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An integrated artificial intelligence framework for knowledge creation and B2B marketing rational decision making for improving firm performance
Get PDFYesThis study examines the effect of big data powered artificial intelligence on customer knowledge creation, user knowledge creation and external market knowledge creation to better understand its impact on B2B marketing rational decision making to influence firm performance. The theoretical model is grounded in Knowledge Management Theory (KMT) and the primary data was collected from B2B companies functioning in the South African mining industry. Findings point out that big data powered artificial intelligence and the path customer knowledge creation is significant. Secondly, big data powered artificial intelligence and the path user knowledge creation is significant. Thirdly, big data powered artificial intelligence and the path external market knowledge creation is significant. It was observed that customer knowledge creation, user knowledge creation and external market knowledge creation have significant effect on the B2B marketing-rational decision making. Finally, the path B2B marketing rational decision making has a significant effect on firm performance
Analysis of Chiral and Achiral Medium Based Coplanar Waveguide Using Improved Full Generalized Exponential Matrix Technique
Get PDFYesIn this work, an analytical study of the electromagnetic propagation in a complex medium-based suspended
three-layer coplanar waveguide (CPW) is carried out. The study aims at a numerical calculation of the dominant hybrid mode complex propagation constant in the CPW printed on a bianisotropic substrate. The herein considered bianisotropy is characterized by full 3×3 tensors of permittivity, permeability and magnetoelectric parameters. The study is based on the numerical derivation of the Green's functions of such a complex medium in the spectral domain. The study is carried out using the Full Generalized Exponential Matrix Technique based on matrix-
shaped compact mathematical formulations. The Spectral Method of Moments (SMoM) and the Galerkin's procedure are used to solve the resulting homogeneous system of equations. The effect of the chiral and achiral bianisotropy on the complex propagation constant is particularly investigated. Goo d agreements with available data for an anisotropic-medium-based suspended CPW
structure are achieved. Various cases of chiral and achiral bianisotropy have been investigated, and particularly, the effect on the dispersion characteristics is presented and compared with cases of isotropic and bianisotropic Tellegen media.ERDF, under the PT2020 Partnership Agreement under the UID/EEA/50008/2019 project
Compression-induced electrical percolation and enhanced mechanical properties of polydimethylsiloxane-based nanocomposites
Get PDFYesIn this work, a compression-induced percolation threshold was found when the thickness of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) nanocomposite samples was reduced via a spatial confining forced network assembly (SCFNA) process from 1.0 mm to 0.1 mm. Such as for PDMS/2 wt% short carbon fiber/4 wt% carbon nanotube (CNT) composite, its conductivity was more than 8 times enhanced to 487 S/m from 59.5 S/m, and the mechanical properties of composites have been improved by more than 15% accordingly. Comparatively, when increased the concentration of CNT or Gr from 1 to 4 wt%, the electrical conductivity of PDMS nanocomposites at 1 mm thickness was barely changed as it generally reached saturation and became independent of filler loading. Compared with the traditional blending method, it indicates that the SCFNA process can further promote the maximum electrical conductivity of polymer nanocomposites when the filler concentration has little effect on the conductivity. Especially under the condition of relatively high filler concentration, the electrical conductivity enhancement effect becomes more significant that is contrary to the classical percolation theory. Moreover, the mechanical properties of the nanocomposites can be slightly improved by the mechanical compression, which makes it more suitable for flexible electronic devices' applications
Advantage of preserving bi-orientation structure of isotactic polypropylene through die drawing
Get PDFYesThe isotactic polypropylene (iPP) usually shows a unique parent-daughter lamellae structure in which the parent and daughter lamellae are against each other with a near perpendicular angle (80° or 100°). Inducing a high fraction of oriented cross-hatched structure in iPP during processing is desirable for designing the bi-oriented iPP products. We processed a commercial iPP via tensile-stretching and die-drawing to evaluate the structural evolution of oriented parent-daughter lamellae. It turned out that the die-drawing process had an advantage in attaining a high fraction of oriented cross-hatched structure of iPP, as compared to the free tensile stretching. Besides, the presence of α-nucleating agents affected the formation of oriented parent-daughter lamellae in the die-drawn samples whereas such influence diminished in the free stretched ones. It was found that the confined deformation inside the die led to the well-preserved oriented cross-hatched structure in the die-drawn iPP.This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 21704102, U1832186, and 51525305), Newton Advanced Fellowship of the Royal Society, United Kingdom (No. NA150222) and ExxonMobil Asia Pacific Research & Development Co., Ltd
Chieftaincy reform, decentralisation and post-conflict state reconstruction and peacebuilding in Sierra Leone 2004-2012
No full textLiberal peacebuilding, the means by which transition societies can be reconfigured and reconstructed to bring about lasting peace, focussed on chieftaincy reform and decentralization as part of the peacebuilding package in Sierra Leone. The main focus of this research is to explore the efficacy of these structures as durable peacebuilding mechanisms in a transition society like Sierra Leone. The core argument is that liberal peacebuilding based on the reform of chieftaincy and decentralisation has failed to deliver effective peacebuilding mechanisms in Sierra Leone. Chieftaincy reform should have taken into consideration the specific context of the nature of chieftaincy in the country which in most cases transcends issues of leadership to one of collective identity. The decentralisation process is also fraught with a host of problems ranging from tension between the councils and the chiefs on the one hand, to the unwillingness on the part of central government to cede some of its powers to the local government. The control of central government over the councils and the decentralisation process is still very visible. The relevance of this research is that it enhances our understanding of key debates and policy intervention practices on post-war peacebuilding and state reconstruction in transition societies. It also contributes to the existing literature on post-conflict peacebuilding by positing that there is a huge challenge to the Liberal Peace paradigm in bringing about peace in war-torn societies.Commonwealth Commissio
A learning development-faculty collaborative exploration of postgraduate research student mental health in a UK university
Get PDFYesMental ill-health is an escalating problem in higher education. Not only does this impact students’ ability to learn, it can lead to poor completion, with learners opting to withdraw from studies, even if attainment has been satisfactory. The aim of this study was to gain insight about perceptions of poor mental health from postgraduate research students in a diverse UK university and canvas opinion regarding how the University could improve this. A short, pragmatic survey with basic quantitative and qualitative responses was distributed. This was analysed by a team comprising the learning developer responsible for postgraduate researcher learning development, academics and a doctoral student. The study found that poor mental health was evident, with over three quarters of respondents reporting some experience of mental ill-health. We identified five areas in need of attention: University Systems, Supervisor Training, Well-being Monitoring, Building Networks, and Finance. Sources of University-based stress were finance, administrative support, and an environment where a perception that poor mental health was an expectation rather than a problem was experienced. Students preferred to access support outside the academic environment. This is the first study of its kind at a diverse, plate-glass UK university, to consider research student mental ill-health, with a staff-student team working with data, and the learning developer spear-heading changes across
postgraduate research. These findings have already influenced university strategy, staff training, and induction practices. The synthesis of the five areas could be used to visualise where further work is needed to improve mental health in these learners
Examining causal effects of Emotional Intelligence on human related challenges occurring in Agile managed Information Systems projects
Get PDFAgile project management has become a widely implemented project management
approach in Information Systems (IS). Yet, along with its growing popularity, the
amount of concerns raised in regard to human related challenges is rapidly
increasing. Nevertheless, the extant scholarly literature has neglected to identify
the primary origins and reasons of these challenges. The purpose of this study is
therefore to examine if these challenges are caused by a lack of Emotional
Intelligence (EI) by means of a quantitative approach, which includes two main
steps. Firstly, based on a sample of 447 IS-professionals, the psychometric
properties of their EI in regard to their personal characteristics is examined.
Secondly, based on the findings of the first analysis, the causal inference of EI on
these challenges is computed using Propensity Score Matching based on a second
sample of 194 agile practitioners. Different dimensions of EI were found to have a
low to medium impact on human related challenges occurring in agile teams in
regard to anxiety, motivation, mutual trust and communication competence. Hence, these findings offer important new knowledge for IS-scholars, project managers
and human resource practitioners, about the vital role of EI for educating, staffing
and training of IS-professionals working in agile teams
Commentary on Viewpoint: The interaction between SARS-CoV-2 and ACE2 may have consequences for skeletal muscle viral susceptibility and myopathies
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High-Gain On-Chip Antenna Design on Silicon Layer with Aperture Excitation for Terahertz Applications
No full textNoThis letter investigates the feasibility of designing a high gain on-chip antenna on silicon technology for subterahertz applications over a wide-frequency range. High gain is achieved by exciting the antenna using an aperture fed mechanism to couple electromagnetics energy from a metal slot line, which is sandwiched between the silicon and polycarbonate substrates, to a 15-element array comprising circular and rectangular radiation patches fabricated on the top surface of the polycarbonate layer. An open ended microstrip line, which is orthogonal to the metal slot-line, is implemented on the underside of the silicon substrate. When the open ended microstrip line is excited it couples the signal to the metal slot-line which is subsequently coupled and radiated by the patch array. Measured results show the proposed on-chip antenna exhibits a reflection coefficient of less than-10 dB across 0.290-0.316 THz with a highest gain and radiation efficiency of 11.71 dBi and 70.8%, respectively, occurred at 0.3 THz. The antenna has a narrow stopband between 0.292 and 0.294 THz. The physical size of the presented subterahertz on-chip antenna is 20 × 3.5 × 0.126 mm3
Consumer acceptance and use of information technology: A meta-analytic evaluation of UTAUT2
Get PDFYesDespite being regarded as the most comprehensive theory in understanding individual technology adoption – UTAUT2 theory with growing number of citations and impetus beyond IS domain face strong criticism on usage of the model in its entirety. This study located UTAUT2 based empirical studies in the Scopus and Web of Science bibliographic database through citied reference search in order to evaluate appropriate usage of UTAUT2 constructs. The meta-analysis results spanning across 60 studies with more than 122,000 cumulative observations found BI→UB as the strongest path with all significant values. PE→BI emerged as the most utilized path with most significant values underscoring the emphasis placed by consumers on utilitarian value. Meanwhile, with most non-significant path values the future usage of EE→BI path is been cautioned and questioned. Finally, trust, personal innovativeness, perceived risk, attitude, and self-efficacy were found as the five topmost UTAUT2 extensions