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This study aims to develop an interface management risk interaction modeling and analysis methodology applicable to complex systems in high-speed rail construction projects, reveal the interaction mechanism of interface management risk and provide theoretical support for project managers to develop appropriate interface management risk response strategies.

This paper introduces the association rule mining technique to improve the complex network modeling method. Taking China as an example, based on the stakeholder perspective, the risk factors and significant accident types of interface management of high-speed rail construction projects are systematically identified, and a database is established. Then, the Apriori algorithm is used to mine and analyze the strong association rules among the factors in the database, construct the complex network, and analyze its topological characteristics to reveal the interaction mechanism of the interface management risk of high-speed rail construction projects.

The results show that the network is both scale-free and small-world, implying that construction accidents are not random events but rather the result of strong interactions between numerous interface management risks. Contractors, technical interfaces, mechanical equipment, and environmental factors are the primary direct causal factors of accidents, while owners and designers are essential indirect causal factors. The global importance of stakeholders such as owners, designers, and supervisors rises significantly after considering the indirect correlations between factors. This theoretically explains the need to consider the interactions between interface management risks.

The interaction mechanism between interface management risks is unclear, which is an essential factor influencing the decision of risk response measures. This study proposes a new methodology for analyzing interface management risk response strategies that incorporate quantitative analysis methods and considers the interaction of interface management risks.

Polyurethane concrete (PUC), as a new type of steel bridge deck paving material, the bond-slip pattern at the interface with the steel plate is not yet clear. In this study, the mechanical properties of the PUC and steel plate interface under the coupled action of temperature, normal force and tangential force were explored through shear tests and numerical simulations. An analytical model for bond-slip at the PUC/steel plate interface and a predictive model for the shear strength of the PUC/steel plate interface were developed.

The new shear test device designed in this paper overcomes the defect that the traditional oblique shear test cannot test the interface shear performance under the condition of fixed normal force. The universal testing machine (UTM) test machine was used to adjust the test temperature conditions. Combined with the results of the bond-slip test, the finite element simulation of the interface is completed by using the COHENSIVE unit to analyze the local stress distribution characteristics of the interface. The use of variance-based uncertainty analysis guaranteed the validity of the simulation.

The shear strength (τ_f) at the PUC-plate interface was negatively correlated with temperature while it was positively correlated with normal stress. The effect of temperature on the shear properties was more significant than that of normal stress. The slip corresponding to the maximum shear (D₁) positively correlates with both temperature and normal stress. The interfacial shear ductility improves with increasing temperature.

Based on the PUC bond-slip measured curves, the relationship between bond stress and slip at different stages was analyzed, and the bond-slip analytical model at different stages was established; the model was defined by key parameters such as elastic ultimate shear stress τ₀, peak stress τ_f and interface fracture energy G_f.

It is well known that stress singularity may exist at the edges of a bonded bi‐material interface due to the discontinuity of material properties. This stress singularity causes difficulty in accurately determining the bi‐material interface bonding strength. This paper aims to present a new design of specimen geometry to eliminate the stress singularity and present an experimental procedure to more accurately determine the bonding strength of the bi‐material interface.

The design is based on an asymptotic analysis of the stress field near the free edge of bi‐material interface. The critical bonding angle, which delineates the singular and non‐singular stress field near the free edge, is determined.

With the new designed specimen and a special iterative calculation algorithm, the interface bonding strength envelope of an epoxy‐aluminum interface was experimentally determined.

This new design of specimen, experimental procedure and iterative algorithm may be applied to obtain more reasonable and accurate bonding strength data for a wide range of bi‐material interfaces.

As the installation of the vibration isolation device to the spacecraft for the whole spacecraft vibration isolation, the interface structure is typically modeled as a rigid structure during the design phase. However, the flexibility of the interface structure does exist for a large‐sized adaptor. This is a source of uncertainty and could reduce the reliability of the system. It is necessary to investigate the influence of this type of flexibility on the vibration isolation performance in an engineering practice. This paper aims to address this situation.

The vibratory transmissibility from the bottom of the isolator is generally used to evaluate the performance of the vibration isolation. By introducing the interface flexibility from both the adaptor and the vibration isolation device, a planar model which includes a flexible beam representing the interface structure is established to study the influence of this type of flexibility on the vibratory transmissibility.

It is found that, when this type of flexibility is included, an extra low‐frequency mode dominated locally by the interface structure is induced, and then a significant resonance appears in the vibratory transmissibility of the vibration isolation device at a low frequency.

The vibration isolation performance may be over‐estimated in the design by taking the interface as rigid. The inherent flexibility of the interface structure, on the other hand, may degrade the performance of the vibration isolation device and degrade the function of the rotation constraint device added into the vibration isolation device.

The small dimensions of future device designs also imply a stronger effect of material boundary resistance. For nanoscale devices and structures, especially, interface phenomena often dominate their overall thermal behavior. The purpose of this paper is to propose molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to investigate the mechanical and thermal properties at Cu‐Al interface.

The two‐temperature model (TTM)‐MD model is used to describe the electron‐phonon scattering at interface of different metals. Before the simulation of heat transfer process, a non‐ideal Cu‐Al interface is constructed by simulating diffusion bonding.

According to the simulation results, in unsteady state, the temperature distribution and the displacements of atoms near the interface tend to generate stress and voids. It reveals the damage mechanics at the interface in heat transfer.

The atomic model proposed in this paper is computationally efficient for interfacial heat transfer problems, and could be used for investigation of other interfacial behaviors of dissimilar materials.

Looks at the design elements of an effective human interface. Outlines what makes a good interface and why so many are bad. Explains the importance of having a clear idea of what jobs are to be done and an understanding of the ways errors happen. Also explains the need to understand and involve the user and the importance of trying out the interface at an early stage. Concludes that bad interfaces cost money and can be dangerous and that the human interface should attract at least the same level of resources as any other major part of system design.

The interface between two conducting fluids in a magnetic fluid dynamics (MFD) problem was identified by means of external magnetic field measurements. Genetic algorithms (GA) were applied to solve the inverse problem.The principal component analysis (PCA) was used to speed up the process of interface reconstruction.

With respect to the experimental results we have designed a general technique for mode identification and/or interface reconstruction. Two main procedures are available to solve the inverse problem, the full interface reconstruction and the principle component analysis (PCA) mode. In the case of full reconstruction, it can be decided whether an algorithm for fast identification of the dominant modes applying a FFT module should be performed or not. The full interface reconstruction applies stochastic optimization methods ((GA) or evolution strategies (ES)) for the estimation of the interface shape characteristics. The main goal of the PCA mode is to find the dominant mode of the interface shape and its amplitude. The PCA mode is realized by means of stochastic optimization methods (GA, ES) and a simple direct searching (DS) using the golden section technique.

PCA with GA procedure enables the identification of the dominant mode of the interface shape between two conducting fluids with sufficient accuracy for simulated magnetic fields. Time of identification is strongly reduced due to a redefinition of the genotype representations in the PCA mode. Accuracy of reconstruction depends on the noise level, i.e. signal to noise ratio and a geometrical model used in the reconstruction phase. The correlation between the noise level and values of cost function for identified modes has been found if a proper geometry modelling is applied.

The paper describes a new, fast technique for solving an inverse field problem of a MFD problem where the interface between two conducting fluids has to be identified using a magnetic field tomography measuring system.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the usability of a web‐based OPAC (WebPAC) user interface at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). It also looks at the applicability of heuristic evaluation in designing a user‐centered WebPAC interface.

Based on Nielsen's ten usability heuristic principles, the study focuses on three heuristics only, i.e. aesthetic and minimalist design, match between interface and the real world, and visibility of interface status.

Results of the study found that the WebPAC interface conforms to at least 70 percent usability properties prescribed. Usability problems violated in the interface were identified.

The study suggests that heuristic evaluation is applicable in libraries to asses the usability of user interface for online catalogs.

Heuristic evaluation could assist libraries in designing user‐centered interface for online catalogs.

In a relationship both sides are important for the development. This is one reason why purchasing has always been as central as marketing in the empirical studies in IMP. The manner in which the features of business networks affect the role of purchasing and the roles of the suppliers and supply management is here in focus. The existence and importance of business relationships have normative consequences for purchasing that are very distinct and break clearly with some of the traditional normative recommendations for purchasing. The authors believe that ‘buying organisations increasingly need to develop interactive interfaces with their suppliers. One reason is that collaborative innovation and therefore the development role of PSM (purchasing and supply management) is becoming more important’. The conclusion is clear: If the buying organisations want to get more out of the suppliers than the supply of a standard product at a certain price, they have to engage in a more extensive interaction and develop a broader and closer business relationship that must be properly managed. That implies giving up some autonomy and accepting dependence on suppliers as developmental partners.

This chapter describes the change efforts and action research projects at a Dutch multinational which, over a period of 25 years, produced in one of its businesses a zigzag path toward collaborative leadership dynamics at the horizontal and vertical interfaces. The chapter also identifies the learning mechanisms that helped achieve this transformation. Changing the patterns at the vertical interfaces proved to be a most tricky, complex, and confusing operation. The data show that organizations need hierarchical interfaces between levels, but are hindered by the hierarchical leadership dynamics at these interfaces. The data furthermore show that competitive performance requires more than redesigning horizontal interfaces. A business can only respond with speed and flexibility to threats and opportunities in the external environment when the leadership dynamics at agility-critical vertical interfaces are also changed.