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The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of multi-hydroxymethylated phenol (MHMP) on the properties of moisture-curing polyurethane (PU) resin, especially on the heat resistance.

The MHMPs with various active sites from 2.52 to 3.91 were synthesised and used as a modifier. The bond test (according to the JIS K6806-2003 standard) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were used, respectively, to characterise the bond durability and heat resistance of MHMP-modified PU resin.

The MHMP with various F/P mole ratios had great effects on the properties of resultant PU resins. The increase of active sites of MHMP can improve the water resistance of resin due to the more cross-linking densities, while the decrease of active sites of MHMP can improve heat resistance of resin because more stable benzene ring introduced into the PU backbone.

In cases where heat resistance of the PU resin is of primary concern, the use of MHMP with fewer active sites or a lower F/P ratio is recommended. In other cases where bond durability is focussed, the modifier MHMP shall be synthesised with higher F/P ratio.

MHMP as a modifier can be used to improve the heat resistance of PU resin.

The MHMPs with various hydroxymethyl groups were synthesised and used as modifier of moisture-curing PU resins to improve their heat resistance.

Ocean exploration is of importance and in great demand throughout the world. This results in a huge challenge in tribology in the marine environment. Moreover, polymeric materials with large molecules or macromolecules play an important role in marine equipment.

The tribological performance of sea-water-eroded polyether polyurethane (PU) was systematically studied by using a multi-specimen test machine for different durations from 0 to 60 days. Surface characterization technologies, such as scanning electric microscopy energy dispersive spectroscopy, were used to analyze the PU samples.

It can be found that the COF measured against 316 steel increases with the testing load because of the change of contact areas for the original PU samples. The effect of hydrodynamic lubrication and heat resulted in the decline of the COF with the increase in testing speed. The COF of PU sample immersed for 20 days was the lowest compared with other samples. With the immersion time increased to 60 days, the COF increased first and then decreased. The reduced COF of PU resulted in improved anti-wear performance of the PU sample.

These results enhanced the comprehension of the tribological performances of PU immersed in sea-water.

The purpose of this paper is to measure the relationship of technology acceptance model (TAM) variables (PEOU and PU) with behavioral intention (BI) and attitude in mobile and digital libraries context. This study also examines the relationship of external variables (information quality and system quality) with TAM variables (PEOU and PU) in mobile and digital libraries context.

This meta-analysis was performed through PRISMA-P guidelines. Four databases (Google Scholar, Web of Science, Scopus and LISTA) were used for searching, and the search was conducted according to defined criteria.

Findings of this study revealed a large effect size of PU and PEOU with BI. There was also a large effect size of PU and PEOU with attitude. A medium effect size was found between SysQ → PU, InfoQ → PU and SysQ → PEOU. However, there was a small effect size between InfoQ and PEOU.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, there was no study published till the time of conducting this meta-analysis. Hence, this study fills the literature gap. This study also confirms that TAM is a valid model in the acceptance and use of technology in mobile and digital libraries context. Thus, the findings of the present study are helpful for developers and designers in designing and developing mobile library apps. It will also be beneficial for library authorities and system librarians in designing and developing digital libraries in academic settings.

Smart card-based E-payment systems are receiving increasing attention as the number of implementations is witnessed on the rise globally. Understanding of user adoption behavior of E-payment systems that employ smart card technology becomes a research area that is of particular value and interest to both IS researchers and professionals. However, research interest focuses mostly on why a smart card-based E-payment system results in a failure or how the system could have grown into a success. This signals the fact that researchers have not had much opportunity to critically review a smart card-based E-payment system that has gained wide support and overcome the hurdle of critical mass adoption. The Octopus in Hong Kong has provided a rare opportunity for investigating smart card-based E-payment system because of its unprecedented success. This research seeks to thoroughly analyze the Octopus from technology adoption behavior perspectives.

Cultural impacts on adoption behavior are one of the key areas that this research posits to investigate. Since the present research is conducted in Hong Kong where a majority of population is Chinese ethnicity and yet is westernized in a number of aspects, assuming that users in Hong Kong are characterized by eastern or western culture is less useful. Explicit cultural characteristics at individual level are tapped into here instead of applying generalization of cultural beliefs to users to more accurately reflect cultural bias. In this vein, the technology acceptance model (TAM) is adapted, extended, and tested for its applicability cross-culturally in Hong Kong on the Octopus. Four cultural dimensions developed by Hofstede are included in this study, namely uncertainty avoidance, masculinity, individualism, and Confucian Dynamism (long-term orientation), to explore their influence on usage behavior through the mediation of perceived usefulness.

TAM is also integrated with the innovation diffusion theory (IDT) to borrow two constructs in relation to innovative characteristics, namely relative advantage and compatibility, in order to enhance the explanatory power of the proposed research model. Besides, the normative accountability of the research model is strengthened by embracing two social influences, namely subjective norm and image. As the last antecedent to perceived usefulness, prior experience serves to bring in the time variation factor to allow level of prior experience to exert both direct and moderating effects on perceived usefulness.

The resulting research model is analyzed by partial least squares (PLS)-based Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) approach. The research findings reveal that all cultural dimensions demonstrate direct effect on perceived usefulness though the influence of uncertainty avoidance is found marginally significant. Other constructs on innovative characteristics and social influences are validated to be significant as hypothesized. Prior experience does indeed significantly moderate the two influences that perceived usefulness receives from relative advantage and compatibility, respectively. The research model has demonstrated convincing explanatory power and so may be employed for further studies in other contexts. In particular, cultural effects play a key role in contributing to the uniqueness of the model, enabling it to be an effective tool to help critically understand increasingly internationalized IS system development and implementation efforts. This research also suggests several practical implications in view of the findings that could better inform managerial decisions for designing, implementing, or promoting smart card-based E-payment system.

Index insurance is promising to mitigate drought-related income losses in agriculture. To reduce the basis risk of index insurance, the integration of satellite data is of growing interest in research. The objective of this study is to obtain preliminary evidence regarding farmers' perceived usefulness (PU) of satellite-based index insurance.

By modifying the transtheoretical model of change to a transtheoretical model of PU, German farmers' gradual PU of satellite-based index insurance was investigated.

The results show that the average farmer perceives satellite-based index insurance as useful. It can be particularly seen that a higher level of education in an agricultural context as well as higher trust in index insurance products increases farmers' gradual PU. Moreover, higher relative weather-related income losses increase farmers' gradual PU.

It is recommended to apply latent variables when conducting future investigations regarding farmers' PU.

To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to explore farmers' PU of upcoming satellite-based index insurance by modifying and applying the transtheoretical model in a new way.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of policy uncertainty on firm performance and to examine how the different cultural societies deal with the policy-induced uncertainty.

The authors use data of European non-financial firms to extend the growing literature on policy uncertainty, firm performance and national culture. The authors consider financial as well as market proxies to measure firm performance and use Hofstede's cultural dimensions as a proxy for national culture. The authors apply the generalized method of moments (GMM-system) regression technique on a dataset of 702 non-financial European firms, listed during the period 2002–2018.

The authors find overwhelming evidence that policy uncertainty reduces the performance of the European firms; however, cultural differences among different European countries moderate the impact of policy uncertainty on the financial as well as the market performance of the firms. The results of this study show that European cultures with high power distance, individualism, masculinity and indulgence efficiently deal with the economic policy uncertainty. While the European societies with high uncertainty avoidance fail to cope with policy-induced uncertainty. The results are robust to different regression models, alternate proxies of firm performance and endogeneity issues.

The authors argue that policy uncertainty increases information asymmetry and decreases firm performance, therefore, the policymakers shall be considerate of the consequences of the policy-induced uncertainty in the society and business arena that would not only adversely affect the firms but also the economy.

To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study that investigates the role of national culture on the relationship between policy uncertainty and firm performance in the European context.

The purpose of this paper is to study thermal stability, curing kinetics and physico‐chemical properties of polyurethanes systems for application in in‐mould decoration (IMD) ink.

The thermal stability of three Polyurethane (Pu) systems A, B, C were evaluated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The kinetic parameters of the curing reaction of Pu system C were calculated using non‐isothermal curing kinetics analysis, including the activation energy Ea, the reaction rate constant K(T), the reaction order n, the initial curing temperature (Ti), the peak temperature (Tp), and the finishing temperature (Tf). Additionally, physico‐chemical properties were also evaluated such as flexibility, impact resistance, pencil hardness, adhesive attraction and solvent resistance.

TGA showed that thermal decomposition temperature T5 (5 wt.% weight loss), T10 (10 wt.% weight loss) and Tend (decomposition termination temperature) of Pu system C was 344°C, 363°C, and 489°C, respectively. T5, T10, Tend increased by 77°C, 61°C, 4°C, respectively, and the char yield at 600°C increased by 25.1 wt.% comparing with Pu system B. Curing kinetics analysis showed that Ea of Pu system C was 62.29 KJ/mol, 65.98 KJ/mol and 65.95 KJ/mol by Kissinger, Flynn‐Wall‐Ozawa and Ozawa method, respectively. The order of the curing reaction (n=0.90) demonstrated that it was a complex reaction. Moreover, Pu system C exhibited good physico‐chemical properties. The results showed that Pu system C was suitable to apply into IMD ink.

The TGA analysis, curing kinetics analysis and evaluation of physico‐chemical properties provided a simple and practical solution to study suitable resins for IMD ink application.

IMD ink for heat transfer printing technology is highly efficient, relatively low cost, clean and environmentally safe. It has been widely applied into medical and pharmaceutical products, electronic devices, telecommunication equipment, computer parts, appliance panels, automotive parts, etc.

In this paper, the thermal stability and curing kinetics of Pu for IMD ink are reported for the first time. The paper gives very interesting and important information about thermal stability, curing kinetics and properties of Pu coating system for IMD ink application.

Online group buying (OGB) websites have rapidly increased in number in recent years and have become an interesting model for online transactions. Previous studies have shown that consumers’ individual characteristics are critical in group buying participation and the perceived usefulness (PU) of an information system, whereas the role of consumer characteristics on the OGB website-quality-PU relationship remains unclear. The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether consumer characteristics (i.e. gender and utilitarian orientation) moderate the OGB website-quality-PU relationship.

A total of 658 OGB website consumers participated in this study. Data were analysed by employing hierarchical moderated regression method.

The primary findings are as follows. First, the effect of system quality on consumer PU of the OGB website was stronger for male consumers than for female consumers. Second, the effect of information quality on PU was stronger for high-utility-orientated consumers than for low-utility-orientated consumers.

Because of the increasing importance of e-commerce and the growing number of shoppers purchasing from OGB websites, the finding provides enhanced understanding of OGB consumers for segmentation strategies.

Gives an in depth view of the strategies pursued by the world’s leading chief executive officers in an attempt to provide guidance to new chief executives of today. Considers the marketing strategies employed, together with the organizational structures used and looks at the universal concepts that can be applied to any product. Uses anecdotal evidence to formulate a number of theories which can be used to compare your company with the best in the world. Presents initial survival strategies and then looks at ways companies can broaden their boundaries through manipulation and choice. Covers a huge variety of case studies and examples together with a substantial question and answer section.

The aim of the paper is to develop a method to block hydroxyl groups of epoxy acrylate (AAEP) in vinyl ester resin (VER) and to study the influence of modified VER on polyurethane/(VER) interpenetrating polymer network (PU/VER IPN).

The hydroxyl groups of AAEP in VER were blocked via different methods. Infra‐red spectroscopy was adopted to study the influence of the reagents, reaction temperature and feed molar ratio on the blocking effect of hydroxyl groups and the optimised technological parameters were determined. The PU/VER IPN and PU/modified VER IPN were prepared by simultaneous interpenetrating of VER (mixture of AAEP and butyl methacrylate with the mass ratio of 2/1) or modified VER and synthesised PU in their laboratory. The microstructure, dynamic mechanical properties and mechanical properties of PU/VER IPN and PU/modified VER IPN were compared.

The results showed that compared to unmodified IPN, because the hydroxyl groups in VER were blocked and no chemical cross‐linked structure existed between the two networks, the modified IPN showed dual‐continuous microsturcture with larger phase domain sizes between 20 and 50 nm. The effect damping temperature range of modified IPN was broadened and its damping performance was improved. The mechanical strength of modified IPNs decreased and their break elongation increased evidently.

The PU/modified VER IPN with excellent damping properties can be used in the applications where reduction of vibration and noise is desired.

The PU/modified VER IPN, in which no chemical cross‐linked structure existed between the two networks, was novel and its damping performance was improved and excellent.