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The purpose of this paper is to propose a robotic system for percutaneous surgery. The key component in the system, a robotic arm that can manipulate a puncture needle is presented. The mechanical design, the motion control and the force control method of the robotic arm are discussed in the paper.

The arm with an arc mechanism placed on a 3D Cartesian stage is developed as a puncture needle manipulator to locate the position of the needle tip, tune the needle’s posture and actuate the puncture motion under the visual guidance of two orthogonal X-ray images of a patient by a surgeon. A focusing method by using two laser spots is proposed to automatically move the needle tip to a surgery entry point on the skin. A dynamics model is developed to control the position of the needle mechanism and an explicit force control strategy is utilized to perform the needle insertion.

With the surgical system, a surgeon can easily perform puncture operation by taking two orthogonal real-time X-ray images as a visual feedback and accurately navigating the needle insertion. The laser-guided focusing method is efficient in placement of the needle tip. The explicit force control strategy is proved to be effective for holding constant and stable puncture force in experiments.

The robotic arm has an advantage in easy redirection of the needle because the rotation and the translation are decoupled in the mechanism. By adopting simple laser pens and a well-developed kinematics model, the system can handle the entry point, locating task automatically. The focusing method and the force control method proposed in the paper are useful for the present system and could be intuitive for similar surgical robots.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze and summarize the development of science and technology (S & T) policies in China from a government-driven perspective in chronological order. To develop knowledge-based economy, China enacts a range of S & T policies since “Reform and Open Policy” started in 1978. Furthermore, it investigates the overall effects of these S & T policies on university-industry linkages (UILs).

This paper conducts an analysis framework of S & T policies in historical sequence to explain how government drives UILs to stimulate technological progress and economic growth in China.

More than a site for high-quality workforce education and knowledge spread, universities as an important part of national innovation are required to participate in economic activities. Considering that most Chinese universities are national, S & T policies with particular regard to university technology transfer would be more important and essential. This research finds that S & T policies enacted by government have made critical contributions to UILs in economic transition period, such as improving academic faculty, enhancing university–industry collaborations and supporting university spin-off formation. The experiences of China suggest that government should enact more effective S & T policies in the knowledge-based economy era.

First, universities need to educate high-level human resources that are important for economic growth and social development. Second, universities need to engage in R & D activities and enhance their collaboration with industries, such as consulting services, research contracts with industry, patent licensing and other general knowledge commercial mechanisms. Third, universities also can directly transfer commercial knowledge to start up new businesses by itself or in partnership with industrial sectors. Without doubt, a series of S & T policies or programs enacted by China’s government to drive entrepreneurship continuously played critical role in the UILs over the past 26 years.

This paper is a pioneering work on how S & T policies enacted by government drive UILs to stimulate technological progress in transitional China.

This study aims to probe the applicability of 2-mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT) functionalized ionic liquids (ILs) as additives in lithium complex grease (LCG) by researching the corrosion inhibiting, rheological and tribological performances.

Electrochemical tests such as electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and potentiodynamic polarization curves were used on Gamry electrochemical workstation to research the corrosion inhibition properties of ILs in 1.0 M HCl corrosive solution. The rheological properties of different grease samples were tested on a rheometer. The tribological properties were investigated on SRV-V oscillating reciprocating friction and wear tester. Scanning electron microscope, X-ray spectrometer and X-ray photoelectron spectrometer were used to characterize the lubricating mechanism.

The 2-MBT functionalized ILs have excellent corrosion inhibition properties. When used as additives in LCG, they both exhibited enhancing effects on thermostability, colloid stability and structural recoverability, and furthermore, outstanding friction-reducing and antiwear properties were also obtained. Surface analysis indicated that the superior lubricating performances of 2-MBT functionalized ILs were mainly ascribed to the formation of tribochemical products on wear tracks, including organic compounds with C–O bond, Fe₂O₃ and FeS₂.

The 2-MBT-based ILs synthesized in this study were multifunctional additives with excellent corrosion inhibiting and tribological properties, which would have a very broad application prospect in lubricating grease industry.

This paper aims to answer the following four research questions: Where do tourists gaze at the destination? What do tourists gaze at the destination? How do tourists gaze differently? Why do tourists gaze differently referring to relevant theory?

With a computer vision approach, this study illustrated a series of maps that reflect where and what do tourists gaze at and compared the differences in the visual perceptions among Asian, European and North American tourists in Hong Kong.

The findings confirm that the “tourist gaze” is influenced by geographical and cultural conditions. The conclusions provided three types of implementations for destination management strategies and advocated a high engagement with computer vision technology.

In theory, this study proves that the “tourist gaze” is influenced by geographical and cultural conditions. The study’s methodological contribution lies in applying advanced technology of visual content analysis for big data relevant to the issue of the tourist gaze. Practically, the finding that has not been achieved via previous questionnaire surveys will serve as a reference for tourism recommendations and precision marketing. In addition, its practical contribution is that it offers a means by which to explore tourists’ perceptions of destinations and understand the attractiveness of destinations to tourists.

研究一方面使用计算机视觉深入学习模型对游客照片内容进行识别, 比较了亚洲、欧洲和北美游客在香港不同空间场景的视觉感知差异。另一方面, 研究借助ArcGIS软件对游客凝视地点和内容差异进行了具体可视化分析。

这项研究有四个研究子问题：

• （1） 游客在哪里凝视？

• （2） 游客凝视了什么？

• （3） 游客凝视内容有什么不同？

  （4） 为什么游客凝视不同？

（1） 游客在哪里凝视？

（2） 游客凝视了什么？

（3） 游客凝视内容有什么不同？

（4） 为什么游客凝视不同？

不同游客在旅游目的地的“凝视”存在差异, 差异表征具体体现在地点选择和内容偏好等维度。同时, 研究结果显示计算机视觉技术在旅游研究领域呈现较好的应用潜力。

理论上, 本研究佐证了”游客凝视”受地理和文化条件影响的理论。技术上, 本研究探索了视觉分析技术在游客凝视议题上应用, 为旅游目的地感知评估提供了新的视角。应用层面, 研究结论为旅游目的地精准营销提供了参考。

Resumen

Con un enfoque de visión artificial, este estudio ilustra una serie de mapas que reflejan dónde y qué miran los turistas, y compara las diferencias en las percepciones visuales entre los turistas asiáticos, europeos y norteamericanos en Hong Kong.

El estudio tiene cuatro preguntas de investigación:

• (1) ¿Dónde miran los turistas en el destino?

• (2) ¿Qué miran los turistas en el destino?

• (3) ¿Cómo miran los turistas de forma diferente?

• (4) ¿Por qué los turistas miran de forma diferente en referencia a la teoría pertinente?

(1) ¿Dónde miran los turistas en el destino?

(2) ¿Qué miran los turistas en el destino?

(3) ¿Cómo miran los turistas de forma diferente?

(4) ¿Por qué los turistas miran de forma diferente en referencia a la teoría pertinente?

Las conclusiones confirman que la “mirada del turista” está influida por las condiciones geográficas y culturales. Las conclusiones aportan tres tipos de aplicaciones para las estrategias de gestión de destinos y abogan por un alto compromiso con la tecnología de visión artificial.

En teoría, este estudio demuestra que la “mirada del turista” está influenciada por las condiciones geográficas y culturales. La contribución metodológica del estudio radica en la aplicación de tecnología avanzada de análisis de contenido visual para big data relevante para el tema de la mirada del turista. En la práctica, los hallazgos que no se han logrado a través de encuestas anteriores servirán de referencia para las recomendaciones turísticas y el marketing de precisión. Además, su contribución práctica es que ofrece un medio para explorar las percepciones de los turistas sobre los destinos, y comprender el atractivo de los mismos para los turistas.

This paper aims to investigate how implementing lean six sigma and Industry 4.0 (LSSI4.0) can influence a company’s financial performance and discusses the current trend involving LSSI4.0 in China.

For statistical analysis, financial data was sourced from the China Stock Market and Accounting Research database. Keywords used to assess the implementation status of LSSI4.0 were extracted from the 2007 to 2020 annual reports of A-share manufacturing companies. Regression analysis was applied to the quantitative analyses of 5,041 observational data points from 945A-share manufacturing companies in China.

LSSI4.0 implementation in the manufacturing industry boosts the firms’ financial performance. However, the former outperforms the latter in terms of long-term advantages. Meanwhile, incorporating lean six sigma (LSS) into Industry 4.0 (I4.0) can lead to long-term improved financial performance compared to solely implementing the I4.0.

The findings possess limited international representativeness because all empirical data were derived from Chinese large manufacturing companies. In addition to return on assets and return on equity, financial performance can also be measured using other financial metrics, such as return on investment. In this study, only listed manufacturing companies were considered as research samples.

Top management must acknowledge the positive impact of LSSI4.0 on financial performance and prioritize implementing I4.0 based on LSS implementation.

Empirical results concerning the effectiveness of LSS implementation in enhancing financial performance are inconclusive, particularly in China. In addition, most studies collected data through surveys and interviews, so the representativeness of their outcomes is limited. Overall, this study evaluated the impact of LSSI4.0 implementation with large sample size.

Based on the involvement and customer-delivered value theories, this paper proposes a comprehensive framework with which to examine the relationships between food traceability system, consumer perceived value and purchase intention. The study also investigates the moderating role of consumer expertise in the relationship between food traceability system and perceived value.

Survey approach is the primary data collection tool, through which a total of 238 useable responses were obtained. Structural equation modelling is employed to examine the hypothesized relationships among all variables.

The findings show that the information quality, perceived reliability and product diagnosticity of food traceability system affect consumer perceived value, and the perceived value and purchase intention are positively associated, while consumer expertise acts as a moderator on the relationship between food traceability system and consumer perceived value.

This study sheds light on how consumer perceived value of food traceability system can enhance their intention to purchase traceable food. It contributes to the theory of customer-delivered value and involvement as well as traceable product marketing strategies. From a managerial perspective, guidelines are provided for traceable food producers and marketers to implement reasonable strategies to attract consumers to purchase and promote the sustainable development of food industry.

This study aims to conduct an empirical investigation of differing perceptions of nine types of urban space and nine visual elements among tourists in destination using a computer vision (CV) approach.

The data for this study was extracted from YFCC 100 M dataset. Nine types of urban space in Beijing were initially identified using a scene recognition model. Subsequently, a semantic segmentation model was applied, which yielded substantial evidence relating to nine visual elements that were used to elicit differing perceptions among tourists from different continents.

Tourists from three continents had different perceptions about corridors, old buildings, overlooks and traffic spaces, reflecting their cultural convention. Asians, Europeans and North Americans diversely gazed at the landscape element of buildings, foliage, sky and people in urban space. All those provided evidence to contribute to the tourist gaze theory's construction.

This study firstly depicted how tourists perceive the tourism symbol of urban space. The novel approach of employing two CV models offer methodological insights to tourism research relevant to visual perception.

游客对城市空间的感知:计算机视觉途径

本研究采用计算机视觉方法, 探究游客对旅游目的地九种城市空间类型及九种视觉元素的感知差异。

本研究数据提取自YFCC 100M图片数据集。首先, 利用场景识别模型识别了游客图片中的九种城市空间类型。其次, 应用语义分割模型识别了游客图片的九个视觉元素。这些分析结果被用于探究不同大洲游客的视觉感知差异。

来自不同大洲的游客对城市空间有不同的感知偏好。亚洲人更喜欢拍摄自己与著名的城市建筑, 欧洲人和北美人更喜欢自然元素, 如水、树叶和天空。不同大洲游客对视觉元素的偏好佐证了旅游凝视理论。

本研究选取了独特的城市空间为研究对象, 来验证游客凝视理论。此外, 两种计算机视觉模型为旅游研究提供了新的方法论视角。

La percepción de los turistas del espacio urbano: Un enfoque de vision artificial

Resumen

Los datos para este estudio se extrajeron del conjunto de datos YFCC 100 M. Inicialmente se identificaron nueve tipos de espacio urbano en Pekín mediante un modelo de reconocimiento de escenas. Posteriormente, se aplicó un modelo de segmentación semántica, que aportó pruebas sustanciales en relación con nueve elementos visuales que se utilizaron para suscitar percepciones diferentes entre turistas de distintos continentes.

El objetivo de este estudio es llevar a cabo una investigación empírica sobre las diferentes percepciones de nueve tipos de espacio urbano y nueve elementos visuales entre los turistas en destino, utilizando un enfoque de visión artificial (CV).

Los turistas de tres continentes tenían percepciones diferentes sobre los pasillos, los edificios antiguos, los miradores y los espacios de tráfico, lo que refleja su convención cultural. Los asiáticos, los europeos y los norteamericanos observaron de forma diversa el elemento paisajístico de los edificios, el follaje, el cielo y las personas en el espacio urbano. Todos ellos aportaron pruebas para contribuir a la construcción de la teoría de la mirada turística.

Este estudio describe por primera vez cómo los turistas perciben el símbolo turístico del espacio urbano. El novedoso enfoque de emplear dos modelos de vision artificial ofrece conocimientos metodológicos para la investigación del turismo relacionados con la percepción visual.

This study aimed to examine beliefs in repressed memory and dissociative amnesia from a cross-cultural perspective.

Chinese (n = 123) and Belgian student participants (n = 270) received several statements tapping into various dimensions of repressed memory and dissociative amnesia. Participants provided belief ratings for each of these statements. Because the field of psychoanalysis is less well developed in China, it was expected that Chinese participants would believe less in repressed memory and dissociative amnesia than their Belgian counterparts.

Overall, beliefs in repressed memory and dissociative amnesia were high among all participants. Although confirmatory analyses revealed that most belief ratings concerning statements did not statistically significantly differ between the two samples, Chinese participants did statistically believe less that therapy can recover lost traumatic memories than Belgian participants. Also, exploratory analyses showed that Chinese participants were more critical towards the idea that traumatic memories can be unconsciously repressed and that these memories can be accurately retrieved in therapy than Belgian participants. Many participants also confused repressed memory with plausible memory mechanisms such as ordinary forgetting.

The current study extends previous surveys on repressed memory and dissociative amnesia by comparing their beliefs in different cultures.

This study aims to develop a chain-mediated model to examine how streamer and product characteristics influence consumer behavior inertia (CBI) based on an extended cognitive-affective-conative (CAC) perspective.

This study used an online survey concerning the livestreaming activities of 250 experienced shoppers to measure the proposed model.

Streamer (product) attractiveness mediates the relationship between streamer (product) characteristics and shopping experience memory. Streamer (product) attractiveness and shopping experience memory have a chain mediating effect between the streamer (product) characteristics and CBI.

Theoretically, the study demonstrates the critical role of attractiveness and shopping experience memory in the formation of consumer inertia and complements current explanations of consumer continuance of buying through livestreaming. From a managerial standpoint, the findings provide guidelines for enterprises carrying out livestreaming business on how to improve inertia to realize a stable profit source.

This study aims to analyze the influence of farmers’ degree of participation in collective action on their adoption decisions and waiting time regarding soil and water conservation (SWC) measures.

The Probit model and Generalized Propensity Score Match method are used to assess the effect of the degree of participation in collective action on farmers’ adoption decisions and waiting time for implementing SWC measures.

The findings reveal that farmers’ engagement in collective action positively influences the decision-making process regarding terrace construction, water-saving irrigation and afforestation measures. However, it does not significantly impact the decision-making process for plastic film and ridge-furrow tillage practices. Notably, collective action has the strongest influence on farmers’ adoption decisions regarding water-saving irrigation technology, with a relatively smaller influence on the adoption of afforestation and terrace measures. Moreover, the results suggest that participating in collective action effectively reduces the waiting time for terrace construction and expedites the adoption of afforestation and water-saving irrigation technology. Specifically, collective action has a significantly negative effect on the waiting time for terrace construction, followed by water-saving irrigation technology and afforestation measures.

The results of this study underscore the significance of fostering mutual assistance and cooperation mechanisms among farmers, as they can pave the way for raising funds and labor, cultivating elite farmers, attracting skilled labor to rural areas, enhancing the adoption rate and expediting the implementation of terraces, water-saving irrigation technology and afforestation measures.

Drawing on an evaluation of farmers’ degree of participation in collective action, this paper investigates the effect of participation on their SWC adoption decisions and waiting times, thereby offering theoretical and practical insights into soil erosion control in the Loess Plateau.