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Article
Publication date: 14 October 2020

Qiushuang Zhang, Xin Jin, Zhihua Liu, Zhijing Zhang, Yan Fang, Zhongqing Zhang and Yann Ledoux

The modern manufacturing industry has put forward higher requirements for the assembly accuracy of components with the development of the industrial technology. For precision…

Abstract

Purpose

The modern manufacturing industry has put forward higher requirements for the assembly accuracy of components with the development of the industrial technology. For precision assembly, the traditional assembly process study based on tolerance has had difficulty in meeting these requirements. Hence, the distribution of the form errors must be considered. The registration between the two mating surfaces with form errors determines the parts’ assembly position, and is the basis for the prediction and control of the assembly accuracy. This study aims to provide a new surfaces registration method which takes form errors into consideration.

Design/methodology/approach

This study presents a new registration approach based on the minimum potential energy. A unique set of contact points on mating surfaces that meet the actual conditions can be obtained and the spatial position of the assembled part is calculated.

Findings

The experimental results show that the calculated values are in good agreement with the experimental values. Furthermore, the root mean square error is within 2%, which proves the validity and accuracy of the approach.

Originality/value

This paper provides an effective and new method for precision assembly which takes form errors into consideration. The method can give the optimal solution of the contact points, which is more consistent with the actual assembly situation and provides a basis for predicting assembly accuracy.

Details

Assembly Automation, vol. 40 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-5154

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 24 December 2021

Kuncheng Zhang, Shi-Zheng Tian, Benshuo Yang, Xin-Chang Guo and Yi-Fang Zhang

The island areas, in particular, are characterized by a more fragile ecological carrying capacity and higher value of resources and environment, which requires us to take Xi…

Abstract

Purpose

The island areas, in particular, are characterized by a more fragile ecological carrying capacity and higher value of resources and environment, which requires us to take Xi Jinping's green ecological development view as the theoretical basis and adhere to the high-quality development path of gradual development and ecological environment priority. Taking Shengsi and Daishan counties as examples, on the basis of their high-quality development evaluation and identification of the main influencing factors, this study explores the specific path of Xi Jinping's ecological development view in the high-quality development of typical island counties in China.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper applies the interpretative structural model to construct an evaluation index system for the high-quality development of the island. In determining the factor weights of the index layer, the AHP hierarchical analysis method was combined with the Delphi method to increase the objectivity of the assignment process as much as possible. This study used the technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution to calculate island high quality development index. To measure the main obstacle factors, the index factor contribution rate, the index factor deviation, and the index factor obstacle degree were applied in this research.

Findings

As China intensifies its maritime strategy, the sustainability of coastal and island regions is critical, particularly given their fragile ecosystems and high resource value. Our study reveals a declining trend in the high-quality development index for Shengsi, peaking at 0.4262 in 2010 and dropping to 0.3261 in 2012. To reverse this, it's essential to align with President Xi Jinping's green ecological development framework and commit to a high-quality development pathway.

Originality/value

The connotation and extension of Xi Jinping's view of ecological development should be continuously studied in depth and enriched, with green development as the core idea to guide the correct direction of the high-quality development of the island. In this paper, it is suggested that researchers are supposed to focus on these problems, such as the changes of sea water quality, the reduction of urban greening, the continuous negative growth of population in island areas, the decline of forestry added value and air quality protection, so as to ensure the sustainable high-quality development of example islands.

Details

Marine Economics and Management, vol. 5 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2516-158X

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 13 August 2020

Sam McLeod, Carey Curtis and John Stone

Modelling has been a mainstay of conventional planning support tools (PSTs) since the 1960s and is instrumental in transport and land use planning decision-making. Numerous…

Abstract

Modelling has been a mainstay of conventional planning support tools (PSTs) since the 1960s and is instrumental in transport and land use planning decision-making. Numerous studies have been conducted to model the potential impacts of emerging vehicle automation and sharing technologies. A systematic review of recent modelling studies of autonomous and shared vehicles in the research literature examines the extent of their contribution to ‘smart’ mobility knowledge. The findings suggest a limited knowledge base from which to support future planning. PSTs that can offer more pluralistic, discursive, and transparent methods in order to understand and proactively shape a transition to a planned urban future are also needed.

Details

Shaping Smart Mobility Futures: Governance and Policy Instruments in times of Sustainability Transitions
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83982-651-1

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 22 March 2013

S. Abbasbandy and H. Roohani Ghehsareh

In this paper, an analysis is performed to find the solution of a nonlinear ordinary differential equation that appears in a model for MHD viscous flow caused by a shrinking sheet.

Abstract

Purpose

In this paper, an analysis is performed to find the solution of a nonlinear ordinary differential equation that appears in a model for MHD viscous flow caused by a shrinking sheet.

Design/methodology/approach

The cases of two dimensional and axisymmetric shrinking have been discussed. When the sheet is shrinking in the x‐direction, the analytical solutions are obtained by the Hankel‐Padé method. Comparison to exact solutions reveals reliability and high accuracy of the procedure, even in the case of multiple solutions. The case of sheet shrinking in the y‐direction is also considered, with success.

Findings

When the sheet shrinks in the x‐direction, the analytical solutions are obtained by Hankel‐Padé method. Also, when the sheet shrinks in the y‐direction, the obtained results with Hankel‐Padé method are presented.

Practical implications

Comparison to exact solutions reveals reliability and high accuracy of the procedure and convincingly could be used to obtain multiple solutions for certain parameter domains of this case of the governing nonlinear problem.

Originality/value

The numerical solutions are given for both two‐dimensional and axisymmetric shrinking sheets by using Hankel‐Padé method. It is clear that the Hankel‐Padé method is, by far, more simple, straightforward and gives reasonable results for large Hartman numbers and suction parameters.

Details

International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow, vol. 23 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0961-5539

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 18 May 2021

Shah Khalid, Shengli Wu and Fang Zhang

How to provide the most useful papers for searchers is a key issue for academic search engines. A lot of research has been carried out to address this problem. However, when…

Abstract

Purpose

How to provide the most useful papers for searchers is a key issue for academic search engines. A lot of research has been carried out to address this problem. However, when evaluating the effectiveness of an academic search engine, most of the previous investigations assume that the only concern of the user is the relevancy of the paper to the query. The authors believe that the usefulness of a paper is determined not only by its relevance to the query but also by other aspects including its publication age and impact in the research community. This is vital, especially when a large number of papers are relevant to the query.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper proposes a group of metrics to measure the usefulness of a ranked list of papers. When defining these metrics, three factors, including relevance, publication age and impact, are considered at the same time. To accommodate this, the authors propose a framework to rank papers by a combination of their relevance, publication age and impact scores.

Findings

The framework is evaluated with the ACL (Association for Computational Linguistics Anthology Network) dataset. It demonstrates that the proposed ranking algorithm is effective for improving usefulness when two or three aspects of academic papers are considered at the same time, while the relevance of the retrieved papers is slightly down compared with the relevance-only retrieval.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the proposed multi-objective academic search framework is the first of its kind that is proposed and evaluated with a group of new evaluation metrics.

Details

Data Technologies and Applications, vol. 55 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2514-9288

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 April 2022

Xiaoyan Jiang, Haoyu Sun, Kun Lu, Sainan Lyu and Martin Skitmore

In China, external supervision on construction safety mainly comes from the government and supervision engineers (SEs). However, the construction safety supervisory mechanism…

Abstract

Purpose

In China, external supervision on construction safety mainly comes from the government and supervision engineers (SEs). However, the construction safety supervisory mechanism (CSSM) contains some dilemmas affecting the improvement of safety performance, such as the declining impact of SEs, the increasing rent-seeking behaviors of contractor and excessive government interference. This study aims to depict and analyze the CSSM in China from an evolutionary game view. The objectives are to understand the supervision strategy and evolutionary behaviors of different stakeholders, propose suggestions for improving safety performance and help the key safety supervision stakeholders, especially the government, formulate a suitable safety supervision strategy.

Design/methodology/approach

This research uses tripartite dynamic evolutionary game theory to study the CSSM in China and solve the stable equilibrium solution using system dynamics.

Findings

This study has revealed the game relationship of construction safety supervision mechanisms in China and solved the stable equilibrium solution. The results prove that a supervision engineer (SE) plays a crucial role in the CSSM, and “supervision engineer useless” is an unreasonable assertion. For government supervision agency (GSA), excessive inspection and free-market regulation are neither wise strategies. GSA can reduce the inspection frequency when general contractors (GCs) input high safety investments and SEs implement responsible supervision. But keeping proper government supervision to avoid GC's unlawful behaviors and SE's rent-seeking is indispensable. In addition, excessive governmental supervision will weaken SE's role, so the government should transfer some supervision powers to SE.

Originality/value

This study focuses on the dynamic evolution process between GSA, GC and SE. This method is different from most research that neglected the dynamic characteristic of system and game solution stability. The research methods not only contribute to construction safety supervision policy-making in China but also help to improve supervision efficiency in other countries and other fields.

Article
Publication date: 25 February 2014

Xudong Chen, Na Hu, Xue Wang and Xiaofei Tang

The purpose of this study is to examine whether corporate tax avoidance behavior increases firm value in Chinese context. A large number of studies conduct their designs on the…

5905

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine whether corporate tax avoidance behavior increases firm value in Chinese context. A large number of studies conduct their designs on the consumption that tax avoidance represents wealth transfer from government to enterprises and therefore enhances firm value. This study argues that, contrast to developed countries, tax avoidance does not necessarily add value to opaque Chinese firms relative to transparent counterparts due to higher agency costs.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a large sample of Chinese listed-firms data for the period 2001-2009 and fixed effects regression model, this study examines the relation between tax avoidance and firm value. A series of robustness checks are conducted to alleviate the concern of endogeneity.

Findings

The authors find that tax avoidance behavior increases agency costs and reduces firm value. The authors further find that information transparency interacts with corporate tax avoidance, moderating the relation between tax avoidance and firm value. Investors in China react negatively to corporate tax avoidance behavior, but this negative reaction could be mitigated by information transparency. The results are robust to a series of alternative treatments, including varied measures, first-order differential approach and 2SLS.

Originality/value

The results suggest that tax avoidance does not necessarily increase firm value, part of gains are encroached by self-serving managers. Moreover, investors in China downplay the significance of tax avoidance, although corporate information transparency could soften their negative tone.

Details

Nankai Business Review International, vol. 5 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-8749

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 March 2024

Fei Hao, Adil Masud Aman and Chen Zhang

As technology increasingly integrates into the restaurant industry, avatar servers present a promising avenue for promoting healthier dining habits. Grounded in the halo effect…

Abstract

Purpose

As technology increasingly integrates into the restaurant industry, avatar servers present a promising avenue for promoting healthier dining habits. Grounded in the halo effect theory and social comparison theory, this study aims to delve into the influence of avatars' appearance, humor and persuasion on healthier choices and customer satisfaction.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper comprises three experimental studies. Study 1 manipulates avatar appearance (supermodel-looking vs normal-looking) to examine its effects on perceived attractiveness, warmth and relatability. These factors influence customer satisfaction and healthy food choices through the psychological mechanisms of social comparison and aspirational appeal. Studies 2 and 3 further refine this theoretical model by assessing the interplay of appearance with humor (presence vs absence) and persuasion (health-oriented vs beauty-oriented), respectively.

Findings

Results suggest that avatars resembling supermodels evoke stronger aspirational appeal and positive social comparison due to their attractiveness, thus bolstering healthier choices and customer satisfaction. Moreover, humor moderates the relationship between appearance and attractiveness, while persuasion moderates the effects of appearance on social comparison and aspirational appeal.

Research limitations/implications

This research bridges the halo effect theory and social comparison theory, offering insights enriching the academic discourse on technology’s role in hospitality.

Practical implications

The findings provide actionable insights for managers, tech developers and health advocates.

Originality/value

Despite its significance, avatar design research in the hospitality sector has been overlooked. This study addresses this gap, offering a guideline for crafting attractive and persuasive avatars.

Details

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-6119

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 April 2022

Pinsheng Duan and Jianliang Zhou

Near misses are important references for the construction industry to move toward zero injuries, and are of great significance in reducing accidents and improving safety…

Abstract

Purpose

Near misses are important references for the construction industry to move toward zero injuries, and are of great significance in reducing accidents and improving safety education. To fully improve the construction industry's understanding and standardize the management process of near-miss events, this paper describes a systematic review of the research front and intellectual basis of near-miss events based on scientometric technique and CiteSpace.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors reviewed and summarized the research wave and definitions of near-miss events in construction. The science mapping approach is used to conduct quantitative analyses of 120 relevant articles published between 2009 and 2019. Three research themes are identified via author analysis, keyword analysis and co-citation analysis: the construction of near-miss management systems, near-miss events research and characteristic research.

Findings

It is found that improving the data collection method to maximize the quality of near-miss reports, optimizing and verifying the event analysis model considering the characteristics of near-miss events in construction, establishing a more comprehensive framework for the analysis of near-miss events and building a highly inclusive technology integration platform are the four main development directions for the future.

Originality/value

According to Heinrich's law, incidents are mainly blamed on near-miss events such as workers' unsafe behaviors. Due to the complexity and variability of the construction site, near-miss events in construction may have different features. This article helps promote the understanding of near misses in academia, standardizing the management process of near-miss events, which is conducive to mining the potential value of such events in practice. Some insights into the research front and the intellectual base of near-miss research in construction are proposed.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 30 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 24 November 2022

Zhou Shi, Jiachang Gu, Yongcong Zhou and Ying Zhang

This study aims to research the development trend, research status, research results and existing problems of the steel–concrete composite joint of railway long-span hybrid girder…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to research the development trend, research status, research results and existing problems of the steel–concrete composite joint of railway long-span hybrid girder cable-stayed bridge.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the investigation and analysis of the development history, structure form, structural parameters, stress characteristics, shear connector stress state, force transmission mechanism, and fatigue performance, aiming at the steel–concrete composite joint of railway long-span hybrid girder cable-stayed bridge, the development trend, research status, research results and existing problems are expounded.

Findings

The shear-compression composite joint has become the main form in practice, featuring shortened length and simplified structure. The length of composite joints between 1.5 and 3.0 m has no significant effect on the stress and force transmission laws of the main girder. The reasonable thickness of the bearing plate is 40–70 mm. The calculation theory and simplified calculation formula of the overall bearing capacity, the nonuniformity and distribution laws of the shear connector, the force transferring ratio of steel and concrete components, the fatigue failure mechanism and structural parameters effects are the focus of the research study.

Originality/value

This study puts forward some suggestions and prospects for the structural design and theoretical research of the steel–concrete composite joint of railway long-span hybrid girder cable-stayed bridge.

Details

Railway Sciences, vol. 1 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2755-0907

Keywords

1 – 10 of over 8000