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This paper aims to investigate the effect of coating microstructure, mechanical and oxidation property on the tribological behaviour of low-pressure plasma spraying (LPPS) tungsten carbide/cobalt (WC-Co) coatings.

WC-12Co and WC-17Co coatings were deposited via the LPPS spraying method. Tribological tests on the coatings were performed using a high-temperature ball-on-disc tribometer at temperatures from room temperature (RT, approximately 25 °C) up to 800 °C in ambient air.

WC-12Co coating contained brittle phases, pores and microcracks, which led to the low hardness, and finally promoted the splat delamination and the carbide debonding during wear. WC-17Co coating had higher cobalt content which benefited the coating to contain more WC particles, less brittle phases, pores and nearly no microcracks, and resulted in the high hardness and better wear resistance. Higher cobalt content also decelerated the oxidation rate of the coating and promoted the formation of cobalt oxides and CoWO4, which were able to maintain the load-bearing capacity and improve the tribological behaviour of the coating below 650°C. Above 650°C, the increase of oxidation degree and the decrease of mechanical property deteriorated the wear resistance of coatings.

The LPPS WC-Co coating with higher cobalt content had better tribological properties at different temperatures. The LPPS WC-Co coatings should not be used as wear-resistant coatings above 650 °C.

Cross-border flow of knowledge is fraught with many challenges. The complexity associated with the organization of multinational corporations (MNCs), and the information asymmetry in foreign locations poses particular challenges to knowledge flow. Yet, effective transfer of knowledge is critical for the survival and performance of MNCs. The purpose of this paper is to present a comprehensive framework to understand the difficulties in the smooth flow of knowledge in MNCs.

The study is conceptual in nature and is based on an extensive review of the extant literature.

This review of the literature suggests that knowledge flow in MNCs is affected by country-level, firm-level and individual-level factors. The authors discuss these in the backdrop of the MNC strategy and the knowledge transfer context. The authors present their theoretical model and discuss the implications for advancing research in this domain.

This is one of the first papers to present a comprehensive framework to understand knowledge flows in MNCs.

Risks resulted from asymmetric information have become crucial barriers for commercial banks to implement supply chain finance (SCF) – mainly the inventory pledge financing (IPF). At the same time, online financial service providers (OFSPs) are emerging as strong competitors in the SCF market. As a result, commercial banks need to update their traditional SCF business models and alleviate their over-dependence on OFSPs.

The authors employ a multi-case-study method to investigate how the Internet of things (IoT) and blockchain technologies can be jointly leveraged to mitigate SCF risks. In-depth interviews were conducted to depict the business models and their novel ecosystem to reinforce traditional banks' ability in SCF services.

From the perspective of information asymmetry, the authors categorize IPF risks into three groups based on the principal-agent theory: collateral, warehousing and liquidity risk. The findings suggest that IoT can primarily improve traditional banks' information acquisition ability, and blockchain can facilitate credible information transformation, enabling banks to acquire knowledge from collaterals. Besides, the e-platform in the new architecture increases banks' involvement in the supply chain and builds a fair network to curtail warehousing risks. The employment of smart contracts and collaborative mechanism ensure process and outcome control in mitigating liquidity risks.

The research contributes to the literature by confirming the role of emerging technologies in reducing information asymmetry risks. Besides, the findings provide valuable insights for practitioners to promote effective practices and approaches in IPF.

The Jingpo ethnic minority is located almost entirely in Dehong Prefecture in the west of Yunnan. This prefecture borders Myanmar, shares a number of natural characteristics with it, and is dissected by rivers which form the upper reaches of the Irrawaddy River. Its climate is influenced by monsoons originating in the Indian Ocean. The total population of this minority is about 118,000 and they are mainly located in hilly areas. This paper examines the rural economy of the Jingpo people, traditional factors influencing their management of local forest resources such as their religious beliefs, and local means of governance. The Jingpo people possess valuable indigenous knowledge about their local forest resources which should be taken into account in the quest for the sustainable economic development of this community. Today, slash‐and‐burn agriculture is causing economic sustainability problems for the Jingpo. In addition, land ownership problems and conflicts about property rights threaten their conservation of forests and entail economic sustainability problems as explained in this paper. Whether or not improved access to markets and the use of more productive techniques will relieve the situation and reduce poverty among the Jingpo remains to be seen. Currently, the incidence of poverty among the Jingpo is high, they obtain little education and pursue mainly a subsistence lifestyle. This situation is not dissimilar from that for many hill tribes in parts of India and in Southeast Asia.

Previous studies have considered customers' psychological responses to intelligent retail technology adoption, but have not considered how technology integration systems could promote the relationship between retailers and consumers. Based on the Stimulus–Organism–Response framework, this paper proposes a customer engagement model in a fully intelligent retail environment. The concept of the quality of intelligent experience is constructed from the perspective of customer experience, and the effect of the mechanism of smart retail on the customer engagement relationship is discussed.

Using two surveys, this study analyzes 201 (in study 1) and 321 (in study 2) questionnaires by using structural equation model in partial least square software.

The analysis shows that the human–machine interaction, intelligent systems and the product content of the quality intelligent experience significantly impact customer engagement on smart retail.

This research was designed for general retail products, without distinguishing between different product types. Thus, it did not consider the moderating effect of product types.

The findings enrich the intelligent retail technology field and provide operable guidance to help smart retailers improve customer relations.

This paper proposes a customer engagement model to describe how technology integration systems promote the relationship between retailers and consumers.

This study proposes a tensegrity-based traction structure with D-bar dual cable units. It is used to connect the airship and the ground to stabilize the airship.

The mathematical models and dynamic models of the D-bar dual cable (hereafter referred to as DD cable) unit of the tensegrity-based traction structure are established. Based on the minimum mass method, the mass of the DD cable unit in the critical state (cable member is yielding, or bar member is buckling or yielding) is analyzed. Then, the tensile strength of the DD cable unit and single cable unit under the same condition is compared using the control variate method. Finally, based on ANSYS dynamic simulation, the stability of the two structures under the same external force disturbance was tested.

Expressions for the minimum mass of the DD cable unit under different failure conditions are solved. Dynamic simulation results show that the capacity of resisting disturbance of the DD cable unit is much better than that of the single cable unit under the same wind speed. So, we find a structure more suitable for the fixed connection of an airship.

This study helps to provide theoretical reference and thinking for the practical application of the traction structure with a D-bar dual cable unit.

This study aims to complete the optimization design of a centrifugal impeller with both high aerodynamic efficiency and good structural machinability.

First, the design parameters were derived from the blade loading distribution and the meridional geometry in the impeller three-dimensional (3D) inverse design. The blade wrap angle at the middle span surface and the spanwise averaged blade angle at the blade leading edge obtained from inverse design were chosen as the machinability objectives. The aerodynamic efficiency obtained by computational fluid dynamics was selected as the aerodynamic performance objective. Then, using multi-objective optimization with the optimal Latin hypercube method, quadratic response surface methodology and the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm, the trade-off optimum impellers with small blade wrap angles, large blade angles and high aerodynamic efficiency were obtained. Finally, computational fluid dynamics and computer-aided manufacturing were performed to verify the aerodynamic performance and structural machinability of the optimum impellers.

Providing the fore maximum blade loading distribution at both the hub and shroud for the 3D inverse design helped to promote the structural machinability of the designed impeller. A straighter hub coupled with a more curved shroud also facilitated improvement of the impeller’s structural machinability. The preferred impeller was designed by providing both the fore maximum blade loading distribution at a relatively straight hub and a curved shroud for 3D inverse design.

The machining difficulties of the designed high-efficiency impeller can be reduced by reducing blade wrap angle and enlarging blade angle at the beginning of impeller design. It is of practical value in engineering by avoiding the follow-up failure for the machining of the designed impeller.

This paper aims to introduce a novel approach to the fabrication of photoluminescent materials by coating rare earth aluminate luminescent materials on metallic substrates and a readily manufacturable light source with robust structure in the form of photoluminescent sphere (APS).

The clean and dried stainless steel sphere was sprayed with UH 2593, a white undercoat, the luminescent coating and the weather resistance coating in chronological order.

After adhered onto the stainless steel sphere, the peaks corresponding to the N-H stretching vibrations were changed. The intensity of free N-H stretching at 3,536 cm⁻¹ dramatically decreased and the peak of hydrogen-bonded N-H stretching of PU moved to lower wavenumbers. The red shift of the infrared bands of functional groups was attributed to the strengthened hydrogen bonding. The hydrogen bonding interactions between the stainless steel substrates and the polyurethane coating endowed the APS with excellent adhesive property and also promoted the evenly distribution of the photoluminescent particles in the polymer coating matrix.

This approach can be applicable in the fabrication of the photoluminescent materials. The APS can be used as signs and guiding post in remote areas without sufficient electricity supply and in the seas and rivers with complicated hydrological conditions.

This approach has provided a method to produce tough and durable luminescent signs for remote areas and dangerous seas and explained the functional mechanism of the combined application of metallic materials and non-metallic materials.

This study aims to investigate whether top management team (TMT)’s job mobility experience is related to firm innovation.

The authors use different strategies, including a two-stage instrumental model, difference-in-differences analysis based on TMT members’ sudden deaths, propensity score matching and firm fixed-effects model, to mitigate endogeneity concerns.

The authors find that firms whose TMT experienced more job mobility have better firm innovation. In addition, the authors reveal that the job mobility experience is positively related to engagement in explorative innovation strategies that generate new knowledge. The findings are robust to a battery of tests to alleviate potential endogeneity concerns. Overall, the results highlight the role of job mobility experience in influencing firm innovation.

This study contributes to the rising literature on the determinants of firm innovation. By showing the TMT’s job mobility experience is related to innovation, the authors expand the literature about the economic consequences of the heterogeneous TMT characteristics. Given that firm innovation is essential to competitive advantage, the results should be of interest to a range of stakeholders, including investors, directors and managers and policymakers.