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人が感じる温熱快適度は温度，湿度，気流，放射熱などの複数の要素によって変化する．このためスマートルーム，スマートオフィスなどの快適性環境を構築するためには，これら要素の制御が重要となる．理想的な快適性環境とは，人が感じる温熱快適度に合わせて温度や湿度などの要素が自動的に調節される環境のことであり，カメラ，ウェアラブルセンサ，環境センサなどで取得した生体データと環境データから温熱快適度を推定することで構築できると考えられる．そこで本研究ではこれらセンサを用いて人と室内環境の画像データとセンサデータを取得し，CNN により主観的温熱快適度と客観的温熱快適度を推定する手法を提案した．実験では，室内環境の温度と湿度を変化させながら画像データとセンサデータを取得するために，室内温度と室内湿度を制御する機器としてヒータ，クーラ，加湿器，除湿機が配置されたパイプ式ブースを部屋内に設置した．実験中は被験者をブース内に滞在させ，被験者が左足，右足，左腕，右腕に装着したNTC サーミスタ，指に装着した心拍センサ，ブース内に設置された温湿度センサ，風速センサ，RGB カメラ，サーマルカメラから各種センサデータ，RGB 画像，サーマル画像をそれぞれ取得し，主観的温熱快適度と客観的温熱快適度を推定した．なお，データ処理に用いるCNN モデルはKerasのPre-trained モデルにあるResNet50 をもとに構築した．また，RGB 画像とサーマル画像のみを用いた推定モデルも用意し，センサデータの有無が快適度推定に与える影響についても検討した．

人間の快適度に合わせて温度や湿度などを自動的に調整する環境を実現するためには，空調システムなどが定量化された人間の快適度の変化を常時計測できる必要がある．快適度を定量化するためには様々な環境における人間の生体データや環境データの測定が必要であり，これらのデータを常時測定できるウェアラブルセンサを用いるのが適切である．本研究ではウェアラブルセンサを用いて人間の生体データを取得し，回帰分析を行うことで熱的快適度を推定する手法を提案する．人間の熱的快適度の評価には一般的に PMV モデルが用いられるため，快適度の正解データは PMV 公式から算出した計算値を用いた．パイプ式ブース内において被験者の生体テータを取得するとともに，正解データを算出するための PMV パラメータは被験者に入力してもらった．取得したデータを 5 種類の回帰モデルを用いて分析し，MAE，R2 スコア，RMSE の 3 つの基準から各回帰モデルを評価した．推定手法を日常環境に応用するには，使用するウェアラブルセンサの数を減らす必要があると考えられるため，回帰モデルに入力するデータの特徴量を減らし，MAE に基づいて使用するウェアラブルセンサの種類を限定した．結果として，左手の温度センサと心拍センサのみを用いることにより室内にいる人間の熱的快適度を推定できることを確認した．

To stabilize bromine produced during a vanadium-bromine redox flow batteries (V Br RFBs) charging, a bromine complexing agent (BCA) should be effectively used as a supporting material in V Br electrolyte. However, there remains a problem of improving the unstable reversibility between V2+ and V3+ in electrolyte including halogen elements (Br and Cl). This paper describes two imidazole-based BCAs, which are 1,2-dimethyl-3-ethylimidazolium bromide (DMEIm: C7H13BrN2) and 1,2-dimethyl-3-propylimidazolium bromide (DMPIm: C8H15BrN2), for not only confirming the capture of bromine but also improving the redox reaction of vanadium ions in V Br electrolyte. The effectiveness of the proposed two imidazole-based BCAs is demonstrated through the following experiments: cyclic voltammetry (CV), nuclear magnetic resonance analysis (NMR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis and cyclic cell operation test. Experimental results show that both the diffusion coefficient and the peak currents of each electrolyte using the proposed imidazole-based BCAs increases linearly with the rise of scan rate on the recorded CV curves, providing improved reversible reaction of V2+/V3+ in negative electrolyte. It also exhibits that the electrolytes using the DMEIm and DMPIm provide significantly improved charge (discharge) capacities which are 9.38 (31.01) % and 11.8 (35.66) % higher than the pristine one, respectively, resulting in 13.27% and 14.36% higher current efficiencies. In addition, corrosion cracks on the separator surface due to bromine attack are not observed after the cyclic cell operation. Consequently, these results indicate that the proposed two imidazole-based BCAs can not only sequester bromine during the V Br RFB charging, but also enhance electrochemical reversibility caused by improving diffusion coefficient of vanadium.

Realizing an environment that could automatically modify temperature and humidity according to human thermal comfort using an air conditioning system, it is necessary to measure the quantified changes of human thermal comfort continually. While quantifying thermal comfort, human biometric data and environmental data from various environments are needed. Therefore, we proposed a method to estimate human thermal comfort through regression analysis with human biometric data acquired by wearable sensors. Since the PMV model is generally used to evaluate human thermal comfort, the PMV value as the correct thermal comfort could be calculated from the PMV formula. We constructed an experiment environment for acquiring the subject's biometric data and gained the subjects' METs and clo value for calculating the PMV value. The biometric data were analyzed in three regression models to predict PMV value, and MAE and RMSE evaluated each regression model. The fewest number of wearable sensors could be confirmed by gradually reducing the feature values of input data of the regression model. As a result, we acknowledged that the human thermal comfort in an indoor environment could be estimated by heart rate data and left-arm temperature data while applying the proposed method to a daily environment.

SciFinder is a comprehensive and powerful database frequently used in chemistry research. There are presently two primary approaches in teaching undergraduate students to use SciFinder: (1) through a physical session in class and (2) through recorded videos online. However, there has not been a flipped classroom approach combining both the physical sessions and online lectures. By incorporating the flipped classroom approach of teaching SciFinder into a curriculum of an undergraduate chemistry laboratory course, we redesign and revamp the approach in teaching SciFinder, saving 25% of time used for physical sessions and gaining more time for hands-on exercise. The effectiveness of the flipped classroom approach in teaching SciFinder is evidenced by better grades as well as most students (64%) indicating that this approach has helped them learn better.

Understanding the user acceptance of mobile social networking apps in different cultures can provide powerful insights for managers and marketers of social networking apps to develop effective glob...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify and understand factors that influence users’ acceptance of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) collaboration tools in organizational settings. Design/methodology/approach – This paper develops a research model based on the Expectation Confirmation Model (ECM). Using data collected from a field study of Google Docs, the research model and related hypotheses are tested by structural equation modeling. Findings – Users’ confirmation with expectations positively affect their perceived usefulness and satisfaction level; Users’ perceived usefulness and satisfaction positively affect their intention to continue using such collaboration tools. Users’ prior experience with such tools and their IT skills have a moderating effect on the relationships among confirmation, perceived usefulness, satisfaction, and continuance intention. Research limitations/implications – This study identifies the theoretical foundations of user acceptance of SaaS collaboration tools in the context of mandatory adoption. This empirical study, based on an established theoretical foundation, will help the research community to gain a deeper understanding of user acceptance of cloud computing technologies, in particular, SaaS collaboration tools. Practical implications – The findings of this study can provide vendors and implementing organizations with useful strategies and tactics to enhance users’ acceptance of SaaS collaboration tools. Originality/value – With the increasing popularity of cloud computing technologies, there have been ongoing concerns about the effectiveness of SaaS collaboration tools in organizational settings. This study is one of the first empirical research to examine the factors influencing users’ acceptance of SaaS collaboration tools.

Enameled wire is composed of conductive core surrounded by insulating layer. Nanocomposite enameled wires where inorganic nanoparticles are dispersed in the insulation layer have been known to exhibit higher breakdown voltage and partial discharge resistance. Dispersion of the nanoparticles is critical for fabricating nanocomposite enameled wire because nanoparticles easily aggregate in the varnish or polymer matrix during the coating processing. In this study silica nanoparticles were surface-modified with silanes using sonochemical method. The surface modified nanoparticle was well dispersed in polyester varnish, which was observed by means of optical transparency and viscosity measurement. After curing, it was found that dispersion of the nanoparticles was also well maintained, which was confirmed by SEM and DSC analyses. Consecutively we found that thermal resistance as well as dielectric breakdown strength of the nanocomposite enameled wire was enhanced by dispersing the surface modified silica nanoparticles in the insulating polymer matrix.

PurposeThis study aims to understand the impact of users' privacy concerns on their acceptance of social networking web sites (SNWs).Design/methodology/approachThis paper develops two research models, with privacy concern conceptualized either as an antecedent of acceptance intention, or as a moderator of the relationships in the technology acceptance model (TAM). Using a survey questionnaire, empirical data were collected from 428 undergraduate college students. Structured equation modeling was used to test the validity of the proposed research models.FindingsThe privacy concerns of the research respondents were found to be statistically significant. However, they did not directly affect users' acceptance of social networking web sites. Instead, privacy concerns did moderate the effects of perceived usefulness, and perceived ease of use, on users' intention to continue to use SNWs.Research limitations/implicationsThe study identifies the theoretical foundations of privacy and privacy concerns in the context of SNWs. This empirical study, based on an established theoretical foundation, will help the research community to gain a deeper understanding of the impacts of privacy concern in the context of social networking.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study can provide SNW operators with useful strategies and tactics to enhance users' acceptance depending on their level of privacy concern.Originality/valueWith the worldwide rapid growth of SNWs, there have been ongoing concerns about how users' private information is viewed or used by others. This study provides much needed empirical evidence about the impact of privacy concerns on users' acceptance of SNWs.

An activity network with returning loop activities has a wide variety of applications, but can cause a heavy computational burden for large networks. Moreover, if an activity processing time and/or the probability of taking a particular activity changes when the number of activity visits is added, the computation is very complicated and difficult. We propose a simulation approach to deal with stochastic activity networks consisting of multiple terminal nodes, no limit on looping activities, non-constant activity selection probabilities, and non-deterministic activity times following arbitrary distributions. Probability and time control functions are introduced to reflect the acceleration, or learning effect, of repeated activities. Performance measures such as system success/failure probabilities, time to completion/success/failure times, time between success/failure, and the pth percentile times of a project are obtained. A series of sensitivity analysis was performed to understand the trend and behavior of system performance. A cost function is developed to find an optimal strategy by manipulating control factors. To illustrate the efficacy of this simulation approach a new drug discovery and development project was analyzed. The Promodel simulation language was used for performance evaluations, and the SimRunner optimization tool for obtaining the optimal solution.

With the proliferation of online social networks, understanding how and why individuals adopt and use these networks can help managers and marketers to design better methods and approaches toward engaging their users. The purpose of this study is to investigate the determinants of user acceptance of online social networks, with particular attention given to the effects of social influence. A research model was developed by incorporating two variables of social influence, subjective norm and critical mass, into an enhanced version of the Technology Acceptance Model, specifically to address issues related to online social networks. The model was empirically evaluated using survey data collected from 269 subjects about their perceptions of online social networks. The results reveal that both subjective norm and critical mass significantly affect perceived usefulness, which further affects users' usage intention, and perceived ease of use affects the usage intention indirectly through perceived usefulness. Th...

In this study, we investigated the level of privacy concern among users of mobile social networking (MSN) apps, and the effect of users' privacy concern on their acceptance of MSN apps. Based on the social exchange theory as well as the uses and gratification theory, we developed a research model to hypothesise the relationships among privacy-related constructs. We tested the research model using the data collected from a survey study. Our data analysis indicates that survey respondents have privacy concern when using MSN apps. However, the direct effect of privacy concern on user's behavioural intention is not statistically significant, while enjoyment has a significant positive influence on the behavioural intention. The antecedents of enjoyment and privacy concern are found to significantly affect their respective dependent variable. The findings help researchers and practitioners better understand the impact of privacy concern on users' acceptance of MSN apps.

Zinc-bromine flow batteries (ZBBs) remain a problem of designing a cell with high coulombic efficiency and stability. This problem is caused intrinsically by different phase transition in each side of the half-cells during charge-discharge process. This paper describes a ZBB with an antisymmetric cell structure, which uses anode and cathode with different surface morphologies, for high-discharge capacity and reliability. The structure of the antisymmetric ZBB cell contains a carbon-surface electrode and a carbon-volume electrode in zinc and bromine half cells, respectively. To demonstrate the effectiveness of this proposed ZBB cell structure, Cyclic Voltammetry measurement is performed on a graphite foil and a carbon felt which are used as the surface and electrodes. Charge and discharge cyclic operations are also carried out with symmetric and antisymmetric ZBB cells combined with the two electrode types. Experimental results show that the arrangement of antisymmetric cell structure in ZBB provides a solution to the high performance and durability.

To understand the effect of BaCeO 3 on a Y 2 BaCuO 5 (Y211) distribution, Y 1.5 Ba 2 Cu 3 O x (Y1.5) superconductors with/without 1 wt.% BaCeO 3 additions were prepared by a top-seeded melt-textured growth (TSMG) process. Two different BaCeO 3 powders (as-synthesized (coarse powder) and an attrition-milled (fine powder)) were used and the size effect was compared with that obtained from a Y1.5 sample with no addition. A refinement of the Y211 particles was achieved for both the as-synthesized and attrition-milled BaCeO 3 additions. The distribution of the Y211 particles was most uniform in the Y1.5 sample prepared with the attrition-milled BaCeO 3 powder due to the reduced size of the Y211-free regions by the fine size BaCeO 3 addition. The highest J c was achieved in the Y1.5 sample prepared with the attrition-milled BaCeO 3 powder. The J c result agreed well with the microstructure variations by the addition of BaCeO 3 powders.

Rare-earth (RE) (e.g. Sm, Dy, Ce, etc.) doping has been widely investigated to improve critical current density (J c ) of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7―x (YBCO) coated conductors (CC). Oxygen partial pressure is known to be a key parameter in terms of affecting the J c of YBCO films. In this work, the effect of oxygen partial pressure on the microstructure and J c of a Ce doped YBCO film was examined. Ce doped YBCO films were deposited on (1 0 0) SrTi0 3 (STO) single crystal substrates at oxygen partial pressures of 2.5, 5.0, and 10.0 Torr using a metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) method. Due to the enhanced migration of surface adatoms under reduced oxygen partial pressure, a 1 wt% Ce doped YBCO film had a stoichiometric, dense surface. In addition, the zero-field J c (at 77 K) of the 1 wt% Ce doped YBCO film deposited at reduced oxygen partial pressure was increased. Irrespective of the amount of Ce, the Ce doped YBCO film showed an increased zero-field J c (at 77 K) under reduced oxygen partial pressure.

Previous studies on technology adoption disagree regarding the relative magnitude of the effects of perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. However these studies did not consider moderating variables. We investigated four potential moderating variables - perceived risk, technology type, user experience, and gender - in users' technology adoption. Their moderating effects were tested in an empirical study of 161 subjects. Results showed that perceived risk, technology type, and gender were significant moderating variables. However the effects of user experience were marginal after the variance of errors was removed.

A biaxially textured Cu(2 0 0) tape was used as a substrate for YBCO coated conductors by cold rolling followed by recrystallization heat treatment. In this work, we studied the influence of annealing conditions and final tape thickness on the recrystallization process. Phi ( ϕ ) scan and omega ( ω ) scan XRD revealed that the best in-plane and out-of-plane alignment of the Cu tape (thickness 100 μm), measured in terms of full width half maximum (FWHM) values of 6.64° and 4.49°, were obtained by annealing at 800 °C for 30 min. The texture of CeO 2 buffer layer thermally-evaporated on the Cu tape was also analyzed.

YBa2Cu3OX (YBCO) coated conductors have been fabricated on cube textured Cu or Cu-based alloy substrates using various buffer layers such as CeO2, ZrO2, etc. Fabrication of buffer layers on Cu substrates using surface-oxidation epitaxy (SOE) has the potential to reduce the process complexibility and make the coated conductor more cost effective. In this work, we fabricated cube textured Cu2O as a component buffer layer by thermal oxidation of cube textured Cu(200) substrates. A biaxially-aligned textured Cu2O layer was obtained for 1 min oxidation in air at 1000degC. Texture analysis was performed using X-ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis. Microstructural characteristics of the layer were determined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The experimental results suggested that the Cu2O can be a promising buffer layer for YBCO coated conductors from the viewpoint of the simplification of the process.

We developed polyesterimide (PEI) nanocomposite enameled wires using surface-modified silica nanoparticles with binary chemical compositions on the surface. The modification was done using silanes assisted by ultrasound, which facilitated high density modification. Two different trimethoxysilanes were chosen for the modification on the basis of resemblance of chemical compositions on the silica surface to PEI varnish. The surface-modified silica was well dispersed in PEI varnish, which was confirmed by optical observation and viscosity measurement. The glass transition temperature of the silica-PEI nanocomposite increased with the silica content. The silica-dispersed PEI varnish was then used for enameled wire fabrication. The silica-PEI nanocomposite enameled wire exhibited a much longer lifetime compared to that of neat PEI enameled wire in partial discharge conditions.

This paper reports a study examining cross-functional coordination in enterprise resource planning (ERP) projects. We collected primary data related to ERP implementations at four large organizations representing different industries and implementation strategies. These are presented through rich descriptions organized on the basis of an emergent process theory framework. Our case studies suggest that there are three main patterns of managing functional inter-dependencies: (a) A lean coordination pattern that involves intricately planned 'vanilla' implementations using reference process models and strong methodologies (b) A rich coordination pattern that is based on managing interdependencies through organizing arrangements and cultural interventions, and (c) A mediation pattern that is based on executive mandate or a dominant functional unit laying out the rules of engagement.This study provides practical implications for industry managers engaged in large-scale enterprise system implementations. It also significantly advances theory by outlining and characterizing cross-functional coordination patterns. Our findings confirm that studying surface regularities as well as the underlying situated phenomena, in combination, can help in generating new insights for guiding ERP projects.

PurposeAs the number of organizations that have implemented enterprise resourceplanning (ERP) systems unsuccessfully increase, it is necessary to establish the impediments in ERP implementations and the extent to which these impact the success of ERP projects. This study aims to identify the critical impediments that large organizations face in the implementation of ERP systems, and the impact of these impediments on overall success of ERP projects by a survey of Fortune 500 organizations.Design/methodology/approachA survey was prepared based on 47 impediments identified from previous ERP implementation studies.FindingsThis study finds that most of critical impediments are from functional coordination problems related to inadequate support from functional units and coordination among functional units, the project management related to business process change, and change management related to resistance of users. In this study, impediments are categorized based on project phases, and differences in the impediments the organizations faced between less successful and more successful organizations are found.Originality/valueThis research provides significant implications for industry managers engaged in large‐scale enterprise system implementations. Our survey results suggest that understanding new requirements for ERP implementation such as functional coordination is more critical issues than understanding technical features of ERP system.

This study examines the time-series behavior of investment, exports, and output in South Korea from 1956 to 1996. Impulse-response analysis and variance decompositions indicate that investment rates and export growth rates have significant short-run effects on the growth rates of per capita output. While there are long-run effects to the levels of per capita output, statistically all growth rate effects disappear within four years. No special role for equipment investment was found. These findings are consistent with the predictions of the Solow growth model. The study found no empirical support for endogenous growth theory.

A survey of IS academics and practitioners was conducted to identify key IS issues. The list of key IS issues used in the survey includes five new issues that were not present in previous surveys. These issues are Software Reengineering and Maintenance, Client/Server Computing, IS Education and Training, the Internet, and IS Ethics and Legal Issues. Due to the transition of IT platforms from mainframes and microcomputers to network computing, telecommunications and network-related issues are ranked high in the survey. The long-term trends in the ranking of issues over prior surveys indicate that the percentage of technical issues in the top ten is rising while the percentage of managerial issues is declining. A comparison of practitioner and academic rankings of IS issues reveals that academics rank managerial and emerging issues higher than practitioners.

One impediment to software reusability is the difficulty in classifying reusable software resources in such a way that they can be retrieved by other people. A method based on encoding descriptive information of reusable software resources is proposed to mitigate that problem. The preliminary experiment to test the feasibility of the proposed method shows positive results. This method has potential to help classify existing software resources for the purpose of future reuse, and specify requirements when users want to retrieve reusable software resources.

Fluorinated silicon nitride thin film as a bottom antireflective layer (BARL) material, being suitable for line-patterning in KrF excimer laser (248 nm) lithography, has been studied by film fabrication/characterization and computer simulation. Three-dimensional reflectance simulation process suggests that the 0% reflectance between photoresist (PR) and BARL can be achieved by selecting proper combinations of film optical properties such as refractive index (n), extinction coefficient (k) and thickness (d). For the PR/300 A BARL/c-Si or PR/300 A BARL/W-Si structure at a wavelength of 248 nm, the simulation process reveals that nearly 0% reflectance could be obtained when the n and k values of the film are 2.109 and 0.68 or 2.052 and 0.592 respectively. The fluorinated silicon nitride films prepared by ICP enhanced CVD have been evaluated with the variations of flow rates under the two conditions of and 3:20 (sccm). The film n and k values at 248 nm vary in the ranges of 1.665 - 2.352 and 0.007 - 0.695 respectively, depending on gas flow ratio. As it is very sensitive to the film thickness, the reflectance could be reduced, using compoter simulation, to almost 0% by changing the film thickness. Furthermore, the ARL performance for line/space processed by the KrF excimer laser stepper and the stripping ability/selectivity show this material to be a superior candidate for deep-UV microlithography applications.

In this research, we classified the various applications of Cloud Computing technologies in educational institutions. In addition, we identified the theoretical frameworks through which actual implementations can be evaluated. A case study was used to show the applicability of the theoretical frameworks. Upon completion of this research, a list of Critical Success Factors will be derived from both quantitative and qualitative data. The findings will provide support to planning and implementation of Cloud Computing technologies in educational institutions.