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Open Access
Article
Publication date: 15 March 2024

Di Cheng, Yuqing Wen, Zhiqiang Guo, Xiaoyi Hu, Pengsong Wang and Zhikun Song

This paper aims to obtain the evolution law of dynamic performance of CR400BF electric multiple unit (EMU).

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to obtain the evolution law of dynamic performance of CR400BF electric multiple unit (EMU).

Design/methodology/approach

Using the dynamic simulation based on field test, stiffness of rotary arm nodes and damping coefficient of anti-hunting dampers were tested. Stiffness, damping coefficient, friction coefficient, track gauge were taken as random variables, the stochastic dynamics simulation method was constructed and applied to research the evolution law with running mileage of dynamic index of CR400BF EMU.

Findings

The results showed that stiffness and damping coefficient subjected to normal distribution, the mean and variance were computed and the evolution law of stiffness and damping coefficient with running mileage was obtained.

Originality/value

Firstly, based on the field test we found that stiffness of rotary arm nodes and damping coefficient of anti-hunting dampers subjected to normal distribution, and the evolution law of stiffness and damping coefficient with running mileage was proposed. Secondly stiffness, damping coefficient, friction coefficient, track gauge were taken as random variables, the stochastic dynamics simulation method was constructed and applied to the research to the evolution law with running mileage of dynamic index of CR400BF EMU.

Details

Railway Sciences, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2755-0907

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 October 2023

Fátima Sol Murta and Paulo M. Gama

This paper aims to study the effect of country-level perceptions of corruption on commercial banks’ lending activity over the importance of loans and the quality of loan…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to study the effect of country-level perceptions of corruption on commercial banks’ lending activity over the importance of loans and the quality of loan portfolios of banks in Europe.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses country-level perceptions of corruption scores from Transparency International, individual bank-specific data from ORBIS and macroeconomic data from the World Bank. The sample is composed of 640 commercial banks in 42 European countries from 2013 to 2019. The authors estimate, by pooled OLS, the relationship between corruption and the importance of loans and the quality of the banks’ loan portfolios. In addition, several robustness tests reinforce the results.

Findings

The results show that corruption negatively impacts the importance of loans in bank assets and positively impacts the proportion of bad loans. In addition, trade openness increases the weight of loans and the weight of nonperforming loans. Bank size, capital and risk also affect bank lending activity. Finally, European Monetary Union (EMU) membership reinforces the negative (positive) effect on loans (bad loans).

Research limitations/implications

The results highlight the importance of fighting corruption. Governments, regulators and banks benefit from pursuing transparency-oriented policies to decrease the perception of corruption and foster economic development.

Originality/value

The literature on the impact of corruption on bank lending activity focuses mainly on high-corruption countries. This paper studies the European case, scarcely investigated in the literature, in the aftermath of two international financial crises and when significant regulatory transformations in banking supervision were instituted in the EMU countries.

Details

Journal of Financial Crime, vol. 30 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1359-0790

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 19 March 2024

Chun Tian, Gengwei Zhai, Mengling Wu, Jiajun Zhou and Yaojie Li

In response to the problem of insufficient traction/braking adhesion force caused by the existence of the third-body medium on the rail surface, this study aims to analyze the…

Abstract

Purpose

In response to the problem of insufficient traction/braking adhesion force caused by the existence of the third-body medium on the rail surface, this study aims to analyze the utilization of wheel-rail adhesion coefficient under different medium conditions and propose relevant measures for reasonable and optimized utilization of adhesion to ensure the traction/braking performance and operation safety of trains.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the PLS-160 wheel-rail adhesion simulation test rig, the study investigates the variation patterns of maximum utilized adhesion characteristics on the rail surface under different conditions of small creepage and large slip. Through statistical analysis of multiple sets of experimental data, the statistical distribution patterns of maximum utilized adhesion on the rail surface are obtained, and a method for analyzing wheel-rail adhesion redundancy based on normal distribution is proposed. The study analyzes the utilization of traction/braking adhesion, as well as adhesion redundancy, for different medium under small creepage and large slip conditions. Based on these findings, relevant measures for the reasonable and optimized utilization of adhesion are derived.

Findings

When the third-body medium exists on the rail surface, the train should adopt the low-level service braking to avoid the braking skidding by extending the braking distance. Compared with the current adhesion control strategy of small creepage, adopting appropriate strategies to control the train’s adhesion coefficient near the second peak point of the adhesion coefficient-slip ratio curve in large slip can effectively improve the traction/braking adhesion redundancy and the upper limit of adhesion utilization, thereby ensuring the traction/braking performance and operation safety of the train.

Originality/value

Most existing studies focus on the wheel-rail adhesion coefficient values and variation patterns under different medium conditions, without considering whether the rail surface with different medium can provide sufficient traction/braking utilized adhesion coefficient for the train. Therefore, there is a risk of traction overspeeding/braking skidding. This study analyzes whether the rail surface with different medium can provide sufficient traction/braking utilized adhesion coefficient for the train and whether there is redundancy. Based on these findings, relevant measures for the reasonable and optimized utilization of adhesion are derived to further ensure operation safety of the train.

Details

Railway Sciences, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2755-0907

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 31 January 2024

Georg Grossmann, Alice Beale, Harkaran Singh, Ben Smith and Julie Nichols

Cultural heritage archiving is experiencing an increase in digitalisations of artefacts in the last 15 years. The reason behind this trend is a demand for providing information…

Abstract

Cultural heritage archiving is experiencing an increase in digitalisations of artefacts in the last 15 years. The reason behind this trend is a demand for providing information about the artefact in a more accessible way to the audience, for example, through online delivery or virtual reality. Other reasons might be to simplify and automate the management of artefacts. Having a ‘digital copy’ of artefacts, allows one to search an archive and plan its storage and dissemination in a comprehensive manner. With the increased digitalisation comes an increased use of artificial intelligence [AI] applications. AI can be very beneficial in classifying artefacts automatically through machine learning [ML] and natural language processing [NLP]. For example, an algorithm can identify the source and age of artefacts based on an image and can do this much faster for a large collection of photos than a human. Although AI provides many benefits, it also presents challenges: Sophisticated AI techniques require certain insights on how they work, need specialists to customise a solution, and require an existing large dataset to train an algorithm. Another challenge is that typical AI techniques are regarded as black boxes, which means they decide, but it is not obvious why a decision has been made. This chapter describes a project in collaboration with the South Australian Museum [SAM] on the application of AI to extract material lists from a description of artefacts. A large dataset to train an algorithm did not exist, and hence, a customised approach was required. The outcome of the project was the application of NLP in combination with easy-to-customise rules that can be applied by non-IT specialists. The resulting prototype achieved the extraction of materials from a large list of artefacts within seconds and a flexible solution that can be applied on other collections in the future.

Details

Data Curation and Information Systems Design from Australasia: Implications for Cataloguing of Vernacular Knowledge in Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-80455-615-3

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 18 December 2023

Christakis Georgiou

The COVID19 crisis has thrown wide open the debate on Europe’s Economic and Monetary Union’s (EMU) future. Next Generation EU (NGEU) has broken the stalemate over a central fiscal…

Abstract

Purpose

The COVID19 crisis has thrown wide open the debate on Europe’s Economic and Monetary Union’s (EMU) future. Next Generation EU (NGEU) has broken the stalemate over a central fiscal capacity. The open question is whether NGEU is a one-off or a first step. The suspension of the Stability and Growth Pact has given new urgency to the debate on reforming EMU’s fiscal rules.

Design/methodology/approach

There is no debate as yet about how these two prospects relate to each other. This paper argues that a permanent fiscal capacity and revised rules should be seen as alternatives.

Findings

This study makes two claims: first, a fiscal capacity renders a reformed pact unnecessary and second, that is an optimal solution politically. A fiscal capacity would provide an efficient asymmetric shock absorber and therefore reduce the need for pre-emptive action against negative cross-border externalities. It would also provide an abundant supply of an EU-wide safe asset around which to structure the EU’s financial system, thus rendering unnecessary the backstopping of member states' debts.

Originality/value

This would restore democratic accountability while eliminating moral hazard and enforcement problems.

Details

Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting & Financial Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1096-3367

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 10 November 2023

Jiehang Deng and Gengjie Sun

This study aims to improve the rules and regulations system of high-speed rail emergency disposal.

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to improve the rules and regulations system of high-speed rail emergency disposal.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the analysis of the demands, rules and regulations of China concerning on-site high-speed rail emergency disposal, basic principles for revising the regulations on railway technical management (RRTM) are proposed and suggestions and evaluation methods according to the main clauses are put forward.

Findings

Basic principles for revising the RRTM are proposed, namely “to meet the actual needs of on-site high-speed railway emergency disposal, standardize the emergency disposal process, improve the efficiency of emergency disposal and keep the consistency between provisions of emergency disposal”. Existing provisions related to emergency disposal efficiency, scenarios, safety and service quality are made up for the deficiencies. To make up for the deficiencies of the existing provisions related to emergency disposal efficiency, improvement of emergency disposal scenarios and guarantee of emergency disposal safety and quality, this paper puts forward suggestions on revising 15 emergency disposal provisions of the RRTM with regard to earthquake monitoring and warning, in-station foreign body invasion warning, air conditioning failure of EMU trains and forced parking of trains in sections. A fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model based on the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is constructed to evaluate the proposed revision scheme and suggestions, which has been highly recognized by experts.

Originality/value

This study implements the goal of high-quality railway development.

Details

Railway Sciences, vol. 2 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2755-0907

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 2 November 2023

FengShou Liu, Guang Yang, Zhaoyang Chen, Yinhua Zhang and Qingyue Zhou

The purpose of this paper is to summarize the status and characteristics of rail technology of high-speed railway in China, and point out the development direction of rail…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to summarize the status and characteristics of rail technology of high-speed railway in China, and point out the development direction of rail technology of high-speed railway.

Design/methodology/approach

This study reviews the evolution of high-speed rail standards in China, comparing their chemical composition, mechanical attributes and geometric specifications with EN standards. It delves into the status of rail production technology, shifts in key performance indicators and the quality characteristics of rails. The analysis further examines the interplay between wheels and rails, the implementation of grinding technology and the techniques for inspecting rail service conditions. It encapsulates the salient features of rail operation and maintenance within the high-speed railway ecosystem. The paper concludes with an insightful prognosis of high-speed railway technology development in China.

Findings

The rail standards of high-speed railway in China are scientific and advanced, highly operational and in line with international standards. The quality and performance of rail in China have reached the world’s advanced level. The 60N profile guarantees the operation quality of wheel–rail interaction effectively. The rail grinding technology system scientifically guarantees the long-term good service performance of the rail. The rail service state detection technology is scientific and efficient. The rail technology will take “more intelligent” and “higher speed” as the development direction to meet the future needs of high-speed railway in China.

Originality/value

The development direction of rail technology for high-speed railway in China is defined, which will promote the continuous innovation and breakthrough of rail technology.

Details

Railway Sciences, vol. 2 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2755-0907

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 27 February 2024

Ilkay Yorganci and Precious Ndukauba

The aim of this paper is to investigate the social interaction between international students and the local community in the small university town of Famagusta, North Cyprus. The…

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to investigate the social interaction between international students and the local community in the small university town of Famagusta, North Cyprus. The objectives of the study are, firstly, to investigate the nature of interaction between two communities; secondly, to ascertain the main factors impacting social interaction and, finally, to identify the impact of this interaction on cultural exchange.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a qualitative approach, the researchers conducted 39 semi-structured interviews with international students and members of the local community to gain depth and detail.

Findings

The results showed that there was a lack of interaction between the international students and locals due mainly to language barriers.

Originality/value

This study addresses a gap in the literature on educational tourism by focusing on the social interaction between foreign students and the host community in a nontraditional destination. It also provides guidelines for universities, local and national governments on how to build a better quality of life for the community and for international students.

Details

Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1755-4217

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 February 2024

Ozlem Altun, Mehmet Bahri Saydam, Tuna Karatepe and Ştefana Maria Dima

Following the remarkable debut of ChatGPT and its rapid adoption by a global audience since its launch in November 2022, this study delves into educators' perceptions of ChatGPT…

Abstract

Purpose

Following the remarkable debut of ChatGPT and its rapid adoption by a global audience since its launch in November 2022, this study delves into educators' perceptions of ChatGPT within the specialized domains of tourism and hospitality education. While acknowledging ChatGPT’s swift rise and advanced capabilities, this research aims to comprehensively explore educators' perspectives, advantages and concerns regarding its integration into academic settings.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative approach was utilized to reveal dominant themes from in-depth, semi-structured face-to-face interviews with twenty lecturers in tourism faculties in North Cyprus. Collected responses from respondents were subjected to analysis using Leximancer software.

Findings

Our analysis unearthed seven significant themes encapsulating educators' perceptions of ChatGPT: 1 – “reliability and accuracy concerns”; 2 – “dependency”; 3 – “student engagement”; 4 – “ethical considerations”; 5 – “time efficiency and productivity”; 6 – “teacher-student interaction” and 7 – “learning flexibility”. Noteworthy positive perceptions emerged regarding “student engagement,” “time efficiency and productivity,” and “learning flexibility.”

Originality/value

This study contributes to the originality of research by addressing the underexplored aspect of educators' perceptions of ChatGPT within the domains of tourism and hospitality education, shedding light on its potential implications, advantages and drawbacks in a specialized educational context. Furthermore, it aims to offer insights into educators' recommendations for the effective incorporation of ChatGPT technologies into this specific educational setting, filling a crucial gap in understanding the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in specialized fields of study.

Details

Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1755-4217

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 29 February 2024

Yuhan Tang, Yuedong Wang, Jiayu Liu, Boya Tian, Qi Dong, Ziwei He and Jiayi Wen

In order to extend the application of the original octagonal Goodman–Smith fatigue limit diagram, which is commonly used for the evaluation of structure fatigue stress in…

Abstract

Purpose

In order to extend the application of the original octagonal Goodman–Smith fatigue limit diagram, which is commonly used for the evaluation of structure fatigue stress in engineering, a modification of it is proposed for the structure made of S355 steel (commonly used in high-speed electric multiple units (EMUs) bogie frame).

Design/methodology/approach

The modification is made based on Deutscher Verband für Schweißen und verwandte Verfahren e. V. (DVS) 1612 standard and the γ-P-S-N curve, with consideration of the fatigue evaluation requirements of different survival rates and confidence levels. The verification of the modification is performed for three welded joints and for the comparison with the experimental data.

Findings

The results indicate that the design survival rate, the design safety margin and the fatigue stress evaluation of welded joint types are all improved by using the modified diagram.

Originality/value

There are relatively few studies on modifying octagonal Goodman–Smith fatigue limit diagram. In this paper, a modified diagram is proposed and applied in order to ensure the safety and durability of key welded structures of rail vehicles.

Details

International Journal of Structural Integrity, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1757-9864

Keywords

1 – 10 of 110