Search results

The objective of this work was to develop practical experimental techniques for monitoring corrosion in “difficult‐to‐test” conditions such as corrosion under insulation (CUI).

An electrochemically integrated multi‐electrode array namely the wire beam electrode (WBE) method has been used in combination with noise signature analysis for the first time to monitor the penetration of corrosive species under simulated corrosion‐under‐insulation conditions. Corrosion of aluminium exposed under insulation materials such as rock wool, glass wool, cotton wool and tissue paper has been successfully monitored.

A typical potential noise signature of a major potential jump from AA1100 WBE was observed which corresponded to the corrosive species reaching the WBE surface in WBE current distribution map. A good correlation between the galvanic current maps and the corroded surface was also observed.

The preliminary results suggest that the proposed novel electrochemical method is capable of monitoring CUI.

In the face of information leakage, this study aims to demonstrate pathways to supply chain resilience (SCR) during information sharing by deploying organizational ethical climate (OEC) and information security culture (ISC) as non-punitive mitigation approaches.

This empirical study was conducted to verify the framework using a questionnaire distributed to Malaysian multinational corporations (MNCs) of the manufacturing sector. The data were analysed using structural equation modeling (SEM) techniques with the AMOS software.

This study has confirmed the adverse impact of intentional and unintentional leakages on information sharing effectiveness. The findings showed ISC could reduce the impact of information leakage, but an OCE could not. This study provides evidence that information sharing effectiveness could impact SCR. The former is a mediator between information leakage and SCR, with information leakage moderated by information security culture. These findings convey that multinationals should set up an ISC to reduce information leakage and enhance their SCR.

Prior studies lacked the explanation of the impact of mitigating factors on information leakage in information sharing effectiveness affecting SCR. A framework that explains the relationships add value to organizations making available strategic decisions to curb information leakage and manage SCR.

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the understanding of social sustainable consumption in the context of improved ridership in public bus transport (PBT). It investigated the social predictors and implementation intention of drivers to use PBT.

The empirical data were collected through online survey. The respondents of the online survey were 313 drivers in Penang, Malaysia. A conceptual model was designed to test implementation intention of the drivers in using the PBT. Data analysis was performed using the variance-based structural equation modeling technique of partial least squares.

The findings indicate that the drivers’ intention to use PBT is significantly influenced by their referent group, gender role, and commitment to environment. In addition, their implementation intention is significantly predicted by the intention to use PBT.

This study was performed in Penang using convenience sampling method. The results need to be replicated using a different sample in other developing countries to test its stability.

Policy makers and transport managers need to be guided by the importance of the drivers’ referent group, gender role, commitment to environment, and intention in order to improve ridership of the PBT.

The research on referent group, gender role, commitment to environment, intention, and the implementation intention of the drivers using the theory of interpersonal behavior in PBT is unprecedented.

The purpose of this paper is to assess the efficiency, effectiveness and performance of logistics companies in Singapore and Malaysia which are the growing logistics hubs in Asia by using a triangular data envelopment analysis (DEA). It also identifies various factors that significantly affect the efficiency, effectiveness and performance of the Singaporean and Malaysian logistics companies and proposes ways to improve their competitiveness.

First, this study employs a triangular DEA to evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of the companies. Second, Tobit regression is used to explore the factors that affect logistics performance. Third, the managerial decision-making matrix is addressed and suggestions made to help logistics managers improve performance.

The results reveal that small firms, on average have more potential than the large ones. The results also demonstrate that investment influences firm performance significantly.

This paper is the first attempt to apply a triangular DEA-based approach by decomposing performance into efficiency and effectiveness for logistics companies in Singapore and Malaysia.

The rapid proliferation of mobile context aware applications has resulted in an increased research interest towards developing specialized context data management strategies for mobile entities. The purpose of this paper is to aim to develop a new way to model mobile entities and manage their contexts accordingly.

This paper proposes the concept of “Mobile Space” to model mobile entities and presents strategies to manage the various contexts associated therein. To handle availability related issues, two system services are designed: the “Availability Updating Service” which is an identifier based mechanism and is designed to keep track of mobile objects and handle availability related issues, and the “Application Callback Service” which is a publish/subscribe based mechanism to handle application disruptions and interruptions arising due to mobility.

The paper presents a detailed study of the proposed framework and a description of the underlying services and the components therein to validate the framework. Experimental results carried out in WiFi and 3G environments indicate that the proposed techniques can support mobile applications and minimize application disruptions with minimal overhead.

The proposed context management framework is generic in nature and is not designed for a specific class of applications. Any mobile context aware application can leverage on the framework and utilize the provided functionalities to manage application disruptions. Also, the decoupling of mobile application layer and the underlying context data management layer renders context data management layer transparent to the application design.

The rapid advances in the technologies of mobile computing and wireless communications have facilitated the use of applications and services on handheld devices. Sharing of living experience (SOLE) is one such service, through which users can share their experience of daily activities such as shopping, entertainment, and traveling. This paper seeks to study SOLE in more detail.

The paper presents an application framework for a context‐aware SOLE which considers location, preferences, and other useful information for a seamless user experience. SOLE leverages on the service‐oriented middleware, Coalition. Entities of interest are represented as services registered with Coalition, which are organized using location information. This facilitates location‐based selection of entities for associating or retrieving experiences. In addition, Coalition incorporates the contexts of users in the discovery and delivery of experience information. Besides, to cater for resource constraints of mobile devices, the concept of “proxy” is introduced.

A detailed study of SOLE, namely, its design as well as its interaction with the middleware, information providers and information consumers, is provided. As a proof of concept, a prototype of SOLE for mobile phone users is also provided. The experiments show the ease of using SOLE and its acceptable performance in practice.

SOLE is generic and scalable, by not assuming a specific application scenario; flexible, by allowing the user to choose where to store the experience data and to specify his audience; and context‐aware by considering the contexts of the user such as location and preferences in the experience sharing process.

This paper aims to draw on pupils’ experience during the COVID-19 measures, focusing on a safe learning environment from disaster, study activities during COVID-19, and safe school-related activities and interventions.

Surveys were conducted among 768 pupils at 34 primary schools in Stung Treng province with qualitative data collection among key stakeholders through participatory approaches.

The COVID-19 outbreak become a new challenge in teaching and learning. Almost all pupils felt safe at school but not fully on the way to/from schools and the communities. In particular, one-third of pupils felt unsafe in the environment where they mainly had to study for school during the COVID-19 outbreak; girls needed more protection from adults. The majority of pupils continued learning at their own homes, followed by neighbors’ homes (28.1%), other people’s homes (25.4%), teachers’ homes (14.9%) and public spaces (11.9%). Pupils continued going to school occasionally, and they also leaned on television (42.1%), smart devices (17.2%), iPads (10.2%) and computers (5.3%). School safety and educational continuity management only helped to increase pupils’ knowledge and made for a more positive attitude toward their participation in interventions. This paper is one of the pioneering research studies that adopted the comprehensive school safety framework (CSSF) to analyze safe school programs in primary education during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The research was conducted in Stung Treng with a large engagement of key national and sub-national stakeholders, including schools. Providing a large sample size has enabled its results and findings to be better generalized to the context of Stung Treg province. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we did not visit the study site to participate or observe pupils' risks and challenges. However, the incident happened less than one year after the interviews, so all the respondents could provide clear information.

The SEM predict that school safety and educational continuity management only helped to increase pupils’ knowledge and made for a more positive attitude toward their participation in interventions. But, primary schools did not have sufficient resources and infrastructure to carry out interventions. The SEM model recognizes the importance of facilities and buildings in promoting safe school interventions and raising awareness to improve pupils' knowledge and attitudes toward risk reduction. Yet, knowledge and a positive attitude toward risk reduction did not eliminate pupils’ vulnerabilities because safe school interventions by schools were still required.

The findings of the research produce both quantitative and qualitative information on safe school programs and interventions to achieve the implementation of Cambodia’s national policies and sustainable development goals (SDGs) and beyond. In particular, this research is one of the most pioneer academic research projects conducting by a local scholar from Cambodia.

The CSFF (2022–2030) has been widely applied to promote safe school in developing countries; but there were only few studies conducting to deeply understand this concept. The previous studies have primary captured the impacts of floods, droughts, violences and abuse. This study is a particular case of the COVID-19 pandemic by using the CSSF.

This paper aims to provide an initial determination of the date of construction, locations and a typology of design of the pill‐boxes of the Gin Drinker's Line constructed by the colonial Hong Kong Government.

Post‐war aerial photos taken by the Royal Air Force and R.C. Huntings were examined and site visits made to locate and measure the pill‐boxes. Relevant archive materials were consulted to help interpret findings.

A total of 76 pill‐boxes, most in ruins due to post‐war destruction for obtaining their steel bars, were mapped on a 1:25,000 scale to give a good idea of the nature of the Gin Drinker's Line. The study finds that, of these, 50 have survived. The pill‐boxes predated those built in the UK to anticipate of German landing.

The paper demonstrates how aerial photos can be used for historical research and conservation planning. Though the locations of the pill‐boxes identified are subject to detailed site surveying, the basic pattern of pill‐box distribution has been identified.

This is the first attempt to map the Gin Drinker's Line and classify its pill‐boxes. The findings are useful references for the actual conservation of colonial heritage in Hong Kong as part of China, as well as for further inquiry into the military history of the Second World War.

Podcasting is a new mobile technology application for language learning. Drawing upon the stimulus–organism–response model and the interest driven creator (IDC) theory from e-learning, this study aims to develop and test an integrative conceptual framework. This study investigates contextual and environmental stimuli effects (content richness [CR], self-directed learning [SDL] and situational interest [SI]) from a podcast English learning context on learners’ experience states (cognitive absorption [CA], pleasure [PL] and arousal [AR]) and their subsequent responses (continuance learning intention [CLI]).

Using 416 valid responses from five universities located in North Taiwan, data analysis is performed using a structural equation model.

The results show that most of the interest factor stimuli (CR, SDL and SI) have significant impacts on learners’ experiences (CA, PL and AR), which in turn affect their CLI.

The findings provide useful insights for English show podcasters and operators to invest in establishing learners’ interest factor and stimulating experiences to improve their CLI.

This paper contributes to a better understanding of students who use contextual factors of podcast English learning and how these factors influence their CLI via a framework of stimulus–organism–response and the IDC theory.