Improved method for roadside barrier length of need modeling using real-world trajectories

The 2011 AASHTO Roadside Design Guide (RDG) contains perhaps the most widely used procedure for choosing an appropriate length of need (LON) for roadside barriers. However, this procedure has several limitations. The procedure uses a highly simplified model of vehicle departure, and the procedure does not allow designers to specify an explicit level of protection. A new procedure for choosing LON that addresses these limitations is presented in this paper. This new procedure is based on recent, real-world road departure trajectories and uses this departure data in a more realistic way. The new procedure also allows LON to be specified for a precisely known level of protection – a level which can be based on number of crashes, injury outcomes or even estimated crash cost – while still remaining straightforward and quick to use like the 2011 RDG procedure.     

为了满足使用者需求而设计——上海地铁研究·使用者需求

在上海地铁研究中,我们发现了许多使用者的不满。这些不满来自于设计师对使用者的缺乏了解和缺乏关注。通过对上海地铁真实的使用者、真实的地点和真实的时间的调研,我们分析出25项上海地铁使用者的需求。并提出希望设计师能够从这些使用者的需求出发,去作为使用者带来良好体验的设计。     

建筑师难以出精品之原因分析

指出当今建筑业良好的市场给建筑师们提供了展示自己作品的广大空间 ,但其精品却为之甚少。为此 ,对建筑业存在的一些问题及制约建筑师出精品的主、客观因素进行了分析 ,指出建筑师应提高自身素质 ,树立精品意识 ,增强市场竞争能力     

美国COMSTAC/AST卫星发射市场预测

隶属于美国联邦航空管理委员会（FAA）的美国商业航天运输咨询委员会（COMSTAC）和商业航天运输管理协会（AST）在每年的5-6月份都对未来10年的商业卫星发射市场进行预测。2001年该委员会对商业同步轨道（GEO）和非同步轨道（NGEO）的卫星需求和发射需求都进行了预测。     

关于现阶段我国高等教育机会均等的思考

高等教育机会均等是在才能(高考成绩)基础上城乡居民对高等教育需要的满足程度基本相同。文章考察了计划经济体制和市场经济体制条件下我国高等教育机会均等的现状,认为造成这种机会不均的根本原因是我国城乡二元结构,体现均等的有效策略只能是城乡基础教育协调发展。     

How individual characteristics influence people's evaluation towards information technology in different contexts

Prior research on technology acceptance has primarily focused on understanding why individuals accept a particular technology, while very little is known about how individuals evaluate various types of technology, especially when they have different levels of experiences. In this research, we try to understand how individual characteristics influence their evaluation towards different types of technology. To test the research model empirically, a laboratory experiment was conducted, and the resulting data was used to test both measurement and structural models. Based on the statistic results, we found that people's need for cognition and originality cognitive style had different effects on technology evaluation in various contexts. This study sheds light on the rarely studied evaluation aspect of the technology acceptance. The main contribution of this study is that people employ different mechanisms to evaluate technology in different contexts, and individual characteristics play an important role in influencing technology evaluation.     

水生态保护与建设的理论问题探讨——以武汉城市圈为视角

自武汉城市圈被评为两型社会综合配套改革实验区以来,面对水环境呈现多样性和复杂性的现状,将武汉城市圈建设成为富有滨水特色的现代化生态城市圈是两型社会建设主题中应有之义,也是推动城市圈生态化发展的必由之路。针对武汉城市圈水生态保护与建设的问题,在阐述了其必然性的基础上,对理论支撑及基本原则作了细致具体的分析,希望能对武汉城市圈水生态保护与建设的实践问题等相关研究有所帮助。     

Integrating functional,social, and psychological determinants to explain online social networking usage

People involved in business are increasingly aware of the online social phenomenon and its potential as a marketing tool. Building upon the marketing, social psychology, and information system literature, this study empirically examines a set of functional determinants derived from the technology acceptance model and socio-psychological determinants drawn from the theory of reasoned action and social cognitive theory that may be responsible for the motivations of participants in online social networks. We propose a model by integrating functional, social, and psychological factors in predicting attitude and online social network usage. The survey outcomes from a cross-sectional study among 387 Facebook users in Malaysia support the hypothesised model. This study contributes by extending the cognitive learning theories in predicting online social networking usage. Particularly, this research presents a different perspective on online social networking by exploring the mediating effect of attitude and the moderating role of individual characteristics. This study demonstrates that desirable changes in the perception of functional benefits, self-efficacy, and need for cognition as well as perceptions of social pressure from significant others might lead to corresponding changes in attitude towards online social networking. Results of the study support the model efficacy and predictive ability of the proposed integrative model which may serve as a theoretical foundation for future researchers interested in examining other virtual community engagements such as blogging, online advertising, and online public relations activities.     

Effective user involvement in product development by improving the analysis of user needs

User involvement has been shown to be beneficial in the development of useful and usable systems. The trend of software development becoming a product-oriented activity creates challenges to user involvement. Field studies appear a promising approach, but the analysis of the gathered user needs has been shown to be demanding. This study presents, on the basis of seven case studies, an early user-involvement process showing how user needs can be analysed and how the input to product development can be identified. In addition, the process is evaluated in two industrial cases with interviews and a questionnaire. The results show that the process supports effective early user involvement; the resulted requirements were evaluated as being more successful and their quality as better than average in a company. However, the case studies show that user involvement not only provides useful information about users' needs but also increases the understanding of users' values.