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Mg-Al powder mixture was used to manufacture Mg-Al alloy by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) process. This study aims to investigate the influence of initial Al content and processing parameters on the formability, microstructure and consequent mechanical properties of the laser powder bed fused (LPBFed) component.

In this study, Al powder with different weight ratio ranged from 3 to 9 per cent was mixed with pure Mg powder, and the powder mixture was processed using different LPBF parameters. Microstructure and compressive properties of the LPBFed components were examined.

It was found that the presence of Al significantly modified the microstructure and improved the mechanical properties of the LPBFed components. Higher volume of ß-Al12Mg17 precipitates was produced at higher initial Al content and higher laser energy density. For this reason, the a-Mg was significantly refined and the compressive strength was improved. The highest yield compressive strength achieved was 279 MPa when using Mg-9 Wt. % Al mixture.

This work demonstrates that LPBF of Mg-Al powder mixture was a viable way to additively manufacture Mg-Al alloy. Both Al content and processing parameters can be modified to control the microstructure and mechanical properties of the LPBFed components.

This paper proposes a fuzzy random multi-objective portfolio model with different entropy measures and designs a hybrid algorithm to solve the proposed model.

Because random uncertainty and fuzzy uncertainty are often combined in a real-world setting, the security returns are considered as fuzzy random numbers. In the model, the authors also consider the effects of different entropy measures, including Yager's entropy, Shannon's entropy and min-max entropy. During the process of solving the model, the authors use a ranking method to convert the expected return into a crisp number. To find the optimal solution efficiently, a fuzzy programming technique based on artificial bee colony (ABC) algorithm is also proposed.

(1) The return of optimal portfolio increases while the level of investor risk aversion increases. (2) The difference of the investment weights of the optimal portfolio obtained with Yager's entropy are much smaller than that of the min–max entropy. (3) The performance of the ABC algorithm on solving the proposed model is superior than other intelligent algorithms such as the genetic algorithm, differential evolution and particle swarm optimization.

To the best of the authors' knowledge, no effect has been made to consider a fuzzy random portfolio model with different entropy measures. Thus, the novelty of the research is constructing a fuzzy random multi-objective portfolio model with different entropy measures and designing a hybrid fuzzy programming-ABC algorithm to solve the proposed model.

With the development of social productive forces and the advancement of agricultural practices since the founding of New China, the connotation of agricultural modernization with Chinese characteristics has undergone a process from formation to continuous expansion and deepening.

Its evolution can be roughly divided into four stages: the exploration stage, the formation stage, the establishment stage and the deepening stage. The historical evolution of the connotation of agricultural modernization with Chinese characteristics demonstrates four typical characteristics, namely increasingly scientific logical premise, continuously diversified orientations, increasingly improved core contents and progressively maturing strategies of development.

The achievements of agricultural modernization have laid a solid foundation for China's industrial modernization and the rapid development of the national economy. Meanwhile, the authors have identified through practical exploration a path of agricultural modernization with Chinese characteristics. In recent years, academic research on the connotation of agricultural modernization with Chinese characteristics has gradually heated up, and relevant achievements have emerged constantly.

The Communist Party of China (hereinafter “CPC”) has placed considerable emphasis on agricultural issues and has been committed to promoting agricultural modernization since the founding of New China. Through long-term persistence and unremitting efforts, China has made remarkable achievements in agricultural development: significantly improved agricultural production conditions and agricultural output capacity, constantly optimized agricultural structure and steadily increased the income of farmers.

Government R&D subsidies is a major practice to respond to market failures in most countries. The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of the government subsidies on China’s regional innovation output empirically under the regional innovation framework, for the unique regional innovation system and strong national influence of state during the period of transformation.

Based on the construction of regional innovation framework, this study empirically examined the effect of Chinese Government R&D subsidies on regional innovation during the economic transition period using the Bayesian model averaging method and carried out the robustness test under different priori assumptions.

The empirical results showed that R&D capital and human investment has a very significant impact on promoting the regional innovation output of China’s high-tech industries. Meanwhile, the Chinese Government's R&D subsidies failed, thus the goal of improving regional innovation output has not been achieved. In reverse, the effects of regional economic development level and the financial environment on regional innovation are negative but the explanatory power is minimal. Additionally, opening-up has greatly promoted regional innovation output.

The empirical findings provide scientific policy decision-making and management implications for government and firm, respectively, and its experience is a very important reference for other emerging economies. Additionally, China serves as an interesting case to examine whether government R&D subsidy is effective in an immature market.

Electricity plays an important role in the economic condition of any country. Nowadays, Pakistan is badly affected by shortage of electricity, which directly affected the economic growth of state. The purpose of this study is to propose an improved grey model DGPM(1,1,N) to forecast Pakistan's production of electricity, installed capacity and consumption.

To significantly simulate and predict accuracy, the discrete grey polynomial model DGPM(1,1,N) is improved with new information priority accumulation. The particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm is used for parameter optimization. The value of parameter is adjusted into improved grey model. By adjusting the parameter value in the model, the accuracy of prediction is enhanced.

The installed capacity of electricity needs more attention to improvement through implementation of effective polices, resolving major issues and funding scheme to fulfill the electricity demand of country. And improved DGPM(1,1,N) has better accuracy than original DGPM(1,1,N), DGM(1,1), nongrey models, linear regression and Holt–Winters methods.

This paper provides a practical and efficient improved grey method to predict the electricity production, consumption and installed capacity in Pakistan. This research and suggestion will help Pakistani government to formulate better policies to decrease the consumption of electricity and increase the installed capacity of electricity.

This paper not only improves the grey model with accumulation generation operator but also forecasts Pakistan's electricity production, installed capacity and consumption. It is a new idea to predict the installed capacity of electricity and the findings provide suggestions for the government to make policies.

Along with the “reform and open door” policy launched in the late 1970s, China has experienced an annual average GDP growth rate of 9.8% between 1978 and 2002 (Hu, 2003, October 19). China's economy system has also gone through a fundamental transition from a central planning system to a socialist free market economy. To cope with the booming economy and radical social changes, the higher education system of China has been undergoing a process of expansion with marketization (World Bank, 1997).

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the reliability and validity of doctoral candidates’ innovative personality model.

Based on doctoral candidates’ innovative personality model, this study took the best correlation and the worst correlation into account to predict and demonstrate their innovative ability tendencies. Matlab R2016a, a program of software programming, was used to calculate the contribution degree of each personality factor of doctoral candidates to their innovative ability tendencies.

The reliability and validity of doctoral candidates’ innovative personality model based on grey target theory have been verified, and the prediction for doctoral candidates’ innovative ability tendencies can be realized on the basis of this model.

Scientific and reasonable doctoral candidates’ innovative personality model can play a good guiding role, and its research results have certain practical significance for selecting innovative doctoral candidates, ensuring the training quality of doctoral candidates and cultivating the innovative ability of doctoral candidates. It can be promoted and applied on the basis of its trial operation in Jiangsu.

With regard to the relative degree of the influence of doctoral candidates’ individual personality factors, previous researchers seldom carried out the quantitative research. In this paper, the author sought a quantitative method to describe the degree of such influence and constructed the doctoral candidates’ innovative personality model based on grey target decision making. This study took the positive and negative off-target distance into account and demonstrated the rationality and validity of doctoral candidates’ innovative personality model.

Based on the involvement and customer-delivered value theories, this paper proposes a comprehensive framework with which to examine the relationships between food traceability system, consumer perceived value and purchase intention. The study also investigates the moderating role of consumer expertise in the relationship between food traceability system and perceived value.

Survey approach is the primary data collection tool, through which a total of 238 useable responses were obtained. Structural equation modelling is employed to examine the hypothesized relationships among all variables.

The findings show that the information quality, perceived reliability and product diagnosticity of food traceability system affect consumer perceived value, and the perceived value and purchase intention are positively associated, while consumer expertise acts as a moderator on the relationship between food traceability system and consumer perceived value.

This study sheds light on how consumer perceived value of food traceability system can enhance their intention to purchase traceable food. It contributes to the theory of customer-delivered value and involvement as well as traceable product marketing strategies. From a managerial perspective, guidelines are provided for traceable food producers and marketers to implement reasonable strategies to attract consumers to purchase and promote the sustainable development of food industry.

The aim of this paper is reviewing the discipline development course of the history of socialist political economy with Chinese characteristics and recognising the changes of its development and its historic mission in the new stage will be beneficial to the construction of socialist political economy with Chinese characteristics from the perspective of doctrinal history.

In this paper from the aspect of discipline formation and development, the history of China’s socialist political economy has experienced two stages: emergence and formation (the first stage) and steady development (the second stage). It has explored new research fields and improved the quality of research levels. However, the role of studying the history of socialist political economy with Chinese characteristics has not been fully played regarding satisfying the needs of constructing socialist political economy with Chinese characteristics.

In this study when the construction of socialist political economy with Chinese characteristics entered a new era, the study of the history of socialist political economy also entered a new stage, showing new features in terms of research objectives, principles, scale and methods.

Therefore, the research on the history of socialist political economy with Chinese characteristics should be highly emphasised, and the focus on serving the construction of socialist political economy with Chinese characteristics should be its historic mission and core task. Also, researchers should pay attention to changing ideas, laying a good foundation, highlighting key points, building platforms and broadening horizons.

Considering the significance of knowledge with respect to the current economic era, this study exclusively focuses on perceived negative workplace gossips (NWG) and knowledge-hiding behavior through a self-evaluation perspective. Further, this study also aims to explore the mediating role of workplace ostracism and moderating role of neuroticism in the relationship between perceived NWGs and knowledge hiding behavior (KHB).

Relying on the self-verification theory, data were collected from 323 employees working in the largest public sector universities of Punjab, Pakistan. Data were collected in three-time lags to overcome common method bias and social desirability issues. PROCESS macro bootstrap method were used to confirm the proposed model and hypothesis investigation.

The findings of the study revealed that perceived NWGs increase KHB. Additionally, workplace ostracism mediates the relationship between perceived NWGs and KHB. The findings of the study also suggest neuroticism moderates the relationship between workplace ostracism and KHBs.

Based on the self-evaluation concept, this research provides new insight by linking NWGs and KHB, especially from gossipee’s (target’s) perspective in the Pakistani cultural context. By examining the mediating role of workplace ostracism and the moderating role of neuroticism, this research responds to a recent call to explore more mechanisms between NWG and KHB. Finally, this research offers significant implications to managers and organizations that how and when their work environment can limit the impact of NWG.