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

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

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

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 $BR(H^-\to\bar t b)/ BR(H^-\to \bar\nu_{\tau}\tau^-)$ 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

Corrosion study of pipeline material for seabed sediment in tropical climate

Corrosive environments such as marine sediments can cause corrosion to steel pipelines at any time when certain conditions are met. Seabed sediment could cause severe corrosion damage due to its corrosiveness to the pipelines buried under it. Many consequences could take place in case if there is incident in oil/gas pipelines. Successfully identifying elements of corrosion in marine sediment would enhance the future of steel structure protection and monitoring systems. This article focuses on the behaviour of corrosion rate of steel located near shore environment and the aim is to determine the effect of sediment on corrosion of steel. To investigate that, simulated near shore sediment conditions have been used where the steel coupons buried in sediments which have different characteristics. Weight loss technique has been implemented to determine the weight loss rate of the steel specimens. Based on the results of this study, metal weight loss increases as the duration of exposure to seabed sediment environment become longer. The sea sediment simulated condition has given significant levels of corrosion. Conclusively, the corrosion rate of steel in seabed sediment located in tropical region is complicated and further studies are suggested

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

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