This study aims to explore the traditional plant dyeing of Xinjiang Atlas silk fabrics, providing references for the comprehensive utilization of plant dyes in intangible…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore the traditional plant dyeing of Xinjiang Atlas silk fabrics, providing references for the comprehensive utilization of plant dyes in intangible cultural heritage.
Design/methodology/approach
The focus of this study is on dyeing experiments of Atlas silk fabrics using safflower extracts, constrained by regional resources. Safflower dry flowers grown in Xinjiang were selected, rinsed with pure water and rubbed. Yellow pigments were removed by adding edible white vinegar. Red pigments from safflower were extracted using an alkaline solution prepared with Populus euphratica ash, a special product of Xinjiang. The extraction rate was analyzed under varying material-to-liquor ratios, pH values, times and temperatures. Direct dyeing process experiments were conducted to obtain different colorimetric L, a, b and K/S values for comparison. Samples with good color development were selected to test the impact of dyeing immersions on color development, and their color fastness, UV protection and antibacterial effects were verified.
Findings
The dyeing experiments on silk fabrics confirmed their UV protection capabilities and antibacterial properties, demonstrating effectiveness against E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus. As a major producer of safflower, Xinjiang underscores the significance of safflower as an essential plant dyes on the Silk Road. This study reveals its market potential and suitability for use in the plant dyeing process of Atlas silk, producing vibrant red and pink colors.
Originality/value
The experiments indicated that after removing yellow pigments, the highest extraction rate of red pigment from safflower was achieved at a pH value of 10–11, a temperature of 30°C and an extraction time of 40 min. The best bright red color effect with strong color fastness was obtained with a material-to-liquor ratio of 1:20, a temperature of 40°C and three immersions. The best light pink color effect with strong color fastness was a material-to-liquor ratio of 1:80, a temperature of 30°C and two immersions.
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Ahmed Rageh Ismail and Bahtiar Mohamad
Scholars and practitioners alike are paying attention to entrepreneurial orientation (EO) as an antecedent of the financial performance of SMEs. Other factors foster and improve…
Abstract
Purpose
Scholars and practitioners alike are paying attention to entrepreneurial orientation (EO) as an antecedent of the financial performance of SMEs. Other factors foster and improve SMEs' financial performance. This paper aims to shed the light on other two different strategic orientations that may help enhance SMEs' financial performance in addition to EO, namely; market orientation (MO) and brand orientation (BO).
Design/methodology/approach
The three different important strategic orientations are explored through two different studies. The first study was conducted to determine the different effects of the three orientations on SMEs' financial performance. Data were collected using a questionnaire among a convenient sample (131) of business owners/managers, and next PLS-SEM was used for data analysis. The financial performance of firms in the second study is hypothesized to be an outcome of a combination of different strategic orientations; therefore, the fsQCA method is applied to explore the causal recipes of those orientations.
Findings
The paper concluded that the three different strategic orientations are collectively, of paramount importance to strategic managers of SMEs.
Originality/value
The brand, market and EOs have been discussed discretely in previous studies and this study attempted to provide managers/owners of SMEs with a holistic view of the three different orientations and the amalgamation among them to be beneficial for better financial performance.
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Bingbing Yu, Guohao Wang, Weixian Cheng, Bo Wang, Yi Li and Zhen Yang
This paper attempts to combine the application of artificial intelligence in predicting and evaluating the classification of surrounding rock grades and provides guidance for…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper attempts to combine the application of artificial intelligence in predicting and evaluating the classification of surrounding rock grades and provides guidance for subsequent support design and reinforcement support operations.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper discusses the use of BPNN as the primary tool, combined with three swarm bionic optimization algorithms (GA, PSO, GWO), to solve stability evaluation and grade prediction of surrounding rock in ultra-deep roadway excavation.
Findings
Taking the Great Wall ore group as the core and the Shanghaimiao mining area as the extension, the optimal model is applied to the classification of surrounding rock grade in ultra-deep roadway engineering. Prediction results show that the performance of BPNN models is excellent.
Research limitations/implications
Due to the limitations of geological conditions and construction environment in deep coal mines, the period of roadway excavation is too long, resulting in less data collection.
Practical implications
The prediction results can provide guidance for the excavation method, support scheme correction and reinforcement support scheme design of deep coal mine roadway engineering.
Social implications
It provides guidance for deep mining of coal mine (the premise of surrounding rock support stability), so as to ensure the economic and safety benefits of coal enterprises.
Originality/value
The neural network is applied to rock mechanics in a deep site for the first time, which is used to solve the prediction direction of surrounding rock grade evaluation. The index of the input layer is determined by combining the “three high and one disturbance” with the on-site construction situation, which is closer to the actual project. The swarm intelligent bionic algorithms are selected to optimize the hyperparameters of back propagation neural network, so as to improve the accuracy of the models. The classification and evaluation system of surrounding rock for the Great Wall ore group is constructed, which is the core of Shanghaimiao mining area in the northwest of China, guiding the dynamic adjustment of on-site excavation and support operations.
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Xiaoyu Lu, Wei Tian, Xingdao Lu, Bo Li and Wenhe Liao
This study aims to propose a calibration method to enhance the positioning accuracy in dual-robot collaborative operations, aiming to address the challenge of drilling hole…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to propose a calibration method to enhance the positioning accuracy in dual-robot collaborative operations, aiming to address the challenge of drilling hole spacing errors in spacecraft core cabin brackets that require an accuracy of less than 0.5 mm.
Design/methodology/approach
Initially, the cooperative error of dual robots is defined. Subsequently, an integrated model is constructed that encompasses the kinematic model errors of the dual robots, as well as the establishment errors of the base and tool frames. A calibration method for optimizing the cooperative accuracy of dual robots is proposed.
Findings
The application of the proposed method satisfies the collaborative drilling requirements for the spacecraft core cabin. The average cooperative positioning error of the dual robots was reduced from 0.507 to 0.156 mm, with the maximum value and standard deviation decreasing from 1.020 and 0.202 mm to 0.603 and 0.097 mm, respectively. Drilling experiments conducted on a core cabin simulator demonstrated that after calibration, the maximum hole spacing error was reduced from 1.219 to 0.403 mm, with all spacing errors falling below the 0.5 mm threshold, thus meeting the requirements.
Originality/value
This paper addresses the drilling accuracy requirements for spacecraft core cabins by using a calibration method to reduce the cooperative error of dual robots. The algorithm has been validated through experiments using ER 220 robots, confirming its effectiveness in fulfilling the drilling task requirements.
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This study aims to investigate the impact of market competitiveness on investment efficiency, and the moderating role of ownership and regulatory structures.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the impact of market competitiveness on investment efficiency, and the moderating role of ownership and regulatory structures.
Design/methodology/approach
In this study, the Herfindahl–Hirschman Index (HHI), Lerner Index (LI) and industry-adjusted Lerner Index (LIIA) were used to measure market competitiveness. The research population consisted of companies listed on Tehran Stock Exchange (TSE). Using a systematic elimination, 199 companies were selected within eight years during 2014–2021.
Findings
The results showed that market competitiveness (based on the LI, LIIA and HHI) positively affected investment efficiency. Moreover, institutional ownership and managerial ownership affected the relationship between market competitiveness (based on all proxies of market competitiveness) and investment efficiency. Blockholders’ ownership also moderated the relationship between market competitiveness (based on LIIA and HHI) and investment efficiency. The hypothesis testing had robustness based on additional analyses.
Originality/value
In recent years, competitive environment and the ownership structure of companies have changed to a certain degree, paving the way for the private sector to enter many areas of activity especially in emerging Asian markets. Moreover, investment drivers and investment efficiency in developed markets may not be generalized to emerging Asian markets. Therefore, the present findings can show the significance of this research to fill the existing gap in the literature and provide insights into ownership and regulatory structures as a governance mechanism in market competitiveness and investment efficiency.
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This article attempts to contribute to medical dispute resolution by examining the adoption of medical judicial expertise opinions in determining medical malpractice…
Abstract
Purpose
This article attempts to contribute to medical dispute resolution by examining the adoption of medical judicial expertise opinions in determining medical malpractice responsibility and its coordination with the judge’s legal opinions.
Design/methodology/approach
This article examines the legal basis and empirical data to demonstrate the decisive effect of medical judicial experts’ opinions in allocating medical malpractice responsibility and corresponding dispute resolution effectiveness.
Findings
High reliance on medical judicial expertise in medical dispute litigation not only unifies the judicial standards but also limits judges’ discretion, which brings the risk of contradiction between factual and legal findings, which currently ends in judges’ compromise.
Originality/value
The current medical malpractice provisions neglect the divergence of medical judicial expertise and judges’ opinions in determining medical malpractice responsibility, which produces difficulties in harmonizing awarded compensations and parties’ expectations, leading to problematic medical dispute litigation in Mainland China.
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Tian Xu, Zhanping Song, Shengyuan Fan and Desai Guo
The assessment of risk to existing tunnels within the context of pit construction is influenced by a multitude of factors. The conventional fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP…
Abstract
Purpose
The assessment of risk to existing tunnels within the context of pit construction is influenced by a multitude of factors. The conventional fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) method may lack precision due to its inability to incorporate the inherent randomness associated with numerous risk factors. To enhance the precision of risk evaluation for existing tunnels, this research introduces an improved FAHP approach grounded in cloud modeling theory.
Design/methodology/approach
We developed a risk assessment index system for existing tunnels, categorizing risk sources into three areas: hydrogeological conditions, foundation pit construction and tunnel structural bearing capacity. The system includes 11 evaluation indicators linked to these sources, with defined risk level thresholds for each. Using the cloud model, we calculated the membership degree of these indicators to risk levels, replacing traditional membership function formulas. The cloud model’s three digital characteristics (Ex, En and He) account for the randomness and ambiguity between qualitative descriptions and quantitative values, enhancing assessment accuracy. We applied hierarchical analysis to determine the weights of each risk factor and combined these with the membership degrees to evaluate overall risk levels. Engineering applications and model comparisons confirmed the method’s reliability, while sensitivity analysis identified key risk indicators affecting evaluation outcomes, allowing for targeted risk control measures to safeguard existing tunnels during foundation pit construction.
Findings
The evaluation results of engineering applications show the same results with the traditional FAHP method, which proves the reliability of the improved method. Furthermore, when comparing the evaluation result vectors between the two methods, it is observed that the outcomes of the improved method are more concentrated on a specific risk level compared to the traditional FAHP. This concentration mitigates the potential for bias in the evaluation results, thereby enhancing their accuracy. Through sensitivity analysis, four indicators were identified to have a significant influence on the evaluation result. After implementing targeted risk control measures, a downgrade in risk level to III was revealed. This aligns with the actual construction circumstances, as no safety incidents occurred in the Line 1 metro tunnel throughout the duration of the pit construction. This confirms the efficacy of the measures taken based on the evaluation results.
Originality/value
The novelty of this study is demonstrated through two key advancements. First, in response to the lack of a mature evaluation index system for risk assessment of existing tunnels during pit construction, the authors have meticulously curated a comprehensive risk evaluation index system. This system provides a valuable reference for the selection of appropriate risk evaluation indices in similar projects. Second, building upon the established index system, the study introduces a cloud model FAHP risk evaluation method. This method automates the generation of the membership degree between indicators and risk levels. The improved method has good reliability for the risk evaluation of existing tunnels, and it can provide decision-making reference for related studies when they carry out risk evaluations of similar projects.
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Ling Wu, Yanru Tian, Jinlu Lu and Kun Guo
Heterogeneous graphs, composed of diverse nodes and edges, are prevalent in real-world applications and effectively model complex web-based relational networks, such as social…
Abstract
Purpose
Heterogeneous graphs, composed of diverse nodes and edges, are prevalent in real-world applications and effectively model complex web-based relational networks, such as social media, e-commerce and knowledge graphs. As a crucial data source in heterogeneous networks, Node attribute information plays a vital role in Web data mining. Analyzing and leveraging node attributes is essential in heterogeneous network representation learning. In this context, this paper aims to propose a novel attribute-aware heterogeneous information network representation learning algorithm, AAHIN, which incorporates two key strategies: an attribute information coverage-aware random walk strategy and a node-influence-based attribute aggregation strategy.
Design/methodology/approach
First, the transition probability of the next node is determined by comparing the attribute similarity between historical nodes and prewalk nodes in a random walk, and nodes with dissimilar attributes are selected to increase the information coverage of different attributes. Then, the representation is enhanced by aggregating the attribute information of different types of high-order neighbors. Additionally, the neighbor attribute information is aggregated by emphasizing the varying influence of each neighbor node.
Findings
This paper conducted comprehensive experiments on three real heterogeneous attribute networks, highlighting the superior performance of the AAHIN model over other baseline methods.
Originality/value
This paper proposes an attribute-aware random walk strategy to enhance attribute coverage and walk randomness, improving the quality of walk sequences. A node-influence-based attribute aggregation method is introduced, aggregating neighboring node attributes while preserving the information from different types of high-order neighbors.
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Yasser M. Mater, Ahmed A. Elansary and Hany A. Abdalla
The use of recycled coarse aggregate in concrete structures promotes environmental sustainability; however, performance of these structures might be negatively impacted when it is…
Abstract
Purpose
The use of recycled coarse aggregate in concrete structures promotes environmental sustainability; however, performance of these structures might be negatively impacted when it is used as a replacement to traditional aggregate. This paper aims to simulate recycled concrete beams strengthened with carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP), to advance the modeling and use of recycled concrete structures.
Design/methodology/approach
To investigate the performance of beams with recycled coarse aggregate concrete (RCAC), finite element models (FEMs) were developed to simulate 12 preloaded RCAC beams, strengthened with two CFRP strengthening schemes. Details of the modeling are provided including the material models, boundary conditions, applied loads, analysis solver, mesh analysis and computational efficiency.
Findings
Using FEM, a parametric study was carried out to assess the influence of CFRP thickness on the strengthening efficiency. The FEM provided results in good agreement with those from the experiments with differences and standard deviation not exceeding 11.1% and 3.1%, respectively. It was found that increasing the CFRP laminate thickness improved the load-carrying capacity of the strengthened beams.
Originality/value
The developed models simulate the preloading and loading up to failure with/without CFRP strengthening for the investigated beams. Moreover, the models were validated against the experimental results of 12 beams in terms of crack pattern as well as load, deflection and strain.
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This paper aims to reduce flight delay propagation, improve flight punctuality rate and ensure aircraft maintenance opportunities by establishing an integrated aircraft scheduling…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to reduce flight delay propagation, improve flight punctuality rate and ensure aircraft maintenance opportunities by establishing an integrated aircraft scheduling model, aiming at minimizing the total propagated delay and direction operational cost.
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper, flight data sets are obtained through automatic dependent detection broadcast. To accurately predict flight delay time, the flight delay prediction eXtreme gradient boosting model adds the data set obtained by random forest advance model learning and predicts the newly generated flight delays. Finally, based on the forecast results, the flight plan can be optimized and adjusted by using the improved column generation algorithm.
Findings
It is verified by the actual weekly planned operation data of an airline company, experiments show that the model established in this paper can reduce flight delay propagation by 30% in case tests and each aircraft has the opportunity to be repaired at the base airport.
Originality/value
Optimize the aircraft scheduling plan, cover a wide range of data, not just a single route and airport, supplement the gap in the aircraft scheduling plan based on weather factors to predict flight delays.