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The purpose of this paper is the computation of the elastic mechanical behaviour of the fullerene C₆₀ reinforced polyamide-12 (PA-12) via a two-stage numerical technique which combines the molecular dynamics (MD) method and the finite element method (FEM).

At the first stage, the proposed numerical scheme utilizes MD to characterize the pure PA-12 as well as a very small cubic unit cell containing a C₆₀ molecule, centrally positioned and surrounded by PA-12 molecular chains. At the second stage, a classical continuum mechanics (CM) analysis based on the FEM is adopted to approximate the elastic mechanical performance of the nanocomposite with significantly lower C₆₀ mass concentrations. According to the computed elastic properties arisen by the MD simulations, an equivalent solid element with the same size as the unit cell is developed. Then, a CM micromechanical representative volume element (RVE) of the C₆₀ reinforced PA-12 is modelled via FEM. The matrix phase of the RVE is discretized by using solid finite elements which represent the PA-12 mechanical behaviour predicted by MD, while the C₆₀ neighbouring location is meshed with the equivalent solid element.

Several multiscale simulations are performed to study the effect of the nanofiller mass fraction on the mechanical properties of the C₆₀ reinforced PA-12 composite. Comparisons with other corresponding experimental results are attempted, where possible, to test the performance of the proposed method.

The proposed numerical scheme allows accurate representation of atomistic interfacial effects between C₆₀ and PA-12 and simultaneously offers a significantly lower computational cost compared with the MD-only method.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the potential of single-walled carbon nanotubes as mass sensors by developing analytical expressions and then comparing the outcome with structural mechanics corresponding predictions.

The carbon nanotube (CNT) resonators are assumed to be either single or double clamped. Analytical formulas capable of describing the vibrational behavior of such CNT-based nanoresonators with an attached mass at nanotube tip or various intermediate positions are developed by combining the Euler–Bernoulli theory and Krylov–Duncan functions.

The validity and the accuracy of these formulas are examined for a wide range of cases via comparisons with corresponding results arisen by spring- or beam-based structural mechanics predictions. Both structural mechanics approaches utilize three-dimensional nanoscale elements formulated according to the molecular theory. The results indicate that the new sensor equations may be utilized for the estimation of vibration response of CNT-based mass sensors with reasonable accuracy.

Simple analytical formulas are proved to approximate the mass sensing ability of CNTs adequately, the fact that may significantly contribute in the effort of developing new sensor devices.

Drawing on the service-dominant logic and the institutional theory, this paper aims to explore the value-creating mechanisms of branding in the destination context and the brand co-creation process at and between different levels of a service ecosystem.

An exploratory research design was used to generate qualitative data from 18 in-depth interviews with important stakeholders and investigate how and why brand co-creation is fostered in the service ecosystem.

The study proposes a stepwise process of strategic imperatives for brand co-creation in the destination context. It presents the multi-directional flows of the brand meaning across levels of the tourism ecosystem and thereby interprets stakeholders’ efforts to co-create sustainable brands that gain prominence in the global tourism arena.

Future research might validate the framework in a quantitative research setting. The extended analysis of the value-creating ecosystem could investigate the role of institutions and brand value propositions across levels.

Acknowledging their limited control over the brand co-creation process, tourism practitioners are offered step-by-step guidance to help shape a destination brand that may retain relevance in the tourists’ minds. Critical insights are provided into resource sharing between actors and subsequent responsibilities for a sustainable destination branding strategy.

The paper considers the significance of the various levels in the ecosystem and the underlying mechanisms of brand co-creation in a somewhat neglected branding domain.