the soil bacterial communities in human-, penguin-, and seal- colony impacted soils from ice-free areas in maritime Antarctica using high-throughput pyrosequencing

    Prognostic value of oxygen inhalation therapy for simple nocturnal hypoxemia in COPD: a meta-analysis

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    Objective: The effect of oxygen therapy on the prognosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with nocturnal hypoxemia (NOD) has been controversial. Therefore, this study systematically evaluated the relevant literature and included it into randomized controlled studies for meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy and prognosis.Methods: We searched PubMed, EMBASE, web of science, Cochrane, China HowNet and Wanfang database for the literature on the prognosis of COPD patients with simple NOD from the establishment of the database to 30 June 2022. The outcome indicators were death and aggravation of the disease. The efficacy evaluation measures were pulmonary function and arterial blood gas results. The publication bias and heterogeneity of the included studies were evaluated.Results: A total of 621 patients from 5 studies were included in this meta-analysis, and there was no publication bias in the included studies. The total mortality of long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT) in COPD patients with simple NOD in oxygen therapy group (RR = 1.04; 95% CI: 0.81–1.33, p = 0.77), mortality (RR = 0.87; 95% CI: 0.58–1.31, p = 0.50), risk of progression to LTOT events (RR = 1.07; 95% CI: 0.76–1.51, p = 0.71). PaO2 in patients with COPD and simple NOD in oxygen therapy group was higher than that in non-oxygen therapy group (mean difference (MD) = 13.47; 95% CI: 3.49–23.46, p = 0.008), the decrease of PaCO2 level was not statistically significant (MD = −10.05; 95% CI: −26.36-6.27, p = 0.23).Conclusion: Oxygen therapy can improve the prognosis of blood oxygen partial pressure in COPD patients with simple NOD, but oxygen therapy has no significant effect on the survival rate, controlling the progression of the disease to LTOT and reducing the partial pressure of carbon dioxide

    Suppress HBV by therapeutic vaccine

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    乙肝预防性疫苗显著减少了乙肝新发感染,但目前全球仍有约2.5亿慢性乙肝感染者,若未得到有效治疗,可能发展为肝癌、肝硬化等终末期肝病并导致死亡。夏宁邵教授团队研究发展了一种新型的B细胞表位嵌合型类病毒颗粒乙肝治疗性疫苗(治疗性蛋白),在多种模型中证实了其对慢性乙肝感染的治疗潜力,为研发治疗慢性乙肝的原创药物提供了新思路。 我校博士后张天英、博士生郭雪染和博士生巫洋涛为该论文共同第一作者,夏宁邵教授、袁权副教授、张军教授为该论文的共同通讯作者。【Abstract】Objective: This study aimed to develop a novel therapeutic vaccine based on a unique B cell epitope and investigate its therapeutic potential against chronic hepatitis B (CHB) in animal models. Methods: A series of peptides and carrier proteins were evaluated in HBV-tolerant mice to obtain an optimized therapeutic molecule. The immunogenicity,therapeutic efficacy and mechanism of the candidate were investigated systematically. Results: Among the HBsAg-aa119-125-containing peptides evaluated in this study, HBsAg-aa113-135 (SEQ13) exhibited the most striking therapeutic effects. A novel immuno-enhanced virus-like particle carrier (CR-T3) derived from the roundleaf bat HBV core antigen (RBHBcAg) was created and used to display SEQ13, forming candidate molecule CR-T3-SEQ13. Multiple copies of SEQ13 displayed on the surface of this particulate antigen promote the induction of a potent anti-HBs antibody response in mice, rabbits and cynomolgus monkeys. Sera and purified polyclonal IgG from the immunized animals neutralized HBV infection in vitro and mediated efficient HBV/HBsAg clearance in the mice. CR-T3-SEQ13-based vaccination induced long-term suppression of HBsAg and HBV DNA in HBV transgenic mice and eradicated the virus completely in hydrodynamic-based HBV carrier mice. The suppressive effects on HBsAg were strongly correlated with the anti-HBs level after vaccination, suggesting that the main mechanism of CR-T3-SEQ13 vaccination therapy was the induction of a SEQ13-specific antibody response that mediated HBV/HBsAg clearance. Conclusions: The novel particulate protein CR-T3-SEQ13 suppressed HBsAg effectively through induction of a humoral immune response in HBV-tolerant mice. This B cell epitope-based therapeutic vaccine may provide a novel immunotherapeutic agent against chronic HBV infection in humans.This work was supported by the National Scientific and Technological Major project (2017ZX10202203-001), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31730029, 81672023, 81871316 and 81702006) and the Xiamen University President Fund Project (20720160063). 该研究获得了“艾滋病和病毒性肝炎等重大传染病防治”科技重大专项、国家自然科学基金等资助
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