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Rotational speed and load-carrying capacity are two mutual coupling factors which affect high precision and stable operation of a hydrostatic thrust bearing. The purpose of this paper is to study reasonable matching relationship between the rotational speed and the load-carrying capacity.

A mathematical model of relationship between the rotational speed and the load-carrying capacity of the hydrostatic bearing with double-rectangle recess is set up on the basis of the tribology theory and the lubrication theory, and the load and rotational speed characteristics of an oil film temperature field and a pressure field in the hydrostatic bearing are analyzed, reasonable matching relationship between the rotational speed and the load-carrying capacity is deduced and a verification experiment is conducted.

By increasing the rotational speed, the oil film temperature increases, the average pressure decreases and the load-carrying capacity decreases. By increasing the load-carrying capacity, the oil film temperature and the average pressure increases and the rotational speed decreases; corresponding certain reasonable matching values are available.

The load-carrying capacity can be increased and the rotational speed improved by means of reducing the friction area of the oil recess by using low-viscosity lubricating oil and adding more oil film clearance; but, the stiffness of the hydrostatic bearing decreases.

A cross-platform paradigm (computing model), which combines the graphical user interface of MATLAB and parallel Fortran programming, for fluid-film lubrication analysis is proposed. The purpose of this paper is to take the advantages of effective multithreaded computing of OpenMP and MATLAB’s user-friendly interface and real-time display capability.

A validation of computing performance of MATLAB and Fortran coding for solving two simple sliders by iterative solution methods is conducted. The online display of the particles’ search process is incorporated in the MATLAB coding, and the execution of the air foil bearing optimum design is conducted by using OpenMP multithreaded computing in the background. The optimization analysis is conducted by particle swarm optimization method for an air foil bearing design.

It is found that the MATLAB programs require prolonged execution times than those by using Fortran computing in iterative methods. The execution time of the air foil bearing optimum design is significantly minimized by using the OpenMP computing. As a result, the cross-platform paradigm can provide a useful graphical user interface. And very little code rewritting of the original numerical models is required, which is usually optimized for either serial or parallel computing.

Iterative methods are commonly applied in fluid-film lubrication analyses. In this study, iterative methods are used as the solution methods, which may not be an effective way to compute in the MATLAB’s setting.

In this study, a cross-platform paradigm consisting of a standalone MATLAB and Fortran codes is proposed. The approach combines the best of the two paradigms and each coding can be modified or maintained independently for different applications.

Brand information is ubiquitous online and offline; consumers exhibit brand avoidance tendencies towards brand stimuli when there is a discrepancy between a brand image/personality and one’s self-concept. Given the multifaceted culturally constituted self-domains and self-importance, this research investigates how cultural variation affects reactions to self-brand discrepancy, considering two types of narcissist orientations.

Using national culture as proxy for cultural orientation, sample data were collected through surveys administered to 410 participants (210 in China and 200 in the USA). A multi-group structural equation model was adopted to examine the conceptual model and proposed hypotheses. The follow-up qualitative study was conducted to allow further discussion of the quantitative results.

The results show that self-brand discrepancy can only be converted into brand avoidance tendency through the activation of cognitive dissonance for both Americans and Chinese. Specifically, for Chinese consumers only (ideal) social identity self-brand discrepancies can activate avoidance behaviour. In addition, grandiose and vulnerable narcissism orientations co-exist for both Chinese and Americans, these negatively moderate the relationship between social self-brand discrepancies and cognitive dissonance. For US consumers, idealised identity discrepancies mitigate dissonance; only those with a vulnerable narcissistic orientation would act on avoidance when experiencing dissonance.

By incorporating cultural variations in the investigations of self-brand discrepancy, this paper advances existing knowledge on dissonance and coping mechanisms. In addition, by bringing narcissistic orientations to the fore, it allows for a deeper understanding of how these cultural variations operate. In addition, our research provides important guidelines for brand practitioners to better leverage their marketing campaigns in offline and online contexts and to reduce brand avoidance tendencies across the international marketplace.

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether negative reports by state-controlled media affect firms’ CSR performance. Negative reports by state-controlled media indicate the signals of deteriorating relationships between firms and the government and then generate greater political pressure on firms, which may force firms to engage in more CSR activities. This study first examines the influence of negative reports by state-controlled media on CSR performance. Then, we further figure out whether the degree of dependence on the government exhibits an impact on the relationship between negative reports by state-controlled media and firms’ CSR performance.

The sample for this study is based on all Chinese A-listed firms from 2010 to 2020. The study employs CSR scores data released by HEXUN to measure firms’ CSR performance. HEXUN is one of the most professional institutions that sell CSR-related products. Following You et al. (2018) and An et al. (2022), the authors identify the nine most popular media consisting of state-controlled media. The ordinary least squares (OLS) method is adopted for regression, and various robustness tests are conducted including using alternative measures, expanding the regression model and instrumental variable method.

The empirical results show a significant positive relationship between negative reports by state-controlled media and firms’ CSR performance. The cross-sectional analyses indicate that the effect of negative reports by state-controlled media on firms’ CSR performance is stronger for firms with mandatory CSR disclosure requirements, firms with political connections and firms with more severe financial constraints. Furthermore, improved CSR performance resulting from negative reports by state-controlled media indeed helps repair firms’ relationship with the government and thus leads them to attain government benefits, such as more government subsidies and lower tax rates.

This study finds that media reports issued by state-controlled media can be treated as signals of the relationships between firms and the government, which generate political pressure to push firms to take CSR as a strategic management tool to repair their relationships with the government. It helps policymakers and investors more comprehensively understand firms’ incentives behind their improved CSR performance and develop more effective policies. This study focuses on firms’ overall CSR performance. We anticipate that future research can extend the analysis of the impact of negative reports by state-controlled media on specific aspects of CSR investment.

This study illustrates the significantly positive effect of negative reports by state-controlled media in promoting CSR performance. It fills the research gap in studying the role of state-controlled media in CSR, especially for emerging markets. Moreover, the study also contributes to the strand of literature on strategic CSR management.

This study examines two distinct bearing stiffness calculation methods, both of which are based on the displacement-load function. Previous research typically incorporated one type of bearing stiffness into their system mechanics or vibration analysis. However, these two methods of calculating stiffness lead to different vibration models. This implies that the choice for vibration investigation is not merely about selecting one of the two types of stiffness, but also about how to appropriately implement that chosen stiffness within a model. The primary objective of this work is to compare these two methods of bearing calculation and to discuss the suitable applications of each method in both static and dynamic analyses.

This study compares two distinct methods for calculating bearing stiffness. It explores the relationships between varying bearing stiffnesses, their internal structures, and contact features. Furthermore, it examines the impact of external loads on the static properties and dynamic characteristics of different bearing stiffnesses. Finally, based on the outcomes observed under various operating conditions, the study discusses the suitability of each method for static and dynamic analysis.

Mean stiffness is more suitable for calculating load transmissibility in a static state or capturing the delivery performance at instantaneous equilibrium positions in a dynamic state. Since the variation of the equilibrium positions is ignored, the alternating stiffness model is better suited for capturing the fluctuating properties of the vibration behaviors, especially under variable external load conditions.

We compare the two bearing calculation methods and discuss the appropriate applications of each method for static and dynamic analysis.

Despite the growing research into luxury symbolism and its influence on consumer behavior, few studies have investigated the underlying psychological processes that occur in different cultural contexts. This study investigates the relationships among luxury symbolism, psychological underpinnings of self-congruity, self-affirmation and customer loyalty, especially regarding how these relationships differ between consumers in China and those in the US.

Sample data were collected through surveys administered to 653 participants (327 in China and 326 in the US). A multi-group structural equation model was adopted to examine the conceptual model and proposed hypotheses.

The results show that luxury symbolism positively influences self-consistency, social consistency, social approval and self-esteem, and subsequently impacts self-affirmation and customer loyalty. However, for US consumers, self-esteem and social approval have significantly negative impacts on self-affirmation, while for Chinese consumers, social approval has no significant impact on self-affirmation. The authors also find that interdependent self-construal positively moderates the relationship between luxury symbolism, and social approval and social consistency. Independent self-construal positively moderates the relationship between luxury symbolism and self-consistency, and negatively influences the relationship between luxury symbolism and self-esteem.

Based on the theory of self-congruity and self-affirmation, this study fills a literature gap by revealing the psychological underpinnings regarding luxury symbolism and customer loyalty. It extends extant studies in luxury consumption by introducing self-construal (independent self vs interdependent self) as an important cultural moderator in luxury symbolism. This paper provides insights for luxury practitioners to create efficient marketing strategies by satisfying consumers' psychological needs in different cultures.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the microstructures, slag inclusions, morphology and composition of ancient Chinese iron coins exhumed from Emei Mountain and Baoji after 818‐966 years of being imbedded underground.

Metallography, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectrometry, X‐ray photoelectron spectrometry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were employed.

The results showed that archaeological coins exhibited characteristics of a typical hypoeutectic white cast iron, with slag inclusions of FeS strips and phosphate. Porous or hexagonal platey corrosion products were discovered on the archaeological iron coin, which were mainly identified as Fe₂O₃, FeOOH, Fe_x(OH)_1−xCO₃ and Fe_x(OH)_1−xSO₄. The possible corrosion mechanisms for the iron coins were discussed based on the corrosion products.

This study revealed the characterization of corrosion products on archaeological iron coins and may provide guidance for the preservation of archaeological iron.

The purpose of this paper is to quantify the impact of return migration on the occupational choice in rural China.

The authors’ research uses the two‐stage residuals inclusion estimation, 2SRI, to deal with the endogeneity problem, and then compares the occupational choice between returnees and stayers with multinomial logit estimation and counterfactual analysis.

The authors mainly find that: the migration experience has a significant positive impact on wage‐employment activities, but may be has a negative effect on the entrepreneurial activities. The workers engaged in non‐agricultural activities (self‐employment and wage‐employment) have the same characteristics in the labor market (i.e. younger, male, higher education levels, less average land and parents with little children) compared to the agricultural activities, but these characteristics show no significant affect on the occupation choice between self‐employment and wage‐employment.

This paper extends the empirical analysis in internal migration, but it also has some drawbacks, such as not enough data can be obtained to distinguish the occupations between different types of self‐employment as own account workers and as entrepreneurs. Further research needs more comprehensive data to support.

The authors’ research is the first study which uses self‐selection model to examine the activity choice of return migrants in rural China. They also extend the existing studies in two directions: first, they use nationally‐representative data from the general social survey of China carried out in 2006 to examine the relationship between the return rural migrants and their occupational choices. Second, they propose a more exact category for rural occupational choice including non‐agricultural activities (self‐employee, wage‐employment) and agricultural activities (peasants).

This paper aims to study that for multi-agent systems, how to find proper control protocols to ensure synchronization when the input set of each agent is not the whole real axis but a discrete set, and how the coarseness of imprecise input sets affect the synchronization control of the multi-agent systems.

The paper uses a relative state feedback method and non-linear mapping functions to design a proper control protocol which matches the coarseness of the input set and ensures synchronization. For theoretical analysis, the paper uses an error analysis method and mathematic induction to prove the effectiveness of the designed control protocol. The paper also uses a numerical example to show the correctness of the theoretical results.

The paper provides a method for protocol design when the input set of each agent is imprecise. The paper establishes a bi-direction relationship which suffices for synchronization between the coarseness of the input set and the synchronization precision, and finds that this relationship describes how the coarseness of the input set affects the synchronization control of the multi-agent system.

This paper only studies the case with logarithmically distributed and uniformly distributed discrete input sets. The authors are encouraged to study the synchronization control of multi-agent systems under input sets with more general distributions.

The paper includes implications for coordination control of multi-agent networks when the actuator of each agent is with a limited capacity, which leads to the case of discrete input sets with limit precision.

This paper fulfils an identified need to study how the coarseness of the input set of each agent affects the synchronization control of the whole multi-agent system.

Purpose – Exploration of the methodological aspects of male sex work is rather limited. Without a strong methodological toolkit to draw from, research in male sex work will not be able to accurately capture changes in the dynamic sex work environment. Thus, the author provides a comprehensive review of methods in male sex work along with a broad spectrum of methodological insights through which future research can be advanced.

Methodology/approach – Drawing from two studies that the author conducted in the male independent escorting space, this chapter provides a range of methodological insights and offers avenues for future research.

Findings – This chapter reviews the methods used in male sex work research over the years and details the lack of research on methodological inquiry in the field.

Originality/value – With the increasing normalization and dynamism of male sex work, it is necessary for the research to provide methodological guidance for the next wave of studies in the field. The recommendations and research directions proposed herein are hoped to have implications for research in the larger sex work context.