Accident prevention is an important prerequisite for achieving sustainable development, and effective crisis learning is a necessary path to it. This article focuses on whether local governments in non-accident areas learn from crises in accident areas, that is "learn from the mistakes of neighbors" and "grow in wisdom." Using panel data from 2006–2017 for 30 provinces in China, our empirical test discovered that there is not a one-to-one relationship between "learning from neighbors" and "growing in wisdom"; it is a U-shaped relationship between the frequency of major accidents and the crisis learning effect of local government. When the occurrence frequency of major accidents is low, the regulatory effect caused by major accidents leads to the effective crisis learning of local governments. However, when major accidents occur frequently and reach a certain threshold, the crisis learning effect will deteriorate due to an excessive deterrent effect. In this non-linear relationship, the impact of political pressure occurs on two fronts, a gentle U-shaped curve and a shift in the inflection point to the left, implying that political pressure plays a dual role in the crisis learning process of local government. Accordingly, local governments should fully seize the window of time to initiate crisis learning with regulatory effects and delegate political authority to supervise local crisis learning with reasonable compliance.
AbstractMobile instant messaging (MIM) has become the most popular means for young people to communicate. MIM apps typically come with a myriad of features that educators may leverage to increase student learning. However, it remains poorly understood to what extent and in what aspect MIM can facilitate student engagement. We address the gap by comparing the effects of using MIM and asynchronous online discussion (AOD) on student online engagement, using a quasi-experimental study involving a historical cohort control group. Understanding which communication mode can better promote student online engagement is particularly important during the current widespread use of online learning. Specifically, we examined engagement from the behavioral, emotional, and cognitive dimensions. The results showed that the MIM group was more behaviorally engaged in discussion activities, producing more messages, more words, and higher rates of participation, task completion, and interaction. Emotionally, no statistically significant difference was found in students' affective evaluation of course interaction and satisfaction between the two groups. However, MIM appeared to help students with improved intimacy and interpersonal relationships. Cognitively, the MIM group was more engaged than the AOD group. In particular, MIM seemed to facilitate interactive idea exchange and thus contributing to more "creating" activities. We conclude by providing suggestions for future instructional practice and research directions.
AbstractOnline social presence supports student learning by making group interactions more appealing and has become a central concept in computer-mediated communication. However, questions remain over how social presence is presented in a mobile instant messaging (MIM)-facilitated environment and to what extent MIM can afford social presence compared to a threaded discussion forum. This study offers a new contribution by examining the social presence levels afforded by a MIM app (WeChat) and comparing it with a threaded discussion forum. We present a two-stage study. In stage 1, we analyzed social presence levels in the MIM postings of class A with a validated instrument comprising three dimensions, namely, affective, interactive, and cohesive responses. In stage 2, we employed a historical cohort control experimental research study to compare social presence levels manifested in class A to those in class B who used an online forum. Follow-up interviews were conducted to solicit explanations of the differences in social presence levels. The results show that compared to the asynchronous threaded forum, the quasi-synchronous MIM is particularly suited to promoting (a) expression of emotions (affective social presence), (b) expressing agreement (interactive social presence), and (c) phatics and providing support (cohesive social presence). Four attributes might contribute to the differences including (a) the ease of use of non-verbal cues, (b) location-free digital interaction, (c) presence awareness, and (d) multimodality. The implications for future practices and research are discussed.
Neoclassic economic theory regards equilibrium, whether general or partial, as a crucially important foundation of the dismal science[1]. In the view of mainstream economists, the general equilibrium framework not only an investigation of the economy in terms of its perfect qualities, but also is suitable as an end or goal of action. The Austrian school, in contrast, sees equilibrium (or the evenly rotating economy - ERE) merely as a tendency for economic activities to move us in that direction, but it is never attained. Praxeological economics has thus concentrated not on equilibrium, but on the process by which the market moves toward it. Since the process of shifting resources to meet these ends cannot be achieved spontaneously, entrepreneurship plays a key role. In Mises and Rothbard's view, entrepreneurship involves uncertainty bearing which beyond the alertness emphasized by Hayek and Kirzner; on the other hand, unlike Lachmann looks the economy as a kaleidoscope and rejects the ERE, Mises and Rothbard regard the ERE as an indispensable way to understand the economy. [1] As Frank H. Hahn said "Whatever economics is used or thought about, equilibrium is a central organizing concept." (Hahn 1984: 43). Many economists and philosophers of science consider mathematical neoclassical general equilibrium theory as one of the peak achievements of economics (Rosenberg, 1992). Tieben (2012) stated that policy-makers and theorists of all schools of economics all use some form of equilibrium theory to develop their ideas and support their main theoretical and political claims. Lawson (2005) indicated that the equilibrium concept is a major cause of controversy between different schools of economic thought. A.W. Bob Coats even deems it the case that "economics has been dominated throughout its history by a single paradigm – the theory of economic equilibrium via the market mechanism." (Coats 1969: 292). ; La teoría económica neoclásica considera el equilibrio, ya sea en forma general o parcial, como un importante fundamento de la ciencia lúgubre. En opinión de los economistas de la corriente principal, el marco de equilibrio general ofrece no solo una investigación de la economía en términos de sus cualidades perfectas,sino también es adecuado como fin o meta de acción. La escuela austríaca, por el contrario, ve el equilibrio (o la economía de rotación uniforme - ERE) simplemente como un tendencia de las actividades económicas para movernos en esa dirección, pero nunca se alcanza. La economía praxeológica se ha concentrado, por lo tanto, no en el equilibrio, sino en el proceso por el que el mercado se mueve hacia ella. Debido a que el proceso de transferencia de recursos para satisfacer estos fines no se pueden alcanzar de forma espontánea, el emprendimiento juega un papel clave. En opinión de Mises y Rothbard, el emprendimiento implica una carga de incertidumbre que va más allá del estado de alerta enfatizado por Hayek y Kirzner. Por otro lado, a diferencia de Lachmann, quien ve la economía como un caleidoscopio y rechaza la ERE, Mises y Rothbard consideran la ERE como una herramienta indispensable para entender la economía. ; A teoria econômica neoclássica considera o equilíbrio, seja geral ou parcial, como base fundamental da ciência sombria. Na visão dos economistas do mainstream, a estrutura do equilíbrio geral oferece, não apenas oferece uma análise da economia em termos de suas qualidades perfeitas, mas também é adequada como fim ou objetivo de ação. Em contraste, a Escola Austríaca considera o equilíbrio (ou a economia uniformemente circular - ERE) apenas como a direção para a qual as atividades econômicas tendem a se mover, porém nunca é atingido. Assim, a economia praxeológica concentra-se não no equilíbrio, mas no processo de mercado que leva a ele. Como o processo de transferir recursos para atender esses fins não pode ser atingido espontaneamente, o empreendedorismo tem um papel central. Na visão de Mises e Rothbard, o empreendedorismo envolve incerteza, indo além do estado de alerta enfatizado por Hayek e Kirzner. Por outro lado, diferentemente deLachmann, que analisa a economia como um caleidoscópio e rejeita a economia uniformemente circular, Mises e Rothbard a consideram uma ferramenta indispensável para entender a economia.
Most of the higher vocational colleges in China are public institutions. The government prefers to enhance the intrinsic motivation of teachers' professional development through effective management. Taking the Chinese government's strong advocacy of the professional value of the "craftsman spirit" as a background, this study aims to define the constituent factors of intrinsic motivation for the career development of higher vocational college teachers. This study proposes to explore the role of inclusive management styles on the professional development of teachers in public vocational institutions in order to address the hindering effects of human-organizational relationships on the intrinsic motivation of teachers' professional development following Chinese management styles. Within three weeks, through the online questionnaire distribution platform, email, and WeChat, questionnaires were sent to teachers in colleges in Guangdong Province using the whole sampling method. A total of 546 questionnaires were distributed, of which 538 were retrieved and 521 were deemed valid for analysis. Using a structural equation model for data validation, the results indicate that inclusive leadership and inclusive climate are positive external factors that stimulate teachers' intrinsic motivation for professional development (r = 0.496, 0.491) and contribute to the formation of organizational inclusion (r = 0.413). Job satisfaction is an intrinsic self-motivating factor (r = 0.479, 0.380, 0.451). Organizational inclusion can mitigate interpersonal barriers and become a practical management approach to enhance teachers' intrinsic motivation for career development. AcknowledgmentWe acknowledge teachers from higher education vocational colleges in Guangdong Province, China, who responded to the questionnaire for this study.
This paper presents investigations on the possible combination of modular high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (MHTGR) technology with the supercritical (SC) steam turbine technology and the prospective deployments of the MHTGR SC power plant. Energy conversion efficiency of steam turbine cycle can be improved by increasing the main steam pressure and temperature. Investigations on SC water reactor (SCWR) reveal that the development of SCWR power plants still needs further research and development. The MHTGR SC plant coupling the existing technologies of current MHTGR module design with operation experiences of SC FPP will achieve high cycle efficiency in addition to its inherent safety. The standard once-reheat SC steam turbine cycle and the once-reheat steam cycle with life-steam have been studied and corresponding parameters were computed. Efficiencies of thermodynamic processes of MHTGR SC plants were analyzed, while comparisons were made between an MHTGR SC plant and a designed advanced passive PWR - AP1000. It was shown that the net plant efficiency of an MHTGR SC plant can reach 45% or above, 30% higher than that of AP1000 (35% net efficiency). Furthermore, an MHTGR SC plant has higher environmental competitiveness without emission of greenhouse gases and other pollutants.
We investigated the effects of objective knowledge and information cues on consumer financial decisions, and examined the moderating effects of field dependence–independence on the decision-making process. Participants were grouped into 2 clusters, that is, field dependent or independent cognition, according to their scores on the Embedded Figures Test (EFT). We then examined how intrinsic objective knowledge and extrinsic information cues were calibrated from an investor's cognitive ability. Results indicated that field independent participants with higher, vs. lower, scores on the EFT showed considerable superiority in acquiring information and were more risk averse. Participants with greater objective knowledge levels and prior domain expertise were also more assertive and risk prone in financial decision making than those with less objective knowledge and domain experience.
According to the mnemic neglect model, people process non-threatening feedback more deeply than threatening feedback. Tests of the model rely on behavior recall as the primary dependent variable. Similar to other research programs in social psychology, little attention has been paid to determining the optimal recall procedure for testing the model and replicating its predicted findings. Four experiments reveal that the results of mnemic neglect studies are significantly affected by recall period length and how recalled behaviors are reported. A few basic principles (e.g., output interference, output primacy as an index of accessibility) can account for these findings. The lessons learned apply not just to mnemic neglect research, but to any investigation of social-cognitive processes utilizing free recall measures.
This paper gives a brief description of the over quick urbanization since Chongqing, one of the biggest cities in China, has been a municipality directly under the Central Government in 1997, excessive development and exceeding increase of high-rise buildings because of its special geographical position which finally leads to the worsening of the urban outdoor thermal environment. Then, this paper makes a bright balance to the field measurement and simulated results of the wind speed field, temperature field of one multifunctional high-rise building in Chongqing university located in the city center, and the contrasted results validate the correctness of CFD in the outdoor thermal environmental simulation, expose the disadvantages of high-rise buildings on the aspects of blocking the wind field, decreasing wind speed which results in accumulation of the air-conditioning heat revolving around and periscian region where sunshine can not rip into. Finally, in order to improve the urban outdoor thermal environment near the high-rise buildings especially for the angle of natural ventilation, this paper simulates the wind environment in different architectural compositions and architectural layouts by CFD, and the simulated results show that freestyle and tower buildings which can guarantee the wind speed and take the air-conditioning heat away are much suitable and reasonable for the special Chongqing geography. These conclusions can also be used as a reference in other mountain cities, especially for the one with a great number of populations.
