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In this paper, we develop and evaluate an approach to assessing the content quality in a location‐based service (LBS). The proposed approach, instead of assessing the quality in absolute terms such as completeness or accuracy, measures the effect that the imperfection of the content is having on the reliability of that specific LBS. We apply the basic ideas from Software Reliability Engineering (SRE), but develop a modification of SRE, 2‐Branch, in order to separate content quality from other factors, such as positioning imprecision, and to reduce the measurement error. In our experimental study, we first compare 2‐Branch to the standard SRE, after which we experimentally analyze some properties of SRE methodology as such in the context of an LBS. The experiments indicate that 2‐Branch has in most cases a lower measurement error than the standard SRE. A corollary to that is that 2‐Branch can achieve, therefore, as low an error level as the standard SRE, using a worse and thus cheaper oracle. Getting a good oracle is probably the main cost factor in evaluating the quality of an information service, thus being able to use a cheaper one may result in significant savings.

In order to pursue men's suit wear comfort, the basic data on an accurate men's suit comfort analysis with clothing pressure is required. Therefore, in such investigation, it is difficult to find out ideal persons as test subjects. In the measuring experiments, we used dummies designed for resuscitation practice to obtain the clothing pressure with both normal standing posture and movement patterns and compared these data with subjects' to give the relationship of clothing pressure between the dummy and subject. The correlation between the measurements with dummies and the subjects' are shown. It turns out that the dummy D1 and D6 are mainly as intended in pressure measurement with normal standing posture. But the dummy D2 and D3 are not. It turns out that the dummy D1 can imitate the human shoulder's movement patterns well, and the dummy D4 and D6 are mainly as intended. But the dummy D2 is not. It turns out that all the dummies have a certain limitation to be placed in clothing pressure measurements. It also shows that instead of subject to use dummy to investigate clothing pressure with both normal standing posture and movement pattern, not only dummy's features such as compression hardness, form and size, but measuring postures are also needed to take into consideration.

The problem The resistance to intercrystalline corrosion has been the subject of very thorough investigations. On reading through published research results it is, however, surprising that all the large scale investigations were done on rolled material, whilst information on weld metal is very sparse.

Many town centres in England exhibit high retail property vacancies and require regeneration. Several alternatives for the replacement of town centre retail (TCR) have been suggested, one of which is healthcare. The healthcare sector in England is in distress, with the National Health Service (NHS) tackling extensive patient waiting lists, whilst operating from an ageing estate. This paper is an introductory study that uses seven carefully selected personalised surveys to raise academic awareness of the importance and potential of integrating healthcare into town centres and calls for large-scale research to establish the statistical validity of the reported observations.

This study is developed from an interpretative standpoint. Through semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders specific to retail-to-healthcare conversions, this study reports stakeholders' perspectives on opportunities and limitations for such conversions to give direction for large statistical research in the future.

All participants support the integration of healthcare into town centres and agreed that diagnostic services, mental health support and primary care services are appropriate for provision within town centres. The participants advocate large-scale change in town centres in England, with integrated healthcare co-located with complementary services to fit with wider regeneration plans. Participants prefer adaptation of existing buildings where technically feasible and emphasise the importance of obtaining the buy-in of other stakeholders whilst expressing concerns about the uncertainty of capital funding availability.

This is the first study to analyse the practice of retail-to-healthcare conversions in town centres. These are still rare in England and projects are complex. The market experience is limited, and thus, the literature is scarce. This study fills this void and provides a starting point for future quantitative research in this area and informs the new town-planning policies.

Constructing porous wind barriers is one of the most effective approaches to increase the running safety of trains on viaducts in crosswinds. This paper aims to further improve the wind-sheltering performance of the porous wind barriers.

Improved delayed detached eddy simulations based on the k-ω turbulence model were carried out, and the results were validated with wind tunnel tests. The effects of the hole diameter on the flow characteristics and wind-sheltering performance were studied by comparing the wind barriers with the porosity of 21.6% and the hole diameters of 60 mm–360 mm. The flow characteristics above the windward and leeward tracks were analyzed, and the wind-sheltering performance of the wind barriers was assessed using the wind speed reduction coefficients.

The hole diameters affected the jet behind the wind barriers and the recirculation region above the tracks. Below the top of the wind barriers, the time-averaged velocity first decreased and then increased with the increase in the hole diameter. The wind barrier with the hole diameter of 120 mm had the best wind-sheltering performance for the windward track, but such barrier might lead to overprotection on the leeward track. The wind-sheltering performance of the wind barriers with the hole diameters of 240 mm and 360 mm was significantly degraded, especially above the windward track.

The effects of the hole diameters on the wake and wind-sheltering performance of the wind barriers were studied, by which the theoretical basis is provided for a better design of the porous wind barrier.

The paper aims to identify, prioritize and rank lean practices in the context of an Indian automotive component manufacturing organization using interpretive ranking process (IRP) and interpretive structural modeling (ISM) approaches.

Lean practices are identified from the literature. Then, two hierarchical models were are developed using two distinct modeling approaches – ISM and IRP with expert opinions from an Indian automotive component manufacturing organization to analyze the contextual relationships among the various lean practices and to prioritize and rank them with respect to performance dimensions.

In the study, the hierarchical structural models are developed using ISM and IRP approaches for an Indian automotive component manufacturing organization. In ISM-based modeling, lean practices can be categorized into five levels. Top priority should be given to the motivators followed by value chain, system/technology and organization centric practices. IRP model shows the dominance relationship among the various lean practices with respect to performance dimensions.

The models are constructed from the organizational standpoint to evaluate their impact to the implementation of lean manufacturing. The study leverages the organizations to prioritize limited resources as per the hierarchy. Managers get the inter-linkages and ranking of various lean practices, which leads to a better perspective for the effective implementation of lean. The structural models also assist management to assign proper roles to employees/departments for effective lean implementation.

There is hardly any structural model of lean practices in the literature for clustering, prioritizing and ranking of lean practices. The study fills this gap and develops the hierarchical models of lean practices through IRP and ISM approaches for an Indian automotive component manufacturing organization. The results from both approaches are compared for illustrating the benefits of one over the other.

Sustainable machining is a global consensus and the necessity to cope up the serious environmental threats. Minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) and nanofluids-based MQL(NFMQL) are state-of-the-art sustainable lubrication modes. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of process parameters, such as feed rate, depth of cut and cutting fluid flow rate, on temperature and surface roughness of the manufactured pieces during face milling of the AISI D2 steel.

A statistical technique called response surface methodology with Box–Behnken Design was used to design experimental runs, and empirical modeling was presented. Analysis of variance was carried out to evaluate the model’s accuracy and the validation of the applied technique.

A comprehensive analysis revealed the superiority of implementing NFMQL in comparison to MQL within the levels of process parameters. The comparison has shown a significant reduction of temperature under NFMQL at the tool-workpiece interface from 16.2 to 34.5 per cent and surface roughness from 11.3 to 12 per cent.

This research is useful for practitioners to predict the responses in workshop and select appropriate cutting parameters. Moreover, this research will be helpful to reduce the resource which will ultimately save energy consumption and cost.

To cope with the industrial challenges and tribological issues associated with the milling of AISI D2 steel, experiments were conducted in a distinct machining mode with innovative cooling/lubrication. Until now, few studies have addressed the key lubrication effects of Al₂O₃-based nanofluid on the machinability of D2 steel under NFMQL lubrication condition.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the process parameters and optimise the machining input parameter of powder mixed electric discharge machining for high carbon high chromium alloy steel (D2 steel) for the industrial application. Grey relational analysis approach has been used to obtain the multiple performance output response.

In this experimental work, input parameters, namely, pulse on-time, discharge current, tool material and grit size, are selected. The design of the experiment has been constructed with the help of MINITAB 7 Software, in which L16 orthogonal array has been preferred for the experimentation. The effect of input parameters, namely, material removal rate, tool wear rate and surface roughness, is investigated. Grey relational analysis and analysis of variance are performed to optimise the input parameters and better output results.

In this experimentation, there is an increment of tool wear rate by 64.49 per cent, material removal rate by 47.14 per cent and surface roughness by 35.82 per cent.

A lot of practical applications have been found in many different material processing industries like metallurgy, machinery, electronics, transportation, military science, agricultural machinery, etc. These practical applications have brought forward definite and noticeable economic benefits.

The reader is given a general overview on the machining investigation and optimisation of processes parameters through the grey theory approach. It gives a new framework to investigate the problems where multiple input machining variable and various output responses are obtained in single optimised parameters.