Cultural differences in applying Kansei Engineering to services

It is imperative for companies to provide competitive products and services at a competitive price. Products and services need to offer features and properties which can makethem distinguishable and attractive to customers. Emotions and feelings are prominent during product interaction and service encounter. Kansei Engineering (KE) enables interpretation and translation of customer emotions into design parameters. The application of KE covers both products and services design. Besides dealing with attractive exterior appearances, KE has an ability to optimize properties that are not directly detectable or visible, such as the comfort of hospital and concert hall. There are few empirical studies. Kansei management should recognize cultural differences in Kansei. However, for analysis of cultural values we need to understand the different needs of different customers. A study of luxury hotel services for Indonesian, Japanese and Singaporean tourists, was conducted using interviews and a tri-lingual face-to-face questionnaire. 425 responses were collected. Japanese tourists were found to be the most Kansei-oriented. They tended to value luxury hotels as “clean” and “quiet” places to stay. Indonesian and Singaporean tourists shared a common response to the Kansei word “elegant” which correlates with their common cultural dimension of “power distance”. Incorporation of cultural issues into Kansei studies can provide marketing strategies for customers of different cultural backgrounds

Applying Kansei Engineering, the Kano model and QFD to services

This paper aims to present an integrative framework of Kansei Engineering (KE), the Kano model and quality function deployment (QFD) applied to services. An empirical study involving Indonesian and Singaporean tourists was conducted to showcase the framework’s applicability. The study utilises a sample of 100 Indonesian and 125 Singaporean tourists who stayed in luxury hotels and covers only services in luxury hotels. Interviews and face-to-face questionnaire surveys were carried out. Using stepwise linear regression analysis, this research models the effect of perceived hotel service performance on customer emotional needs (Kansei). House of quality (HOQ) is then used to formulate managerial strategies. We present the fruitfulness of integrating the Kano model, KE and QFD. Perceived attractive qualities have a direct significant impact on Kansei response. There is no analysis of the impact of cultural differences on Kansei. We provide insight on which service attributes deserve more attention with regard to their significant impact on customer emotions. It may guide service managers to provide and implement improvement strategies in satisfying customer emotional needs. The study proposes a unique methodology of integrative three concepts commonly used in manufacturing and service quality research to measure and model customer emotional needs

Gravity and Electroweak Symmetry Breaking in a RSI/RSII Hybrid Model

We present a hybrid RSI/RSII model in which we both solve the hierarchy problem and produce a continuum of KK graviton modes. In this model, four dimensional gravity can be reproduced and the radion mode can be stabilized. We then modify the hybrid gravity model to include SU(2)_L x SU(2)_R x U(1)_(B-L) bulk gauge fields. Electroweak symmetry is broken by the choice of appropriate boundary conditions. By adjusting the size of one region of the extra dimension, we show that the S parameter can be decreased while protecting the rho parameter from corrections. We find that as the S parameter is decreased by ~ 60%, M_Z' and M_W' stay below 1800 GeV, protecting unitarity.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figure

Protostellar Feedback Processes and the Mass of the First Stars

We review theoretical models of Population III.1 star formation, focusing on the protostellar feedback processes that are expected to terminate accretion and thus set the mass of these stars. We discuss how dark matter annihilation may modify this standard feedback scenario. Then, under the assumption that dark matter annihilation is unimportant, we predict the mass of stars forming in 12 cosmological minihalos produced in independent numerical simulations. This allows us to make a simple estimate of the Pop III.1 initial mass function and how it may evolve with redshift.Comment: 6 pages, Proceedings of 'The First Stars and Galaxies: Challenges for the Next Decade", Austin, TX, March 8-11, 201

Behaviour and design of composite beams subjected to negative bending and compression

This paper investigates the behaviour of steel–concrete composite beams subjected to the combined effects of negative bending and axial compression. Six full-scale tests were conducted on composite beams subjected to negative moment while compression was applied simultaneously. Following the tests, a nonlinear finite element model was developed and calibrated against the experimental results. The model was found to be capable of predicting the nonlinear response and the ultimate failure modes of the tested beams. The developed finite element model was further used to carry out a series of parametric analyses on a range of composite sections commonly used in practice. It was found that, when a compressive load acts in the composite section, the negative moment capacity of a composite beam is significantly reduced and local buckling in the steel beam is more pronounced, compromising the ductility of the section. Rigid plastic analysis based on sectional equilibrium can reasonably predict the combined strength of a composite section and, thus, can be used conservatively in the design practice. Based on the experimental outcomes and the finite element analyses a simplified design model is proposed for use in engineering practice

Modelling the crush behaviour of thermoplastic composites

Thermoplastic composites are likely to emerge as the preferred solution for meeting the high-volume production demands of passenger road vehicles. Substantial effort is currently being directed towards the development of new modelling techniques to reduce the extent of costly and time consuming physical testing. Developing a high-fidelity numerical model to predict the crush behaviour of composite laminates is dependent on the accurate measurement of material properties as well as a thorough understanding of damage mechanisms associated with crush events. This paper details the manufacture, testing and modelling of self-supporting corrugated-shaped thermoplastic composite specimens for crashworthiness assessment. These specimens demonstrated a 57.3% higher specific energy absorption compared to identical specimen made from thermoset composites. The corresponding damage mechanisms were investigated in-situ using digital microscopy and post analysed using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Splaying and fragmentation modes were the primary failure modes involving fibre breakage, matrix cracking and delamination. A mesoscale composite damage model, with new non-linear shear constitutive laws, which combines a range of novel techniques to accurately capture the material response under crushing, is presented. The force-displacement curves, damage parameter maps and dissipated energy, obtained from the numerical analysis, are shown to be in a good qualitative and quantitative agreement with experimental results. The proposed approach could significantly reduce the extent of physical testing required in the development of crashworthy structures

Comment on “A tensorial based progressive damage model for fibre reinforced polymers”

This communication is in response to unsubstantiated claims, arising from misinterpretations and misrepresentations, made by Bogenfield and Kreikemeier in their recent paper, “A tensorial based progressive damage model for fibre reinforced polymers” Bogenfeld and Kreikemeier (2017), on a damage model developed by Falzon et al. (2015). While details of this model have been extensively reported in a number of publications (e.g. Tan et al., 2015; Falzon and Tan, 2016; Chiu et al., 2016), and validated through comprehensive experimental programmes, this brief paper provides additional information on the damage model's formulation for the purpose of clarification and rebutting the conclusions in Bogenfeld and Kreikemeier (2017). The test cases reported in Bogenfeld and Kreikemeier (2017), to demonstrate the apparent shortcomings of the damage model in Tan et al. (2015), are repeated here to show that the alleged shortcomings are non-existent and consequently provide further support for the robustness and predictive capability of Falzon's progressive damage model.</p

Classic features of primary systemic amyloidosis (AL amyloidosis) leading to diagnosis of plasma cell myeloma

The diagnosis of primary systemic amyloidosis, also known as AL (amyloid light-chain) amyloidosis, is often delayed owing to its nonspecific manifestations as well as its rarity. A 64-year-old woman presented with an eight-month history of significant weight loss, anemia, fatigue, and progressive painful cutaneous lesions on her hands, lips, back, perianal, and vulvar area that were originally treated unsuccessfully with antimalarials and systemic corticosteroids. Histopathological examination revealed an amorphous dermis with pale pink material that demonstrated positive birefringence with Congo red staining. Subsequently, the patient underwent a bone marrow biopsy, which uncovered a plasma cell myeloma, the source of her amyloidogenic protein production