Showing papers by "Hong Kong Polytechnic University published in 2005"
TL;DR: A 5-year-resolution absolute-dated oxygen isotope record from Dongge Cave, southern China, provides a continuous history of the Asian monsoon over the past 9000 years, and shows that some, but not all, of the monsoon variability at these frequencies results from changes in solar output.
Abstract: A 5-year-resolution absolute-dated oxygen isotope record from Dongge Cave, southern China, provides a continuous history of the Asian monsoon over the past 9000 years. Although the record broadly follows summer insolation, it is punctuated by eight weak monsoon events lasting approximately 1 to 5 centuries. One correlates with the "8200-year" event, another with the collapse of the Chinese Neolithic culture, and most with North Atlantic ice-rafting events. Cross-correlation of the decadal- to centennial-scale monsoon record with the atmospheric carbon-14 record shows that some, but not all, of the monsoon variability at these frequencies results from changes in solar output.
2,139 citations
TL;DR: It is shown that eigenvalues are roots of a one-dimensional polynomial, and when the order of the tensor is even, E-eigenvaluesare roots of another one- dimensional polynomials associated with the symmetric hyperdeterminant.
1,378 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a review of existing bond strength models and bond-slip models is presented, and the results of 253 pull tests on simple FRP-to-concrete bonded joints, leading to the conclusion that a more accurate model is required.
993 citations
TL;DR: The importance of implementing long-term structural health monitoring systems for large-scale bridges, in order to secure structural and operational safety and issue early warnings on damage or deterioration prior to costly repair or even catastrophic collapse, has been recognized by bridge administrative authorities.
879 citations
TL;DR: This paper proposes a reasonable definition of parameterization reduction of soft sets and compares it with the concept of attributes reduction in rough sets theory and improves the application of a soft set in a decision making problem found in [1].
Abstract: In this paper, we focus our discussion on the parameterization reduction of soft sets and its applications. First we point out that the results of soft set reductions offered in [1] are incorrect. We also observe that the algorithms used to first compute the reduct-soft-set and then to compute the choice value to select the optimal objects for the decision problems in [1] are not reasonable and we illustrate this with an example. Finally, we propose a reasonable definition of parameterization reduction of soft sets and compare it with the concept of attributes reduction in rough sets theory. By using this new definition of parameterization reduction, we improve the application of a soft set in a decision making problem found in [1].
632 citations
TL;DR: The TUG scores were reliable, were able to differentiate the patients from the healthy elderly subjects, and correlated well with plantarflexor strength, gait performance, and walking endurance in subjects with chronic stroke.
580 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present an experimental study on the bond shear strength between FRP and concrete using a near-end supported (NES) single-shear pull test, which was found to be in close agreement with the predictions of Chen and Teng's [J. Struct. Eng. 127(2001) 784] bond strength model.
Abstract: The behaviour of bond between FRP and concrete is a key factor controlling the behaviour of concrete structures strengthened with FRP composites. This article presents an experimental study on the bond shear strength between FRP and concrete using a near-end supported (NES) single-shear pull test. The test results are found to be in close agreement with the predictions of Chen and Teng's [J. Struct. Eng. 127(2001) 784] bond strength model, which mutually verifies the reliability of both the test method and the Chen and Teng model in general. The NES single-shear pull test, given its simplicity and reliability, is therefore a good candidate as a standard bond test. The test results also showed that Chen and Teng's [J. Struct. Eng. 127(2001) 784] bond strength model is slightly conservative when the FRP-to-concrete width ratios are at the two extremes, but this small weakness can be easily removed when more test results of good quality become available.
541 citations
TL;DR: In this article, continuous measurements of atmospheric organic and elemental carbon (OC and EC) were taken during the high-pollution fall and winter seasons at Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China from September 2003 through February 2004.
Abstract: . Continuous measurements of atmospheric organic and elemental carbon (OC and EC) were taken during the high-pollution fall and winter seasons at Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China from September 2003 through February 2004. Battery-powered mini-volume samplers collected PM2.5 samples daily and PM10 samples every third day. Samples were also obtained from the plumes of residential coal combustion, motor-vehicle exhaust, and biomass burning sources. These samples were analyzed for OC/EC by thermal/optical reflectance (TOR) following the Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments (IMPROVE) protocol. OC and EC levels at Xi'an are higher than most urban cities in Asia. Average PM2.5 OC concentrations in fall and winter were 34.1±18.0 μg m−3 and 61.9±;33.2 μg m−3, respectively; while EC concentrations were 11.3±6.9 μg m−3 and 12.3±5.3 μg m−3, respectively. Most of the OC and EC were in the PM2.5 fraction. OC was strongly correlated (R>0.95) with EC in the autumn and moderately correlated (R=0.81) with EC during winter. Carbonaceous aerosol (OC×1.6+EC) accounted for 48.8%±10.1% of the PM2.5 mass during fall and 45.9±7.5% during winter. The average OC/EC ratio was 3.3 in fall and 5.1 in winter, with individual OC/EC ratios nearly always exceeding 2.0. The higher wintertime OC/EC corresponded to increased residential coal combustion for heating. Total carbon (TC) was associated with source contributions using absolute principal component analysis (APCA) with eight thermally-derived carbon fractions. During fall, 73% of TC was attributed to gasoline engine exhaust, 23% to diesel exhaust, and 4% to biomass burning. During winter, 44% of TC was attributed to gasoline engine exhaust, 44% to coal burning, 9% to biomass burning, and 3% to diesel engine exhaust.
531 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a review of post-1990 empirical studies of international tourism demand modeling and forecasting using econometric approaches and show that no single forecasting method can outperform the alternatives in all cases.
Abstract: Eighty-four post-1990 empirical studies of international tourism demand modeling and forecasting using econometric approaches are reviewed. New developments are identified, and it is shown that applications of advanced econometric methods improve the understanding of international tourism demand. An examination of the 22 studies that compare forecasting performance suggests that no single forecasting method can outperform the alternatives in all cases. The time-varying parameter (TVP) model and structural time-series model with causal variables, however, perform consistently well.
514 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a review of the literature on build-to-order supply chain management (BOSC), focusing on four major areas of decision-making: organizational competitiveness, the development and implementation of BOSC, the operations of BOC, and information technology in BOC.
505 citations
TL;DR: There was significant initial corneal flattening in the ortho-k group but no significant relationships were found between changes in Corneal power and changes in axial length and vitreous chamber depth and the relationships with changes of refractive errors, AL and VCD.
Abstract: Purpose: Myopia is a common ocular disorder, and progression of myopia in children is of increasing concern. Modern overnight orthokeratology (ortho-k) is effective for myopic reduction and has been claimed to be effective in slowing the progression of myopia (myopic control) in children, although scientific evidence for this has been lacking. This 2 year pilot study was conducted to determine whether ortho-k can effectively reduce and control myopia in children. Methods: We monitored the growth of axial length (AL) and vitreous chamber depth (VCD) in 35 children (7–12 years of age), undergoing ortho-k treatment and compared the rates of change with 35 children wearing single-vision spectacles from an earlier study (control). For the ortho-k subjects, we also determined the changes in corneal curvature and the relationships with changes of refractive errors, AL and VCD. Results: The baseline spherical equivalent refractive errors (SER), the AL, and VCD of the ortho-k and control subjects were not statisti...
TL;DR: The results showed that EDDS was more effective than EDTA at increasing the concentration of Cu in corn and beans, and that EDTA was better at solubilizing Pb and Cd than EDDS.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors provided an assessment framework of technology incubators in the science park, using business development data of six technology start-ups in the Hong Kong Science Park, the framework is then applied to examine the effectiveness of incubators from the perspective of venture creation and development process.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors focus on buying firms' trust in a supplier's salesperson and posits that this type of trust is determined by characteristics of the salesperson, the interpersonal relationships between a sales person and the buying firm's boundary personnel, and characteristics of personal interactions between these two parties.
Abstract: This research focuses on buying firms' trust in a supplier's salesperson and posits that this type of trust is determined by characteristics of the salesperson, the interpersonal relationships between a salesperson and the buying firm's boundary personnel, and characteristics of personal interactions between these two parties. More important, the authors discuss the concept of interpersonal relationships in the context of Chinese culture and model it as a three-dimensional latent construct, which, in some literature, is called guanxi. A key aspect of this research is that the authors investigate the impact of each dimension of guanxi on salesperson trust separately. Moreover, the authors consider the buying firm's trust in the supplying firm and its long-term orientation toward the supplier the consequences of salesperson trust. To test the model, the authors use data collected from 128 buying organizations in Hong Kong. The sampled firms are from both the government and private sectors.
TL;DR: In this paper, some definitions of upper and lower approximation operators of fuzzy sets by means of arbitrary fuzzy relations are proposed and a special lower approximation operator is applied to a fuzzy reasoning system, which coincides with the Mamdani algorithm.
Abstract: Rough sets and fuzzy sets have been proved to be powerful mathematical tools to deal with uncertainty, it soon raises a natural question of whether it is possible to connect rough sets and fuzzy sets. The existing generalizations of fuzzy rough sets are all based on special fuzzy relations (fuzzy similarity relations, T-similarity relations), it is advantageous to generalize the fuzzy rough sets by means of arbitrary fuzzy relations and present a general framework for the study of fuzzy rough sets by using both constructive and axiomatic approaches. In this paper, from the viewpoint of constructive approach, we first propose some definitions of upper and lower approximation operators of fuzzy sets by means of arbitrary fuzzy relations and study the relations among them, the connections between special fuzzy relations and upper and lower approximation operators of fuzzy sets are also examined. In axiomatic approach, we characterize different classes of generalized upper and lower approximation operators of fuzzy sets by different sets of axioms. The lattice and topological structures of fuzzy rough sets are also proposed. In order to demonstrate that our proposed generalization of fuzzy rough sets have wider range of applications than the existing fuzzy rough sets, a special lower approximation operator is applied to a fuzzy reasoning system, which coincides with the Mamdani algorithm.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors provide a comprehensive bibliography and propose a method of classifying academic literature on customer relationship management (CRM), and provide a method for classifying that literature.
Abstract: Purpose – To review the academic literature on customer relationship management (CRM), provide a comprehensive bibliography and propose a method of classifying that literature.Design/methodology/approach – A range of online databases were searched to provide a comprehensive listing of journal articles on CRM. Six hundred articles were identified and reviewed for their direct relevance to CRM. Two hundred and five articles were subsequently selected. Each of these articles was further reviewed and classified. The review and classification process was independently verified. All papers were allocated to the main and sub‐categories based on the major focus of each paper.Findings – Papers and research on CRM falls into five broad categories (CRM – General, Marketing, Sales, Service and Support, and IT and IS) and a further 34 sub‐categories. The most popular areas covered by the papers lay in the sub‐category of CRM management, planning and strategy; and CRM general, concept, and study followed by papers in s...
TL;DR: The effects of soft tissue stiffening on the stress distribution of the plantar surface and bony structures during balanced standing were investigated and showed that a five-fold increase in soft tissue stiffness led to about 35% and 33% increase in the peak plantar pressure at the forefoot and rearfoot regions, respectively.
TL;DR: A series of cerium ion-doped titanium dioxide (Ce3+−TiO2) catalysts with special 4f electron configuration was prepared by a sol-gel process and characterized by Brunauer-Emmett-Teller method.
Abstract: A series of cerium ion-doped titanium dioxide (Ce3+–TiO2) catalysts with special 4f electron configuration was prepared by a sol–gel process and characterized by Brunauer-Emmett-Teller method, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), and also photoluminescence (PL) emission spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activity of Ce3+–TiO2 catalysts was evaluated in the 2-mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT) degradation in aqueous suspension under UV or visible light illumination. The experimental results demonstrated that the overall photocatalytic activity of Ce3+–TiO2 catalysts in MBT degradation was signigicantly enhanced due to higher adsorption capacity and better separation of electron-hole pairs. The experimental results verified that both the adsorption equilibrium constant (Ka) and the saturated adsorption amount (Γmax) increased with the increase of cerium ion content. The results of XPS analysis showed that the Ti3+, Ce3+, and Ce4+ ions reside in the Ce3+–TiO2 catalysts. The results of DRS analysis indicated that the Ce3+–TiO2 catalysts had significant optical absorption in the visible region between 400 and 500 nm because electrons could be excited from the valence band of TiO2 or ground state of cerium oxides to Ce 4f level. In the meantime, the dependence of the electron-hole pair separation on cerium ion content was investigated by the PL analysis. It was found that the separation efficiency of electron-hole pairs increased with the increase of cerium ion content at first and then decreased when the cerium ion content exceeded its optimal value. It is proposed that the formation of two sub-energy levels (defect level and Ce 4f level) in Ce3+–TiO2 might be a critical reason to eliminate the recombination of electron-hole pairs and to enhance the photocatalytic activity.
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01 Jan 2005TL;DR: In this article, the authors present mathematical pre-implementation problems of vector optimization problems and vector network equilibrium problems in the context of vector variational optimization problems, including the following:
Abstract: and Mathematical Preliminaries.- Vector Optimization Problems.- Vector Variational Inequalities.- Vector Variational Principles.- Vector Minimax Inequalities.- Vector Network Equilibrium Problems.
TL;DR: The Personal Wellbeing Index (PWI) as mentioned in this paper was developed for the cross-cultural measurement of subjective wellbeing (SWB) and its utility with the Hong Kong Chinese and Australian populations was investigated to determine whether it should be added to the index.
Abstract: The Personal Wellbeing Index (PWI) is being developed for the cross-cultural measurement of subjective wellbeing (SWB). This paper reports the findings of its utility with the Hong Kong Chinese and Australian populations. An item on affect, ‘satisfaction with own happiness’ was also investigated to determine whether it should be added to the index. Three-hundred and sixty participants (180 per country), with equal representation from groups aged 18–35, 35–64 and 65 years and above, were recruited from each country. The PWI demonstrated good psychometric performance in terms of its reliability, validity and sensitivity, which are comparable in both countries. The item ‘satisfaction with own happiness’ was found to contribute significantly to the scale’s psychometric performance in Australia but not in Hong Kong. Cultural differences in the perception of the concepts ‘satisfaction’ and ‘happiness’ were suggested as an explanation for this finding. The PWI data are also consistent with homeostasis theory, which proposes that each person’s SWB level is maintained within a limited positive range. For the Australian population, their mean SWB level fell within the established Western range of 70–80, on a scale from 0 to 100. The Hong Kong population, however, fell below this range. Cultural response bias was identified as a plausible explanation for the differences between the Hong Kong and Australian samples.
TL;DR: Some findings are reported on a new series of dynamical indicators, which can quantitatively reflect the degradation effects on a digital PWLCM realized with a fixed-point finite precision, which are applied to the performance comparison of different remedies for improving dynamical degradation.
Abstract: When chaotic systems are realized with finite precisions in digital computers, their dynamical properties are often found to be entirely different from the original versions in the continuous setting. In the literature, there does not seem to be much work on quantitative analysis of such degradation of digitized chaos and how to reduce its negative influence on chaos-based digital systems. Focusing on 1D piecewise linear chaotic maps (PWLCM), this paper reports some findings on a new series of dynamical indicators, which can quantitatively reflect the degradation effects on a digital PWLCM realized with a fixed-point finite precision. On top of that, the paper introduces a new method for studying digital chaos from an algorithmic point of view. In addition, the theoretical results obtained in this paper should be very helpful for the consideration of reducing negative influence of dynamical degradation in real design of various digital chaotic systems. As typical examples, the proposed dynamical indicators are applied to the performance comparison of different remedies for improving dynamical degradation, cryptanalysis of digital chaotic ciphers based on 1D PWLCM, and design of chaotic pseudo-random number generators with desired characteristics.
TL;DR: In this paper, a comprehensive review on existing research on intelligent buildings is presented, which provides great benefits to identify where more efforts are needed and therefore the future research directions, which are useful to researchers working in this important area.
TL;DR: The authors showed that low-growth companies with high free cash flow will use income-increasing discretionary accruals (DAC) to offset the low or negative earnings that inevitably accompany investments with negative net present values (NPVs).
TL;DR: In this paper, a large sample of both publicly traded and privately held firms in Korea was used to investigate whether, and how, the deviation of controlling shareholders' control from ownership, business group affiliation, and listing status differentially affect the extent of earnings management.
Abstract: Using a large sample of both publicly traded and privately held firms in Korea, this paper investigates whether, and how, the deviation of controlling shareholders' control from ownership, business group affiliation, and listing status differentially affect the extent of earnings management. Our results show the following: First, as the control-ownership disparity becomes larger, controlling shareholders tend to engage more in opportunistic earnings management to hide adverse consequences of their self-serving behavior. The result of our full-model regression reveals that an increase in the control-ownership wedge by 1% leads to an increase in the magnitude of (unsigned) discretionary accruals by 1.3% of lagged total assets, ceteris paribus. Second, we find that for our full model regression, the magnitude of (unsigned) discretionary accruals is greater for group-affiliated firms than non-affiliated firms by 0.8% of lagged total assets. This result suggests that business group affiliation provides controlling shareholders with more incentives and opportunities for earnings management. Finally, we find that for our full-model regression, the magnitude of (unsigned) discretionary accruals is greater for publicly traded firms than for privately held firms by 1.2% of lagged total assets. This result supports the notion that stock markets create incentives for public firms to manage reported earnings to satisfy the expectations of various market participants that are often expressed in earnings numbers.
TL;DR: In this paper, a general overview of urban VOCs in many Chinese cities was given, and the benzene to toluene ratio characteristic of the Chinese vehicular fleet was calculated using roadside samples (collected in 25 cities).
TL;DR: In this article, the electrochemistry and electrocatalysis of a number of heme proteins entrapped in agarose hydrogel films in the room-temperature ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([bmim][PF(6)]) have been investigated.
Abstract: The electrochemistry and electrocatalysis of a number of heme proteins entrapped in agarose hydrogel films in the room-temperature ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([bmim][PF(6)]) have been investigated. UV-vis and FTIR spectroscopy show that the heme proteins retain their native structure in agarose film. The uniform distribution of hemoglobin in agarose-dimethylformamide film was demonstrated by atomic force microscopy. Cyclic voltammetry shows that direct electron transfer between the heme proteins and glassy carbon electrode is quasi-reversible in [bmim][PF(6)]. The redox potentials for hemoglobin, myoglobin, horseradish peroxidase, cytochrome c, and catalase were found to be more negative than those in aqueous solution. The charge-transfer coefficient and the apparent electron-transfer rate constant for these heme proteins in [bmim][PF(6)] were calculated from the peak-to-peak separation as a function of scan rate. The heme proteins catalyze the electroreduction of trichloroacetic acid and tert-butyl hydroperoxide in [bmim][PF(6)]. The kinetic parameter I(max) (maximum current at saturation concentration of substrate) and the apparent K(m) (Michaelis-Menten constant) for the electrocatalytic reactions were evaluated.
TL;DR: In this paper, the effectiveness and implementation of the TPM program for an electronics manufacturing company is studied. And the critical success factors for achieving TPM are also included based on the practical results gained from the study.
TL;DR: Information on gender differences and specific needs of students is provided which can help university administrators, curriculum planners, and community health professionals design guidelines for structuring a healthier environment and developing health education programs that support healthy choices among university students.
Abstract: The objective of this study was to examine health-promoting behaviors and psychosocial well-being of university students in Hong Kong. A cross-sectional study was conducted using convenience sample (n = 247) of students recruited at various locations on campus. The Chinese version of the Health Promotion Lifestyle Profile II (HPLP-II; S. Walker, K. Sechrist, & N. Pender, 1995) was given to students as a questionnaire. Relatively few university students had a sense of "health responsibility" (6.5-27.1%), engaged in any form of physical activity (31.2%), or exercised regularly (13.8%). Less than half ate fruits (35.2%) and vegetables (48.9%) every day. Positive personal growth was reported by 50.6% of the students; 42.5% used stress-management skills and 74.1% rated their interpersonal relationships as meaningful and fulfilling. Students' scores on the health responsibility, nutritional habits, spiritual growth, interpersonal relations, or stress-management subscales of the HPLP-II did not differ significantly by gender, but males scored better than females (p = 0.001) on the physical exercise subscale. This study provides information on gender differences and specific needs of students which can help university administrators, curriculum planners, and community health professionals design guidelines for structuring a healthier environment and developing health education programs that support healthy choices among university students.
TL;DR: Fifteen sessions of FES, applied to subjects with acute stroke plus standard rehabilitation, improved their motor and walking ability to the degree that more subjects were able to return to home.
Abstract: Background and Purpose— The effectiveness of functional electrical stimulation (FES) has been investigated in chronic hemiplegia. The present study examines whether FES, given during acute stroke, ...
TL;DR: Two hybrid models based on recent artificial intelligence technology, namely, the genetic algorithm-based artificial neural network (ANN-GA) and the adaptive-network-based fuzzy inference system (ANFIS), are employed for flood forecasting in a channel reach of the Yangtze River in China.
Abstract: In a flood-prone region, quick and accurate flood forecasting is imperative. It can extend the lead time for issuing disaster warnings and allow sufficient time for habitants in hazardous areas to take appropriate action, such as evacuation. In this paper, two hybrid models based on recent artificial intelligence technology, namely, the genetic algorithm-based artificial neural network (ANN-GA) and the adaptive-network-based fuzzy inference system (ANFIS), are employed for flood forecasting in a channel reach of the Yangtze River in China. An empirical linear regression model is used as the benchmark for comparison of their performances. Water levels at a downstream station, Han-Kou, are forecasted by using known water levels at the upstream station, Luo-Shan. When cautious treatment is made to avoid overfitting, both hybrid algorithms produce better accuracy in performance than the linear regression model. The ANFIS model is found to be optimal, but it entails a large number of parameters. The performanc...