Enterprise Systems and Blockchain Technology: The Dormant Potentials

This paper surveys the current status of blockchain technologies integration and its potentials with enterprise systems’ (ES). The blockchain technology has received substantial attention since the recent cryptocurrency-boom. The corporate world seeks to stay on the blockchain-train by exploring how they can benefit from the evolving technology and platforms. Hence, this research explores the capabilities and potentials of blockchain technology illustrated in the extant literature and investigates how it can reinforce, and be integrated with enterprise systems through semi-structured interviews with subject matter experts. The literature and collected data were classified into four components of blockchain technologies; identity, assets, logistics, and transactions. Our main findings suggest that there is scarce literature on blockchain integration with ES. Nevertheless, there is a huge potential for this integration, specifically on the transactions, identity, and logistics dimensions. In addition, our interview results suggest that blockchains can reinforce ES by accomplishing a single source of truth, and a common environment for shared information amongst a larger scope of actors and organizations.publishedVersio

Internal agent states : experiments using the swarm leader concept

In recent years, an understanding of the operating principles and stability of natural swarms has proven to be a useful tool for the design and control of artificial robotic agents. Many robotic systems, whose design or control principals are inspired by behavioural aspects of real biological systems such as leader-follower relationship, have been developed. We introduced an algorithm which successfully enhances the navigation performance of a swarm of robots using the swarm leader concept. This paper presents some applications based on that work using the simulations and experimental implementation using a swarming behaviour test-bed at the University of Strathclyde. Experimental and simulation results match closely in a way that confirms the efficiency of the algorithm as well as its applicability

Solving the potential field local minimum problem using internal agent states

We propose a new, extended artificial potential field method, which uses dynamic internal agent states. The internal states are modelled as a dynamical system of coupled first order differential equations that manipulate the potential field in which the agent is situated. The internal state dynamics are forced by the interaction of the agent with the external environment. Local equilibria in the potential field are then manipulated by the internal states and transformed from stable equilibria to unstable equilibria, allowiong escape from local minima in the potential field. This new methodology successfully solves reactive path planning problems, such as a complex maze with multiple local minima, which cannot be solved using conventional static potential fields

Tourism Planning and Impediments to the Development of the Tourism Sector in Jordan

The study aimed at identifying the level of tourism planning impediments to the development of the tourism sector in Jordan. To achieve the objectives of the study, the descriptive analytical approach was used and a questionnaire was prepared to collect data after verifying their validity and stability. The study sample consisted of 500 employees (male/female) of the tourism sector (public and private) in Jordan. The results showed that the level of planning in the Jordanian tourism sector was at the average. While the level of impediments (environmental, organizational, administrative and media) to the development of the tourism sector in Jordan was high, Also, the results showed that the level of impediment (social, service and political) to develop the tourism sector in Jordan at the averaged. The most prominent of these impediments is poverty, which is one of the causes of environmental degradation to carry out destructive practices of the environment such as overgrazing, logging, and the lack of some entertainment projects at tourist facilities to attract tourists and families. Keywords: Tourism Planning, Impediments, Development, Tourism Sector, Jordan. DOI: 10.7176/JTHS/48-04 Publication date:March 31st 202

Concept for the comparison of intralogistics designs with real factory layout using augmented reality, SLAM and marker-based tracking

In the automotive industry, the intralogistics planning faces the problem of matching the planning data with the current conditions in the assembly hall. The large variety of parts leads to a constantly changing production. Based on this, we establish an approach for the comparison using augmented reality (AR) and simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM). The use of SLAM enables the consistent application of AR in an assembly hall. Based on this, the objective of this article is to visualize 3D objects from the corresponding CAD planning tool in the real factory and thus the comparison of the intralogistics design with the real factory is possible due to AR. Nevertheless, there was a lack of practical implementations in intralogistics and therefore the concept is evaluated by two prototypical solutions. The first one is implemented on an iPhone 7 using SLAM. The second prototype is developed on a HoloLens 2 and is based on a hybrid tracking solution, SLAM and marker tracking

Fab Lab Amersfoort, De War: an innovation history

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Private experiments in global governance : primary commodity roundtables and the politics of deliberation

Emerging scholarship on global governance offers ever-more detailed analyses of private regulatory regimes. These regimes aim to regulate some area of social activity without a mandate from, or participation of, states or international organizations. While there are numerous empirical studies of these regimes, the normative theoretical literature has arguably struggled to keep pace with such developments. This is unfortunate, as the proliferation of private regulatory regimes raises important issues about legitimacy in global governance. The aim of this paper is to address some of these issues by elaborating a theoretical framework that can orientate normative investigation of these schemes. It does this through turning to the idea of experimentalist governance. It is argued that experimentalism can provide an important and provocative set of insights about the processes and logics of emerging governance schemes. The critical purchase of this theory is illustrated through an application to the case of primary commodities roundtables, part of ongoing attempts by NGOs, producers, and buyers to set sustainability criteria for commodity production across a range of sectors. The idea of experimentalist governance, we argue, can lend much needed theoretical structure to debates about the normative legitimacy of private regulatory regimes

Recent Advancements in Regenerative Dentistry: A Review

Although human mouth benefits from remarkable mechanical properties, it is very susceptible to traumatic damages, exposure to microbial attacks, and congenital maladies. Since the human dentition plays a crucial role in mastication, phonation and esthetics, finding promising and more efficient strategies to reestablish its functionality in the event of disruption has been important. Dating back to antiquity, conventional dentistry has been offering evacuation, restoration, and replacement of the diseased dental tissue. However, due to the limited ability and short lifespan of traditional restorative solutions, scientists have taken advantage of current advancements in medicine to create better solutions for the oral health field and have coined it “regenerative dentistry.” This new field takes advantage of the recent innovations in stem cell research, cellular and molecular biology, tissue engineering, and materials science etc. In this review, the recently known resources and approaches used for regeneration of dental and oral tissues were evaluated using the databases of Scopus and Web of Science. Scientists have used a wide range of biomaterials and scaffolds (artificial and natural), genes (with viral and non-viral vectors), stem cells (isolated from deciduous teeth, dental pulp, periodontal ligament, adipose tissue, salivary glands, and dental follicle) and growth factors (used for stimulating cell differentiation) in order to apply tissue engineering approaches to dentistry. Although they have been successful in preclinical and clinical partial regeneration of dental tissues, whole-tooth engineering still seems to be far-fetched, unless certain shortcomings are addressed

Relocating empowerment as a management concept for Asia

Management theories, especially those in the area of human resource management, are predominantly Western-centric in origin and in the empirical testing that underpins them. The purpose of this paper is to explore perceptions of one such theory, employee empowerment, in an Asian context. Information gathered from an open ended questionnaire and focus groups provide an in-depth examination of hotel managers' perceptions and practice of empowerment in the workplace. This study provides tentative indicators of significant culturally-driven differences in the understanding and application of employee empowerment (in terms of both research and practice) between Western and Asian contexts. The results of this study indicate that empowerment in Asian cultures relates much more to the individual and his/her merits, in contrast to organizationally-driven empowerment in Western countries. The findings also indicate that empowerment by hotel managers is related to the level of personal trust the manager has in an employee