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Pores are the primary cause of fatigue failure in laser-directed energy deposition (L-DED) titanium alloys, which are largely determined by their location, size and shape. It is crucial for promoting the application of L-DED titanium alloys and ensuring their safety that establishing a fatigue life prediction method induced by pores, resulting in a proposed fatigue life prediction framework for L-DED Ti-6Al-4V based on a physics-informed neural network (PINN) algorithm.

In this study, a novel fatigue life prediction framework for L-DED Ti-6Al-4V based on a PINN algorithm was proposed. The influence patterns of various fatigue-sensitive parameters were revealed. The paper also included validation and analysis of the method, such as hyperparameter analysis of the PINN, efficacy analysis driven by physical information and comparative analysis of different methods.

The proposed method demonstrated high accuracy, with a correlation coefficient of 0.99 with experimental life. The coefficient of determination was 0.95 and the mean squared error was 0.06.

The results indicate that the proposed fatigue life prediction framework was of strong generalization capability and robustness.

In high-tech markets, innovation is always generative and continuous both within the iteration in a product's development process and throughout the upgrade of multi-generational products. Inspired by this practical phenomenon, this study aims to explore the mechanism of innovation generativity and continuity to explain how future innovations benefit from current innovations.

The study conducted qualitative research to explore innovation generativity and continuity by investigating five electronic information enterprises. The authors employed the ambidexterity perspective to explore the research question.

The authors found innovation generativity has three dimensions: inheritance, metabolism and inspection. These three dimensions and their interactions are what forms the mechanism of innovation generativity and continuity. The authors also found many paradoxes that prompt enterprises to pursue innovation generativity and continuity, and through this innovation process, enterprises are able to attain continuous innovation.

This study theoretically uncovers “how” to carry out innovation generativity and continuity, as well as the antecedents and the outcome. The findings contribute to research on product innovation, continuous innovation and ambidexterity, and have implications for managers who seek to improve innovation generativity and continuity.

In the practice of live streaming e-commerce, the consumer demand is usually uncertain, and the inventory and prices can be decided by brand owners or streamers. To this end, this study examines the inventory and pricing decisions of the brand owner and streamer in a live streaming e-commerce supply chain under demand uncertainty.

In this study, four scenarios are considered, i.e. the brand owner determines the inventory and price (Scenario BB), the brand owner determines the inventory and the streamer determines the price (Scenario BS), the streamer determines the inventory and the brand owner determines the price (Scenario SB), and the streamer determines the inventory and price (Scenario SS).

The results show that the inventory and prices, as well as the profits of the brand owner and streamer increase with the consumer sensitivity to streamer’s sales effort level under the four scenarios. The inventory (price) is the highest under Scenario SS (SB), while that is the lowest under Scenario BB (BS). In addition, when the sensitivity is low, the brand owner’s profit is the highest under Scenario BB, otherwise, the profit is the highest under Scenario SS. Regardless of the sensitivity, the streamer’s profit is always the highest under Scenario SS.

Few studies focused on the inventory and pricing decisions of brand owners and streamers in live streaming e-commerce supply chains under demand uncertainty, while this work bridges the research gap. This study can provide theoretical basis and decision support for brand owners and streamers.

A live-stream failure occurs when the product which is highly recommended by the influencers and exhibited quality problems. This study investigated how brand trust and influencers trust affect live-streaming purchase intentions (PIs) of consumers when live-streaming e-commerce failures occur and the role of the Stealing Thunder (ST).

Totally 584 adults with live-streaming shopping experience were invited to investigate the impact and mechanisms of live-streaming failure incidents, as well as the moderating mechanisms of ST.

Firstly, live-streaming failure accidents decreased the PI of consumers by reducing both brand trust and influencer trust, with trust in the influencers having a stronger impact on PI than brand trust. Secondly, if the influencers used the ST after a live-stream failure, the PI was the same as that in a non-failure scenario. Thirdly, the ST acts as a moderating variable neutralized the negative impact of live-streaming failure on trust in the influencers. Lastly, the negative impact of brand trust on PI was less significant using the ST.

This research deepens the understanding of service failures in live-streaming e-commerce. It provides insights into the consumer behavior and practical guidance on how influencers can actively respond to live-streaming failure to sustain reciprocal relationships in live-streaming e-commerce. The study addresses the effects of the coping strategies of influencers on the interests of product brands and discusses the potential solutions.

Virtual idols have entered the golden period as the main form of future digital people. However, existing studies only focus on a single idol type and partial role relationships related to virtual idols, lacking synthesized insights. To address these gaps, this paper summarizes different types of virtual idols and all role relationships to achieve a comprehensive literature review.

Based on the business ecosystem theory, this paper constructs a business role ecosystem framework for virtual idols from the two subsystems of value co-creation and value realization.

Firstly, we extract common characteristics and the generalized definition applicable to diverse idol types. Secondly, we find that there are commonalities and differences in the significant characteristics of virtual idols in different application fields. Thirdly, literature in the value co-creation subsystem mainly focuses on co-creation mechanisms in the role relationship between idols and demanders (RRID). A few focus on virtual idols’ constructions in the role relationship between producers and idols (RRPI) and co-creation phenomena in the role relationship between demanders and producers (RRDP). Finally, literature in the value realization subsystem mainly focuses on consumer attitudes and realization mechanisms in RRID. A few focus on realization phenomena in the role relationship between producers and tripartite enterprises (RRPT) and RRPI.

This paper points out future implementing directions of industry practitioners, gives strategies to promote economic value realizations and emphasizes the importance of cultural communication.

This paper discusses the existing theoretical gaps and possible future research directions regarding characteristics, applications and role relationships.

The current study aims to investigate how young smartphone users in Bangladesh relate their brand experiences to brand loyalty. In addition, we want to visualize the direct and mediating effects of brand satisfaction, brand love and brand advocacy in our model.

The researchers examined the hypotheses by employing structural equation modeling (SEM) in AMOS and Decision Analyst STATS, version 2.0, with a sample size of 470 Bangladeshi smartphone users. The authors constructed the conceptual model by drawing upon both theoretical and empirical foundations. The researchers obtained data by utilizing an adopted and self-administered pre-structured questionnaire distributed via an online platform.

The results showed that brand experience greatly influences brand satisfaction, love, advocacy and loyalty, all of which have a significant impact on users’ brand loyalty across the country. The findings also suggested that the function of brand satisfaction as a critical mediator in the link between brand experience and brand loyalty was significant.

This experiment contributes to the body of knowledge by focusing on emotional brand attachments like brand satisfaction, love and advocacy and proposing that they can mediate experience and loyalty in the mobile market. The study also helps managers and executives better understand the primary drivers of smartphones, which are essential for generating and sustaining consumers’ happiness and loyalty in today’s highly competitive consumer market.

The cable inspection robot is essential in maintaining bridge cables. The purpose of this paper is to summarize the maintenance methods of bridge cables. It summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of the critical structures of the external overall frame, intermediate adhesion device, attachment mechanism and driving method of the cable inspection robot. Finally, it discusses the challenges the cable inspection robot faces and the direction of future research.

This paper summarizes the research progress of the cable inspection robot and details the advantages and disadvantages of critical structures such as the external frame, intermediate adhesion device, attachment mechanism, driving method and safe return device of the robot. Finally, it points out the future direction of cable inspection robots, including lightweight design, hybrid design, multi-robot cooperative work, multi-technology integration and intelligent cable inspection digital twin model.

The cables are the main load-bearing components of a bridge, and their safety is crucial. However, subjected to varying loads and environmental influences over a long period, cables are prone to damage, threatening the bridge’s stability. Cable inspection robots can comprehensively detect and repair cable damage, significantly improving efficiency and safety.

This paper provides a comprehensive review of the current research on cable inspection robots, enabling readers to have a comprehensive and systematic understanding of the critical structures and key technologies of cable inspection robots and providing scientific references for researchers working on cable inspection robots.

Online grocery stores are facing challenges. The intense competition in the online grocery market has driven companies to seek technological innovation. Moreover, the operations of online grocery stores on both the supply and demand sides are not sufficiently meeting the requirements of consumers and managers. The powerful capabilities of the Generative Pre-Trained Transformer (GPT) technology align with the needs of online grocery stores for innovation and upgrading. This study uniquely leverages GPT’s advanced natural language processing, adaptive learning and generative capabilities to analyze and optimize the online grocery supply chain competition in ways not possible with traditional analytical tools.

This paper constructs a Stackelberg game model, comprising a secondary supply chain consisting of a supplier who provides products and a retailer who sells them. This study explores the impact of GPT technology on online grocery store operations from the demand side and supply side, specifically including the value of service information, demand information and information-sharing behavior.

The findings reveal several vital conclusions: (1) On the demand side, the service information plays a crucial role in enhancing service levels and increasing consumer demand; (2) On the supply side, demand information provides positive incentives for retailers and suppliers and (3) Information-sharing behaviors can lead to cooperative relationships between upstream and downstream supply chain members, significantly increasing their respective service levels. This study not only explores the impact of GPT on the online grocery supply chain but also presents a rigorous framework for validating GPT-generated insights, ensuring the reliability of our findings.

This study provides valuable insights into a promising field. It employs game theory to analyze the impact of GPT technology on the overall operation of the online grocery supply chain and the market strategy of online grocery stores.

The purpose of this study is to address the gaps in existing research on the nonlinear characteristics of floating ring bearings, particularly by focusing on second-order nonlinear stiffness and damping coefficients. Traditional analytical models have limitations in terms of accuracy and computational efficiency. This research aims to develop a more efficient and accurate method for analyzing these nonlinear characteristics, which are crucial for optimizing the design and performance of turbocharger floating ring bearings. The study also seeks to explore how variations in clearance ratio and load influence these coefficients.

This study develops a novel approach for analyzing the nonlinear characteristics of floating ring bearings by utilizing second-order nonlinear stiffness and damping coefficients. The proposed method replaces traditional analytical solution models with a nonlinear stiffness and damping coefficient model, enhancing both computational efficiency and accuracy. The model is validated through extensive simulations that account for varying clearance ratios and load conditions. The results are compared with those obtained from conventional methods, demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed approach in accurately capturing the nonlinear behavior of turbocharger floating ring bearings.

The study finds that the proposed nonlinear stiffness and damping coefficient model significantly enhances computational efficiency while accurately representing the nonlinear characteristics of floating ring bearings. The model not only reduces computation time but also provides a more precise analysis compared to traditional methods. Moreover, the research reveals that the clearance ratio and load conditions of the floating ring bearings have a substantial impact on the nonlinear stiffness and damping coefficients. These findings suggest that the proposed model and method could be highly beneficial for advancing the design and research of floating ring bearings in turbochargers.

With this statement, the authors hereby certify that the manuscript “Investigation on the nonlinear behaviors of floating ring bearings based on nonlinear stiffness and damping coefficient models” submitted to the journal Industrial Lubrication and Tribology is the results of their own effort and ability. They hereby confirm that this manuscript is their original work and has not been published nor has it been submitted simultaneously elsewhere. They further confirm that they have checked the manuscript and have agreed to the submission.

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-09-2024-0324/

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of aging time on the microstructure, mechanical properties and fracture morphology of Cu/Zn160%SAC0307/Al solder joints produced through solid-state bonding.

Zn particles with a size of 1 µm and Sn-0.3Ag-0.7Cu (SAC0307) particles ranging from 20 to 38 µm were used to achieve Cu/Al micro-connections using ultrasonic assistance at a temperature of 180 °C, followed by aging treatment at 150 °C to enhance the quality of Cu/Al joints. Scanning electron microscopy was used for observing and analyzing the solder seam, interface microstructure, and fracture morphology. The structural composition was determined using energy dispersive spectroscopy, while a PTR-1102 bonding tester was used to measure the average shear strength.

The results indicated that the intermetallic compounds formed at the interface between Cu substrates and solder metal primarily consisted of smooth Cu5Zn8. The Al-side interface mainly comprises an Al-Sn-Zn solid solution, with Zn-Sn-Cu phases forming between SAC0307 particles at 180 °C. During the aging process, atomic diffusion was accelerated, leading to improved connection quality. The shear strength of the joints initially increased before decreasing as aging time progressed; it peaked at 32.92 MPa after 24 h – an increase of 76.8% compared to as-received joints. After reaching stability at 96 h, there was still a notable increase in shear strength by 48.4% relative to as-received joints.

This study further explores the strengthening mechanisms associated with solid-state bonded Cu/SACZ/Al joints through aging processes. Joints created via solid-state bonding demonstrate superior reliability compared to traditional soldered connections. It is anticipated that insights gained from this research will contribute valuable knowledge toward developing low-temperature soldering methodologies for heterogeneous materials.