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As technology continues to advance, the integration of generative artificial intelligence tools in various sectors, including education, has gained momentum. ChatGPT, an extensively recognized language model created by OpenAI, has gained significant importance, particularly in education. This study investigates the awareness, acceptance, and adoption of ChatGPT, a state-of-the-art language model developed by OpenAI, in higher education institutions across China. This study applies the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) method for examining data collected from 320 Chinese university students. The study's conceptual framework integrates key determinants from the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and extends it by incorporating perceived intelligence as a critical factor in the adoption process. The study findings reveal that ChatGPT awareness significantly influences the intention to adopt ChatGPT. Perceived ease of use, usefulness, and intelligence significantly mediate the association between ChatGPT awareness and adoption intention of ChatGPT. Additionally, perceived trust significantly moderates the relationship between ChatGPT awareness and perceived ease of use, usefulness, and intelligence. Moving forward, in order to maintain students' critical thinking skills and inventiveness in their assessment writing, assessments must promote the safe use of ChatGPT. Therefore, educators will be crucial in ensuring that artificial intelligence tools are used in assessments ethically and suitably by providing clear guidelines and instructions.

Drawing upon leadership theory, we explored the relationship between leadership styles, learning orientation, and firm performance. We also tested the moderating role of organization culture between learning orientation and firm performance. To achieve the objectives, we shared a questionnaire with four Chinese industries: textile, manufacturing, finance, and telecommunications. As a result, 362 responses were received and analyzed using SPSS 25 and IBM AMOS 24. We conducted an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) for the construct's reliability and validity before actually employing structural equation modeling (SEM) for modeled relationships. The results demonstrate that leadership style has considerably favorable effects on firm performance. Similarly, leadership style substantially influences learning orientation. Findings also reveal that learning orientation positively affects firm performance. Consequently, learning orientation positively mediates the relationship between leadership style and firm performance. Our study also found a significant positive moderating effect of organizational culture on learning orientation and firm performance. The results of our study offer practical implications for stakeholders, policymakers, and managers, giving them an overview of how and when choosing a leader with a particular style can impact their learning orientation and improve their performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Higher Education Expansion (HEE) policy implemented by the Chinese government in 1999 provides an exceptional opportunity to study the impact of university and college education (graduates) on entrepreneurship in China using an econometric approach. The study applied secondary data from the National Bureau of Statistics of China (NBS) to examine the role of entrepreneurship education on Chinese entrepreneurship intentions from 2005 to 2019. The study used fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS) and ordinary least squares (OLS) to estimate the long-run association between the variables. The study further accounts for endogeneity using two-stage least squares (2SLS). The findings show that graduates (undergraduates, master's, and postgraduates) positively influence entrepreneurship education. This means that people who have passed through the higher education system are likely to have taken a program or programs in entrepreneurship that motivate them to create new business. The acquisition of knowledge and skills about entrepreneurship seems to rise with graduates. Moreover, entrepreneurship education increases entrepreneurship intentions in China. However, human capital decreases entrepreneurship intentions. The government should leverage further the policy benefits and promote the passion of entrepreneurship education within colleges and universities.

Unquestionably, the role of higher education institutions (HEIs) in society and economy is engorged. The term higher education proposes an educational level above the secondary education with advanced tools of knowledge which enables the students to generate, distribute, and preserve systematic academic knowledge at colleges, universities, and institutes of technology. This qualitative study is an endeavor to analyze the effect of commercialization policy on the higher education system and socio economic development of the Chinese society. During 1999, marketization and commercialization of education sector remained the sole policy instrument for attaining the objectives of liberalization and modernization of Chinese higher education. The realization that the development and advancement in the field of science and technology was impossible without development of education system, particularly the higher education, forced China to employ different strategies. Chinese government resolved to provide an access to over 15% of its total population to higher education. These initiatives can be divided in five categories i.e. ensuring provision of education, management of HEIs, investment for the growth of higher education, recruitment and job placement for graduates and delivery of autonomy to the universities and HEIs. The commercialization of higher education has converted the whole Chinese education system into class based system while establishing the overwhelming monopoly of private sector as being practised throughout the West and U.S. which has confronted the Chinese with new social problems due to population size, patterns of governance, demography and socio-economic circumstances.

Hydrothermal disseminated gold mineralization in the Sanshandao gold belt, Jiaodong Peninsula, China, is closely associated with regional NE–NNE fault zones. To investigate the structural controls on this mineralization, we conducted 3D numerical modeling of coupled heat transport, tectonic deformation, and fluid flow, of which two sets of models, designed simple models and actual models, were involved. The simple models were used to examine how general fault geometries (fault bend length, fault bend angle, and fault dip) influenced dilation (positive volume strain) and fluid flow and further influenced hydrothermal mineralization. In contrast, actual modeling was carried out to further understand the structural controls and mineralization localization in a specific geological condition at Sanshandao. Following this, numerical simulation experiments with variable paleo-stresses on these two models were carried out in FLAC3D platform. The simulation results of the simple models showed that long fault bend lengths, large absolute fault bend angles, and large changes in fault dip were more likely to promote dilation in the fault zone. The dilation zones are related to the small intersection angle of maximum principal stress and fault dip. The simulation results of the actual model illustrate that the gold mineralization distribution at Sanshandao was controlled by the coupling of fault strike–dip bends. Specifically, the discontinuous mineralization in the vertical direction was caused by local fluid focusing due to fault dip changes, particularly where the bend length was long. In addition, the oblique orientation of ore shooting depended on the variable strain orientations relative to the fault, which appeared to be fault strike variations. The results further determined the NNW–SSE-directed compression as the paleo-stress regime at Sanshandao during the ore-forming period. Our data also illustrated the deep fluid flow pathways in the Sanshandao gold belt and the Xinli S–SSE deep and the Sanshandao and Beibuhaiyu E–NE deep areas deserve to be the focus of the next gold exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The context of education has changed due to revolutionary developments in the information communication technology (ICT) industry in the post-COVID era. Innovative learning methods were introduced in the education sector to promote quality education. The students find it more convenient to use ICT tools to integrate their knowledge-seeking. China has recently paid more attention to developing and adopting electronic infrastructure. The study assesses the effect of technology self-efficacy (TSE) on ICT acceptance and implementation in China's education sector. It also analyzed the role of perceived trust, perceived security, and electronic word of mouth (eWOM) in integrating digital information sharing and interaction tools. Data is collected from 382 business students at Chinese universities. The results revealed that perceived trust mediates the relationship between TSE and the actual use of ICT tools, intention to use ICT tools for information, and intention to use ICT tools for interaction. Further, perceived security and eWOM significantly moderate the relationship between TSE and perceived trust. The findings indicate that it is essential to offer assistance and instruction to students in the educational sector so they can use ICT technology more frequently. It is also crucial for organizations to establish a supportive culture and provide the necessary technological resources to facilitate the use of ICT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Eastern Kunlun Orogenic Belt (EKOB), located north of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, recorded voluminous late Palaeozoic – early Mesozoic intermediate-acid volcanic rocks. The tectonic evolution of the Palaeo-Tethys Ocean from initial subduction and final closure and post-collision extension has been hotly debated. This study examines the petrogenesis of Palaeozoic to Early Mesozoic volcanic rocks at six locations: Xiahe, Elashankou, Jirimai, Harizha, Nagengkangqieer, and Yazigounan. The investigation involves detailed field observations, petrology, zircon U-Pb geochronology, Lu-Hf isotopes, and whole-rock geochemical analysis. The rocks analysed represent three episodic volcanic events. The ca. 257–245 Ma volcanic rocks were derived from magma mixing response to the subduction. The ca. 227–220 Ma highly fractionated I-type volcanics were derived from partial melting of the ancient lower crust, with varying contribution proportions of mantle materials. The ca. 216 Ma A-type volcanic rocks derived from partial melting of the juvenile crust. In this study, using existing regional geological data and spatiotemporal distribution of the magmatic region, combined with our new data, we attempt to propose more rational models to reveal the tectonic evolution of the Palaeo-Tethys Ocean, and we recognize three significant time nodes: (1) Ca. 240 Ma marks the final closure time of the Palaeo-Tethys Ocean. (2) Ca. 230 Ma indicates the vital tectonic regime transition from compression to extension response to slab break-off and continued lithospheric delamination. (3) Ca. 216 Ma mark the beginning of the final stage of orogeny in the EKOB, and mild magmatism lasts to ca. 200 Ma in response to the mountain collapse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salinity stress is a worldwide problem that damages crop growth and development. As a principal regulatory component in eukaryotic cells, protein kinase is key to regulating crop tolerance to salinity stress. However, it is still unclear about the responses of protein kinase to salinity stress across different upland cotton species in China. This study was conducted to evaluate the functional expression of protein kinase genes in three cotton species (Gossypium hirsutum, Gossypium raimondii, and Gossypium arboretum) under salinity stress. A total of 134 genes that encode the protein kinase were recognized in cotton species. The results indicated that 67 genes belonged to G. hirsutum, 34 genes belonged to G. arboretum, and 33 genes belonged to G. raimondii, respectively. Protein kinase genes were unequally distributed on the chromosomes of the three cotton species. Based on the syntenic analysis, 58 protein kinase genes were duplicated in G. hirsutum, G. raimondii, and G. arboretum. The results of synonymous (Ks), non‐synonymous (Ka), and Ka/Ks values for orthologous genes showed that the top 10 G. hirsutum protein kinase genes were mostly expressed. Co‐expression network analysis of protein kinase genes confirmed their function in improving crop tolerance to salinity stress for different cotton species. It was concluded that protein kinase genes were stress‐inducible and were linked to stress‐responsive miRNAs in cotton species. The findings can be used for breeding new salt‐tolerant cotton varieties in China. Core Ideas: Protein kinases upregulated the responses of cotton plants to salinity stress.A total of 134 genes that encode the protein kinase were recognized in cotton species.Most protein kinase genes made clusters on the lower part and upper part arms of chromosomes.Protein kinase subfamily genes exert a positive function in improving cotton's tolerance to salt stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Jinhua–Quzhou basin in China is one of the most susceptible areas to drought. Due to the loss of vegetation and great fluctuations in rainfall and surface temperature, global warming occurs. Timely, accurate, and effective drought monitoring is crucial for protecting local vegetation and determining which vegetation is most vulnerable to increased LST during the period 1982–2019. It assumes a strong correlation between loss of vegetation cover, changes in monsoon climate, drought, and increases in land surface temperature (LST). Due to significantly increased in LST, low precipitation and vegetation cover, NDVI, TVDI, VCI, and NAP are useful in characterizing drought mitigation strategies. The temperature vegetation drought index (TVDI), normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), vegetation condition index (VCI), and monthly precipitation anomaly percentage (NAP) can be helped to characterize drought reduction strategies. Monthly NDVI, NAP, VCI, TVDI, normalized vegetation supply water index (NVSWI), temperature condition index (TCI), vegetation health index (VHI), and heat map analysis indicate that the Jinhua–Quzhou basin experienced drought during 1984, 1993, 2000, and 2011. Seasonal SR, WVP, WS, NDVI, VCI, and NAP charts confirm that the Jinhua–Quzhou basin was affected by severe drought in 1984, which continued and led to severe droughts in 1993, 2000, and 2011. Regression analysis showed a significant positive correlation between NDVI, TVDI, VCI, and NAP values, while NVSWI, TVDI, and VHI showed positive signs of good drought monitoring strategies. The research results confirm the correlation between loss of vegetation cover and LST, which is one of the causes of global warming. The distribution of drought changed a trend indicating that compared with the Jinhua region; the Quzhou region has more droughts. The changing trend of drought has characteristics from 1982 to 2019, and there are significant differences in drought changing trends between different Jinhua–Quzhou basin areas. Overall, from 1982 to 2019, the frequency of drought showed a downward trend. We believe that these results will provide useful tools for drought management plans and play a relevant role in mitigating the effects of drought and protecting humanity from climate hazards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerical modeling is widely acknowledged as a highly precise method for understanding the dynamics of contaminant transport in groundwater. However, due to the intricate characteristics of environmental systems and the lack of accurate information, the results are susceptible to a significant degree of uncertainty. Numerical models must explicitly consider related uncertainties in parameters to facilitate robust decision-making. In a Chromium Residue Site located in southern China (the study area), this study employed Monte Carlo simulation to assess the impact of variability in key parameters uncertainty on the simulation outcomes. Variogram analysis of response surface (VARS), global sensitivity analysis, and an XGBoost (version 2.0.0)-based surrogate model was employed to overcome the substantial computational cost of Monte Carlo simulation. The results of numerical simulation indicate that the contaminant is spreading downstream towards the northern boundary of contaminated site near Lianshui River, threatening water quality. Furthermore, migration patterns are complex due to both downstream convection and upstream diffusion. Sensitivity analysis identified hydraulic conductivity, recharge rate, and porosity as the most influential model parameters, selected as key parameters. Moreover, uncertainty analysis indicated that the variability in key parameters has a minimal impact on the simulation outcomes at monitoring wells near the contaminant source. In contrast, at wells positioned a considerable distance from the contaminant source, the variability in key parameters significantly influences the simulation outcomes. The surrogate model markedly mitigated computational workload and calculation time, while demonstrating superior precision and effectively capture the non-linear correlations between input and output of the simulation model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information and communication technology (ICT) has become increasingly important worldwide in education. This study aims to recognize the factors that influence the intention to use information and communication technology (ITUICT) and its acceptance in the education sector in China. A literature review was conducted to ascertain the potential factors such as perceived awareness, information acquisition, trustworthiness, social influence, and regulatory support that could affect the acceptance and ITUICT. For results, a survey was conducted on a sample of 381 university employees in China using a convenience sampling approach. The collected data were analyzed using partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The results show that individual factors such as perceived awareness, information acquisition, trustworthiness, social influence, and regulatory support significantly impact the ITUICT. Additionally, trustworthiness positively moderates the relationship among perceived awareness, information acquisition, social influence, regulatory support, and ITUICT. Policymakers and educators can use the findings of this study to enhance the adoption of ICT in China's education sector. The results of this study suggest that it is important to provide educational sector employees with training and support to increase their use of ICT technology. Furthermore, this paper offers theoretical progression to create a supportive organizational culture and provide the educational sector with the necessary technological resources to facilitate the use of ICT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change causes the river basin water cycle disorders, and rainfall characteristics frequently result in flood disasters. This study aims to simulate and assess the response behavior of basin floods under the influence of rainfall characteristics and land use changes in the Hulu River basin using a 2D hydrological and hydraulic GAST (GPU Accelerated Surface Water Flow and Transport Model). The peak flow rate and water depth during floods were examined by simulating the evolution process of basin floods and related hydraulic elements under the independent effects of various rainfall characteristics or land use and further simulating the response results of basin floods under the combined effects of rainfall characteristics and land use. The seven scenarios were set to quantify the degree of influence that land use and rainfall characteristics have on the basin flood process based on examining changes in land use and rainfall characteristics in the research area. The results from different rainfall characteristics scenarios depicted that as the rainfall return period is shorter, the peak flow rate is higher, and the peak flow rate is lower as the return period is prolonged. Under different rainfall characteristics, the peak flow rate in scenario R8 is 41.30%, 40.00%, and 34.51% higher than the uniform distribution of rainfall, while water depth is decreased by 0.55%, increased by 4.96% and 2.92% as compared to the uniform distribution of rainfall. While under different land use scenarios, it is observed that the change in land use has increased 2.7% in cultivated land and 1.1% in woodland. In addition, the interactive effect of different rainfall characteristics and land use it can be seen that the scenario with the greatest reduction in flood risk due to rainfall characteristics and land use is RL2-4, representing a 12.55% decrease in peak flow and a 37.69% decrease in peak water depth. In this scenario, the rainfall is heavier in the southeast and northwest regions and lighter in the northeast and southwest regions. The land use type is characterized by reforestation and the return of cultivated land to forests. The changes in rainfall distribution and the increase in grassland contribute to the decrease in flood threat. Future research in the erodible parts of the Hulu River basin, planning for water resources, and soil and water conservation can all benefit from the study's conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The return of rural migrant workers to employment is an endogenous force that drives the development of the rural economy and plays a vital role in rural revitalization. Using data from the China Migrants Dynamic Survey (CMDS) conducted in 2017, this study comprehensively examines the influence of social exclusion and the role of identity on migrant workers' willingness to return home (MWRH). The findings indicate a significant impact of social exclusion on MWRH, and this relationship remains robust even after employing instrumental variables to address endogeneity concerns. Identity emerges as a crucial mediating factor through which social exclusion affects MWRH, demonstrating a partial mediating effect. Notably, the impact of social exclusion on MWRH is particularly prevalent among rural residents in the western and northeastern regions, the older generation, those with lower incomes, and those with limited intra-provincial mobility. Promoting a positive image of migrant workers and encouraging their pursuit of an improved quality of life can help alleviate social exclusion, strengthen their sense of identity, and foster deeper roots in cities. Furthermore, providing supportive platforms for returning migrant workers can enhance their active willingness to return home. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The developing countries rely heavily on imports of capital goods to spur economic growth. When the economy grows, energy consumption rises, adversely impacting climate change. The low levels of renewable energy share in total energy consumption, developing nations confront a difficult task in achieving the SDGs targets related to an increase in renewable energy share and access to affordable, reliable, and modern energy. Finding solutions to increase renewable energy usage is critical. International trade is an unavoidable part of development, prompting us to consider the impact of imports on renewable energy usage. This study explores the effects of imports of capital goods from China, EU and USA on renewable energy consumption in developing countries by using panel data from 20 countries spanning 2000–2018. It is found that capital goods imported from China in developing countries negatively impact renewable energy consumption while imports from EU have a positive impact on renewable energy consumption. However, in the case of US it is found negative but insignificant. The role of economic, social, and political globalization is explored, and it is found that three types of globalization are positively and significantly linked with renewable energy consumption. Thus, this study recommends that trade policies complement domestic efforts toward increasing renewable energy production and consumption in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzes the impact of public participation on the choice of third-party evaluators' behavior strategies during the service quality supervision process of China's pension public–private partnership project. An evolutionary game model between third-party evaluators and government regulators is developed, wherein the evolution rule of the two sides and public participation's influence on their behavior under the two different conditions are analyzed, and a numerical simulation is carried out using MATLAB 2016a. It is found that third-party evaluators may choose the false evaluation strategy without public participation because of the inducement of rent-seeking or insufficient government punishment when the regulatory revenue of the government regulatory agencies is less than the regulatory cost. In contrast, in the case of public participation, the true evaluation strategy is chosen with an improvement in the level of public participation or an increase in reputation incentive. This suggests the construction and improvement of a third-party evaluation system, which shows that the construction of the service quality supervision system in China's pension PPP project has a large operating space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: Dose effects of Rf1 gene regulated retrieval mechanism of pollen fertility for CMS-D2 cotton. Cytoplasmic male sterility conditioned by Gossypium harknessii cytoplasm (CMS-D2) is an economical pollination control system for producing hybrid cotton seeds compared to artificial and chemical emasculation methods. However, the unstable restoring ability of restorer lines is a main barrier in the large-scale application of "three-line" hybrid cotton in China. Our phenotypic investigation determined that the homozygous Rf1Rf1 allelic genotype had a stronger ability to generate fertile pollen than the heterozygous Rf1rf1 allelic genotype. To decipher the genetic mechanisms that control the differential levels of pollen fertility, an integrated metabolomic and transcriptomic analysis was performed at two environments using pollen grains of four cotton genotypes differing in Rf1 alleles or cytoplasm. Totally 5,391 differential metabolite features were detected, and 369 specific differential metabolites (DMs) were identified between homozygous and heterozygous Rf1 allelic genotypes with CMS-D2 cytoplasm. In addition, transcriptome analysis identified 2,490 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 96 unique hub DEGs with dynamic regulation in this comparative combination. Further integrated analyses revealed that several key DEGs and DMs involved in indole biosynthesis, flavonoid biosynthesis, and sugar metabolism had strong network linkage with fertility restoration. In vitro application of auxin analogue NAA and inhibitor Auxinole confirmed that over-activated auxin signaling might inhibit pollen development, whereas suppressing auxin signaling partially promoted pollen development in CMS-D2 cotton. Our results provide new insight into how the dosage effects of the Rf1 gene regulate pollen fertility of CMS-D2 cotton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study adopts the natural resource-based view (NRBV) of the firm to investigate the relationships between corporate social responsibility (CSR), employees' green behavior (EGB), green culture, environmental performance (EP), and green innovation (GI) in China's automobile manufacturing industry. A survey of 465 employees was conducted. The data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling. The results showed that CSR positively influences EGB and GC, which in turn improves EP. CSR also directly impacts EP. Furthermore, GI enhances the positive effect of CSR on EP through the mediators EGB and GC. The findings contribute to the literature by elucidating the mechanisms linking CSR and EP. They provide an integrated framework incorporating direct, mediated, and moderated effects. For practice, the study highlights the importance of CSR, EGB, and GC for manufacturers aiming to improve environmental sustainability. It suggests managers should promote green values, foster eco-innovation, and encourage employees' discretionary green actions. The moderating effect of GI implies embedding sustainability in corporate culture and operations to magnify the gains from CSR. Overall, the research offers insights into translating green strategic intent into performance outcomes through cultural and behavioral transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of sustainability in the context of human resource management (HRM), or more precisely, green HRM, has significantly transformed in recent years. Human resources are an important and valuable asset of a firm. In this research, green HRM is concentrated on the areas where HRM is held accountable for the company's sustainability initiatives. The research examines the effects of green HRM on organizational performance in China while considering the mediating roles of green innovation (GI), green employee behavior (GEB), and organizational culture. The data was gathered from 316 HR specialists working in various Chinese manufacturing businesses to meet the study's goals. A self-administered questionnaire utilizing the preexisting scale is used to obtain the data (detail is provided in Table 1). The smart PLS 4 structural equation modeling approach is applied for the data analysis. The study results indicate that green HRM practices influence green innovation (GI), green culture (GC), and green employee behavior (GEB). Furthermore, results also suggest that GI, GC, and GEB influence the organization's sustainable performance (SP). The research has several theoretical, methodological, and practical ramifications for many stakeholders, including the Chinese security exchange commissions, firms' senior management, academics, and HR specialists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extant literature has shown the impact of demographic characteristics such as gender of audit committee members on earnings management but ignored the importance of the board room's age diversity. Going beyond the prior literature, our study aims to examine how the age diversity of audit committee financial experts (ACFEs) influences the financial reporting quality of Chinese non‐financial firms. We found a negative relationship between ACFEs' age diversity and earning management. Our findings also show that younger ACFEs mitigate earnings management as compared to older ACFEs. We further examined this relationship among state‐owned enterprises (SOEs) and privately owned enterprises in China and confirmed that the age diversity of ACFEs influences earnings management differently. However, younger ACFEs working in SOEs mitigates earnings management than their counterpart in privately owned companies. Our result maintains its robustness after controlling for endogeneity and employing a different measure of earnings management. Our result has relevance for selecting financial experts and the audit committee's overall composition, showing that including younger ACFEs will ensure more efficient control of firms' management. This finding is also relevant for policymakers, especially Chinese regulators, offering them insight into promoting audit committee effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is generally believed that fiscal decentralization is an essential way to increase the overall effectiveness and efficiency of the government through the transfer of financial autonomy to the local governments. On the same lines, this study attempts to confabulate the influence of two important economic indicators, (i) fiscal decentralization and (ii) natural resource rent in validation of the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis. Our current analysis is grounded upon a developing economy — China — and will serve as a stepping stone for the similar economies. The time period for the empirical estimation is from 1990 to 2020. The study applied an advanced econometrics approach, called the quantile autoregressive distributed lag (QARDL), which has many advantages as compared to any conventional approach. The empirical outcomes, after estimations, illustrate that in the long run, FDE is having an unfavorable connotation with CO2 emissions. NRR is another essential factor influencing the CO2 emissions in the long run in the selected economy. The estimated outcomes are revealing the presence of the EKC. Furthermore, the present research elucidates the existence of the bi-directional causality between selected economic indicators, FDE and CO2 emissions, and GDP square and CO2 emissions. But there is a unidirectional causality between GDP and CO2 emissions. Thus, policymakers should encourage the transfer of powers to the lower tiers of government to ameliorate environmental quality in the Chinese economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate large-scale biomass prediction is crucial for assessing forest carbon storage and dynamics. It can also inform sustainable forest management practices and climate change mitigation efforts. However, stand-level biomass models are still scarce worldwide. Our study aims to introduce the generalized additive model (GAM) as a convenient and efficient approach for forest biomass estimation. Data from 311 sample plots of three conifer species in northeastern China were used to evaluate the performance of the GAM model and compare it with traditional nonlinear seemingly unrelated regression (NSUR) models in predicting stand biomass, including total, aboveground, and component biomass. The results indicated that the goodness of fit of GAM was better than that of NSUR in two model systems. In the majority of cases, the scatter plots and prediction performance revealed that the stand total and component biomass models utilizing GAM outperformed those based on NSUR. Disregarding heteroscedasticity and requiring fewer statistical assumptions provide additional support for the replacement of NSUR-based models with GAM-based models. This study implies that the GAM approach has greater potential for developing a system of stand biomass models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines socioeconomic and spatial factors and its influences on the outcomes of environmental-health through "multi-drug resistance tuberculosis" (MDR-TB) treatment regimes in China. For this purpose, a survival analysis is conducted by applying "multivariable Cox Proportional Hazard model" on secondary data starts from 2010 to 2019. The data set is consisting of six hundred and fifty five (655) TB patients from different hospitals of China. The findings of this study indicate us that there is no alteration in patient survival rates between the two treatment departments, hospital and ambulatory care. The spatial characteristics of time expenditure and medical expenditure are significantly correlated with "supporting distance bias methods" and "environmental health results". On the other side, travel expenditures and male gender results show negatively associated with the "environmental-health outcome". This study reveals with these remarks that Ministry of Health, China should take serious actions to control MDR-TB and launch a comprehensive policy with the help of WHO recommendation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Differentiation between COVID-19 and community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in computed tomography (CT) is a task that can be performed by human radiologists and artificial intelligence (AI). The present study aims to (1) develop an AI algorithm for differentiating COVID-19 from CAP and (2) evaluate its performance. (3) Evaluate the benefit of using the AI result as assistance for radiological diagnosis and the impact on relevant parameters such as accuracy of the diagnosis, diagnostic time, and confidence. Methods: We included n = 1591 multicenter, multivendor chest CT scans and divided them into AI training and validation datasets to develop an AI algorithm (n = 991 CT scans; n = 462 COVID-19, and n = 529 CAP) from three centers in China. An independent Chinese and German test dataset of n = 600 CT scans from six centers (COVID-19 / CAP; n = 300 each) was used to test the performance of eight blinded radiologists and the AI algorithm. A subtest dataset (180 CT scans; n = 90 each) was used to evaluate the radiologists' performance without and with AI assistance to quantify changes in diagnostic accuracy, reporting time, and diagnostic confidence. Results: The diagnostic accuracy of the AI algorithm in the Chinese-German test dataset was 76.5%. Without AI assistance, the eight radiologists' diagnostic accuracy was 79.1% and increased with AI assistance to 81.5%, going along with significantly shorter decision times and higher confidence scores. Conclusion: This large multicenter study demonstrates that AI assistance in CT-based differentiation of COVID-19 and CAP increases radiological performance with higher accuracy and specificity, faster diagnostic time, and improved diagnostic confidence. Key Points: • AI can help radiologists to get higher diagnostic accuracy, make faster decisions, and improve diagnostic confidence. • The China-German multicenter study demonstrates the advantages of a human-machine interaction using AI in clinical radiology for diagnostic differentiation between COVID-19 and CAP in CT scans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates how numerous contingencies work together to influence the organizational structure of privately held businesses in China. This study is using a cross‐section primary data set from 83 private firms listed in China. The data are gathered by face‐to‐face interviews with entrepreneurs, and six hypotheses tests are performed regarding the contingencies of organizational form. Furthermore, the empirical findings indicate that environment, strategy, size, and technology play a significant role in explaining organizational form. Finally, financial factors are important aspects of the business environment, notably in dealing with cash flow problems and in forming profit expectations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to show that divergent perceptions among regulators, the regulated and the associated regulatory bodies across multiple jurisdictions regarding the nature and functionality of cryptocurrencies hamper the development of a more comprehensive and coherent regulatory framework in curbing crimes and other related risks associated with cryptocurrencies. Design/methodology/approach: The study has used a descriptive doctrinal legal research method to investigate and understand the insights of existing laws and regulations in four selected jurisdictions concerning cryptocurrencies and how these laws could be further improved and developed to reduce crypto-related crimes. Furthermore, the study has also used a comparative research method to conceptualize the contours of the new legal discourse emerging from cryptocurrencies to adopt and implement a sound regulatory framework. Findings: The study illustrated that divergent regulatory treatment among different jurisdictions might suffocate novel digital innovations such as cryptocurrency. These fragmented regulatory approaches by various jurisdictions question the sustainability of the present national legislation adopted to regulate cryptocurrencies. Looking into other jurisdictional developments in regulating cryptocurrencies, it is apparent that a concerted regulatory approach is needed to minimize the abuse of this innovation. Research limitations/implications: The study has implications for regulators and policymakers to review the current regulatory framework for regulating cryptocurrencies to prevent regulatory arbitrage. The divergent legislative measures concerning cryptocurrency among different jurisdictions question the sustainability of these legislative initiatives, considering the evolving and borderless nature of cryptocurrency. Therefore, this paper will help regulators to consider the present legislative gaps in establishing a common global regulatory approach in the crypto sphere. Originality/value: The study contributes to the existing body of literature by examining the regulatory frameworks of four jurisdictions, namely, the USA, Canada, China and the EU, related to cryptocurrencies, with a discussion on the development of cryptocurrencies-related laws among these four jurisdictions and their sustainability in curbing crimes in the Darknet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Marriage is an infinite bond between two partners that can be caused to fail by several factors. Economic stress leads to psychological stress and in some cases, marriage dissolution. The current study investigates the impact of economic stress (measured by the unemployment rate and inflation rate) on divorce rates using Chinese province-level panel data from 2010 to 2019. Design/Methodology/Approach: The panel fixed effects (FE) model, panel random effects (RE) model, and fixed effects- Driscoll and Kraay standard errors (DKSE) model were used for empirical analysis. Findings: The research findings support the hypothesized economic stress theory of divorce by Reuben Hill. According to the empirical findings, economic stress indicators such as unemployment and inflation have a positive and significant impact on the divorce rate in China and its regions. Furthermore, urbanization, education and mobile phone variables have a positive relationship with divorce rates except for children's dependency. Contribution to literature: Taking into account both parties' perspectives, this study contributes to the existing literature by looking at economic stress in the context of divorce. We are particularly interested in how economic stress affected the marriage relationship's quality. We investigated the relationship between the unemployment rate, inflation rate and divorce rate in China's 31 provinces for the period 2010-2019. The entire sample is then separated into three sub-samples: Eastern China, Central China and Western China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The surge in drone-enabled food delivery acceptance, driven by technology and environmental benefits, focuses on persistent willingness to adopt Drone Food Delivery in China. This study delves into personal hygiene motivations via extended Behavioral Reasoning Theory, using surveys to grasp Drone Food Delivery consumer behavior. Findings highlight hygiene motives and eco-trust as strong drivers for continued Drone Food Delivery use. Pleasure, ease, and novelty support acceptance, while delivery complexities and psychological concerns hinder it. Insights guide Drone Food Delivery providers to address concerns, emphasizing tech's positive human impact to boost adoption. Strategically aligning with these insights can effectively promote Drone Food Delivery adoption. Our research sheds light on the pivotal role of personal hygiene motivations among consumers, serving as a driving force behind the adoption of this technology, coupled with a strong element of trust in its eco-friendliness. However, it is noteworthy that concerns related to the delivery process and psychological factors pose potential obstacles to widespread adoption. • Hygiene motives and eco-trust as strong drivers for continued Drone Food Delivery use. • Pleasure, ease, and novelty support acceptance, • Delivery complexities and psychological concerns hinder it • Drone Food Delivery providers to address concerns, emphasizing tech's positive human impact to boost adoption [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the impact of institutional ownership on the moral hazards of technology investment in China from 2003 to 2017. We use firms' patent count data to test the quality and quantity of innovation, and apply a negative binomial regression to the baseline outcomes and a difference-in-difference model to control for endogeneity. The results show a significantly positive relationship between institutional investors and enterprise innovation. Particularly, mutual fund investors and qualified foreign institutional investors actively promote radical innovation, which minimizes the agency risks of enterprise innovation. However, bank and insurance fund investors tend to ignore the noise of technology investment, and instead prefer incremental innovation for enterprise growth. The study also analyzes the potential channels underlying these results. We find that institutional investors control CEOs' career concerns and offer insurance against earnings sensitivity. Additionally, their supervisory role has a significant impact in controlling the agency risks of managers. Therefore, we propose that high-tech enterprises should consider the advantages of institutional investment in improving their innovation trajectories. The findings offer important policy implications for China's indigenous innovation plans and indicate that institutional investors' enthusiasm in enabling radical enterprise innovation is a valuable instrument for economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both biotic and abiotic factors restrict changes in autumn phenology, yet their effects remain ambiguous, which hinders the accurate prediction of phenology under future climate change. In this study, based on the phenological records of 135 tree species at ten sites in China during 1979-2018, we first investigated the effects of climatic factors (temperature, precipitation, insolation and wind speed) and spring phenology on interannual changes in leaf coloring date (LCD) with the partial correlation analysis, and assessed the relative importance of phylogeny and native climate to LCD differences among species by using multivariate regression and phylogenetic eigenvector regression approach. The results showed that the effects of climate factors on interannual changes in LCD were more significant than spring phenology. In general, temperature played a more important role in cold regions (e.g. the northeast region), while the control of insolation on LCD was stronger in the warmer and wetter regions (e.g. the north, east and southwest regions). In addition, the effects of precipitation and wind speed were more evident in arid regions (e.g. the northwest region). We also found considerable effects of both native climate and phylogeny on the LCD differences among species, despite the contribution of native climate being almost 2~5 times greater than that of the phylogeny. Our findings confirmed and quantified the combined effects of climate, spring phenology and phylogeny on the autumn phenology of plants, which could help better understand the driving factors and influencing mechanism of plant phenology and provide a reference for the calibration and optimization of phenological models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study elaborates the concept of green effectuation orientations (GEOs) to enhance the environmental performance of entrepreneurial SMEs based in the Jiangsu province of China. For this purpose, we collected the data from 328 employees of entrepreneurial SMEs via a survey and analyzed it through SEM. We evaluated the GEO concept on mindset and action-based views to operationalize the construct with all subdimensions fully. Our study illustrates some unexplored domains of entrepreneurship research and comes up with the findings that (GEOs) are positively correlated with environmental performance (EP), green innovation performance (GIP), and environmental management initiatives (EMI). Additionally, the findings of this research also unveil that EMI and GIP pave the way for EP, as both mediate the relationship between GEO and EP. Last but not the least, this research study also explained the effective mechanism through which CSR commitment as a moderator can affect the relationship between GEO and EP. The findings of this study expand the spheres of effectuation theory and come up with several exciting theoretical and managerial implications. Besides, it is the first of its kind to demonstrate that GEO could enhance GIP, EMI, and EP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nexus of debt financing and enterprise innovation is the most arguable debate in the modern literature of corporate finance. The subject of external debts and a smooth innovative environment is one of the common puzzles for high‐tech firms. We attempt to address this puzzle and explore the impact of efficient utilization of debt on the linkage between R&D intensity and technology investment. Patent count data are used to measure enterprise innovation, therefore, negative binomial and Poisson regression is applied for empirical analysis. The estimations validate that the linkage between debt financing and corporate innovation is inverted U‐shaped which approves the Kuznets curve hypothesis. Technology firms tend to decline debt undertaking after achieving a specific level, it is assumed as an optimum debt point, higher in incremental and lower in radical innovation. The mediation role of debt financing in the linkage between R&D intensity and technology investment is negative. However, efficient debt undertaking which remains under the optimum level improves the association between R&D intensity and enterprise innovation. High‐tech firms should be cautious on external financing because abundant debt undertaking worsens a smooth innovative environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study investigates the association between debt financing and corporate innovation in Chinese listed firms from 2007–2017. It also examines the interplay of market competition and enterprise maturity in this nexus. Debt financing represents all transactional credits, and innovation is measured using R&D expenditures and patent counts. The fixed-effect negative binomial regression and a two-step system GMM are applied for empirical estimates. The findings validate that debt has an inverted U-Shaped impact on enterprise innovation. The break-even points representing the optimum debt undertaking are evaluated, higher in patent than R&D activities. The results validate that market competition moderates and enterprise maturity influences high-tech firms' debt undertaking. High-tech firms uphold a lower break-even point in a competitive environment that represents restraining the takeover risk costs associated with creditors' complex restrictions. The influence of enterprise maturity elevates the optimum debt ratio, exhibiting business history's financial edge in innovative activities. Managers should refine debt policies by restoring the relationship with creditors so that high-tech firms can elevate the optimum usage of debt. In economies that focus on radical growth, effective monetary stimulation policies are crucial to achieving technology leadership, especially for mature firms and in a competitive environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prime objective of this study is to analyze the spatio-temporal evolution of the relationship between digital economy and green innovation in China. Based on the panel data of 26 cities in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) urban agglomeration from 2012 to 2019, this paper measures the digital economy and green innovation in each city of the YRD urban agglomeration using the entropy weight model and the projection tracking model, analyzes the characteristics of the spatio-temporal evolution, and explores the impact of the digital economy on green innovation and the spatial spillover effect. The results show that in the spatial dimension, there is a significant spatial correlation between digital economy and green innovation in each city, and the regional heterogeneity of digital economy is higher than that of the west in the east, and the regional heterogeneity of green innovation is high and high agglomeration in the east of the city cluster, and high and low agglomeration in the west of the city cluster; there is a trend of incremental increase of the level of digital economy and green innovation in the temporal dimension, and the regional imbalance of the development of green innovation among cities is decreasing. The regional imbalance in the development of green innovation between cities is narrowing, and it tends to be more towards the synergistic development of a unified big market; the spatial measurement model shows that the digital economy not only has a significant impact on the level of green innovation in its own region, but also has a positive spatial spillover effect on the neighboring regions. The research in this paper helps to clarify the connection between digital economy and green innovation among regions, and provides decision-making reference for building a modernized innovation system and efficiently promoting the construction of beautiful China in the new period. • Spatial and Temporal Evolution of Digital Economy and Green Innovation. • 26 cities in the Yangtze River Delta city cluster from 2012 to 2020. • Entropy power model and projection tracing models are used. • The influence of the digital economy on green innovation in Chinese cities is very significant. • Sustainability based implications are discussed and suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study tests the relationship among operating leverage, profitability and financial leverage. Operating leverage boosts profitability and cuts down the optimal financial leverage of the firm. Therefore, operating leverage renders a negative relationship between profitability and financial leverage that is inconsistent with the static trade‐off theory. By considering WTO and using data of export manufacturing firms in China for the period 1990–2018, our results indicate that operating leverage and profitability have a positive relationship, and operating leverage is a central cause to create an inverse correlation between profitability and financial leverage when firm's revenue declines. In addition, operating and financial leverages have substitutions effect when the firm operating cost is quasi‐fixed. Furthermore, the firm's bankruptcy risk is linked with higher operating leverage. Our study suggests that firms should consider both operating and financial leverage to maximize their profitability because the preference of one leverage on the other increases bankruptcy risk, and operating leverage preference creates an inverse correlation between profitability and financial leverage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Houttuynia cordata Thunb (H. cordata) is a rhizomatous, herbaceous, and perennial plant widely distributed in Asia. It has multiple chemical constituents, such as alkaloids, essential oils, phenolic acids, and flavonoids used against various health problems. The essential oils and flavonoids are the main components of H. cordata that play an essential role in disease treatment and traditional health care. Moreover, the leaves and stems of H. cordata have a long medicinal history in China. In addition, H. cordata is used against several health issues, such as cold, cough, fever, pneumonia, mumps, and tumors, due to its anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-oxidant, and anti-tumor effects. It protects organs due to its anti-inflammatory activity. H. cordata regulates immunity by enhancing immune barriers of the oral cavity, vagina, and gastrointestinal tract, and shows broad-spectrum activity against liver, lung, breast, and colon tumors. However, there are some gaps to be filled to understand its pathways and mechanisms. Mechanisms such as its interaction with cells, cell membranes, and various drugs are important. Studies in relation to the blood–brain barrier, lipophilicity, cAMP signaling, and skin permeability, including pharmaceutical effects, will be very useful. This review includes the biological and pharmacological activities of H. cordata based on up-to-date research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study analyzed whether the enhancement in managerial ability accelerates the environmental, social, and economic sustainability practices or not. Using panel data methodology on Chinese listed firms data from 2010 to 2019, we report that CEOs' managerial ability impacts the overall (environmental, social, and economic) sustainability practices of the firms positively. Moreover, we find that social sustainability and economic sustainability also increase with the increase of the CEO's managerial ability in the firm. The results remain robust after several alternative empirical tests. The findings justify the relationship between management skills and sustainability and demonstrate how each one of the sustainability pillars is affected individually. The support for sustainability practices that can be achieved through the communication of management skills is an essential conclusion for practitioners. Findings establish the link between CEO's managerial ability and environmental, social, and economic sustainability performance by taking insights from upper echelon theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the era of economic globalization, the competitiveness of products on a global scale is increasingly achieved through effective and sustainable strategies for brand development by the leaders. This paper conducts an empirical study on regional brand competitiveness (BC) influencing factors. A research model was proposed and tested by employing structural equation modeling. Data analysis was conducted using 214 valid questionnaires from two major producing areas in Jilin Province, China. Research results show that Brand Market (BM) and Government Guidance (GG) directly and positively impact the regional BC. Regional Resource (RR) and industrial development (ID) indirectly impact the regional BC through the mediating role of BM and GG. BM is the most important factor affecting the regional BC. Based on this, the path to improve the competitiveness of traditional agricultural products under economic globalization is determined, and targeted countermeasures and suggestions are formulated for the existing problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rhododendron lapponicum (R. lapponicum) is a dwarf Rhododendron species, which is severely infected with root rot and wilt in Yunnan province, China. However, the causal agent causing these symptoms was unknown. An isolate, Pci‐1 was identified as Phytophthora cinnamomi, based on its morphology and the sequences of β‐tubulin, internal transcribed spacer, and Ypt1 genes and verified according to the Koch's postulate. We found that this pathogen could infect 14 species of plants, including Althaea rosea, Viburnum cylindricum, and Brassica napus. Strain Pci‐1 could cause R. lapponicum to wither and die; and it grows best in an oat medium with pH 7.0 − 8.0 and an optimum temperature of 27°C. We suggest that the rhizosphere of R. lapponicum treated with biocontrol strains Paenibacillus polymyxoides P2‐5 and Trichoderma asperellum Tv‐1 showed a significant inhibitory effect on pathogen Pci‐1. The inhibitory effect of 70% dimethomorph + cymoxanil was significantly higher with EC50 and EC90 values of 0.1894 and 0.3618 a.i. µg/ml, respectively. Greenhouse experiments revealed that the pathogen load is decreased in the presence of potential antagonists. This study provides fundamentals on risk assessment and theoretical support for the management of P. cinnamomi pathogen and contributes significantly to the planting of forest and horticultural crops in a disease‐free environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of the key subjects of multi-center governance of environmental concerns, public perception is crucial in forming and implementing environmental policy. Based on data science research theory and the original theory of public perception, this study proposes a research framework to analyze environmental policy through network text analysis. The primary contents are bidirectional encoder representation from transformersconvolution neural network (BERT-CNN) sentiment tendency analysis, word frequency characteristic analysis, and semantic network analysis. The realism of the suggested framework is demonstrated by using the waste classification policy as an example. The findings indicate a substantial relationship between perceived subject participation and policy pilot areas and that perceived subject participation is repeating. On this premise, specific recommendations are made to encourage policy implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to analyze the asymmetric long-run relationship between economic growth (EG), foreign direct investment (FDI), and carbon emissions (CO2) within the context of the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) and the pollution haven hypothesis (PHH) in China. Employing the quarterly data from 1982Q1 to 2018Q4, we have used novel techniques to meet the stated objectives of our study, named quantile ARDL and quantile Granger causality. The study provides novel outcomes using the advanced quantile ARDL and quantile Granger causality tests. The significant implication of this method is that it provides locational asymmetry. We find strong evidence of the EKC and PHH for China based on the empirical results of linear and nonlinear ARDL models. Similarly, findings of quantile Granger causality validate the bidirectional relationship among all variables in upper and lower quantiles. Moreover, the results of the Wald test confirm the asymmetric long-run relationship between FDI and carbon emissions (CO2). Thus, legal measures must be enhanced, accepted, rigorously imposed, and monitored in all provinces to assure a further reduction in carbon emissions. This study will be conducive for the policymakers to combat environmental contamination concerning economic growth and FDI inflow in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary purpose of the research is to investigate the mediating role of corporate sustainability in the relationship between the impacts of transformational leadership on the performance of firms. This study also aimed to investigate the moderating role of knowledge-sharing on the relationship of transformational leadership with corporate sustainability. Respondents of the study were the top management of large Chinese automobile sectors, such as Shanghai Automotive Business Corporation (Group), China FAW Group Corporation, Dongfeng Motor Co., Ltd., Beijing Automotive Group Co., Ltd., and China North Industries Group Corporation. These are the companies with the biggest market share in the automobile manufacturing industry in China. The data was gathered by using a self-administrative survey questionnaire from 198 individuals operating in different automobile industries in different sectors of China. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) through the Smart PLS 3.3.2 software. The results of this study revealed that transformational leadership has a positive and significant effect on the performance of the firm. Corporate sustainability has a significant positive mediating role in the association of transformational leadership and firm performance. Findings indicated that knowledge-sharing also has a positive moderating role in the association between transformational leadership and firm performance. The findings of this study contribute to the body of knowledge and show that leadership style has a significant effect on firm performance and that knowledgesharing culture in firms is essential for better performance of the firm. Furthermore, firms may improve their performance by improving their sustainability and by creating knowledge-sharing culture. The findings are important, particularly in connection with a developed country like China. The findings have important insights for various stakeholders, i.e., government, regulatory bodies, practitioners, academia, industry, and researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past three decades, researchers have extensively examined the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis. Despite their early focus on the ecological impacts of anthropogenic development, associated conclusions differ and often conflict. In this study, we conducted a state-of-the-art review of this topic and shed light on the methodological challenges that the literature attempted to overcome so far. Since China is going through structural economic changes and environmental reforms, we relied on this illustrative case and developed an augmented-EKC framework to investigate whether this hypothesis holds between export product diversification and environmental pollution, stratifying by carbon energy content: renewable (Model 1) and fossil energy (Model 2). Quarterly data are collected over the most available and recent period (i.e., 1990Q1-2018Q4) and computed by applying the Quadratic Match-Sum Method (QMS) on annual series. Besides, per capita income and foreign direct investments are included as additional factors to the baseline models specifications. The empirical analysis comprises the Clemente–Montanes–Reyes unit root test with structural break and additive outlier, the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) bounds test for cointegration, the Granger causality test, and dynamic (DOLS) and fully modified OLS (FMOLS) estimators, followed by robustness checks confirming the stability of the coefficients exhibited in the two autoregressive settings. For both models, empirical results failed to support the existence of an inverted-U-shaped relationship among export product diversification and carbon release from fuel combustion in China. Also, as income grows, low-carbon resources seem improving export diversification and vice versa. Related findings are thought to bring robust inferences able to complement the existing literature and open a fruitful research direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) vision and mission are to improve the people's living standards of Pakistan and China through bilateral investments, trade, cultural exchanges, and economic activities. To achieve this envisioned dream, Pakistan established the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Authority (CPECA) to further its completion, but Covid-19 slowed it down. This situation compelled the digitalization of CPEC. This article reviews the best practices and success stories of various digitalization and e-governance programs and, in this light, advises the implementation of the Ajman Digital Governance (ADG) model as a theoretical framework for CPEC digitalization. This article concludes that the Pakistani government needs to transform CPEC digitalization by setting up the CPEC Digitalization and Transformation Center (DTC) at the CPECA office to attract more investors and businesses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental administrative penalty is a strong tool for the government to regulate environmental pollution. The influence of an environmental administrative penalty on a firm's cash flow has become a hot topic in academics and industry. By employing ordinary least square and the bootstrap method, it is established that the penalty significantly reduces the firm's cash flow in the succeeding year through incremental disclosures which play a mediating role. Further, we distinguished environmental information's nature and then measured it from negative, sensitive (hard) information and positive (soft) information aspects. However, it is found that the mediating effect of the two types of disclosure increment did not exist, respectively. These results help us to comprehend the significance of environmental management to the stability of corporate cash flow and have practical illumination to corporate environmental management and environmental pollution control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temperature maintenance is one of the leading factors for the large-scale energy consumption in buildings, which accounts for 33% of the total consumption. The heavy smog in China resulting from the depletion of fossil fuels necessitates the development of new technologies that can reduce the energy usage in buildings. Several techniques for building's thermal insulation were developed among which the utilization of Vacuum Insulation Panels (VIPs) has the leading edge. For refrigeration purpose in VIPs, the glass wool is being used as a core material because of their low thermal conductivity (λ ≤ 2 mW/m·K) and low cost. However, the silica-fly ash has been preferred as a core material of VIPs for buildings because of its high compressive strength (σc > 2 MPa) and the most economical price. Moreover, the P 1/2 of the glass wool VIP and silica-fly ash VIP are 10–100 and 1000 Pa, respectively. In this work, the performance of VIPs with various cores has been compared. The thermal conductivity of VIPs, along with the factors affecting thermal conductivity, such as density, thickness, internal pressure, and porous structures, have been evaluated. In addition, the effect of core materials on the cost of VIPs was also quantified. It is expected that the study will serve as a pioneering work in the foundation to development of the next-generation, low-cost VIPs used for building insulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the real world, economic covariates follow asymmetric and time-varying patterns. Therefore, it is imperative to integrate these effects while estimating environmental and economic relationships. Although prevailing literature reveals various emissions-deriving and eliminating factors, however, there is a dearth of empirical evidence that estimates the asymmetric and time-varying effect of globalization, natural resources, and financial development from a multidimensional perspective in China. In doing so, we employ the nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag (NARDL) and cross-wavelet modeling framework to explore the long- and short-run nonlinear and time-variant association between globalization, natural resources, financial development, and carbon emissions from 1980 to 2017. The NARDL method has the benefit of discriminating the long-term and short-term asymmetric carbon emission responses due to a positive and negative shock in our primary variables of interest. Mainly, the findings of NARDL estimations confirm that positive shocks in globalization and financial developments have a significant positive impact on carbon emissions, whereas negative shock in natural resources has a significant positive impact on carbon emissions. Similarly, the outcomes of continuous wavelet transformation and wavelet transformation coherence confirm the causal linkages between covariates; however, this effect varies across different time and frequency domains. These results imply that environmental researchers should consider asymmetric transmission channels and time–frequency associations among variables to devise long-term sustainable policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines to what extent foreign private investment (FPI) affects the clean industrial environment and sustainable economic growth through developed countries investment in China. Moreover, this study investigates an association among FPI, CO2 emission, energy consumption, trade openness, and sustainable economic growth. This study uses random effects and generalized least squares (GLS) and panel VAR estimators for data analysis. The results show that China's economy has a great positive impact on the location and choice of investment in domestic markets in emerging countries and developed countries. In addition, investment in emerging and developed economies has increased the contribution of domestic enterprises and environmental sustainability to the national economy. The further results show that foreign private investment and gross domestic investment have positive impact on sustainable economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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