Service quality evaluation in the context of a technology laboratory

The intent of this research is to investigate how the customers of a technological control laboratory for civil construction materials perceived the quality of the services delivered by the lab, specifically in regard to the service of concrete compression testing. The popular SERVQUAL scale, a multidimensional instrument used to capture customer expectations and perceptions, was used as a model for the application of a survey. Exploratory factor analyses were employed to evaluate customers’ perceptions and experiences of service quality in regard to the dimensions and accompanying attributes of the SERVQUAL scale. Twenty attributes, which were grouped within five dimensions (Reliability, Assurance, Tangibles, Responsiveness, and Empathy), were identified, explaining 80.417% of the variance between customer expectations and perceptions and characterizing these dimensions on a modified SERVQUAL scale. Analysis of the results allowed us to identify discrepancies in perceived service quality compared with customers’ expectations. Most of the identified gaps between expectations and perceptions resulted in negative values.     

Ethical Tools to Support Systematic Public Deliberations about the Ethical Aspects of Agricultural Biotechnologies

This special issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics presents so-called ethical tools that are developed to support systematic public deliberations about the ethical aspects of agricultural biotechnologies. This paper firstly clarifies the intended connotations of the term “ethical tools” and argues that such tools can support liberal democracies to cope with the issues that are raised by the application of genetic modification and other modern biotechnologies in agriculture and food production. The paper secondly characterizes the societal discussion on agricultural biotechnology and defends the thesis that normative perspectives fuel this discussion, so one cannot come to grips with this discussion if one neglects these perspectives. The paper thirdly agrues that no such thing exists as “one” societal debate in which these issues should be discussed. There are several interwined debates, and different actors participate in different discourses. Some practical instruments are necessary in order to include the right issues in these debates. These instruments will be coined as “ethical tools,” since they are practical instruments that can be used (tools) in order to support debates and deliberative structures for a systematic engagement with ethical issues (hence, ethical tools). Finally, the paper clarifies the ethics of these ethical tools and presents the tools as discussed in the remainder of this special issue: 1) tools to include ethical issues in public consulation and involvement; 2) tools to support systematic reflection upon ethical issues in decision-making; and 3) tools to support explicit communication about values in the food chain.     

沉积物颗粒表面分形特征的研究

通过一阶分子连接性指数^1X与分子表面积TSA之间的相关性计算出吸附分子的尺度，采用分形吸附等温线法计算出妫河沉积物的Ds为2．379，官厅沉积物的Ds为2．836．基于沉积物对N2的吸附．脱附等温线数据，采用FHH(Frenkel-Halsey-Hill)方程计算出两种沉积物的表面分形维数Ds，发现官厅沉积物与妫河沉积物的Ds相差不大；温度影响Ds主要是由于升温改变了沉积物的组成与结构．在本实验中采用热力学模型(thenmodynamic model)计算出的Ds值大都超过3．此外，沉积物的Ds与其比表面积、矿物含量、CEC、有机质的相关性差．以萘、菲、芘作为码尺计算出的Ds并不完全是表面空间填充能力的客观表现，而是表面吸附过程的一个重要的综合性特征参数．     

室内打印机颗粒污染物特性的测量与分析

文章对打印机工作所产生的可吸人颗粒污染物进行研究,使用FMPS3091对5.6～560nm粒径范围的颗粒物进行数量浓度、质量浓度测量;使用分形理论对所产生的空气污染特性进行分析,并通过粒度的分形维数对其进行了定量表达.测量和分析的结果显示:打印机工作所产生颗粒物的数量浓度、质量浓度远远大手背景浓度,并随打印机工作时间增...     

Geography of conservation spending,biodiversity, and culture

We used linear and multivariate models to examine the associations between geography, biodiversity, per capita economic output, national spending on conservation, governance, and cultural traits in 55 countries. Cultural traits and social metrics of modernization correlated positively with national spending on conservation. The global distribution of this spending culture was poorly aligned with the distribution of biodiversity. Specifically, biodiversity was greater in the tropics where cultures tended to spend relatively less on conservation and tended to have higher collectivism, formalized and hierarchical leadership, and weaker governance. Consequently, nations lacking social traits frequently associated with modernization, environmentalism, and conservation spending have the largest component of Earth's biodiversity. This has significant implications for setting policies and priorities for resource management given that biological diversity is rapidly disappearing and cultural traits change slowly. Therefore, we suggest natural resource management adapt to and use characteristics of existing social organization rather than wait for or promote social values associated with conservation spending. Supporting biocultural traditions, engaging leaders to increase conservation commitments, cross‐national efforts that complement attributes of cultures, and avoiding interference with nature may work best to conserve nature in collective and hierarchical societies. Spending in modernized nations may be a symbolic response to a symptom of economic development and environmental degradation, and here conservation actions need to ensure that biodiversity is not being lost.     

X射线粉末法计算晶胞参数及粉末图指标化的微机程序

本文介绍了一个用BASIC语言编写的微机程序,即CDI程序。该程序是根据最小二乘修正加上外推的原理编制的,用于粉末衍射数据的晶胞参数计算和粉末图指标化。CDI程序可以处理所有晶系的衍射数据并得出令人满意的计算结果。程序已在IBMPC/XT,长城0520CH及C.S.重型微机上运行了好几年并解决了一系列实际问题。     

聚合氯化铁-腐殖酸(PFC-HA)絮体的不同拓扑空间下分形维数的研究

通过对PFC混凝去除水中HA过程中所形成的PFC-HA絮体的研究结果表明,原水pH分另4为9.0、7.0和5.0时,最佳投药量下形成的絮体的平均沉降速度之间的比值为1.17:1.00:0.49,而且所有絮体的水平投影方向的平均直径与垂直投影方向的平均直径的比值均接近0.85.结合Logan公式和有效密度-长轴的双对数关系计算出的絮体三维空间的分形维数Df较为可靠,在本试验中3种pH的原水下形成的PFC-HA絮体的Df均小于2.0.絮体沉降速度的变化是质量分形维数Df、有效密度和粒径等因素的变化综合影响结果,因此,絮体的Df、有效密度各自的变化趋势有可能与沉降速度的不一致.原水pH=7.0时絮体的Df稍大于原水pH=9.0时絮体的Df,但比原水pH=5.0时絮体的Df大11.73%.可见,与原水pH=9.0时形成的絮体相比,原水pH=7.0时形成了稍微密实的小絮体,但原水pH=5.0时却形成了较为疏松的、很小的絮体.在本试验的图像分辨率下,PFC-HA絮体在一维拓扑空间下的分形维数D1比较低,一般都低于1.10.基于投影面积-长轴关系计算的二维拓扑空间的分形维数D2变化趋势为样品3稍大于样品2,样品1最小;然而基于投影面积一周长计算的二维拓扑空间的分形维数D2却呈现不同的变化趋势.另外,尽管PFC-HA絮体的Df小于2,但其与基于投影面积-长轴关系计算的二维拓扑空间的分形维数D2不相等,不符合Meakin的结论,这与本试验中CCD相机的分辨率和絮体样本数量有关.     

黄河包头段不同粒径沉积物分形校正下重金属的吸附研究

推导了分粒级的表面分形维数计算公式,根据推导公式计算了分粒级沉积物的分维值.应用已有的表面分形分维计算公式分别计算了黄河包头段沉积物整体的表面分形分维(1.91)及＜63 μm粒级的分维值(1.36),揭示出黄河水环境的磨蚀和分选2个原因引起黄河包头段沉积物低的分维值.用分形校正吸附模型、Freundlich和Langmuir吸附模型对黄河包头段重金属分粒级沉积物吸附进行了拟合,表明分形校正吸附模型具有较好的适用性,同时揭示分形校正吸附模型与MEA理论结合能更好的对热力学吸附结果进行描述;由吸附结果分析得出4种重金属因粒径引起的吸附量变化程度序列为Cu＞Pb＞Zn≈Cd,初始浓度高的吸附量曲线变化较初始浓度低的曲线变化明显,同时指出Cu、Pb的吸附主要与矿物组成有关,而Zn、Cd的吸附则与吸附剂沉积物空间几何性质(或沉积物表面物理特征)有关.     

Geometrical characteristics of externally venting flames: Assessment of fire engineering design correlations using medium-scale compartment-façade fire tests

In a fully developed under-ventilated compartment fire, flames may spill out of external openings (e.g. windows); Externally Venting Flames (EVF) pose a significant risk of fire spreading to adjacent floors or buildings. The main aim of this work is to comparatively assess a range of fire engineering design correlations used to describe the external dimensions of the EVF envelope. The predictive accuracy of each correlation is evaluated through comparison with experimental data obtained in a medium-scale compartment-façade fire facility, using typical fire loads suggested in the Eurocode. A series of fire tests is performed, employing a ¼ scale model of the ISO 9705 room, equipped with an additional extended façade. An “expendable” fuel source (n-hexane) is utilized to effectively simulate realistic building fire conditions. An extensive sensor network is used to monitor the dynamic behaviour of a broad range of important EVF physical parameters and a dedicated image processing tool is developed to allow estimation of the EVF envelope main dimensions (e.g. height, width, projection). Digital camera imaging is used to determine the main geometrical characteristics of the EVF envelope. Comparison of fire engineering design correlation predictions with experimental data reveals that correlations for the estimation of EVF height err on the safe side in under-ventilated fire conditions; decreasing the fire load results in under-prediction of EVF height and projection. It is shown that EVF projection and width strongly depend on both excess heat release rate and height. In addition, the necessity to derive appropriate criteria for the identification of the EVF projection is demonstrated. The obtained extensive set of experimental data, covering three different fire load levels, can be also used to validate numerical simulation tools or evaluate the accuracy of other available fire design correlations.     

An empirical analysis of green switching intentions in the airline industry

The purpose of this research is to gain an empirical understanding of airline passengers’ green switching intentions. A conceptual research model is used as a framework to examine the relationships among the experiential quality dimensions, green perceived value, green corporate image, green experiential satisfaction, green corporate reputation, green experiential loyalty and green switching intentions for the airline industry. The data used in this paper were based on a sample of 615 passengers who experienced the eco-friendly services of China Airlines, indicating that the proposed model fitted the data. The study's result will assist airline management to develop and implement market-orientated service strategies to increase the experiential quality dimensions, green perceived value, green corporate image, green experiential satisfaction, green corporate reputation and green experiential loyalty in order to decrease passengers’ green switching intentions.