13 research outputs found
Prediction condom usage intention : the role of protection motivation amongst homosexual and heterosexual males
No full textThe number of individuals infected with the HIV/AIDS continues to rise at an alarming rate in the world, as well as in Singapore. Sexual intercourse amongst heterosexual and homosexual males remains the main mode of transmission of the virus. Using the Protection Motivation Theory (Rogers, 1983), this research aims to understand the factors affecting condom usage intention amongst men in Singapore. We used self-administered surveys to gather data from 219 homosexual and 265 heterosexual men. Structural equation modeling found self-efficacy to be a significant predictor for both groups of men, together with perceived severity for homosexuals and response efficacy for heterosexuals. Following the empirical study, we content analyzed HIV-directed materials and found that the use of threat appeal themes is more common than the focus on promoting self-efficacy towards condom usage. Implications for policy makers, health and social marketing are discussed.Bachelor of Communication Studie
Using Ecosystem Services to Inform Sustainable Waterfront Area Management: A Case Study in the Yangtze River Delta Ecological Green Integration Demonstration Zone
No full textEcosystem service assessments are crucial for sustainable water area management. Previous studies and actions on waterfront area management often emphasized merely the saving and use of water resources per se, ignoring the safeguarding of hydrological source ecosystems and assurance of sustainable provision capacity of water supplies. Using the Yangtze River Delta Ecological Green Integration Demonstration Zone (demonstration zone) as an example, this study integrated ecosystem service assessment into waterfront area management in an urbanizing region. We evaluated and mapped four ecosystem services—carbon sequestration, water purification, stormwater regulation and climate regulation—in the demonstration zone in 2020. We examined ecosystem service quantities, spatial distributions and economic values to inform policy balancing development and the environment. Our results show that ecosystem services provide significant benefits to waterfront areas: the zone furnished substantial ecosystem services, sequestering 544,900 tons of atmospheric carbon dioxide (USD 2.03 million), eliminating the total material quantities of nitrogen and phosphorus pollution of 47,700 tons and 13,900 tons (USD 66.31 billion and USD 20.17 billion, respectively), and retaining over 467.48 million cubic meters of stormwater runoff (USD 1756.35 million) and total material quantity of climate regulation amounts to 65.13 billion kilowatt hours (USD 5.10 billion). However, these service provisions varied spatially. Wujiang District provided the most ecosystem services overall, while Qingpu District had the highest per-unit intensities in stormwater regulation. Policy, planning and action should consider ecosystems providing security and prosperity. Managing the trade-offs between development and environment, reducing risks and cultivating resilience necessitates safeguarding ecosystem service potential
Integrating Ecosystem Service Values into Urban Planning for Sustainable Development
No full textUrbanization, despite driving regional economic growth, has led to significant disparities in development levels among cities. Many studies have made valuable suggestions for ecological conservation in economically underdeveloped regions. However, for medium-level cities with large economic development needs, the question of how to strike a balance between development and conservation in land development patterns is a critical issue to be addressed. By integrating ecosystem services assessment models and land use prediction models, we proposed a framework for guiding future land-use strategies based on ecosystem service values, using Jiaxing City as a case study. Firstly, we assessed and mapped the current status of ecosystem services value. Then, we simulated the land use distribution pattern and ecosystem services value under three development strategies: inertial development, cropland protection, and ecological development. Eventually, we determined the optimal urban land development pattern. The results showed that the total ecosystem service value for Jiaxing is CNY 124.82 billion, with climate regulation, water conservation, and flood mitigation contributing the most. The ecological development strategy yields the highest service value, with a 0.81% increase compared to the current situation, while the cropland protection and inertial development strategies result in decreases of 0.73% and 10.93%, respectively. Furthermore, the ecological strategy expands high-value service areas, concentrated in the northern river network and southern hilly regions. These findings offer valuable insights for urban planners and policymakers in formulating sustainable strategies and integrating ecosystem service values into economic policies to promote urban development
Mapping Re-Naturalization Pathways for Urban Ecological Governance: A Spatial Decision-Support Framework Based on Ecosystem Service Valuation
No full textTraditional urban expansion struggles to balance economic and ecological demands. Intensive development planning based on re-naturalization has become the policymakers’ choice. However, planning-oriented land use patterns and re-naturalization pathways remain difficult to determine. This study developed a spatial decision-support framework integrating ecosystem service valuation (ESV), land-use simulation, and ecological planning for Shanghai. This study assessed the spatiotemporal dynamics of ESV and simulated land use patterns and ESV for 2035 under different scenarios (inertial development, cropland protection, and ecological development). The optimal scenario and corresponding re-naturalization pathways were determined based on the principle of the optimal ESV. The results showed that ESV has declined over the past 20 years (−5.21%/5 years). High-value areas shrank significantly due to ecological space degradation. The planning-oriented ecological development scenario is the optimal scenario, with the highest ESV of CNY 189,240.29 million, which is higher than the status quo, inertia development scenario, and cropland protection scenario by 9.69%, 23.27%, and 9.53%, respectively. Taking the land use patterns under the ecological development scenario as the re-naturalization objective, 12 re-naturalization pathways totaling 686.88 km2 were identified. Cropland to forestland and built-up land to cropland were the largest, accounting for 67.88% and 15.02%, respectively. This study provides valuable insights into ecological planning and re-naturalization in urbanized areas
Study on Low-Velocity Impact and Residual Compressive Mechanical Properties of Carbon Fiber–Epoxy Resin Composites
No full textRoom temperature drop hammer impact and compression after impact (CAI) experiments were conducted on carbon fiber–epoxy resin (CF/EP) composites to investigate the variation in impact load and absorbed energy, as well as to determine the residual compressive strength of CF/EP composites following impact damage. Industrial CT scanning was employed to observe the damage morphology after both impact and compression, aiding in the study of impact-damage and compression-failure mechanisms. The results indicate that, under the impact load, the surface of a CF/EP composite exhibits evident cratering as the impact energy increases, while cracks form along the length direction on the back surface. The residual compressive strength exhibits an inverse relationship with the impact energy. Impact damage occurring at an energy lower than 45 J results in end crushing during the compression of CF/EP composites, whereas energy exceeding 45 J leads to the formation of long cracks spanning the entire width of the specimen, primarily distributed symmetrically along the center of the specimen
Integrated sequence stratigraphy of the Paleocene-Lowermost Eocene, New Jersey coastal plain: implications for eustatic and paleoceanographic change
No full textThis study uses a high-resolution integrated sequence stratigraphic method to determine the paleoecologic, paleoceanographic, and sea-level changes during the Paleocene-early Eocene. One of the more intriguing problems in paleoceanography is determining the cause of large sea-level changes of > 20 m in < 1 Myr during the "greenhouse" interval. The principal hypotheses presented here suggest a glacioeustatic mechanism for sea-level change during the Paleocene-earliest Eocene. A multidisciplinary approach was implemented utilizing sequence stratigraphic core description, carbon and oxygen isotope analysis, benthic foraminiferal biofacies, and biostratigraphy (nannofossils) to evaluate the magnitude of sea-level changes and possible eustatic mechanisms. The bulk of this study was conducted on the New Jersey coastal plain because of its well-known geologic history, excellent microfossil preservation, and well known sequence stratigraphic framework due to the drilling efforts of ODP Legs 150X and 174AX. The foundation of this study (Chapter 1) includes a detailed sequence stratigraphic analysis of Paleocene-lowermost Eocene sequences. This study identified seven Paleocene-lowermost Eocene sequences and corresponding paleodepths. Paleodepths were ~80 m during the early Paleocene, with a maximum water depth of 100 m at Bass River. A long-term shallowing of ~20 m is observed through the middle-late Paleocene toward the earliest Eocene. The shallowing trend reverses, with a water depth increase to ~120-150 m (Chapter 2). The New Jersey sequences correlate with those in other localities and δ18O increases in deep sea (Chapter 3), suggesting a glacioeustatic mechanism for sea-level change during the Paleocene-earliest Eocene. The New Jersey coastal plain also provides an excellent record of the Paleocene- Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) and Carbon Isotope Excursion (CIE). The PETM/CIE is distinguished by the occurrence of an unusual assemblage of coccolithophorids, referred to as the "RD". This study tested the first appearance of the RD in relation to a CIE precursor found in the New Jersey coastal plain and utilized paleodepths to construct one of the few sea-level records calibrated to the PETM and the mechanisms responsible for a 30-60 m eustatic rise during this interval.Ph.D.Includes abstractVitaIncludes bibliographical referencesby Ashley D. Harri
Microbial contamination status of student meal in Wenzhou from 2016 to 2020
No full textObjectiveTo provide basis for further ensuring the safety of student meals， the microbial contamination status in kindergarten， primary and secondary school canteens in Wenzhou in the past five years were investigated.MethodsFood samples collected in Wenzhou from 2016 to 2020 were detected for hygienic target bacteria （Aerobic Plate count and Escherichia coli） and foodborne pathogens （Staphylococcus aureus， Bacillus cereus， Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes）， and data were analyzed with SPSS 18.0.ResultsThe microbial contamination of student meal in 2016 was serious， with a unqualified rate as high as 23.58%. While the unqualified rates of student meal decreased by 6.27%， 6.80%， 9.06%， and 3.82% from 2017 to 2020 （χ2 = 60.852， P<0.001）. Escherichia coli contamination was one of the most serious， and its unqualified rates in the past five years showed a downward trend （9.43%， 5.64%， 6.47%， 6.41%， and 1.91%， χ2 = 5.225， P = 0.022）. Except for the higher detection rates of Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella in 2016 （7.35% and 9.91%）， the unqualified rates of foodborne pathogens in other years were at a low level. For different types of schools， the unqualified rates of meal samples for kindergarten， primary and secondary school students in Wenzhou from 2016 to 2020 were 10.34%， 12.81%， and 6.90%， respectively， which had significant differences （χ2 = 8.341， P = 0.015）. For different sampling quarters and monitoring points， no significant difference was observed in the overall status of microbial contamination of student meal. Compared with 2016， the risk of microbial contamination of student meal significantly reduced from 2017 to 2020 after adjusting the influencing factors such as the school type， sampling season and location （P<0.01）.ConclusionMicrobial contamination of the student meal in kindergartens， primary and middle schools in Wenzhou was the most serious in 2016， while the hygiene conditions of student meal improved from 2017 to 2020. Foodborne microbial contamination in Wenzhou could potentially threaten student health， which should be monitored to prevent the occurrence of foodborne illness in schools
Biomimetic fabrication of sr-silk fibroin co-assembly hydroxyapatite based microspheres with angiogenic and osteogenic properties for bone tissue engineering
No full textBone defects caused by trauma, tumor resection, or developmental abnormalities are important issues in clinical practice. The vigorous development of tissue engineering technology provides new ideas and directions for regenerating bone defects. Hydroxyapatite (HAp), a bioactive ceramic, is extensively used in bone tissue engineering because of its excellent osteoinductive performance. However, its application is challenged by its single function and conventional environment-unfriendly synthesis methods. In this study, we successfully ''green'' synthesized sr-silk fibroin co-assembly hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (Sr-SF-HA) using silk fibroin (SF) as a biomineralized template, thus enabling it to have angiogenic activity and achieving the combination of organic and inorganic substances. Then, the rough composite microspheres loaded with Sr-SF-HA (CS/Sr-SF-HA) through electrostatic spraying technology and freeze-drying method were prepared. The CCK-8 test and live/dead cell staining showed excellent biocompatibility of CS/Sr-SF-HA. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining, alizarin red staining (ARS), immunofluorescence, western blotting, and qRT-PCR test showed that CS/Sr-SF-HA activated the expression of related genes and proteins, thus inducing the osteogenic differentiation of rBMSCs. Moreover, tube formation experiments, scratch experiments, immunofluorescence, and qRT-PCR detection indicated that CS/Sr-SF-HA have good angiogenic activity. Furthermore, in vivo studies showed that the CS/Sr-SF-HA possesses excellent biocompatibility, vascular activity, as well as ectopic osteogenic ability in the subcutaneous pocket of rats. This study indicates that the construction of CS/Sr-SF-HA with angiogenic and osteogenic properties has great potential for bone tissue engineering
The politics of fashion: perceptions of power in female clothing and ornamentation as reflected in the sixteenth-century Chinese novel Jin Ping Mei
No full textThis thesis examines issues of female power and influence in sixteenth-century China focusing on how women and their roles were perceived in the changing social environment of the mid-late Ming dynasty. Using aspects of a New Historicist approach, information from contemporary literary and historical sources are analysed alongside each other. With its emphasis on the lives of women and preoccupation with the description of material objects, the late Ming novel Jin Ping Mei forms an important element in the thesis. China in the sixteenth century saw expanding urbanisation, the emergence of a new wealthy merchant class, increasing visibility of women and a questioning of traditional morality. Fashion consciousness, as one of the most conspicuous aspects of the new material culture, is a possible indicator of these trends. Traditional Western theories contend that fashion began in the particular context of Renaissance Europe. However, this study argues that a similar fashion awareness existed in China too, and was manifested in a competitive striving for social status, in this case specifically among women. In contrast to previous studies which downplayed the impact women had on defining traditional Chinese culture, this thesis demonstrates how women and their sartorial choices began to redefine the boundaries of material culture, influencing literati discourse which, in turn, re- influenced female behaviour
Role of Rossby wave breaking in the variability of large-scale atmospheric transport and mixing
No full text2017 Fall.Includes bibliographical references.We demonstrate that Rossby wave breaking (RWB) plays an important role in both horizontal and vertical large-scale transport/mixing in both observations and idealized general circulation models. In the horizontal direction, RWB contributes to a substantial fraction of transient moisture flux into the Arctic. In the vertical direction, RWB modifies thermal stratification near the tropopause which leads to enhanced mass exchange across the tropopause. In understanding the variability of RWB related transport and mixing, we show that it is essential to separate the two types of RWB – anticyclonic wave breaking (AWB) and cyclonic wave breaking (CWB) – for two fundamental differences between them. The first difference is the opposite relationship between jet positions and their frequencies of occurrence. For both horizontal transport of moisture into the Arctic and vertical mixing of ozone across the tropopause, the robust relationship between jet position and AWB/CWB frequency is of first order importance in explaining the large-scale transport/mixing anomaly patterns influenced by climate variabilities involving jet shifting, such as the El-Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). The second robust difference is the mixing strength exhibited by individual AWB and CWB events. In idealized lifecycle and climate simulations, as well as reanalysis data, CWB consistently exhibits stronger mixing strength than AWB. Combined with the robust relationship between jet variability and AWB/CWB frequency, such a difference is demonstrated to translate into a decrease in total upper troposphere diffusivity as the jet shifts poleward in an idealized climate simulation
