University of Macau

About: University of Macau is a education organization based out in Macao, Macau, China. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Control theory. The organization has 6636 authors who have published 18324 publications receiving 327384 citations. The organization is also known as: UM & UMAC.

Family friendly work practices, organizational climate, and firm performance: A study of multinational corporations in Hong Kong

Abstract: Summary We developed and tested a conceptual model to examine the impact of family friendly work practices (FFWPs) at the organizational level. In our model, top management support for equal opportunities is considered an antecedent of FFWPs and positive organizational climate, and firm performance and employee turnover are considered outcome variables. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the data collected from a sample of HR managers in multinational corporations (MNCs) in Hong Kong. The results showed that top management support for equal opportunities was positively related to a firm’s level of FFWPs and organizational climate. In addition, FFWPs were positively related to organizational climate. We further found that organizational climate acted as a mediator between FFWPs and firm-level outcomes. Copyright # 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Cell imaging of dopamine receptor using agonist labeling iridium(iii) complex.

Abstract: Dopamine receptor expression is correlated with certain types of cancers, including lung, breast and colon cancers. In this study, we report luminescent iridium(iii) complexes (11-14) as intracellular dopamine receptor (D1R/D2R) cell imaging agents. Complexes 11 and 13, which are conjugated with a dopamine receptor agonist, showed superior cell imaging characteristics, high stability and low cytotoxicity (>100 μM) in A549 lung cancer cells. siRNA knockdown and dopamine competitive assays indicated that complexes 11 and 13 could selectively bind to dopamine receptors (D1R/D2R) in A549 cells. Fluorescence lifetime microscopy demonstrated that complex 13 has a longer luminescence lifetime at the wavelength of 560-650 nm than DAPI and other chromophores in biological fluids. The long luminescence lifetime of complex 13 not only provides an opportunity for efficient dopamine receptor tracking in biological media, but also enables the temporal separation of the probe signal from the intense background signal by fluorescence lifetime microscopy for efficient analysis. Complex 13 also shows high photostability, which could allow it to be employed for long-term cellular imaging. Furthermore, complex 13 could selectively track the internalization process of dopamine receptors (D1R/D2R) in living cells. To the best of our knowledge, complex 13 is the first metal-based compound that has been used to monitor intracellular dopamine receptors in living cells.

DRPL: Deep Regression Pair Learning for Multi-Focus Image Fusion

Abstract: In this paper, a novel deep network is proposed for multi-focus image fusion, named Deep Regression Pair Learning (DRPL). In contrast to existing deep fusion methods which divide the input image into small patches and apply a classifier to judge whether the patch is in focus or not, DRPL directly converts the whole image into a binary mask without any patch operation, subsequently tackling the difficulty of the blur level estimation around the focused/defocused boundary. Simultaneously, a pair learning strategy, which takes a pair of complementary source images as inputs and generates two corresponding binary masks, is introduced into the model, greatly imposing the complementary constraint on each pair and making a large contribution to the performance improvement. Furthermore, as the edge or gradient does exist in the focus part while there is no similar property for the defocus part, we also embed a gradient loss to ensure the generated image to be all-in-focus. Then the structural similarity index (SSIM) is utilized to make a trade-off between the reference and fused images. Experimental results conducted on the synthetic and real-world datasets substantiate the effectiveness and superiority of DRPL compared with other state-of-the-art approaches. The source code can be found in https://github.com/sasky1/DPRL .

Do perceived CSR initiatives enhance customer preference and loyalty in casinos

Abstract: Purpose – This study aims to investigate how perceptions associated with corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives influence customers’ preference and loyalty in a controversial consumer market. The mediating effect of brand preference between perceived CSR initiatives and customer loyalty is also examined. Design/methodology/approach – The methodology in the current study involves the use of questionnaire surveys delivered to a convenience sample in the city of Macau in 2012. A total of 616 valid samples were collected among casino players in a high bet limit area in six major casinos. Regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses formulated for carrying the study forward. Findings – The findings indicated that customers’ brand preference can be enhanced by their perceptions on CSR. Two CSR initiatives (stakeholders and society) significantly increase loyalty intention, although to varying degrees. The impact of CSR on stakeholders has a stronger influence on customers’ brand preference. An...

A Review on Cable-driven Parallel Robots

Abstract: Cable-driven parallel robots (CDPRs) are categorized as a type of parallel manipulators. In CDPRs, flexible cables are used to take the place of rigid links. The particular property of cables provides CDPRs several advantages, including larger workspaces, higher payload-to-weight ratio and lower manufacturing costs rather than rigid-link robots. In this paper, the history of the development of CDPRs is introduced and several successful latest application cases of CDPRs are presented. The theory development of CDPRs is introduced focusing on design, performance analysis and control theory. Research on CDPRs gains wide attention and is highly motivated by the modern engineering demand for large load capacity and workspace. A number of exciting advances in CDPRs are summarized in this paper since it is proposed in the 1980s, which points to a fruitful future both in theory and application. In order to meet the increasing requirements of robot in different areas, future steps foresee more in-depth research and extension applications of CDPRs including intelligent control, composite materials, integrated and reconfigurable design.