Analysis of Chinese travel blogs of New Zealand

The Chinese outbound tourism market is a fast growing source market for many destinations. However, more research is needed to better understand the Chinese outbound tourism market and its diversity and complexity. Again, it can be argued that consistent monitoring of what is a fast evolving market is required, even where prior research has been undertaken. The aim of this research is to provide the tourism industry with a better understanding of the Chinese tourist market and the attitudes of Chinese visitors with specific reference to New Zealand. Consequently perceived destination image, travel motivations, and patterns of online communications of and about New Zealand were identified by analysing travel blogs written by Chinese tourists. Given that there were 181 million bloggers existing in China by the end of 2009 (CNNIC, 2009), blogs written by Chinese visitors have a significant market value for tourism organisations and marketers. This study used content analysis to identify the perceived destination image held by Chinese tourists to New Zealand. In this study, the analytical process was divided into two parts, namely photographic and textual analysis. In each of the two parts, qualitative content analysis was first undertaken, and then followed by secondary quantitative analysis to support the findings discerned through the qualitative process. By analysing 6968 photographs and 408 blog entries posted by Chinese visitors, an image of New Zealand as a tourism destination was identified. The findings revealed that the main components of New Zealand, as perceived by Chinese visitors, were that it possessed a protected ecological environment, offered a variety of activities, and had a highly developed society with a “Pakeha” culture. The research also indicated that Chinese cultural norms played an important role in the process of decision making, perception formation and interpretation. These norms included the desire of harmony, Li, Junzi Aspiration, and a respect of authorities. The results of the study also included details about travel patterns in dining, accommodation, and tourism activities. These results indicated that content analysis of visual and textual materials provides rich information about perceived destination image, travel preference, and online information search behaviours. Online photographs and narratives posted by visitors are not only valuable information source for potential visitors who read the blogs, but can also be an effective way to understand the Chinese market. Based on the results, it can be concluded that blogs are important, and point a way by which destination marketing organisations can seek to influence potential visitors. For example, blog celebrities are an effective way by which to attract thousands of readers to know more about the country. The use of the Chinese language and creating special arrangements for Chinese festivals are shown to be effective means by which hosts can display a friendly attitude to their Chinese guests. With more and more countries being granted Approved Destination Status (ADS) by the Chinese government, Chinese citizens have more choices as to where to travel overseas, thereby intensifying competition for their custom. It is vital for tourism destinations to promote their unique features through all possible channels according to different target markets. Additionally, because service quality is a crucial issue for group tourists, consistent monitoring the travel blogs is an effective way of facilitating the improvement of the service quality of tourism product suppliers

Efficiency study of testing and selection in progeny-row yield trials and multiple-environment yield trials in soybean breeding

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UNDERSTANDING PERCEIVED PLATFORM TRUST AND INSTITUTIONAL RISK IN PEER-TO-PEER LENDING PLATFORMS FROM COGNITION-BASED AND AFFECT-BASED PERSPECTIVES

In this study, we drew from the existing online trust model to develop a specific model of online lending platform trust from the perspectives of cognition-based trust and affect-based trust. Trust between lenders and borrowers have been discussed a lot but there are no empirical studies focusing on trust toward lending platforms. The dearth of the relevant studies on this aspect indicates the great need for the present study. This study aims to incorporate the Technology Acceptance Model with additionally context-specific factors to propose a research model. Perceived platform trust is divided into three dimensions: technology expectancy, cognition-based trust and affected-based trust. To test the model, we collected data from 300 users with different educational levels on p2p lending platforms in China. The structure of demographic features of our samples is analogous to that of the overall p2p market in China at the end of 2012. The finding suggested that positive reputation and social influence had few impacts on trust toward lending platforms and perceived institutional risks. The finding of this research provided a theoretical foundation for future academic studies as well as practical guidance for both borrowers and lenders lending on p2p platforms

EXPLORING THE ROLE OF SWITCHING COSTS IN EXPLAINING MICRO-GROUP ADHERENCE FROM THE SOCIO-TECHNICAL PERSPECTIVE

Micro-group is a commonly used function provided by most of China micro-blog platforms though which friends or people with common interests can share conversations like an online community. In this study, we draw from established socio-technical theory in Information Systems to develop an integrated model of customers’ adherence to micro-groups from the view of switching cost. The results of the empirical analysis confirmed that switching cost increases when the user perceived that the system was secure, full-functional or when there is a high level of network size, information value and network status. In the same way, greater switching cost was also found to have a positive influence on user adherence to micro-groups. Based on the findings, strategies to help micro-group site develop an enhanced “lock-in” effect are proposed

Study on the growth mechanism of the internal oxide layer in 9% Ni cryogenic steel

The oxidation behavior of the Ni-rich layer in the internal oxide layer (IOL) in 9% Ni cryogenic steel is investigated at 1,150°C for 0–240 min in the air atmosphere. The morphology and phase composition of the Ni—rich layer are analyzed with energy dispersive spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, metallographic microscopy, and X—ray diffraction. The results show that the Ni—rich layer mainly consists of gray Fe3O4/FeO and white Ni–Fe particles, with a small amount of black Fe2SiO4. The morphologies of Ni–Fe particles undergo the following changes with isothermal oxidation time: dot—like → strip—like → net-like; at the same time, layered Ni–Fe particles were formed at about 1/3 of the thickness of the Ni—rich layer. Compared with the dot-like Ni–Fe particle, the net-like and layered Ni–Fe particles provide a fast path for the diffusion of O in the Ni—rich layer. However, the experimental steel still has a much lower oxidation rate because of the hindrance of Ni–Fe particles on the out-diffusion of Fe. During the oxidation process, the Kirkendall effect induces pores/cavities in the IOL, which weakens the stability of the IOL. In the end, the spalling phenomenon of the layered Ni–Fe particle occurs at 1,150°C for 180 min

Isotopic Application in High Saline Conditions

Evaporite minerals record the hydrogeochemical conditions in which they precipitated. And therefore they can be used to reconstruct the paleoclimate and paleoenvironments. Evaporite minerals are also major sources of industrial minerals including gypsum, halite, borates, lithium concentrates, and others. Because of their scientific significance and economic importance, evaporite minerals and their isotopic hydrochemical processes linked to their formation have been the focus of many geologists and paleoclimatologists. This chapter will discuss the application of isotopes of hydrogen, oxygen, sulfur, strontium, and boron in saline conditions. This will include the following: the δ18O and δD of hydrated water of gypsum and their paleoclimate since 2.2 Ma in the Qaidam Basin, NE Tibetan Plateau; the δ18O and δD of the interlayer water of clay minerals in salar lacustrine sediments; and the 87Sr/86Sr, δ34S, and δ11B of halite from evaporite deposits in Khorat Plateau, Laos, and Yunnan and their application in the origins of brine

The South China Sea is not a mini-Atlantic: plate-edge rifting vs intra-plate rifting

© The Author(s), 2019. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Wang, P., Huang, C., Lin, J., Jian, Z., Sun, Z., & Zhao, M. The South China Sea is not a mini-Atlantic: plate-edge rifting vs intra-plate rifting. National Science Review, 6(5), (2019): 902-913, doi:10.1093/nsr/nwz135.The South China Sea, as ‘a non-volcanic passive margin basin’ in the Pacific, has often been considered as a small-scale analogue of the Atlantic. The recent ocean drilling in the northern South China Sea margin found, however, that the Iberian model of non-volcanic rifted margin from the Atlantic does not apply to the South China Sea. In this paper, we review a variety of rifted basins and propose to discriminate two types of rifting basins: plate-edge type such as the South China Sea and intra-plate type like the Atlantic. They not only differ from each other in structure, formation process, lifespan and geographic size, but also occur at different stages of the Wilson cycle. The intra-plate rifting occurred in the Mesozoic and gave rise to large oceans, whereas the plate-edge rifting took place mainly in the mid-Cenozoic, with three-quarters of the basins concentrated in the Western Pacific. As a member of the Western Pacific system of marginal seas, the South China Sea should be studied not in isolation on its origin and evolution, but in a systematic context to include also its neighboring counterparts.This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China as a part of the ‘South China Sea Deep’ Project (91128000)