Perceived risk and trust associated with purchasing at electronic marketplaces

Understanding consumer behaviour is of vital importance to consumer-oriented e-business models today. In this paper, we study the relationships between consumer perceptions of risk and trust and the attitude towards purchasing at a consumer-to-consumer electronic marketplace (EM). Typical for EM settings is that consumer behaviour is subject to perceptions of the selling party as well as of the institutional structures of the intermediary that is operating the EM. Building upon the well-established literature of trust, we consider the concepts of intermediary trust and seller trust. We extend this categorisation by introducing the concepts of intermediary risk and seller risk. We developed measurement instruments for intermediary risk and seller risk. All measurement scales have acceptable alphas and are unidimensional. An empirical study is conducted to explore the relationships between the risk and trust types and consumer purchase attitude. The results reveal significant, direct effects of seller trust and seller risk. Second-order effects of intermediary trust and intermediary risk are investigated and reported. The paper concludes with general observations and recommendations for research and practice.     

An explanation of disproportionate growth using linear 3-dimensional informetrics and its relation with the fractal dimension

Summary We study new and existing data sets which show that growth rates of sources usually are different from growth rates of items. Examples: references in publications grow with a rate that is different (usually higher) from the growth rate of the publications themselves; article growth rates are different from journal growth rates and so on. In this paper we interpret this phenomenon of “disproportionate growth' in terms of Naranan's growth model and in terms of the self-similar fractal dimension of such an information system, which follows from Naranan's growth model. The main part of the paper is devoted to explain disproportionate growth. We show that the “simple' 2-dimensional informetrics models of source-item relations are not able to explain this but we also show that linear 3-dimensional informetrics (i.e. adding a new source set) is capable to model disproportionate growth. Formulae of such different growth rates are presented using Lotkaian informetrics and new and existing data sets are presented and interpreted in terms of the used linear 3-dimensional model.     

Numerical simulation of two-phase turbulent flow in hydraulic and hydropower engineering

In connection with the specific features of high velocity aerated flow generated by hydraulic engineering structures, the mathematical model is developed for high turbulence air-water two-phase flow with the use of twin flow theoretical model in this paper. Furthermore the numerical method is proposed to treat bubbled flows. In addition, on the basis of air-water stratified twin flow model, the new calculation methods and free surface tracking technique are proposed to describe complicated movements of the free surface. Finally, the proposed model is used to calculate artificial aerated flows. The computed results coincide quite well with experimental results. This means that the proposed method can provide solid basis for practical engineering design.     

Assessment model of dam operation risk based on monitoring data

Although the dams produce remarkable social and economic benefits, the threat made by unsafe dams to the life and property of people who live in the lower river area is un-negligible. Based on the monitoring data which reflect the safety condition of dams, the risk degree concept is proposed and the analysis system and model for evaluating risk degree (rate) are established in this paper by combining the reliability theory and field monitoring data. The analysis method for risk degree is presented based on Bayesian approach. A five-grade risk degree system for dam operation risk and corresponding risk degree is put forward according to the safety condition of dams. The operation risks of four cascade dams on some river are analyzed by the model and approach presented here and the result is adopted by the owner.     

Electrical properties and positron annihilation study of (Ba<Subscript>1−<Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>Ho<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>)TiO<Subscript>3</Subscript> ceramics

DC resistivity, dielectric constant, dielectric loss and positron annihilation spectra of (Ba_1−x Ho _x )TiO₃ ceramics have been measured as a function of holmium concentration x. It has been found that the DC resistivity of (Ba_1−x Ho _x )TiO₃ is strongly dependent on the Ho content: it decreases three orders of magnitude and reaches a minimum at x = 0.4%. Doping with 0.6% holmium increases the permittivity of BaTiO₃ by approximately three times (from ∼1,300 to ∼4,000), with only a slight increase in the corresponding dielectric loss. The local electron density and defect concentration estimated using positron annihilation technique conforms well to the features found in the dielectric and resistivity measurements. The results have been discussed in terms of a mixed compensation model.