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Universities are important parts of innovation ecosystems, and university technology transfer (UTT), which aims for the sustainable commercialization of sci-tech achievements, is closely related to other actors in the ecosystem. Based on the panel data of 31 provinces in mainland China, this paper empirically analyzes the spatiotemporal distribution characteristics of UTT levels from 2011 to 2019 and estimates the influencing factors using the spatial Durbin model (SDM) with an economic spatial weighting matrix from the perspective of innovation ecosystems. The results are presented as follows: (1) Although the overall level of UTT in China is low, it shows an upward trend in most provinces. In addition, the interprovincial gap is obvious, forming a ladder distribution of UTT levels increasing from west to east. (2) There is a significant spatial autocorrelation between UTT levels in the provinces. (3) Industry, economy, and informatization play significant roles in promoting UTT, while financial institutes and openness have significant inhibitory effects. The economy has a significant spatial spillover effect on UTT, while government, industry and informatization have a significant inhibitory effect on UTT in neighboring regions. (4) The direct and indirect effects of influencing factors in the Eastern Region and other regions show significant spatial heterogeneity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, the dynamic behavior of high-speed long-runout landslides triggered by earthquakes remains unclear due to the complexity of such phenomena. Degradation in the shear strength of rock masses is considered a primary factor contributing to the high velocities and long runout distances of these landslides. In this study, the strength degradation induced by changes in rock joint morphology is analyzed considering a numerical model of the Donghekou landslide, by using discontinuous deformation analysis (DDA). First, an exponential joint roughness degradation function (i.e., JRCm) that depends on displacement is incorporated with the nonlinear Barton–Bandis (B–B) shear strength criterion, and this modified B–B criterion is combined with the DDA. Moreover, a virtual joint is introduced in the DDA to model the propagation of cracks in intact rock masses, in order to simulate the dynamic phenomenon of earthquake-induced landslides. Subsequently, this improved DDA (IDDA) is validated via simulations of a shear test and a sliding block over an inclined plane. Finally, the IDDA is employed to simulate the Donghekou landslide, which was induced by the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake in China. Furthermore, the entire dynamic process of the landslide, including crack propagation, instability, initiation, and motion, is depicted. The simulated deposit patterns obtained via the IDDA are in good agreement with the results of field investigations. The simulation results also prove that the IDDA can reflect key movement behaviors of Donghekou landslide and that the degradation of rock joints significantly influences the long runout distance and high velocity of sliding mass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: COVID-19 has spread worldwide. Older adults are at the greatest risk of contracting and dying from the virus. Nursing homes are densely populated places for older adults who are generally vulnerable and at high-risk. Although Chinese nursing homes have been trying to protect their residents, the needs and expectations of the residents and their families have been ignored. This study aimed to promote the safety of NH residents, including their physical and psychological safety, and to meet their expectations during the COVID-19 pandemic in China. Methods: Data were collected through face-to-face semi-structured interviews with nursing home residents and focus group online interviews with family members between June 2021 and February 2022. Data analysis was performed using inductive content analysis. Results: 16 residents and 24 family members were interviewed. Four themes with 10 sub-themes were identified from the participants' descriptions. Their expectations were mainly focused on prevention and control measures for COVID-19, medical capacity of nursing homes, health literacy and expectations for some aged care policies. Conclusions: In the face of concerns about the impact of COVID-19 on nursing homes, we sought to bring firsthand perspectives to the forefront by interviewing residents and their family members about their expectations for safety to address this issue. Our findings provide important areas on which should be focused and may improve the sense of gain, happiness, and security of nursing home residents during the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In many Chinese cities, pedestrian’s road crossing behavior is different from that of pedestrians in developed countries. This paper presents a pedestrian model for traffic system micro-simulation in China. Considering the high rate of signal non-compliance, we classify pedestrians into two types: law-obeying ones and opportunistic ones. Opportunistic ones decide whether to violate traffic signal during red man, depending on the states of some external factors (like policeman, vehicle flow and other pedestrians’ behaviors). Questionnaires were used to determine the proportions of these two types of pedestrians under different circumstances. In addition, a time gap distribution extracted from videotape were used to determine the criterion for pedestrians to decide whether to walk or wait when they conflict with vehicle flows. However, simulation results deviate from the data extracted from videotape in some degree. By adjusting the parameters on the basis of analyzing the occurrence of the deviations, the simulation results agree with the field results better. This model has represented the high rate of pedestrians’ red light running and the mixed characteristics of traffic flows in Chinese cities, and it may be applicable in the micro-simulation of traffic system in other developing cities. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper proposes a pedestrian delay model suitable for signalized intersections in developing cities, on the basis of a field study conducted in Xi’an, China. The field study consisted of two parts: Part I involved only one crosswalk, and the signal cycle was divided into 13 subphases; Part II involved 13 crosswalks, but the signal cycles were only divided into green phases and non-green phases. It was found that pedestrian arrival rates were not uniform throughout cycles; pedestrians arriving during green phases might also receive delays; pedestrian signal non-compliance was so severe that delays were greatly reduced, but non-complying pedestrians might still receive delays; and for pedestrians walking different directions, though the relationships between average delay and arrival subphase were different, the overall average delays were almost the same. On the basis of the field study results, some assumptions are made about the relationship between average pedestrian delay and arrival subphase, and a new model is developed to estimate pedestrian delays at signalized intersections. The model is validated using the field data, and the validation results indicate that in Xi’an the new model provides much more accurate estimation than the existing models. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]