Search results

The purpose of this paper is to show how previous studies have demonstrated that non‐professional users prefer using event‐based conceptual descriptions, such as “a woman wearing a hat”, to describe and search images. In many art image archives, these conceptual descriptions are manually annotated in free‐text fields. This study aims to explore technologies to automate event‐based knowledge extractions from these free‐text image descriptions.

This study presents an approach based on semantic role labeling technologies for automatically extracting event‐based knowledge, including subject, verb, object, location and temporal information from free‐text image descriptions. A query expansion module is applied to further improve the retrieval recall. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is evaluated by measuring the retrieval precision and recall capabilities for experiments with real life art image collections in museums.

Evaluations results indicate that the proposed method can achieve a substantially higher retrieval precision than conventional keyword‐based approaches. The proposed methodology is highly applicable for large‐scale collections where the image retrieval precision is more critical than the recall.

The study provides the first attempt in literature for automating the extraction of event‐based knowledge from free‐text image descriptions. The effectiveness and ease of implementation of the proposed approach make it feasible for practical applications.

This paper aims to examine the role of the creation task–technology fit (CTTF) in the knowledge creation performance (KCP). The creation task features represented by goal-driven, goal-free and goal-frame modes (GDM, GFM and GRM) and information and communication technology (ICT) supportive features are considered. The moderation effect of cognitive style represented by analytical and intuitive styles is explored. Contributions and implications are addressed.

The literature review on creation task, ICT, cognitive behavior and fit theory, and the research gap with respect to the antecedents of KCP are presented. The research arguments are then hypothesized and the research model developed to describe that the proposed role is examined empirically.

Research findings are obtained on the basis of the data analysis of 258 valid subjects from research institutes as well as manufacturing and service industries. The effect of CTTF on creation outcomes is significantly confirmed. The ICT supportive functions are unlikely significantly related to CTTF for the analysis-styled group, but the intuition-styled group shows a likely significance because of the different means of dealing with information and knowledge processing. The analysis-styled group disagrees with the significant link of the GDM with CTTF, whereas the intuition-styled group presents the significant effects of GDM, GFM and GRM on CTTF.

The unique features of knowledge creation differentiate it from other tasks. With respect to whether the knowledge creation task presented by goal is defined or not, and how ICT better suits the creation task features to benefit the creation outcomes are yet to be discussed. The individual cognitive style is confirmed to alternate the effect of ICT and GDM on CTTF in the proposed model. The research findings are particularly obvious because a transition gap, less covered by the literature, might exist with regard to the perception connection of knowledge creation service providers, agencies, consultants and context creators.

Despite a growing interest in research, no existing study explores the nature of, and the relationship between, the real exchange rate and trade imbalance between Taiwan and China. These economies were admitted to the World Trade Organization in late 2001 (China) and in January 2002 (Taiwan). This study aims to redress this deficiency.

Using Johansen's cointegration approach and bilateral trade data, the study reveals overwhelming evidence of a stable long‐run relationship of the real exchange rate and bilateral trade balance between Taiwan and its trading partners: China, the USA, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore.

The evidence indicates that the currency depreciation of the New Taiwan dollar improves Taiwan's bilateral trade balance, except with China.

The findings imply that Taiwan cannot resolve the cross‐Strait trade imbalance alone via the currency depreciation, and macroeconomic adjustments, including application of the WTO rules, currency exchange and imports of Chinese goods, need to be negotiated on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

This paper aims to present the fabrication of 6061 aluminum alloy (AA6061) using a promising laser additive manufacturing process, called the laser-foil-printing (LFP) process. The process window of AA6061 in LFP was established to optimize process parameters for the fabrication of high strength, dense and crack-free parts even though AA6061 is challenging for laser additive manufacturing processes due to hot-cracking issues.

The multilayers AA6061 parts were fabricated by LFP to characterize for cracks and porosity. Mechanical properties of the LFP-fabricated AA6061 parts were tested using Vicker’s microhardness and tensile testes. The electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) technique was used to reveal the grain structure and preferred orientation of AA6061 parts.

The crack-free AA6061 parts with a high relative density of 99.8% were successfully fabricated using the optimal process parameters in LFP. The LFP-fabricated parts exhibited exceptional tensile strength and comparable ductility compared to AA6061 samples fabricated by conventional laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) processes. The EBSD result shows the formation of cracks was correlated with the cooling rate of the melt pool as cracks tended to develop within finer grain structures, which were formed in a shorter solidification time and higher cooling rate.

This study presents the pioneering achievement of fabricating crack-free AA6061 parts using LFP without the necessity of preheating the substrate or mixing nanoparticles into the melt pool during the laser melting. The study includes a comprehensive examination of both the mechanical properties and grain structures, with comparisons made to parts produced through the traditional LPBF method.

This paper aims to present the development and experimental study of a fully automated system using a novel laser additive manufacturing technology called laser foil printing (LFP), to fabricate metal parts layer by layer. The mechanical properties of parts fabricated with this novel system are compared with those of comparable methodologies to emphasize the suitability of this process.

Test specimens and parts with different geometries were fabricated from 304L stainless steel foil using an automated LFP system. The dimensions of the fabricated parts were measured, and the mechanical properties of the test specimens were characterized in terms of mechanical strength and elongation.

The properties of parts fabricated with the automated LFP system were compared with those of parts fabricated with the powder bed fusion additive manufacturing methods. The mechanical strength is higher than those of parts fabricated by the laser powder bed fusion and directed energy deposition technologies.

To the best knowledge of authors, this is the first time a fully automated LFP system has been developed and the properties of its fabricated parts were compared with other additive manufacturing methods for evaluation.

The purpose of this paper is to properly calibrate the laser tracking system (LTS) prior to using it for metrology and improving the measuring accuracy of LTS.

A kinematics model that describes not only the motion but also geometric variations of LTS is developed. Effects of tracking mirror mechanism dimension errors on measured coordinates and target reflector alignment errors on sensor reading are investigated.

Through error analysis of the proposed model, it is claimed that gimbals axis misalignments and tracking mirror center offset are the key contributors to measure errors of LTS. Intensive simulation studies are conducted to check the validity of the theoretical results and various practical issues are also explored in the simulations. The simulation results demonstrate that under realistic conditions the 10‐parameter model is the minimal and complete model.

This model, together with its error model which is also presented in this paper, can be used for design, calibration, and control of LTS.

This paper develops a kinematics model that describes not only the motion but also geometric variations of LTS, and demonstrates that gimbals axis misalignments and tracking mirror center offset is the key contributor to measuring errors of LTS.

The purpose of this paper is to examine (a)symmetric features of task-technology-performance characteristics that are most relevant to fit, satisfaction and continuance intention of using apps in mobile banking transactions.

Exploratory factor analysis was used with maximum likelihood extraction and Varimax rotation on a separate sample of 183 mobile banking apps users prior to the main data collection. The theoretical model was tested applying a factor-based structural equation modelling approach to a sample of 250 experienced mobile banking apps users.

The study unveiled that the task and performance characteristics are more relevant compared to technology characteristics when doing transactions via apps. In addition, the findings uncovered that user satisfaction and continuous intention to use apps stem from the degree of fit in online transactions. The findings of moderation analysis highlighted that users in the lower income group are more concerned about the performance characteristics of banking apps, and there are no differences across age and gender groups. Surprisingly, technology characteristic has a nonlinear nature and this study shows potential boundary conditions of technology characteristics in degree of fit, user satisfaction and continuance intention to use apps.

Findings from the conditional probabilistic queries reveal that with 83.3 per cent of probability, user satisfaction is high when using apps for banking transactions, if the levels of fit, task, performance and technology characteristics are high. Furthermore, with 72 per cent of probability, continuance intention to use apps is high, if the levels of performance and task characteristics are high.

Contributing to task-technology fit theory, this study shows that performance characteristics need to be aligned with task and technology characteristics in order to have better fit when using apps for online banking transactions.