An approach to analyzing and planning post-merger IS integration: Insights from two field studies

Information systems (IS) integration is among the most challenging tasks in corporate mergers and acquisitions (M&As). In this paper we propose and illustrate the use of an approach to analyzing and planning post-merger IS integration that extends general theory for IS planning, considering the specific characteristics of the M&A context. We highlight that planning effectiveness is possible to achieve in fundamentally different ways, dependent on the characteristics of the merger or acquisition at hand.

Investigation of point-to-point performance test of touch trigger probes on coordinate-measuring machines

A major factor contributing to the total measuring error of coordinate measuring machines (CMMs) is the performance of the probing sub-system. Probing test methods are typically used to detect errors due to the probing sub-system. The probe performance evaluation method specified in the ANSI B89 standard is investigated in this paper. The sampling plan associated in the probe performance evaluation was tested by using experimental probing data from a CMM. Research findings indicate that the performance of touch trigger probes is overestimated due to a systematic bias in the vertical direction of the best-fit reference ball center in the probe performance test. A two-latitude sampling plan synthesis method based on a pretravel model for touch trigger probes is proposed in this paper. The proposed method can be used to accurately identify the reference ball center in the performance test of touch trigger probes.     

Kinematic analysis of 3SPS+1PS bionic parallel test platform for hip joint simulator based on unit quaternion

As a novel parallel hip joint simulator, the 3SPS+1PS bionic parallel test platform with 4 degrees of freedom including three rotations and one translation is proposed. SPS denotes the spherical-prismatic-spherical leg and PS denotes the prismatic-spherical leg where only the prismatic joint is actuated and hence underlined. By means of the unit quaternion method, the formulae for solving the inverse/forward displacement, the inverse/forward velocity and the inverse/forward acceleration kinematics are derived. Using the unit quaternion to represent the position and orientation of a moving platform, singularities caused by Euler angles can be avoided. Combining the topological structure characteristics of the 3SPS+1PS bionic parallel test platform and letting the three-dimensional (3-D) motion of a human hip joint as its output movement, the displacement trajectories of three active legs are constructed based on the inverse displacement kinematics. The forward kinematic tests whose data are recorded by a 3-D orientation capture system are carried out on the developed parallel hip joint simulator. Moreover, the results of the forward kinematic tests prove that the 3SPS+1PS bionic parallel test platform can approximately represent human hip joint motion and provide more reliable experimental data for hip joint prostheses in clinical application.     

Physiological responses to simulated firefighter exercise protocols in varying environments

For decades, research to quantify the effects of firefighting activities and personal protective equipment on physiology and biomechanics has been conducted in a variety of testing environments. It is unknown if these different environments provide similar information and comparable responses. A novel Firefighting Activities Station, which simulates four common fireground tasks, is presented for use with an environmental chamber in a controlled laboratory setting. Nineteen firefighters completed three different exercise protocols following common research practices. Simulated firefighting activities conducted in an environmental chamber or live-fire structures elicited similar physiological responses (max heart rate: 190.1 vs 188.0 bpm, core temperature response: 0.047°C/min vs 0.043°C/min) and accelerometry counts. However, the response to a treadmill protocol commonly used in laboratory settings resulted in significantly lower heart rate (178.4 vs 188.0 bpm), core temperature response (0.037°C/min vs 0.043°C/min) and physical activity counts compared with firefighting activities in the burn building.

Practitioner Summary: We introduce a new approach for simulating realistic firefighting activities in a controlled laboratory environment for ergonomics assessment of fire service equipment and personnel. Physiological responses to this proposed protocol more closely replicate those from live-fire activities than a traditional treadmill protocol and are simple to replicate and standardise.     

Application of the modified Taylor approximation

In this paper we introduce and describe a new scheme for the numerical integration of smooth functions. The scheme is based on the modified Taylor expansion and is suitable for functions that exhibit near-sinusoidal or repetitive behaviour. We discuss the method and its rate of convergence, then implement it for the approximation of certain integrals. Examples include integrands involving Airy wave, Bessel, Gamma, and elliptic functions. The results, from the data in the tables, demonstrate that the method converges rapidly and approximates the integral as well as some well-known numerical integration methods used with sufficiently small step sizes.     

模拟抗原（Ac-NK16-Ahx-3）免疫反应抗体ELISA检测方法研究

为满足实验室单克隆抗体的制备研究,本实验特对实验室常用的制备单抗的模拟抗原（Ac-NK16-Ahx-3）进行ELISA间接法检测,进而建立一种高效的检测方法。通过对不同稀释度待测抗体的免疫吸附测定,检测出它的最终灵敏度为0.078mg/mL,最佳二抗稀释倍数为300倍,其最佳拟合曲线为y=-0.0732x＋0.6875,R2=0.8619。并且,通过统计学方法进行统计分析,确定出各实验组的相关性及变异系数,从而排除实验中的操作误差,最终可确定最佳的实验条件,并保证实验的准确性。     

Model test of helical angle effect on coal loading performance of shear drum

The work presented in this paper focuses on improving coal loading performance of shear drum.Employing the similarity theory,we carried out a dimensional analysis of the correlation parameters which in...