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Article
Publication date: 17 April 2023

Ping Li, Zhipeng Chang and Wenhe Chen

To maintain the bottom line of food import risk in China, this paper proposes a novel risk state evaluation model based on bottom-line thinking after analyzing the decision-making…

110

Abstract

Purpose

To maintain the bottom line of food import risk in China, this paper proposes a novel risk state evaluation model based on bottom-line thinking after analyzing the decision-making ideas embedded in the bottom-line thinking method.

Design/methodology/approach

First, the order relation analysis method (G1 method) and Laplacian score (LS) are applied to calculate the constant weights of indexes. Then, the worst-case scenario of food import risk can be estimated to strive for the best result, so the penalty state variable weight function is introduced to obtain variable weights of indexes. Finally, the study measures the risk state of China's food import from the overall situation using the set pair analysis (SPA) method and identifies the key factors affecting food import risk.

Findings

The risk states of food supply in eight countries are in the state of average potential and partial back potential as a whole. The results indicate that China's food import risks are at medium and upper-medium risk levels in most years, fluctuating slightly from 2010 to 2020. In addition, some factors are diagnosed as the primary control objects for holding the bottom line of food import risk in China, including food output level, food export capacity, bilateral relationship and political risk.

Originality/value

This paper proposes a novel risk state evaluation model following bottom-line thinking for food import risk in China. Besides, SPA is first applied to the risk evaluation of food import, expanding the application field of the SPA method.

Details

Kybernetes, vol. 53 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0368-492X

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Article
Publication date: 28 November 2022

Ziyao Zhang, Guodong Ni, Han Lin, Zongbo Li and Zhipeng Zhou

This paper aims to investigate the relationships between empowering leadership, basic psychological needs satisfaction, work-related well-being, and project citizenship behavior.

1299

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the relationships between empowering leadership, basic psychological needs satisfaction, work-related well-being, and project citizenship behavior.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing upon the self-determination theory (SDT), a conceptual model was developed and then empirically tested using a cross-sectional survey of 435 project members in Chinese construction projects.

Findings

The results fully support the research hypotheses proposed in the study, illustrating the positive impacts of empowering leadership on work-related well-being and project citizenship behavior, the mediating role of basic psychological needs satisfaction, and the positive association between work-related well-being and project citizenship behavior.

Practical implications

This research determines the utility of empowering leadership in the context of construction projects, especially in enhancing individual outcomes (i.e. work-related well-being and project citizenship behavior). Therefore, construction project managers can apply empowering leadership to meet the basic psychological needs of subordinates to increase project members' work-related well-being and project citizenship behavior.

Originality/value

To our knowledge, the present study first explores the micro-level impacts of empowering leadership in the construction context. Additionally, this study enriches the understanding of the mediating mechanism between empowering leadership and individual outcomes from a self-determination perspective.

Details

International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, vol. 16 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1753-8378

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Article
Publication date: 22 December 2022

Zhipeng Xie, Tao Wang, Jing Zhao and Huanyu Qin

This study aims to test the possible correlation between the letter height-to-width ratio and consumers’ perception of cuteness.

613

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to test the possible correlation between the letter height-to-width ratio and consumers’ perception of cuteness.

Design/methodology/approach

Through the design of three groups of experimental questionnaires, this paper carried out experiments on subjects with different professional backgrounds.

Findings

The result shows that perceived cuteness is only beneficial for consumers who adopt communal relationship (rather than exchange relationship) with the brand. Compared to consumers who adopt communal relationship with brands, letters of lower height-to-width ratio are perceived as cuter and thus more preferable than thinner ones, whereas for consumers who adopt exchange relationship with brands, thinner letters are preferred.

Research limitations/implications

To rule out interference, this study focuses only on the height-to-width ratio of the letters. In the future, researchers can pay more attention to the mobility of brand relationships, consumers’ reading strategy and logos’ visual elements that influence consumers’ brand perception (besides height-to-width ratio).

Practical implications

The research reminds scholars that the height-to-width ratio of letters/logos is not only of aesthetic value but also imposes a great impact on consumer perception. And the result of this research explains the contradiction in consumers’ preference for wide vs thin letter shapes and provides evidence for the interaction between brand relationship norms and letter preferences.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research is the first to explore the influence of letter height-to-width ratio in marketing.

Details

Journal of Product & Brand Management, vol. 32 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1061-0421

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Article
Publication date: 31 May 2013

Qijin Chen, Jituo Li, Zheng Liu, Guodong Lu, Xinyu Bi and Bei Wang

Clothing retrieval is very useful to help the clients to efficiently search out the apparel they want. Currently, the mainstream clothing retrieval methods are attribute semantics…

428

Abstract

Purpose

Clothing retrieval is very useful to help the clients to efficiently search out the apparel they want. Currently, the mainstream clothing retrieval methods are attribute semantics based, which however are inconvenient for common clients. The purpose of this paper is to provide an easy‐to‐operate apparels retrieval mode with the authors' novel approach of clothing image similarity measurement.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors measure the similarity between two clothing images by computing the weighted similarities between their bundled features. Each bundled feature consists of the point features (SIFT) which are further quantified into local visual words in a maximally stable extremal region (MSER). The authors weight the importance of bundled features by the precision of SIFT quantification and local word frequency that reflects the frequency of the common visual words appeared in two bundled features. The bundled features similarity is computed from two aspects: local word frequency; and SIFTs distance matrix that records the distances between every two SIFTs in a bundled feature.

Findings

Local word frequencies improves the recognition between two bundled features with the same common visual words but different local word frequency. SIFTs distance matrix has the merits of scale invariance and rotation invariance. Experimental results show that this approach works well in the situations with large clothing deformation, background exchange and part hidden, etc. And the similarity measurement of Weight+Bundled+LWF+SDM is the best.

Originality/value

This paper presents an apparel retrieval mode based on local visual features, and presents a new algorithm for bundled feature matching and apparel similarity measurement.

Details

International Journal of Clothing Science and Technology, vol. 25 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0955-6222

Keywords

Available. Open Access. Open Access
Article
Publication date: 4 April 2024

Yanmin Zhou, Zheng Yan, Ye Yang, Zhipeng Wang, Ping Lu, Philip F. Yuan and Bin He

Vision, audition, olfactory, tactile and taste are five important senses that human uses to interact with the real world. As facing more and more complex environments, a sensing…

1418

Abstract

Purpose

Vision, audition, olfactory, tactile and taste are five important senses that human uses to interact with the real world. As facing more and more complex environments, a sensing system is essential for intelligent robots with various types of sensors. To mimic human-like abilities, sensors similar to human perception capabilities are indispensable. However, most research only concentrated on analyzing literature on single-modal sensors and their robotics application.

Design/methodology/approach

This study presents a systematic review of five bioinspired senses, especially considering a brief introduction of multimodal sensing applications and predicting current trends and future directions of this field, which may have continuous enlightenments.

Findings

This review shows that bioinspired sensors can enable robots to better understand the environment, and multiple sensor combinations can support the robot’s ability to behave intelligently.

Originality/value

The review starts with a brief survey of the biological sensing mechanisms of the five senses, which are followed by their bioinspired electronic counterparts. Their applications in the robots are then reviewed as another emphasis, covering the main application scopes of localization and navigation, objection identification, dexterous manipulation, compliant interaction and so on. Finally, the trends, difficulties and challenges of this research were discussed to help guide future research on intelligent robot sensors.

Details

Robotic Intelligence and Automation, vol. 44 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2754-6969

Keywords

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Article
Publication date: 13 March 2024

Rong Jiang, Bin He, Zhipeng Wang, Xu Cheng, Hongrui Sang and Yanmin Zhou

Compared with traditional methods relying on manual teaching or system modeling, data-driven learning methods, such as deep reinforcement learning and imitation learning, show…

265

Abstract

Purpose

Compared with traditional methods relying on manual teaching or system modeling, data-driven learning methods, such as deep reinforcement learning and imitation learning, show more promising potential to cope with the challenges brought by increasingly complex tasks and environments, which have become the hot research topic in the field of robot skill learning. However, the contradiction between the difficulty of collecting robot–environment interaction data and the low data efficiency causes all these methods to face a serious data dilemma, which has become one of the key issues restricting their development. Therefore, this paper aims to comprehensively sort out and analyze the cause and solutions for the data dilemma in robot skill learning.

Design/methodology/approach

First, this review analyzes the causes of the data dilemma based on the classification and comparison of data-driven methods for robot skill learning; Then, the existing methods used to solve the data dilemma are introduced in detail. Finally, this review discusses the remaining open challenges and promising research topics for solving the data dilemma in the future.

Findings

This review shows that simulation–reality combination, state representation learning and knowledge sharing are crucial for overcoming the data dilemma of robot skill learning.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, there are no surveys that systematically and comprehensively sort out and analyze the data dilemma in robot skill learning in the existing literature. It is hoped that this review can be helpful to better address the data dilemma in robot skill learning in the future.

Details

Robotic Intelligence and Automation, vol. 44 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2754-6969

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Article
Publication date: 29 November 2024

Yi Huang, Zhipeng Huang, Gang Xu and Yan Zhang

Grassland degradation is a global ecological issue that inevitably leads to low livestock production efficiency (LPE). Adoption of appropriate technology is an effective way to…

68

Abstract

Purpose

Grassland degradation is a global ecological issue that inevitably leads to low livestock production efficiency (LPE). Adoption of appropriate technology is an effective way to improve productivity. However, the rate of technology adoption among herders in less developed pastoral areas is low. Therefore, it is critical to improve the level of technology adoption in order to increase LPE.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on remote sensing data and survey datasets of herder households in China’s Qinghai–Xizang Plateau, this paper innovatively constructs a stochastic production frontier model incorporating grassland productivity (i.e. grassland total net primary productivity) to accurately evaluate LPE and uses fractional regression models to determine the impact of technology adoption on LPE.

Findings

The results show that grassland productivity is essential to estimating LPE, and failing to account for it will result in overestimation. Technology adopters have a technical advantage with respect to average LPE (0.596) when compared with non-adopters (0.540), and technology adoption positively contributes to LPE. Furthermore, compared with profit-seeking technology, pro-environmental technology contributes more to improving LPE, and the combined adoption of both technologies leads to a markedly greater enhancement in LPE.

Originality/value

Few studies have empirically analyzed the economic benefits of technologies that most smallholders can afford, and few measure LPE considering grassland productivity. This study fills these gaps, and the findings are highly relevant for policies aimed at encouraging technology adoption and facilitating more efficient livestock production.

Details

China Agricultural Economic Review, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1756-137X

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Article
Publication date: 24 September 2024

Zhipeng Liang, Chunju Zhao, Huawei Zhou, Yihong Zhou, Quan Liu, Tao Fang and Fang Wang

The spatial–temporal conflicts in the construction process of concrete arch dams are related to the construction quality and duration, especially for pouring blocks with a…

38

Abstract

Purpose

The spatial–temporal conflicts in the construction process of concrete arch dams are related to the construction quality and duration, especially for pouring blocks with a continuous high-strength and high-density construction process. Furthermore, the complicated construction technology and limited space resources aggravate the spatial–temporal conflicts in the process of space resource allocation and utilization, directly affecting the pouring quality and progress of concrete. To promote the high-strength, quality-preserving and rapid construction of dams and to clarify the explosion moment and influence degree of the spatial–temporal conflicts of construction machinery during the pouring process, a quantification method and algorithm for a “Conflict Bubble” (CB) between construction machines is proposed based on the “Time–Space Microelement” (TSM).

Design/methodology/approach

First, the concept of a CB is proposed, which is defined as the spatial overlap of different entities in the movement process. The subsidiary space of the entity is divided into three layered spaces: the physical space, safe space and efficiency space from the inside to the outside. Second, the processes of “creation,” “transition” and “disappearance” of the CB at different levels with the movement of the entity are defined as the evolution of the spatial–temporal state of the entity. The mapping relationship between the spatial variation and the running time of the layered space during the movement process is defined as “Time–Space” (TS), which is intended to be processed by a microelement.

Findings

The quantification method and algorithm of the CB between construction machinery are proposed based on the TSM, which realizes the quantification of the physical collision accident rate, security risk rate and efficiency loss rate of the construction machinery at any time point or time period. The risk rate of spatial–temporal conflicts in the construction process was calculated, and the outbreak condition of spatial–temporal conflict in the pouring process was simulated and rehearsed. The quantitative calculation results show that the physical collision accident rate, security risk rate and efficiency loss rate of construction machinery at any time point or time period can be quantified.

Originality/value

This study provides theoretical support for the quantitative evaluation and analysis of the spatial–temporal conflict risk in the pouring construction process. It also serves as a reference for the rational organization and scientific decision-making for pouring blocks and provides new ideas and methods for the safe and efficient construction and the scientific and refined management of dams.

Details

Engineering Computations, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0264-4401

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Article
Publication date: 31 May 2022

Nan Liu, Rui Zhou, Ruoyu Jin, Qing Xiao and Zhipeng Hu

The purpose of this paper is to summarize the research of construction conflict from 1991 to 2020 and propose research directions for future scholarly work. During the recent…

306

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to summarize the research of construction conflict from 1991 to 2020 and propose research directions for future scholarly work. During the recent decades, it is widely accepted that construction conflict is inevitable, and conflict management has become an important component of project management. However, few works were done to map the global study in this field, there is limited review that evaluates the current stage of construction conflict research.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopted a holistic literature review approach that incorporates bibliometric search and scientometric analysis. A total of 698 bibliographic records from the Web of Science core collection database were collected for the scientometric analysis. CiteSpace5.7 was adopted for the science mapping purpose in this study.

Findings

Through co-authorship analysis, co-word analysis and co-citation analysis, influential scholars and journals are identified. Several research trends are highlighted according to the scientometric analyses of the construction conflict topics. For example, the application of simulation and algorithms to the study of construction conflict management systems.

Practical implications

Construction is a resource-intensive, multi-participant and multi-targeted industry. Conflicts always exist in the whole life cycle of construction projects, it is important for industry practitioners to be updated of the latest movement and progress of the academic research.

Originality/value

This study contributed to the body of knowledge in construction conflict and bridge the research gap in the thorough review of previous research work.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 30 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

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Article
Publication date: 4 September 2018

Zhipeng Duan, Peng Liang, Hao Ma, Niya Ma and Boshu He

The purpose of this paper is to numerically investigate the flow characteristics and extend the data of friction factor and Reynolds number product of hydrodynamically developing…

271

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to numerically investigate the flow characteristics and extend the data of friction factor and Reynolds number product of hydrodynamically developing laminar flow in three-dimensional rectangular microchannels with different aspect ratios.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a finite-volume approach, the friction factor characteristics of Newtonian fluid in three-dimensional rectangular ducts with aspect ratios from 0.1 to 1 are conducted numerically under no-slip boundary conditions. A simple model that approximately predicts the apparent friction factor and Reynolds number product fappRe is referenced as a semi-theoretical fundamental analysis for numerical simulations.

Findings

The accurate and reliable results of fappRe are obtained, which are compared with classic numerical data and experimental data, and the simple semi-theoretical model used and all comparisons show good agreement. Among them, the maximum relative error with the classic numerical data is less than 3.9 per cent. The data of fappRe are significantly extended to other different aspect ratios and the novel values of fappRe are presented in the tables. The characteristics of fappRe are analyzed as a function of a non-dimensional axial distance and the aspect ratios. A more effective and accurate fourth-order fitting equation for the Hagenbach's factor of rectangular channels is proposed.

Originality/value

From the reliable data, it is shown that the values of fappRe and the model can be references of pressure drop and friction factor for developing laminar flow in rectangular channels for researchers and engineering applications.

Details

Engineering Computations, vol. 35 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0264-4401

Keywords

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