Search results

Unstructured data such as images have defied usage in property valuation for a long time. Instead, structured data in tabular format are commonly employed to estimate property prices. This study attempts to quantify the shape of land lots and uses the resultant output as an input variable for subsequent land valuation models.

Imagery data containing land lot shapes are fed into a convolutional neural network, and the shape of land lots is classified into two categories, regular and irregular-shaped. Then, the intermediate output (regularity score) is utilized in four downstream models to estimate land prices: random forest, gradient boosting, support vector machine and regression models.

Quantification of the land lot shapes and their exploitation in valuation led to an improvement in the predictive accuracy for all subsequent models.

The study findings are expected to promote the adoption of elusive price determinants such as the shape of a land lot, appearance of a house and the landscape of a neighborhood in property appraisal practices.

The main goal of the article is to determine the mediating role of HRM outcomes in the relationships between staffing the organization and company performance results and to establish whether there are any identifiable regularity in this scope in the pre-pandemic and pandemic period in the HQs and foreign subsidiaries of MNCs.

The empirical research included 200 MNCs headquartered in Central Europe. To capture the actual relations between the variables under study the raw data in the variables were adjusted with the efficiency index (EI). The Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to verify the research hypotheses and assess the mediating effects.

The research findings show that, with the exception of the HQs in the pandemic period, when staffing had a negative effect on the company performance results in quality, in other cases it had a positive effect on results in HRM, finance, innovativeness and quality, both in the pre-pandemic and pandemic period, although this effect was not always statistically significant. Furthermore, the company's performance results in HRM mediate positively the relationships between staffing and the other three categories of company performance results, regardless of the organizational level (HQs' or subsidiaries') and time period under consideration. Additionally, during the pandemic, the company's performance results in HRM mediate the relationships between staffing and the other company's performance results stronger than in the pre-pandemic time.

In addition to confirming the results of some other studies, the article also provides new knowledge. It determines the mediating role of HRM outcomes in the relationship between staffing and company performance results in finance, innovativeness and quality. Moreover, it identifies certain regularities in the four studied contexts, which is a novelty in this type of research. It also uses an innovative approach to including employee KPIs as the efficiency index in analyzing the relationships between the variables under study.

The purpose of this study is to propose an improved framework for managing Private Participation in Infrastructure ICT (PPI-ICT) projects in the context of developing countries as the requirements to manage them are different in several aspects.

The framework has been proposed based on an exhaustive literature review and statistical analysis of the PPI-ICT projects’ data set using logistic regression, F-test and student’s t-test. The proposed framework was also applied to the PPI-ICT projects.

The framework is an extension to NTCP (novelty, technology, complexity and pace) approach by including extrinsic factors such as income of the country, climate risk, religious diversity, political stability, regularity quality and control of corruption. The proposed framework was used to analyze project characteristics and their external conditions in the context of developing countries. Based on the analyses, the authors have presented a detailed set of recommendations for project managers, practitioners and governments to improve the success rate of these projects.

The major contribution of this study is the framework, which encompasses the NTCP model as well as extrinsic characteristics of PPI-ICT projects. The proposed framework is meant to assist the project managers to comprehend the project characteristics and its external environment to identify an adequate approach for managing projects successfully.

This research explores the impact of classical aesthetics (e.g. order and symmetry) and expressive aesthetics (e.g. creativity and distinctiveness) on consumer green consumption.

This research conducted three studies. Study 1 explored the main effect of appearance aesthetics (appearance: plain vs classical vs expressive) on green products purchase intention through a one-factor between-subjects design. Study 2 verified the mediating role of perceived naturalness through two types of appearance aesthetics (appearance: classical vs expressive) between-subjects design. Study 3 verified the moderating role of product identity-symbolic attributes through a 2 (product identity-symbolic attributes: non-identity-symbolic vs identity-symbolic attributes) × 2 (appearance: classical aesthetics vs expressive aesthetics) between-subjects design.

Consumers will be more likely to purchase a green product that has classical aesthetics appearance (vs expressive aesthetics). Perceived naturalness mediates the effect of aesthetic appearance on consumer green consumption. Product identity symbol attributes moderate this effect. Specifically, for non-identity-symbolic green products, classical aesthetics can effectively enhance consumer purchase intention. For identity-symbolic green products, expressive aesthetics can effectively enhance consumer purchase intention.

Existing research suggests that aesthetic appearance can increase consumers’ evaluation of electronic products, beauty products and food, but the difference between aesthetics has not yet been explored. This research compares two aesthetics, contributing to the literature on aesthetic appearance in green products and offering valuable insights for managers’ green products marketing.

There is a renowned interest in adaptability as an important principle for achieving circularity in the built environment. Circular building adaptability (CBA) could enable long-term building utilisation and flexible use of space with limited material flows. This paper identifies and analyses design strategies facilitating CBA to propose a framework for enhancing the implementation of the concept.

Interviews were conducted with professionals experienced in circular building design to explore the questions “How do currently applied design strategies enable CBA?” and “How can CBA be implemented through a conceptual design framework?”. The interviews encircled multi-residential building examples to identify currently applied circular design strategies. The interviews were analysed through qualitative content analysis using CBA determinants as a coding framework.

The results show that all ten CBA determinants are supported by design strategies applied in current circular building design. However, some determinants are more supported than others, and design strategies are often employed without explicitly considering adaptability. The design strategies that enable adaptability offer long-term solutions requiring large-scale modifications rather than facilitating low-impact adaptation by dwelling occupants. The proposed conceptual design framework could aid architects in resolving these issues and implementing CBA in their circular building design.

This paper’s contribution to CBA is threefold. It demonstrates design strategies facilitating CBA, proposes a conceptual design framework to apply the concept and identifies the need for a more comprehensive application of available adaptability strategies.

This study investigates Rokkan's research programme in the light of the differences between case- and variables-based methodologies. Three phases of the research process are distinguished. Studying the way Rokkan actually proceeded in the research within his Europe project, we find that he follows the protocols of case-methodologies such as grounded theory. In the second phase of the research process, however, he constructs variables-based models as tools for his macro-historical comparisons. To get to variables from the sensitizing concepts coded in the first phase, Rokkan defines his variables as close to cases as possible: variables as nominal level typologies, types as variable values. He thus faces two interrelated dilemmas. First, a philosophy of science dissonance: he legitimates his research only with reference to a variable-methodology, while his research is thoroughly case based. Second, a paradox of double coding: using variable-based models in the second phase, the status of the knowledge available in the first phase memos is degraded. Rokkan cannot decide between the two main solutions to these dilemmas: The first solution is to discard his heterogeneous data, instead working only with homogeneous data that opens up to more consistently variables-oriented research. The second solution is to replace the notion of variables/variable values with typology/types, thereby returning to cases, pursuing comparative case reconstructions in the third phase of research. The study concludes in favour of the second solution.

Cross-app interactive search has become the new normal, but the characteristics of their tactic transitions are still unclear. This study investigated the transitions of daily search tactics during the cross-app interaction search process.

In total, 204 young participants' impressive cross-app search experiences in real daily situations were collected. The search tactics and tactic transition sequences in their search process were obtained by open coding. Statistical analysis and sequence analysis were used to analyze the frequently applied tactics, the frequency and probability of tactic transitions and the tactic transition sequences representing characteristics of tactic transitions occurring at the beginning, middle and ending phases. 

Creating the search statement (Creat), evaluating search results (EvalR), evaluating an individual item (EvalI) and keeping a record (Rec) were the most frequently applied tactics. The frequency and probability of transitions differed significantly between different tactic types. “Creat? EvalR? EvalI? Rec” is the typical path; Initiate the search in various ways and modifying the search statement were highlighted at the beginning phase; iteratively creating the search statement is highlighted in the middle phase; Moreover, utilization and feedback of information are highlighted at the ending phase. 

The present study shed new light on tactic transitions in the cross-app interactive environment to explore information search behaviour. The findings of this work provide targeted suggestions for optimizing APP query, browsing and monitoring systems.

The primary purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between the unsolicited proposal (USP) and the performance of private participation infrastructure (PPI) projects in developing countries.

The main data set for this study was collected from the World Bank database consisting of 8,951 PPI projects that occurred in developing countries from 1996 to 2020. Hierarchical logistic regression was applied for investigating the effects of USPs on project success. Three moderators, namely, control of corruption, presence of local sponsor and project size were also included in the model to test the impact of their interactions with the USP on the performance of PPI projects. Further, to assess the impact of the effect of USPs, the average marginal effect was calculated. The framework used in this study consists of 18 control variables, three moderators and one noncontrolled independent variable (the USP).

The results of hierarchical logistic regression indicate that USPs have a significant and negative effect on the success of PPI projects occurring in developing countries. The negative effect of a USP weakens with the presence of local sponsors and stronger control of corruption in the host country. However, contrary to the authors’ expectations, the results show that project size does not significantly affect the association between USPs and the success of PPI projects. Moreover, the results of average marginal effects show that the negative impact of USP on the success of PPI projects ranges between 2.4% and 3.8%.

This study quantifies the negative impact of USP on the success of PPI projects in developing countries, which will be helpful for the practitioners to understand the associated risk with USP projects. Furthermore, it also identifies the moderating roles of control of corruption and the presence of local sponsors on the relationship between USP and the success of PPI projects.

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) as a fiber molding polymer is widely used in aerospace, electrical and electronic, clothing and other fields. The purpose of this study is to improve the thermal insulation performance of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), the SiO₂ aerogel/PET composites slices and fibers were prepared, and the effects of the SiO₂ aerogel on the morphology, structure, crystallization property and thermal conductivity of the SiO₂ aerogel/PET composites slices and their fibers were systematically investigated.

The mass ratio of purified terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol was selected as 1:1.5, which was premixed with Sb₂O₃ and the corresponding mass of SiO₂ aerogel, and SiO₂ aerogel/PET composites were prepared by direct esterification and in-situ polymerization. The SiO₂ aerogel/PET composite fibers were prepared by melt-spinning method.

The results showed that the SiO₂ aerogel was uniformly dispersed in the PET matrix. The thermal insulation coefficient of PET was significantly reduced by the addition of SiO₂ aerogel, and the thermal conductivity of the 1.0 Wt.% SiO₂ aerogel/PET composites was reduced by 75.74 mW/(m · K) compared to the pure PET. The thermal conductivity of the 0.8 Wt.% SiO₂ aerogel/PET composite fiber was reduced by 46.06% compared to the pure PET fiber. The crystallinity and flame-retardant coefficient of the SiO₂ aerogel/PET composite fibers showed an increasing trend with the addition of SiO₂ aerogel.

The SiO₂ aerogel/PET composite slices and their fibers have good thermal insulation properties and exhibit good potential for application in the field of thermal insulation, such as warm clothes. In today’s society where the energy crisis is becoming increasingly serious, improving the thermal insulation performance of PET to reduce energy loss will be of great significance to alleviate the energy crisis.

In this study, SiO₂ aerogel/PET composite slices and their fibers were prepared by an in situ polymerization process, which solved the problem of difficult dispersion of nanoparticles in the matrix and the thermal conductivity of PET significantly reduced.

This paper aims to study the issues of output reachable set estimation for the linear singular Markovian jump systems (SMJSs) with time-varying delay based on a proportional plus derivative (PD) bumpless transfer (BT) output feedback (OF) control scheme.

To begin with, a sufficient criterion is given in the form of a linear matrix inequality based on the Lyapunov stability theory. Then, a PD-BT OF controller is designed to keep all the output signs of the system are maintain within a predetermined ellipsoid. Finally, numerical and practical examples are used to demonstrate the efficiency of the approach.

Based on PD control and BT control method, an OF control strategy for the linear SMJSs with time-varying delay is proposed.

The output reachable set synthesis of linear SMJSs with time-varying delay can be solved by using the proposed approach. Besides, to obtain more general results, the restrictive assumptions of some parameters are removed. Furthermore, a sufficiently small ellipsoid can be obtained by the design scheme adopted in this paper, which reduces the conservatism of the existing results.