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Although smart home services have been acknowledged to promote environmental protection, few studies have explored the willingness of consumers to adopt eco-friendly smart home services. This study aims to investigate the influencing factors that affect Chinese consumers' intention to adopt eco-friendly smart home services. The theory of planned behavior is used as the basic theoretical background and is further extended by adding the constructs of environmental knowledge, ambiguity tolerance, compatibility, and living habits. Data were collected from 629 respondents in China through a self-administered questionnaire survey and analyzed by structural equation modeling. Results indicate that attitude and perceived behavioral control have positive and significant effects on consumers' intention toward adopting eco-friendly smart home services, whereas subjective norm does not have any effect. Moreover, environmental knowledge, ambiguity tolerance, compatibility significantly and positively affect consumer intention toward eco-friendly smart home services. Living habits have a negative effect on consumers' intention under eco-friendly smart home services context. The implications for promoting the popularization of smart home services are discussed to motivate consumers to adopt eco-friendly smart home services on the basis of empirical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emission controls have substantially brought down aerosol pollution in China; however, aerosol mass reductions have slowed down in recent years in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region, where secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation poses a major challenge for air quality improvement. In this study, we characterized the roles of SOA in haze formation in urban Guangzhou in the PRD using year-long aerosol mass spectrometer measurements for the first time and discussed possible pathways of SOA formations. On average, organic aerosols (OA) contribute dominantly (50 %) to nonrefractory submicron aerosol mass (NR-PM 1). The average mass concentration of SOA (including by less- and more-oxidized OA, LOOA and MOOA) contributed most to NR-PM 1 , reaching about 1.7 times that of primary organic aerosols (POA, including hydrocarbon-like and cooking-related OA) and accounting for 32 % of NR-PM 1 , even more than sulfate (22 %) and nitrate (16 %). Seasonal variations of NR-PM 1 revealed that haze-formation mechanisms differed much among distinct seasons. Sulfate mattered more than nitrate in fall, while nitrate was more important than sulfate in spring and winter, with SOA contributing significantly to haze formations in all the seasons. Daytime SOA formation was weak in winter under low oxidant levels and air relative humidity, whereas prominent daytime SOA formation was observed in fall, spring and summer almost on a daily basis, suggesting important roles of photochemistry in SOA formations. Further analysis showed that the coordination of gas-phase photochemistry and subsequent aqueous-phase reactions likely played significant roles in quick daytime SOA formations. Obvious nighttime SOA formations were also frequently observed in spring, fall and winter, and it was found that daytime and nighttime SOA formations together had resulted in the highest SOA concentrations in these seasons and contributed substantially to severe haze formations. Simultaneous increases in nitrate with SOA after sunset suggested the important roles of NO 3 radical chemistry in nighttime SOA formations, and this was further confirmed by a continuous increase in the NO + / NO 2+ fragment ratio that related to measured particulate nitrate after sunset. The findings of this study have promoted our understanding of haze pollution characteristics of the PRD and laid down future directions for investigations of SOA-formation mechanisms in urban areas of southern China that share similar emission sources and meteorological conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomass burning organic aerosol (BBOA) impacts significantly on climate directly through scattering and absorbing solar radiation and indirectly through acting as cloud condensation nuclei. However, fundamental parameters in the simulation of BBOA radiative effects and cloud activities such as size distribution and refractive index remain poorly parameterized in models. In this study, biomass burning events with high combustion efficiency characterized by a high black carbon (BC) to BBOA ratio (0.22 on average) were frequently observed during autumn in the Pearl River Delta region, China. An improved absorption Ångström exponent (AAE) ratio method considering both variations and spectral dependence of black carbon AAE was proposed to differentiate brown carbon (BrC) absorptions from total aerosol absorptions. BBOA size distributions, mass scattering and absorption efficiency were retrieved based on the changes in aerosol number size distribution, scattering coefficients and derived BrC absorptions that occurred with BBOA spikes. Geometric mean diameter of BBOA volume size distribution Dgv depended largely on combustion conditions, ranging from 245 to 505 nm, and a linear relationship between Dgv and ΔBC/ΔBBOA ​​​​​​​ was achieved. The retrieved real part of the BBOA refractive index ranges from 1.47 to 1.64, with evidence showing that its variations might depend largely on combustion efficiency, which is rarely investigated in existing literature but which however requires further comprehensive investigations. Retrieved imaginary parts of BBOA refractive index (mi,BBOA) correlated highly with ΔBC/ΔBBOA (R>0.88) but differ a lot from previous parameterization schemes. The reason behind the inconsistency might be that single formula parameterizations of mi,BBOA over the whole BC/BBOA range were used in previous studies which might deviate substantially for specific BC/BBOA ranges. Thus, a new scheme that parameterizes wavelength-dependent mi,BBOA was presented, which filled the gap for field-based BBOA absorptivity parameterizations of ​​​​​​​BC/BBOA >0.1. These findings have significant implications for simulating BBOA climate effects and suggest that linking both BBOA refractive index and BBOA volume size distributions to BC content might be a feasible and a good choice for climate models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water uptake abilities of organic aerosol under sub-saturated conditions play critical roles in direct aerosol radiative effects and atmospheric chemistry; however, field characterizations of the organic aerosol hygroscopicity parameter κOA under sub-saturated conditions remain limited. In this study, a field campaign was conducted to characterize κOA at a relative humidity of 80 % with hourly time resolution for the first time in the Pearl River Delta region of China. Observation results show that, during this campaign, secondary organic aerosol (SOA) dominated total organic aerosol mass (mass fraction > 70 % on average), which provides a unique opportunity to investigate influences of SOA formation on κOA. Results demonstrate that the commonly used organic aerosol oxidation level parameter O/C was weakly correlated with κOA and failed to describe the variations in κOA. However, the variations in κOA were well reproduced by mass fractions of organic aerosol factor resolved based on aerosol mass spectrometer measurements. The more oxygenated organic aerosol (MOOA) factor, exhibiting the highest average O/C (∼ 1) among all organic aerosol factors, was the most important factor driving the increase in κOA and was commonly associated with regional air masses. The less oxygenated organic aerosol (LOOA; average O/C of 0.72) factor revealed strong daytime production, exerting negative effects on κOA. Surprisingly, the aged biomass burning organic aerosol (aBBOA) factor also formed quickly during daytime and shared a similar diurnal pattern with LOOA but had much lower O/C (0.39) and had positive effects on κOA. The correlation coefficient between κOA and mass fractions of aBBOA and MOOA in total organic aerosol mass reached above 0.8. The contrasting effects of LOOA and aBBOA formation on κOA demonstrate that volatile organic compound (VOC) precursors from diverse sources and different SOA formation processes may result in SOA with different chemical composition, functional properties and microphysical structure, consequently exerting distinct influences on κOA and rendering single oxidation level parameters (such as O/C) unable to capture those differences. Aside from that, distinct effects of aBBOA on κOA were observed during different episodes, suggesting that the hygroscopicity of SOA associated with similar sources might also differ much under different emission and atmospheric conditions. Overall, these results highlight that it is imperative to conduct more research on κOA characterization under different meteorological and source conditions and examine its relationship with VOC precursor profiles and formation pathways to formulate a better characterization and develop more appropriate parameterization approaches in chemical and climate models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Remanufacturing is an effective way to maximize resource utilization and reduce environmental degradation, which can bring personal and social benefits. This study demystifies the influencing factors which affect Chinese consumers' intention toward buying remanufactured products. The paper introduced the theory of planned behavior as the basic theoretical support and further enriched by two neglected variables of environmental concern and perceived risk. The 676 respondents participated the questionnaire survey for data collection. Results indicate that consumers' attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control exert effect on intention. What's more, environmental concern positively influences consumers' attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioral control, whereas perceived risk negatively affects the attitude and consumers' adoption intention under buying remanufactured products context. Based on the results, implications for enhancing consumers' purchasing intention toward buying remanufactured products are provided. The present study aims to introduce TPB model as the basic theoretical theory and integrates two psychological 27 factors (environmental concern and perceived risk) into the TPB to explore consumers' intention toward purchasing factors (environmental concern and perceived risk) into the TPB to explore consumers' intention toward purchasing remanufactured products. The coremanufactured products. The contributions of this research are mainly reflected in the following aspects. Firstly, ntributions of this research are mainly reflected in the following aspects. Firstly, little researches have focused on consumers' acceptance of remanufactured products (Jimenezlittle researches have focused on consumers' acceptance of remanufactured products (Jimenez--Parra et al., 2014). Parra et al., 2014). This study attempts to narrow this gap. Secondly, there arThis study attempts to narrow this gap. Secondly, there are few studies which have been conducted to understand the e few studies which have been conducted to understand the effects of psychological factors on consumers' intention toward ecoeffects of psychological factors on consumers' intention toward eco--friendly products in developing countries, this friendly products in developing countries, this study try to analysis consumers' intention toward remanufactured products form thstudy try to analysis consumers' intention toward remanufactured products form this new perspective. Thirdly, is new perspective. Thirdly, environmental concern and perceived risk are innovatively incorporated into the TPB to explain consumers' environmental concern and perceived risk are innovatively incorporated into the TPB to explain consumers' willingness to adopt remanufactured products, thus improving the persuasive power of this model. willingness to adopt remanufactured products, thus improving the persuasive power of this model. H1: Attitude has a positive effect on consumers' intention to buy remanufactured products. H2: Subjective norm has a positive effect on consumers' intention to buy remanufactured products. H3: Perceived behavioral control has a positive effect on consumers' intention to buy remanufactured products. H4: Environmental concern has a positive effect on consumers' attitude toward buying remanufactured products. H5: Environmental concern has a positive effect on consumers' subjective norm toward buying remanufactured products. H6: Environmental concern has a positive effect on consumers' perceived behavior concern toward buying remanufactured products. H7: Perceived risk has a negative effect on consumers' attitude toward buying remanufactured products. H8: Perceived risk has a negative effect on consumers' intention toward buying remanufactured products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chery, which used to be the leader of Chinese indigenous automobile manufacturers as well as the entry-level market, has been losing its leader position since 2010. Chery, founded in 1997, has experienced a radical expansion along with industrial liberalization and economic growth in China since 2000. In 2007, Chery started the internationalization strategy by launching two middle and high-end brands and developing a series of joint ventures consecutively. However, Chery has confronted various challenges since 2010 with the growing maturity of Chinese automobile industry, including declining domestic sales and market share, and thus was in a weak position under attack. Finally, Chery announced its tactical adjustments in April 2013. This case describes the co-evolution between the environmental transitions of Chinese automotive industry and the business strategies of Chery. Students are asked to analyze the development of Chery and provide specific suggestions of future directions on competitive strategy for Chery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to examine the impacts of ambidexterity of exploration/exploitation on long-term performance and the moderating effects of slack resources. The methodology adopted is panel data analysis of a sample dataset of 125 high technology firms in China. The finding of this study shows that a moderating role of organizational slack between ambidexterity and long-term performance is strongly supported. The research and practical implications of this paper are: (1) Exploration and exploitation can be mutually enhancing instead of being fundamentally contradictory; (2) Slack resources moderate the relationship between ambidexterity and performance. The originality and value of the paper is that it is one of the earliest studies that empirically examine the moderating effects of slack resources on ambidexterity-performance relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Despite the perceived success of educational campaigns and smoking bans in public places in China, the actual effects have not been investigated. This study examines the effects of the two policies by major characteristics of smokers and whether the affected smokers have intention to quit smoking. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 17 cities in China and 16,616 participants were selected using multistage stratified sampling. Logistic regression models were used to examine the effects of educational campaigns and smoking bans in public places on their intention to quit smoking. Results show that the Chinese government should try every means to build its tobacco control publicity and implement various forms of public educational campaigns to enhance smokers’ knowledge of the health consequences of smoking. In addition, China should emphasize the enforcement of the existing smoking prohibitions and regulations by implementing local tobacco control legislation and total prohibitions in all public places and workplaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposed a novel cultivated land planning approach coupling expected irrigation water prediction and crop planting structure optimization. Under the guidance of the expected irrigation water prediction, the development of agricultural planting strategies was proposed through the cultivated land planning method to improve the efficiency of water use and ensure agricultural production. This approach was consisted of two models: a combination forecasting model was developed for estimating expected irrigation water with help of remote sensing data (RSCM); and a bi-level multiobjective programming model for planning crop planting structure (BMPSOM) was formulated for crop planting structure programming. Then, the proposed approach applied to a real-world case in Northwest China for verifying its validity. Results show that: 1) the forecast accuracy of the combination forecast model has been greatly improved compared to the single forecast model, the accuracy test results are RMSE = 0.25 × 108 m3, MAPE = 0.78%; 2) the use of remote sensing data can reflect the soil moisture with spatial variability in the forecast; 3) BMPSOM model can well reflect the leader-follower relationship and make tradeoff among multiple objectives of each decision maker in tackling practical problem. Application has proved that the agricultural planting strategy formulated by this approach can not only ensure economic benefits but also increase food production under limited water resources. Therefore, this method has good application prospects in areas where water resources are scarce. [Display omitted] • A novel forecasting-optimization approach is proposed for planning crop planting area. • The spatial soil moisture is measured based on remote sensing information. • A combination forecasting method is formulated to estimate expected irrigation water with higher accuracy. • Tradeoffs among multiple concerns from two-level decision makers are balanced. • A real case is applied to demonstrate the applicability and feasibility of the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To fairly distribute limited irrigation water resources in arid regions, a water allocation priority evaluation method based on remote sensing data was proposed and integrated with an optimization model. First, the water supply response unit was divided according to canal system conditions. Then, a spatialization method was used for generating spatial agricultural output value (income from planting industry) and grain yield (yield of food crops) with the help of NDVI and the potential yield of farmland. Third, the AHP-TOPSIS method was employed to calculate the water allocation priority based on the above information. Finally, the evaluation results were integrated with a nonlinear multiobjective model to optimally allocate agricultural land and water resources, considering the combined objective of minimum envy and proportional fairness. The method was applied to Hetao irrigation area, an arid agriculture-dominant region in Northwest China. After solving the model, optimization alternatives were obtained, which indicate that: (1) the spatial method of agricultural output value can improve the accuracy by around 16% compared with the traditional method, and the spatial method of grain yield also have good accuracy (MAPE = 14.66%); (2) the rank of water allocation priority can reflect more spatial information, and provide practical decision support for the distribution of water resources; (3) the envy index can better improve the efficiency of an allocation system compared to the Gini coefficient method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]