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Vertical urban settlements are becoming the predominant form of contemporary urban design in response to population increase and rapid urbanization. These developments are, however, perceived to be poorly designed and incongruent with the users’ needs. The purpose of this study was to present a resident satisfaction assessment of Hong Kong’s vertical settlements.

A review of the literature was conducted on the concept of vertical urbanism, residential satisfaction and postoccupancy evaluation. Fifty performance indicators were classified into three groups including indoor environment, safety and maintenance; furniture, utilities and spaces; and privacy, appearance and city life. These indicators were used to develop a Web-based questionnaire administered to residents in the three administrative regions of Hong Kong. Ninety-eight respondents participated in the study, and the results were analyzed using the resident satisfaction index and the overall satisfaction index. A multilinear regression analysis was also made to develop a model describing the most relevant performance indicators for determining the overall residential satisfaction.

The results revealed that residents expressed dissatisfaction with performance indicators, including “level of noise generated from outside the building (neighboring buildings, traffic, noise, etc.),” “variation and stability of indoor temperature,” “sustainable design of the building’s environment (cyclability, walkability, electric charging stations, etc.),” “availability and capacity of car parking,” “size and adequacy of spaces for social interaction” and “considerations for occupants with special needs (disabled, aged people, children, occupants with a medical condition, etc.).” The results also revealed that some indicators such as the maintenance of elevators, adequate interior space and surrounding areas were considered as significantly influencing residential satisfaction. Similarly, the building height and wind-induced motion were not significantly influencing residential satisfaction. The results also revealed that a multilinear Regression model with five variables and an adjusted R² value of 93% could estimate the overall residential satisfaction.

The concept of vertical urban design is the new paradigm in the shaping of future cities. The originality of this study is its adoption of post-occupancy evaluation to assess occupants’ residential satisfaction. As well as the determination of factors that should inform the planning, design and management of vertical urban settlements. Thus, the study has significant implications for research in vertical urban development, as well as the professional practice of building and urban planners, designers and managers.

This paper aims to propose a real-time evolutionary multi-objective semi-analytical inverse kinematics (IK) algorithm (EMSA-IK) for solving the multi-objective IK of redundant manipulators.

Within EMSA-IK, the parameterization method is applied to reduce the number of optimization variables of the evolutionary algorithm and calculate semi-analytical solutions that meet high target pose accuracy. The original evolutionary algorithm is improved with the proposed adaptive search sub-space strategy so that the improved evolutionary algorithm can be used to efficiently perform global search within the parametric joint space to obtain the global optimal parametric joint angles that satisfy multi-objective constraints.

Ablation experiments show the effectiveness of the improved strategy used for evolutionary algorithms. Comparative experiments on different manipulators demonstrate the advantages of EMSA-IK in terms of generalizability and balancing multiple objectives, for example, motion continuity, joint limits and obstacle avoidance. Real-world experiments further validate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm for real-time application.

The semi-analytical IK solution that simultaneously satisfies high target pose accuracy and multi-objective constraints can be obtained in real time. Compared to existing semi-analytical IK algorithms, the proposed algorithm achieves obstacle avoidance for the first time. The proposed algorithm demonstrates superior generalizability, applicable to not only redundant manipulators with revolute joints but also those with prismatic joints.

The purpose of the paper is to propose an efficient, simple and concise unified robot calibration method that simultaneously considers errors in hand-eye parameters, kinematic parameters and tool center point (TCP) position.

This paper proposes a unified robot calibration method. First, the initial hand-eye matrix and TCP position are computed without considering kinematic parameter errors. Second, the nominal TCP positions in the laser tracker coordinate system {S} are computed. The actual TCP positions in {S} are directly measured. Third, a unified parameter error calibration model is established, and the sequential quadratic programming algorithm is used for error identification. Finally, the identified errors are used for direct error compensation.

Simulation results prove that the proposed scheme can accurately calibrate the hand-eye parameters, kinematic parameters and TCP position simultaneously. Experimental results reveal that the maximum value of the absolute positioning errors is reduced from 5.4725 mm to 0.4095 mm (reduced by 92.52%). Thus, the proposed approach meets the accuracy requirements of most robotic applications.

The main contributions of this paper are: (1) this scheme is efficient. The method can achieve fully automatic calibration by incorporating Kronecker products for the initial hand-eye matrix and TCP position computation. Thereby significantly improving the calibration efficiency and liberating the labor force. (2) This scheme is simple and concise. The hand-eye parameters, kinematic parameters and TCP position errors are modeled in a unified framework. Furthermore, the related redundant parameters are deleted.

Cybersecurity competitions can effectively develop skills, but engaging a wide learner spectrum is challenging. This study aims to investigate the perceptions of cybersecurity competitions among Reddit users. These users constitute a substantial demographic of young individuals, often participating in communities oriented towards college students or cybersecurity enthusiasts. The authors specifically focus on novice learners who showed an interest in cybersecurity but have not participated in competitions. By understanding their views and concerns, the authors aim to devise strategies to encourage their continuous involvement in cybersecurity learning. The Reddit platform provides unique access to this significant demographic, contributing to enhancing and diversifying the cybersecurity workforce.

The authors propose to mine Reddit posts for information about learners’ attitudes, interests and experiences with cybersecurity competitions. To mine Reddit posts, the authors developed a text mining approach that integrates computational text mining and qualitative content analysis techniques, and the authors discussed the advantages of the integrated approach.

The authors' text mining approach was successful in extracting the major themes from the collected posts. The authors found that motivated learners would want to form a strategic way to facilitate their learning. In addition, hope and fear collide, which exposes the learners’ interests and challenges.

The authors discussed the findings to provide education and training experts with a thorough understanding of novice learners, allowing them to engage them in the cybersecurity industry.

This study aims to examine the efforts of two universities in Taiwan, particularly their engagement in coastal rural communities, and provides insights into the substantial contributions of University Social Responsibility (USR) projects toward achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs) in rural settings. The objective of this research is to analyze the outcomes of these case projects on the SDGs and, consequently, to propose a theoretical model aimed at enhancing student participation in achieving SDGs through USR programs.

This study adapted the methodology comprising SDGs contribution analysis and participant observation. The SDGs contribution analysis unfolds in three steps. First, the authors conducted evaluation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This step involved a thorough analysis of all 17 SDGs and their respective targets to establish a foundational understanding. Second, analyzed the outcomes of the case projects to examine the specific contributions of case projects toward achieving the SDGs. Third, the information from the preceding steps is analyzed to determine the extent of the case projects’ contributions to the SDGs.

The study proposes a theoretical model to enhance student engagement in achieving SDGs, emphasizing student empowerment, community partnership and robust evaluation methods aligned with SDGs and social impacts. This model could offer guidance for higher education institutions (HEIs) globally on utilizing USR programs to contribute to the SDGs, while simultaneously enriching student learning experiences through practical engagement and empowerment.

This model can be enhanced and validated by applying more rigorous scientific methods. For instance, conducting surveys on students and community participants of events and activities, utilizing a statistically rigorous approach such as pre-post testing, can analyze the effectiveness of these programs on various SDG-related variables (e.g. awareness of SDGs). Additionally, exploring the relationships between the tested variables can be a potential research direction. For instance, examining whether community engagement can positively increase the social impacts of USR projects, or whether student empowerment can enhance community capacity building, are important issues worthy of discovery.

This model emphasizes the pivotal role of student empowerment, advocating for an educational approach that not only enhances students’ proficiency in community development but also potentially shapes their career trajectories, as evidenced by the case projects examined in this study. In essence, this model offers HEIs a structured pathway to enrich student engagement in realizing SDGs through USR initiatives. It posits student empowerment as the foundational element, fostering a learning environment where students gain valuable skills and insights into community development, potentially guiding their future professional endeavors. This research provides practical direction for those HEIs implementing USR projects, which will increase the positive impacts brought by HEIs, especially for the students and local community.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no previous studies have proposed a theoretical model specifically designed to engage students in achieving SDGs through USR programs in a rural context. The significance of this study lies in its potential to serve as a guide for higher education institutions globally, enabling them to effectively leverage USR programs to contribute toward SDGs. This makes the study an invaluable resource for researchers, policymakers and educators who are committed to fostering sustainability.

Via dialectical perspective and configurational approach, this paper aims to explore the relationship between female representation and long-term firm performance when combined with environmental conditions.

For necessary condition analysis and time-series qualitative comparative analysis, a sample of 614 listed Chinese manufacturing firms between 2017 and 2020 was obtained.

The inclusion of female executives can aid firms in their long-term performance and resilience. Seven configurations, categorized as chimpanzee type, African elephant type and queen bee type, can prompt long-term firm performance. Chimpanzee-type configuration is the most prevalent path for firms to achieve long-term performance.

Firms could reconsider the role of female executives in achieving long-term success, assist in breaking the invisible “glass ceiling” and “glass cliff,” and refrain from viewing them as mere “tokens.” Policymakers can improve female representation by institutionally guaranteeing women’s opportunities for empowerment, education and promotion.

This study presents evidence for the legitimacy of female representation by demonstrating the intricate causality between female representation and firm performance beyond the controversy between business ethics and coercive policy. This paper also builds upon and extends the literature on female representation and provides alternative ways to improve female representation by combining female executives’ percentages, professionalism and positions.

This study aims to inform prospective listing firms, investors and regulators of the unique drivers of Chinese initial public offering (IPO) pricing on the Hong Kong Exchange.

Using a hand-collected IPO dataset, we investigate whether information uncertainty or investor exuberance drives underpricing and Chinese IPOs’ performance from 2002 to 2015, including 114 state-owned enterprises (SOEs).

Contrasting with the “listing bubble” in the China domestic stock market, generated by the overoptimism of retail investors, we highlight a “placing bubble” among Chinese firms listed in Hong Kong. This is driven by institutional investors’ buoyant demand for Chinese IPO shares, particularly those of SOEs. Chinese listing firms employ discreet earnings management strategies with their working capital accounts to smooth pre-IPO earnings, which becomes apparent to the market only in the long term.

This study is the first to examine the pricing of sought-after Chinese IPOs among international investors, who face various restrictions when investing in the Chinese domestic stock market. Additionally, it is the first study to measure earnings management using hand-collected pre-IPO data in IPO underpricing studies.

In the 21st century, libraries are experiencing a significant decline in users due to shifting reading habits and the impact of technology, necessitating library transformation and a heightened emphasis on library marketing. Special libraries, in particular, rely heavily on patrons for survival, often due to their private ownership and limited resources. This paper aims to discuss the aforementioned objectives.

This paper examines the Taste Library, a special library in Hong Kong, and analyzes its current practices based on an interview with its founder, website content, and social media presence. The 7Ps Marketing Mix model is employed to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the library's current market position.

The Taste Library's existing practices exhibit limitations in attracting young patrons. To address this issue, we propose marketing strategies focused on enhancing social network presence, offering digitized content, and engaging in school outreach.

By concentrating on youth marketing, this study offers valuable insights for special libraries in developing strategic plans for transitioning and maintaining sustainability.

Few studies concentrate on marketing small special libraries, particularly in the East, within today's digitized economy.

This study aims to examine the effect of supervisor developmental feedback on employee silence behaviour by developing a moderated mediation model. The model focuses on the mediating role of role breadth self-efficacy and high activated positive affect underpinning the relationship between supervisor developmental feedback and employee silence behaviour, and the moderating role of interdependent self-construal.

The two-wave survey was conducted among 265 employees. Structural equation modelling was conducted to test the mediation and moderation mediation hypotheses.

Results indicated that high activated positive affect mediated the negative relationship between supervisor developmental feedback and employee silence behaviour. The authors also found that interdependent self-construal moderated the relationship between supervisor developmental feedback and role breadth self-efficacy, as well as the indirect effect of supervisor developmental feedback on employee silence behaviour via role breadth self-efficacy.

This empirical study provides preliminary evidence of the mediating role of breadth self-efficacy and high activated positive affect in the negative relationship between supervisor developmental feedback and employee silence behaviour. The moderated mediation results further show that the mediation of role breadth self-efficacy between supervisor developmental feedback is contingent on individual interdependent self-construal, such that the mediation effect is significant among individuals with high interdependent self-construal, but the mediation effect of high activated positive effect is independent of individual interdependent self-construal. The findings further extend boundary conditions (interdependent self-construal) that may constrain the effect of supervisor developmental feedback on role breadth self-efficacy and high activated positive affect. The research makes considerable contributions to the cognitive-affective personality system theory by specifying the cognitive and affective mechanisms between supervisor developmental feedback and employee silence behaviour, as well as the boundary conditions.

The study employs two independent experimental studies to collect data. It focuses on the matching effect between advertising appeals and product types. The Elaboration Likelihood Model serves as the theoretical framework for understanding the cognitive processing involved in consumers' responses to these advertising appeals and product combinations.

This paper aims to investigate the impact of advertising appeals on consumers' intentions to purchase organic food. We explored the interaction between advertising appeals (egoistic vs altruistic) and product types (virtue vs vice) and purchase intention. The goal is to provide insights that can enhance the advertising effectiveness of organic food manufacturers and retailers.

The analysis reveals significant effects on consumers' purchase intentions based on the matching of advertising appeals with product types. Specifically, when egoistic appeals align with virtuous products, there is an improvement in consumers' purchase intentions. When altruistic appeals match vice products, a positive impact on purchase intention is observed. The results suggest that the matching of advertising appeals with product types enhances processing fluency, contributing to increased purchase intention.

This research contributes to the field by providing nuanced insights into the interplay between advertising appeals and product types within the context of organic food. The findings highlight the importance of considering the synergy between egoistic appeals and virtuous products, as well as altruistic appeals and vice products. This understanding can be strategically employed by organic food manufacturers and retailers to optimize their advertising strategies, thereby improving their overall effectiveness in influencing consumers' purchase intentions.