Customer-Value Creation in Self-service Technologies (SSTs) in the Tourism Industry

This paper explores and validates the process of customer value creation in self-service technologies(SSTs)in the context of the tourism industry.As the self-technology has been gradually advanced,its adoption in the tourism industry has brought many changes.A new trend of self-service technologies has helped service firms to save the labor costs and customers’waiting time for transactions.The purpose of this study is to confirm an applicability and a design of the original model of SSTs and explore the connection between SSTs and creation of value perception through a confirmatory factor analysis in the context of the tourism industry.Furthermore,the results of the online survey questionnaire from 234 responses in the United States and South Korea are explained in this study.The results of this study concluded that five statistically important factors are related to customers’motivations to use SSTs and enable customers to interact with SSTs as“SST location and capacity planning”,“SST service quality”,“motivations to use SST”,“SST design”,and“SST encounter”.These factors may imply an important meaning to better understand about customer value during the adoption of SSTs in the tourism industry.Tourism firms may use the results of this study to effectively enhance how customers perceive value about their products and services during the usage of SSTs.This will help tourism firms’efficiencies on the adoption of SSTs for their business plans and help them remain profitable in the competitive market.

Dual carbon goal and agriculture in China:Exploring key factors influencing farmers’behavior in adopting low carbon technologies

Identifying the factors influencing farmers’adoption of low-carbon technologies(FA)and understanding their impacts are essential for shaping effective agricultural policies amied at emission reduction and carbon sequestration in China.This study employs a meta-analysis of 122 empirical studies,delves into 23 driving factors affecting FA and addresses the inconsistencies present in the existing literature.We systematically examine the effect size,source of heterogeneity,and time-accumulation effect of the driving factors on FA.We find that significant heterogeneity in the factors influencing FA,except for farming experience,sources of heterogeneity from the survey zone,methodology model,technological attributes,report source,financial support,and the sampling year.Additionally,age,farming experience,and adoption cost negatively correlate with FA.In contrast,educational level,health status,technical training,economic and welfare cognition,land contract,soil quality,terrain,information accessibility,demonstration,government promotion,government regulation,government support,agricultural cooperatives member,peer effect,and agricultural income ratio demonstrate a positive correlation.Especially,demonstration and age show a particularly strong correlation.Finally,the effect of demonstration,age,economic and welfare cognition,farming experience,land contract,soil quality,information accessibility,government promotion,and support,as well as agricultural cooperative membership and peer effects on FA,are generally stable but exhibit varying degrees of attenuation over time.The effect of village cadre,family income,farm scale,gender,health status,technical training,and off-farm work on FA show notable temporal shifts and maintain a weak correlation with FA.This study contributes to shaping China’s current low-carbon agriculture policies across various regions.It encourages policymakers to comprehensively consider the stability of key factors,other potential factors,technological attributes,rural socio-economic context,and their interrelations.

Coupling effect on the thermal hazard assessment of hazardous chemical materials via calorimetric technologies and simulation approaches

The coupling effect of heat absorption and release exists in the thermal decomposition of a few chemical materials.However,the impact of the above coupling on thermal hazard assessment is not considered in the literature studies.In this work,nitroguanidine(NQ)and 1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine(RDX)are selected as representative materials to explore the influence of the coupling effect on the thermal hazard assessment of chemical materials.The linear heating experiments of NQ and RDX are carried out by a microcalorimeter and synchronous thermal analyser.The thermal decomposition curves are decoupled by advanced thermokinetics software.The thermal decomposition and kinetic parameters before and after decoupling are calculated.The results of TG experiment show that both NQ and RDX began to lose mass during the endothermic stage.The endothermic melting and exothermic decomposition of NQ and RDX are coupled within this stage.The coupling effect has different degrees of influence on its initial decomposition temperature and safety parameters.Compared with the parameters in the coupling state,the initial decomposition temperature and adiabatic induction period after decoupling decrease.The self-accelerating decomposition temperature increases,and internal thermal runaway time decreases.In the thermal hazard assessment of chemical materials with coupling effects,the calculated parameters after decoupling should be taken as an important safety index。

Measuring Pedestrian Stress Response (MPSR) Using Wearable Technologies

Walkability is an essential aspect of urban transportation systems. Properly designed walking paths can enhance transportation safety, encourage pedestrian activity, and improve community quality of life. This, in turn, can help achieve sustainable development goals in urban areas. This pilot study uses wearable technology data to present a new method for measuring pedestrian stress in urban environments and the results were presented as an interactive geographic information system map to support risk-informed decision-making. The approach involves analyzing data from wearable devices using heart rate variability (RMSSD and slope analysis) to identify high-stress locations. This data-driven approach can help urban planners and safety experts identify and address pedestrian stressors, ultimately creating safer, more walkable cities. The study addresses a significant challenge in pedestrian safety by providing insights into factors and locations that trigger stress in pedestrians. During the pilot study, high-stress pedestrian experiences were identified due to issues like pedestrian-scooter interaction on pedestrian paths, pedestrian behavior around high foot traffic areas, and poor visibility at pedestrian crossings due to inadequate lighting.

Exploring Nutritional Compositions,Volatile Compounds,Health Benefits,Emerging Processing Technologies,and Potential Food Products of Glutinous Rice:A Review

Glutinous rice(Oryza sativa var.glutinosa)stands out as one of the most popular rice varieties globally,amidst thousands of rice cultivars.Its increasing popularity is attributed to its rich nutritional compositions and health benefits.This review aims to summarize the nutritional compositions,volatile compounds,and health benefits of glutinous rice.Further,in-depth studies are necessary to explore the utilization of glutinous rice in enhancing processing technologies and developing new food products.Glutinous rice has been shown to possess numerous health benefits,including antioxidant activity,bioactive compounds,anti-cancer properties,anti-inflammatory effects,anti-diabetic potential,and cholesterol-lowering effects.Besides its nutritional compositions,the major volatile compounds identified in glutinous rice could serve as a functional food for human consumption.Emerging processing technologies related to glutinous rice are elaborated to improve the latest developments for incorporating them into various food products.

Combined Insights from Leachate Structure and Microstructure Characteristics for Eating Quality of Convenience Rice Processed by Super-Heated and Pressurized Steam Technologies

Convenience rice has become widely popular due to its easy availability for cooking. This study investigated the starch structure and composition of leachate and the microstructure of reheated convenience rice using novel processing technologies: super-heated steaming(SHS), auto-electric cooking(AEC), and pressurized-steam cooking(PSC). Additionally, the effect of two different target water contents(58% and 63%) was also evaluated. The PSC_63% sample had the highest total solids and amylopectin amount in the leachate. The amylopectin amount in the leachate differed significantly based on the targeted water content. Morphological characterization revealed that the swelling of starch and the coated layer on the surface of rice grains were most pronounced in the PSC_63% sample due to the pressure processing. The textural hardness of the AEC_58% sample was much higher than that of the other samples. The PSC_63% sample had the highest textural adhesiveness value, which can be attributed to the highest amylopectin amount in the leachate. Sensory characterization showed that the PSC_63% sample had the highest glossiness, whiteness, moistness, and overall acceptability. The principal component analysis score plots presented substantial differences in the leachate and textural and sensory characteristics of reheated convenience rice among the different processing technologies.

Ad Blockers & Online Privacy: A Comparative Analysis of Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PET)

Online tracking mechanisms employed by internet companies for user profiling and targeted advertising raise major privacy concerns. Despite efforts to defend against these mechanisms, they continue to evolve, rendering many existing defences ineffective. This study performs a large-scale measurement of online tracking mechanisms across a large pool of websites using the OpenWPM (Open Web Privacy Measurement) platform. It systematically evaluates the effectiveness of several ad blockers and underlying Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PET) that are primarily used to mitigate different tracking techniques. By quantifying the strengths and limitations of these tools against modern tracking methods, the findings highlight gaps in existing privacy protections. Actionable recommendations are provided to enhance user privacy defences, guide tool developers and inform policymakers on addressing invasive online tracking practices.

Ecological Restoration Technologies of Urban Artificial Landscape Lakes

Aiming at the problems of water pollution and ecological environment degradation in urban artificial landscape lakes,the ecological restoration technologies of artificial landscape lakes at home and abroad were studied to provide some reference for the ecological restoration of urban artificial landscape lakes in China.

Developing Healthcare Infrastructure in Saudi Arabia Using Smart Technologies: Challenges and Opportunities

This study aims to explore the challenges and opportunities associated with developing healthcare infrastructure in Saudi Arabia through the implementation of smart technologies. The healthcare sector in Saudi Arabia is undergoing significant transformation, and the integration of smart technologies has the potential to revolutionize healthcare delivery, improve patient outcomes, and enhance the overall healthcare experience. However, several challenges need to be addressed in order to fully leverage the benefits of smart technologies in healthcare infrastructure development. This research identifies and analyzes these challenges while also highlighting the opportunities that arise from the adoption of smart technologies in the Saudi Arabian healthcare system. The findings contribute to the understanding of the current state of healthcare infrastructure in Saudi Arabia and provide insights into the strategies and policies required to overcome challenges and maximize the benefits of smart technologies in healthcare.

Monitoring Technologies for Marine Carbon Sequestration in Zhanjiang

Marine carbon sequestration is an important component of carbon dioxide capture, utilization and storage(CCUS) technology. It is crucial for achieving carbon peaking and carbon neutralization in China. However, CO_(2) leakage may lead to seabed geological disasters and threaten the safety of marine engineering. Therefore, it is of great significance to study the safety monitoring technology of marine carbon sequestration.Zhanjiang is industrially developed and rich in carbon sources. Owing to the good physical properties and reservoirs and trap characteristics,Zhanjiang has huge storage potential. This paper explores the disaster mechanism associated with CO_(2) leakage in marine carbon sequestration areas. Based on the analysis of the development of Zhanjiang industry and relevant domestic monitoring technologies, several suggestions for safety monitoring of marine carbon sequestration are proposed: application of offshore aquaculture platforms, expansion and application of ocean observation networks, carbon sequestration safety monitoring and sensing system. Intended to build a comprehensive and multi-level safety monitoring system for marine carbon sequestration, the outcome of this study provides assistance for the development of marine carbon sequestration in China's offshore areas.

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in China: Progress and Prospects of Research on Treatment Technologies and Policy Provisions

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are an atmospheric pollutant with a boiling point of 50˚C - 260˚C at room temperature and pressure. They are precursors of sulfur dioxide and ozone, which can seriously pollute the atmosphere and endanger human health. After the “14th Five-Year Plan”, VOCs, instead of SO2, became one of the five indicators of China’s atmospheric governance. As a result, the government’s efforts to control VOCs have increased significantly. VOCs governance mustn’t be delayed. This paper provides a comprehensive summary and analysis of VOCs governance, covering the classification of VOCs, analysis of VOC governance technology (with a focus on end-of-pipe governance technology), national policy regulations, current governance shortcomings, and a forward-looking perspective on the future direction of VOCs governance, emphasizing healthy and sustainable development.

Energy-Saving Construction Technologies for Buildings

The development of the construction industry is shifting towards low-carbon construction,so it is necessary to improve and optimize related construction concepts,methods,and processes.By improving resource and energy control efficiency in building projects,minimizing construction waste,and reducing environmental impact,a foundation for the sustainable development of the industry can be established.This paper mainly analyzes the significance of low-carbon energy-saving construction technology and the control factors of construction,summarizes the status quo of the development of building energy-saving construction,and puts forward strategies for applying building energy-saving construction technology.These strategies serve to achieve low-carbon and energy-saving goals to promote the healthy development of energy-saving construction.

A Review of Artificial Intelligence Applications in Contemporary Computer Network Technologies

Rapid advancement in science and technology has seen computer network technology being upgraded constantly, and computer technology, in particular, has been applied more and more extensively, which has brought convenience to people’s lives. The number of people using the internet around the globe has also increased significantly, exerting a profound influence on artificial intelligence. Further, the constant upgrading and development of artificial intelligence has led to the continuous innovation and improvement of computer technology. Countries around the world have also registered an increase in investment, paying more attention to artificial intelligence. Through an analysis of the current development situation and the existing applications of artificial intelligence, this paper explicates the role of artificial intelligence in the face of the unceasing expansion of computer network technology.

Pollution source identification methods and remediation technologies of groundwater: A review

Groundwater is an important source of drinking water.Groundwater pollution severely endangers drinking water safety and sustainable social development.In the case of groundwater pollution,the top priority is to identify pollution sources,and accurate information on pollution sources is the premise of efficient remediation.Then,an appropriate pollution remediation scheme should be developed according to information on pollution sources,site conditions,and economic costs.The methods for identifying pollution sources mainly include geophysical exploration,geochemistry,isotopic tracing,and numerical modeling.Among these identification methods,only the numerical modeling can recognize various information on pollution sources,while other methods can only identify a certain aspect of pollution sources.The remediation technologies of groundwater can be divided into in-situ and ex-situ remediation technologies according to the remediation location.The in-situ remediation technologies enjoy low costs and a wide remediation range,but their remediation performance is prone to be affected by environmental conditions and cause secondary pollution.The ex-situ remediation technologies boast high remediation efficiency,high processing capacity,and high treatment concentration but suffer high costs.Different methods for pollution source identification and remediation technologies are applicable to different conditions.To achieve the expected identification and remediation results,it is feasible to combine several methods and technologies according to the actual hydrogeological conditions of contaminated sites and the nature of pollutants.Additionally,detailed knowledge about the hydrogeological conditions and stratigraphic structure of the contaminated site is the basis of all work regardless of the adopted identification methods or remediation technologies.

The Appeals,Dilemmas,and Pathways of Enabling Rural Teachers’Professional Development Through Emerging Technologies

With the rapid advancements in technology,especially in digitalization and intelligence,numerous modern technologies have poured into rural schools,effectively improving their informatization conditions.Nevertheless,these technologies remain detached from rural teachers,failing to significantly enhance the quality of education and teaching in rural areas.Rural education is a crucial aspect of ensuring balanced development in education.The question of how to enhance rural teachers’technological application abilities and fully leverage the positive role of technology in rural education and teaching has become a significant topic of current research on rural education issues.To better address this question,this study conducted a thorough examination of the specific appeals of rural teachers in the process of technology enablement.It was discovered that rural teachers generally face dilemmas such as insufficient technological application abilities,difficulties in obtaining quality teaching resources,and the lack of continuous technical support and update mechanisms.Based on these findings,specific pathways such as strengthening rural teacher training,optimizing the allocation of educational resources,and establishing mechanisms for continuous technical support and updates are proposed to aid in the high-quality development of rural education.

Exploration of Energy-Saving Technologies in Building Electrical System Design

Green energy conservation is the mainstream trend in the current development of the construction industry.The application of energy-saving technology in building electrical system design can effectively reduce energy consumption,avoid unnecessary energy consumption,and truly achieve energy conservation and environmental protection.Based on this,the article elaborates on the principles of energy-saving design in building electrical systems,and actively explores the application of energy-saving technologies from different perspectives such as optimizing power supply and distribution system design,adopting high-efficiency energy-saving lighting equipment,applying renewable energy,promoting smart home technology,and improving the efficiency of building electrical equipment.

Application of Key Technologies in Green School Buildings: Taking Sino-German Future City Primary School as an Example

Green building is a manifestation of the response to the national“dual carbon”strategy.With the large-scale promotion of green buildings,the country has successively issued multiple evaluation standards for green buildings.Schools are places for preaching,teaching,and solving doubts,and the campus environment plays an important role in improving students’learning efficiency and promoting their physical and mental health.This article is based on the“Green Building Evaluation Standards”GB/T 50378-2019,analyzing and exploring the integration and application of key technologies in green schools,providing reference for green building designers.

Advanced Technologies for Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Emission Treatment: An Overview

This paper presents a comprehensive overview of various advanced technologies employed in the treatment of volatile organic compounds(VOCs),which are crucial pollutants in industrial emissions.The study explores different methods,including direct combustion,thermal combustion,catalytic combustion,low-temperature plasma purification,photocatalytic purification,membrane separation,and adsorption methods.Each technology is critically analyzed for its operational principles,efficiency,and applicability under different conditions.Special attention is given to adsorption concentration and catalytic combustion parallel method,highlighting its efficiency in treating low-concentration,high-volume VOC emissions.The paper also delves into the advantages and limitations of each method,providing insights into their effectiveness in various industrial scenarios.The study aims to offer a detailed guide for selecting appropriate VOC treatment technologies,contributing to enhanced environmental protection and sustainable industrial practices.

Technical development of operational in-situ marine monitoring and research on its key generic technologies in China

In China,operational in-situ marine monitoring is the primary means of directly obtaining hydrological,meteorological,and oceanographic environmental parameters across sea areas,and it is essential for applications such as forecast of marine environment,prevention and mitigation of disaster,exploitation of marine resources,marine environmental protection,and management of transportation safety.In this paper,we summarise the composition,development courses,and present operational status of three systems of operational in-situ marine monitoring,namely coastal marine automated network station,ocean data buoy and voluntary observing ship measuring and reporting system.Additionally,we discuss the technical development in these in-situ systems and achievements in the key generic technologies along with future development trends.

International experience of carbon neutrality and prospects of key technologies:Lessons for China

Carbon neutrality(or climate neutrality)has been a global consensus,and international experience exchange is essential.Given the differences in the degree of social development,resource endowment and technological level,each country should build a carbon-neutral plan based on its national conditions.Compared with other major developed countries(e.g.,Germany,the United States and Japan),China's carbon neutrality has much bigger challenges,including a heavy and time-pressured carbon reduction task and the current energy structure that is over-dependent on fossil fuels.Here we provide a comprehensive review of the status and prospects of the key technologies for low-carbon,near-zero carbon,and negative carbon emissions.Technological innovations associated with coal,oil-gas and hydrogen industries and their future potential in reducing carbon emissions are particularly explained and assessed.Based on integrated analysis of international experience from the world's major developed countries,in-depth knowledge of the current and future technologies,and China's energy and ecological resources potential,five lessons for the implementation of China's carbon neutrality are proposed:(1)transformation of energy production pattern from a coal-dominated pattern to a diversified renewable energy pattern;(2)renewable power-to-X and large-scale underground energy storage;(3)integration of green hydrogen production,storage,transport and utilization;(4)construction of clean energy systems based on smart sector coupling(ENSYSCO);(5)improvement of ecosystem carbon sinks both in nationwide forest land and potential desert in Northwest China.This paper provides an international perspective for a better understanding of the challenges and opportunities of carbon neutrality in China,and can serve as a theoretical foundation for medium-long term carbon neutral policy formulation.