Lou Y. Liang, Russell G. Thompson and David M. Young
This paper describes the application of heuristic techniques for designing gravity wastewater collection systems. Designing sewer networks can be a time‐consuming task that is…
Abstract
This paper describes the application of heuristic techniques for designing gravity wastewater collection systems. Designing sewer networks can be a time‐consuming task that is largely based on trial and error where suitable pipe diameters and slopes combinations for all pipelines between manholes must be identified. Since there is a large range of possible slopes, diameters and roughness coefficients of pipes, only a small number of combinations of these parameters are usually analyzed in traditional design processes. Identifying a minimum cost design is an important issue when constructing sewer networks. In this paper, genetic algorithms and tabu search techniques are implemented to solve this difficult optimization problem. An adaptive rule and a dynamic search strategy were developed to assist the search procedures find better solutions.
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Rahime Zaman Fashami, Manijeh Haghighinasab, Nader Seyyedamiri and Pari Ahadi
Jingfeng Quan and Xiaoyan Tang
This paper aims to explore new variable separation solutions for a new generalized (3 + 1)-dimensional breaking soliton equation, construct novel nonlinear excitations and discuss…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore new variable separation solutions for a new generalized (3 + 1)-dimensional breaking soliton equation, construct novel nonlinear excitations and discuss their dynamical behaviors that may exist in many realms such as fluid dynamics, optics and telecommunication.
Design/methodology/approach
By means of the multilinear variable separation approach, variable separation solutions for the new generalized (3 + 1)-dimensional breaking soliton equation are derived with arbitrary low dimensional functions with respect to {y, z, t}. The asymptotic analysis is presented to represent generally the evolutions of rogue waves.
Findings
Fixing several types of explicit expressions of the arbitrary function in the potential field U, various novel nonlinear wave excitations are fabricated, such as hybrid waves of kinks and line solitons with different structures and other interesting characteristics, as well as interacting waves between rogue waves, kinks, line solitons with translation and rotation.
Research limitations/implications
The paper presents that a variable separation solution with an arbitrary function of three independent variables has great potential to describe localized waves.
Practical implications
The roles of parameters in the chosen functions are ascertained in this study, according to which, one can understand the amplitude, shape, background and other characteristics of the localized waves.
Social implications
The work provides novel localized waves that might be used to explain some nonlinear phenomena in fluids, plasma, optics and so on.
Originality/value
The study proposes a new generalized (3 + 1)-dimensional breaking soliton equation and derives its nonlinear variable separation solutions. It is demonstrated that a variable separation solution with an arbitrary function of three independent variables provides a treasure-house of nonlinear waves.
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Wenchao Ma, Lina He, Zeng Dan, Guanyi Chen and Xuebin Lu
With the rapid development of China’s urbanisation and market economy, municipal solid waste (MSW) generation is increasing dramatically. In response to the threat of…
Abstract
With the rapid development of China’s urbanisation and market economy, municipal solid waste (MSW) generation is increasing dramatically. In response to the threat of environmental pollution and the potential value of converting waste into energy, both the government and the public are now paying more attention to MSW treatment and disposal methods. In 2014, 178.6 million tonnes of MSW was collected at a safe treatment rate of 84.8%. However, the treatment methods and the composition of MSW are influenced by the collection area, its gross domestic product, population, rainfall and living conditions. This chapter analysed the MSW composition properties of Lhasa, Tibet, compared with other cities, such as Beijing, Guangzhou and so forth. The research showed that the moisture content of MSW in Lhasa approaches 31%, which is much lower than the other cities mentioned previously. The proportion of paper and plastics (rubbers) collected was 25.67% and 19.1%, respectively. This was 1.00–3.17 times and 0.75–2.44 times more than those found in Beijing and Guangzhou, respectively. Non-combustibles can reach up to 22.5%, which was 4.03–9.11 times that of Beijing and Guangzhou, respectively. The net heating values could reach up to 6,616 kilojoule/kilogram. The food residue was only half the proportion found in other cities. Moreover, the disposal method applied in each city has also been studied and compared.
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Ya'nan Lou, Pengkun Quan, Haoyu Lin, Zhuo Liang, Dongbo Wei and Shichun Di
This purpose of this paper is to design a peg-in-hole controller for a cable-driven serial robot with compliant wrist (CDSR-CW) using cable tensions and joint positions. The peg…
Abstract
Purpose
This purpose of this paper is to design a peg-in-hole controller for a cable-driven serial robot with compliant wrist (CDSR-CW) using cable tensions and joint positions. The peg is connected to the robot link through a CW. It is required that the controller does not rely on any external sensors such as 6-axis wrist force/torque (F/T) sensor, and only the compliance matrix’s estimated value of the CW is known.
Design/methodology/approach
First, the peg-in-hole assembly system based on a CDSR-CW is analyzed. Second, a characterization algorithm using micro cable tensions and joint positions to express the elastic F/T at the CW is established. Next, under the premise of only knowing the compliance matrix’s estimate, a peg-in-hole controller based on force/position hybrid control is proposed.
Findings
The experiment results show that the plug contact F/T can be tracked well. This verifies the validity and correctness of the characterization algorithm and peg-in-hole controller for CDSR-CWs in this paper.
Originality/value
First, to the authors’ knowledge, there is no relevant work about the peg-in-hole assembly task using a CDSR-CW. Besides, the proposed characterization algorithm for the elastic F/T makes the peg-in-hole controller get rid of the dependence on the F/T sensor, which expands the application scenarios of the peg-in-hole controller. Finally, the controller does not require an accurate compliance matrix, which also increases its applicability.
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Kai-Chieh Hu, Kai-Chieh Chia, Mingying Lu and Ya-Lan Liang
The purpose of the study is to clarify the quality of home delivery logistics services from the perspectives of customers and provide insight to aid the prioritization of service…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the study is to clarify the quality of home delivery logistics services from the perspectives of customers and provide insight to aid the prioritization of service quality improvements and guide managerial strategic planning.
Design/methodology/approach
The study used a three-dimensional model that integrated Kano model, goal difficulty (GD) and importance–performance analysis (IPA) for investigating service quality aspects emphasized by customers and determine which attributes should be prioritized according to an enterprise's resource and capability constraints. Data were collected through questionnaires administered to the customers and managers of five primary home delivery logistics service enterprises and six small to medium-sized enterprises in Taiwan. Improving the quality of home delivery logistics services has become of increased interest for enterprises.
Findings
The three most important attributes, ranked in order of priority for improvement, were the protection of customers' personal information, delivery of products without damage and reasonable compensation standards for product damage. The study concludes that enterprises should prioritize the improvement of these attributes. Implications, detailed explanations and directions for further investigations are also proposed.
Originality/value
The study discusses the importance and relevant satisfaction levels of service quality attributes from the perspective of customers while also considering the limitations of companies' resources and capabilities. The results indicate that the method can be used to identify service quality attributes of home delivery logistics and formulate strategies for enhancing customer satisfaction.
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Ji Kai, Ming Liu, Yue Wang and Ding Zhang
Nucleic acid testing is an effective method of accurate prevention and control and a key measure to block the spread of the epidemic. However, the fraud in nucleic acid testing…
Abstract
Purpose
Nucleic acid testing is an effective method of accurate prevention and control and a key measure to block the spread of the epidemic. However, the fraud in nucleic acid testing occurred frequently during epidemics. This paper aims to provide a viable scheme for the government to strengthen the supervision of nucleic acid testing and to provide a new condition for the punishment for the negative act of the government and the upper limit of the reward for nucleic acid testing institution of no data fraud.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper formulates an evolutionary game model between the government and nucleic acid testing institution under four different mechanisms of reward and punishment to solve the issue of nucleic acid testing supervision. The authors discuss the stability of equilibrium points under the four distinct strategies and conduct simulation experiments.
Findings
The authors find that the strategy of dynamic reward and static penalty outperforms the strategies of static reward and static penalty, dynamic reward and static penalty, static reward and dynamic penalty, dynamic reward and dynamic penalty. The results reveal the appropriate punishment for the negative act of the government can enhance the positivity of the government's supervision in the strategy of dynamic reward and static penalty, while the upper limit of the reward for nucleic acid testing institution of no data fraud cannot be too high. Otherwise, it will backfire. Another interesting and counterintuitive result is that in the strategy of dynamic reward and dynamic penalty, the upper limit of the penalty for data fraud of nucleic acid testing institution cannot be augmented recklessly. Otherwise, it will diminish the government's positivity for supervision.
Originality/value
Most of the existing evolutionary game researches related to the reward and punishment mechanism and data fraud merely highlight that increasing the intensity of reward and punishment can help improve the government's supervision initiative and can minimize data fraud of nucleic acid institution, but they fall short of the boundary conditions for the punishment and reward mechanism. Previous literature only study the supervision of nucleic acid testing qualitatively and lacks quantitative research. Moreover, they do not depict the problem scenario of testing data fraud of nucleic acid institution regulated by the government via the evolutionary game model. Thus, this study effectively bridges these gaps. This research is universal and can be extended to other industries.
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Hong Zhang, Yaobin Lu, Sumeet Gupta and Ping Gao
Sustainable success of group-buying web sites implies that consumers not only accept them initially but also use them continuously. Most group-buying web sites, however, are…
Abstract
Purpose
Sustainable success of group-buying web sites implies that consumers not only accept them initially but also use them continuously. Most group-buying web sites, however, are unable to achieve such sustainable success. Drawing on expectation-confirmation model (ECM), the purpose of this paper is to examine the factors that influence group-buying web sites continuance.
Design/methodology/approach
In total, 605 valid responses were collected via a survey of a leading group-buying web site in China. Structural equation modeling was used to test the research model. This study also compared the three competing models of continued use behavior, namely, ECM, the research model and the integrated model.
Findings
The results show that perceived web site quality, perceived price advantage and confirmation are important determinants of consumer satisfaction, while perceived web site quality, perceived reputation, satisfaction and perceived critical mass significantly influence consumers’ continuance intention. The research model accounts for more variance in satisfaction and continuance intention than ECM and is the best-fitting model among the competing models.
Originality/value
Drawing on ECM, this research proposes a model by incorporating three online group-buying characteristics (perceived price advantage, perceived reputation and perceived web site quality) and two social influence factors (subjective norm and perceived critical mass). Specially, this study uses these three online group-buying characteristics to represent perceived usefulness in ECM. These constructs are found to influence consumer satisfaction and continuance intention. This study extends ECM and provides a better explanation of consumers’ post-purchase behavior in the online group-buying context.
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Minwoo Lee, Kawon Kim, Kyung Young Lee and Jung Hwa Hong