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The study explores how mobile governance affects the administrative burden on older adults, focusing on learning, psychological and compliance costs.

Using attribution theory, the research employs a quantitative research design, utilizing surveys to gather data from 516 older adults across three cities in China: Quzhou, Wuhan and Shanghai. The study examines how intrinsic factors and extrinsic factors of m-government interfaces impact older adults’ administrative burden.

Perceived complexity increases learning, psychological and compliance costs for older adults. Personalization and high-quality information decrease these costs, enhancing user satisfaction. Visual appeal decreases anxiety and psychological costs.

This research links attribution theory with m-government’s administrative burden on older adults, offering new insights into optimizing m-government to serve older adults better.

This paper investigates the role of nexus supplier transparency, which involves the collective information disclosure to the public by second-tier nexus suppliers, as an alternative mechanism for mitigating buyer environmental, social and governance (ESG) risk exposure. We also examine buyer supply network accessibility as a moderating factor that facilitates collecting detailed information and undertaking corrective actions accordingly.

We collected a sample of 428 focal buyer firms and their supply networks up to third-tier suppliers. Data were obtained from Bloomberg and RepRisk databases. We identified critical nexus suppliers using data envelopment analysis (DEA) and tested hypotheses using regression analysis.

The results show that the benefits of nexus supplier transparency, such as reducing buyer ESG risk exposure, differ depending on the type of nexus supplier disclosing information and buyer supply network accessibility. Informational nexus supplier transparency was found to be beneficial. However, the results revealed the double-edged sword of monopolistic nexus supplier transparency, which benefits buyers with higher levels of accessibility but increases risk exposure for buyers with lower accessibility.

This study demonstrates that the transparency of critical second-tier suppliers mitigates buyer ESG risk exposure by providing information about lower tiers in the supply network. Challenging the notion of the focal buyer as the main orchestrator of supply chain initiatives, our alternative perspective opens a new avenue for risk management in multi-tier supply chains.

While scholarly studies focus on the role of technology in digital transformation, an important direction of research still requires examining HR-related factors in this regard specifically. This study aims to analyze factors pertaining to human and organizational resources in the context of digital transformation within healthcare enterprises. The study examines the possible impacts of organizational energy (OE) and human resource flexibility (HRF) on digital transformation (DT). The study also seeks to investigate the influence of organizational inertia (OI) on the relationships being examined, according to the theory of change principles.

The empirical study used a survey method on 355 Mansoura University Hospitals employees, Egypt. The study data were analyzed using structural equations modeling with WarpPLS V. 8.0.

The results showed that all OE dimensions directly affected DT and HRF dimensions. Through HRF, OE indirectly affected DT. The study also found that all dimensions of OI negatively moderated the OE-DT and HRF-DT relationships. Based on the study's results, theoretical and practical implications were drawn.

This study develops a novel model to empirically investigate the quantitative relationships between OE, HRF, OI, and DT. This study provides an addition to understanding how human resources and organizational mechanisms work in technology-based experiments such as digital transformation and adds contributions in this regard to the health sector in particular.

The purpose of this paper is to compile a comprehensive status report on pipes/piping networks across different industrial sectors, along with specifications of materials and sizes, and showcase welding avenues. It further extends to highlight the promising friction stir welding as a single solid-state pipe welding procedure. This paper will enable all piping, welding and friction stir welding stakeholders to identify scope for their engagement in a single window.

The paper is a review paper, and it is mainly structured around sections on materials, sizes and standards for pipes in different sectors and the current welding practice for joining pipe and pipe connections; on the process and principle of friction stir welding (FSW) for pipes; identification of main welding process parameters for the FSW of pipes; effects of process parameters; and a well-carved-out concluding summary.

A well-carved-out concluding summary of extracts from thoroughly studied research is presented in a structured way in which the avenues for the engagement of FSW are identified.

The implications of the research are far-reaching. The FSW is currently expanding very fast in the welding of flat surfaces and has evolved into a vast number of variants because of its advantages and versatility. The application of FSW is coming up late but catching up fast, and as a late starter, the outcomes of such a review paper may support stake holders to expand the application of this process from pipe welding to pipe manufacturing, cladding and other high-end applications. Because the process is inherently inclined towards automation, its throughput rate is high and it does not need any consumables, the ultimate benefit can be passed on to the industry in terms of financial gains.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the only review exclusively for the friction stir welding of pipes with a well-organized piping specification detailed about industrial sectors. The current pipe welding practice in each sector has been presented, and the avenues for engaging FSW have been highlighted. The FSW pipe process parameters are characteristically distinguished from the conventional FSW, and the effects of the process parameters have been presented. The summary is concise yet comprehensive and organized in a structured manner.

The purpose of this study is to address the welding demands within large steel structures by presenting a global spatial motion planning algorithm for a mobile manipulator. This algorithm is based on an independently developed wall-climbing robot, which comprises a four-wheeled climbing mobile platform and a six-degree-of-freedom robotic manipulator, ensuring high mobility and operational flexibility.

A convex hull feasible domain constraint is developed for motion planning in the mobile manipulator. For extensive spatial movements, connected sequences of convex polyhedra are established between the composite robot’s initial and target states. The composite robot’s path and obstacle avoidance optimization problem are solved by constraining the control points on B-spline curves. A dynamic spatial constraint rapidlye-xploring random trees-connect (RRTC) motion planning algorithm is proposed for the manipulator, which quickly generates reference paths using spherical spatial constraints at the manipulator’s end, eliminating the need for complex nonconvex constraint modeling.

Experimental results show that the proposed motion planning algorithm achieves optimal paths that meet task constraints, significantly reducing computation times in task conditions and shortening operation times in non-task conditions.

The algorithm proposed in this paper holds certain application value for the realization of automated welding operations within large steel structures using mobile manipulator.

This paper proposes a framework for director evaluation in the context of Chinese state-owned enterprises (SOEs), taking into account the influences of traditional and modern Chinese ideologies.

Following the Delphi method, a series of semi-structured interviews were conducted with Chinese SOE directors.

The framework used has been validated by examining seven dimensions of virtue and four dimensions of competence functions in Chinese SOEs. Effective and representative characteristics of each dimension are identified through interviews.

First, through this research, indicators of virtue have been materialized and those of competence have been specified in a broader range. Second, this research provides advice for training of candidate directors whose experience were in private firms before they step in as SOE directors.

This study investigates the extent to which a firm’s centrality and autonomy in its supply network are associated with the intensity and complexity of its competitive actions.

Utilizing social network analysis and dynamic panel data models, this study analyzes a comprehensive panel dataset with 10,802 firm-year observations across various industries between 2011 and 2018 to test the hypotheses.

Our findings show that a firm’s level of centrality in its supply network has an inverted U-shaped relationship with both competitive intensity and competitive complexity. In addition, the turning points of these two inverted U-shaped relationships differ in that firms with a lower level of centrality tend to compete aggressively by launching more actions within fewer categories, while firms with a higher level of centrality tend to compete aggressively by launching fewer actions that cover a larger range of categories. Finally, we find that a firm’s structural autonomy has a positive relationship with competitive complexity.

This study bridges the gap between the supply chain management literature and strategic management literature and investigates how supply networks shape competitive aggressiveness. In particular, this research investigates how a firm’s structural position in its supply network affects its competitive actions, an important intermediate mechanism for competitive advantage that has been overlooked in the supply chain management literature.

Live Streaming Marketing has emerged as a transformative medium, facilitating real-time product promotion and brand messaging and reshaping consumer engagement. However, knowledge of the impact of Store Atmospheric cues within live streaming contexts remains scarce. This research delves into the dynamic interplay between streamers and viewers across diverse live streaming platforms, with a focus on the impact of distinct atmospheric cues. It also seeks to explore prosocial behavior and integrate elements of social comparison theory.

We conducted semi-structured interviews with 14 streamers and 26 viewers. Participants who were active on streaming platforms and had experience of multiple live streaming sessions were purposively identified. The thematic coding approach and NVivo 12 software were employed to gain a nuanced understanding of live streaming dynamics.

Our findings highlight the significant role of emerging atmospheric cues in shaping immersive streaming experiences and fostering prosocial behavior. Additionally, we observed three formats of upward social comparisons between streamers and viewers, wherein viewers compared themselves with streamers and peers, and streamers engaged in comparisons with more experienced counterparts. This finding contributes to a sense of digital community and positive interactions because of live streaming adoptions.

By extending the application of social comparison theory, this study provides valuable insights for practitioners and scholars, enriching the understanding of both streamers’ and viewers’ psychological behavior and the dynamics of virtual retail settings.

This paper studies the location-inventory problem (LIP) in pallet pooling systems to improve resource utilization and save logistics costs, which is a new extension of the classical LIP and also an application of the LIP in pallet pooling systems.

A mixed-integer linear programming is established, considering the location problem of pallet pooling centers (PPCs) with multi-level capacity, multi-period inventory management and bi-directional logistics. Owing to the computational complexity of the problem, a hybrid genetic algorithm (GA) is then proposed, where three local searching strategies are designed to improve the problem-solving efficiency. Lastly, numerical experiments are carried out to validate the feasibility of the established model and the efficiency of the proposed algorithm.

The results of numerical experiments show that (1) the proposed model can obtain the integrated optimal solution of the location problem and inventory management, which is better than the two-stage model and the model with single-level capacity; (2) the total cost and network structure are sensitive to the number of PPCs, the unit inventory cost, the proportion of repairable pallets and the fixed transportation cost and (3) the proposed hybrid GA shows good performance in terms of solution quality and computational time.

The established model extends the classical LIP by considering more practical factors, and the proposed algorithm provides support for solving large-scale problems. In addition, this study can also offer valuable decision support for managers in pallet pooling systems.

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) as a fiber molding polymer is widely used in aerospace, electrical and electronic, clothing and other fields. The purpose of this study is to improve the thermal insulation performance of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), the SiO₂ aerogel/PET composites slices and fibers were prepared, and the effects of the SiO₂ aerogel on the morphology, structure, crystallization property and thermal conductivity of the SiO₂ aerogel/PET composites slices and their fibers were systematically investigated.

The mass ratio of purified terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol was selected as 1:1.5, which was premixed with Sb₂O₃ and the corresponding mass of SiO₂ aerogel, and SiO₂ aerogel/PET composites were prepared by direct esterification and in-situ polymerization. The SiO₂ aerogel/PET composite fibers were prepared by melt-spinning method.

The results showed that the SiO₂ aerogel was uniformly dispersed in the PET matrix. The thermal insulation coefficient of PET was significantly reduced by the addition of SiO₂ aerogel, and the thermal conductivity of the 1.0 Wt.% SiO₂ aerogel/PET composites was reduced by 75.74 mW/(m · K) compared to the pure PET. The thermal conductivity of the 0.8 Wt.% SiO₂ aerogel/PET composite fiber was reduced by 46.06% compared to the pure PET fiber. The crystallinity and flame-retardant coefficient of the SiO₂ aerogel/PET composite fibers showed an increasing trend with the addition of SiO₂ aerogel.

The SiO₂ aerogel/PET composite slices and their fibers have good thermal insulation properties and exhibit good potential for application in the field of thermal insulation, such as warm clothes. In today’s society where the energy crisis is becoming increasingly serious, improving the thermal insulation performance of PET to reduce energy loss will be of great significance to alleviate the energy crisis.

In this study, SiO₂ aerogel/PET composite slices and their fibers were prepared by an in situ polymerization process, which solved the problem of difficult dispersion of nanoparticles in the matrix and the thermal conductivity of PET significantly reduced.