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This paper aims to investigate the equivalent relationship between accelerated corrosion tests and real environmental spectrum of suspenders in long-span suspension bridge considering multiple factors action.

Based on Faraday's law, corrosion current was used as a measure of metal corrosion, and the equivalent conversion relationship between laboratory environment and real service environment was established. The equivalent conversion method for bridge structural steel had been determined under different temperature, humidity, pH value and NaCl concentration conditions. The compilation of environmental spectra for large span bridges considering multiple factors and the principle of equivalent conversion have been proposed.

Environmental factors, including temperature, humidity, pH value and NaCl concentration, have significant impact on the corrosion degree of suspension steel wires, and only considering these two factors for equivalent conversion cannot accurately reflect the true service environment of the bridge. The 33.8-h salt spray accelerated corrosion test using the standard conditions can be equivalent to one year of suspenders corrosion in a real service environment.

The equivalent accelerated corrosion method for steel wires proposed in this study can effectively predict the corrosion degree of the suspenders, which has been verified to be correct and can provide theoretical guidance for the development of corrosion test plans for steel wires and engineering technical basis for anti-corrosion control and calendar life research of suspension bridge suspenders.

Limited geometric accuracy is one of the major challenges that hinder the wider application of additive manufacturing (AM). This paper aims to predict in-plane shape deviation for online inspection and compensation to prevent error accumulation and improve shape fidelity in AM.

A sequence-to-sequence model with an attention mechanism (Seq2Seq+Attention) is proposed and implemented to predict subsequent layers or the occluded toolpath deviations after the multiresolution alignment. A shape compensation plan can be performed for the large deviation predicted.

The proposed Seq2Seq+Attention model is able to provide consistent prediction accuracy. The compensation plan proposed based on the predicted deviation can significantly improve the printing fidelity for those layers detected with large deviations.

Based on the experiments conducted on the knee joint samples, the proposed method outperforms the other three machine learning methods for both subsequent layer and occluded toolpath deviation prediction.

This work fills a research gap for predicting in-plane deviation not only for subsequent layers but also for occluded paths due to the missing scanning measurements. It is also combined with the multiresolution alignment and change point detection to determine the necessity of a compensation plan with updated G-code.

This paper aims to explore the increasing importance of the intraorganizational dimension of the sales role (IDSR) based on service-ecosystem theory. Specifically, it examines how firms can improve interactions both internally and with external actors and stakeholders to both create and sustain advantageous “thin crossing points” (Hartmann et al. 2018). Academic research on sales ecosystems has yet to fully harness the rich insights and potential afforded by the crossing-point perspective.

After developing and unpacking the paper’s guiding conceptual framework (Figure 1), the authors focus on crossing points and the diversity of interactions between the contemporary sales force and its many stakeholders. They examine the sales literature, identify opportunities for thinning sales crossing points and propose dozens of research questions and needs.

The paper examines the importance of improving interactions both within and outside the vendor firm to thin crossing points, further develops the concept of the “sales ecosystem” and contributes a series of important research questions for future examination.

The paper focuses on applying “thick” and “thin” crossing points, a key element of Hartman et al. (2018). The primary limitation of the paper is that it focuses solely on the crossing-points perspective and does not consider other applications of Hartman et al. (2018).

This work informs managers of the need to improve interactions both within and outside the firm by thinning crossing points. Improving relationships with stakeholders will improve many vendor firm and customer outcomes, including performance.

Integrating findings from the literature, the authors propose a conceptual framework to encompass the entire diversity of idiosyncratic interactions as well as long-term relationships the sales force experiences. They discuss the strategic importance of thinning crossing points as well as the competitive disadvantages, even peril, “thick” crossing points create. They propose an ambitious research agenda based on dozens of questions to drive further examination of the IDSR from a sales-ecosystem perspective.

The paper attempts to discuss the impact of reference price effect on pricing decisions.

With the growth of the Internet and e-commerce, more and more customers purchase products in through online channels and choose products by comparing different prices and services, and the reference price effect has an impact on pricing decisions. To investigate the impact of consumers' reference price effect on the dual-channel supply chain, the authors establish a basic model consisting of a single dominant manufacturer and a single downstream retailer, and analyze the optional decisions under different situations and discuss the influence of reference price effect. Finally, a number case verifies the validity and rationality of the proposed model.

The results show that (1) the reference price effect has varying effects on the price, channel demand and income of manufacturers and retailers in the channel depending on the role of customers' channel preferences. (2) The manufacturer's online channel demand and profits always increase with the reference pricing effect, whereas the retailer's offline demand and profits always decline. (3) When the proportion of consumers preferring offline is higher, the manufacturer's network price and wholesale price increase with the reference price effect, while the retailer's retail price decreases with the reference price effect; when the proportion of consumers preferring offline is lower, the opposite is true, and the centralized decision results are consistent with the decentralized decision results.

This paper can clarify the impact of consumer reference price effects on the operation of dual-channel supply chains, and help inform pricing decisions of manufacturers and retailers in dual-channel supply chains.

The proposed approach can well analyze the impact of consumer reference price effect and give channel their optional decisions.

This study aims to construct a mental health service system for middle school students in the post-COVID-19 era with the framework of Six Sigma DMAIC (define, measure, analyze, improve and control) and analyze the influencing factors of the mental health service system to study the implementation strategies of quality-oriented mental health services in middle schools.

This study was conducted in Tianjin, China, from September to November 2022, and 350 middle school students from Tianjin Public Middle School were selected as subjects. A questionnaire survey was used to collect data. In this study, the Six Sigma DMAIC method, sensitivity analysis method, exploratory factor analysis and principal component analysis were used to analyze the mental health services provided to middle school students.

Based on the Six Sigma DMAIC framework, this study indicates that the contribution rate of the mental health service process factor is the largest in the post-COVID-19 era. The mental health cultivation factor ranks second in terms of its contribution. Mental health quality and policy factors are also important in the construction of middle school students’ mental health service system. In addition, the study highlights the importance of parental involvement and social support in student mental health services during the post-COVID-19 era.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, a study on middle school students’ mental health in the post-Covid-19 era has not yet been conducted. This study developed a quality-oriented mental health system and analyzed the influencing factors of mental health for middle school students based on data analysis and the Six Sigma DMAIC method.

Hull block assembly is a vital task in ship construction. It is necessary to obtain the actual poses of the assembly features to guide further block alignment. Traditional methods use single-point measurement, which is time-consuming and may lead to loss of key information. Thus, large-scale scanning is introduced for data acquisition, and this paper aims to provide a precise and robust method for retrieving poses based on point set registration.

The main problem of point registration is to find the correct transformation between the model and the scene. In this paper, a vote framework based on a new point pair feature is used to calculate the transformation. First, a special edge indicator for multiplate objects is proposed to determine the edges. Subsequently, pair features with an edge description are noted for every point. Finally, a voting scheme based on agglomerative clustering is implemented to determine the optimal transformation.

The proposed method not only improves registration efficiency but also maintains high accuracy compared to several commonly used approaches. In particular, for objects composed of plates, the results of pose estimation are more promising because of the compact pair feature. The multiple ship longitudinal localization experiment validates the effectiveness in real scan applications.

The proposed edge description performs a better detection for the edges of multiplate objects. The pair feature incorporating the edge indicator is more discriminative than the original template, resulting in better robustness to outliers, noise and occlusions.

This paper aims to propose a robust method for non-rigid point set registration, using the Gaussian mixture model and accommodating non-rigid transformations. The posterior probabilities of the mixture model are determined through the proposed integrated feature divergence.

The method involves an alternating two-step framework, comprising correspondence estimation and subsequent transformation updating. For correspondence estimation, integrated feature divergences including both global and local features, are coupled with deterministic annealing to address the non-convexity problem of registration. For transformation updating, the expectation-maximization iteration scheme is introduced to iteratively refine correspondence and transformation estimation until convergence.

The experiments confirm that the proposed registration approach exhibits remarkable robustness on deformation, noise, outliers and occlusion for both 2D and 3D point clouds. Furthermore, the proposed method outperforms existing analogous algorithms in terms of time complexity. Application of stabilizing and securing intermodal containers loaded on ships is performed. The results demonstrate that the proposed registration framework exhibits excellent adaptability for real-scan point clouds, and achieves comparatively superior alignments in a shorter time.

The integrated feature divergence, involving both global and local information of points, is proven to be an effective indicator for measuring the reliability of point correspondences. This inclusion prevents premature convergence, resulting in more robust registration results for our proposed method. Simultaneously, the total operating time is reduced due to a lower number of iterations.

Based on the chain liability and green halo effects, this study uses the perspective of multi-tier supply chain management to examine the impact mechanism and boundary conditions of suppliers' green innovation types on consumers' willingness to participate in value co-creation with focal firms from the perspective of multi-tier supply chain management.

Using four situational experiments, 660 participants were recruited in Credamo, and SPSS 23.0 was used for data analysis. Experiments 1a and 1b verify the effect of suppliers' green innovation on consumers' willingness to participate in value co-creation with focal firms; experiment 2 examines the mediating effect of green sincerity perception; and experiment 3 explores the moderating effect of innovation proactiveness.

The results show that suppliers' green innovation efforts are more sincere when they are substantive (vs. symbolic), thereby generating higher value co-creation intentions. As a driving force, innovation proactiveness moderates the influence of suppliers' green innovation types on consumer's willingness to co-create value with focal firms.

This study enriches the literature on green supply chain management (GSCM) and consumers' willingness to co-create value. Furthermore, this study provides firms with practical guidance to improve marketing performance and green innovation practices through multilevel GSCM.

A digital supply chain (DSC) positively enhances circular economy (CE) practices. However, what factors and conditions lead to the implementation of DSC for transitioning toward CE is not yet clear. Therefore, this study aims at identifying and subsequently analyzing the antecedents of DSC for CE.

The study identifies major antecedents of DSC for CE to achieve sustainability objectives through literature review and expert opinions. In this study, 19 potential antecedents of DSCs for CE are established from the literature and suggestions from industry professionals. A trapezoidal fuzzy Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) approach is applied quantitatively to investigate the antecedents identified.

Conducted in the context of Indian automobile manufacturing industry, the findings of the study reflect that advanced information sharing arrangement, effective government policies for DSC and CE implementation and digitalizing the supply chains are the top three potential antecedents of DSC for a CE.

In the existing literature, few studies are specific to investigating the DSC and CE paradigm. The present study will help organizations develop a practical and integrated strategic approach that will foster DSC through improved knowledge of CE.

Suppliers and marketers have started planning toward postpandemic scenarios where logistics and retail will happen in a new way with the help of technological advances. This shift means new challenges for manufacturers, suppliers and retailers, and there is a need for strategic sourcing decisions for a robust supply chain system, logistics and on-time delivery system, as consumers have shown a positive change in online buying behavior. Furthermore, with digital transformation, customers are expected to not return to traditional buying. Hence, it becomes essential to identify the factors acting as enablers of online purchase behavior for sustainable digital business. This study aims to analyze the positive shifts in online purchasing by consumers, identify and model the enablers of positive transformations in online purchasing by consumers.

The interpretative structural modeling (ISM) technique is used to draw the interrelationships among the variables and their impact on online buying. A context-oriented relationship among the factors has been set up through the expert opinion technique. A total of 40 specialists have been approached for this. ISM with Matrice d’impacts croisés multiplication appliquée á un classment (MICMAC) analysis was used to prioritize these drivers, identify the most critical factors and establish a driver-dependence relationship among these drivers.

Several significant categories of enablers like health, trust, convenience, work from home, referral buying, panic purchase and overstocking possess a strong influence on the shift to online due to the pandemic. The results will help the policymakers, suppliers, retailers, managers and practitioners with insights to plan, prepare for challenges and make decisions toward preparation and shifting to the emergent digital world. In addition, the study provides academicians scope for further research in the related area.

Consumer behavior significantly impacts retail and supply chain business, as it is an interface with the customer and links between a manufacturer and a customer. This study provides an insight into the shift in purchase behavior which can help suppliers in this transition phase to be better prepared for tomorrow to achieve sustainable competitive advantage.

This study assists practitioners and researchers in understanding the interrelationships among the factors using ISM-MICMAC analysis in a realistic way rather than daydreaming with overambitious goals.