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The paper aims to clarify the effects of brand differentiation on the platform's formulation of channel strategy and help the online platform formulate the optimal channel strategy, which involves selecting a proper selling mode for each brand.

The paper develops a multistage game model consisting of one online platform and two competing manufacturers with differentiated brands and examines the effects of brand differentiation on these three channel members' profits under each candidate channel strategy.

The results show that the platform prefers to offer the reselling mode for both brands when the brand differentiation is low, and this preference will be enhanced by the decrease in order fulfilment cost. By contrast, when the brand differentiation is high, it will offer the reselling mode for the premium brand but the marketplace service for the economy brand if the order fulfilment cost is not high; or the marketplace mode will be offered to both brands if this cost is high.

This study assumes that the order fulfilment costs of platform and manufacturer are fixed and symmetric. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to consider asymmetric costs of order fulfilment.

The paper guides the online platform to formulate the optimal channel strategy for differentiated brands and provides managerial insights for differentiated brands entering online markets.

This paper explores platforms' optimal channel strategy by jointly considering the effects of brand differentiation and investigates the impacts of brand differentiation on the optimal decision making under four candidate options. Moreover, this paper has been extended to examine the case when the manufacturers' production costs cannot be neglected.

The purpose of this paper is to help online retailers who have an existing reselling channel to figure out the risk of introducing an additional marketplace channel and identify the introduction threshold with an overall consideration to the fulfilment cost and services.

In order to evaluate the risk of the marketplace channel strategy, this paper develops a Retailer–Stackelberg pricing model. Products are divided into two categories according to different fulfilment cost–value ratio to get a more targeted strategy.

The results show that the strategy of introducing the marketplace is not always satisfying. Retailers prefer this strategy when they are the prevailing parties in service output. The overall trend is that retailers have to encourage their marketplace partners to improve services for the product with a big fulfilment cost–value ratio. Otherwise, retailers should block the marketplace from entering.

For an intuitive conclusion, this paper assumes that the operating costs (except fulfilment cost) are equal in two channels. This suggests a need to further investigate the impact of other costs. Meanwhile, it would be interesting to examine the competition among suppliers and retailers.

This research provides the suggestions for online retailers who want to introduce and well manage the marketplace channel.

This research also helps both academia and industry become more intelligent about the significant influences of category management on channel strategy.

Most prior research is unaware of the risk of introducing a new channel, which also rarely considers how to manage it. This research points out that the effectiveness of this channel strategy differs in different categories. Moreover, retailers can benefit from managing the marketplace’s service output.

To enhance the detection efficiency of printed circuit board (PCB) soldered dot, this study aims to detect PCB soldered dot with image processing method.

Through a series of image processing algorithms, threshold segmentation and feature extraction of the solder joint images were completed; then, sphericity was confirmed based on the area and perimeter, as well as the shape parameter and eccentricity ratio of the calculated region, paving the way for defect pattern recognition.

It proves that the method with high efficiency and precision can satisfy the requirements of PCB soldered dot detection.

This paper is original in presenting a method for PCB welding spot detection.

Although an important facet of modernist architecture in which function plays a prominent role, building flexibility is not entirely a new concept. Its relevance transcends generations, allowing space and structure to evolve through time. This paper investigates the relationship among main building structures, infill elements, and space by studying examples in ancient Chinese architecture. It reveals the role of building owners, users, and craftsmen from a survey of historical documentation. In studying these examples, it is concluded that craftsmen in ancient China were involved not only during the construction phase but throughout the period of use as well. Thus, in select cases, the relationship between craftsmen and owners or users had been preserved for generations. Finally, this paper suggests potential strategies for the building industry and technology in the move towards sustainable development.

To provide insight on the characteristics of the Chinese multi‐vitamin marketplace and to discuss key issues involved in marketing work, including market testing, product positioning, market segmentation and targeting, differentiation, and branding strategy.

The paper is based on a field‐based case study. An in‐depth interview has been used for data collection. The case is presented on a chronological order and could be divided into four stages (2001‐2005). Substantial information regarding the company's marketing strategy and tactics has been provided. Detailed sales data have also been given to facilitate the case discussion.

The case presents the uneven growing path of a Chinese multi‐vitamin brand. It has established the importance of brand‐building strategy on the basis of integrated marketing mix.

The case provides an excellent basis for exploring the pros and cons of numerous marketing tactics – individual branding vs brand extension, penetration vs skimming, choice of promotional tools, etc. It has also illustrated different ways for product positioning and differentiation. In addition, it provides a basis for discussing ethics in advertising – e.g. the soft advertising.

The case has been used successfully in executive MBA courses. The case helps managers and researchers to understand China health supplement market which has indicated many special characteristics compared with Western market, or discuss general issues related to marketing.

The purpose of this paper is to provide the historical background of genealogical records and analyze the value of Chinese genealogical research through the study of names and genealogical resources.

The paper examines the historical evolution and value of Chinese genealogical records, with the focus on researching the Islamic Chinese names used by the people living in Guilin. The highlight of this paper includes the analysis and evolution of the Islamic Chinese names commonly adopted by the local people in Guilin. It concludes with the recommendations on emphasizing and making the best use of genealogical records to enhance the research value of Chinese overseas studies.

The paper covers the history of Islam and describes how the religion was introduced into China, as well as Muslims' ethnicity and identity. It also places focus on the importance of building a research collection in Asian history and Chinese genealogy.

This research study has a strong subject focus on Chinese genealogy, Asian history, and Islamic Chinese surnames. It is a narrow field that few researchers have delved into.

The results of this study will assist students, researchers, and the general public in tracing the origin of their surnames and developing their interest in the social and historical value of Chinese local history and genealogies.

The study of Chinese surnames is, by itself, a particular field for researching the social and political implications of contemporary Chinese society during the time the family members lived.

Very little research has been done in the area of Chinese local history and genealogy. The paper would be of value to researchers such as historians, sociologists, ethnologists and archaeologists, as well as students and anyone interested in researching a surname origin, its history and evolution.

This paper aims to collect and compile the historical data of Guanfu Salt Farm, officially built by the Song Dynasty (960–1279) within modern Hong Kong territories, to reconstruct its history for the reflection of Hong Kong society of the time.

This paper is largely based on identification and analysis of historical documents, including keyword search on electronic databases and verification with the original sources, with reference to archaeological findings when necessary.

This paper reconstructs the history of Guanfu Salt Farm based on documentary sources with reference to archaeological findings. English translation of Chinese sources is also provided when necessary.

There has been an absence of systematic compilation of historical data of Hong Kong during the Song Dynasty, which are limited in quantity and scattered across different sources. This paper seeks to fill the vacuum of knowledge about pre-colonial Hong Kong, with a more comprehensive reconstruction of the history of Guanfu Salt Farm.

This paper seeks to investigate the roles of small and large projects in the development and evolution of a commercial company and why companies with a history of taking on large projects tend to eventually fail with large projects.

In terms of small and large projects, analytic models are established to: describe investors' behaviors; depict the dynamics between CEOs and their boards of directors; and reveal how profit ceilings exist for large projects.

After making the concepts of small and large projects precise, the paper establishes several analytic models for the investigation of the behaviors of various market participants. Then, it develops an explanation for why some decision makers like to take on large projects and why most new startups fail because of a lack of funds. A theory is given to show how investors value small projects more than large projects and why the current trend of moving manufacturing operations from industrialized nations to third world countries does not seem reversible in the foreseeable future, as long as international transportation costs stay low and the global economic system stays open and competitive. Among other results, it is also shown that: the higher the level the CEO's initial ability is, the more likely he would initiate and manage small projects, and the more labor effort he will devote to these projects; the CEO's additional effort spent on the small projects helps him gain non‐pecuniary benefits, which he can use to gain additional bargaining power over the board; to realistically maximize his private utility, the CEO would spend more of his time and effort on small projects; each large project has a glass ceiling for its maximum level of profits; companies taking on large projects cannot afford to devote much of their scarce resources to expand their market share and appearance; and to increase their profit potential, these companies have to control their spending so that their profit can be maximized by lowering their unit selling price p_s; for small projects, the profit potential for the company is unlimited.

This work is the first to employ models of human behaviors to research the interactions and dynamics between projects of different scales. It provides a theoretically reliable distinction between small and large projects.

In the information commons (IC) space of library, it is very important to recognize the emotional state of users for better playing the role of IC. In view of this point, this paper aims to discuss the human expression of user emotion.

An emotional state recognition method based on body posture change under video monitoring is proposed. In this method, two parameters are proposed to represent the emotional state of users. Finally, the distribution of users’ overall emotional state is recognized.

It is found that the change of human posture reflects the emotional state of users to a certain extent. The spatial frequency of the user’s average body position change and per capita body position change can reflect the spatial distribution of individual and body position change, respectively.

The method in this paper can effectively overcome the inaccuracy of manual identification of video monitoring images, especially in the case of a large number of users and effectively help the construction of university library IC space and provide a basis for the setting of environmental parameters.

Environmental problems such as CO₂ (Carbon Dioxide) emissions have seriously affected the development of the steel industry, which has urged the industry to adopt a more effective emission reduction policy. This paper aims to analyze the impact of various CO₂ emission reduction policies combinations on the economic benefits and environmental changes of the steel industry and to determine the scope of application.

To compare the impact and applicable implementation conditions, a production decision game model that incorporates these two policies has been constructed. Short-, medium- and long-term constraints are set on the emission reduction indicators and the indicators’ changes under various scenarios are compared.

In the case of a single emission reduction policy, the carbon trading (CT) mechanism is better than the carbon tax mechanism. The mixed carbon trading mechanism is superior to the mixed carbon tax mechanism in terms of total output and subsidies, but worse in terms of overall social welfare, producer surplus and macro losses.

This paper constructs multiple emission reduction and production backgrounds and discusses the impact of the comprehensive implementation of these policies, which is practically absent in previous studies. It is in line with the current industrial policy for stable production and environmental protection and also provides a reference for the formulation of detailed policies in the future.