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Aims to report a novel method of filtering RSS feeds for obtaining more precise and related information without having to browse through all the incoming feeds.
Abstract
Purpose
Aims to report a novel method of filtering RSS feeds for obtaining more precise and related information without having to browse through all the incoming feeds.
Design/methodology/approach
Improve relevance ratio of incoming RSS feeds with configurable filtering phrases on feed title and feed page content. More relevant RSS feeds are obtained when additional semantically related synonym filtering phrases are used.
Findings
Finds that filtering leads to more precise RSS feeds and extending the filtering phrase with synonym semantic can increase the number of relevant feeds by 3‐5 times.
Originality/value
The system documented here has been found to be able to help RSS feeds subscribers to browse fewer items with higher matching rate.
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Keywords
Kesheng Zuo, Haitao Zhang, Ke Qin and Jianzhong Cui
The purpose of this paper is to study the effect of feeding scheme on melt flow and temperature field during the steady-state of level-pour direct-chill (DC) casting of A390 alloy…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to study the effect of feeding scheme on melt flow and temperature field during the steady-state of level-pour direct-chill (DC) casting of A390 alloy hollow billet and optimize the design of feeding scheme.
Design/methodology/approach
Melt flow and temperature field are investigated by numerical simulation, which is based on a three-dimensional mathematical model and well verified by experiments.
Findings
The numerical results reveal that both melt flow and temperature field are obviously affected by the feeding scheme. The homogeneity of melt flow and temperature field in hollow billet with the feeding scheme of modified four inlets are better than the other feeding schemes. Experimental results show that crack can be eliminated by increasing the number of feeding inlets. The primary Si size appears unaffected while the distribution of primary Si particles is highly affected by the change of feeding scheme. Only with the feeding scheme of modified four inlets can fine and uniformly distributed primary Si particles be achieved.
Practical implications
The paper includes implications for the design of feeding scheme in level-pour DC casting of hollow billet for practical use.
Originality/value
This paper develops different feeding schemes for level-pour DC casting of hollow billet and optimizes the design of feeding scheme.
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Keywords
Anna Trubetskaya, Olivia McDermott and Padraig Brophy
This study aims to propose a tailored Lean Six Sigma framework providing an accessible Lean Six Sigma methodology for compound feed manufacturers with the aim of mitigating rising…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to propose a tailored Lean Six Sigma framework providing an accessible Lean Six Sigma methodology for compound feed manufacturers with the aim of mitigating rising costs and increasingly complex demands from customers.
Design/methodology/approach
A Lean Six Sigma framework was designed combining Lean value stream mapping and Six Sigma structured problem-solving with a case study in an Irish compound feed manufacturer.
Findings
The study found that the Lean Six Sigma implementation framework provided a simplified approach, which fitted the resource availability within compound feed manufacturing.
Research limitations/implications
The study is limited by the constraints of a sole case study in providing empirical evidence of the effectiveness of the framework. Nevertheless, a conceptual Lean Six Sigma model is proposed, which will assist compound feed manufacturers implementing a continuous improvement approach.
Originality/value
This paper proposes a simplified approach to the implementation of Lean Six Sigma in agricultural compound feed manufacturers and in small and medium-sized organisations. This is the first such study in Ireland and will add to the body of work on Lean in agriculture and aid other agri-businesses and compound feed manufacturers in understanding how Lean Six Sigma can benefit.
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Hui Zhang, Xiyang Li, Za Kan, Xiaohai Zhang and Zhiyong Li
Reducing production auxiliary time is the key to improve the efficiency of the existing mixed-flow assembly line. This paper proposes a method combining improved genetic algorithm…
Abstract
Purpose
Reducing production auxiliary time is the key to improve the efficiency of the existing mixed-flow assembly line. This paper proposes a method combining improved genetic algorithm (GA) and Flexsim software. It also investigates mixed-flow assembly line scheduling and just-in-time (JIT) parts feeding scheme to reduce waste in production while taking the existing hill-drop mixed-flow assembly line as an example to verify the effectiveness of the method.
Design/methodology/approach
In this research, a method is presented to optimize the efficiency of the present assembly line. The multi-objective mathematical model is established based on the objective function of the minimum production cycle and part consumption balance, and the solution model is developed using multi-objective GA to obtain the mixed flow scheduling scheme of the hill-drop planter. Furthermore, modeling and simulation with Flexsim software are investigated along with the contents of line inventory, parts transportation means, daily feeding times and time points.
Findings
Theoretical analysis and simulation experiments are carried out in this paper while taking an example of a hill-drop planter mixed-flow assembly line. The results indicate that the method can effectively reduce the idle and overload of the assembly line, use the transportation resources rationally and decrease the accumulation of the line inventory.
Originality/value
The method of combining improved GA and Flexsim software was used here for the first time intuitively and efficiently to study the balance of existing production lines and JIT feeding of parts. Investigating the production scheduling scheme provides a reference for the enterprise production line accompanied by the quantity allocation of transportation tools, the inventory consumption of the spare parts along the line and the utilization rate of each station to reduce the auxiliary time and apply practically.
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Keywords
Xiaojing Zhao and Wei Pan
The wide uptake of green building is hindered by factors such as limited market demand and high up-front cost despite substantial policy incentives. Successful business models…
Abstract
Purpose
The wide uptake of green building is hindered by factors such as limited market demand and high up-front cost despite substantial policy incentives. Successful business models (BMs) help facilitate the diffusion of sustainable innovation and have attracted increasing attention. However, little attention has been paid to examining the adoption of green building from the perspective of BM. This paper aims to identify the characteristics of BM that companies adopted to deliver green building projects and examine the evolution path of BM for green buildings.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 744 interdisciplinary bibliographic records related to BM and green buildings from the Web of Science Core Collection database have been identified from the Web of Science Core Collection and analyzed through co-author analysis, co-word analysis and co-citation analysis.
Findings
BM research mainly focuses on five subjects, namely, environmental science, engineering, business, economics, science and technology. Keywords “strategy”, “capability”, “perspective” and “design” receive the highest centrality index, which suggests that the strategy design and corporate capability are indispensable elements when designing or innovating a company's BM. “BM canvas” and “resource based view” received the burst citations in the recent decade. Twelve research clusters are identified, including performance evaluation, waste management, energy efficiency, BM, project business, professional capital, leadership and product innovation. These topics highlight three evolution direction for green building projects, i.e. life cycle-oriented value proposition, collaborative value delivery and innovative cost and revenue structure.
Originality/value
The findings contribute to a systematic understanding of the underlying mechanisms of BM for green buildings and illuminate the development trend of business strategies for sustainability.
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Keywords
Zhu Wang, Hongtao Hu and Tianyu Liu
Driven by sustainable production, mobile robots are introduced as a new clean-energy material handling tool for mixed-model assembly lines (MMALs), which reduces energy…
Abstract
Purpose
Driven by sustainable production, mobile robots are introduced as a new clean-energy material handling tool for mixed-model assembly lines (MMALs), which reduces energy consumption and lineside inventory of workstations (LSI). Nevertheless, the previous part feeding scheduling method was designed for conventional material handling tools without considering the flexible spatial layout of the robotic mobile fulfillment system (RMFS). To fill this gap, this paper focuses on a greening mobile robot part feeding scheduling problem with Just-In-Time (JIT) considerations, where the layout and number of pods can be adjusted.
Design/methodology/approach
A novel hybrid-load pod (HL-pod) and mobile robot are proposed to carry out part feeding tasks between material supermarkets and assembly lines. A bi-objective mixed-integer programming model is formulated to minimize both total energy consumption and LSI, aligning with environmental and sustainable JIT goals. Due to the NP-hard nature of the proposed problem, a chaotic differential evolution algorithm for multi-objective optimization based on iterated local search (CDEMIL) algorithm is presented. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is verified by dealing with the HL-pod-based greening part feeding scheduling problem in different problem scales and compared to two benchmark algorithms. Managerial insights analyses are conducted to implement the HL-pod strategy.
Findings
The CDEMIL algorithm's ability to produce Pareto fronts for different problem scales confirms its effectiveness and feasibility. Computational results show that the proposed algorithm outperforms the other two compared algorithms regarding solution quality and convergence speed. Additionally, the results indicate that the HL-pod performs better than adopting a single type of pod.
Originality/value
This study proposes an innovative solution to the scheduling problem for efficient JIT part feeding using RMFS and HL-pods in automobile MMALs. It considers both the layout and number of pods, ensuring a sustainable and environmental-friendly approach to production.
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Fernando D. Von Borstel, Jaime Suárez, Edgar de la Rosa and Joaquín Gutiérrez
The purpose of this paper is to develop a robotic system to feed aquatic organisms and measure water physicochemical parameters in experimental aquaculture ponds.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop a robotic system to feed aquatic organisms and measure water physicochemical parameters in experimental aquaculture ponds.
Design/methodology/approach
A dispatcher unit dispenses a precise amount of food and control panel software schedules the tasks and operates the robot. In the control panel, the feeding and measuring schedule is defined and sent to the mobile robot and the amount of food is requested by the robot to the dispatcher for each pond. The robot travels automatically on a monorail to dispense the food and measure the water parameters. The data are transmitted to the control panel. The system can be remotely operated over the internet through a client‐server software framework.
Findings
The robotic system is a tool for delegating feeding and measuring tasks. This allows researchers and technicians time to focus on more substantive aquacultural research tasks.
Research limitations/implications
Future improvement will include an automatic unit for cleaning sensors between ponds to minimize the risk of cross‐contamination.
Practical implications
The system systematized feeding and measuring tasks, minimized human error, and optimized the use of resources for aquacultural experimentation. The robotic system can be programmed for a variety of experimental conditions, such as the delivery of different diets at diverse schedules.
Originality/value
The proposed robot was tested for feeding freshwater redclaw crayfish (Cherax quadricarinatus) and monitored the water parameters in real time. Based on the field results, the robotic system provided a reliable and robust device for aquacultural research applications.
Details
Keywords
Hui Wang, Qunzhan Li, Wei Liu, Chuang Wang and Tongtong Liu
The traction cable is paralleled with the existing traction network of electrified railway through transverse connecting line to form the scheme of long distance power supply for…
Abstract
Purpose
The traction cable is paralleled with the existing traction network of electrified railway through transverse connecting line to form the scheme of long distance power supply for the traction network. This paper aims to study the scheme composition and power supply distance (PSD) of the scheme.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on the structure of parallel traction network (referred to as “cable traction network (CTN)”), the power supply modes (PSMs) are divided into cable + direct PSM and cable + autotransformer (AT) PSM (including Japanese mode, French mode and new mode). Taking cable + Japanese AT PSM as an example, the scheme of long distance power supply for CTN under the PSMs of co-phase and out-of-phase power supply are designed. On the basis of establishing the equivalent circuit model and the chain circuit model of CTN, taking the train working voltage as the constraint condition, and based on the power flow calculation of multiple train loads, the calculation formula and process for determining the PSD of CTN are given. The impedance and PSD of CTN under the cable + AT PSM are simulated and analyzed, and a certain line is taken as an example to compare the scheme design.
Findings
Results show that the equivalent impedance of CTN under the cable + AT PSM is smaller, and the PSD is about 2.5 times of that under the AT PSM, which can effectively increase the PSD and the flexibility of external power supply location.
Originality/value
The research content can effectively improve the PSD of traction power supply system and has important reference value for the engineering application of the scheme.
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Omar Habimana and Côme Nahimana
This study uses a descriptive casual design and survey random sampling from 115 observations from five-star, four-star and three-star hotels due to the fact that they provide…
Abstract
This study uses a descriptive casual design and survey random sampling from 115 observations from five-star, four-star and three-star hotels due to the fact that they provide employee staff feeding or complimentary service. The Pearson correlation and multiple regression were used to test the direct and mediating effects for linear relationships between income tax and financial performance. Tax on adjusted net income has a significant effect on net income and non-significant effect on return on asset (ROA). This means that the level of income tax paid by the hotels after reintegration of non-deductible charges including complimentary staff feeding and other allowances reduced their assets and turnover in general thus slowing reinvestment. The findings reveal that firm liquidity had a significant effect on ROA. This indicates that the income tax pay-out decreases hotels’ cash flow resulting on loan diversification leverage. Shareholders are therefore forgoing their shares for reinvestment in different businesses other than hotels. The findings also reveal a significant effect of firms’ age on income tax on hotels’ financial performance. Simply paying income taxes is not lowered by the hotels’ age thus endorsing the concept of paying tax when income is available and vice versa when there is no income. Since Rwanda promotes investment and doing business for the private sector, the tax base increases the tax collection amount instead of collecting a small amount on a few number of tax paying hotels. This commends the tax administration review and frequently harmonised the tax procedures to hospitality sector and is the key development of their financial performance, which had been used by the hotels of the developed countries like the USA and Europe. This will improve Rwanda’s competitiveness in hotel induction and sustain hospitality business investment with tax base for government. It was pragmatic that hotels may directly deduct all related expenses before income tax calculation while others assimilate them into other similar expenditures. There is no formal way for accounting these hotel expenses, whereas the category of staffs benefitting are mainly junior staffs who, in turn, are low-wage holders. This does not leave space for hotel owners to take out incentives therefore leaving out hotels’ darkness in their earnings returns and staff welfare. This chapter presented the directorial policy, philosophy and practices in tourism or hospitality (hotel) sector in Africa. It has become relevant for harmonisation of financial performance while including all life cycle practices of hotels like staff feeding or complimentary service. This chapter is classified as an empirical study.
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C.A. Agbon, O.O. Onabanjo and E.C. Okeke
The Home Grown School Feeding and Health Programme (HGSHP) in Nigeria provides primary school pupils across the country with one meal daily. The purpose of this paper is to…
Abstract
Purpose
The Home Grown School Feeding and Health Programme (HGSHP) in Nigeria provides primary school pupils across the country with one meal daily. The purpose of this paper is to standardize the HGSHP meals in Osun State and determine the energy, protein and mineral contribution to the school children's daily nutrient intake.
Design/methodology/approach
All the HGSHP meals served school children were studied. Questionnaire, standardization of recipe and chemical analysis were employed to evaluate the HGSHP meals and to suggest improvement.
Findings
All the meals were cooked. Dishes composed of a mixture of a legume (cowpea) commonly called beans, a cereal (maize or rice) or tuber (yam) taken with a soup or stew and fish or egg. The bean meals were high in protein and carbohydrate. All the dishes had very low zinc content and did not meet 30 per cent of the school children's daily zinc requirements.
Originality/value
This paper may be the first to evaluate the nutritional contribution of school meals in Nigeria.
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