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1 – 10 of over 1000
Article
Publication date: 18 August 2023

Yi-Kang Liu, Xin-Yuan Liu, E. Deng, Yi-Qing Ni and Huan Yue

This study aims to propose a series of numerical and surrogate models to investigate the aerodynamic pressure inside cracks in high-speed railway tunnel linings and to predict the…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to propose a series of numerical and surrogate models to investigate the aerodynamic pressure inside cracks in high-speed railway tunnel linings and to predict the stress intensity factors (SIFs) at the crack tip.

Design/methodology/approach

A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model is used to calculate the aerodynamic pressure exerted on two cracked surfaces. The simulation uses the viscous unsteady κ-ε turbulence model. Using this CFD model, the spatial and temporal distribution of aerodynamic pressure inside longitudinal, oblique and circumferential cracks are analyzed. The mechanism behind the pressure variation in tunnel lining cracks is revealed by the air density field. Furthermore, a response surface model (RSM) is proposed to predict the maximum SIF at the crack tip of circumferential cracks and analyze its influential parameters.

Findings

The initial compression wave amplifies and oscillates in cracks in tunnel linings, resulting from an increase in air density at the crack front. The maximum pressure in the circumferential crack is 2.27 and 1.76 times higher than that in the longitudinal and oblique cracks, respectively. The RSM accurately predicts the SIF at the crack tip of circumferential cracks. The SIF at the crack tip is most affected by variations in train velocities, followed by the depth and length of the cracks.

Originality/value

The mechanism behind the variation of aerodynamic pressure in tunnel lining cracks is revealed. In addition, a reliable surrogate model is proposed to predict the mechanical response of the crack tip under aerodynamic pressures.

Details

International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow, vol. 33 no. 12
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0961-5539

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 February 2023

Lingfeng Dong, Jinghui (Jove) Hou, Liqiang Huang, Yuan Liu and Jie Zhang

This paper aims to explore the effects of normative and hedonic motivations on continuous knowledge contribution, and how past contribution experience moderates the effects of the…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the effects of normative and hedonic motivations on continuous knowledge contribution, and how past contribution experience moderates the effects of the motivations on continuous knowledge contribution.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on goal-framing theory, the present study proposes a comprehensive theoretical model by integrating normative and hedonic motivations, past contribution experience and continuous knowledge contribution. The data for virtual community members' activities were collected using the Python Scrapy crawler. Logit regression was used to validate the integrative model.

Findings

The results show that both normative motivation (reflected by generalized reciprocity and social learning) and hedonic motivation (reflected by peer recognition and online attractiveness) are positively associated with continuous knowledge contribution. Moreover, these effects are found to be significantly influenced by members' past knowledge contribution experience. Specifically, the results suggest that past knowledge contribution experience undermines the influence of generalized reciprocity on continuous knowledge contribution but strengthens the effect of peer recognition and online attractiveness.

Originality/value

Although the emerging literature on continuous knowledge contribution mainly focuses on motivations as antecedents that promote continuous knowledge contribution, most of these studies assume that the relationship between motivating mechanisms and continuous knowledge contribution does not change over time. The study is one of the initial studies to examine whether and how the influence of multiple motivations evolves relative to levels of past contribution experience.

Details

Information Technology & People, vol. 37 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-3845

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 December 2023

Ziqi Zhu, Yuan Liu, June Wei and Xuan Li

This research aims to investigate the impact of the collaborative governance mechanism on the implementation of rural governance information systems in developing countries. By…

Abstract

Purpose

This research aims to investigate the impact of the collaborative governance mechanism on the implementation of rural governance information systems in developing countries. By integrating institutional logic theory, affordance theory and social identity theory, the authors propose modeling grassroots officials' affordance perception process and exploring the importance of multi-identities’ information technology (IT) goals in affordance perception.

Design/methodology/approach

Through an exploratory case study, the authors identified three affordances of rural governance information systems and investigated the mechanisms influencing the perception of these affordances among grassroots officials. Next, the authors established a research model and collected 490 valid questionnaires from grassroots officials in China and analyzed the data using structural equation modeling (SEM).

Findings

The authors' study challenges previous assumptions by integrating institutional logic, affordance and social identity theories. The authors establish a perceived affordance path for rural governance information systems, recognize substitute effects among technological affordances and extend the theory to explain social factors influencing IT perception. The authors' findings suggest providing technical training for grassroots officials to enhance IT capabilities, and governments should prioritize essential functionalities in rural governance information systems to optimize resources. Training on collaborative governance mechanisms can improve IT affordance perception, enhancing digital platform utilization in governance processes.

Research limitations/implications

The study was conducted mainly in China, and therefore, the findings may not be universal to other developing countries. Researchers are therefore encouraged to test the proposal in locations with different rural cultures.

Practical implications

The paper includes implications for the development of IT perception in rural governance, the development of affordance perception theory and studying the relationship between IT goals and affordance perception.

Originality/value

Overall, this paper addresses the need to understand how grassroots officials perceive IT affordances in rural governance and study the relationship between multi-identities’ goals and affordance perception.

Details

Industrial Management & Data Systems, vol. 124 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0263-5577

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 November 2023

Tingting Tian, Hongjian Shi, Ruhui Ma and Yuan Liu

For privacy protection, federated learning based on data separation allows machine learning models to be trained on remote devices or in isolated data devices. However, due to the…

Abstract

Purpose

For privacy protection, federated learning based on data separation allows machine learning models to be trained on remote devices or in isolated data devices. However, due to the limited resources such as bandwidth and power of local devices, communication in federated learning can be much slower than in local computing. This study aims to improve communication efficiency by reducing the number of communication rounds and the size of information transmitted in each round.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper allows each user node to perform multiple local trainings, then upload the local model parameters to a central server. The central server updates the global model parameters by weighted averaging the parameter information. Based on this aggregation, user nodes first cluster the parameter information to be uploaded and then replace each value with the mean value of its cluster. Considering the asymmetry of the federated learning framework, adaptively select the optimal number of clusters required to compress the model information.

Findings

While maintaining the loss convergence rate similar to that of federated averaging, the test accuracy did not decrease significantly.

Originality/value

By compressing uplink traffic, the work can improve communication efficiency on dynamic networks with limited resources.

Details

International Journal of Web Information Systems, vol. 20 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1744-0084

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 January 2024

Shekwoyemi Gbako, Dimitrios Paraskevadakis, Jun Ren, Jin Wang and Zoran Radmilovic

Inland shipping has been extensively recognised as a sustainable, efficient and good alternative to rail and road modes of transportation. In recent years, various authorities and…

Abstract

Purpose

Inland shipping has been extensively recognised as a sustainable, efficient and good alternative to rail and road modes of transportation. In recent years, various authorities and academic researchers have advocated shifting from road to other sustainable modes like inland waterway transport (IWT) or rail transport. Academic work on modernisation and technological innovations to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of waterborne transportation is becoming apparent as a growing body of literature caused by the need to achieve a sustainable transport system. Thus, it became apparent to explore the research trends on IWT.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic and structured literature review study was employed in this paper to identify the challenges and concepts in modernising inland waterways for freight transportation. The review analysed 94 articles published in 54 journals from six well-known databases between 2010 and 2022.

Findings

The key findings of this review are that despite various challenges confronting the sector, there have been successful cases of technological advancement in the industry. The main interest among scholars is improving technical and economic performance, digitalisation, and safety and environmental issues. The review revealed that most of the literature is fragmented despite growing interest from practitioners and academic scholars. Academic research to address the strategic objectives, including strengthening competitiveness (shipbuilding, hydrodynamics, incorporating artificial intelligence into the decision-making process, adopting blockchain technology to ensure transparency and security in the transactions, new technologies for fleets adaptation to climate change, more effective handling, maintenance and rehabilitation technologies), matching growth and changing trade patterns (intermodal solutions and new logistics approaches) are major causes of concerns.

Originality/value

By employing the approach of reviewing previously available literature on IWT review papers, this review complements the existing body of literature in the field of IWT by providing in a single paper a consolidation of recent state-of-the-art research on technological developments and challenges for inland waterways freight transport in the intermodal supply chain that can act as a single resource to keep researchers up to date with the most recent advancements in research in the domain of inland waterway freight transport. Additionally, this review identified gaps in the literature that may inspire new research themes in the field of IWT.

Details

Benchmarking: An International Journal, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-5771

Keywords

Abstract

Details

A Neoliberal Framework for Urban Housing Development in the Global South
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83797-034-6

Article
Publication date: 24 October 2023

WenFeng Qin, Yunsheng Xue, Hao Peng, Gang Li, Wang Chen, Xin Zhao, Jie Pang and Bin Zhou

The purpose of this study is to design a wearable medical device as a human care platform and to introduce the design details, key technologies and practical implementation…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to design a wearable medical device as a human care platform and to introduce the design details, key technologies and practical implementation methods of the system.

Design/methodology/approach

A multi-channel data acquisition scheme based on PCI-E (rapid interconnection of peripheral components) was proposed. The flexible biosensor is integrated with the flexible data acquisition card with monitoring capability, and the embedded (device that can operate independently) chip STM32F103VET6 is used to realize the simultaneous processing of multi-channel human health parameters. The human health parameters were transferred to the upper computer LabVIEW by intelligent clothing through USB or wireless Bluetooth to complete the transmission and processing of clinical data, which facilitates the analysis of medical data.

Findings

The smart clothing provides a mobile medical cloud platform for wearable medical through cloud computing, which can continuously monitor the body's wrist movement, body temperature and perspiration for 24 h. The result shows that each channel is completely accurate to the top computer display, which can meet the expected requirements, and the wearable instant care system can be applied to healthcare.

Originality/value

The smart clothing in this study is based on the monitoring and diagnosis of textiles, and the electronic communication devices can cooperate and interact to form a wearable textile system that provides medical monitoring and prevention services to individuals in the fastest and most accurate way. Each channel of the system is precisely matched to the display screen of the host computer and meets the expected requirements. As a real-time human health protection platform technology, continuous monitoring of human vital signs can complete the application of human motion detection, medical health monitoring and human–computer interaction. Ultimately, such an intelligent garment will become an integral part of our everyday clothing.

Details

International Journal of Clothing Science and Technology, vol. 36 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0955-6222

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 October 2023

S. Nandha Gopan and M. Balaji

The present paper examines the barriers hindering the implementation of circular economy practices in Indian automotive industries and identifies the most critical barriers to be…

Abstract

Purpose

The present paper examines the barriers hindering the implementation of circular economy practices in Indian automotive industries and identifies the most critical barriers to be eradicated during the circular economy implementation.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a questionnaire survey-based analytic hierarchy process (AHP) approach, 21 barriers to circular economy implementation are identified through a literature review and ranked using the opinions of relevant industrial experts.

Findings

Barriers, minimal or no proper economic incentives, difficulty in ensuring product quality and costing of CE products are identified as top barriers to be eliminated first to boost the chances of successful implementation of circular economy practices in Indian automotive industries.

Practical implications

The study not only offers a roadmap on the order of elimination of barriers towards a circular economy but also provides insights from industrial experts on how these barriers can be eradicated and the ill effects of each barrier from an automotive industry perspective.

Originality/value

The authors develop a theoretical framework for barrier analysis for circular economy implementation in the Indian automotive sector using the classic AHP approach to identify the most critical barriers against successful implementation. Further, this study offers managerial implications on how these barriers can be eradicated in real.

Details

Management Decision, vol. 61 no. 11
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0025-1747

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 18 August 2022

Shengbin Ma, Zhongfu Li, Long Li and Mengqi Yuan

The coordinated development of the urbanization and construction industry is crucial for the sustainable development of cities. However, the coupling relationship and coordination…

Abstract

Purpose

The coordinated development of the urbanization and construction industry is crucial for the sustainable development of cities. However, the coupling relationship and coordination mechanism between them remain unclear. To bridge this gap, this study attempts to explore the level of coupling coordination between new urbanization and construction industry development and investigate the critical driving factors influencing their coupling coordination degree.

Design/methodology/approach

By referring to the existing literature, two index systems were established to evaluate the development level of the new urbanization and construction industry. The spatiotemporal characteristics of the coupled coordinated development of the new urbanization and construction industry in China from 2014 to 2020 were investigated using the coupling coordination model. The Markov chain and geographic detector were adopted to understand the transition probability and driving factors of the coupling coordination degree.

Findings

The results indicate that the coupling degree of China's new urbanization and construction industry is high, and the two systems exhibit obvious interaction phenomena. However, the construction industry in most provinces lags behind the new urbanization. A positive interactive relationship and coordination mechanism has not been established between the two systems. Furthermore, the  coupling contribution degree of the driving factors from high to low is as follows: market size > labor resource concentration > government investment ability > economic development level > industrial structure > production efficiency > technology level. Accordingly, a driving mechanism including market, policy, economic, and production technology drivers was developed.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the existing body of knowledge by providing a set of scientific analysis methods to address the deficiency of coordination mechanism research on new urbanization and the construction industry. The results also provide a theoretical basis for decision makers to develop differentiated sustainable development policies.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 30 no. 10
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 October 2023

Zhijie Yuan, Hao Wang, Rou Li, Jianxiao Mao and Hui Gao

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

Abstract

Purpose

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.

Design/methodology/approach

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.

Findings

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.

Originality/value

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.

Details

Anti-Corrosion Methods and Materials, vol. 70 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0003-5599

Keywords

1 – 10 of over 1000