Advanced design, analysis, and implementation of pervasive and smart collaborative systems enabled with knowledge modelling and big data analytics

No abstract availablePublisher Statement: NOTICE: this is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Advanced Engineering Informatics. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Advanced Engineering Informatics, [33, (2017)] DOI: 10.1016/j.aei.2017.01.001© 2017, Elsevier. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0

How do high-performance work system affect individual outcomes? A multilevel perspective

Research on high-performance work systems (HPWS) has suggested that a potential disconnection may exist between organizational-level HPWS and employee experienced HPWS. However, few studies have identified factors that are implied within such a relationship. Using a sample of 397 employees, 84 line managers, and 21 HR executives in China, we examined whether line managers’ goal congruence can reduce the difference between organizational-level HPWS and employee experienced HPWS. Furthermore, this study also theorized and tested organization-based self-esteem (OBSE) as a mediator in the associations between employee experienced HPWS and job performance and job satisfaction. Using multilevel analyses, we found that line managers’ goal congruence strengthened the relationship between organizational-level HPWS and employee experienced HPWS, such that the relationship was significant and positive when line managers’ goal congruence was high, but a non-significant relationship when line managers’ goal congruence was low. Moreover, employee experienced HPWS indirectly affected job performance and job satisfaction through the mechanism of OBSE beyond social exchange perspective

Comparative Efficacy and Quality Characterizatin of Mayhaw (Crataegus Opaca) Juice Extraction.

The comparative efficacy and quality characterization of juice by six extraction methods utilizing either frozen or fresh \u27Texas Star\u27 mayhaw (Crataegus opaca Hook. and Arn.) fruit obtained from the 1998 and 1999 crop season were conducted according to temperature (cold-press or hot-press extraction) and fruit pulp pretreatment (whole or pulverized fruit with or without pectolytic enzyme). Extraction methods were steam extraction using whole fruit without added pulp juice (SE); steam extraction using whole fruit with added pulp juice (SEP); cold-press extraction using whole fruit (CPE); cold-press extraction using finely macerated fruit pulp (CPEG); hot-press extraction using finely macerated fruit pulp (HPEG), and hotpress extraction in combination with a pectolytic enzyme pretreatment (ENZ). Maceration of fruit, plus the application of heat to the fruit pulp prior to expression, had a significant influence in juice extraction efficacy for both fresh and frozen fruit. Application of a commercial pectolytic enzyme (0.20% w/w) to mayhaw pulp mash (1 hr at 32°C) increased extraction efficacy by of 21%. ENZ-fresh extraction had the highest percent total soluble solids (TSS) at 8.1% and was 7% more efficient in recovery as compared to ENZ-frozen extraction (7.6%). The fructose to glucose (F/G) ratio of juice recovered from all extraction methods utilizing either fresh or frozen fruit was greater than 2.0. In total sugars (fresh or frozen) there were no significant differences found between hot or cold-press extracted juices or the use of whole or macerated fruit. The CPEG extraction method using fresh fruit had a CIE b* color-value (2.55) that was significantly higher than all other methods of juice extraction. There were no significant differences in juice pH, which ranged from 2.9 to 3.1, between either fresh or frozen extracted juices. Juice from one cultivar of muscadine grape (Vitis rotundifolia Michx.) \u27Carlos\u27 (bronze-skinned) was mixed with varying levels of juice from \u27Texas Star\u27 mayhaw. Panelists\u27 mean scores collectively were favorable of either 60:40 or 40:60 mayhaw:muscadine juice blends and Taste contributed the most to overall acceptance

THE ROLE OF CULTURAL DIMENSIONS IN THE ACCEPTANCE OF RETAIL INNOVATIONS

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to study factors that influence acceptance of self-service retail innovations and to propose methods to measure these factors across cultures. In particular, the research studies how cultural dimensions influence the acceptance of technology used to deliver new ways of shopping. The cultural dimensions include uncertainty avoidance and collectivistic cultural dimensions as moderating factors to predict technology acceptance. Understanding these dimensions is important in the globalized economy where international retail firms are planning to increase market share in different countries. Understanding potential adaptation of new technology based service models is crucial for successful market entry. Given a means to predict acceptance of new service models, international retail firms are better prepared to adjust technology strategies to fit specific cultural needs. Furthermore, it is important to understand if the technology is perceived as an uncertainty or if it has been incorporated into normal living. The research case shows how a collectivistic culture and high uncertainty avoidance among young Taiwanese influences their acceptance of self-scan checkouts. An ANOVA analysis is used for testing the difference between variables. With a p-value of <.0001, it is concluded that there is significant difference between the three tested variables. Social pressure with a mean of 3.68 on a five point scale shows that has a significant influence on Taiwanese. Social pressure is influenced by collectivistic culture and negatively related to acceptance of self-scan checkout. Future research will extend the model to test the acceptance across cultures and retail innovation types

Active fixturing: literature review and future research directions

Fixtures are used to fixate, position and support workpieces and represent a crucial tool in manufacturing. Their performance determines the result of the whole manufacturing process of a product. There is a vast amount of research done on automatic fixture layout synthesis and optimisation and fixture design verification. Most of this work considers fixture mechanics to be static and the fixture elements to be passive. However, a new generation of fixtures has emerged that has actuated fixture elements for active control of the part–fixture system during manufacturing operations to increase the end product quality. This paper analyses the latest studies in the field of active fixture design and its relationship with flexible and reconfigurable fixturing systems. First, a brief introduction is given on the importance of research of fixturing systems. Secondly, the basics of workholding and fixture design are visited, after which the state-of-the-art in active fixturing and related concepts is presented. Fourthly, part–fixture dynamics and design strategies which take these into account are discussed. Fifthly, the control strategies used in active fixturing systems are examined. Finally, some final conclusions and prospective future research directions are presented