Xingxing Zou, Wai Keung Wong, Can Gao and Jie Zhou
The deficiency of the mapping between fashion color (FoCo) value and linguistic color expression causes the difficulty of machine-based fashion understanding tasks that are…
Abstract
Purpose
The deficiency of the mapping between fashion color (FoCo) value and linguistic color expression causes the difficulty of machine-based fashion understanding tasks that are heavily associated with color matching. The purpose of this paper is to propose the FoCo system and construct it with four steps, in order to bridge this gap.
Design/methodology/approach
The color distribution in HSB color space is analyzed to estimate the rough number of color categories. Similar color values are grouped to obtain the initial HSB value range for each color category. The intra-category color differences are calculated to determine their final HSB value ranges and Pantone color is used for fine-tuning.
Findings
With practical applications in mind, the FoCo system is designed as a hierarchical structure with three layers.
Originality/value
The FoCo system is designed as a hierarchical structure with three layers: color units for color matching-related tasks, color categories for style analysis tasks and color tones for color recognition tasks. Extensive experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of the FoCo system.
Details
Keywords
Hu Zhou, Bin Yu, Ning Li, Jie Zhou, Xiaoyang Luo, Jialin Tang and Xianzhi Qin
This paper aims to provide a new drilling entry board for printed circuit board (PCB) process, superior in heat dissipation, lubrication, water solubility and hole location…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to provide a new drilling entry board for printed circuit board (PCB) process, superior in heat dissipation, lubrication, water solubility and hole location accuracy, achieving an excellent drilling process.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a mixture of polyethylene glycol (PEG) and water-soluble adhesives as hydrosoluble, endothermic and lubricant resins and aluminum foils as baseplates, a series of coated and aluminous entry boards (CABs) for PCB drilling was successfully prepared. The surface appearance of the entry boards was observed clearly by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The endothermic and lubricant effects of the resins applied on the CABs was characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and their water solubility was tested in the normal-temperature water (25°C). Moreover, the CABs’ good drilling properties were tested when they were used for PCB drilling.
Findings
The SEM analysis showed that the surfaces of the resin layers coated on the CABs whose coating thicknesses were less than 80 μm were smoother and flatter, which could improve hole location accuracy and reduce drill breakage ratio. By virtue of DSC, the endothermic and lubricant effects of the CABs were proven. The fusion of PEG in the resin layers could absorb the heat produced by drilling, restrain the temperature of the drill bit and hole rising and lubricate the drill bit efficiently when a hole was being drilled, which could achieve high-quality holes with good production efficiency. The water-soluble test showed that the prepared CABs had excellent water solubility at normal temperature, enabling the resin left on the hole walls and in the flute of the drill bit to be washed away easily and thereby improving the drilling efficiency and quality. The drilling tests showed that the increase in the thickness of the CABs’ coating could improve the hole location accuracy and alleviate the bit wear. In addition, the suitable coating thickness could ensure the firm adhering of the resin coating the aluminum foil, effectively avoid drill intertwist and prevent the resin debris from blocking the drilled holes on the surface of the entry board, which could hinder chip removal, resulting in poor hole wall quality and drill breakage.
Originality/value
This paper has a remarkably high industrial practicality in the PCB manufacture process.
Details
Keywords
Jie Zhou, Xingxing Zou and Wai Keung Wong
Efficient and high-accuracy intelligent color and material sorting systems are the main bottlenecks restricting the recycling of waste textiles. The mixing of waste textiles with…
Abstract
Purpose
Efficient and high-accuracy intelligent color and material sorting systems are the main bottlenecks restricting the recycling of waste textiles. The mixing of waste textiles with different colors will make the reconstructed raw material of textile fiber useless or with low quality. In this study, some challenges about the automatic color sorting for waste textile recycling are discussed. A computer vision-based color sorting system for waste textile recycling is introduced, which can classify the required colors well and meet the efficiency requirements of an automatic recycling line.
Design/methodology/approach
There are four aspects, (1) two cameras with different exposure times and white-balance parameters are involved for establishing the computer vision system. (2) Two standard color databases with two cameras are constructed. (3) A statistical model to determine the colors of textile samples is presented in which uniform sampling of pixels and mid-tone enhancing techniques are exploited. (4) The experiments with a number of waste textile samples from a factory in Hong Kong are conducted to illustrate the efficiency of the developed system.
Findings
The experiments with a number of waste textile samples from a factory in Hong Kong are reported. The total classification accuracy performs good. The research methods and results reported in this study can provide an important reference for improving the intelligent level of color sorting for waste textile recycling.
Originality/value
It is the first time to introduce computer vision technology to a color sorting system for recycling waste textiles, especially in a real recycling factory in Hong Kong. The research methods and results reported in this study also deliver guidance for designing a computer vision-based color sorting system for other industrial scenarios.
Details
Keywords
Jie Zhou, Zeyao Li, Wanjun Tian and Jiawei Sun
This study purposes to study the influence of artificial freezing on the liquefaction characteristics of Nanjing sand, as well as its mechanism.
Abstract
Purpose
This study purposes to study the influence of artificial freezing on the liquefaction characteristics of Nanjing sand, as well as its mechanism.
Design/methodology/approach
was studied through dynamic triaxial tests by means of the GDS dynamic triaxial system on Nanjing sand extensively discovered in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River under seismic load and metro train vibration load, respectively, and potential hazards of the two loads to the freezing construction of Nanjing sand were also identified in the tests.
Findings
The results show that under both seismic load and metro train vibration load, freeze-thaw cycles will significantly reduce the stiffness and liquefaction resistance of Nanjing sand, especially in the first freeze-thaw cycle; the more freeze-thaw cycles, the worse structural behaviors of silty-fine sand, and the easier to liquefy; freeze-thaw cycles will increase the sensitivity of Nanjing sand's dynamic pore pressure to dynamic load response; the lower the freezing temperature and the effective confining pressure, the worse the liquefaction resistance of Nanjing sand after freeze-thaw cycles; compared to the metro train vibration load, the seismic load in Nanjing is potentially less dangerous to freezing construction of Nanjing sand.
Originality/value
The research results are helpful to the construction of the artificial ground freezing of the subway crossing passage in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and to ensure the construction safety of the subway tunnel and its crossing passage.
Details
Keywords
Gary Chen, Darren Roulstone and Jie Zhou
We examine the role of internet speed in sophistication among individual investors.
Abstract
Purpose
We examine the role of internet speed in sophistication among individual investors.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper utilizes archival data and regression-based analyses in examining the research question.
Findings
We first show that higher individual investor internet speed (IIIS) is associated with geographic measures of education, job type and income of users accessing EDGAR filings. We then show that higher IIIS is positively related to the market reaction to newly released 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K filings and that the relation is stronger for companies and filings where greater sophistication is needed. Higher IIIS is also associated with a lower price drift after the release of a 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K filing on EDGAR.
Originality/value
Overall, our findings suggest that greater internet access speeds can aid in the sophistication and price discovery process for individual investors.
Details
Keywords
Jiawei Xu, Baofeng Zhang, Jianjun Lu, Yubing Yu, Haidong Chen and Jie Zhou
The importance of the agri-food supply chain in both food production and distribution has made the issue of its development a critical concern. Based on configuration theory and…
Abstract
Purpose
The importance of the agri-food supply chain in both food production and distribution has made the issue of its development a critical concern. Based on configuration theory and congruence theory, this research investigates the complex impact of supply chain concentration on financial growth in agri-food supply chains.
Design/methodology/approach
The cluster analysis and response surface methodology are employed to analyse the data collected from 207 Chinese agri-food companies from 2010 to 2022.
Findings
The results indicate that different combination patterns of supply chain concentration can lead to different levels of financial growth. We discover that congruent supplier and customer concentration is beneficial for companies’ financial growth. This impact is more pronounced when the company is in the agricultural production stage of agri-food supply chains. Post-hoc analysis indicates that there exists an inverted U-shaped relationship between the overall levels of supply chain concentration and financial growth.
Practical implications
Our research uncovers the complex interplay between supply chain base and financial outcomes, thereby revealing significant ramifications for agri-food supply chain managers to optimise their strategies for exceptional financial growth.
Originality/value
This study proposes a combined approach of cluster analysis and response surface analysis for analysing configuration issues in supply chain management.
Details
Keywords
Jie Zhou, Lingyu Hu, Yubing Yu, Justin Zuopeng Zhang and Leven J. Zheng
Building supply chain resilience is increasingly recognized as an effective strategy to deal with supply chain challenges, risks and disruptions. Nevertheless, it remains unclear…
Abstract
Purpose
Building supply chain resilience is increasingly recognized as an effective strategy to deal with supply chain challenges, risks and disruptions. Nevertheless, it remains unclear how to build supply chain resilience and whether supply chain resilience could achieve a competitive advantage.
Design/methodology/approach
By analyzing the data collected from 216 firms in China, the current study empirically examines how information technology (IT) capability and supply chain collaboration affect different forms of supply chain resilience (external resilience and internal resilience) and examines the performance implications of these two forms of supply chain resilience.
Findings
Results show that IT capability is positively related to external resilience, whereas supply chain collaboration is positively related to internal resilience. The combination of IT capability and supply chain collaboration is positively related to external resilience. In addition, internal resilience is positively related to firm performance.
Research limitations/implications
This study used only cross-sectional data from China for hypothesis testing. Future studies could utilise longitudinal data and research other countries/regions.
Practical implications
The findings systematically assess how IT capability and supply chain collaboration contribute to supply chain resilience and firm performance. The results provide a benchmark of supply chain resilience improvement that can be expected from IT capability and supply chain collaboration.
Originality/value
The study findings advance the understanding of supply chain resilience and provide practical implications for supply chain managers.
Details
Keywords
Lingyu Hu, Jie Zhou, Justin Zuopeng Zhang and Abhishek Behl
Supply chain resilience and knowledge management (KM) processes have received increasing attention from researchers and practitioners. Nevertheless, previous studies often treat…
Abstract
Purpose
Supply chain resilience and knowledge management (KM) processes have received increasing attention from researchers and practitioners. Nevertheless, previous studies often treat the two streams of literature independently. Drawing on the knowledge-based theory, this study aims to reconcile these two different streams of literature and examine how and when KM processes influence supply chain resilience.
Design/methodology/approach
This research develops a conceptual model to test a sample of data from 203 Chinese manufacturing firms using a structural equation modeling method. Specifically, the current study empirically examines how KM processes affect different forms of supply chain resilience (supply chain readiness, responsiveness and recovery) and examines the moderating effect of blockchain technology adaptation and organizational inertia on the relationship between KM processes and supply chain resilience.
Findings
The findings show that KM processes positively affect three dimensions of supply chain resilience, i.e., supply chain readiness, responsiveness and recovery. Besides, the study reveals that blockchain technology adoption positively moderates the relationships between KM processes and supply chain resilience, whereas organizational inertia negatively moderates these above relationships.
Originality/value
This research linked the two research areas of supply chain resilience and KM processes, further bridging the gap in the research exploration of KM in the supply chain field. Next, this study contributes to supply chain resilience research by investigating how KM systems positively impact supply chain readiness, responsiveness and recovery. In addition, this study found a moderating effect of blockchain technology adaption and organizational inertia on the relationship between KM processes and supply chain resilience. These findings provide a reference for Chinese manufacturing firms to strengthen supply chain resilience, achieve secure supply chain operations and gain a competitive advantage in the supply chain. This studys’findings advance the understanding of supply chain resilience and provide practical implications for supply chain managers.
Details
Keywords
Hui-Wen Deng and Kwok Wah Cheung
The National People’s Congress (NPC) of People’s Republic of China, the highest organ of state power, is popularly seen as a rubber-stamp entity. However, it has been…
Abstract
Purpose
The National People’s Congress (NPC) of People’s Republic of China, the highest organ of state power, is popularly seen as a rubber-stamp entity. However, it has been substantially evolving its roles to accommodate the governance discourses within China’s political system over the decades. This study aims to explore the changes of governance discourse of the NPC within China’s political system through which to offer a thorough understanding of the NPC’s evolving substantial role in current China.
Design/methodology/approach
This study deploys a historical approach to explore the changes of governance discourse of the NPC that has seen a growing importance in China’s political agenda, as argued by this study.
Findings
The authors find that the NPC has been substantially evolving its role within China’s political system in which the Chinese Communist Party has created different governance discourses. Besides, the NPC and its Standing Committee have asserted its authority as a substantial actor within China’s political system. The NPC is no longer functioned as a rubber-stamp institution, though it is still popularized as a rubber stamp by many scholars.
Research limitations/implications
This study is a historical elaboration on the development of NPC under three governance discourses. It might be, to some extent, relatively descriptive in nature.
Originality/value
This study, therefore, sheds some light on a revisit on the governance discourses in current China.
Details
Keywords
Lingyun Zhou, Jie Wu, Dong Mu, Yachao Wu and Zhonghua Gu
As a crucial element of city planning, an adequately planned logistics center for agricultural products can improve the circulation efficiency of agricultural products, thereby…
Abstract
As a crucial element of city planning, an adequately planned logistics center for agricultural products can improve the circulation efficiency of agricultural products, thereby contributing to a convenient lifestyle of urban residents. First, this study analyzed the functional zones of urban green logistics centers for agricultural products based on low-carbon idea. A method was also proposed to calculate the area of each functional zone. Moreover, this study proposed a layout planning innovation method of urban green logistics centers for agricultural products based on logistics motion line analysis and logistics intensity calculation. Lastly, this study analyzed the application processes of the layout planning methodology according to the topographical conditions of Huai’an logistics center project case in China. Results of the case study show that the construction innovation method proposed in this study is scientific, reasonable, and practical. The construction innovation method can be also used for the planning and designing of similar urban logistics centers.