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The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of job insecurity on employee silence by developing a moderated mediation model. The model focuses on the mediating role of ego depletion underpinning the relationship between job insecurity on employee silence and the moderating role of perceived coworker support and career growth opportunity in influencing the mediation.

This study conducts a questionnaire from 309 employees of six Chinese financial enterprises in two waves, with a one-month interval between the two waves. Moreover, this study uses bootstrapping and confirmatory factor analysis to verify the hypothesis.

Job insecurity has a significant positive impact on employee silence, and ego depletion partly mediated the relationship between job insecurity and employee silence. Perceived coworker support and career growth opportunity negatively moderated the relationship between job insecurity and ego depletion and also moderated the indirect effect of job insecurity on employee silence through ego depletion.

The study provides evidence for the positive effects of job insecurity on ego depletion, which, in turn, is significantly associated with employee silence. It highlights the important role of perceived coworker support and career growth opportunities in reducing employee negative perceptions and behaviors.

This empirical study provides preliminary evidence of the mediating role of ego depletion in the positive relationship between job insecurity and employee silence. The moderated mediation model also extends the existing finding by adding substantive moderators (perceived coworker support and career growth opportunity) to explain how the effect of job insecurity on employees’ behaviors unfolds.

This paper aims to use redundant manipulators to solve the challenge of collision avoidance in construction operations such as welding and painting.

In this paper, a null-space-based task-priority adjustment approach is developed to avoid collisions. The method establishes the relative position of the obstacle and the robot arm by defining the “link space,” and then the priority of the collision avoidance task and the end-effector task is adjusted according to the relative position by introducing the null space task conversion factors.

Numerical simulations demonstrate that the proposed method can realize collision-free maneuvers for redundant manipulators and guarantee the tracking precision of the end-effector task. The experimental results show that the method can avoid dynamic obstacles in redundant manipulator welding tasks.

A new formula for task priority adjustment for collision avoidance of redundant manipulators is proposed, and the original task tracking accuracy is guaranteed under the premise of safety.

In real-world cases, it is common to encounter mixed discrete-continuous problems where some or all of the variables may take only discrete values. To solve these non-linear optimization problems, the use of finite element methods is very time-consuming. The purpose of this study is to investigate the efficiency of the proposed hybrid algorithms for the mixed discrete-continuous optimization and compare it with the performance of genetic algorithms (GAs).

In this paper, the enhanced multipoint approximation method (MAM) is used to reduce the original nonlinear optimization problem to a sequence of approximations. Then, the sequential quadratic programing technique is applied to find the continuous solution. Following that, the implementation of discrete capability into the MAM is developed to solve the mixed discrete-continuous optimization problems.

The efficiency and rate of convergence of the developed hybrid algorithms outperforming GA are examined by six detailed case studies in the ten-bar planar truss problem, and the superiority of the Hooke–Jeeves assisted MAM algorithm over the other two hybrid algorithms and GAs is concluded.

The authors propose three efficient hybrid algorithms, the rounding-off, the coordinate search and the Hooke–Jeeves search-assisted MAMs, to solve nonlinear mixed discrete-continuous optimization problems. Implementations include the development of new procedures for sampling discrete points, the modification of the trust region adaptation strategy and strategies for solving mix optimization problems. To improve the efficiency and effectiveness of metamodel construction, regressors f defined in this paper can have the form in common with the empirical formulation of the problems in many engineering subjects.

This paper aims to investigate a probabilistic mixture model for the nonrigid point set registration problem in the computer vision tasks. The equations to estimate the mixture model parameters and the constraint items are derived simultaneously in the proposed strategy.

The problem of point set registration is expressed as Laplace mixture model (LMM) instead of Gaussian mixture model. Three constraint items, namely, distance, the transformation and the correspondence, are introduced to improve the accuracy. The expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm is used to optimize the objection function and the transformation matrix and correspondence matrix are given concurrently.

Although amounts of the researchers study the nonrigid registration problem, the LMM is not considered for most of them. The nonrigid registration problem is considered in the LMM with the constraint items in this paper. Three experiments are performed to verify the effectiveness and robustness and demonstrate the validity.

The novel method to solve the nonrigid point set registration problem in the presence of the constraint items with EM algorithm is put forward in this work.

To implement a risk-based regulatory approach, this paper aims to make an assessment on customers' money laundering risk and conducts some applications.

During the transition of a regulatory approach from “rule-based” to “risk-based”, this paper considers that the area of a customer, types of business and the industries to which the customer belongs are the main indicators to judge money laundering risk of a customer. Based on the statistical analysis of 221 typical money laundering cases, first-class index weights are given by using the entropy weight method and then by combining with the membership function, this paper determines a customer’s money laundering risk levels. On the basis of the entropy weight method, this paper uses the C5.0 algorithm to construct a decision tree model and then carries out application research on customer money laundering risk assessment to verify the effectiveness of the entropy weight method and the decision tree model.

This empirical research found the weights of three key money laundering indicators: customer areas, business types and corresponding industries.

Asserting that current money laundering risk assessments of customers are marginal at best, this paper contends from the perspective of practice, and applies the entropy weight method and the decision tree model for money laundering risk assessment of customers.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the micro-motion of the cylinder block.

Based on the elasto-hydrodynamic lubrication, a numerical model for the cylinder block/valve plate interface is proposed, with consideration of the elastic deformations, the pressure-viscosity effect and asperity contacts. The influence-function method is applied to calculating the actual deformations of the cylinder block and the valve plate. The asperity contact model simplified from Greenwood assumption is introduced into the numerical model. Furthermore, the relationship between the micro-motion and the operating condition, the sealing belt width is discussed, respectively.

The results show an increase in the discharge pressure causes the tilt state and the vibrating motion getting worse, which can be eased by improving the rotational speed, the sealing belt width and the ratio of external and internal sealing belt width.

The proposed research can provide a theoretical reference for the optimizing design of cylinder block/valve plate pair.

The purpose of this study is to restore the spatial distribution of overseas remittance businesses in Shantou during the 1940s. It explores various socioeconomic factors that influenced the concentration of local remittance business investment in real estate. By reconstructing the spatial distribution of remittance business activities in Shantou, this study hopes to lay a foundation for further analysis of the business strategies of Chaoshan merchants.

This research draws on information from the published Swatow Guide, archival sources and cadastral maps to identify the location of remittance enterprises and the native place and overseas networks of property owners.

This study reveals that the spatial distribution of the remittance enterprises was determined by the native place origins of local property owners, and that the inflow of overseas Chinese capital contributed to real estate development in Shantou.

Despite the limited access to Chinese official archives, this paper manages to identify several building blocks and neighbors in Shantou for spatial analysis.

This study is the first attempt to use the geographical information system (GIS) method in Chinese urban history research and hopes to establish a larger historical database of Shantou as a sample for comparison.

This investigation advances the spatial study of urban history and overseas Chinese remittances in the maritime society of South China.

This paper aims to provide an effective method so that the ultrasonic technique can be applied to the online debris particle detection. It proposes utilizing the waveshape features in discriminating the debris particle in lubricant.

The finite element model has been developed to investigate the scattering of the ultrasonic waves in lubricant containing single scatterer, such as the debris particle and the air bubble. The simulation results show that the results verify that different scatterers differ in the waveshape features. The static experiments were carried out on a specially fixture. The single spherical debris, long debris and air bubble were measured. The fast Fourier transform (FFT) method was applied to the analysis of the echo signals to obtain the features implicated in the waveshape.

The research of this paper verifies that different scatterers differ both in their shape features and in the FFT analysis features.

The rapid movement of the debris particles as well as the lubricant temperature may influence the measuring signals. Besides, the measuring signals are usually corrupted by noise, especially for the tiny debris. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to solve those problems further.

The paper includes implications for the improvement in the online debris detection and the development of the ultrasonic technique applied in online debris detection.

The paper provides a promising way that the ultrasonic waveshape features can be utilized to the identify debris particle online.

The purpose of this paper is to describe the stability and properties of the direct metal laser fabrication (DMLF) process, by putting forward top surface quality (TSQ), which could be a unique and crucially important feature compared with traditional manufacturing methods.

Through the systematic and detailed analysis of DMLF process using related theories of additive manufacturing technologies, it was revealed that TSQ was the key factor for controlling the stability of DMLF process and thus tailoring final properties of metallic parts. Only good TSQ can ensure the stability of DMLF process and excellent performance of metal parts in theory.

TSQ was defined as the surface morphology in macro and micro scopes in laser scanning area of unit layers during DMLF, and could be characterized by three key elements: flatness, compactness and cleanliness. The flatness was the significant factor to assure the shaping during DMLF, while the compactness and cleanliness were the decisive factors to assure the final properties of metal part for DMLF. As an example, the typical top surface defects and their contributing factors in DMLF for Cu‐based metal powder mixtures were investigated thoroughly according to the proposed definition and requirements. Moreover, the specific controlling methods of TSQ were provided and discussed. Eventually, DMLF of three‐dimensional Cu‐based metal sample with complicate structure was successfully performed by taking some effective measures for adjusting TSQ parameters.

Few comprehensive investigations have been carried out on this topic. The definition and evaluation methods of TSQ for DMLF have been introduced for the first time in the present paper.

The purpose of this paper is to develop a benchmark of performance standards for Chinese third‐party logistics providers (3PLs) in the emerging market. It also intends to identify various factors that significantly affect the operational efficiency of the Chinese 3PLs and propose ways to improve the competitiveness of 3PLs.

This paper proposes data envelopment analysis (DEA) to measure the operational efficiency of ten leading 3PLs in China, relative to prior periods and their key competitors. In particular, this paper develops both the Charnes, Cooper and Rhodes model and the Banker, Charnes and Cooper model that are designed to derive weights without being fixed in advance. It also uses step‐wise regression analysis to identify factors influencing the performances of Chinese 3PLs.

First, the declining efficiency within some Chinese 3PLs coincides with a steep decline in domestic transportation activities due to the SARS outbreak and the slow adaptation of state‐owned enterprise into a more market‐based economy. Second, the sales opportunity and the level of technical expertise are directly correlated with the operational efficiency of 3PLs, whereas the size of 3PLs has no direct bearing on the 3PL's performance. Third, in contrast with the 3PL industry in the USA, the Chinese 3PLs tend to focus on traditional service offerings such as port management, transportation, and warehousing rather than playing the role as the integrator or the lead service provider.

This paper is the first attempt to utilize DEA to develop performance benchmarks for 3PLs in the emerging foreign market. The proposed DEA can be easily modified or extended to similar settings in other Asian countries such as India and East European countries.