A supportive architecture for CFD-based design optimisation

Multi-disciplinary design optimisation (MDO) is one of critical methodologies to the implementation of enterprise systems (ES). MDO requiring the analysis of fluid dynamics raises a special challenge due to its extremely intensive computation. The rapid development of computational fluid dynamic (CFD) technique has caused a rise of its applications in various fields. Especially for the exterior designs of vehicles, CFD has become one of the three main design tools comparable to analytical approaches and wind tunnel experiments. CFD-based design optimisation is an effective way to achieve the desired performance under the given constraints. However, due to the complexity of CFD, integrating with CFD analysis in an intelligent optimisation algorithm is not straightforward. It is a challenge to solve a CFD-based design problem, which is usually with high dimensions, and multiple objectives and constraints. It is desirable to have an integrated architecture for CFD-based design optimisation. However, our review on existing works has found that very few researchers have studied on the assistive tools to facilitate CFD-based design optimisation. In the paper, a multi-layer architecture and a general procedure are proposed to integrate different CFD toolsets with intelligent optimisation algorithms, parallel computing technique and other techniques for efficient computation. In the proposed architecture, the integration is performed either at the code level or data level to fully utilise the capabilities of different assistive tools. Two intelligent algorithms are developed and embedded with parallel computing. These algorithms, together with the supportive architecture, lay a solid foundation for various applications of CFD-based design optimisation. To illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed architecture and algorithms, the case studies on aerodynamic shape design of a hypersonic cruising vehicle are provided, and the result has shown that the proposed architecture and developed algorithms have performed successfully and efficiently in dealing with the design optimisation with over 200 design variables.     

Customer Relationship Management in Electronic Markets

Abstract

Customer relationship management, or CRM, has found increased attention in both the academic and managerial worlds of marketing in recent years. While the Internet has greatly enabled the application of CRM in fostering loyal customers, the preliminary results on the effectiveness and efficiency of technology-based CRM has been far from discouraging. The authors identify various contentious issues behind the various key concepts of relationship management and identify several areas that deserve closer academic scrutiny and managerial inspection. The paper also comments on the extent to which Internet technology can bring about closer relationships with a firm's customers.     

技术进步对中国就业影响的实证研究

选取1978—2008年中国30个省市的面板数据,运用DEA方法测算中国的全要素生产率及其分解项:技术变化与技术效率,并使用ARDL模型实证分析技术效率和技术变化对就业的影响。研究发现:技术效率无论是长期还是短期都对就业具有显著的抑制效应,但在短期中,技术变化当期对就业没有显著影响;而滞后期技术变化的改善也会对就业人数的增加产生抑制效应,同时,在长期中,技术变化对就业有着显著的促进效应,可以带动就业量的增加。     

The Internet and Internationalization of Smaller Manufacturing Enterprises

Abstract

One of the most frequently discussed topics in the current international business literature is the impact of the Internet on the internationalization of smaller manufacturing enterprises (SMEs). The study was carried out through a mail survey of the top executives of 125 Wisconsin firms. It examined 10 research hypotheses on internal and external factors which had been identified by previous research to influence the internationalization of SMEs through the Internet. Research findings conclude that the scope of internationalization of SMEs through the Internet is affected by internal factors, such as managements' perceptions of the effectiveness of their web sites as a marketing tool, lack of experience, and SMEs' potential usage of the Internet.     

Examining E-Relationship Marketing Features on Hotel Websites

Abstract

This study developed and tested a progressive five-level e-Relationship marketing (e-RM) model. The authors examined e-RM web features of the top 127 hotel companies. The results indicate that the hotel companies in the study did not extensively utilize higher-level (Accountable, Proactive, and Partnership) e-RM features on their websites although they employed many lower-level (Basic and Reactive) features. The study also reveals that the extent to which a hotel company employed e-RM website features was positively associated with the size of the hotel company but negatively associated with the number of brands held by the company. This article provides an in-depth e-RM literature review and discusses practical marketing implications as well.     

Litigation risk,accounting quality,and investment efficiency

This paper examines the moderating effect of litigation risk on the relationship between accounting quality and investment efficiency. We use directors’ and officers’ (D&O) liability insurance as a proxy for litigation risk, accruals quality for accounting quality, and investment cash flow sensitivity for investment efficiency (Biddle & Hilary, 2006; Hovakimian & Hovakimian, 2009). Using Canadian data from 1998 to 2008, we show that firms with higher D&O insurance coverage exhibit lower quality accruals. Moreover, the previously documented negative association between accruals quality and investment cash flow sensitivity is stronger (weaker) when abnormal D&O coverage is low (high), suggesting that the role of accounting quality in facilitating investment efficiency is conditional upon observable litigation risk.     

Small-sample Properties of Panel Spatial Autoregressive Models: Comparison of the Bayesian and Maximum Likelihood Methods

Abstract

This article considers autoregressive (SAR) models. We method to estimate the parameters of likelihood (ML) method. Our Bayesian by the Monte Carlo studies. We found the efficient as the ML estimators.     

Modeling International Travel Arrangements for Taiwanese Travelers: Potential Fits

Abstract

This paper presents a choice model of international travel arrangements for potential Taiwanese FIT (Foreign Independent Travel) travelers. Previous studies were based mostly on package vacations, with little attention given to FIT travelers. Recent years have indicated a transition toward FIT. Since this transition is likely to continue, it is important for travel and tourism organizations and for marketers to understand FIT individuals. This study distinguishes potential FIT travelers from non-FIT travelers, identifies variables useful in making this prediction, and provides recommendations to travel and tourism organizations of host countries. The findings indicate that Taiwanese FIT travelers are likely to be younger, male, highly educated, budget conscious, travel with a larger party size for purposes of meeting interesting and friendly local people, stay for longer periods of time, and have taken many trips in the last three years that in volved spending at least four nights away from home.     

基于因特网的监控录像系统的实现

介绍了一种基于因特网的监控录像系统，详细介绍了本系统的建模和软硬件模型，并阐述了本系统的软硬件实现方法。     

基于Linux的嵌入式远程视频采集控制系统设计

提出了一种基于Linux和嵌入式远程视频信息采集、压缩、传输和系统控制等方面的设计方法，能将监控现场的情况自动判断分析，对监控现场以报告和实时视频的形式通过网络在控制中心的显示屏上显示出来。