The advantages of a cloud computing service are cost advantages,availability,scalability,flexibility,reduced time to market,and dynamic access to computing resources.Enterprises can improve the successful adoption rate...The advantages of a cloud computing service are cost advantages,availability,scalability,flexibility,reduced time to market,and dynamic access to computing resources.Enterprises can improve the successful adoption rate of cloud computing services if they understand the critical factors.Tofind critical factors,this studyfirst reviewed the literature and established a three-layer hierarch-ical factor table for adopting a cloud computing service based on the Technology-Organization-Environment framework.Then,a hybrid method that combines two multi-criteria decision-making tools—called the Fuzzy Analytic Network Process method and the concept of VlseKriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje acceptable advantage—was used to objectively identify critical factors for the adop-tion of a cloud computing service,replacing the subjective decision of the authors.The results of this study determinedfive critical factors,namely data access secur-ity,information transmission security,senior management support,fallback cloud management,and employee acceptance.Finally,the paper presents thefindings and implications of the study.展开更多
The aim of this paper is to present through information collected via qualitative analysis in order to provide an alternative perspective to classify critical factors and their correlations in the processes of degrada...The aim of this paper is to present through information collected via qualitative analysis in order to provide an alternative perspective to classify critical factors and their correlations in the processes of degradation of river basins in countries in development in an ordered way.This study was started with a bibliographical review for gathering relevant information about the main factors,which was submitted to specialists and related professionals via survey developed in a format of answers on Likert scale,with the analyses of data from the respondents as well as their contribution within sample assembly exploratory factorial analysis and the charge factor item from the questionnaire with usage of polychoric correlation matrix with which it is proposed to establish the ordering of the factors relevance as well as their correlations through parametric statistical analysis with the usage of a generalized model of partial credit which belongs to the family of the models for polyatomic gradual answers to the item response theory(IRT)and the applying of cluster analysis(ICLUST)with the usage of both alpha and omega coefficient for the estimation of the variables group,with the R tool.As a result,the present study aims to establish a comprehension of the main factors for the ordering of the actions and attention of public and private sectors towards the preservation of urban river basins.展开更多
Food is one of the biggest industries in developed and underdeveloped countries. Supply chain sustainability is essential in established and emerging economies because of the rising acceptance of cost-based outsourcin...Food is one of the biggest industries in developed and underdeveloped countries. Supply chain sustainability is essential in established and emerging economies because of the rising acceptance of cost-based outsourcing and the growing technological, social, and environmental concerns. The food business faces serious sustainability and growth challenges in developing countries. A comprehensive analysis of the critical success factors (CSFs) influencing the performance outcome and the sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) process. A theoretical framework is established to explain how they are used to examine the organizational aspect of the food supply chain life cycle analysis. This study examined the CSFs and revealed the relationships between them using a methodology that included a review of literature, interpretative structural modeling (ISM), and cross-impact matrix multiplication applied in classification (MICMAC) tool analysis of soil liquefaction factors. The findings of this research demonstrate that the quality and safety of food are important factors and have a direct effect on other factors. To make sustainable food supply chain management more adequate, legislators, managers, and experts need to pay attention to this factor. In this work. It also shows that companies aiming to create a sustainable business model must make sustainability a fundamental tenet of their organization. Practitioners and managers may devise effective long-term plans for establishing a sustainable food supply chain utilizing the recommended methodology.展开更多
Certain wild animals represent sentinels to address issues related to environmental pollution,since they can provide integrative data on both pollutant exposure and biological effects.Despite their technological benef...Certain wild animals represent sentinels to address issues related to environmental pollution,since they can provide integrative data on both pollutant exposure and biological effects.Despite their technological benefits,PBDEs are considered a threat to environmental health due to their persistence,toxicity,and capacity to be accumulated.These pollutants have been found geographically widespread in fish,particularly in predator species such as trout.The aim of this work is to critically review the applicability and usefulness of wild trout for assessing PBDEs in freshwater environments.Reviewed reports include data from highly industrialized areas as well as areas from remote regions with relatively low human activity,including European and North American great lakes and freshwater environments in Europe,Greenland,subarctic areas and Patagonia,respectively.A summary of relevant factors were grouped into organism-specific factors(food habits,age,size,lipid content,sex and reproduction,tissue type,mechanism of contaminant uptake and metabolism),and PBDE levels in the surrounding environment(sediment).Five wild trout species[rainbow trout(Oncorhynchus mykiss),brown trout(Salmo trutta),lake trout(Salvelinus namaycush),arctic char(Salvelinus alpinus),and brook trout(Salvelinus fontinalis)],collected worldwide within the 1994 to present time frame,were considered.Multivariate techniques(principal component analysis-PCA)and mapping approach,showed clear differences in geographic distribution patterns of PBDE levels in trout depending on the region studied:wild trout from European and North American great lakes have the highest PBDE loads.This pattern could be due to high industrial activity at these locations.A correlational approach used to explore intraspecific relationships between PBDE levels and morphometry,showed positive relationships only for brown trout.Further,brown trout showed the highest trout-to-sediment ratios,which is suggestive of a relatively greater capacity of this species to accumulate PBDEs in relation to sediment levels.Overall,results suggest that adult wild trout could be useful as a PBDE bioindicator.展开更多
Manufacturing industries are facing challenges in the implementation of agile manufacturing in their products and processes. Agility is widely accepted as a new competitive concept in the manufacturing sector in fulfi...Manufacturing industries are facing challenges in the implementation of agile manufacturing in their products and processes. Agility is widely accepted as a new competitive concept in the manufacturing sector in fulfilling varying customer demand. Thus, evaluation of agile manufacturing in industries has become a necessity. The success of an organisation depends on its ability to manage finding the critical success factors and give them special and continued attention in order to bring about high performance. This paper proposes a set of critical success factors （CSFs） for evaluating agile manufacturing considered appropriate for the manufacturing sector. The analytical hierarchy process （AHP） method is applied for prioritizing the success factors, by summarizing the opinions of experts. It is believed that the proposed CSFs enable and assist manufacturing industries to achieve a higher performance in agile manufacturing so as to increase competitiveness.展开更多
In order to analyze the main critical engineering factors, an information-based rough set approach that considers conditional information entropy as a measurement of information has been developed. An algorithm for co...In order to analyze the main critical engineering factors, an information-based rough set approach that considers conditional information entropy as a measurement of information has been developed. An algorithm for continuous attribute discretization based on conditional information entropy and an algorithm for rule extraction considering the supports of rules are proposed. The initial decision system is established by collecting enough monitoring data. Then, the continuous attributes are discretized, and the condition attributes are reduced. Finally, the rules that indicate the action law of the main factors are extracted and the results are explained. By applying this approach to a crack in an arch gravity dam, it can be concluded that the water level and the temperature are the main factors affecting the crack opening, and there is a negative correlation between the crack opening and the temperature. This conclusion corresponds with the observation that cracks in most concrete dams are influenced mainly by water level and temperature, and the influence of temperature is more evident.展开更多
In improving the competitiveness of business organi sa tion in the 21st century, minimising cost and increasing productivity are no lon ger factors that could promise the success. The changes in customer trends whic h...In improving the competitiveness of business organi sa tion in the 21st century, minimising cost and increasing productivity are no lon ger factors that could promise the success. The changes in customer trends whic h focusing more on product or service customising, high quality and short delive ry times are additional crucial factors that organisation should be aware of. T hese factors have direct relations on how the management could utilise the capab ility of its supply chain management (SCM). The importance of SCM in organisati on specifically to manufacturer is to play a vital role in managing the flow of material and information along the chain from suppliers to customers. In a trad itional way, SCM is mainly manage by the production department in organisation b ut with the advancement in information technology, resulted the changes in worki ng environment. One of the ways that could be implemented in decision making p rocess in order to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the decision is t hrough collaborative environment. Due to this situation, there is a need to rede sign the existing SCM in order to optimise its capability and functionality in t he way to ensure the organisation competitiveness is sustainable. A minor or ma jor alignment to SCM business processes should be done in order to streamline th e flow of information, which could also affect the flow of materials. Factors s uch as SCM operational, structural and even its managerial are among the issues that are critical in redesigning its business process. Each of these factors has its own attributes such as lead-times, complexity, frequency and organisationa l setting that could lead in improving organisational competitiveness. In additi on, by identifying these factors, it would help the management to plan and desig n the collaborative SCM that would effectively correspond to the changes in busi ness and customer trends. The intention of the paper is to promote a list of fa ctors and attributes, which are critical in redesigning an existing SCM in order to shift its environment to become collaborative SCM. By utilising these facto rs and attributes, a model for redesigning SCM into collaborative environment is currently developed by the author and will be used in the next stage of his res earch.展开更多
This study suggests a theoretical component to the thus far proposed explanations of what makes a startup incubator successful in enabling entrepreneurial activity. Departing from a traditional focus on industry- and ...This study suggests a theoretical component to the thus far proposed explanations of what makes a startup incubator successful in enabling entrepreneurial activity. Departing from a traditional focus on industry- and nation-wide resources, we develop a framework of the critical success factors for a startup incubator and a scoring mechanism to evaluate the success of existing startup incubators using these factors. We score a selection of American and European incubators using the developed scoring mechanism and comparatively benchmark the European incubators against the American ones to identify areas for improvement. Our findings suggest that European incubators, while relatively strong overall, can look to and learn from their American counterparts in certain areas. Importantly, these improvement areas are not specific to characteristics of any individual European incubator, but to European incubators overall. Finally, we aim to expand this study to other entrepreneurship hubs worldwide and we outline a plan of action to enable this expansion.展开更多
In the last years, most of the leader companies have advantages of their CRM （customer relationship management） systems in order to improve their market share. These companies implement CRM systems to get loyal cust...In the last years, most of the leader companies have advantages of their CRM （customer relationship management） systems in order to improve their market share. These companies implement CRM systems to get loyal customer portfolio and maintain the sustainability of it. While they are building CRM strategies, they try to catch business excellence results like valuable marketing opportunities, improve customer value and customer satisfaction. CRM gained prominence as a marketing sub-discipline in the 1990s, fueled by publications like The One to One Future and The Loyalty Effect. Some studies were especially powerful in highlighting the gap between the cost of acquiring customers and retaining them. The quest for competitive advantage and profitability triggered a rush to implement CRM programs in enterprises both large and small in all comers of the globe. Different kinds of studies show that there are some key components which play a critical role in gaining success for companies which use CRM applications. At this situation, these key components are named as critical success factors. Purpose of this study is to find out that how these critical success factors affect results which show company performance. On this direction, critical success factors are defined as independent variable and company performance is defined as dependent variable. A supportive model is suggested. In order to verify proposed model, hypotheses are developed and a survey is applied in automotive sales agents in Turkey. The study is completed with survey results.展开更多
E-business develops rapidly and attracts a large number of merchants and consumers in the past 20 years.Meanwhile,the debate over e-business mode and its critical success factors(CSFs)is a research hotspot in the indu...E-business develops rapidly and attracts a large number of merchants and consumers in the past 20 years.Meanwhile,the debate over e-business mode and its critical success factors(CSFs)is a research hotspot in the industry and the academia.In this study,we propose the CSFs framework of self-run e-business by combining systematic literature review,resource orchestration theory,and empirical firm survey.The quantitative method of content analysis is targeted at the interview data received from 90 managers of JD.com by software NVivo 11.We construct a self-run e-business CSFs framework and find out that the CSFs of self-run e-business are products,organization,and supply chain,respectively.In addition,this study compares different characteristics and their impact on performance in platform-type and self-run e-businesses.Firm managers can derive a better understanding and measurement of e-business activities.展开更多
Al-Mg-Mn-Sc-Zr alloys with excellent weldability have emerged as ideal candidates for aerospace applications.Currently,the investigations on the corrosion behavior of alloys under tungsten inert gas(TIG)welding condit...Al-Mg-Mn-Sc-Zr alloys with excellent weldability have emerged as ideal candidates for aerospace applications.Currently,the investigations on the corrosion behavior of alloys under tungsten inert gas(TIG)welding conditions are insufficient.Here,the stress corrosion cracking(SCC)behavior of base metal(BM)and weld zone(WZ)of TIG welded Al-Mg-Mn-Sc-Zr alloys was investigated by using pre-cracked compact tensile samples immersed in 3.5%NaCl solution.The direct current potential drop(DCPD)method was used to record the crack propagation.The microstructure and fracture morphology of different regions of TIG welded joints were studied by SEM,EBSD and TEM,and the SCC crack propagation mechanism of BM and WZ was analyzed.The results demonstrated that the critical stress intensity factor for stress corrosion cracking(K_(ⅠSCC))of BM and WZ was 7.05 MPa·m_(1/2) and 11.79 MPa·m_(1/2),respectively.Then,the crack propagation rate of BM was faster than that of WZ,and BM was more susceptible to SCC than WZ.Additionally,the fracture mode of the BM mainly exhibited transgranular fracture,while the fracture mode of the WZ mainly exhibited intergranular and transgranular mixed fracture.Moreover,SCC crack propagation was attributed to the combined effect of anodic dissolution and hydrogen embrittlement.This study will provide experimental and theoretical basis for the wide application of TIG welded Al-Mg-Mn-Sc-Zr alloys in aerospace.展开更多
Objective： To investigate the risk factors related to the development of pressure sores in critically ill surgical patients and to establish a basis for the formulation of effective precautions. Methods： A questionn...Objective： To investigate the risk factors related to the development of pressure sores in critically ill surgical patients and to establish a basis for the formulation of effective precautions. Methods： A questionnaire regarding the factors for pressure sores in critically ill surgical patients was created using a case control study with reference to the pertinent literature. After being exam- ined and validated by experts, the questionnaire was used to collect data about critically ill surgical patients in a grade A tertiary hospital. Among the 47 patients enrolled into the study, the 14 who developed nosocomial pressure sores were allocated to the pressure sore group, and the remaining 33 patients who met the inclusion criteria and did not exhibit pressure sores were allocated to the control group. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were employed to examine the differences in 22 indicators between the two groups in an attempt to identify the risk factors for pressure sores. Results： According to the univariate analyses, the maximum value of lactic acid in the arterial blood, the number of days of norepinephrine use, the number of days of mechanical ventilation, the number of days of blood purification, and the number of days of bowel incontinence were statistically greater in the pressure sore group than in the control group （P〈0.05）. The multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the number of days of norepinephrine use and the level of lactic acid in the arterial blood were high risk-factors for pressure sores （P〈0.05）. Conclusions： The best method for preventing and control pressure sores in surgical critically ill patients is to strongly emphasize the duration of the critical status and to give special attention to patients in a continuous state of shock. The adoption of measures specific to high-risk patient groups and risk factors, including the active control of primary diseases and the application of decompression measures during the treatment of the patients, are helpful for improving the quality of care in the prevention and control of pressure sores in critically ill patients.展开更多
Supercritical carbon dioxide（SC-CO2 ） is considered in green chemistry as a substitute for conventional solvents in chemical reactions due to its environmentally benign character. Recently we have reported the homog...Supercritical carbon dioxide（SC-CO2 ） is considered in green chemistry as a substitute for conventional solvents in chemical reactions due to its environmentally benign character. Recently we have reported the homogeneous hydroformylation of propylene in supercritical carbon dioxide（ SC-CO2 ） , which is an example of this kind of application of carbon dioxide. The determination for the critical parameters of carbon dioxide ＋ butyraldehyde mixtures is necessary for this reaction design which is the focus of the present paper. The critical parameters of the binary systems were determined via the static visual method at a constant volume with the molar fraction of butyraldehyde ranging from 1.0% to 2. 2% and the pressure ranging from 5 to 10 MPa. The experimental results show that the critical pressure and temperature increased with increasing the molar fraction of butyraldehyde. The bubble（dew） temperatures and the bubble （dew） pressures for the binary systems were also determined experimentally. The p-T Figures at different compositions of the binary systems were described. In addition, the critical compressibility factors Zc of the binary systems at different concentrations of n-butyraldehyde were calculated. It was found that the critical compressibility factor values of the binary systems decreased with increasing the molar fraction of n-butyraldehyde in the experimental range.展开更多
The purpose of this paper is to provide a structured literature review of cross-border e-logistics research,uncover existing gaps and opportunities,try to find practical strategies to balance logistics costs and servi...The purpose of this paper is to provide a structured literature review of cross-border e-logistics research,uncover existing gaps and opportunities,try to find practical strategies to balance logistics costs and service levels,and improve logistics efficiency and customer satisfaction for future cross-border e-logistics research.Meanwhile this paper also uses the real data to test the tradeoff between transportation and warehousing cost.In addition,regression empirical analysis is used to make up for the lack of empirical drawbacks of many articles in the field and the result can be instructive and referential for cross-border e-commerce enterprises to make decisions on weighing logistics cost and service level to improve logistics efficiency.展开更多
This paper investigates the temperature and loading rate dependencies of the critical stress intensity fac-tor(KIC)for dislocation nucleation at crack tips.We develop a new KIC formula with a generalized form by incor...This paper investigates the temperature and loading rate dependencies of the critical stress intensity fac-tor(KIC)for dislocation nucleation at crack tips.We develop a new KIC formula with a generalized form by incorporating the atomistic reaction pathway analysis into Transition State Theory(TST),which cap-tures the KIC of the first dislocation nucleation event at crack tips and its sensitivity to temperature and loading rates.We use this formula and atomistic modeling information to specifically calculate the KIC for quasi-two-dimensional crack tips located at various slant twin boundaries in nano-twinned TiAl al-loys across a wide range of temperatures and strain rates.Our findings reveal that twinning dislocation nucleation at the crack tip dominates crack propagation when twin boundaries(TBs)are tilted at 15.79°and 29.5°.Conversely,when TBs tilt at 45.29°,54.74°,and 70.53°,dislocation slip becomes the preferred mode.Additionally,at TB tilts of 29.5°and 70.53°,at higher temperatures above 800 K and typical exper-imental loading rates,both dislocation nucleation modes can be activated with nearly equal probability.This observation is particularly significant as it highlights scenarios that molecular dynamics simulations,due to their time scale limitations,cannot adequately explore.This insight underscores the importance of analyzing temperature and loading rate dependencies of the KIC to fully understand the competing mechanisms of dislocation nucleation and their impact on material behavior.展开更多
The present economical conditions on today＇s world require specific point of view and policy making in business agencies. In this competitive world to achieve competence, competitive advantages in order to better gov...The present economical conditions on today＇s world require specific point of view and policy making in business agencies. In this competitive world to achieve competence, competitive advantages in order to better governance, organizations have to increase their competitive powers through promotion and productivity. One of the fundamental approaches to elevate the productivity level is finding the complications and obstacles, and arise planning to remove them. In order to understand organizational complication, we have tried to take critical factors of success and continue improvement into consideration to demonstrate a model to find the main and radical problems and complications and recognize the recoverable areas in the business agencies. In order to verify and validate the performed research, he planned model has been accomplished in the Hydropower Plant Department, positive and acceptable results were obtained and organizations total factor productivity improvement was achieved which was appreciated by the organization.展开更多
The development of urban underground space(UUS)is of great significance for sustainable urban development because it has potential to solve many urban problems.However,the development of UUS is limited because there a...The development of urban underground space(UUS)is of great significance for sustainable urban development because it has potential to solve many urban problems.However,the development of UUS is limited because there are still a lot of constraints and challenges.To better understand the constraining factors of developing UUS and improve the development and utilization of UUS,this study conducts a comprehensive survey of existing literature retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection database.Five main constraining factors,including the limited geological conditions,high cost,lack of natural light and ventilation,high incidence,and difficulty in collecting data and information on UUS,have been discussed to better understand how they affect the development of UUS.Based on the survey,the critical success factors of developing UUS,such as the effective governance structure,planning system for integrating UUS into urban development,coordination of the design of ground and underground,delineation of land property rights of UUS,and application of information techniques in the use of UUS,have been identified and discussed.In addition,knowledge gaps in the studies on development of UUS have been identified.Finally,the research trends and future directions have been proposed for better understanding and practice of UUS development.展开更多
Industry 4.0 is expected to play a crucial role in improving energy management and personnel performance in power plants.Poor performance problem in maintaining power plants is the result of both human errors,human fa...Industry 4.0 is expected to play a crucial role in improving energy management and personnel performance in power plants.Poor performance problem in maintaining power plants is the result of both human errors,human factors and the poor implementation of automation in energy management.This problem can potentially be solved using artificial intelligence(AI)and an integrated management system(IMS).This article investigates the current challenges to improving personnel and energy management performance in power plants,identifies the critical success factors(CSFs)for an integrated intelligent framework,and develops an intelligent framework that enables power plants to improve performance.The theoretical basis is founded on a systematic literature review to locate 110 out of 3108 papers studied carefully to examine the performance architecture that best enables effective maintenance.The findings from this literature review are combined with expert judgment and the big data advantages of AI applications to develop an intelligent model.Data are collected from a power plant in Iraq.To ensure the reliability of the proposed model,various hypotheses are tested using structural equation modeling.The results confirm that the measurement model is acceptable,and that the hypotheses are supported and significant.A case study demonstrates the strong relationship and significance between big data of performance and the CSFs.It is hoped that this model will be adopted to enable performance improvement in power plants.展开更多
基金supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology(MOST),Taiwan,R.O.C.(104-2410-H-327-024-).
文摘The advantages of a cloud computing service are cost advantages,availability,scalability,flexibility,reduced time to market,and dynamic access to computing resources.Enterprises can improve the successful adoption rate of cloud computing services if they understand the critical factors.Tofind critical factors,this studyfirst reviewed the literature and established a three-layer hierarch-ical factor table for adopting a cloud computing service based on the Technology-Organization-Environment framework.Then,a hybrid method that combines two multi-criteria decision-making tools—called the Fuzzy Analytic Network Process method and the concept of VlseKriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje acceptable advantage—was used to objectively identify critical factors for the adop-tion of a cloud computing service,replacing the subjective decision of the authors.The results of this study determinedfive critical factors,namely data access secur-ity,information transmission security,senior management support,fallback cloud management,and employee acceptance.Finally,the paper presents thefindings and implications of the study.
文摘The aim of this paper is to present through information collected via qualitative analysis in order to provide an alternative perspective to classify critical factors and their correlations in the processes of degradation of river basins in countries in development in an ordered way.This study was started with a bibliographical review for gathering relevant information about the main factors,which was submitted to specialists and related professionals via survey developed in a format of answers on Likert scale,with the analyses of data from the respondents as well as their contribution within sample assembly exploratory factorial analysis and the charge factor item from the questionnaire with usage of polychoric correlation matrix with which it is proposed to establish the ordering of the factors relevance as well as their correlations through parametric statistical analysis with the usage of a generalized model of partial credit which belongs to the family of the models for polyatomic gradual answers to the item response theory(IRT)and the applying of cluster analysis(ICLUST)with the usage of both alpha and omega coefficient for the estimation of the variables group,with the R tool.As a result,the present study aims to establish a comprehension of the main factors for the ordering of the actions and attention of public and private sectors towards the preservation of urban river basins.
文摘Food is one of the biggest industries in developed and underdeveloped countries. Supply chain sustainability is essential in established and emerging economies because of the rising acceptance of cost-based outsourcing and the growing technological, social, and environmental concerns. The food business faces serious sustainability and growth challenges in developing countries. A comprehensive analysis of the critical success factors (CSFs) influencing the performance outcome and the sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) process. A theoretical framework is established to explain how they are used to examine the organizational aspect of the food supply chain life cycle analysis. This study examined the CSFs and revealed the relationships between them using a methodology that included a review of literature, interpretative structural modeling (ISM), and cross-impact matrix multiplication applied in classification (MICMAC) tool analysis of soil liquefaction factors. The findings of this research demonstrate that the quality and safety of food are important factors and have a direct effect on other factors. To make sustainable food supply chain management more adequate, legislators, managers, and experts need to pay attention to this factor. In this work. It also shows that companies aiming to create a sustainable business model must make sustainability a fundamental tenet of their organization. Practitioners and managers may devise effective long-term plans for establishing a sustainable food supply chain utilizing the recommended methodology.
基金supported by Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científica y Técnicas,Agencia Nacional de Promociòn Científica y Tecnològica,Universidad Nacional de Cuyo,and Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.
文摘Certain wild animals represent sentinels to address issues related to environmental pollution,since they can provide integrative data on both pollutant exposure and biological effects.Despite their technological benefits,PBDEs are considered a threat to environmental health due to their persistence,toxicity,and capacity to be accumulated.These pollutants have been found geographically widespread in fish,particularly in predator species such as trout.The aim of this work is to critically review the applicability and usefulness of wild trout for assessing PBDEs in freshwater environments.Reviewed reports include data from highly industrialized areas as well as areas from remote regions with relatively low human activity,including European and North American great lakes and freshwater environments in Europe,Greenland,subarctic areas and Patagonia,respectively.A summary of relevant factors were grouped into organism-specific factors(food habits,age,size,lipid content,sex and reproduction,tissue type,mechanism of contaminant uptake and metabolism),and PBDE levels in the surrounding environment(sediment).Five wild trout species[rainbow trout(Oncorhynchus mykiss),brown trout(Salmo trutta),lake trout(Salvelinus namaycush),arctic char(Salvelinus alpinus),and brook trout(Salvelinus fontinalis)],collected worldwide within the 1994 to present time frame,were considered.Multivariate techniques(principal component analysis-PCA)and mapping approach,showed clear differences in geographic distribution patterns of PBDE levels in trout depending on the region studied:wild trout from European and North American great lakes have the highest PBDE loads.This pattern could be due to high industrial activity at these locations.A correlational approach used to explore intraspecific relationships between PBDE levels and morphometry,showed positive relationships only for brown trout.Further,brown trout showed the highest trout-to-sediment ratios,which is suggestive of a relatively greater capacity of this species to accumulate PBDEs in relation to sediment levels.Overall,results suggest that adult wild trout could be useful as a PBDE bioindicator.
基金Supported by Anna University,Chennai for the funding done under DST PURSE Ⅱ–Junior Research Fellowship 9500/PD2/2014,Dated24.03.2015
文摘Manufacturing industries are facing challenges in the implementation of agile manufacturing in their products and processes. Agility is widely accepted as a new competitive concept in the manufacturing sector in fulfilling varying customer demand. Thus, evaluation of agile manufacturing in industries has become a necessity. The success of an organisation depends on its ability to manage finding the critical success factors and give them special and continued attention in order to bring about high performance. This paper proposes a set of critical success factors （CSFs） for evaluating agile manufacturing considered appropriate for the manufacturing sector. The analytical hierarchy process （AHP） method is applied for prioritizing the success factors, by summarizing the opinions of experts. It is believed that the proposed CSFs enable and assist manufacturing industries to achieve a higher performance in agile manufacturing so as to increase competitiveness.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 50539010 and 50579010)the Ertan Hydropower Development Company Joint Research Project (Grant No. 50539030-1-3)
文摘In order to analyze the main critical engineering factors, an information-based rough set approach that considers conditional information entropy as a measurement of information has been developed. An algorithm for continuous attribute discretization based on conditional information entropy and an algorithm for rule extraction considering the supports of rules are proposed. The initial decision system is established by collecting enough monitoring data. Then, the continuous attributes are discretized, and the condition attributes are reduced. Finally, the rules that indicate the action law of the main factors are extracted and the results are explained. By applying this approach to a crack in an arch gravity dam, it can be concluded that the water level and the temperature are the main factors affecting the crack opening, and there is a negative correlation between the crack opening and the temperature. This conclusion corresponds with the observation that cracks in most concrete dams are influenced mainly by water level and temperature, and the influence of temperature is more evident.
文摘In improving the competitiveness of business organi sa tion in the 21st century, minimising cost and increasing productivity are no lon ger factors that could promise the success. The changes in customer trends whic h focusing more on product or service customising, high quality and short delive ry times are additional crucial factors that organisation should be aware of. T hese factors have direct relations on how the management could utilise the capab ility of its supply chain management (SCM). The importance of SCM in organisati on specifically to manufacturer is to play a vital role in managing the flow of material and information along the chain from suppliers to customers. In a trad itional way, SCM is mainly manage by the production department in organisation b ut with the advancement in information technology, resulted the changes in worki ng environment. One of the ways that could be implemented in decision making p rocess in order to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the decision is t hrough collaborative environment. Due to this situation, there is a need to rede sign the existing SCM in order to optimise its capability and functionality in t he way to ensure the organisation competitiveness is sustainable. A minor or ma jor alignment to SCM business processes should be done in order to streamline th e flow of information, which could also affect the flow of materials. Factors s uch as SCM operational, structural and even its managerial are among the issues that are critical in redesigning its business process. Each of these factors has its own attributes such as lead-times, complexity, frequency and organisationa l setting that could lead in improving organisational competitiveness. In additi on, by identifying these factors, it would help the management to plan and desig n the collaborative SCM that would effectively correspond to the changes in busi ness and customer trends. The intention of the paper is to promote a list of fa ctors and attributes, which are critical in redesigning an existing SCM in order to shift its environment to become collaborative SCM. By utilising these facto rs and attributes, a model for redesigning SCM into collaborative environment is currently developed by the author and will be used in the next stage of his res earch.
文摘This study suggests a theoretical component to the thus far proposed explanations of what makes a startup incubator successful in enabling entrepreneurial activity. Departing from a traditional focus on industry- and nation-wide resources, we develop a framework of the critical success factors for a startup incubator and a scoring mechanism to evaluate the success of existing startup incubators using these factors. We score a selection of American and European incubators using the developed scoring mechanism and comparatively benchmark the European incubators against the American ones to identify areas for improvement. Our findings suggest that European incubators, while relatively strong overall, can look to and learn from their American counterparts in certain areas. Importantly, these improvement areas are not specific to characteristics of any individual European incubator, but to European incubators overall. Finally, we aim to expand this study to other entrepreneurship hubs worldwide and we outline a plan of action to enable this expansion.
文摘In the last years, most of the leader companies have advantages of their CRM （customer relationship management） systems in order to improve their market share. These companies implement CRM systems to get loyal customer portfolio and maintain the sustainability of it. While they are building CRM strategies, they try to catch business excellence results like valuable marketing opportunities, improve customer value and customer satisfaction. CRM gained prominence as a marketing sub-discipline in the 1990s, fueled by publications like The One to One Future and The Loyalty Effect. Some studies were especially powerful in highlighting the gap between the cost of acquiring customers and retaining them. The quest for competitive advantage and profitability triggered a rush to implement CRM programs in enterprises both large and small in all comers of the globe. Different kinds of studies show that there are some key components which play a critical role in gaining success for companies which use CRM applications. At this situation, these key components are named as critical success factors. Purpose of this study is to find out that how these critical success factors affect results which show company performance. On this direction, critical success factors are defined as independent variable and company performance is defined as dependent variable. A supportive model is suggested. In order to verify proposed model, hypotheses are developed and a survey is applied in automotive sales agents in Turkey. The study is completed with survey results.
基金supported in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(2020187)the China Futures Association 17th Joint Research Project(2024370050)+1 种基金the Jinling Institute of Technology High-level Talent Research Fund Project(JIT-B-202404)the Anhui Huishang Futures Technology Center Incubation Project(HSQHBSHZ2023-02).
文摘E-business develops rapidly and attracts a large number of merchants and consumers in the past 20 years.Meanwhile,the debate over e-business mode and its critical success factors(CSFs)is a research hotspot in the industry and the academia.In this study,we propose the CSFs framework of self-run e-business by combining systematic literature review,resource orchestration theory,and empirical firm survey.The quantitative method of content analysis is targeted at the interview data received from 90 managers of JD.com by software NVivo 11.We construct a self-run e-business CSFs framework and find out that the CSFs of self-run e-business are products,organization,and supply chain,respectively.In addition,this study compares different characteristics and their impact on performance in platform-type and self-run e-businesses.Firm managers can derive a better understanding and measurement of e-business activities.
基金Project (2023GK1080) supported by the Major Special Projects of Hunan Province of China。
文摘Al-Mg-Mn-Sc-Zr alloys with excellent weldability have emerged as ideal candidates for aerospace applications.Currently,the investigations on the corrosion behavior of alloys under tungsten inert gas(TIG)welding conditions are insufficient.Here,the stress corrosion cracking(SCC)behavior of base metal(BM)and weld zone(WZ)of TIG welded Al-Mg-Mn-Sc-Zr alloys was investigated by using pre-cracked compact tensile samples immersed in 3.5%NaCl solution.The direct current potential drop(DCPD)method was used to record the crack propagation.The microstructure and fracture morphology of different regions of TIG welded joints were studied by SEM,EBSD and TEM,and the SCC crack propagation mechanism of BM and WZ was analyzed.The results demonstrated that the critical stress intensity factor for stress corrosion cracking(K_(ⅠSCC))of BM and WZ was 7.05 MPa·m_(1/2) and 11.79 MPa·m_(1/2),respectively.Then,the crack propagation rate of BM was faster than that of WZ,and BM was more susceptible to SCC than WZ.Additionally,the fracture mode of the BM mainly exhibited transgranular fracture,while the fracture mode of the WZ mainly exhibited intergranular and transgranular mixed fracture.Moreover,SCC crack propagation was attributed to the combined effect of anodic dissolution and hydrogen embrittlement.This study will provide experimental and theoretical basis for the wide application of TIG welded Al-Mg-Mn-Sc-Zr alloys in aerospace.
文摘Objective： To investigate the risk factors related to the development of pressure sores in critically ill surgical patients and to establish a basis for the formulation of effective precautions. Methods： A questionnaire regarding the factors for pressure sores in critically ill surgical patients was created using a case control study with reference to the pertinent literature. After being exam- ined and validated by experts, the questionnaire was used to collect data about critically ill surgical patients in a grade A tertiary hospital. Among the 47 patients enrolled into the study, the 14 who developed nosocomial pressure sores were allocated to the pressure sore group, and the remaining 33 patients who met the inclusion criteria and did not exhibit pressure sores were allocated to the control group. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were employed to examine the differences in 22 indicators between the two groups in an attempt to identify the risk factors for pressure sores. Results： According to the univariate analyses, the maximum value of lactic acid in the arterial blood, the number of days of norepinephrine use, the number of days of mechanical ventilation, the number of days of blood purification, and the number of days of bowel incontinence were statistically greater in the pressure sore group than in the control group （P〈0.05）. The multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the number of days of norepinephrine use and the level of lactic acid in the arterial blood were high risk-factors for pressure sores （P〈0.05）. Conclusions： The best method for preventing and control pressure sores in surgical critically ill patients is to strongly emphasize the duration of the critical status and to give special attention to patients in a continuous state of shock. The adoption of measures specific to high-risk patient groups and risk factors, including the active control of primary diseases and the application of decompression measures during the treatment of the patients, are helpful for improving the quality of care in the prevention and control of pressure sores in critically ill patients.
文摘Supercritical carbon dioxide（SC-CO2 ） is considered in green chemistry as a substitute for conventional solvents in chemical reactions due to its environmentally benign character. Recently we have reported the homogeneous hydroformylation of propylene in supercritical carbon dioxide（ SC-CO2 ） , which is an example of this kind of application of carbon dioxide. The determination for the critical parameters of carbon dioxide ＋ butyraldehyde mixtures is necessary for this reaction design which is the focus of the present paper. The critical parameters of the binary systems were determined via the static visual method at a constant volume with the molar fraction of butyraldehyde ranging from 1.0% to 2. 2% and the pressure ranging from 5 to 10 MPa. The experimental results show that the critical pressure and temperature increased with increasing the molar fraction of butyraldehyde. The bubble（dew） temperatures and the bubble （dew） pressures for the binary systems were also determined experimentally. The p-T Figures at different compositions of the binary systems were described. In addition, the critical compressibility factors Zc of the binary systems at different concentrations of n-butyraldehyde were calculated. It was found that the critical compressibility factor values of the binary systems decreased with increasing the molar fraction of n-butyraldehyde in the experimental range.
文摘The purpose of this paper is to provide a structured literature review of cross-border e-logistics research,uncover existing gaps and opportunities,try to find practical strategies to balance logistics costs and service levels,and improve logistics efficiency and customer satisfaction for future cross-border e-logistics research.Meanwhile this paper also uses the real data to test the tradeoff between transportation and warehousing cost.In addition,regression empirical analysis is used to make up for the lack of empirical drawbacks of many articles in the field and the result can be instructive and referential for cross-border e-commerce enterprises to make decisions on weighing logistics cost and service level to improve logistics efficiency.
基金supported by the China Scholarship Council(Grant No.202007865002)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.51865027,52065036,and 52065037)+2 种基金the Educational Unveiling Leadership Project of Gansu Province of China(Grant No.2021jyjbgs01)the support by JSPS KAKENHI(Grant No.JP23K20037)MEXT Programs(Grant Nos.JPMXP1122684766,JPMXP1020230325,and JPMXP1020230327).
文摘This paper investigates the temperature and loading rate dependencies of the critical stress intensity fac-tor(KIC)for dislocation nucleation at crack tips.We develop a new KIC formula with a generalized form by incorporating the atomistic reaction pathway analysis into Transition State Theory(TST),which cap-tures the KIC of the first dislocation nucleation event at crack tips and its sensitivity to temperature and loading rates.We use this formula and atomistic modeling information to specifically calculate the KIC for quasi-two-dimensional crack tips located at various slant twin boundaries in nano-twinned TiAl al-loys across a wide range of temperatures and strain rates.Our findings reveal that twinning dislocation nucleation at the crack tip dominates crack propagation when twin boundaries(TBs)are tilted at 15.79°and 29.5°.Conversely,when TBs tilt at 45.29°,54.74°,and 70.53°,dislocation slip becomes the preferred mode.Additionally,at TB tilts of 29.5°and 70.53°,at higher temperatures above 800 K and typical exper-imental loading rates,both dislocation nucleation modes can be activated with nearly equal probability.This observation is particularly significant as it highlights scenarios that molecular dynamics simulations,due to their time scale limitations,cannot adequately explore.This insight underscores the importance of analyzing temperature and loading rate dependencies of the KIC to fully understand the competing mechanisms of dislocation nucleation and their impact on material behavior.
文摘The present economical conditions on today＇s world require specific point of view and policy making in business agencies. In this competitive world to achieve competence, competitive advantages in order to better governance, organizations have to increase their competitive powers through promotion and productivity. One of the fundamental approaches to elevate the productivity level is finding the complications and obstacles, and arise planning to remove them. In order to understand organizational complication, we have tried to take critical factors of success and continue improvement into consideration to demonstrate a model to find the main and radical problems and complications and recognize the recoverable areas in the business agencies. In order to verify and validate the performed research, he planned model has been accomplished in the Hydropower Plant Department, positive and acceptable results were obtained and organizations total factor productivity improvement was achieved which was appreciated by the organization.
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.51938008 and 52090084).
文摘The development of urban underground space(UUS)is of great significance for sustainable urban development because it has potential to solve many urban problems.However,the development of UUS is limited because there are still a lot of constraints and challenges.To better understand the constraining factors of developing UUS and improve the development and utilization of UUS,this study conducts a comprehensive survey of existing literature retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection database.Five main constraining factors,including the limited geological conditions,high cost,lack of natural light and ventilation,high incidence,and difficulty in collecting data and information on UUS,have been discussed to better understand how they affect the development of UUS.Based on the survey,the critical success factors of developing UUS,such as the effective governance structure,planning system for integrating UUS into urban development,coordination of the design of ground and underground,delineation of land property rights of UUS,and application of information techniques in the use of UUS,have been identified and discussed.In addition,knowledge gaps in the studies on development of UUS have been identified.Finally,the research trends and future directions have been proposed for better understanding and practice of UUS development.
基金This work was supported/funded by the Ministry of Higher Education/University of Technology Malaysia under the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme(FRGS/1/2019/TK08/UTM/02/4).
文摘Industry 4.0 is expected to play a crucial role in improving energy management and personnel performance in power plants.Poor performance problem in maintaining power plants is the result of both human errors,human factors and the poor implementation of automation in energy management.This problem can potentially be solved using artificial intelligence(AI)and an integrated management system(IMS).This article investigates the current challenges to improving personnel and energy management performance in power plants,identifies the critical success factors(CSFs)for an integrated intelligent framework,and develops an intelligent framework that enables power plants to improve performance.The theoretical basis is founded on a systematic literature review to locate 110 out of 3108 papers studied carefully to examine the performance architecture that best enables effective maintenance.The findings from this literature review are combined with expert judgment and the big data advantages of AI applications to develop an intelligent model.Data are collected from a power plant in Iraq.To ensure the reliability of the proposed model,various hypotheses are tested using structural equation modeling.The results confirm that the measurement model is acceptable,and that the hypotheses are supported and significant.A case study demonstrates the strong relationship and significance between big data of performance and the CSFs.It is hoped that this model will be adopted to enable performance improvement in power plants.
