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The purpose of this paper is to examine how subnational institutions within a country explain the performance consequences of open innovation (OI) in emerging market enterprises (EMEs).

The paper conducts a regression analysis by using a novel panel data set comprising of 438 innovative Chinese firms over the period of 2008-2011.

The authors show that although on average openness to external actors improves innovation performance this effect is pronounced for EMEs that operate in subnational regions with a higher level of intellectual property rights (IPR) enforcement and of factor market development. The findings point to the context-dependent nature of OI strategy and the complementary effect of institutional parameters in emerging markets and help to reconcile the contrasting findings regarding the effect of OI in the prior literature.

This paper extends the literature on OI by suggesting that the analysis of the performance consequences of OI strategy should go beyond the nexus between OI and firm performance, and instead, focus on subnational-specific institutions, such as region-specific IPR enforcement, factor market development and intermediation market development, that may facilitate or constrain the effect of OI model.

The existing Nonlinear Dynamic Vibration Absorbers (NLDVAs) have the disadvantages of complex structure, high cost, high installation space requirements and difficulty in miniaturization. And most of the NLDVAs have not been applied to reality. To address the above issues, a novel Triple-magnet Magnetic Dynamic Vibration Absorber (TMDVA) with tunable stiffness, only composed of triple cylindrical permanent magnets and an acrylic tube, is designed, modeled and tested in this paper.

(1) A novel TMDVA is designed. (2) Theoretical and experimental methods. (3) Equivalent dynamics model.

It is found that adjusting the magnet distance can effectively optimize the vibration reduction effect of the TMDVA under different resonance conditions. When the resonance frequency of the cantilever changes, the magnet distance of the TMDVA with a high vibration reduction effect shows an approximately linear relationship with the resonance frequency of the cantilever which is convenient for the design optimization of the TMDVA.

Both the simulation and experimental results prove that the TMDVA can effectively reduce the vibration of the cantilever even if the resonance frequency of the cantilever changes, which shows the strong robustness of the TMDVA. Given all that, the TMDVA has potential application value in the passive vibration reduction of engineering structures.

The purpose of this research is to propose a flexible sensor with a weft-knitted float stitch structure and to explore knitting techniques that allow conductive yarns to be skin-tight and less exposed, reducing production processes and increasing productivity. Study its electrical conductivity in different yarn materials, knit processes and deformation ranges. The analysis is compared to provide some basis for the design of the electrodes.

The method includes five operations: (1) Analysis of the morphological appearance, tensile variation, fiber material properties and electrical conductivity of high-elastic and filament silver-plated conductive yarns. (2) Based on the knitting process of the floating yarn structure, three-dimensional modeling of the flexible sensor was carried out to explore the influence of knitting process changes on appearance characteristics. (3) The fabric samples are knitted by different silver-plated conductive yarns with different structures. Processing of experimental samples to finished size by advance shrinkage. (4) Measure the resistance of the experimental sample after the machine has been lowered and after pre-shrinking. Use the stretching machine to simulate a wearing experiment and measure the change in resistance of the sample in the 0–15% stretching range. (5) Analyze the influence factors on the conductive performance of the flexible sensor to determine whether it is suitable for textile flexible sensors.

For the float knitted flexible sensors, the floating wire projection is influenced by the elasticity of the fabric and the length of the floating wire. Compared to the plain knitted flexible sensors, it has less resistance variation and better electrical properties, making it suitable for making electrodes for textile structures. In addition, the knitting method is integrated with the intelligent monitoring clothing, which saves the process for the integration of the flexible sensor, realizes positioning and fixed-point knitting.

The sensor technology of the designed weft-knitted float structure is varied and can be freely combined and designed in a wide range. Within the good electrical conductivity, the flexible sensor can realize integrated knitting, positioning monitoring, integrating into the appearance of clothing. It can also focus on the wearing experience of wearable products so that the appearance of the monitoring clothing is close to the clothes we wear in our daily life.

In this paper, an integrated positioning knitting flexible sensor based on the weft knitting float structure is studied. The improved knitting process allows the sensing contact surface to be close to the skin and reduces the integration process. The relationship between the exposure of the silver-plated yarn on the clothing surface and the electrical conductivity is analyzed. Within a certain conductive performance, reduces the exposed area of the conductive yarn on the clothing surface and proposes a design reference for the flexible sensor appearance.

In order to improve the comprehensive evaluation level of shield tunnel structure health, taking a subway tunnel section as an example, and combined with the onsite measured data, such as regular inspection, health monitoring and disease remediation, this paper introduces the variable weight theory to improve the traditional fixed-weight evaluation method from structural deformation, current durability and disease status.

Considering the influence of the fluctuation of each index value on the index weight, a comprehensive structural health evaluation model of shield tunnel based on an improved variable weight matter-element extension model is proposed.

Compared with the traditional fixed-weight evaluation method, this model can correct the evaluation distortion caused by the fluctuation of index value and has optimal effect.

The sensitive analysis shows that several key indicators of the main threats to tunnel structure are obtained to improve the efficiency of operation, maintenance and management of shield tunnel structure.

This paper aims to explore the developing trend of higher pedagogy, to promote the research of higher pedagogy to be more canonical and scientific and to improve the higher education theory.

The utility research uses a method of quantitative study, namely “content analysis”, to estimate and analyze the higher education theory literature on ten dimensionalities which include theme, author, abstract, keywords, subject, proposing of the issue, definition of key terms, research methods, conclusion, reference and annotations from 1996 to 2006 in China.

The analysis of the selected 250 academic theses and reports in the field of higher education shows that academic research and theoretical standard have been improved, meanwhile academic criterion have been formed by degrees in higher pedagogy within ten years. At the same time, there are still some problems in the papers and reports the authors have selected such as title, key words, proposing of the issue, researching method and conclusion.

This paper sums up the trend of research on higher education in China for the past ten years, and points out the problems in this trend and then proposes ways to improve the research of higher education in China.

It is of a great significance for the health monitoring of a liquid rocket engine to build an accurate and reliable fault prediction model. The thrust of a liquid rocket engine is an important indicator for its health monitoring. By predicting the changing value of the thrust, it can be judged whether the engine will fail at a certain time. However, the thrust is affected by various factors, and it is difficult to establish an accurate mathematical model. Thus, this study uses a mixture non-parametric regression prediction model to establish the model of the thrust for the health monitoring of a liquid rocket engine.

This study analyzes the characteristics of the least squares support vector regression (LS-SVR) machine . LS-SVR is suitable to model on the small samples and high dimensional data, but the performance of LS-SVR is greatly affected by its key parameters. Thus, this study implements the advanced intelligent algorithm, the real double-chain coding target gradient quantum genetic algorithm (DCQGA), to optimize these parameters, and the regression prediction model LSSVRDCQGA is proposed. Then the proposed model is used to model the thrust of a liquid rocket engine.

The simulation results show that: the average relative error (ARE) on the test samples is 0.37% when using LS-SVR, but it is 0.3186% when using LSSVRDCQGA on the same samples.

The proposed model of LSSVRDCQGA in this study is effective to the fault prediction on the small sample and multidimensional data, and has a certain promotion.

The original contribution of this study is to establish a mixture non-parametric regression prediction model of LSSVRDCQGA and properly resolve the problem of the health monitoring of a liquid rocket engine along with modeling the thrust of the engine by using LSSVRDCQGA.

In China, a major grain producer, rice losses during harvest cannot be ignored. The purpose of this paper is to assess the extent of rice harvest losses in major grain-producing areas in China by a sampling survey, and to further analyze the main factors influencing rice harvest losses using an ordered multinomial logistic model.

In this study, data were collected using a multi-stage sampling method from ten major rice-producing provinces/regions in China. On this basis, five counties were selected from each of these provinces/regions. In the actual survey, house numbers were randomly selected, and then corresponding farmer households were visited by trained investigators.

The survey found that 56.22 percent of respondents believed that rice harvest losses were 4 percent or lower in China, though there were differences among the provinces. The proportion of family business income, planting scale, mechanization level, timely harvest, and operational meticulousness had negative effects on rice harvest losses. On the other hand, farmers’ experience of employment as migrant workers had a positive effect on rice harvest losses. In addition, bad weather and short handedness during harvest significantly increased rice harvest losses.

The meaning of rice harvest losses was defined based on previous research findings on the definition of grain harvest losses and the realities in China. The current rice harvest losses in different areas in China were analyzed based on sampling survey data from 957 farmers in ten provinces in China.

This manuscript concentrates on addressing the success and failure factors to satisfy the small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) need when facing challenges during the implementation of the quality management systems (QMSs) such as lack of both the financial and human resources and inadequate technical knowledge of quality management and employee indifference.

This research employs a mixed-method research approach in three different steps. First, based on interviews and a review of previous research, a list of critical factors influencing the success and failure of QMS implementation in SMEs is provided. After conducting the interview and extracting the results, a quantitative questionnaire is recruited as a complementary tool to demonstrate the accuracy of the literature review and interview findings and to increase the validity and reliability of the data. By applying the exploratory factor analysis (EFA) method, the factors affecting the failure and success of QMS implementation are identified separately. In the third step, a focus group meeting is used to name the factors and identify the relationships among them. The relationships among the factors are also shown using the concept map. Finally, after conducting the focus group meeting, several key issues have been extracted from practice and literature to realize the critical success and failure factors.

The current study reveals that the factors supporting the SMEs during the implementation of the QMSs may be classified into nine groups. Of these, six factors are related to critical success factors (CSFs), and three factors are related to critical failure factors (CFFs).

There have been several studies developed and conducted to address the success factors supporting the QMSs in SMEs. However, the scope of these studies has only been set on either qualitative or quantitative approaches. Hence, the proposed method presented in this essay, which is, in turn, a new contribution, attempts to use a combined approach based on both the semistructured interviews and survey methods. The results of this study can be used as a reference by scholars and practitioners to identify the relevant issues of QMSs and their application in SMEs.

The purpose of this paper is to empirically examine the impact of closing mechanism changes on market quality, investor trading behavior and market manipulation in the Shanghai stock market.

A dummy variable is constructed indicating whether the closing mechanism is call auction or continuous auction. Market quality is measured from aspects of liquidity, volatility and price continuity; investor trading behavior is scaled by order timing and order aggressiveness, and a price deviation indicator is the proxy of manipulation. Using panel regression, this study examines the impact of closing mechanism changes based on intraday transaction data from the Shanghai stock market.

The conclusions are as follows: First, market quality improves after the closing mechanism is reformed in terms of liquidity, volatility and price continuity. Second, order strategy changes significantly in the closing call market, and investors trade more aggressively in the continuous trading period before closing. Third, the closing call mechanism restrains the closing price manipulation and thus prompts an efficient closing price.

This paper examines the policy effects of closing mechanism changes from aspects of market quality, trading behavior and price manipulation, providing pieces of evidence for trading mechanism design and market supervision in emerging markets.

This paper aims to investigate the thermal stability and hydrophobicity of difference alkyl chain of silanes with silicon (Si) micro- and nanoparticles.

Sol-gel methods have been used to design superhydrophobic glass substrates through surface modification by using low-surface-energy Isooctyl trimethoxysilane (ITMS) and Ethyl trimethoxysilane (ETMS) solution. Hierarchical double-rough scale solid surface was built by Si micro- and nanoparticles to enhance the surface roughness. The prepared sol was applied onto glass substrate using dip-coating method and was dried at control temperature of 400°C inside the tube furnace.

The glass substrate achieved the water contact angle as high as 154 ± 2° and 150.4 ± 2° for Si/ITMS and Si/ETMS films, respectively. The Si/ITMS and Si/ETMS also were equipped with low sliding angle as low as 3° and 5°, respectively. The Si micro- and nanoparticles in the coating system have created nanopillars between them, which will suspend the water droplets. Both superhydrophobic coatings have showed good stability against high temperature up to 200°C as there are no changes in WCA shown by both coatings. Si/ITMS film sustains its superhydrophobicity after impacting with further temperature up to 400°C and turns hydrophobic state at 450°C.

Findings will be useful to develop superhydrophobic coatings with high thermal stability.

Sol method provides a suitable medium for the combination of organic-inorganic network to achieve high hydrophobicity with optimum surface roughness.

Application of different alkyl chain groups of silane resin blending with micro- and nanoparticles of Si pigments develops superhydrophobic coatings with high thermal stability.