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This paper describes the general and functional criteria used in designing the book acquisition system at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi‐Arid Tropics in Hyderabad, India (ICRISAT). The schema, relations, and attributes of the systems' database are given. The capabilities of the system are described, and advantages of using dBase II as the applications language are outlined.

The purpose of this paper is to outline some key aspects such as material systems used, phenomenological and statistical process modeling, techniques applied to monitor the process and optimization approaches reported. All these need to be taken into account for the ongoing development of the SLM technique, particularly in health care applications. The outcomes from this review allow not only to summarize the main features of the process but also to collect a considerable amount of investigation effort so far achieved by the researcher community.

This paper reviews four significant areas of the selective laser melting (SLM) process of metallic systems within the scope of medical devices as follows: established and novel materials used, process modeling, process tracking and quality evaluation, and finally, the attempts for optimizing some process features such as surface roughness, porosity and mechanical properties. All the consulted literature has been highly detailed and discussed to understand the current and existing research gaps.

With this review, there is a prevailing need for further investigation on copper alloys, particularly when conformal cooling, antibacterial and antiviral properties are sought after. Moreover, artificial intelligence techniques for modeling and optimizing the SLM process parameters are still at a poor application level in this field. Furthermore, plenty of research work needs to be done to improve the existent online monitoring techniques.

This review is limited only to the materials, models, monitoring methods, and optimization approaches reported on the SLM process for metallic systems, particularly those found in the health care arena.

SLM is a widely used metal additive manufacturing process due to the possibility of elaborating complex and customized tridimensional parts or components. It is corroborated that SLM produces minimal amounts of waste and enables optimal designs that allow considerable environmental advantages and promotes sustainability.

The key perspectives about the applications of novel materials in the field of medicine are proposed.

The investigations about SLM contain an increasing amount of knowledge, motivated by the growing interest of the scientific community in this relatively young manufacturing process. This study can be seen as a compilation of relevant researches and findings in the field of the metal printing process.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of Mg²⁺substitution on the magnetic and electrical properties of Li_0.35−x Mg_2x Zn_0.3 Fe_2.35−xO₄ thick films synthesized with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) matrix.

The nanoferrites Li_0.35−x Mg_2x Zn_0.3 Fe_2.35−xO₄ (x=0, 0.07, 0.14, 0.21, 0.28 and 0.35) were synthesized by chemical technique using aqueous solution of PVA (the matrix) and thick films were fabricated by screen printing technique. The DC magnetic hysteresis measurements, AC magnetic susceptibility and DC electrical resistivity were measured as a function of temperature.

The lattice parameter of thick film Li_0.35−x Mg_2x Zn_0.3 Fe_2.35−xO₄ (x=0, 0.07, 0.14, 0.21, 0.28 and 0.35) increases with the substitution of Mg²⁺ions for Li¹⁺and Fe³⁺. The surface morphology of the thick films showed the grain size increasing with Mg²⁺substitution till x=0.21 and then decreasing for the higher concentrations of magnesium. The magnetic moment n_B (μ_B) computed from the M_s obtained by extrapolation of the magnetization curve showed a gradual decrease with the composition till x=0.21, beyond which a sudden decrease was observed. The resistivity of the films at room temperature had variation with composition x, similar to that of magnetic moment. The activation energies ΔE_F and ΔE_P were found to vary with composition x of the ferrite system.

The paper reports, for the first time, the magnetic and electrical properties of fritless Li_0.35−xMg_2xZn_0.3Fe_2.35−xO₄ thick films using PVA polymer matrix. Up to x=0.21 (Mg²⁺), grain size increases and Curie temperature decreases beyond which reverse effect takes place.

The purpose of this paper is to develop a prototype of Online Food Delivery Application that addresses the actual needs of the user and to study the factors affecting the acceptance of Food Friend Application (FFA).

This is an applied research study using design thinking to study the real needs of consumers when ordering food online during the COVID-19 outbreak. The real needs of customers were used to create FFA. Then, the key predictors of FFA adoption were studied by integrating psychological variables, including Alertness to distinction, Openness to novelty, Orientation in the present; and Technological variables Design, Information Quality and Mobility, with comprehensive data analysis. Initially, Structural Equation Modeling was used to study the statistical relationships toward FFA acceptance, while a neural network model was used to validate the first step analysis.

Analysis results from both methods confirmed that Alertness to distinction, Orientation in the present, Mobility and Openness to novelty affected FFA at statistically significant levels. Surprisingly, technological variables in terms of Design and Information Quality had no statistical relationship toward FFA.

In addition to dealing with digital disrupts, the current business world also needs to deal with the pandemic and the rapidly changing consumer behavior. COVID-19 is a clear catalyst for digital business trends, for example, food delivery that has to deal with dramatic changes in consumer behavior. The strong methodological results of this research are greatly beneficial to academics, food online delivery service providers, application developers and government agencies.

The developments in the use of computer systems in libraries from 1966 to date have been great. This report, written to coincide with the twenty‐first anniversary of the publication of Program, looks at some of these developments, in Britain, in North America, and in other countries. It traces the history of library automation from the early experimental systems through to the co‐operative systems, the locally developed systems, the mini‐ and microcomputer‐based and stand‐alone integrated systems that are available today.

This study aims to determine the factors that encourage Indonesian banks to collaborate in the banking networks ATM Prima and ATM Bersama to achieve business efficiencies.

A combination of methods is used to collect both qualitative and quantitative data. Factor analysis and different testing technics are used. The data were obtained through interviews with managers of the banks involved in the two banking networks included in this study.

This research addresses ATM banking from three perspectives: banks that collaborate in ATM networks, banks that are joint ATM providers and banking customers that use ATMs. The results show that the banks in the study are more concerned about cost-effectiveness and cost-efficiencies in both the operational and investment aspects of supporting their ATM infrastructures. ATM providers place more importance on creating the most user-friendly, stable, wide-ranging and continuous system of services by collaborating with other banks in networks that provide ATM services. Customers put more importance on paying the minimum possible administration fees and the availability of specific banking services across a wide area.

This research took place over a period of only one year. This limited the depth of the data collected. A longer study using data that cover more than one fiscal year would have generated more detailed information.

This study places importance on maximizing cost-efficiencies to keep bank fees low for customers. There are significant investment and operational costs associated with setting up and operating ATMs and of adding and managing additional ATMs. This is particularly so in an era when their use is on the decline owing to the increasing use of electronic banking.

The social implications of ATM banking refer to the reduced administration fees customers pay as banks incur cost savings from collaborating on infrastructure and services. The availability of ATMs from specific banks could be replaced by one joint ATM machine that is situated in a specific area where electronic banking is not available. Banks’ customers tend to move to other banking services, and this means banks could lose a lot of their existing customers unless they can come up with unique services that are both accessible and user-friendly.

The originality of this research is that it recommends that some strategies Indonesian banks could use to become more efficient and effective, including forming ATM alliances to maximize efficiency and to achieve a competitive advantage.

This study aims to determine the braking performance of limestone as a filler in brake friction materials.

Samples containing limestone material (30-35-40%), which can be an alternative to brake friction material filler, were produced. The samples were weighed on precision scales, mixed homogeneously and produced using the hot molding method. The physical and tribological properties of the produced samples were determined, and their microscopic analyzes were made with scanning electron microscopy.

As the amount of limestone increased, the density of the samples decreased. The friction coefficient and wear rates were close to each other and within the optimum limits for all samples. Limestone materials can be used instead of barite materials studied in the literature on brake linings. Microcracks were observed only in samples containing 30% and 35% limestone in microscopic images.

In this study, the wear rate, coefficient of friction and microstructures on the friction surfaces of brake friction materials containing limestone were investigated. The usability of limestone as a filler in brake friction materials provides valuable information to researchers and industrial organizations in the brake friction material field.

In today’s highly competitive job market, efficient recruitment processes play a crucial role in enabling organizations to attract top talent. This study aims to streamline and reduce a US-based company’s average recruitment cycle time.

The approach integrates Lean Six Sigma tools within the DMAIC framework to reduce recruitment cycle times. It involves evaluating each stage of recruitment, identifying opportunities, and implementing improvements, with average cycle times tracked and compared before and after.

The improvement findings show a remarkable 25.2% decrease in recruitment cycle times. Notably, approvals saw a substantial improvement, with average approval times reduced by 50.0%. Both hourly and salary positions experienced reductions in cycle times, and all job levels exhibited decreases. These findings highlight the effectiveness of the changes in streamlining recruitment processes.

This study distinguishes itself by applying Lean Six Sigma tools within the DMAIC framework to optimize human resources (HR) recruitment. The systematic use of these tools reduced recruitment cycle times, improved decision-making and enhanced efficiency, showcasing their versatility beyond manufacturing. These findings offer practical implications for improving HR and organizational performance, providing valuable insights for the field.

The paper aims to develop an efficient and compact hybrid S-curve-PSO (particle swarm optimization) controller for the optimal trajectory planning of industrial robots in the presence of obstacles, especially those used in pick-and-place operations.

The proposed methodology comprises a monotonic trajectory through bounded entropy of speed, velocity, acceleration and jerk. Thus, the robot’s trajectory planning corresponds with S-curve-PSO duality. This is achieved by dual navigation with minimal computational complexity. The matrix algebra-based computational complexity transforms the trajectory from random to compact. The linear programming problem represents the proposed robot in Euclidean space, and its optimal solution sets the corresponding optimal trajectory.

The proposed work ensures the efficient trajectory planning of the industrial robot in the presence of obstacles with optimized path length and time. The real-time and simulation analysis of the robot is presented for performance measurement, and their outcomes demonstrate a good correlation. Compared with the existing controller, it gives a noteworthy improvement in performance.

The novel S-curve-PSO hybrid approach is presented here, along with the LIDAR sensors, which generate the environment map and detect obstacles for autonomous trajectory planning. Based on the sensory information, the proposed approach generates the optimal trajectory by avoiding obstacles and minimizing the travel time, jerk, velocity and acceleration. The hybrid S-curve-PSO approach for optimal trajectory planning of the industrial robot in the presence of obstacles has not been presented by any researchers. This method considers the robot’s kinematics as well as its dynamics. The implementation of the PSO makes it computationally superior and faster. The selection of best-fit parameters by PSO assures the optimized trajectory in the presence of obstacles and uncertainty.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze and optimize the roller burnishing process parameters using the design of experiments and grey relational analysis (GRA).

In this experimental work, the carbide burnishing tool has been selected for the machining of AISI-1040 high carbon steel to get better product quality and satisfactory machining characteristics. The material surface condition while machining, burnishing tool speed, feed rate, depth of penetration and No. of passes have been selected as process constraints to conduct experimental trials.

The surface roughness (SR) and surface hardness were considered as output responses. The experimental outcomes optimized by multi-parametric optimization showed considerable improvement in the process. The roller speed and number of passes are the most significant parameters for surface hardness, whereas the surface condition and roller penetration depth have the most significance on SR.

The GRA method shows the 0.03376 improvement in grey relational grade between the experimental values and the predicted values.

The experimental outcomes optimized by multi-parametric optimization showed the considerable improvement in the process and will facilitate steel industries to enhance and improve productivity while burnishing high carbon steel (AISI-1040).

This research represents valid work, and the authors have no conflict of interests.