Search results

This study aims to adopt cloud technology and develop a “cloud bookcase system” to make it possible to provide consistent mobile reading experiences to allow readers to use all kinds of mobile devices to read e-books.

This study implements a cloud bookcase and uses four indicators (system quality, information quality, service quality, user satisfaction) to evaluate the system for reading e-books.

After completing the system, the authors used a questionnaire to evaluate the system. The results show that the quality can meet the needs and satisfaction of users. Subsequent interviews with some of the participants also reveal the biggest concerns of readers include library policy, resources and system quality.

System quality, information quality, service quality and satisfaction are adopted as the indicators to assess the ratings from people using mobile devices to read e-books on the cloud bookcase system developed in this study to evaluate whether the cloud bookcase system is a successful information system as well as the relations between mobile device factors and user ratings. The results indicate that the ratings from more than half of the readers for the system, as shown in the various indicators, achieve more than 60%. From the interview results, the results show that some participants also reveal there is still room for improvement in some areas.

This study implements a cloud bookcase and there are three contributions: (1) the cloud bookcase system developed in this study based on related theories proves able to meet the needs of users, (2) this system had high ratings for all four indicators, (3) the interview responses reveal that most people regard system quality as the most important, and some of the people value some of the items more, including library policy, readers' interests and more resources, especially the number of e-books available.

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the current state of research on the integration of blockchain and building information modelling (BIM) in the Architecture, Engineering, Construction and Operations (AECO) industry as a means of identifying gaps between the existing paradigm and practical applications for determining future research directions and improving the industry. The study aims to provide clear guidance on areas that need attention for further research and funding and to draw academic attention to factors beyond the technical dimension.

A mixed-method systematic review is used, considering multiple literature types and using a sociotechnical perspective-based framework that covers three dimensions (technic, process and context) and three research elements (why, what and how). Data are retrieved and analysed from the Web of Science and Scopus databases for the 2017–2023 period.

While blockchain has the potential to address security, traceability and transparency and complement the system by integrating supporting applications, significant gaps still exist between these potentials and widespread industry adoption. Current limitations and further research needs are identified, including designing fully integrated prototypes, empirical research to identify operational processes, testing and analysing operational-level models or applications and developing and applying a technology acceptance model for the integration paradigm. Previous research lacks contextual settings, real-world tests or empirical investigations and is primarily conceptual.

This paper provides a comprehensive, critical systematic review of the integration of blockchain with BIM in the construction industry, using a sociotechnical perspective-based framework which can be applied in future reviews. The study provides insight into the current state and future opportunities for policymakers and practitioners in the AECO industry to prepare for the transition in this disruptive paradigm. It also provides a phased plan along with a clear direction for the transition to more advanced applications.

The construction industry is facing challenges not only for workers' mobility in the pandemic situation but also for Lean Construction (LC) practise in responding to the high-quality development during the post-pandemic. As such, this paper presents a construction workforce management framework based on LC to manage both the emergency goal in migrant worker management and the long-term goal in labour productivity improvement in China.

The framework is created based on the integrated culture and technology strategies of LC. A combination of qualitative and quantitative methods is taken to explore factors influencing the mobility of construction workers and to measure labour productivity improvement. The case study approach is adopted to demonstrate the framework application.

For method application, a time-and-motion study and Percent Plan Complete indicator are proposed to offer labour productivity measurements of “resources efficiency” and “flow efficiency”. Moreover, the case study provides an industry level solution for construction workforce management and Lean Construction culture shaping, as well as witnesses the LC culture and technology strategies alignment contributing to LC practise innovation.

Compared with previous studies which emphasised solely LC techniques rather than socio-technical system thinking, the proposed integration framework as well as implementation of “Worker's Home” and “Lean Work Package” management models in the COVID-19 pandemic contribute to new extensions of both the fundamental of knowledge and practise in LC.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of the Perceptions of coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) questionnaire and the Information System Success Questionnaire on students when using the school's COVID-19 epidemic prevention website. The study is aimed toward analyzing both questionnaires as well as evaluating an epidemic prevention website.

The school's COVID-19 prevention website and two questionnaires (Perceptions of COVID-19 and the Information System Success Questionnaire) are examined in order to investigate 73 students' COVID-19 perceptions. An open-ended question was used as the qualitative data to support quantitative data and evaluate a university's COVID-19 epidemic prevention website from a southern university in Taiwan.

The findings indicated that most students evaluated the school's COVID-19 website positively and were satisfied. In the open-ended questions, the majority of students rated the quality of the system positively and the need to fix some defects. Students have different COVID-19 perceptions and social distance compliance based on their current situations.

This study provides researchers and website developers a broader understanding of the construction of the school's COVID-19 prevention website and a better understanding of student's COVID-19 perceptions.

To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study examining a school's epidemic prevention website, which is measured by the Information Success Questionnaire and the Perceptions of COVID-19 Questionnaire for college students.

We analyze the economic consequence of government intervention on the incidence of accounting fraud and audit fees of both Big 4 and local big auditors on Chinese audit market in the period 2006–2013. In 2009, Chinese government issued favorable polices to local big auditors and required certain Chinese companies to give priority to these auditors. We find that market share of Big 4 auditors is quite stable before and after government intervention, but market share of local big auditors increases at the cost of local small auditors after intervention. Although audit fee premiums of both local big and Big 4 auditors have increased after intervention, the positive effect of local big auditors on audit fee premiums has significantly decreased. Further, both Big 4 and local big auditors are not likely to reduce the incidence of accounting fraud in pre- and post-intervention period. Our results suggest that Chinese government support to local auditors does not significantly enhance these auditors’ competitiveness in terms of audit fee and audit quality.

Contact problems are among the most difficult ones in mechanics. Due to its practical importance, the problem has been receiving extensive research work over the years. The finite element method has been widely used to solve contact problems with various grades of complexity. Great progress has been made on both theoretical studies and engineering applications. This paper reviews some of the main developments in contact theories and finite element solution techniques for static contact problems. Classical and variational formulations of the problem are first given and then finite element solution techniques are reviewed. Available constraint methods, friction laws and contact searching algorithms are also briefly described. At the end of the paper, a bibliography is included, listing about seven hundred papers which are related to static contact problems and have been published in various journals and conference proceedings from 1976.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the great contributions made by the American library expert, Mary Elizabeth Wood, to Chinese library development.

As a pioneer of the modern library movement Mary Elizabeth Wood devoted herself to a Chinese library career. It was structured according to the following theme: setting up the Boone Library and introducing the modern American public library into China; establishing Boone Library School and initiating Chinese library science education; raising money and appealing for China's library development; helping forward the foundation of the Library Association of China; as well as promoting Chinese library intercommunion and cooperation with the West.

With the background of underdeveloped Chinese librarianship, Mary Elizabeth Wood introduced modern American public library spirit into China, opened the gate of Chinese library science, and promoted Chinese library science.

The paper discusses the library history of China and the role of an American librarian in Chinese library history; thus, it should be of wide interest to researchers involved in library history.

Mary Elizabeth Wood devoted herself to a Chinese library career, and promoted Chinese library science greatly, but research on her is limited. This paper considers her contribution to Chinese library science.

To investigate the influence of an organic corrosion inhibitor on the enhanced dissolution of metal, initiated by AFM tip scratching in corrosive media.

The test solutions were 1.5 M NaCl and 0.01 M HCl. AFM tip scratching experiments were performed for Cu‐Ni alloys in solutions with or without 0.005 M dodecylamine. AFM frictional loop tests were also performed to investigate the effect of dodecylamine on the tip‐surface frictional interaction.

Enhanced dissolution of Cu‐Ni alloy was observed as a result of AFM tip scratching both in NaCl and HCl solutions, and in HCl the effect was more severe than was the case in NaCl. Enhanced dissolution was inhibited markedly by adding 0.005 M dodecylamine to the corrosive media. The results of frictional loop tests indicated that frictional interaction between the tip and the alloy surface was diminished by the adsorption of dodecylamine on the sample surface. The weakening of tip‐surface frictional interaction and the elevation of the ionization energy of metal atoms were responsible for the notable inhibition effect of dodecylamine on the accelerated dissolution.

In this paper, the influence of an organic corrosion inhibitor on the corrosion of metal induced by outside forces was investigated. This was carried out initially by AFM scratching skill and the inhibition mechanism of dodecylamine on the enhanced dissolution of Cu‐Ni alloy initiated by AFM tip scratching.