Journal articles on the topic 'Set-Partial Sum Theory'

The aim of this work is two fold: first we extend some results concerning the computation of the fixed point index for the sum of an expansive mapping and a $k$-set contraction obtained in \cite{DjebaMeb, Svet-Meb}, to the case of the sum $T+F$, where $T$ is a mapping such that $(I-T)$ is Lipschitz invertible and $F$ is a $k$-set contraction. Secondly, as illustration of some our theoretical results, we study the existence of positive solutions for two classes of differential equations, covering a class of first-order ordinary differential equations (ODEs for short) posed on the positive half-line as well as a class of partial differential equations (PDEs for short).

AbstractLet G be a finite π-separable group, where π is a set of primes. The π-partial characters of G are the restrictions of the ordinary characters to the set of π-elements of G. Such an object is said to be irreducible if it is not the sum of two nonzero partial characters and the set of irreducible π- partial characters of G is denoted Iπ(G). (If p is a prime and π = p′, then Iπ(G) is exactly the set of irreducible Brauer characters at p.)From their definition, it is obvious that each partial character φ ∊ Iπ(G) can be “lifted” to an ordinary character χ ∊ Irr(G). (This means that φ is the restriction of χ to the π-elements of G.) In fact, there is a known set of canonical lifts Bπ(G) ⊆ Irr(G) for the irreducible π-partial characters. In this paper, it is proved that if 2 ∉ π, then there is an alternative set of canonical lifts (denoted Dπ(G)) that behaves better with respect to character induction.An application of this theory to M-groups is presented. If G is an M-group and S ⊆ G is a subnormal subgroup, consider a primitive character θ ⊆ Irr(S). It was known previously that if |G : S| is odd, then θ must be linear. It is proved here without restriction on the index of S that θ(1) is a power of 2.

Matroid theory is a useful tool for the combinatorial optimization issue in data mining, machine learning and knowledge discovery. Recently, combining matroid theory with rough sets is becoming interesting. In this paper, rough set approaches are used to investigate an important class of matroids, transversal matroids. We first extend the concept of upper approximation number functions in rough set theory and propose the notion of generalized upper approximation number functions on a set system. By means of the new notion, we give some necessary and sufficient conditions for a subset to be a partial transversal of a set system. Furthermore, we obtain a new description of a transversal matroid by the generalized upper approximation number function. We show that a transversal matroid can be induced by the generalized upper approximation number function which can be decomposed into the sum of some elementary generalized upper approximation number functions. Conversely, we also prove that a generalized upper approximation number function can induce a transversal matroid. Finally, we apply the generalized upper approximation number function to study the relationship among transversal matroids.

It is known that the value of the exponential sum [Formula: see text] can be derived from the estimate of the cardinality |V|, the number of elements contained in the set [Formula: see text] where [Formula: see text] is the partial derivatives of [Formula: see text] with respect to [Formula: see text]. The cardinality of V in turn can be derived from the p-adic sizes of common zeros of the partial derivatives [Formula: see text]. This paper presents a method of determining the p-adic sizes of the components of (ξ,η) a common root of partial derivative polynomials of f(x,y) in Zp[x,y] of degree five based on the p-adic Newton polyhedron technique associated with the polynomial. The degree five polynomial is of the form f(x,y) = ax5 + bx4y + cx3y2 + sx + ty + k. The estimate obtained is in terms of the p-adic sizes of the coefficients of the dominant terms in f.

In this note we construct Martin-Löf's inconsistent type theory, Type: Type (Martin-Löf [1971]), inside partial type theory with one universe. Thus adding a fixed point operator to type theory with one predicative universe gives impredicativity.We may describe the theory Type:Type as follows. It contains the rules for the product construction (II) of Martin-Löf [1984] except the η-rule and it contains the usual rules for definitional equality (=). Moreover it contains the following strongly impredicative universeThis theory is inconsistent (i.e. every set is inhabited), and this is seen by proving a variant of the Burali—Forti paradox—Girard's paradox—cf. Troelstra and van Dalen [1988]. Coquand [199?] has shown that by adding the well-order type and the strong dependent sum to the universe, the fixed point operator becomes definable. It is an open problem whether it is definable without the well-order type. The present result could be seen as a converse, namely by adding the fixed point operator to type theory with one universe, Type:Type becomes definable and, as is already known, so does the well-order type.

AbstractWe introduce a task that we call partial decoupling, in which a bipartite quantum state is transformed by a unitary operation on one of the two subsystems and then is subject to the action of a quantum channel. We assume that the subsystem is decomposed into a direct-sum-product form, which often appears in the context of quantum information theory. The unitary is chosen at random from the set of unitaries having a simple form under the decomposition. The goal of the task is to make the final state, for typical choices of the unitary, close to the averaged final state over the unitaries. We consider a one-shot scenario, and derive upper and lower bounds on the average distance between the two states. The bounds are represented simply in terms of smooth conditional entropies of quantum states involving the initial state, the channel and the decomposition. Thereby we provide generalizations of the one-shot decoupling theorem. The obtained result would lead to further development of the decoupling approaches in quantum information theory and fundamental physics.

The development of methodical and mathematical apparatus for formation of a set of diagnostic parameters of complex technical systems, the content of which consists of processing the trajectories of the output processes of the system using the theory of functional spaces, is considered in this paper. The trajectories of the output variables are considered as Lebesgue measurable functions. It ensures a unified approach to obtaining diagnostic parameters regardless a physical nature of these variables and a set of their jump-like changes (finite discontinuities of trajectories). It adequately takes into account a complexity of the construction, a variety of physical principles and algorithms of systems operation. A structure of factor-spaces of measurable square Lebesgue integrable functions, ( spaces) is defined on sets of trajectories. The properties of these spaces allow to decompose the trajectories by the countable set of mutually orthogonal directions and represent them in the form of a convergent series. The choice of a set of diagnostic parameters as an ordered sequence of coefficients of decomposition of trajectories into partial sums of Fourier series is substantiated. The procedure of formation of a set of diagnostic parameters of the system, improved in comparison with the initial variants, when the trajectory is decomposed into a partial sum of Fourier series by an orthonormal Legendre basis, is presented. A method for the numerical determination of the power of such a set is proposed. New aspects of obtaining diagnostic information from the vibration processes of the system are revealed. A structure of spaces of continuous square Riemann integrable functions ( spaces) is defined on the sets of vibrotrajectories. Since they are subspaces in the afore mentioned factor-spaces, the general methodological bases for the transformation of vibrotrajectories remain unchanged. However, the algorithmic component of the choice of diagnostic parameters becomes more specific and observable. It is demonstrated by implementing a numerical procedure for decomposing vibrotrajectories by an orthogonal trigonometric basis, which is contained in spaces. The processing of the results of experimental studies of the vibration process and the setting on this basis of a subset of diagnostic parameters in one of the control points of the system is provided. The materials of the article are a contribution to the theory of obtaining information about the technical condition of complex systems. The applied value of the proposed development is a possibility of their use for the synthesis of algorithmic support of automated diagnostic tools.

In this paper, the state-of-the-art regarding the “Theory of Plastic Mechanism Control” (TPMC) is presented. TPMC is aimed at the design of structures assuring a collapse mechanism of global type. The theory has been developed in the nineties with reference to moment-resisting steel frames (MRFs) and progressively extended to all the main structural typologies commonly adopted as seismic-resistant structural systems. In particular, the outcome of the theory is the sum of the plastic moments of the columns required, at each storey, to prevent undesired failure modes, i.e. partial mechanisms and soft-storey mechanisms. The theory is used to provide the design conditions to be satisfied, in the form of a set of inequalities where the unknowns are constituted by the column plastic moments. Even though the set of inequalities was originally solved by means of an algorithm requiring an iterative procedure, now, thanks to new advances, a “closed form solution” has been developed. This result is very important, because the practical application of TPMC can now be carried out even with very simple hand calculations. In order to show the simplicity of the new procedure, numerical applications are herein presented in detail with reference to Moment Resisting Frames (MRFs) and dual systems both composed by Moment Resisting Frames and Eccentrically Braces Frames (MRF-EBFs) with inverted Y scheme and composed by Moment Resisting Frames and Concentrically Braced Frames (MRF-CBFs) with X-braced scheme and V-braced scheme. Finally, the pattern of yielding obtained is validated by means of both push-over analyses and incremental dynamic analyses. A comparison in terms of structural weight of the designed structures is also presented and the corresponding seismic performances are discussed.

This article describes how most frequently uncertainty arises due to vagueness, imprecision, partial information, etc., are encountered in medical diagnosis. To deal with this type of uncertainty, initially fuzzy set theory (FST) was explored and accordingly, medical decision making became one of the most important and interesting areas of applications of FST. Interval valued fuzzy sets (IVFSs) and intuitionistic fuzzy sets (IFS's) were developed and successfully applied in different areas including medical diagnosis. Although, IFS forms a membership degree and a non-membership degree separately in such a way that sum of the two degrees must not exceed one, but one of the important and integral part i.e., degree of neutrality is not taken into consideration in IFS, which is generally occurred in medical diagnosis. In such circumstances, picture fuzzy set (PFS) can be considered as a strong mathematical tool, which adequate in situations when human opinions involved more answers of type: yes, abstain, no. For this purpose, this article, proposes some distance measures on PFS and studies some of its properties. Also, an attempt has been made to carry out medical diagnosis via the proposed distance measures on PFSs and exhibit the technique with a suitable case study. It is found that the distance measures make it possible to introduce weights of all symptoms and consequently patient can be diagnosed directly.

The Littlewood–Paley decomposition for functions defined on the whole space [Formula: see text] and related Besov space techniques have become indispensable tools in the study of many partial differential equations (PDEs) with [Formula: see text] as the spatial domain. This paper intends to develop parallel tools for the periodic domain [Formula: see text]. Taking advantage of the boundedness and convergence theory on the square-cutoff Fourier partial sum, we define the Littlewood–Paley decomposition for periodic functions via the square cutoff. We remark that the Littlewood–Paley projections defined via the circular cutoff in [Formula: see text] with [Formula: see text] in the literature do not behave well on the Lebesgue space [Formula: see text] except for [Formula: see text]. We develop a complete set of tools associated with this decomposition, which would be very useful in the study of PDEs defined on [Formula: see text]. As an application of the tools developed here, we study the periodic weak solutions of the [Formula: see text]-dimensional Boussinesq equations with the fractional dissipation [Formula: see text] and without thermal diffusion. We obtain two main results. The first assesses the global existence of [Formula: see text]-weak solutions for any [Formula: see text] and the existence and uniqueness of the [Formula: see text]-weak solutions when [Formula: see text] for [Formula: see text]. The second establishes the zero thermal diffusion limit with an explicit convergence rate.

In parallel with the various generalizations of the Banach fixed point theorem in metric spaces, this theory is also transported to some different types of spaces including ultra metric spaces, fuzzy metric spaces, uniform spaces, partial metric spaces, $b$-metric spaces etc. In this context, first we define a binary normed operation on nonnegative real numbers and give some examples. Then we recall the concept of $T$-metric space and some important and fundamental properties of it. A $T$-metric space is a $3$-tuple $(X, T, \diamond)$, where $X$ is a nonempty set, $\diamond$ is a binary normed operation and $T$ is a $T$-metric on $X$. Since the triangular inequality of $T$-metric depends on a binary operation, which includes the sum as a special case, a $T$-metric space is a real generalization of ordinary metric space. As main results, we present three coupled fixed point theorems for bivariate mappings satisfying some certain contractive inequalities on a complete $T$-metric space. It is easily seen that not only existence but also uniqueness of coupled fixed point guaranteed in these theorems. Also, we provide some suitable examples that illustrate our results.

Faddeev formulation of general relativity (GR) is considered where the metric is composed of ten vector fields or a ten-dimensional tetrad. Upon partial use of the field equations, this theory results in the usual general relativity (GR). Earlier, we have proposed first-order representation of the minisuperspace model for the Faddeev formulation where the tetrad fields are piecewise constant on the polytopes like four-simplices or, say, cuboids into which [Formula: see text] can be decomposed, an analogue of the Cartan–Weyl connection-type form of the Hilbert–Einstein action in the usual continuum GR. In the Hamiltonian formalism, the tetrad bilinears are canonically conjugate to the orthogonal connection matrices. We evaluate the spectrum of the elementary areas, functions of the tetrad bilinears. The spectrum is discrete and proportional to the Faddeev analog [Formula: see text] of the Barbero–Immirzi parameter [Formula: see text]. The possibility of the tetrad and metric discontinuities in the Faddeev gravity allows to consider any surface as consisting of a set of virtually independent elementary areas and its spectrum being the sum of the elementary spectra. Requiring consistency of the black hole entropy calculations known in the literature we are able to estimate [Formula: see text].

The partial theta function is the sum of the series \medskip\centerline{$\displaystyle\theta (q,x):=\sum\nolimits _{j=0}^{\infty}q^{j(j+1)/2}x^j$,}\medskip\noi where $q$is a real or complex parameter ($|q|<1$). Its name is due to similaritieswith the formula for the Jacobi theta function$\Theta (q,x):=\sum _{j=-\infty}^{\infty}q^{j^2}x^j$. The function $\theta$ has been considered in Ramanujan's lost notebook. Itfinds applicationsin several domains, such as Ramanujan type$q$-series, the theory of (mock) modular forms, asymptotic analysis, statistical physics, combinatorics and most recently in the study of section-hyperbolic polynomials,i.~e. real polynomials with all coefficients positive,with all roots real negative and all whose sections (i.~e. truncations)are also real-rooted.For each $q$ fixed,$\theta$ is an entire function of order $0$ in the variable~$x$. When$q$ is real and $q\in (0,0.3092\ldots )$, $\theta (q,.)$ is a function of theLaguerre-P\'olyaclass $\mathcal{L-P}I$. More generally, for $q \in (0,1)$, the function $\theta (q,.)$ is the product of a realpolynomialwithout real zeros and a function of the class $\mathcal{L-P}I$. Thus it isan entire function withinfinitely-many negative, with no positive and with finitely-many complexconjugate zeros. The latter are known to belongto an explicitly defined compact domain containing $0$ andindependent of $q$ while the negative zeros tend to infinity as ageometric progression with ratio $1/q$. A similar result is true for$q\in (-1,0)$ when there are also infinitely-many positive zeros.We consider thequestion how close to the origin the zeros of the function $\theta$ can be.In the generalcase when $q$ is complex it is truethat their moduli are always larger than $1/2|q|$. We consider the case when $q$ is real and prove that for any $q\in (0,1)$,the function $\theta (q,.)$ has no zeros on the set $$\displaystyle \{x\in\mathbb{C}\colon |x|\leq 3\} \cap \{x\in\mathbb{C}\colon {\rm Re} x\leq 0\}\cap \{x\in\mathbb{C}\colon |{\rm Im} x|\leq 3/\sqrt{2}\}$$which containsthe closure left unit half-disk and is more than $7$ times larger than it.It is unlikely this result to hold true for the whole of the lefthalf-disk of radius~$3$. Similar domains do not exist for $q\in (0,1)$, Re$x\geq 0$, for$q\in (-1,0)$, Re$x\geq 0$ and for $q\in (-1,0)$, Re$x\leq 0$. We show alsothat for $q\in (0,1)$, the function $\theta (q,.)$ has no real zeros $\geq -5$ (but one can find zeros larger than $-7.51$).

With the recent advances in knowledge, the complication of multimedia has increased expressively and new areas of research have opened up in search of new multimedia content. Content-based image retrieval (CBIR) are used to extract images associated with image queries (IQs) from huge databases. The CBIR schemes accessible at present have limited functionality because they only have a partial number of functions. This document presents an improved cookie detection algorithm with coarse sentences for processing large amounts of data using selected examples. The improved cuckoo detection algorithm mimics the behavior of brood attachment parasites in some cuckoo species, including some birds. Modified cuckoo recognition uses approximate set theory to create a fitness function that takes into account the sum of features and the quality of classification as a small amount. For an image entered as IQ from a database, distance metrics are used to find the appropriate image. This is the central idea of CBIR. The projected CBIR method is labelled and can extract shape features based on the RGB color using the and canny Edge (CED) and neutrosophic clustering algorithm scheme. After YCbCrcolor cut, and the CED to get the features to extract the vascular matrix. The combination of these techniques improves the efficiency of the CBR image recovery infrastructure. In this thesis recursive neural network techniques are used to measure the similarity. In addition, the accuracy of the results is: The recall score is measured to evaluate system performance. The proposed CBIR system provides more precise and accurate values than the complex CBIR system.

Trend analysis and record charts different technological parameter in the heat power, chemical and oil refining industry showed, that most of them are oscillatory in nature. In order to reduce the amplitude of the oscillations, filters are used, and for the actual value of the measured quantity — their average value. Research has found, that the oscillatory-pulse nature of trends and diagrams of measured values is observed in multi-parameter technological objects of control, which have valve valve strapping on both input and output material, heat or energy flows. It is shown that valve-type regulating organs, which are used in automatic control systems, together with the technological apparatus create partial objects, which work on a conservative type. This creates new dyna­mic objects with three or more private conservative systems, which together create a complex multi-para­meter technological control object with the oscillatory-pulse nature of the measured parameters. It was found that in many cases for such complex objects of control the average value of the measured parameter, defined with the trend, can differ significantly from its actual value. This leads to the appearance of significant measurement errors, and consequently, to an incorrect assessment of the quality of manufactured pro­ducts. The task is to study the causes of the appearance of such vibrational-pulse systems, their properties, devia­tions of average readings along the trend from the actual value of the measured parameter, and also develop methods for reducing measurement errors. The paper presents mathematical and physical models of such conservative control systems, obtained on the basis of the theory of rheological transformations, as well as the results of their research. It is shown that the vibrational-pulse trends of the measurement parameters are a set of angular frequencies of private objects, the sum of which creates an oscillatory-pulse form of the signals of the measuring parameters.

An epidemic model, the so-called SE(Is)(Ih)(Iicu)AR epidemic model, is proposed which splits the infectious subpopulation of the classical SEIR (Susceptible-Exposed-Infectious-Recovered) model into four subpopulations, namely asymptomatic infectious and three categories of symptomatic infectious, namely slight infectious, non-intensive care infectious, and intensive care hospitalized infectious. The exposed subpopulation has four different transitions to each one of the four kinds of infectious subpopulations governed under eventually different proportionality parameters. The performed research relies on the problem of satisfying prescribed hospitalization constraints related to the number of patients via control interventions. There are four potential available controls which can be manipulated, namely the vaccination of the susceptible individuals, the treatment of the non-intensive care unit hospitalized patients, the treatment of the hospitalized patients at the intensive care unit, and the transmission rate which can be eventually updated via public interventions such as isolation of the infectious, rules of groups meetings, use of face masks, decrees of partial or total quarantines, and others. The patients staying at the non-intensive care unit and those staying at the intensive care unit are eventually, but not necessarily, managed as two different hospitalized subpopulations. The controls are designed based on output controllability issues in the sense that the levels of hospital admissions are constrained via prescribed maximum levels and the measurable outputs are defined by the hospitalized patients either under a joint consideration of the sum of both subpopulations or separately. In this second case, it is possible to target any of the two hospitalized subpopulations only or both of them considered as two different components of the output. Different algorithms are given to design the controls which guarantee, if possible, that the prescribed hospitalization constraints hold. If this were not possible, because the levels of serious infection are too high according to the hospital availability means, then the constraints are revised and modified accordingly so that the amended ones could be satisfied by a set of controls. The algorithms are tested through numerically worked examples under disease parameterizations of COVID-19.

Abstract Background The era of Internet entrepreneurship is an era of “technology orientation, knowledge iteration, highly skilled talents and mode fission”, which challenges the original entrepreneurial education modes of experience (family), imitation (enterprise) and knowledge (University). Under the background of “structural entrepreneurship”, we need to break the threshold of “value creation” within the main body of education. Therefore, the emotional regulation ability and mental health of educational groups in the network era are particularly important. Research Objects and Methods This paper takes the theme of entrepreneurship education as the research object. From the perspective of value network theory and mental health, through case study and theoretical analysis, this paper theoretically deduces the “reconstruction of logical starting point relationship and value co creation” under the background of entrepreneurship education, mainly focusing on three aspects: (1) logical starting point: the driven change of innovation and entrepreneurship market; (2) Relationship reconstruction: the structural connection of the main body of entrepreneurship education; (3) Value co creation: benign improvement of the effectiveness of entrepreneurship education. This paper also uses the method of questionnaire to investigate the emotional micro behavior of entrepreneurship themes in different regions of China. The adoption of entrepreneurial anxiety scale is produced in the process of compiling self-awareness scale, which contains 6 items. A score of 0 indicates a low degree of focal deficiency and 24 indicates a high degree of focal deficiency. Cheier and Carver (1985) noticed that subjects without college education often have difficulties in understanding some items in the original scale, so they revised the scale to make it more understandable. The contents of the items in the social anxiety scale in the new scale have not changed, but their words have some minor modifications. At the same time, the score is also changed to 4-level system (0: not like me at all, 3: very like me). The scale scores range from. (low anxiety) to 18 (high anxiety). The correlation coefficient between the revised scale and the original scale was 0.86. This chapter includes the original scale and the revised scale respectively. The average of 179 male college students assessed by the original scale (5-level scoring system) was 12.5 (SD = 4.1). When using the revised scale (4-level scoring system), the mean of 213 men was 8.8 (SD = 4.3), while the mean of 85 women was 8.6 (SD = 4.7). Another sample, 396 middle-aged women, scored slightly lower. The mean is 7.3 (SD = 3.9). Cronbach of the original scale α the coefficient is the sum of Cronbach of the revised scale of 0.700 α The coefficient is 0.79. The two-week test-retest reliability of the original scale was 0.730, and the four-week test-retest correlation coefficient of the revised version was 0.77. Results (1) Entrepreneurship education in China has roughly experienced the development process of “family blood Network Entrepreneurship Education - cluster enterprise interactive Entrepreneurship Education - popularization of innovation and entrepreneurship concept education in Colleges and universities”. In the era of entrepreneurship, the original experiential, imitative and knowledge-based entrepreneurship education model is facing the dilemma of low efficiency or even ineffective: first, the “technology driven” weakens the experience advantage of family entrepreneurship education; Second, “model driven” weakens the imitation advantage of social entrepreneurship education; Third, “utility driven” breaks the knowledge advantage of entrepreneurship education in Colleges and universities. (2) In order to meet the new needs of the entrepreneurship market, under the background of “decentralization”, the main body of entrepreneurship education should actively break through the boundary, find the structural connection point and interactive intersection with other disciplines, embed core resources and advantages into the entrepreneurship education network, reconstruct the deeply integrated network relationship, promote the process reengineering of entrepreneurship education, and change the organizational form and content output of entrepreneurship education, Establish a multi-dimensional network coupling of multi-disciplinary cooperation guided by market demand: the first is the induced Association of “agglomeration” of core enterprises, the second is the “diffusion” of spillover Association of top universities, and the third is the interactive association “integration” of sharing platforms. At the same time, the correlation analysis between emotion regulation ability and health behavior of online education subjects under the “three drivers” shows that this study further finds that online learning efficacy plays a complete mediating role and a partial mediating role in the impact of positive academic emotion and negative academic emotion on online academic investment, respectively. Specifically, after introducing the mediating variable of learning efficacy, the path coefficient of “positive academic emotion online academic investment” decreased from significant to insignificant, indicating that online learning efficacy plays a complete mediating role in the influence of positive academic emotion on online learning investment; The relationship between negative academic emotion and online learning investment is still significant even after the introduction of mediating variables, which shows that online learning efficacy plays a partial mediating role in the impact of negative academic emotion on online learning investment. This result does not support Fredrickson's view that “positive emotions are associated with specific action tendencies”. In addition to the particularity of online learning environment, the difference of emotional nature plays an important role in the direct impact of positive academic emotion and negative academic emotion on online learning investment. This study believes that emotion is generated by individuals adapting to the environment. It is worth mentioning that negative emotions evolve gradually in the environment of dealing with survival threats, and are more closely related to specific action trends; Positive emotions are only accompanied by general activation, not specific action trends, and do not produce specific actions. Therefore, in the online learning environment, the positive academic emotion mainly affects the online learning investment by activating the individual's sense of learning efficacy, while the negative academic emotion not only directly affects the individual's online learning investment, but also indirectly affects the online learning investment by weakening the sense of learning efficacy. Conclusion The change of entrepreneurial market driving force gradually weakens the central advantage of the original subject of entrepreneurial education, making the experience advantage, imitation advantage and knowledge advantage in various entrepreneurial education unable to support the entrepreneurial behavior in the network era. Driven by “technology, mode and utility”, it is necessary to reconstruct the three interrelated modes of entrepreneurship education, Namely “core enterprise introduction (agglomeration), first-class university spillover (diffusion), sharing platform interaction (integration) So as to create three benefits after reconstructing the subject relationship of entrepreneurship education: rapid response to the advantages of network structure, symbiotic and mutual ecological effect, and multiple superimposed value creation system. Finally, strengthen positive cognitive education, carry out targeted psychological counseling for online educators, correctly guide positive emotions, turn some blind and optimistic impulsive emotions into rational motives, and guide them to carry out relevant activities according to their own advantages and characteristics. Set an example, clarify the incentive objectives, regularly hold successful model sharing, experience introduction, project display and other activities, set a successful example for positive emotions, clarify the specific objectives of entrepreneurial activities, form strong psychological motivation, stimulate internal potential and help realize positive behavior. Strengthen professional guidance and make the motivation of winning the bid behavioral. Give full play to the talent advantages under the Internet mode, enhance the degree of group intelligence, professionalize the knowledge in the business field, and form obvious talent and intellectual advantages. Experts and scholars can also be organized to establish professional staff psychological counseling teams, give full play to the business projects of experts and scholars in their respective fields, and carry out scientific research on entrepreneurship projects. Acknowledgements Supported by the Planning Project of Philosophy and Social Science in Zhejiang Province ”Research on Enterprise Education Model of Deep Integration and Stratification Promotion between School and Enterprise Based on Mass Innovation Platform“ (Project No.: 17NDJC285YB).

M-wallets are comparatively more advantageous and convenient than conventional payment systems as m-wallets allow users to avoid cash. The present research uses the diffusion of innovation theory as the base theory to propose a research model by incorporating constructs like convenience, perceived security, personal innovativeness, and perceived trust to investigate the determinants of consumers’ intention-to-use m-wallets. A twofold approach comprising of Structural Equation Modelling—Artificial Neural Network (SEM-ANN) was used: First, partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was employed to determine the significant determinants of intention-to-use. Second, the ANN approach was applied as robustness to corroborate the outcomes of PLS-SEM and to estimate the relative importance of the SEM-based significant determinants. Our findings confirmed that compatibility, ease of use, observability, convenience, relative advantage, personal innovativeness, perceived trust, and perceived security are the key elements that influence the intention-to-use m-wallets. Moreover, we ascertained that perceived security is the most influential predictor of intention-to-use. The outcomes of ANN have complemented the findings of PLS-SEM, but some differences were also exhibited in the order of influential factors. The study brings to fore significant insights and a set of suggestions for the companies carrying out the development, execution, and marketing of M-wallet services.

Understanding the behavioral intentions of public transit passengers during the COVID-19 pandemic is important for transmission control interventions oriented towards public transport system travel behavior. This paper studies the relationship between passengers’ intentions to use public transport, a set of psychological variables, and the influence of transport management policies (POLs) under COVID-19. Specifically, this study presents a framework integrating the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and customer satisfaction (CS) theory and uses partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) applied to the survey responses of 983 residents of Tianjin, China. The empirical results support the validity of this integrated model of public transit use intentions by confirming several hypothesized relationships among the psychological variables studied. Moreover, POLs under COVID-19 are shown to enhance commuters’ intentions primarily via subjective norms (SNs), perceived behavioral control (PBC), perceived service quality (PSQ), and CS. These findings reveal the psychological mechanism through which passengers adjust their public transport travel intentions during the COVID-19 period. Based on the results, some feasible suggestions are proposed to help restore confidence in public transport after the pandemic.

This study explores the psychological factors affecting small tourism firm (STF) owners’ decision making about reopening businesses in the midst of COVID-19 based on protection motivation theory and the theory of planned behaviour. The data were collected from a sample of 300 STFs in the Ancient City of Pingyao when the lockdown policy was lifted in China. A symmetric approach, i.e., partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS–SEM), and an asymmetric model, i.e., a fuzzy set/qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), were used to analyse the net effect of the psychological determinants and correlations between the variables leading to high and low behavioural intentions to reopen businesses. The results indicate that social norms and perceived business uncertainty were the critical factors influencing the intention to reopen. The pathway (low perceived risk of infection, low perceived business uncertainty, high reward, high response efficacy, high self-efficacy, high attitude, and high subjective norm) was only one configuration for a high intention to reopen. The study results are discussed based on dual-process theory, and practical implications are offered to guide STF recovery amid COVID-19.

PurposeDrawing on social exchange theory (SET) and conservation of resource (COR) theory, the purpose of this research is to examine the relationship between servant leadership and employees' innovative behaviour and explore the neglected mediating role of psychological safety and thriving.Design/methodology/approachFollowing cross-sectional research design, data was collected from 347 employees of large size information technology (IT) companies in Pakistan. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) technique was used for data analysis.FindingsThe results reveal that servant leadership has direct and positive relationship with employees' innovative behaviour. Moreover, psychological safety and thriving partially mediate this relationship.Practical implicationsThis research reinforces the role of servant leadership in organizations striving for a high rate of innovation. Findings of this study suggest managers to practice servant leadership behaviours which enhance employees psychological resources: psychological safety and thriving and prompt them to engage in innovative behaviour.Originality/valueThis research makes novel contribution to the incipient literature by providing first empirical evidence on the simultaneous role of psychological safety and thriving in translating the influence of servant leadership on employees' innovative behaviour.

Purpose Based on social exchange theory (SET) and signaling theory (ST), this study aims to evaluate how an event’s perceived environmental certification (PEC) by residents, affect their evaluations of environmental impacts and subsequent event support (ES). The moderating role of place attachment (PA) on some of these relationships is also evaluated. Design/methodology/approach Using partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), a theoretical model is tested on a sample of 450 residents who attended the 2015 Milan World Expo. Findings PEC positively affects evaluations of positive environmental impacts (PEI) but negatively affects evaluations of negative environmental impacts (NEI). PEC positively affects ES while the relationship between PEC and NEI is moderated by PA. Research limitations/implications Items used to measure PEC, PEI and NEI are not exhaustive. SET has its own limitations in explaining residents’ ES, which the authors have attempted to attenuate by using ST. Practical implications Using environmental certification as a communication tool must demonstrate to residents how it reduces negative externalities, rather than focusing only on its positive community benefits. Less well-educated residents had the lowest ES, suggesting the need to use social media to increase ES. Originality/value This study contributes to understandings of the perceptions of the benefits of event certification by residents, and how this affects their ES. PA moderates the relationship between PEC and NEI.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of green human resource management (GHRM) practices (e.g., green pay attention and rewards, green performance management, green involvement, green recruitment and selection, and green training role) on millennial employees’ turnover intention (METI) in Malaysian three-star, four-star, and five-star hotels with a moderator (work environment) using social exchange theory (SET). The survey used structured questionnaires to collect data from 210 millennial employees using the convenience sampling technique. The research hypotheses were tested using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). The findings of this study indicate that only green rewards and green involvement have a significant impact on METI. Furthermore, the results indicate that the work environment has no moderating impact on the relationships between green HRM practices and millennial employees’ turnover intention. Finally, the implications, limitations, and future directions for research are also addressed to potential researchers.

Globally, sports tourism is considered a vital type of tourism that combines sports and tourism to attract tourists, contribute to the economy, and promote local culture. Despite its straightforward relevance, the current literature finds some drawbacks of the social exchange theory (SET) in modeling local support in tourism development, particularly when dealing with emotional interactions among tourists and locals. Thus, this study integrates the emotional solidarity construct (i.e., welcoming nature, sympathetic understanding, and emotional closeness), residents’ attitudes, and the extension of SET (i.e., support for sports tourism, community contribution, and future support for sports tourism development) to model the residents’ support for future sports tourism development, with personality traits as a moderating variable between emotional solidarity and attitude. This study uses random sampling to obtain the response from 1004 residents in Danao City (Philippines)—an emerging destination for sporting events. Furthermore, partial least squares—structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) is utilized to examine the direct relationships among the exogenous and endogenous constructs and the moderating effect of personality traits (i.e., Big Five personality traits). The results revealed that all direct relationships were supported, indicating that those emotional interactions among tourists and residents would affect the latter’s view on their support for sports tourism which would consequently translate to support for future development agenda. However, the moderating effect of the personality traits was not supported. Furthermore, a multigroup analysis was conducted to gain more profound implications on the varying attitudes of the residents towards sports tourism. Based on the study’s findings, insights were drawn for governments to design specific measures for developing sports tourism in view of local support.

PURPOSE: The paper focuses on assessing the direct effect of entrepreneurial self-efficacy and entrepreneurial intention and the indirect effect of the need for independence on the relationship between the constructs. Despite increased efforts towards steering the interest of young graduates towards entrepreneurial venture, the response rate has been rather unimpressive and discouraging, thus demanding the need to account for what factors could drive intention towards venture ownership among graduates in Nigeria. METHODOLOGY: A quantitative approach was adopted and a data set from 235 graduates was used for the study. The data was analyzed using the partial least square structural equation model (PLS-SEM). FINDINGS: It was found that self-efficacy does not significantly affect intention. It was also found that the need for independence affects entrepreneurial intention. The study found that the need for independence fully mediates the relationship between entrepreneurial self-efficacy and entrepreneurial intention. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: This paper provides new insight into the behavioral reasoning theory, through its application in explaining the cognitive role of the need for independence in decision-making, using samples from a developing economy. ORIGINALITY AND VALUE: The study advances a new perspective on the underlining factors that account for an entrepreneur’s intent to start a business venture, most especially among young graduates in Nigeria, through the lens of the behavioral reasoning theory. We further support the application of the theory in entrepreneurship literature, given the paucity of studies that have adopted the theory despite its relevance.

PurposeDrawing upon the relational exchange theory, the longitudinal relationship between various stages of project management customer satisfaction, value for money and repurchase intent are examined.Design/methodology/approachUsing a survey questionnaire, data were gathered over four consecutive quarters (N = 2,537). The statistical methods included exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory composite analysis (CCA) and partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).FindingsProject management was perceived as a three-dimensional construct (proposal, installation, commissioning/start-up). There was a significant longitudinal relationship between project stages and satisfaction in the complete data set. The results varied on the quarterly basis. The relationship customer satisfaction/repurchase intent was significant in the whole data set and during all quarters. This was the case for the relationships between value for money and customer satisfaction and between value for money and repurchase intent. The effect sizes were small between project management stages and customer satisfaction, small to medium for the value for money construct and large for the customer satisfaction construct.Originality/valueAn important implication is the significant relationship between the stages of project management and satisfaction. However, the effect sizes were small, however. The importance of the effect size in comparison to the significance of the relationships is highlighted especially when the sample size is large. The paper also confirms the linear relationship between satisfaction and repurchase intent. The nature of the relationship between customer satisfaction and loyalty is based on a moderate exchange relationship in the relational exchange continuum. The study contributes to the relational exchange theory in the context of project management.

Theoretical and experimental Investigations of shock wave consolidation processes of Ti - Al nano sized and ultra-disperse powder compositions are discussed. For theoretical calculations of the shock wave loaded materials were used the hydrodynamic theory and experimental adiabatic of Ti and Al . The normal and tangential stresses in the cylindrical steel tube (containers of Ti - Al reaction mixtures) were estimated using the partial solutions of elasticity theory. The mixtures of ultra-disperse Ti and nano sized (≤ 50nm) Al powder compositions were consolidated to full or near-full density by explosive-compaction technology. The ammonium nitride based industrial explosives were used for generation of shock waves. To form ultra-fine grained bulk TiAl intermetallics with different compositions, ultra-disperse Ti particles were mixed with nano-crystalline Al . Each reaction mixture was placed in a sealed container and explosively compacted using a normal and cylindrical detonation set-up. Explosive compaction experiments were performed in range of pressure impulse (5-20) GPa. X-ray diffraction (XRD), structural investigations (SEM) and micro-hardness measurements were used to characterize the intermetallics phase composition and mechanical properties. The results of analysis revealing the effects of the compacting conditions and precursor particles sizes, affecting the consolidation and the properties of this new ultra high performance alloys are discussed.

While the potential macro-economic benefits of tourism development have been well-established, the negative social effects of uninhibited growth have received increased attention in the last decade, emphasizing the central role of communities in the search for a sustainable balance in tourism. This paper focuses on the relatively underdeveloped Scheldeland region in Flanders (Belgium), where a strategic goal is to leverage cultural and natural heritage to boost development. Via a resident questionnaire based on a simplified version of the Resident Empowerment through Tourism Scale (RETS), we identified support for tourism development and deconstructed the drivers of this support. The objective was to empirically validate the research instrument and underlying theory in a situation of relative ‘undertourism’ and prospective future growth. The questionnaire collected 2058 responses, and the partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) results indicated that support for tourism, which was generally high across the seven municipalities, was mainly affected by social, psychological, and political empowerment, with personal economic benefits not playing a significant role. These results show that social exchange theory (SET) as a theoretical basis for potential tourism support has limited validity in currently underdeveloped destinations. Secondly, comparatively speaking, the municipalities with the lowest tourism development were least supportive of tourism growth, with an increase in tourism intensity seemingly leading to increasing support due to a higher awareness of accrued benefits through tourism.

Participating in community leisure activities has become an important way for the public to pursue good health and a high quality of life. However, few studies have focused on the health and welfare effects of participating in urban leisure activities during the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to this gap in the literature, this study drew on the stimulus–organism–response (SOR) theory to examine the effects of community leisure on subjective well-being during the pandemic from the perspective of urban residents. A sample of 1041 urban residents in Beijing, China, was empirically analyzed by applying partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). The PLS-SEM results revealed the net effects of the pandemic influence, leisure satisfaction, leisure environment, and community identity on subjective well-being. The fsQCA provided causal methods for realizing subjective well-being and a necessary condition analysis supplemented the necessary antecedents. The results showed that (1) higher levels of pandemic influence and leisure environment increased leisure satisfaction; (2) pandemic influence, leisure environment, and leisure satisfaction had a positive effect on community identity; (3) pandemic influence, leisure satisfaction, and community identity also combined with leisure environment and leisure time to positively influence subjective well-being; and (4) leisure satisfaction and community identity mediated the impacts of pandemic influence and leisure environment on subjective well-being. This paper contributes not only to empirical evidence but also to theory by constructing and enriching the research models of community leisure and subjective well-being. The practical implications for the public, community managers, and policymakers are also discussed.

This study investigated the impact of global mind-set (GM) and halal brand trust (HBT) on halal entrepreneurial performance (HEP). This study extends the entrepreneurship literature by adopting the dynamic capability theory (DCT) to assess HEP. Data were collected from 311 SMEs established in Indonesia using the simple random sampling method, whereas the variance-based partial least-square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) approach was used for test the proposed conceptual model. This study revealed the significant effect of GM and HBT upon HEP. Additionally, entrepreneurial competency (EC) and effectual logic (EL) displayed partially mediating effects. This study found that online food delivery (OFD) had strengthened the relationship between EC and HEP. Nevertheless, EC had no statistical impact on EL, while OFD negatively affected the GM-HEP link. Due to the limited scope of this study, the cross-sectional approach adopted in this study is viewed as a limitation. Besides, constriction in time had led this study to be conducted within a specified time-frame. As such, future studies may adopt the longitudinal approach over a period of three to five years in order to overcome the listed limitations. This study assessed the effect of GM and HBT on HEP as fresh insight to better comprehend the determinants of HEP in uncertain condition. This study has extended the theory of Teece et al. (1997) DCT within the context of HEP. Upon determining the effect of two new constructs (GM and HBT) through the lens of DCT and validating the proposed model, this study offers theoretical and contextual contributions to the overall body of knowledge with PLS-SEM.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine privacy issues in the e-commerce context from a power-responsibility equilibrium theory (PRE) perspective. Design/methodology/approach The data was collected using an online survey (n = 335) from online shopping consumers. This study used partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) techniques to empirically examine the proposed relationships. Findings A lack of corporate privacy responsibility and regulatory protection can deprive consumers of privacy empowerment and damage consumer trust to trigger privacy concerns and subsequent defensive responses. Also, the fsQCA revealed five causal configurations to explain high consumer defensive behaviours. Research limitations/implications This study identifies the importance of PRE theory in the privacy context. Consumer privacy concerns, privacy empowerment and trust are established as strong mediators between corporate/regulatory privacy protection efforts and consumer backlash. The application of fsQCA verified that consumer privacy behaviour can be better explained by different configurations of the same causal antecedents. Practical implications The findings highlight the importance of increasing trust and privacy empowerment as mechanisms to manage privacy concerns and consumer backlash through responsible organisational and regulatory privacy protections. The importance of balancing power and responsibility dynamics for maintaining a healthy information exchange environment is identified. Originality/value This study extends the PRE framework of privacy to include corporate privacy responsibility, privacy empowerment and trust. This is one of the first studies to explore both antecedents and outcomes of privacy empowerment. Also, the application of complexity theory and fsQCA to explain consumers’ defensive responses is novel to the literature.

Due to the emergence of Web 2.0 and consequently the increased use of social media, this study aims to explore the role of social media in changing the behavior of tourists and the choice of a destination. Despite the massive popularity of social media, the studies with a comprehensive set of driving constructs along with indicators of social media regarding the changing behavior of tourists are lacking in the literature. Therefore, framed by the theory of planned behavior (TPB), the present study fulfills this research gap by developing a set of driving constructs and carrying out an empirical analysis by collecting data from millennials in the selected universities of the Czech Republic. Through the non-random sampling technique, precisely convenience sampling, 261 valid responses were received, and partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) analysis was performed to achieve the objectives of this study. The results indicate that social media channels have a significant impact on behavioral intention and the actual behavior of tourists (significant direct and indirect effect). The constructs tourist information search and tourism promotion were partially supported toward predicting the behavior of tourists. Control–variables related to socio-economic characteristics such as gender and educational level also have a significant impact in determining the actual behavior of tourists. Hence, overall, the study concludes with the significant and considerable impact of social media on the behavior of tourists. The contributions of the study and future directions are discussed at the end of the paper.

PurposeThis study aims to explore the extent to which companies rely on sustainability management control systems (SMCS) to translate corporate social responsibility (CSR) into superior performance building upon the premise of the natural resource orchestration perspective.Design/methodology/approachData were collected based on a survey data set from 118 Chief Financial Officers of publicly listed companies in Iran. The theoretical model was tested using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM, SmartPLS 3.0) as a method that enjoys minimum demands concerning normality assumptions and sample size.FindingsThe findings support the full mediation effect of SMCS on the relationship between CSR and organizational performance. This implies that CSR affects performance only through the mediating role of SMCS.Practical implicationsThe central premise in the proposed theoretical framework is that the utilization of proper management control mechanisms (i.e. SMCS) can help the organization to better synchronize, measure and manage – i.e. “orchestrate” – the social, environmental and economic impacts, and this, in turn, leads to improved organizational performance.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study of its kind, building on a unique synthesis of the agency cost perspective and resource orchestration theory, to introduce the “natural resource orchestration” approach for examining the intervening role of SMCS between CSR and organizational performance.

The integration of mobile augmented reality technology (MART) into the education system since the last two decades have brought to the topic of discussion among many scholars. Although numerous studies have highlighted its huge potentials and benefits toward both teacher's and students' teaching and learning process, several researchers reported that teachers’ readiness to integrate mobile augmented reality technology is still uncertain. Given the importance and consideration of research that has been undertaken, the present study was set to examine the Malaysian pre-service teachers’ readiness toward integrating MART into their learning and future teaching process. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was adapted as the theoretical grounding of the study in explaining and predicting pre-service teachers’ decision to integrate mobile augmented reality technology. Data of the study was gathered from 303 Malaysian pre-service teachers and were analysed using the descriptive analysis of SPSS and Partial Least Square (PLS) of Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). Findings from the study demonstrate that pre-service teachers’ readiness to integrate MART is at a moderate level. The study also suggested that pre-service teachers’ perceived usefulness has the most significant direct effect on their decision to integrate MART. On the basis of these findings a purpose model is developed, and implications of theory development, practices, and policymaking are discussed in this paper.

PurposeFollowing the planned behaviour theory, the aim of the paper is to analyse the role played by brand attachment, brand characteristics and congruence in enhancing brand attitude while leading to revisit intentions and word-of-mouth (WOM) in the restaurant sector.Design/methodology/approachThe study is based on the quantitative method and considered 464 questionnaires fulfilled by customers of restaurants. The data were explored employing the partial least square–structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM).FindingsThis study expands the literature about WOM and revisit intentions. The paper states that brand attitude positively influenced revisit intentions and WOM. Besides, findings highlighted that analysed concepts were positively correlated and that they played an important role in impacting revisit intentions and WOM, apart from one factor: social self-congruity, which was not significantly related to brand attitude.Practical implicationsThe results of this paper show practitioners how to develop suitable strategies that set the bases for developing customer loyalty and repeat business. By putting into practice these suggestions in the restaurant sector, brands can easily build up their attitude and boost a positive WOM and the intention to revisit.Originality/valueThe study offers a conceptual framework to explore the significance of several factors, including revisit intentions and WOM. In practice, taking into account the proposed framework, it is suggested that restaurant managers should assess these two items using several factors including congruence, brand characteristics and brand attachment.

PurposeCollective reputation cognition is an enterprise's perception of the general rules of reputation evaluation, jointly formed by a network's collective members. It affects the choice of enterprises' innovation behavior and guides enterprises to occupy a dominant position in the innovation network, thus achieving high innovation performance. In this process, it is inseparable from the enterprise's good network competence. This study attempts to bring collective reputation cognition, network competence and innovation performance into the same framework and aims to explore the relationship among them and determine the influential roles of collective reputation perception and network capability on innovation performance.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses 227 Chinese enterprises in the innovation network as samples and applies partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to explore the questions mentioned above.FindingsThe results verify the relationship among collective reputation cognition, network competence and innovation performance. Furthermore, the results yield five paths that lead to high innovation performance, such as “putting ability first” and “both fame and competence”, which are different combinations of collective reputation cognition and network competence.Originality/valueBased on institutional theory, this study considers the network context and identifies “collective reputation cognition” as a key variable. Meanwhile, it opens the “black box” of the mechanism of reputation's influence on innovation performance and finds that the combined paths of collective reputation cognition and network competence achieve high performance in terms of innovation.

Purpose This study aims to gain insight into how employee psychological and human resource (HR) practices impact employee work engagement behavior. In addition to that, the research model of this study has tested the moderating relationship of affective employee commitment between employee work engagement and sustainable employability. Design/methodology/approach The research model is empirically tested with data set of 311 responses retrieved from an employee working in private organizations. Sample size of this study is computed with prior power analysis. Data were analyzed with partial least square-based structural equation modeling (SEM). Findings Findings of the SEM revealed that altogether psychological well-being, psychological empowerment, HR compensation, HR training, transformational leadership and job enrichment have explained R2 66.1% variance in employee work engagement. Concerning individual impact size psychological well-being has shown medium level effect size (f2) in measuring employee work engagement. However, all other exogenous variables have shown a small effect in determining employee work engagement. The moderating effect of commitment is confirmed in such a way that the relationship between employee work engagement and sustainable employability will be higher when affective commitment is higher. Practical implications This research has synthesized HR literature into four core dimensions of HR practices and, hence contributes to HR literature. Similarly, this research contributes to well-being theory while integrating employee psychological well-being into the research model. For HR practitioners this research revealed that psychological well-being, psychological empowerment, affective employee commitment, transformational leadership, HR compensation and HR training are core factors, which influence employee behavior toward work engagement and sustainable employability. Originality/value The current research is unique as it investigates sustainable employability phenomenon with an integrated research model that combines employee psychological and HR factors. The concept of sustainable employability is less studied, and therefore this research fills the research gap in this context.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of unobserved heterogeneity in the context of partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), its prevalence and challenges for social science researchers. Part II – in the next issue (European Business Review, Vol. 28 No. 2) – presents a case study, which illustrates how to identify and treat unobserved heterogeneity in PLS-SEM using the finite mixture PLS (FIMIX-PLS) module in the SmartPLS 3 software. Design/methodology/approach – The paper merges literatures from various disciplines, such as management information systems, marketing and statistics, to present a state-of-the-art review of FIMIX-PLS. Based on this review, the paper offers guidelines on how to apply the technique to specific research problems. Findings – FIMIX-PLS offers a means to identify and treat unobserved heterogeneity in PLS-SEM and is particularly useful for determining the number of segments to extract from the data. In the latter respect, prior applications of FIMIX-PLS restricted their focus to a very limited set of criteria, but future studies should broaden the scope by considering information criteria, theory and logic. Research limitations/implications – Since the introduction of FIMIX-PLS, a range of alternative latent class techniques have emerged to address some of the limitations of the approach relating, for example, to the technique’s inability to handle heterogeneity in the measurement models and its distributional assumptions. The second part of this article (Part II) discusses alternative latent class techniques in greater detail and calls for the joint use of FIMIX-PLS and PLS prediction-oriented segmentation. Originality/value – This paper is the first to offer researchers who have not been exposed to the method an introduction to FIMIX-PLS. Based on a state-of-the-art review of the technique in Part I, Part II follows up by offering a step-by-step tutorial on how to use FIMIX-PLS in SmartPLS 3.

Researchers and practitioners have been very enthusiastic and spend the most determinations to study all possible means in order to grab the most advantage from their human resources (HR) especially the Gen Y employees. These employees are pertinent to the part of organisation’s strategic business plan and contribute to the organisation’s performance as well as sustainable competitive advantage. Hence, employee commitment remains a key challenge especially in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Malaysia. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship of compensation, training, employee involvement as well as the ability, motivation and opportunity (AMO) model towards employee commitment. The study also seeks to provide the theory-based empirical evidence that the role of AMO model as a mediator in achieving the commitment of employees and used Social Exchange Theory (SET) in order to explain the theoretical rationale of the study model. A total of 168 Gen Y employees representing SMEs service sectors in Selangor, Malaysia participated in this study. Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) was utilised in order to explain the relationship among HR practices towards employee commitment as well as AMO model as a mediator. A key finding that emerged from the analysis showed that only training has direct relationship toward the employee commitment and AMO model plays an important role in gaining employee commitment as it mediates the relationship of employee involvement. However, compensation has no effect in any relationship. Particularly, this study has helped to place the human resource practices, AMO model and employee commitment in the SET by giving a new perspective theoretically that the correct approach of gaining commitment of employees by providing the appropriate practices that employee will reciprocate in return. Also, it showed that Gen Y employees are seeking more involvement than compensation in order to commit themselves. SMEs should involve employees in their daily activities or any decision-making and offers other recognition programs, as money and remuneration are no longer a motivational urge for employees to become committed. Moreover, the findings could therefore serve as a turning point for SMEs to start concentrating and provide more job-related training so that employees can upgrade their skills particularly in this Industrial 4.0 era, where everything changes greatly in the way they deal with others.

While the digitalization of products and services in the entertainment industry has gained momentum in the last decades, online theater streaming is a relatively new phenomenon boosted by the COVID-19 restrictions, which created new market opportunities—and demand—for theaters’ online presence. This study investigates a new online platform providing theater streaming services in Hungary from a customer-centric, technology acceptance point of view. The survey-based study is designed to examine which factors of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT2) model are—and were—relevant in the under-researched live performance art sector of the digital entertainment industry under the unprecedented, coercive conditions of pandemic lockdowns. The results of the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) show that habit is the most influential factor of theater webcasting adoption (before hedonic motivations and price value), suggesting that the new habits formed during the COVID-19 lockdowns might serve as a basis of a sustainable digital business model for theatres in the post-pandemic era as well. The analysis also tested for potential generational differences between cohorts of users, finding no significant ones, which suggests that, under this specific set of social, technology and market conditions, all generations react similarly and are equally relevant for widening the customer base. Keeping in mind some limitations (self-reported and cross-sectional data), these empirical results can not only enrich the scientific body of knowledge but can also serve as the basis of future marketing and communication strategies developed by partitioners.

Purpose The innovative mentality, it has been found that it is poorly addressed, which in turn does not provide clear delineations in academic literature. The innovative mentality is an opposition to the traditional innovative culture and that this is observed indirectly through the new forms of action of the younger generations. The purpose of this study aims to seek to provide answers by analyzing how the innovative mentality of leaders 40 years of age and under impacts the transformational or transactional leadership styles. Second, this research analyzes whether the leadership style used in the “40 Under 40” impacts an innovative organizational behavior that positively drives toward organizational success. Design/methodology/approach The partial least squares structural equations method (PLS-SEM) is used to analyze a set of hypotheses to 103 professionals awarded the 40 under 40 of Caribbean Business Magazine in Puerto Rico between 2012 and 2016. The unit of analysis were young professionals recognized as the “40 Under 40” by the Caribbean Business Magazine in Puerto Rico between 2012 and 2016. Findings The study results contribute a novel theory about a new style of leadership, based on innovative mentality as a central axis, when combining different leadership styles. The second study examined whether there are significant differences between male and female gender through the proposed research model. The results reflect when the organizational innovative behavior is analyzed, the transactional leadership role used by women is highlighted. Originality/value This study distinguishes the “40 Under 40” from other leaders and has allowed their enterprises to be successful is their innovative leadership style, which is executed through their innovative mentality.

PurposeThis paper investigates if the existing degree of students' acceptance and use of mobile or m-learning may face the online shift determined by SARS-CoV-2. Based on the extended unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT2), a new comprehensive model, SD-UTAUT (social distancing-UTAUT), is developed to better understand relationships between the original constructs, plus personal innovativeness (PI) and information quality (IQ). It identifies the key factors affecting behavioral intention (BI) and use by examining the influence of revaluated hedonic motivation (HM) and learning value (LV) importance as mediators.Design/methodology/approachThe paper opted for an exploratory study involving 311 learners, using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).FindingsSD-UTAUT can be a new m-learning model in higher education. It has high predictive power and confirmed 15 out of 16 hypotheses. The most powerful relationship is between performance expectancy (PE) and HM. IQ affected LV the most, since HM the behavioral use (BU). HM impacts the use behavior (UB) more than LV, but habit (HT) affects it the most.Research limitations/implicationsBecause of the pandemic context, output may lack generalizability and reproducibility.Practical implicationsTo improve usage, staff must provide better support, course creators emphasize the objectives and competencies and developers integrate innovation. The joy and pleasure of m-learning use may stimulate the LV through interesting and interactive content, like incorporating gamification.Originality/valueThe model set-up and circumstances are previously unseen. SD-UTAUT confirms ten new hypotheses and introduces the student's grade point average (GPA) as a moderator.Peer reviewThe peer review history for this article is available at https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/OIR-01-2021-0017

Aim/Purpose: This study aims at (1) extending an existing theoretical framework to gain a deeper understanding of the technology acceptance process, notably of the Facebook social network in an unexplored Middle East context, (2) investigating the influence of social support theory on Facebook adoption outside the work context, (3) validating the effectiveness of the proposed research model for enhancing Facebook adoption, and (4) determining the effect of individual differences (gender, age, experience, and educational level) amongst Facebook users on the associated path between the proposed model constructs. Background: Social networking sites (SNSs) are widely adopted to facilitate social interaction in the Web-based medium. As such, this present work contends that there is a gap in the existing literature, particularly in the Middle East context, as regards an empirical investigation of the relationship between the social, psychological, individual, and cognitive constructs potentially affecting users’ intention to accept SNSs. The present research, therefore, attempts to address this deficit. The relevance of this work is also considered in light of the scarcity of empirical evidence and lack of detailed research on the effect of social support theory with regard to SNS adoption in a non-work context. Methodology: A quantitative research approach was adopted for this study. The corresponding analysis was carried out based on structural equation modelling (SEM), more specifically, partial least squares (PLS), using SmartPLS software. Earlier research recommended the PLS approach for exploratory studies when extending an existing model or developing a new theory. PLS is also a superior method of complex causal modelling. Moreover, a multi-group analysis technique was adopted to investigate the moderating influence of individual differences. This method divides the dataset into two groups and then computes the cause and effect relationships between the research model variables for each set. The analysis of an in-person survey with a sample of Facebook users (N=369) subsequently suggested four significant predictors of continuous Facebook use. Contribution: This study contributes to the body of knowledge relating to SNSs by providing empirical evidence of constructs that influence Facebook acceptance in the case of a developing country. It raises awareness of antecedents of Facebook acceptance at a time when SNSs are widely used in Arab nations and worldwide. It also contributes to previous literature on the effectiveness of the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) in different cultural contexts. Another significant contribution of this study is that it has reported on the relevance of social support theory to Facebook adoption, with this theory demonstrating a significant and direct ability to predict Facebook acceptance. Finally, the present research identified the significant moderating effect of individual differences on the associated path between the proposed model constructs. This means that regardless of technological development, individual gaps still appeared to exist among users. Findings: The findings suggested four significant predictors of continuous Facebook use, namely, (a) performance expectancy, (b) peer support, (c) family support, and (d) perceived playfulness. Furthermore, behavioral intention and facilitating conditions were found to be significant determinants of actual Facebook use, while individual differences were shown to moderate the path strength between several variables in the proposed research model. Recommendations for Practitioners: The results of the present study make practical contributions to SNS organizations. For example, this research revealed that users do not adopt Facebook because of its usefulness alone; instead, users’ acceptance is developed through a sequence of variables such as individual differences, psychological factors, and social and organizational beliefs. Accordingly, social media organizations should not consider only strategies that apply to just one context, but also to other contexts characterized by different beliefs, perceptions, and cultures. Moreover, the evidence provided here is that social support theory has a significant influence on SNSs acceptance. This suggests that social media organizations should provide services to support this concept. Furthermore, the significant positive effect of perceived playfulness on the intention to use SNSs implied that designers and organizations should pay further attention to the entertainment services provided by social networks. Recommendation for Researchers: To validate the proposed conceptual framework, researchers from different countries and cultures are invited to apply the model. Moreover, a longitudinal research design could be implemented to gather data over a longer period, in order to investigate whether users have changed their attitudes, beliefs, perceptions, and intention by the end of the study period. Other constructs, such as individual experience, compatibility, and quality of working life could be included to improve the power of the proposed model. Impact on Society: Middle Eastern Facebook users regard the network as an important tool for interacting with others. The increasing number of Facebook users renders it a tool of universal communication and enjoyment, as well as a marketing network. However, knowledge of the constructs affecting the application of SNSs is valuable for ensuring that such sites have the various functions required to suit different types of user. Future Research: It is hoped that our future research will build on the results of this work and attempt to provide further explanation of why users accept SNSs. In this future research, the proposed research model could be adopted to explore SNSs acceptance in other developing countries. Researchers might also include other factors of potential influence on SNSs acceptance. The constructs influencing acceptance of other social networks could then be compared to the present research findings and thus, the differences and similarities would be highlighted.

Aim/Purpose: This study was designed to examine the extent to which high school teachers intend to continue using the tablet PC in their teaching within the context of the Tablet Project initiative in Kuwait. It explores what drives their adoption intention. Background: Blended learning offers teachers the potential to adopt IT to augment their instructions and refocus their content, target group, context, and ethical facets; explore new modes of education and consider effective methods to educate students; and experience more flexibility in both course design and delivery method. To reap the potential benefits of integrating IT in education, the Ministry of Education in Kuwait introduced the “Tablet Project” in public high schools during the 2015–2016 academic year; three years later, it was unclear whether the teachers would continue using the tablet PCs in their teaching. Methodology: The research model adapts constructs from the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) and the Technological, Pedagogical, and Content Knowledge (TPACK) models. It includes facilitating conditions (FC), social influence (SI), and teaching efficacy (TE) as predictors of teachers’ behavioral intentions (BI) to continue using the tablet PC in future teaching. The model also proposes a moderating effect of gender, age, and tablet PC experience on BI. To test the research hypotheses, a data set was collected from 206 teachers and analyzed using the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) method. Contribution: This study provides empirical evidence on important predictors of continuous IT adoption in teaching activities and identifies lessons that could guide initiatives aimed to embed IT in the pre-college education system in Kuwait as well as other similar systems. It contributes results to advance theories and models aimed to explain and predict sustainable IT adoption in education systems across cultures. Findings: While TE arises as a non-significant predictor of BI, SI emerges as the strongest predictor of BI. FC is the second significant predictor of BI, although its direct effect on BI is non-significant. Gender, age, and tablet PC experience have non-significant moderating effects on BI. These results provide significant statistical support for the predictive power of the model, as it explains approximately 50% of the variance in BI. Recommendations for Practitioners: Since this research is directly connected to the reality of IT adoption in teaching in the Kuwaiti high school system, the findings should be of value for the Kuwaiti educational system and future teachers’ professional development initiatives. They should inform future actions and strategies aimed at successfully integrating IT in pre-college education in Kuwait and other similar countries. Recommendation for Researchers: The findings add to the ongoing research effort aimed to develop a better understanding of the intention to continue using IT in instruction and its influential factors across cultures (e.g., Arabian culture), especially since most earlier TPACK studies were carried out in Asian countries and the US. Our findings also confirm the value of UTAUT constructs (i.e., SI and FC) in explaining and predicting the intention to continue using IT by high school teachers, as the research model explains approximately 50% of the variance in the teachers’ BI. Impact on Society: This research offers empirical evidence that adds much-needed nuance to the discourse on teachers’ IT adoption intention and behavior and informs policies and strategies in support of initiatives aimed to integrate IT into education. The provision of a technical and organizational ecosystem that is conducive to sustainable IT integration in the Kuwaiti education system must be part of a more comprehensive initiative to digitize the entire education system. Education policy makers should embrace a digital mindset to adopt IT and transform the teaching, learning, and managerial processes in the system. Future Research: Future research could replicate this study and compare the results, employ other research methods (e.g., focus-group discussions and observations) to investigate teachers’ IT adoption in various educational contexts, adapt research models that include other predictors, and investigate and produce results on students’ perspectives regarding their initial and continuous adoption of the tablet PC within the Tablet Project context.

Our studies have indicated that the relative concentration of Se or Hg to As in urine and blood positively correlates with percentage of inorganic arsenic (% Inorg-As) and percentage of monomethlyarsonic acid [% MMA (V)]. We also found a negative correlation with percentage of dimethylarsinic acid [% DMA (V)] and the ratio of % DMA (V) to % MMA (V). In another study, we found that a group of proteins were significantly over expressed and conversely other groups were under-expressed in tissues in Na-As (III) treated hamsters. Introduction.Inorganic arsenic (Inorg-As) in drinking water.One of the largest public health problems at present is the drinking of water containing levels of Inorg-As that are known to be carcinogenic. At least 200 million people globally are at risk of dying because of arsenic (As) in their drinking water1-3. The chronic ingestion of Inorg-As can results in skin cancer, bladder cancer, lung cancer, and cancer of other organs1-3. The maximum contamination level (MCL) of U.S. drinking water for arsenic is 10 ug/L. The arsenic related public health problem in the U.S. is not at present anywhere near that of India4, Bangladesh4, and other countries5. Metabolism and toxicity of Inorg-As and arsenic species.Inorg-As is metabolized in the body by alternating reduction of pentavalent arsenic to trivalent form by enzymes and addition of a methyl group from S-adenosylmethionine6, 7; it is excreted mainly in urine as DMA (V)8. Inorganic arsenate [Inorg-As (V)]is biotransformed to Inorg-As (III), MMA (V), MMA (III), DMA (V), and DMA (III)6(Fig. 1). Therefore, the study of the toxicology of Inorg-As (V) involves at least these six chemical forms of arsenic. Studies reported the presence of 3+ oxidation state arsenic biotransformants [MMA (III) and DMA (III)] in human urine9and in animal tissues10. The MMA (III) and DMA (III) are more toxic than other arsenicals11, 12. In particular MMA (III) is highly toxic11, 12. In increased % MMA in urine has been recognized in arsenic toxicity13. In addition, people with a small % MMA in urine show less retention of arsenic14. Thus, the higher prevalence of toxic effects with increased % MMA in urine could be attributed to the presence of toxic MMA (III) in the tissue. Previous studies also indicated that males are more susceptible to the As related skin effects than females13, 15. A study in the U.S population reported that females excreted a lower % Inorg-As as well as % MMA, and a higher % DMA than did males16. Abbreviation: SAM, S-adenosyl-L-methionine; SAHC, S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine. Differences in susceptibility to arsenic toxicity might be manifested by differences in arsenic metabolism among people. Several factors (for examples, genetic factors, sex, duration and dosage of exposure, nutritional and dietary factors, etc.) could be influence for biotransformation of Inorg-As,6, 17 and other unknown factors may also be involved. The interaction between As, Se, and Hg.The toxicity of one metal or metalloid can be dramatically modulated by the interaction with other toxic and essential elements18. Arsenic and Hg are toxic elements, and Se is required to maintain good health19. But Se is also toxic at high levels20. Recent reports point out the increased risk of squamous cell carcinoma and non-melanoma skin cancer in those treated with 200 ug/day of selenium (Nutritional Prevention of Cancer Trial in the United States)21. However, it is well known that As and Se as well as Se and Hg act as antagonists22. It was also reported that Inorg-As (III) influenced the interaction between selenite and methyl mercury23. A possible molecular link between As, Se, and Hg has been proposed by Korbas et al. (2008)24. The identifying complexes between the interaction of As and Se, Se and Hg as well as As, Se, and Hg in blood of rabbit are shown in Table 1. Influence of Se and Hg on the metabolism of Inorg-As.The studies have reported that Se supplementation decreased the As-induced toxicity25, 26. The concentrations of urinary Se expressed as ug/L were negatively correlated with urinary % Inorg-As and positively correlated with % DMA27. The study did not address the urinary creatinine adjustment27. Other researchers suggested that Se and Hg decreased As methylation28-31(Table 2). They also suggested that the synthesis of DMA from MMA might be more susceptible to inhibition by Se (IV)29 as well as by Hg (II)30,31 compared to the production of MMA from Inorg-As (III). The inhibitory effects of Se and Hg were concentration dependent28-31. The literature suggests that reduced methylation capacity with increased % MMA (V), decreased % DMA (V), or decreased ratios of % DMA to % MMA in urine is positively associated with various lesions32. Lesions include skin cancer and bladder cancer32. The results were obtained from inorganic arsenic exposed subjects32. Our concern involves the combination of low arsenic (As) and high selenium (Se) ingestion. This can inhibit methylation of arsenic to take it to a toxic level in the tissue. Dietary sources of Se and Hg.Global selenium (Se) source are vegetables in the diet. In the United States, meat and bread are the common source. Selenium deficiency in the US is rare. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has found toxic levels of Se in dietary supplements, up to 200 times greater than the amount stated on the label33. The samples contained up to 40,800 ug Se per recommended serving. For the general population, the most important pathway of exposure to mercury (Hg) is ingestion of methyl mercury in foods. Fish (including tuna, a food commonly eaten by children), other seafood, and marine mammals contain the highest concentrations. The FDA has set a maximum permissible level of 1 ppm of methyl mercury in the seafood34. The people also exposed mercury via amalgams35. Proteomic study of Inorg-As (III) injury.Proteomics is a powerful tool developed to enhance the study of complex biological system36. This technique has been extensively employed to investigate the proteome response of cells to drugs and other diseases37, 38. A proteome analysis of the Na-As (III) response in cultured lung cells found in vitro oxidative stress-induced apoptosis39. However, to our knowledge, no in vivo proteomic study of Inorg-As (III) has yet been conducted to improve our understanding of the cellular proteome response to Inorg-As (III) except our preliminary study 40. Preliminary Studies: Results and DiscussionThe existing data (Fig. 1) from our laboratory and others show the complex nature of Inorg-As metabolism. For many years, the major way to study, arsenic (As) metabolism was to measure InorgAs (V), Inorg-As (III), MMA (V), and DMA (V) in urine of people chronically exposed to As in their drinking water. Our investigations demonstrated for the first time that MMA (III) and DMA (III) are found in human urine9. Also we have identified MMA (III) and DMA (III) in the tissues of mice and hamsters exposed to sodium arsenate [Na-As (V)]10, 41. Influence of Se as well as Hg on the As methyltransferase.We have reported that Se (IV) as well as mercuric chloride (HgCl2) inhibited As (III) methyltransferase and MMA (III) methyltransferase in rabbit liver cytosol. Mercuric chloride was found to be a more potent inhibitor of MMA (III) methyltransferase than As (III) methyltransferase30. These results suggested that Se and Hg decreased arsenic methylation. The inhibitory effects of Se and Hg were concentration dependent30. Influence of Se and Hg in urine and blood on the percentage of urinary As metabolites.Our human studies indicated that the ratios of the concentrations of Se or Hg to As in urine and blood were positively correlated with % Inorg-As and % MMA (V). But it negatively correlated with % DMA (V) and the ratios of % DMA (V) to % MMA (V) in urine of both males and females (unpublished data) (Table 3). These results confirmed that the inhibitory effects of Se as well as Hg for the methylation of Inorg-As in humans were concentration dependent. We also found that the concentrations of Se and Hg were negatively correlated with % Inorg-As and % MMA (V). Conversely it correlated positively with % DMA (V) and the ratios of % DMA (V) to % MMA (V) in urine of both sexes (unpublished data). These correlations were not statistically significant when urinary concentrations of Se and Hg were adjusted for urinary creatinine (Table 3). Interactions of As, Se, Hg and its relationship with methylation of arsenic are summarized in Figure 2. Sex difference distribution of arsenic species in urine.Our results indicate that females have more methylation capacity of arsenic as compared to males. In our human studies (n= 191) in Mexico, we found that females (n= 98) had lower % MMA (p<0.001) and higher % DMA (p=0.006) when compared to males (n= 93) (Fig. 3). The means ratio of % MMA (V) to % Inorg-As and % DMA (V) to %MMA (V) were also lower (p<0.05) and higher (p<0.001), respectively in females compared to males. The protein expression profiles in the tissues of hamsters exposed to Na-As (III).In our preliminary studies40, hamsters were exposed to Na-As (III) (173 pg/ml as As) in their drinking water for 6 days and control hamsters were given only the water used to make the solutions for the experimental animals. After DIGE (Two-dimensional differential in gel electrophoresis) and analysis by the DeCyder software, several protein spots were found to be over-expressed (red spot) and several were under expressed (green spot) as compared to control (Figs. 4a-c). Three proteins (one was over-expressed and two were under-expressed) of each tissue (liver and urinary bladder) were identified by LC-MS/MS (liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry).DIGE in combination with LC-MS/MS is a powerful tool that may help cancer investigators to understand the molecular mechanisms of cancer progression due to Inorg-As. Propose a new researchThese results suggested that selenium (Se) as well as mercury (Hg) may influence the methylation of Inorg-As and this influence could be dependent on the concentration of Se, Hg and/or the sex of the animal. Our study also suggested that the identification and functional assignment of the expressed proteins in the tissues of Inorg-As (III) exposed animals will be useful for understanding and helping to formulate a theory dealing with the molecular events of arsenic toxicity and carcinogenicity.Therefore, it would be very useful if we could do a research study with combination of Inorg-arsenic, Se, and Hg. The new research protocol could be the following:For metabolic processing, hamsters provide a good animal model. For carcinogenesis, mouse model is well accepted. The aims of this project are: 1) To map the differential distributions of arsenic (As) metabolites/species in relation to selenium (Se) and mercury (Hg) levels in male and female hamsters and 2) To chart the protein expression profile and identify the defense proteins in mice and hamsters after As injury. Experimental hamsters (male or female) will include four groups. The first group will be treated with Na arseniteNa-As(III), the second group with Na-As (III) and Na-selenite (Na-Se (IV)], the third group with Na As (III) and methyl mercuric chloride (MeHgCl), and the final group with Na-As (III), Na-Se (IV), and MeHgci at different levels. Urine and tissue will be collected at different time periods and measured for As species using high performance liquid chromatography/inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (HPLC/ICP-MS). For proteomics, mice (male and female) and hamsters (male and female) will be exposed to Na-As (III)at different levels in tap water, and control mice and hamsters will be given only the tap water. Tissue will be harvested at different time periods. TWO dimensional differential in gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE) combined with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) will be employed to identify the expressed protein. In summary, we intend to extend our findings to: 1) Differential distribution of As metabolites in kidney, liver, lung, and urinary bladder of male and female hamsters exposed to Na-As (III), and combined with Na-As (III) and Na-Se (IV) and/or MeHgCl at different levels and different time periods, 2) Show the correlation of As species distribution in the tissue and urine for both male and female hamsters treated with and without Na-Se (IV) and/or MeHgCl, and 3) Show protein expression profile and identify the defense proteins in the tissues (liver, lung, and urinary bladder epithelium) in mice after arsenic injury. The significance of this study: The results of which have the following significances: (A) Since Inorg-As is a human carcinogen, understanding how its metabolism is influenced by environmental factors may help understand its toxicity and carcinogenicity, (B) The interactions between arsenic (As), selenium (Se), and mercury (Hg) are of practical significance because populations in various parts of the world are simultaneously exposed to Inorg-As & Se and/or MeHg, (C) These interactions may inhibit the biotransformation of Inorg-As (III) which could increase the amount and toxicity of Inorg-As (III) and MMA (III) in the tissues, (D) Determination of arsenic species profile in the tissues after ingestion of Inorg-As (III), Se (IV), and/or MeHg+ will help understand the tissue specific influence of Se and Hg on Inorg-As (III) metabolism, (E) Correlation of arsenic species between tissue and urine might help to understand the tissue burden of arsenic species when researchers just know the distribution of arsenic species in urine, (F) The identification of the defense proteins (over-expressed and under-expressed) in the tissues of the mouse may lead to understanding the mechanisms of inorganic arsenic injury in human. The Superfund Basic Research Program NIEHS Grant Number ES 04940 from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences supported this work. Additional support for the mass spectrometry analyses was provided by grants from NIWHS ES 06694, NCI CA 023074 and the BIO5 Institute of the University of Arizona. Acknowledge:The Authorwantsto dedicate this paper to the memory of Dr. H. VaskenAposhian and Dr. Mary M. Aposhian who collected urine and bloodsamples from Mexican population. The work was done under Prof. H. V. Aposhian sole supervision and with his great contribution. References NRC (National Research Council). Arsenic in Drinking Water. Update to the 1999 Arsenic in Drinking Water Report. National Academy Press, Washington, DC. 2001. Gomez-Caminero, A.; Howe, P.; Hughes, M.; Kenyon, ; Lewis, D. R.; Moore, J.; Mg, J.; Aitio, A.; Becking, G. Environmental Health Criteria 224. Arsenic and Arsenic Compounds (Second Edition). 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AbstractAssume that a convergent series of real numbers $$\sum \limits _{n=1}^\infty a_n$$ ∑ n = 1 ∞ a n has the property that there exists a set $$A\subseteq {\mathbb {N}}$$ A ⊆ N such that the series $$\sum \limits _{n \in A} a_n$$ ∑ n ∈ A a n is conditionally convergent. We prove that for a given arbitrary sequence $$(b_n)$$ ( b n ) of real numbers there exists a permutation $$\sigma :{\mathbb {N}}\rightarrow {\mathbb {N}}$$ σ : N → N such that $$\sigma (n) = n$$ σ ( n ) = n for every $$n \notin A$$ n ∉ A and $$(b_n)$$ ( b n ) is $$c_0$$ c 0 -equivalent to a subsequence of the sequence of partial sums of the series $$\sum \limits _{n=1}^\infty a_{\sigma (n)}$$ ∑ n = 1 ∞ a σ ( n ) . Moreover, we discuss a connection between our main result with the classical Riemann series theorem.

A set or sequence $U$ in the natural numbers is defined to be avoidable if ${\bf N}$ can be partitioned into two sets $A$ and $B$ such that no element of $U$ is the sum of two distinct elements of $A$ or of two distinct elements of $B$. In 1980, Hoggatt [5] studied the Tribonacci sequence $T=\{t_n\}$ where $t_1=1$, $t_2=1$, $t_3=2$, and $t_n=t_{n-1}+t_{n-2}+t_{n-3}$ for $n\ge 4$, and showed that it was avoidable. Dumitriu [3] continued this research, investigating Tribonacci sequences with arbitrary initial terms, and achieving partial results. In this paper we give a complete answer to the question of when a generalized Tribonacci sequence is avoidable.

In this monograph, we review the theory and establish new and general results regarding spreading properties for heterogeneous reaction-diffusion equations: ∂ t u − ∑ i , j = 1 N a i , j ( t , x ) ∂ i j u − ∑ i = 1 N q i ( t , x ) ∂ i u = f ( t , x , u ) . \begin{equation*} \partial _{t} u - \sum _{i,j=1}^N a_{i,j}(t,x)\partial _{ij}u-\sum _{i=1}^N q_i(t,x)\partial _i u=f(t,x,u). \end{equation*} These are concerned with the dynamics of the solution starting from initial data with compact support. The nonlinearity f f is of Fisher-KPP type, and admits 0 0 as an unstable steady state and 1 1 as a globally attractive one (or, more generally, admits entire solutions p ± ( t , x ) p^\pm (t,x) , where p − p^- is unstable and p + p^+ is globally attractive). Here, the coefficients a i , j , q i , f a_{i,j}, q_i, f are only assumed to be uniformly elliptic, continuous and bounded in ( t , x ) (t,x) . To describe the spreading dynamics, we construct two non-empty star-shaped compact sets S _ ⊂ S ¯ ⊂ R N \underline {\mathcal {S}}\subset \overline {\mathcal {S}} \subset \mathbb {R}^N such that for all compact set K ⊂ i n t ( S _ ) K\subset \mathrm {int}(\underline {\mathcal {S}}) (resp. all closed set F ⊂ R N ∖ S ¯ F\subset \mathbb {R}^N\backslash \overline {\mathcal {S}} ), one has lim t → + ∞ sup x ∈ t K | u ( t , x ) − 1 | = 0 \lim _{t\to +\infty } \sup _{x\in tK} |u(t,x)-1| = 0 (resp. lim t → + ∞ sup x ∈ t F | u ( t , x ) | = 0 \lim _{t\to +\infty } \sup _{x\in tF} |u(t,x)| =0 ). The characterizations of these sets involve two new notions of generalized principal eigenvalues for linear parabolic operators in unbounded domains. In particular, it allows us to show that S ¯ = S _ \overline {\mathcal {S}}=\underline {\mathcal {S}} and to establish an exact asymptotic speed of propagation in various frameworks. These include: almost periodic, asymptotically almost periodic, uniquely ergodic, slowly varying, radially periodic and random stationary ergodic equations. In dimension N N , if the coefficients converge in radial segments, again we show that S ¯ = S _ \overline {\mathcal {S}}=\underline {\mathcal {S}} and this set is characterized using some geometric optics minimization problem. Lastly, we construct an explicit example of non-convex expansion sets.

We derive and investigate numerically a reduced model for wave–vortex interactions involving non-dispersive waves, which we study in a two-dimensional shallow water system with an eye towards applications in atmosphere–ocean fluid dynamics. The model consists of a coupled set of nonlinear partial differential equations for the Lagrangian-mean velocity and the wave-related pseudomomentum vector field defined in generalized Lagrangian-mean theory. It allows for two-way interactions between the waves and the balanced flow that is controlled by the distribution of Lagrangian-mean potential vorticity, and for strong solutions it features a desirable exact energy conservation law for the sum of wave energy and mean flow energy. Our model goes beyond standard ray tracing as we can derive weak solutions that contain discontinuities in the pseudomomentum field, using the theory of weakly hyperbolic systems. This allows caustics to form without predicting infinite wave amplitudes, as would be the case in the standard ray-tracing theory. Suitable wave forcing and dissipation terms are added to the model and a numerical scheme for the model is implemented as a coupled set of pseudo-spectral and finite-volume integrators. Idealized examples of interactions between wavepackets and simple vortex structures are presented to illustrate the model dynamics. The unforced and non-dissipative simulations suggest a heuristic rule of ‘greedy’ waves, i.e. in the long run the wave field always extracts energy from the mean flow.

AbstractWe consider the problem of covering multiple submodular constraints. Given a finite ground set N, a weight function $$w: N \rightarrow \mathbb {R}_+$$ w : N → R + , r monotone submodular functions $$f_1,f_2,\ldots ,f_r$$ f 1 , f 2 , … , f r over N and requirements $$k_1,k_2,\ldots ,k_r$$ k 1 , k 2 , … , k r the goal is to find a minimum weight subset $$S \subseteq N$$ S ⊆ N such that $$f_i(S) \ge k_i$$ f i ( S ) ≥ k i for $$1 \le i \le r$$ 1 ≤ i ≤ r . We refer to this problem as Multi-Submod-Cover and it was recently considered by Har-Peled and Jones (Few cuts meet many point sets. CoRR. arxiv:abs1808.03260Har-Peled and Jones 2018) who were motivated by an application in geometry. Even with $$r=1$$ r = 1 Multi-Submod-Cover generalizes the well-known Submodular Set Cover problem (Submod-SC), and it can also be easily reduced to Submod-SC. A simple greedy algorithm gives an $$O(\log (kr))$$ O ( log ( k r ) ) approximation where $$k = \sum _i k_i$$ k = ∑ i k i and this ratio cannot be improved in the general case. In this paper, motivated by several concrete applications, we consider two ways to improve upon the approximation given by the greedy algorithm. First, we give a bicriteria approximation algorithm for Multi-Submod-Cover that covers each constraint to within a factor of $$(1-1/e-\varepsilon )$$ ( 1 - 1 / e - ε ) while incurring an approximation of $$O(\frac{1}{\epsilon }\log r)$$ O ( 1 ϵ log r ) in the cost. Second, we consider the special case when each $$f_i$$ f i is a obtained from a truncated coverage function and obtain an algorithm that generalizes previous work on partial set cover (Partial-SC), covering integer programs (CIPs) and multiple vertex cover constraints Bera et al. (Theoret Comput Sci 555:2–8 Bera et al. 2014). Both these algorithms are based on mathematical programming relaxations that avoid the limitations of the greedy algorithm. We demonstrate the implications of our algorithms and related ideas to several applications ranging from geometric covering problems to clustering with outliers. Our work highlights the utility of the high-level model and the lens of submodularity in addressing this class of covering problems.