Toru Yamada, Jinliang Yuan and Bengt Ake Sunden
The purpose of this paper is to find out the applicability of the many-body dissipative particle dynamics (MDPD) method for various real fluids by specifically focusing on the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to find out the applicability of the many-body dissipative particle dynamics (MDPD) method for various real fluids by specifically focusing on the effects of the MDPD parameters on the MDPD fluid properties.
Design/methodology/approach
In this study, the MDPD method based on van der Waals (vdw) equation of state is employed. The simulations are conducted by using LAMMPS with some modifications of the original package to include the many-body features in the simulation. The simulations are investigated in a three-dimensional Cartesian box solution domain in which MDPD particles are distributed. In order to evaluate the MDPD liquid characteristics for a stationary liquid film, self-diffusivity, viscosity, Schmidt number (Sc) and surface tension, are estimated for different MDPD parameters. The parameters are carefully selected based on previous studies. A set of single-droplet simulations is also performed to analyze the droplet characteristics and its behavior on a solid-wall. Besides, the relationship between the characteristic length in the DPD simulations and scaling parameters for the stationary liquid-film case is discussed by employing the Ohnesorge number.
Findings
The results show that the liquid properties in the MDPD simulations can be widely ranged by varying the MDPD parameters. The values are highly influenced by the many-body feature in the conservative force which is not included in the original DPD method. It is also found that the wetting ability of the MDPD fluid on solid walls can be easily controlled by changing a many-body parameter. The characteristic length between the MDPD reduced unit and real unit is related for the stationary liquid-film case by employing the Ohnesorge number.
Originality/value
The present parametric study shows that the liquid properties in the MDPD method can vary by carefully controlling the MDPD parameters, which demonstrates the high-potential applicability of the method for various real fluids. This will contribute to research areas in multi-phase transport phenomena at nano and sub-micron scales in, for example, fuel cells, batteries and other engineering devices involving porous media.
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Suraya Hamid, Mohamad Taha Ijab, Hidayah Sulaiman, Rina Md. Anwar and Azah Anir Norman
The explosion of social media use such as Facebook among higher education students is deemed to have great potential in widely disseminating environmental sustainability…
Abstract
Purpose
The explosion of social media use such as Facebook among higher education students is deemed to have great potential in widely disseminating environmental sustainability awareness. The paper aims to capture, summarise, synthesise and comment on the role of social media to garner interest of students and staff on environmental sustainability issues.
Design/methodology/approach
Systematic literature review technique is adopted, and three selected online databases were searched for relevant papers for review. Specific data were extracted from each paper, and the discussion section was based on the developed research questions.
Findings
Higher education needs to fully leverage the ubiquity of social media to extend how environmental sustainability is viewed by the students and staff. Sustainability practices conducted at the university level such as recycling, reduction of electricity and water consumptions and paper reduction in classroom and used to engage students on environmental matters. For staff, social media can be leveraged as to convey the university policy and assist in their quest to become full-fledged green universities.
Research limitations/implications
Some of the limitations of this research include the lack of keyword search using synonyms or related terms equivalent to the term “awareness”, lack of forward and backward searches, and the papers were searched until end of 2013 only. Future research needs to take advantage of the current limitations to investigate this topic and be empirically supported by theories using quantitative, qualitative or mixed-method-based research. Future studies could also develop relevant frameworks to propose an effective use of social media for creating environmental sustainability awareness in higher education.
Practical implications
Propagations of environmental sustainability awareness in higher education would be more effective with the use of social media.
Social implications
In principle, the increase of environmental awareness level would increase the students’ good behavioural conduct on environmental sustainability.
Originality/value
While the broad topic of environmental sustainability in higher education is widely discussed, the role of social media in shaping environmental sustainability awareness is still under researched. This situation provides a significant potential for exploration by sustainability researchers to craft their investigation on the effective role of social media in creating environmental awareness in higher education.
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Jiawei Wang, Guanhua Zhang, Jinliang Liu and Yanmin Jia
During service period, the bridge structures will be affected by the environment and load, so the carrying capacity will decline. The purpose of this paper is to research on the…
Abstract
Purpose
During service period, the bridge structures will be affected by the environment and load, so the carrying capacity will decline. The purpose of this paper is to research on the bearing capacity of bridge structures with time.
Design/methodology/approach
Destructive test and non-linear finite element analysis are carried out by utilizing two pretensioning prestressed concrete hollow slabs in service for 20 years; using the structural test deflection value to simulate the stiffness degradation of the service bridge and the finite element calculation results verify the accuracy of the calculation.
Findings
The flexural rigidity of the main beam when the test beam is destructed is degraded to approximately 20 percent of that before the test, which agrees well with the result of finite element analysis and indicates that the method of deducing the flexural rigidity of the structure according to the measured deflection value can effectively simulate the rigidity degradation law of the bridge in service. The crack resistance property of the test beam degrades obviously and the ultimate bearing capacity of the bending resistance does not degrade obviously.
Originality/value
The research results truly reflect the destruction process, destructive form, bearing capacity and rigidity degradation law of the old beam of the concrete bridge in service for 20 years and can provide technical basis for optimization design of newly built bridges of the same type and maintenance and reinforcement design of existing old bridges.
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Qiang Lu, Yang Deng, Beini Liu and Jinliang Chen
As an effective mode to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) raise working capital, supply chain finance has recently gained extensive attention. The purpose of this paper is…
Abstract
Purpose
As an effective mode to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) raise working capital, supply chain finance has recently gained extensive attention. The purpose of this paper is to explore the intrinsic mechanism of how both weak and strong ties in the supply chain network impact the supply chain financing performance (SCFP) of SMEs from the perspective of the supply chain network.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on the extended resource-based perspective, this paper proposes a theoretical model to explain the mode in which strong ties and weak ties of SMEs in the supply chain network influence SCFP through both physical distribution flexibility and demand management flexibility. Based on data from 182 manufacturing firms in China, this paper uses multiple regression analysis to test hypotheses.
Findings
The results of this paper indicate that weak ties improve SCFP more effectively than strong ties. Furthermore, both physical distribution flexibility and demand management flexibility exert different mediating roles either between strong ties and SCFP or between weak ties and SCFP. Moreover, the effect of physical distribution flexibility and demand management flexibility on SCFP of SMEs is not reinforced.
Originality/value
This paper highlights the importance to expand supply chain finance research from the perspective of the supply chain network. In particular, this paper explores the poorly understood mediating effect both physical distribution flexibility and demand management flexibility exert on the relationship between network ties and the SCFP of SMEs.
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Yu Wang, Hongyi Sun, Tao Jia and Jinliang Chen
This study is based on knowledge-based view to examine the relationships among buyer–supplier interaction, ambidextrous innovation and business performance. It includes…
Abstract
Purpose
This study is based on knowledge-based view to examine the relationships among buyer–supplier interaction, ambidextrous innovation and business performance. It includes competitive intensity and dysfunctional competition to clarify boundary conditions.
Design/methodology/approach
The ordinary least squares regression was conducted to test hypotheses. The survey data were collected from 182 Hong Kong manufacturing firms.
Findings
Buyer–supplier interaction facilitates ambidextrous innovation, namely exploitative innovation and exploratory innovation. In turn, exploitative innovation enhances business performance, whereas exploratory innovation has no influence on business performance. Competitive intensity strengthens while dysfunctional competition weakens the impact of buyer–supplier interaction on ambidextrous innovation.
Research limitations/implications
This study is based on the knowing processes of knowledge-based view. It contends that business performance is derived from ambidextrous innovation, which depends on the utilization of acquired supplier knowledge and the influence of external competitive environment. The test of relationships is constrained by the single-source and cross-sectional data.
Practical implications
Firms should engage in buyer–supplier interaction to acquire and utilize supplier knowledge. Meanwhile, they should monitor competitive environment to seize opportunities and avoid threats.
Originality/value
This study builds a holistic framework for buyer–supplier interaction, which reconciles the mixed arguments by distinguishing its effects on ambidextrous innovation, and by clarifying boundary conditions in terms of competitive intensity and dysfunctional competition.
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Cement fly ash gravel (CFG) pile composite foundation is an effective and economic foundation treatment approach, which is significant to build foundation, subgrade construction…
Abstract
Purpose
Cement fly ash gravel (CFG) pile composite foundation is an effective and economic foundation treatment approach, which is significant to build foundation, subgrade construction, and so forth. The purpose of this paper is to present a research on the temperature behaviours of high-latitude and low-altitude island permafrost under CFG pile composite foundation treatment.
Design/methodology/approach
In the process of CFG pile construction, the temperature of permafrost and pile body was monitored using the temperature sensors. The influence of subgrade height and atmospheric temperature cycle on permafrost temperature was analysed by finite element simulation.
Findings
In the process of CFG pile construction, the change curve of pile temperature and the temperature of permafrost beside pile following time can be divided into six stages, and the duration of these stages is at least one month. The temperature variation of permafrost while constructing subgrade in FEM has a good agreement with the results of field temperature monitoring. The height of subgrade not only affects the maximum temperature increase of permafrost and the re-frozen time of permafrost after the construction of CFG pile composite foundation, but also affects the temperature variation amplitude of permafrost during atmospheric temperature cycle.
Originality/value
The research will provide a reference for the design on the CFG pile composite foundation used for island permafrost and guarantee the stability of the structure; thus, it has an important significance.
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Jinliang Chen, Guoli Liu and Yu Wang
The purpose of this paper is to examine the nuanced effects of downstream complexity on supply chain resilience, based on portfolio theory and normal accident theory. Intelligent…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the nuanced effects of downstream complexity on supply chain resilience, based on portfolio theory and normal accident theory. Intelligent manufacturing is considered to clarify their boundary conditions.
Design/methodology/approach
The ordinary least squares regression was conducted, based on the data collected from 136 high-tech firms in China.
Findings
Horizontal downstream complexity has a positive effect on supply chain resilience significantly, while the negative impact of vertical downstream complexity on supply chain resilience is not significant. Contingently, intelligent manufacturing plays a negative moderating role in the relationship between horizontal downstream complexity and supply chain resilience, while it positively moderates the relationship between vertical downstream complexity and supply chain resilience.
Originality/value
This study disentangles the nuanced effects of both horizontal and vertical downstream complexity on supply chain resilience, based on portfolio theory and normal accident theory. It also clarifies their boundary conditions by considering the focal firm's intelligent manufacturing level as the contingent factor.
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Jinliang Liu, Yanmin Jia, Guanhua Zhang and Jiawei Wang
During service period, due to the overload or other non-load factors, diagonal cracks of the pre-stressed concrete beam are seriously affecting the safety of the bridge structure…
Abstract
Purpose
During service period, due to the overload or other non-load factors, diagonal cracks of the pre-stressed concrete beam are seriously affecting the safety of the bridge structure. The purpose of this paper is to quickly realize the shear bearing capacity and shear stiffness through maximum width of the diagonal cracks and make correct judgments.
Design/methodology/approach
Through the shear failure test of four test beams, collecting data of diagonal cracks and shear stiffness loss value. According to the deformation curve of the shear stiffness, and combined with the calculation formula of the maximum width of diagonal cracks, the formula for calculating the effective shear stiffness based on the maximum width of diagonal cracks is deduced, then the results are verified by test data. Data regression method is used to establish the effective shear stiffness loss ratio calculation formula, the maximum width of diagonal cracks used as a variable factor, and the accuracy of this formula is verified by comparing the shear failure test results of pre-stressed hollow plates.
Findings
With the increase in width of the diagonal crack, the loss rate of shear stiffness of the concrete beams is initially fast and then becomes slow. The calculation formulae for shear stiffness based on the maximum width of the diagonal cracks were deduced, and the feasibility and accuracy of the formulae were verified by analysis and calculation of shear test data.
Originality/value
A method for quickly determine the shear stiffness loss of structures by using maximum width of the diagonal cracks is established, and using this method, engineers can quickly determine effective shear stiffness loss ratio, without complex calculations. So this method not only ensures the safety of human life, but also saves money.
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Ruixia Yan, Jinliang Liu and Bingxue Yao
The purpose of this paper is to present research methods in processing uncertain information.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present research methods in processing uncertain information.
Design/methodology/approach
Vague set and rough set are both‐wings‐mode for expressing uncertainty systems, and based on the both‐wings‐mode of expressing uncertainty systems, the connections of vague set and rough set are discussed.
Findings
This paper presents the relationships between vague set and rough set.
Research limitations/implications
Based on these connections between vague set and rough set, theoretical and means of vague set can be used for rough set; also theoretical and means of rough set can be used for vague set.
Originality/value
The paper contributes to the discussion on the research of vague set and rough set. The conclusions are useful in information processing.