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There is significant amount of literature tackling different issues related to the port industry. The present chapter focuses on a single business unit of seaports aiming at the documentation of works related to container terminals.

An effort to review, collect and present the majority of the works present in the last 30 years, between 1980 and 2010, has been made in order to picture the problems dealt and methods used by the authors in the specific research field. To facilitate the reader, studies have been grouped under five categories of addressed problems (productivity and competitiveness, yard and equipment utilization, equipment scheduling, berth planning, loading/unloading) and four modelling methodologies (mathematics and operations research, management and economics, simulation, stochastic modelling).

The analysis shows that most works focus on productivity and competitiveness issues followed by yard and equipment utilisation and equipment scheduling. In reference to the methodologies used managerial and economic approaches lead, followed by mathematics and operations research.

In reference to future research, two fields have been identified where there is scope of significant contribution by the academic community: container terminal security and container terminal supply chain integration.

The present chapter provides the framework for researchers in the field of port container terminals to picture the so far works in this research area and enables the identification of gaps at both research question and methodology level for further research.

The US-China trade war has brought forth the problem of balance of trade not only for them, but also for many other economies in the world. However, all the commodity segments are not equally affected and thus, the segment-wise trade analysis of commodities can bring up many valuable insights, vital for policy formulation process. Despite this, existing literature barely covered this aspect as a focal research. Therefore, this chapter has carried out segment-wise analysis of commodity classes popular in international trade discussions for the United States and China since the trade dispute intensified between them. In this chapter, we have built an argument around three commodity-segments which are popular in international trade studies namely, the raw material segment, semi-finished goods segment, and finished goods segments. While doing this analysis, we majorly focused on monopolistic power of economies in different commodity segments. We found that while in the segment of raw material, mostly cost is driving the trade, in the finished goods segment, variety and innovations are the key drivers that can boost trade by discovering new consumption spaces.

This paper reviews academic literature related to the consequences that outside directors and boards may face in the wake of earnings restatements and suggests directions for future research. We examine loss of board seats; recruitment of new directors; proxy recommendations and shareholder support; pre-emptive director departures; director wealth effects; director reputation, litigation, and sanction risks; international evidence; and legal proposals for reform. The overall picture that emerges from the literature is that directors’ primary risk in the wake of earnings restatements is loss of board seats, in part through adverse proxy advisor recommendations and reduced shareholder support. Directors typically face little risk of legal liability or SEC sanctions, and some directors pre-emptively leave a problem company’s board and reduce their loss of interlocked board seats. Some legal scholars have called for director liability to be increased so as to promote more vigilant board oversight. Companies often focus on increasing the independence of the board in the wake of a restatement in an effort to repair organizational reputation. While researchers have revealed a host of important findings to date, much more can be learned about the effects of restatements on outside directors and boards.

In the flip‐chip technology (FCT) used in current microelectronic packages, a Ni‐based under‐bump metallurgy (UBM) is widely used due to its slow reaction rate with Sn. In this study, solders joints of eutectic Pb‐Sn with a Ni UBM were employed to investigate the intermetallic compound (IMC) formation after aging at 150°C for various periods of time.

The compositions and elemental re‐distribution in the IMC formed due to the interfacial reaction between the Ni/Cu UBM and eutectic Sn‐Pb solders were evaluated with an electron probe microanalyzer. The interfacial morphologies were revealed with the aid of a field‐emission scanning electron microscope through a special etching technique.

At the centre of the chip side, two IMCs were found between the solder and Ni metallization. The scalloped‐like IMC was determined to be (Cu, Ni)₆Sn₅, while the nodule‐like IMC was (Ni,Cu)₃Sn₄. However, at the edge of the chip side, three IMCs were revealed. The scalloped‐like IMC was (Cu_1−y,Ni_y)₆Sn₅, the nodule‐like IMC was (Ni_1−x,Cu_x)₃Sn₄, and the layer‐type IMC was (Cu_1−z,Ni_z)₃Sn.

On the basis of the elemental distributions from the quantitative analysis of the IMC and the related phase transitions during the IMC formation, two distinct diffusion paths are proposed to illustrate the interfacial reaction and phase transformation between IMCs and solder in Sn‐Pb joints aged at 150°C. These diffusion paths demonstrated two kinds of phase equilibrium, including (Cu_1−z,Ni_z)₃Sn/(Cu_1−y,Ni_y)₆Sn₅/solder and (Ni_1−x,Cu_x)₃Sn₄/(Cu_1−yNi_y)₆Sn₅/solder.

This chapter provides a comprehensive review of research and developments relating to the use of Web 2.0 technologies in education. As opposed to early educational uses of the Internet involving publication of static information on web pages, Web 2.0 tools offer a host of opportunities for educators to provide more interactive, collaborative, and creative online learning experiences for students. The chapter starts by defining Web 2.0 tools in terms of their ability to facilitate online creation, editing, and sharing of web content. A typology of Web 2.0 technologies is presented to illustrate the wide variety of tools at teachers’ disposal. Educational uses of Web 2.0 technologies such as wikis, blogs, and microblogging are explored, in order to showcase the variety of designs that can be utilized. Based on a review of the research literature the educational benefits of using Web 2.0 technologies are outlined, including their ability to facilitate communication, collaborative knowledge building, student-centered activity, and vicarious learning. Similarly, issues surrounding the use of Web 2.0 tools are distilled from the literature and discussed, such as the possibility of technical problems, collaboration difficulties, and plagiarism. Two case studies involving the use Web 2.0 tools to support personalized learning and small group collaboration are detailed to exemplify design possibilities in greater detail. Finally, design recommendations for learning and teaching using Web 2.0 are presented, again based on findings from the research literature.

This paper aims to propose an innovative parametric design for artificial neural network (ANN) modeling for the multi-quality function problem to determine the optimal process scenarios.

The innovative hybrid algorithm gray relational analysis (GRA)-ANN and the GRA-Entropy are proposed to effectively solve the multi-response optimization problem.

Both the GRA-ANN and the GRA-Entropy analytical approaches find that the optimal process scenario is a stencil aperture of 57 per cent and immediate processing of the printed circuit board after exposure to a room environment.

A six-week confirmation test indicates that the optimal process has improved quad flat non-lead assembly yield from 99.12 to 99.78 per cent.

This research aims to study the stencil printing process of the quad flat package (QFP) component with a pin pitch of 0.4 mm. After the optimization of the printing process, the desired inspection specification is determined to reduce the expected total process loss.

Static Taguchi parametric design is applied while considering the noise factors possibly affecting the printing quality in the production environment. The Taguchi quality loss function model is then proposed to evaluate the two types of inspection strategies.

The optimal parameter-level treatment for the solder paste printing process includes a squeegee pressure of 11 kg, a stencil snap-off of 0.14 mm, a cleaning frequency of the stencil once per printing and using an air gun after stencil wiping. The optimal upper and lower specification limits are 119.8 µm and 110.3 µm, respectively.

Noise factors in the production environment are considered to determine the optimal printing process. For specific components, the specification is established as a basis for subsequent processes or reworks.

This paper aims to study the synergistic lubrication effects of Sn–Ag–Cu and MXene–Ti₃C₂ to improve the tribological properties of M50 bearing steel with microporous channels.

M50 matrix self-lubricating composites (MMSC) were designed and prepared by filling Sn–Ag–Cu and MXene–Ti₃C₂ in the microporous channels of M50 bearing steel. The tribology performance testing of as-prepared samples was executed with a multifunction tribometer. The optimum hole size and lubricant content, as well as self-lubricating mechanism of MMSC, were studied.

The tribological properties of MMSC are strongly dependent on the synergistic lubrication effect of MXene–Ti₃C₂ and Sn–Ag–Cu. When the hole size of microchannel is 1 mm and the content of MXene–Ti₃C₂ in mixed lubricant is 4 wt.%, MMSC shows the lowest friction coefficient and wear rate. The Sn–Ag–Cu and MXene–Ti₃C₂ are extruded from the microporous channels and spread to the friction interface, and a relatively complete lubricating film is formed at the friction interface. Meanwhile, the synergistic lubrication of Sn–Ag–Cu and MXene–Ti₃C₂ can improve the stability of the lubricating film, thus the excellent tribological property of MMSC is obtained.

The results help in deep understanding of the synergistic lubrication effects of Sn–Ag–Cu and MXene–Ti₃C₂ on the tribological properties of M50 bearing steel. This work also provides a useful reference for the tribological design of mechanical components by combining surface texture with solid lubrication.

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-12-2023-0381/

The purpose of this research is to incorporate the exponentiated Weibull testing‐effort functions into software reliability modeling and to estimate the optimal software release time.

This paper suggests a software reliability growth model based on the non‐homogeneous Poisson process (NHPP) which incorporates the exponentiated Weibull (EW) testing‐efforts.

Experimental results on actual data from three software projects are compared with other existing models which reveal that the proposed software reliability growth model with EW testing‐effort is wider and effective SRGM.

This paper presents a SRGM using a constant error detection rate per unit testing‐effort.

Software reliability growth model is one of the fundamental techniques to assess software reliability quantitatively. The results obtained in this paper will be useful during the software testing process.

The present scheme has a flexible structure and may cover many of the earlier results on software reliability growth modeling. In general, this paper also provides a framework in which many software reliability growth models can be described.