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Article
Publication date: 14 November 2016

Yuye Wang, Guofeng Zhang and Xiaoguang Hu

Infrared simulation plays an important role in small and affordable unmanned aerial vehicles. Its key and main goal is to get the infrared image of a specific target. Infrared…

Abstract

Purpose

Infrared simulation plays an important role in small and affordable unmanned aerial vehicles. Its key and main goal is to get the infrared image of a specific target. Infrared physical model is established through a theoretical research, thus the temperature field is available. Then infrared image of a specific target can be simulated properly while taking atmosphere state and effect of infrared imaging system into account. For recent years, some research has been done in this field. Among them, the infrared simulation for large scale is still a key problem to be solved. In this passage, a method of classification based on texture blending is proposed and this method effectively solves the problem of classification of large number of images and increase the frame rate of large infrared scene rendering. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

Mosart Atmospheric Tool (MAT) is used first to calculate data of sun radiance, skyshine radiance, path radiance, temperatures of different material which is an offline process. Then, shader in OGRE does final calculation to get simulation result and keeps a high frame rate. Considering this, the authors convert data in MAT file into textures which can be easily handled by shader. In shader responding, radiance can be indexed by information of material, vertex normal, eye and sun. Adding the effect of infrared imaging system, the final radiance distribution is obtained. At last, the authors get infrared scene by converting radiance to grayscale.

Findings

In the fragment shader, fake infrared textures are used to look up temperature which can calculate radiance of itself and related radiance.

Research limitations/implications

The radiance is transferred into grayscale image while considering effect of infrared imaging system.

Originality/value

Simulation results show that a high frame rate can be reached while guaranteeing the fidelity.

Details

International Journal of Intelligent Computing and Cybernetics, vol. 9 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1756-378X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 November 2009

Guofeng Zhang, Yuxin Zhang and Hengfei Ding

The purpose of this paper is to present a new family of iterative methods with eighth‐order convergence for solving the nonlinear equation.

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a new family of iterative methods with eighth‐order convergence for solving the nonlinear equation.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses a family of eighth‐order iterative methods for solving nonlinear equation based on Kou's seventh‐order method.

Findings

This family of methods is preferable to Ostrowski's, Grau's and Kou's methods in high‐precision computations.

Research limitations/implications

This paper only deals with the nonlinear equations.

Practical implications

This paper is concerned with the iterative methods for finding a simple root of the nonlinear equation f(x)=0. One of the reasons for discussing the solution of nonlinear equation is that many methods for high‐dimensional optimization problems involve solving a sub‐problem which is a one‐dimensional search problem. And the nonlinear finite element problem, the boundary‐value problems appearing in Kinetic theory of gases, elasticity and other applied areas are also reduced to solving such an equation.

Originality/value

New methods of this family require three evaluations of the function and one evaluation of its first derivative and without using the second derivatives per iteration. This new family of methods as a new example agrees with Kung‐Traub's conjecture for n=4 and achieves its optimal convergence order 2n−1.

Details

COMPEL - The international journal for computation and mathematics in electrical and electronic engineering, vol. 28 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0332-1649

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 24 October 2021

Quan Zhai, Jicheng Zhang, Guofeng Du, Yulong Rao and Xiaoyu Liu

At present, piezoelectric impedance technology has been used in the study of wood damage monitoring. However, little effort has been made in the research on the application of…

Abstract

Purpose

At present, piezoelectric impedance technology has been used in the study of wood damage monitoring. However, little effort has been made in the research on the application of piezoelectric impedance system to monitor the change of wood moisture content (MC). The monitoring method of wood MC is used by piezoelectric impedance technique in this study.

Design/methodology/approach

One piezoceramic transducer is bonded to the surface of wood specimens. The MC of the wood specimens increases gradually from 0% to 60% with 10% increments; the mechanical impedance of the wood specimen will change, and the change in the mechanical impedance of the structure is reflected by monitoring the change in the electrical impedance of lead zirconate titanate. Therefore, this paper investigates the relationship between wood MC change and piezoelectric impedance change to verify the feasibility of the piezoelectric impedance method for monitoring wood MC change.

Findings

The experiment verified that the real part of impedance of the wood increased with the increase of wood MC. Besides, the damage index root mean square deviation is introduced to quantify the damage degree of wood under different MC. At the same time, the feasibility and validity of this experiment were verified from the side by finite element simulation. Finally, MC monitoring by piezoelectric impedance technique is feasible.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this work is the first to apply piezoelectric ceramics to the monitoring of wood MC, which provides a theoretical basis for the follow-up study of a wide range of wood components and even wood structure MC changes.

Details

Sensor Review, vol. 42 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0260-2288

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 March 2021

Guofeng Ma, Shan Jiang and Ding Wang

Although social media has been increasingly applied and valued in the construction industry, there has been little evidence revealing the influence mechanism of social media use…

1031

Abstract

Purpose

Although social media has been increasingly applied and valued in the construction industry, there has been little evidence revealing the influence mechanism of social media use in the construction context. In this way, this paper aims to explore how different purposes of social media use affect project performance from a project manager's perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on the mechanism–outcome–performance framework, this paper developed a research model to figure out the mechanism through which work-oriented and socialization-oriented social media use influences construction project performance. The empirical data were collected from a survey of 249 construction project managers, and the structural equation modeling technique was applied to test the proposed model.

Findings

Results indicate that both work-oriented and socialization-oriented social media use promote knowledge acquisition and project social capital, which both further positively impact the project performance. Additionally, the negative moderating role of information overload is identified on the relationship between social media use and knowledge acquisition.

Originality/value

This study fulfills the need for an in-depth investigation of social media use on construction project performance, contributing to the project management and social media literature. Furthermore, this study provides recommendations for project managers to advance social media applications in the construction domain.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 29 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 August 2024

Yuyang Liu, Mingzhu Heng, Caiwen Hu, Huiling Zhang, Zixuan Wang and Guofeng Ma

The construction of smart cities holds the potential to drive digital innovation in the construction industry through various means, such as enhancing supply and demand. This…

Abstract

Purpose

The construction of smart cities holds the potential to drive digital innovation in the construction industry through various means, such as enhancing supply and demand. This study echoes the urgent need for the construction industry to overcome development challenges. Hence, it is necessary to study the extent and ways in which smart city policies promote digital innovation in the construction industry.

Design/methodology/approach

This study treats China’s smart city policies as quasi-natural experiments. Using a dataset of Chinese prefecture-level cities from 2007 to 2021 and a difference-in-differences model, the study scrutinizes the impact of smart city policies on digital innovation within the construction industry.

Findings

The study reveals a substantial positive influence of smart city policies on digital innovation in the construction industry. In addition, the study explains these results by analysing supply-side and demand-side mechanisms. Moreover, the effect of smart city pilot policies on promoting digital innovation within the construction industry displays noteworthy heterogeneity across cities at different regional and political levels.

Originality/value

By exploring the impact and mechanisms of smart city policies on digital innovation in the construction industry, this research contributes to a more comprehensive and profound comprehension of the role of policies in facilitating the digital transformation of the construction sector. It is a valuable reference for policymakers and industry practitioners aiming to advance digital development.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 January 2018

Yuxin Miao, Guofeng Pan, Caixuan Sun, Ping He, Guanlong Cao, Chao Luo, Li Zhang and Hongliang Li

The purpose of this paper is to study the effect of doping, annealing temperature and visible optical excitation on CuO-ZnO nanocomposites’ acetone sensing properties and…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the effect of doping, annealing temperature and visible optical excitation on CuO-ZnO nanocomposites’ acetone sensing properties and introduce an attractive candidate for acetone detection at about room temperature.

Design/methodology/approach

ZnO nanoparticles doped with CuO were prepared by sol-gel method, and the structure and morphology were characterized via X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, energy dispersive spectroscopy and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller. The photoelectric responses of CuO-ZnO nanocomposites to cetone under the irradiation of visible light were investigated at about 30°C. The photoelectric response mechanism was also discussed with the model of double Schottky.

Findings

The doping of CuO enhanced performance of ZnO nanoparticles in terms of the photoelectric responses and the gas response and selectivity to acetone of ZnO nanoparticles, in addition, decreasing the operating temperature to about 30ºC. The optimum performance was obtained by 4.17% CuO-ZnO nanocomposites. Even at the operating temperature, about 30ºC, the response to 1,000 ppm acetone was significantly increased to 579.24 under the visible light irradiation.

Practical implications

The sensor fabricated by 4.17% CuO-ZnO nanocomposites exhibited excellent acetone-sensing characteristics at about 30ºC. It is promising to be applied in low power and miniature acetone gas sensors.

Originality/value

In the present research, a new nanocomposite material of CuO-ZnO was prepared by Sol-gel method. The optimum gas sensing properties to acetone were obtained by 4.17% CuO-ZnO nanocomposites at about 30ºC operating temperature when it was irradiated by visible light with the wavelength more than 420 nm.

Details

Sensor Review, vol. 38 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0260-2288

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 9 February 2021

Qi Wang and Virpi Timonen

Existing research focuses on the pension systems and reforms in China from a macro-level and financial perspective. The expectations of mid-life Chinese people regarding their…

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Abstract

Purpose

Existing research focuses on the pension systems and reforms in China from a macro-level and financial perspective. The expectations of mid-life Chinese people regarding their retirement and pensions have been ignored to date, and this research set out to address this lacuna.

Design/methodology/approach

The application of qualitative research methods is relatively novel in Chinese social science. As a grounded theory (GT) study, the research reported here deployed semi-structured interviews to investigate middle-aged Chinese women's and men's perceptions of their pensions and retirement. In total, 36 interviews were conducted, following the constructivist GT method.

Findings

The data point to disparities between the choices and perceptions of individuals on the one hand and the official assumptions underlying the current pension regime on the other hand. Research participants had varying interpretations of the inequality in retirement incomes in China, the main division being between enterprise workers and public-sector employees.

Originality/value

Although there are in principle rigidly fixed retirement ages for men and women in contemporary China, the phenomena of early retirement and working post-retirement are increasing. There are trade-offs between work/retirement and family needs, which influence the choices of middle-aged citizens. Retirement pathways are increasingly individualised, reflecting broader patterns of individualisation and inequality in China.

Details

International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, vol. 41 no. 13/14
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-333X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 September 2021

Guofeng Ma, Shan Jiang and Jianyao Jia

A lack of reliable and effective communication tools poses major barriers impeding the performance of construction projects consisting of diverse participants. Although some…

Abstract

Purpose

A lack of reliable and effective communication tools poses major barriers impeding the performance of construction projects consisting of diverse participants. Although some construction project teams (CPTs) begin to apply social media (SM) as an available approach for project management the entire mechanism of SM adoption in this specific context remains understudied. Therefore, this study aims to adopt a CPT's lens to investigate the critical antecedents and associated effects underlying SM adoption in the construction industry.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the technology–organization–environment (TOE) theory, a conceptual model was proposed and tested by empirical data collected from 159 CPTs in China. Structural equation modeling technique was employed for data analysis.

Findings

The results demonstrate that all the five extracted TOE-based antecedents including two technological factors (i.e. compatibility and expected cost), one organizational factor (i.e. top management support) and two environmental factors (i.e. project partner collaboration and project fit) are crucial to the adoption of SM in CPTs. Besides, SM acceptance is found to mediate the relationships between organizational and environmental factors and SM use. Moreover, SM use significantly predicts the communication effectiveness of CPTs.

Research limitations/implications

A questionnaire study based on cross-sectional data from China may only unveil the logic of SM adoption in the context of Chinese construction industry within a shorter time interval. It is recommended that future research could develop longitudinal studies among various construction practitioners in different countries to further specify and generalize the current findings.

Originality/value

This paper provides a comprehensive understanding of SM adoption in the construction industry by exploring the preadoption antecedents and postadoption effects from the perspective of project teams. The empirical findings advance the current web-based project management literature and afford new insights for construction practitioners into better managing SM application to reap its full capabilities in projects.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 29 no. 10
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 October 2022

Ziyan Wang, Xueli Yang, Caixuan Sun, Hongyan Liu, Junkai Shao, Mengjie Wang, Junyi Dong, Guanlong Cao and Guofeng Pan

This paper aims to successfully synthesize three-dimensional spindle-like Au functionalized Co3O4-ZnO nanocomposites; characterize the structure, morphology and surface chemical…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to successfully synthesize three-dimensional spindle-like Au functionalized Co3O4-ZnO nanocomposites; characterize the structure, morphology and surface chemical properties of the products; study the effect of Au NPs doping concentration, operating temperature different gas to, sensing properties; and introduce an attractive gas sensor for acetone detection.

Design/methodology/approach

Au NPs functionalized Co3O4-ZnO nanocomposite was prepared by coprecipitation and impregnation methods; the structure and surface chemical property of the products were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, UV-Vis, BET and XPS. The sensing ability of Au@Co3O4-ZnO for acetone and mechanism was analyzed systematically.

Findings

The results of gas sensing tests show that the unique component structure, Schottky junction and catalytic effect of Au functionalization make it have low operating temperature, excellent selectivity, high response (10 ppm, 56) and rapid response recovery time.

Research limitations/implications

All the characterization and test data of the prepared materials are provided in this paper and reveals the gas sensing mechanism of the gas sensor.

Practical implications

The detection limit is 2.92–100 ppb acetone. It is promising to be applied in low-power, micro detection and miniature acetone gas sensors.

Social implications

The gas sensor prepared has a lower working temperature and low detection limit, so it has promising application prospects in low-concentration acetone detection and early warning.

Originality/value

The unique component structure, Schottky junction and catalytic effect of Au functionalization Co3O4-ZnO make it have low operating temperature, excellent selectivity and rapid response recovery time.

Details

Sensor Review, vol. 42 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0260-2288

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 November 2022

Jianyao Jia, Yang Li, Xueqing Gan and Guofeng Ma

In today's digital and post-pandemic era, construction teams can span their boundary to obtain important resources and support in computer-mediated ways. However, the benefits of…

Abstract

Purpose

In today's digital and post-pandemic era, construction teams can span their boundary to obtain important resources and support in computer-mediated ways. However, the benefits of computer-mediated team boundary spanning (TBS) are mostly assumed. Empirical evidence for these benefits is in lack. Thus, this study attempts to investigate the influence of computer-mediated (instant messaging in this study) TBS on construction project performance and the underlying mechanism.

Design/methodology/approach

From the multiteam system (MTS) perspective, this study employs the input-process-outcome (IPO) framework and coordination theory to explore the influence of instant messaging-based team boundary spanning (IMTBS) on construction project coordination processes and project performance. A theoretical model is built and validated with a survey involving 206 construction projects.

Findings

Results show that IMTBS positively affects knowledge integration and project coordination, but negatively affects project commitment. The positive link between IMTBS and project performance is attributable to knowledge integration and project coordination. Further, project commitment is also found to negatively mediate the relationship between IMTBS and construction project performance.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to empirically investigate the influence of TBS on construction project performance. As such, this study contributes to the literature on TBS in the construction field. In addition, the findings of this study unveil the double-edged characteristic of IMTBS, which should attract managers' attention. This also indicates that the form of TBS is a significant determinant of its effectiveness, which should attract scholars' attention in the future.

Details

International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, vol. 16 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1753-8378

Keywords

1 – 10 of 37