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The key purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of different ultrasonic irradiation times on the wettability and other properties of the resulting water-based coating. The subject water-based coating was prepared using water-soluble polyester and amino resins by ultrasonic oscillation.

The coating was prepared by polymerising polyester and amino resins in water using ultrasonic oscillation. The coating was baked for 40 seconds at 350°C to coalesce and solidify the film. The contact angle, thermal stability and mechanical properties of the film, as well as the molecular weight (MW) and structure of the polyester resin, were determined.

The contact angle of the coating was found to decrease with ultrasonic irradiation; the mechanical properties and thermal stability were not altered when the irradiation time was longer than 5 hours. The MW of the polyester initially decreased then increased and stabilized with ultrasonic irradiation. The structure of polyester molecule and aggregated state of the solidified coating were not changed by ultrasonic irradiation.

In the study reported here, the effects of different ultrasonic irradiation times were investigated. Results of this research could benefit in-depth understanding of the influence of ultrasonic treatment on polyester resins and polyester coatings and could further promote the development of water-based coatings.

The contact angle of the water-based coating decreased by mechanical means. The effects of ultrasound on microstructure and properties of the coating and resin were discussed in detail.

The aim of this study was to fabricate polyimide (PI)/Al₂O₃ composite films via surface modification and ion exchange techniques, and examine their properties.

The method involves hydrolyzing the PI film double surface layers in an aqueous potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution and incorporating aluminium ions (Al3+) into the hydrolyzed layers of the PI film via subsequent ion exchange, followed by a treatment of the Al3+-loaded PI films with an aqueous ammonia solution, which leads to the formation of Al(OH)₃ in the surface-modified layers. After a final thermal annealing treatment in ambient air, the Al(OH)₃ decomposes to Al₂O₃, and forms composite layers on both surfaces of the re-imidized PI film.

The PI/Al₂O₃ composite film obtained with a 6 hours of KOH treatment exhibited excellent thermal stability, good mechanical properties and better electric breakdown strength and corona-resistance properties than the pristine PI film.

The method for obtaining the composite films in this paper is worth consideration, but additional research will be needed. Furthermore, this method is of general importance for the fabrication of composite PI films with tailored properties.

This study showed that surface modification and ion-exchange techniques are powerful methodologies for the fabrication of PI/Al₂O₃ composite films.

The main purpose of this study is to reveal how the China factor influences Taiwan voters' evaluations of the two major parties across elections and generations. We contend that 1) elderly Taiwan voters may take the China factor more seriously than younger cohorts, and 2) China factor may be weighted differently depending on the levels of elections. More importantly, we argue that the China factor is tangled with voters' partisanship.

Data gathered from 2008 to 2014 Taiwan's Election and Democratization Study (TEDS) enable in investigating the influence of the China factor on Taiwan people's vote choices in the two local and two presidential elections. To answer the research question, this study applies issue voting theory and the seemingly unrelated regression (SUR) employed for empirical investigations.

The findings of this study provide empirical evidence on how political generations have changed their reactions to China in Taiwan's elections. The fundamental variables, party identification and the China issue are still very important and cannot be disregarded. Specifically, the China factor played a quite influential role in the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) supporters' voting decisions regardless of their generations, whereas its effect on the Kuomintang (KMT) supporters' voting decisions varies depending on electoral contexts and generations.

While some scholars might suspect that the single item is not sufficient to be an effective predictor of vote choice, we contend that the China factor is definitely the most significant component in Taiwan's elections, especially when it is tangled with partisanship. The SUR approach in this study confirms that partisanship and the China factor cannot be viewed separately.

Phenolic epoxy vinyl ester resin (PEVER) is an advanced resin matrix, which has excellent heat resistance, electrical insulation. However, the brittleness and poor toughness of its curing product limited its application, so this paper aims to modify the PEVER with hyperbranched polyimide (HBPI), so as to enhance the toughness, heat resistance and dielectric properties of PEVER.

Hexamethylene diisocyanate trimer was used as the central reactant. Methyl tetrahydrophthalic anhydride was used as the branching unit, stannous octoate was used as the catalyst and hydroquinone was prepared as the inhibitor. Then, the hyperbranched structure of HBPI was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectrometer and ¹³C-NMR. Next, PEVER was mixed with different contents of HBPI, and then the authors tested its curing product.

It is found that with the addition of HBPI, the free volume of the system was increased and the content of polar groups was decreased in each unit space, so the dielectric constant (ε) and the dielectric loss (tanδ) were decreased. In addition, PEVER could be well toughened by HBPI and the thermal stability of PEVER was improved.

HBPI has excellent heat resistance. The addition of hyperbranched polymer increases the free volume of the system so it can slow down the transfer of stress and its nearly circular structure can absorb the impact energy from all directions. Moreover, an appropriate amount of free volume can decrease the dielectric constant of PEVER by reducing the content of polar groups.

This paper aims to study the tribological behavior of the WS2/oil-impregnated porous polyimide (PPI) solid/liquid composite system, in which both PFPE (perfluoropolyether) and SiCH (silahydrocarbons) oils with different hydrocarbon chains were used, respectively. Lubricating mechanism of the composite system was also explored.

The tribological behaviors of the WS2 films against the PPI cylindrical pins before and after immersing oil were evaluated under different loads by a reciprocating-type ball-on-disc tribometer.

The composite system exhibited the low and stable friction coefficient after the running-in stage, and the lubricant oil played a positive effect. It was found that the WS2/PFPE composite system exhibited more excellent lubricating property, although sole SiCH far exceeds PFPE in lubrication. The abnormal phenomenon mainly resulted from the influence of the oil amount. XRD results on the wear track surfaces indicated that PFPE and SiCH oils with different hydrocarbon chains were likely to preferentially adsorb to the edge plane and basal plane of the WS2 crystals, respectively.

In previous studies, liquid lubricants were directly dripped or spin-coated on the solid lubricant surface. Based on its potential advantage in application, the tribological behavior and mechanism of the solid lubricating film/oil-impregnated PPI composite system were investigated in this study.

This paper aims to examine the basic determinants of consumers intention to participate in family takaful scheme using decomposed theory of planned behaviour (DTPB) and identifying relevant factors may be moderate the relationship.

A comprehensive review of the DTPB literature is undertaken, with a particular focus on contribution to family takaful scheme.

The review finds that intention toward participating in family takaful scheme is are not only affected by attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioural control but also influence by moderating factors like demographic variables, consumer knowledge, situational factors and consumer level of religiosity. Inhibiting factors related to insurance and takaful purchase is also highlighted.

Such an extensive review on identifying relevant factors to participate in takaful using DTPB has not been done before. The paper will be useful to researchers, professionals and others concerned with family takaful to understand the importance factors in participating in family takaful scheme.

The purpose of this paper is to apply theory of planned behaviour (TPB) in predicting consumer intention to participate in takaful. One area of concern for takaful operators is the untapped Islamic insurance (takaful) market and lower market share compared to conventional insurance counterparts. It is possible that the application of the TPB could shed some light on the problem and possibly offer some assistance to the takaful operators.

Interrelationships among attitudes, subjective norm, perceived behavioural control and purchase intentions in regard to takaful products participation were examined within a framework of the theory of planned behaviour. A model and series of propositions are developed. The propositions are open to empirical verification and can form the basis for a research stream on takaful participation.

In identifying factors influencing takaful participation, TPB is used and the model incorporates certain individual factors that are likely to influence intentions towards takaful participation. The model proposes that individual factors such as awareness, knowledge and exposure have impacts on takaful participation.

This study provides insights for a previously unaddressed takaful participation among potential consumers. Prior work on determining participation of takaful has not applied TPB in an effort to understand the phenomenon.

This paper aims to address the influence of mass media (MM) and word of mouth (WOM) on subjective norm (SN) and the intentions to purchase a family takaful scheme among Muslim Malaysians.

Data were collected from 384 Muslim consumers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, using a convenience sampling approach. The hypotheses were tested by applying structural equation modelling.

The results revealed that MM and WM were able to influence SN. In addition, the results also found that SN significantly influences intentions to purchase a family takaful scheme.

By examining MM and WM on SN, the study validated the importance of both constructs in affecting consumers’ SN and purchase intention. This study would be useful for takaful operators, as the findings would help them to formulate strategies for promotional activities.

This paper empirically justifies the relationship between MM and WM on SN and purchase intention of family takaful schemes in an integrated model.

The purpose of this paper is to determine the factors that may influence customers’ acceptance of Islamic home financing and identify the possible moderator, which may be relevant using the decomposed theory of planned behaviour (DTPB) in the context of Malaysia and Pakistan.

Literature on Islamic mortgage and DTPB is reviewed in a bid to identify the determinants that may contribute to customers’ desire to participate in Islamic home financing.

The review indicates that customers’ acceptance of Islamic home financing is not only determined by the subjective norm, attitude, perceived behavioural control but also by the added construct of awareness and decomposed variables, namely, perceived compatibility, perceived relative advantage, peers influence and self-efficacy. In the context of the current study, the country is proposed as a moderator variable that may influence the relationship for customers’ acceptance of Islamic mortgages.

In terms of conceptualising the model, only two countries are considered, which is Malaysia and Pakistan as categorical variables or moderators incorporated in DTPB.

Existing literature on Islamic mortgages makes it evident that DTPB is yet to be applied in the context of studying Islamic home financing. This study extends the application of DTPB in the context of customers’ acceptance of Islamic mortgages in two countries, Malaysia and Pakistan. This paper will be a helpful resource for future researchers, academicians and managers of Islamic banks at large.

The purpose of this study is to develop an output model to extract surface microstructure characteristics of different objects, so as to predict the response of the output voltage obtained from tactile texture sensor.

The model is based on the consideration of the inverse-magnetostrictive effect, the flexure mode, the linear constitutive equations and the strain principle.

This research predicts and investigates the effect of the texture properties on the tactile texture sensor output characteristics.

The surface texture characteristic is regarded to be important information to evaluate and recognize the object.