Collective motion in non-reciprocal swarms

This paper studies a non-reciprocal swarm model that consists of a group of mobile autonomous agents with an attraction-repulsion function governing the interaction of the agents. The function is chosen to have infinitely large values of repulsion for vanishing distance between two agents so as to avoid occurrence of collision. It is shown analytically that under the detailed balance condition in coupling weights, all the agents will aggregate and eventually form a cohesive cluster of finite size around the weighted center of the swarm in a finite time. Moreover, the swarm system is completely stable, namely, the motion of all agents converge to the set of equilibrium points. For the general case of non-reciprocal swarms without the detailed balance condition, numerical simulations show that more complex self-organized oscillations can emerge in the swarms. The effect of noise on collective dynamics of the swarm is also examined with a white Gaussian noise model.     

Observed finger behaviour during computer mouse use

Two-button computer mouse users may exhibit sustained, static finger lifting behaviours to prevent inadvertent activations by avoiding finger pressure on the buttons, which leads to prolonged, static finger extensor muscle loading. One hundred graduate students were observed during normal computer work in a university computer facility to qualify and quantify the prevalence of lifted finger behaviours and extended finger postures, as well as wrist/forearm and grip behaviour, during specific mouse activities. The highest prevalences observed were 48% of the students lifted their middle finger during mouse drag activities, and 23% extended their middle finger while moving the mouse. In addition, 98% of the students rested their wrist and forearm (77%) or wrist only (21%) on the workstation surface, and 97% had an extended wrist posture (15 degrees -30 degrees ) when using the mouse. Potential applications of these findings include future computer input device designs to reduce finger lifting behaviour and exposures to risk factors of hand/forearm musculoskeletal pain.     

Optimal markdown policy of perishable food under the consumer price fairness perception

Markdown policies are widely used by retailers to sell perishable food. Consumers purchase food at different prices during different sales periods. Some consumers may compare their experience with others who purchase the same items. Price unfairness or inequity is perceived when different prices are quoted without reasonable explanations. This study develops an optimal markdown model for perishable food pricing to optimise the food retailer revenue and enable a maximum aggregated consumer utility considering individuals’ price fairness perception. The model serves as the first step in evaluating trade-offs between food retailer revenue and consumer utility. In addition, it enables consumer utility to be depicted through perceived price fairness by including the effects of food perishability and scarcity. Another innovative feature is the equalisation of the consumer average aggregated utility during different sales periods as a condition of intertemporal price fairness perception. The proposed model is compared with two benchmark models to justify the effectiveness and advantages in the example. Finally, a sensitive analysis based on the food deterioration rate, consumer food desire rate and consumer average reservation price is conducted to justify the manner in which these factors influence the optimal pricing policy, and managerial insights are suggested for food retailers.     

Online hot selling period and its impact on e-retailer’s pricing strategies

The express delivery industry is often overloaded in some hot online selling seasons, which causes consumers’ dissatisfaction. Under such a circumstance, the e-retailer can utilise two opposite strategies, i.e. to set-up either a low price with a pre-announced markdown pricing (PMDP) strategy, or a high price with a pre-announced markup pricing (PMUP) strategy for the hot selling period. As both the prices and the express service quality are different between the regular period and the hot selling period, consumers can strategically choose their purchase time, which will in turn influences the e-retailer’s pricing strategy. To investigate under what condition one pricing strategy will dominate the other, we propose a two period pricing model in which the selling season are divided into regular and hot selling period, and all consumers are assumed to be strategic. The e-retailer determines the prices over the two kinds of periods to maximise its profit. The comparison shows that a PMUP (resp. PMDP) strategy is preferred when the overloading degree in the hot selling period is slight (resp. heavy). Furthermore, we extend our model by incorporating the competition of traditional retailers.     

Testing Concrete E‐modulus at Very Early Ages Through Several Techniques: An Inter‐laboratory Comparison

The design of concrete structures is based on calculation rules, which often do not take into account the very early age behaviour of the material. However, during this period, structural concrete is subjected to strains due to the hydration process of cement. If these strains are restrained by concrete itself or surrounding boundaries, stresses start to build up that can lead to the formation of cracks. Among the parameters involved in the stress build up, the stiffness evolution is of major importance. This paper reports the use of eight different techniques aimed at stiffness evolution assessment, applied on the same concrete mix, in a round robin experimental test within three laboratories. The observations are compared after having expressed the results at the same equivalent age. Both the loading stress rate and amplitude are observed to have an effect of limited importance on the determination of the quasi‐static elastic modulus, which might be explained by very short term creep. Ultrasonic measurements provide values of E‐modulus that are higher than the values provided by the quasi‐static tests at the time of the concrete setting. Similar mechanisms associated to very short term creep could explain the difference between the quasi‐static and high‐frequency elastic modulus.     

TB6钛合金β区变形的动态再结晶动力学

使用圆柱形TB6钛合金试样在Thermecmaster-Z型热模拟试验机上进行热模拟压缩实验(变形温度为825~1100℃,应变速率为0.001~1 s^-1)。对采集的流变数据进行加工硬化率处理,确定动态再结晶体积分数,研究了TB6钛合金β区变形的动态再结晶动力学。结果表明,流变应力随着变形温度的降低或应变速率的提高而增大,流变曲线呈现出动态再结晶类型的特征。随着应变速率的降低和变形温度的提高,动态再结晶的体积分数和晶粒尺寸增大。在变形温度高于950℃、应变速率低于0.001 s^-1条件下,动态再结晶的晶粒严重粗化。动态再结晶动力学曲线经历缓慢增加—快速增加—缓慢增加三个阶段,呈现出典型的“S”型特征。确定了动态再结晶的体积分数达到50%时的应变,建立了TB6钛合金的动态再结晶动力学模型。     

基于属性识别理论的大坝结构性态综合评价

大坝结构性态分析评价问题是一个多层次多项目的系统整体分析评价问题,应利用系统分析的观点,将多个观测项目结合起来进行综合分析和评价．在分析了已有综合评价方法的基础上,提出了基于属性识别理论的大坝结构性态综合评价方法．示例表明,这一方法是合理、可行的．     

The Design with Intent Method: A design tool for influencing user behaviour

Using product and system design to influence user behaviour offers potential for improving performance and reducing user error, yet little guidance is available at the concept generation stage for design teams briefed with influencing user behaviour. This article presents the Design with Intent Method, an innovation tool for designers working in this area, illustrated via application to an everyday human-technology interaction problem: reducing the likelihood of a customer leaving his or her card in an automatic teller machine. The example application results in a range of feasible design concepts which are comparable to existing developments in ATM design, demonstrating that the method has potential for development and application as part of a user-centred design process.     

A complete task analysis to measure the workload associated with operating an agricultural sprayer equipped with a navigation device

The objective of this study was to perform a complete task analysis to measure the workload associated with operating an agricultural sprayer equipped with a navigation device. The task analysis included a written questionnaire and subsequent observation of sprayer operators. The questionnaire revealed that the lightbar was the most important source of guidance information (as opposed to relying on guidance information from external field cues). Observation consisted of recording eye-glance behaviour and heart rate variability while operators were spraying in a field setting. The eye-glance data suggest that external cues are more important than the lightbar for providing the necessary navigation information. Thus, the questionnaire and observation data contradict each other. Based on heart rate variability, operators who used a lightbar navigation device experienced more mental workload than operators who used an auto-steer navigation device.     

旅游自然景区下的设计行为初探

自然景区越来越成为生活在城市中的居民所向往的圣洁之地。随着自然景区被人们广泛的接触从而导致了"天然景观人为化"的现象。本文通过对旅游自然景区下旅游行为归纳分析以达到对设计行为的认知,并根据对九寨沟和黄龙景区的考察及调查的相关资料,对旅游自然景区下的设计行为进行解析用以说明"设计"对自然景区内天然景观与人为景观的重要性,以及应用设计的手段来解决"天然景观人为化"的问题,保持人为景观与天然景观的平衡。为今后旅游自然景区的设计活动拓展思路,提供新的设计视角。