25,524 research outputs found
Testing the dimensionality of the quality management construct
© 2014 Taylor & Francis. Numerous empirical studies have conceptualised quality management (QM) as either a multidimensional or unidimensional construct. While few prior studies tested some aspects of the assumed dimensional structure of the construct, no study has been found to have tested the construct's dimensionality using alternative factor analysis models. To gain a better insight into dimensional properties of the QM construct, this paper tests its dimensionality using three confirmatory factor analysis models (oblique factor model, higher-order factor model, and one-factor model) on a subset of data collected in a larger study that investigated the effects of QM on competitive advantage using a sample of 288 hotel managers in Egypt. The results of the three tests indicate that the QM construct is multidimensional. While this study contributes to advancing the QM theory and practice, further studies are needed to investigate the dimensional properties of the construct in greater depth. The results of this study may therefore stimulate research in this area and encourage the much needed debate on the dimensionality of the QM construct
Sensor material characterisation for magnetometer application
Pengukuran dan gangguan medan magnet arus terus dan arus ulang-alik memerlukan penderia medan magnet yang mempunyai kepekaan yang tinggi dan stabil. Untuk menghasilkan penderia tersebut, ciri-ciri bahan magnet yang baik telah dikenalpasti. Beberapa jenis bahan magnet yang berbeza telah digunakan untuk mengkaji ciri-ciri dan kesannya terhadap medan magnet. Teras gelang yang diperbuat daripada bahan-bahan magnet tersebut direkabentuk dengan dimensi yang sama bagi membolehkan perbandingan dibuat dengan mudah. Selain itu, rod tunggal dan berkembar juga telah digunakan sebagai teras penderia fluxgate, untuk melihat prestasi setiap jenis penderia tersebut. Kedua-dua penderia tersebut telah diuji dengan menggunakan dua sumber bahan magnet iaitu bar magnet tetap dan solenoid dengan diameter dawai yang berbeza. Isyarat keluaran bagi setiap penderia fluxgate seterusnya diproses bagi mengenalpasti hubungannya dengan ketumpatan medan magnet
Weak Isospin Violations in Charged and Neutral Higgs Couplings from SUSY Loop Corrections
Supersymmetric QCD and supersymmetric electroweak loop corrections to the
violations of weak isospin to Yukawa couplings are investigated. Specifically
it involves an analysis of the supersymmetric loop corrections to the Higgs
couplings to the third generation quarks and leptons. Here we analyze the SUSY
loop corrections to the charged Higgs couplings which are then compared with
the supersymmetric loop corrections to the neutral Higgs couplings previously
computed. It is found that the weak isospin violations can be quite
significant, i.e, as much as 40-50% or more of the total loop correction to the
Yukawa coupling. The effects of CP phases are also studied and it is found that
these effects can either enhance or suppress the weak isospin violations. We
also investigate the weak isospin violation effects on the branching ratio
and show that the effects
are sensitive to CP phases. Thus an accurate measurement of this branching
ratio along with the branching ratio of the neutral Higgs boson decays can
provide a measure of weak isospin violation along with providing a clue to the
presence of supersymmetry.Comment: 20 pages, 9 figure
Evaluation of the Inter-repair Operation Period of Electric Submersible Pump Units
In recent years, in the oil and gas industry of Azerbaijan, the use of electric submersible pumps (SEP) as one of the effective way to increase the level of production of well products. Currently, electric centrifugal pumping units (ECPU) are widely used both on land and in offshore fields. Currently, a total of about 15 % of SOCAR\u27s oil wells are produced using electric submersible pumping units.ECPU effectiveness is largely determined by both the period of their operation and the frequency of repair and restoration work.It is established that the use of ECPUs contributes to an increase in the service life of equipment and the effectiveness of a mechanized method of oil production. To assess the benefits of the latter, the most important factor is the inter-repair period (Tir) of the equipment.Existing methods for determining the inter-repair period of oilfield equipment are accompanied by large errors, which significantly reduce their reliability.In this regard, the article is tasked with developing a more practical and reliable method for determining the inter-repair period, where the point of change in the nature of the failure rate is adopted as the determining paramete
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Exploring adaptation & self-adaptation in autonomic computing systems
This panel paper sets out to discuss what self-adaptation
means, and to explore the extent to which current
autonomic systems exhibit truly self-adaptive behaviour.
Many of the currently cited examples are clearly
adaptive, but debate remains as to what extent they are
simply following prescribed adaptation rules within preset
bounds, and to what extent they have the ability to
truly learn new behaviour. Is there a standard test that
can be applied to differentiate? Is adaptive behaviour
sufficient anyway? Other autonomic computing issues are
also discussed
Optimization of Crystal Violet dye removal from aqueous solution using agro wastes
Batch adsorption process involving use of groundnut shell (GS) and orange peel (OP) as adsorbents was employed for the removal of carcinogenic Crystal Violet dye from aqueous solution. Studies were carried out as function of contact time, sorbent dosage, initial dye concentration and pΗ of the dye solution with a view of optimizing adsorption conditions. The results obtained showed high efficiency of ≈ 98.3% and 97% using 4.5g of GS and OP respectively, showing a promising performance of the agro wastes as filters for the dye removal.Keywords: Crystal violet, Groundnut shell, Orange peel, % Removal, Adsorptio
Future Community-Based Ecotourism (CBET) development
Ecotourism is an alternative form of tourism and is usually confused with natural and cultural tourism.CBET is fast becoming a popular biodiversity conservation tool that develops and benefits the local community. Based on the context of conservation theory and practice, Community-Based Ecotourism (CBET) is a form of community-based natural resource management. However, a sustainable CBET development through Community Capacity Building (CCB)programs is not something that it easily achievable. Local community’s capacity varies from one culture to another. It takes a high level of community participation, in order for it to come to a level where the community members themselves are motivated to participate and contribute to the development of the program. This fully qualitative research involved 15 respondents from the community of Kg. Selai, Bekok in Johor, Malaysia. The result show there are five factors that sustained the ecotourism development based for Orang Asli Community in Kg. Selai, namely, existing CBET development, past CBET development, local community participation in planning stage of tourism, local participation in implementation stage of tourism and participation in nature conservation
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