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The study aims to examine the impact of various behavioral biases such are overconfidence, representativeness, availability, anchoring and herding, and their effects on individual investment decisions in the case-developed country context of China. To achieve this, data was meticulously gathered from 362 participants active in the Shanghai stock market. Employing advanced analytical tools, particularly the Smart PLS 3.3.2 software and structural equation modelling (SEM), this study rigorously scrutinized the intricate relationships between behavioral biases and investment decisions. The findings of this study notably reveal that all examined behavioral biases exert a significant positive impact on investment decisions within the Anxin, Haitong, Shanxi, and China Galaxy stock markets. Remarkably, no substantial disparities in the effects of these biases on stock market trading were observed among these markets. Importantly, these findings bear exceptional significance within the context of a developed country like China. The implications extend to a wide spectrum of stakeholders, including government entities, regulatory bodies, practitioners, the academic community, industry professionals, and researchers. Regulatory authorities can leverage these insights to refine their strategies, practitioners can fine-tune their investment advisory approaches, and academia and researchers can build upon these findings to deepen the understanding of behavioral finance in the realm of stock market investments.

ABSTRACTEnvironmental sustainability is a pressing global concern that demands urgent attention from policymakers and researchers. The objective of our research is to investigate the influence of economic policy uncertainty (determined by the world uncertainty index) and financial development on carbon emissions, followed by green technological innovation, institutional quality, economic growth, foreign direct investment, energy consumption, and trade in Organization of Economic Co-operation and Development, for the period 2003–2019, to analyse the data, the second-generation econometric techniques are used. We applied the two-stage sequential techniques of the linear panel data model and generalised method of moments approach to tackle the endogeneity problem and report robust findings. The findings of the study revealed that economic policy uncertainty, financial development, economic growth, energy consumption, and trade decrease environmental quality by increasing CO2 emissions, while green technological innovation and institutional quality increase environmental degradation by reducing CO2 emissions. Our evidence-based study provides significant outcomes for green technological innovation and institutional quality conditioning’s role in reducing carbon emissions in OECD economies.

The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals for 2030 provide a foundation for this study. These SDGs encompass crucial targets pertaining to sustainable development (SDG-8), responsible energy consumption (SDGs 11 and 12), access to clean and affordable energy (SDG-7), and environmental sustainability action (SDG-13) and among others. To this end, the research employs advanced panel methodologies to investigate the heterogeneous effects of energy resources and financial development on a sustainable environment. The study adopts second-generation econometric tools to evaluate the model’s cross-sectional dependence, and the cointegration methodology proves the long-run correlation between the indicators. Additionally, the ordinary least square and the panel quantile regression results reveal long-run estimations. These long-run studies provide reliable information on environmental sustainability dynamics in the E-7 economies. The analysis reveals that the effects of the high financial development, rapid economic growth and fast-growing nonrenewable energy resources significantly impact environmental sustainability from 2000–2020 within the E-7 bloc. Furthermore, the results from both the OLS and the PQR indicate that the coefficients for renewable energy resources and globalization are negative across all quantiles (Q25to Q95quantiles) with regard to CO2 emissions. These findings advocate for a policy framework that aligns with the SDGs. The study also proposes a comprehensive policy framework for the E-7 nations to promote progress toward SDGs (7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, and 16).

Energy plays a very important role more or less in every aspect of human life as well as economic activities. It is one of the sectors that play a pivotal role in the development of every county as it helps in easing or reducing poverty through job creation and manufacturing and supports infrastructural development. Renewable energy resources particularly hydropower remain one of the main sources of energy in recent times to overcome energy demand globally and reduce CO2 emissions and other Greenhouse gases from energy generation. The energy produced from sources such as coal, geothermal, burning of fossil fuels, and thermal have a negative impact on the environment as they release pollutants that affect aquatic life and other parts of the environment. Generating energy from hydroelectric power using a pump operating in reverse as turbine serves as the best and cheapest way to operate. This is due to its numerous advantages such as cheater installment and operation and low environmental hazards. This study examines the role of Pump as turbine for energy generation in reducing emission generation. Considering pump as turbine performance at different flow conditions for selection to be used for small hydro energy generation. Both numerical and experimental studies have been conducted and the results are discussed in this study. A literature survey has also been conducted to analyze data on global emission generation from energy generation. This study offers valuable information which supports the reduction of CO2 emissions and other Greenhouse gases from power generation through the provision of appropriate methods for the generation

This study explores the relationship between environmental taxation, environmental technologies, energy resources, and consumption-based carbon emissions in five leading green economies from 2000 to 2019. The study applied the Cross-Sectional Auto-Regressive Distributed Lag (CS-ARDL) model to derive benchmark results, with Augmented Mean Group (AMG) and Common Correlated Effect Mean Group (CCEMG) techniques being utilized for conducting robustness analyses. The empirical findings suggest that environmental taxation, environmental innovations, and the consumption of renewable energy are associated with a reduction in consumption-based carbon emissions, thereby contributing to enhanced environmental sustainability. Conversely, the utilization of non-renewable energy is linked to an increase in consumption-based carbon emissions. These results align with the objectives outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals' 2030 agenda, particularly SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), and SDG 13 (Climate Action), offering valuable policy implications.

As it has been practiced for many decades, agriculture has had a significant negative impact on the environment. More land, fertiliser, and pesticides had been used to increase the yield to meet the demands of an expanding population. Consequences included deforestation and soil degradation as well as the extinction of biodiversity, irrigation issues, and pollution, among other things. This has resulted in developing a new type of agriculture known as sustainable agriculture to remedy the situation. Specifically, the goal is to “meet the food and textile needs of society in the present without risking the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” Using appropriate agricultural practices to implement sustainable agriculture is the most effective method of accomplishing this goal. According to research, farmers’ decisions to effectively adopt sustainable agricultural practices are influenced by a variety of factors. In this paper, we firstly give an overview of sustainable agriculture practices. Then, we review the various factors affecting the adoption of these practices, and finally, we highlight the gap found in the literature.

Access to consistent and clean energy is a key challenge faced by several countries globally; especially in Asian and African countries. Most of the communities within these and other regions in the world are faced with continuous energy crisis, causing most of these economies to cripple. It is estimated that billions of people worldwide are living without access to clean and reliable source of energy. Renewable energy is the biggest source of energy and it characterizes the basis to steer the energy system in the direction of sustainability and supply security. Several countries globally are blessed with rich renewable energy resources that have not been fully developed. These renewable resources have the potentials to change the status quo of power generation and consumption in these countries. In this study, the status of renewable energy generation and storage was identified and discussed. A specific centrifugal pump model with radial volute and 6 impeller blades having inlet and outlet diameter of 104 mm and 160 mm respectively. The operational parameter of the head is 16 m, flow rate is 12.5 m3/h, rotational speed is 2900 r/min and efficiency is 56% were selected to carry out numerical simulations in the study. Using the centrifugal pump to operate as turbine (PAT), is one of the best alternatives for small and micro hydro generation since it helps in meeting energy needs. Furthermore, it can also help improve economic growth due to its cheapest source of power generation as well as providing sustainable energy source that will create more employment opportunities to improve the socio-economic environments of the people. Moreover, PAT method are also advantageous because of its low cost in acquisition and maintenance. The characteristics of PAT have been discussed numerically to analyze pressure and velocity distribution at different rotational speeds. The study concludes that PAT is the best alternative for energy generation.

Using a pump in reverse mode as a hydraulic turbine remains an alternative for hydropower generation in meeting energy needs, especially for the provision of electricity to remote and rural settlements. The primary challenge with small hydroelectric systems is attributed to the high price of smaller size hydraulic turbines. A specific commercial pump model, with a flow rate of 12.5 m3/h, head 32 m, pressure side diameter of 50 mm, impeller out, and inlet diameters of 160 mm and 6 mm, respectively, was chosen for this research. This research aimed to investigate a pump’s flow characteristics as a turbine to help select a suitable pump to be used as a turbine for micro- or small hydropower construction. Numerical methodologies have been adopted to contribute to the thoughtful knowledge of pressure and velocity distribution in the pump turbine performance. In this study, the unsteady flow relations amongst the rotating impeller and stationary volute of the centrifugal pump made up four blades and four splitters. Intermittent simulation results of pressure and velocity flow characteristics were studied considering diverse impeller suction angles. The study was conducted by considering a wide range of rotational speeds starting from 750 rpm to 3250 rpm. From the results, it was found that PAT operation was improved when operated at low speeds compared to high-speed operation. Thus, speeds between 1500 rpm and 2000 rpm were suitable for PAT performance. This research helps to realize the unsteady flow physiognomies, which provide information for future research on PAT. This study makes useful facts available which could be helpful for the pump turbine development. Future studies should focus on cost analysis and emission generation in energy generation.

Knowledge sharing between individuals is a key process for knowledge-intensive organizations to create value and gain a competitive edge. An individual is in the center of a complex set of factors, which are conducive to the knowledge-sharing process. The purpose of this empirical study is to explain the interaction mechanisms between personality and knowledge-sharing behavior and to examine the mediating effects of willingness to share knowledge and subjective norm. The theory of planned behavior, the social exchange theory, and the big five personality traits theory are combined to explain tacit knowledge-sharing behavior. A survey strategy and purposive sampling was applied, and the analysis was conducted on a sample of 288 employees from Croatia working on knowledge-intensive tasks for which high levels of tacit knowledge sharing are characteristic. A standard online questionnaire consisted of items evaluated on a 7-point Likert-scale, ranging from strongly agree (7) to strongly disagree (1). In the structural model, relationships between altruism, willingness, subjective norm, and tacit knowledge sharing were tested. Confirmatory factor analysis with maximum likelihood estimation was performed by using SEM software AMOS version 23. The findings of the study suggest that altruism has a direct impact on tacit knowledge sharing, reaffirming a relationship with knowledge sharing but distinguishing between sharing of different types of knowledge, assessing tacit knowledge sharing as a construct separate from general knowledge sharing. Our findings suggest that willingness to share is a predictive factor of knowledge sharing behavior between employees, having both direct impact on tacit knowledge sharing and being a mediator between the trait of altruism and tacit knowledge sharing. The mediation test also indicates that altruism has an indirect influence on tacit knowledge sharing when subjective norm was a mediator. The findings suggest that personality traits relying on social capital, such as altruism, have more influence on tacit knowledge sharing compared to personality traits that have accentuated intrinsic components. The study contributes to the better understanding of factors stimulating knowledge-sharing behaviors and provides recommendations based on empirical evidence, which may later be applied in the development of knowledge-sharing leadership styles, employee hiring, and auxiliary initiatives.

In a modern working environment characterized by new technology and work assignments extended to personal time, employees are expected to balance multiple roles while maintaining maximum productivity. Past studies analyzed work-family conflict and its connection to job performance, without adequate integration of psychological factors into the research model. This study aims to fill the gap and explain the impact of work-family conflict and psychological factors on job performance. To explore the association between work-family conflict and job performance and measure the effects on psychological safety and psychological well-being, an empirical study was conducted on a sample of 277 company employees in Bahrain. The online questionnaire used five-point Likert-scales adopted from previous studies to measure the variables of the research model. In the structural model, relationships between work-family conflict, psychological well-being, psychological safety, and job performance were tested. Confirmatory Factor Analysis with Maximum likelihood estimation was performed by using SEM software AMOS version 23. The findings of the study suggest there is a negative impact of work-family conflict on psychological safety and psychological well-being. This study is significant since it detaches from the prior researches focused on observing the repercussions of work-family conflict in workers’ well-being, and centers on the analysis of job performance instead. The findings show that psychological well-being and psychological safety influence job performance. When psychological well-being and psychological safety of employees are unsatisfactory, job performance will decrease accordingly. The mediation test indicated that work-family conflict had an indirect influence on job performance when psychological safety and psychological well-being were mediators. The study contributes to a better understanding of work-family conflict, psychology of employees, and job performance. The study provides valuable insight to organizations on ways to increase employees’ effectiveness and ensure better performance by preventing work-family conflict from occurring.

Energy contributes significantly in almost all aspects of human life as well as economic activities and plays a crucial role in the infrastructural development of a county to alleviate poverty. Generating energy from a renewable source such as small hydropower through the application of pump operating as a turbine mode called Pump as Turbine is one of the best alternatives to provide clean and inexpensive energy. Using Pump as Turbine helps in generating reasonably priced hydroelectric power for communities in underdeveloped counties. This study investigates the effects of internal flow behaviour and performance of Pump as Turbine under different rotational speed and flow rate. The rotational speed is an essential physical parameter as it affects the Pump as Turbine operation. A model-specific speed centrifugal pump model with head 32 (m), flow rate of 12.5 (m3/h) and the rotational speed of 2900 rpm, has been selected for the study. Numerical simulations have been conducted using the k-ω turbulence model to solve three-dimensional (3D) equations. The pump mode experimental data were used to confirm the results for better analysis. The results predicted that vortex and turbulent kinetic energy increase per rotational speed increase. Also, at the higher rotational speed, very high recirculation of flow is detected at the blade suction chamber, although the pressure side has a smooth flow. This study provides beneficial information which will serve as a reference to help improve PAT performance along with selecting PAT for a small hydropower site. Future works will consider the impact of blade thickness and cavitation in Pump as Turbine.

Synthesizing theories of ethical leadership, psychological climate, pro-environmental behavior, and gender, first, we proposed and tested a model linking supervisors’ ethical leadership and organizational environmental citizenship behavior via a green psychological climate. Then, we tested the moderating effect of gender on the indirect (via a green psychological environment) relationship between supervisors’ ethical leadership and organizational environmental citizenship behavior. Time-lagged (three waves, 2 months apart) survey data were collected from 447 employees in various manufacturing and service sector firms operating in China. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling, bootstrapping, and multigroup techniques to test the hypothesized relationships. The results showed a positive relationship between employee ratings of supervisors’ ethical leadership and organizational environmental citizenship behavior. Moreover, a green psychological climate mediates the relationship between supervisors’ ethical leadership and organizational environmental citizenship behavior. Importantly, the multigroup analysis revealed that gender moderates the indirect relationship (via green psychological climate) between supervisors’ ethical leadership and organizational environmental citizenship behavior. The study carries useful practical implications for policymakers and managers concerned about environmental sustainability.

In this study, first we examined the effect of workplace romance on employee job performance, and the mediatory role of psychological wellbeing in the relationship between workplace romance and employee performance. Then we tested the moderating effects of gender and workplace romance type – lateral or hierarchical – on the indirect effect of workplace romance on employee performance. Based on a survey of 311 doctors from five government teaching hospitals in Pakistan, we used structural equation modeling and bootstrapping to test these relationships. This study reveals that psychological wellbeing significantly fully mediates the positive relationship between workplace romance and job performance. Moreover, multi-group analysis shows that gender moderates the indirect effect of workplace romance on employee performance, where the indirect effect of workplace romance on employee performance is stronger for male participants. This study carries important implications, particularly for the policy makers and managers of healthcare sector organizations.

The age and growth and population dynamics of the black pomfret, Parastromateus niger and the frigate tuna, Auxis thazard thazard were studied from specimens collected monthly in the Taiwan Strait from April 2005 to March 2006. With five age groups of each, the dominant black pomfret was one year, while frigate tuna was two years. The total mortality coefficient (Z) and the fishing mortality (F) of the black pomfret were at high levels, the exploitation ratio (E) was over 0.5, and the number of captured juvenile fishes showed that the stock of black pomfret in this area was overexploited and improper fishing gear was utilized. Compared with previous studies, the maximum and mean fork length, body weight and age of the two fishes declined gradually, the populations were younger in age and smaller in size. The growth coefficient k increased and age at the inflexion point of weight t r was younger than before. The smaller change of the fork length at first maturity of the two fishes has indicated a more vulnerable fishery ecosystem in this area. Therefore, in addition to the traditional fishery management approach, such as taking the minimum length into consideration, ecosystem approach to fisheries management (EAF) should be taken to improve the practical fishing management, including conserving the small pelagic fishery population in order to achieve the sustainable fishing of the stocks.La edad y crecimiento de la palometa negra, Parastromateus niger y del atún fragata o melva, Auxis thazard thazard se estudiaron a partir de especímenes capturados mensualmente en el estrecho de Taiwan, entre abril 2005 y marzo 2006. Se determinaron cinco grupos de edad, siendo dominante en la palometa negra los ejemplares de un ano, mientras que en el atún fragata los de dos anos. El coeficiente de mortalidad total (Z) y la mortalidad por pesca (F) de la palometa negra se encontraron en niveles altos. La tasa de explotación E resultó sobre 0,5 y el número de peces juveniles capturados demuestra que la población está sobreexplotada en la región y los equipos de pesca utilizados resultan inadecuados. En comparación con estudios previos, la longitud horquilla máxima y media, el peso corporal y la edad en ambas especies ha disminuido en forma gradual, presentando las poblaciones peces de menor edad y tamano. El coeficiente de crecimiento k aumentó y la edad en el punto de inflexión en peso t r se obtuvo en ejemplares más jóvenes que en anos previos. El pequeno cambio de la longitud horquilla determinado en la primer madurez en las dos especies indica que en esta zona, el ecosistema pesquero se encuentra más vulnerable. Por eso, además del enfoque tradicional en la gestión de la pesca, como la adopción de una longitud mínima, se requiere adoptar el enfoque ecosistémico a la ordenación de la pesca (EEP) para mejorar la conservación de la población de pequenos pelágicos y lograr así el desarrollo sostenible de los recursos pesqueros.

This study advances research on workplace romance, employees' work-related attitudes, and discretionary work behaviors by drawing on a positive psychology theory to theorize interrelations between workplace romance, job involvement, and employees' work effort and provide empirical evidence of these interrelations. Data were collected in two waves (three months apart) from 365 supervisor-employee dyads in 64 firms from different Chinese manufacturing sectors. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM), bootstrapping, and multigroup techniques. The present study found that workplace romance was positively related to employees' work effort. Moreover, employees' job involvement fully mediates the positive relationship between workplace romance and employees' work effort. Importantly, by using multigroup analysis, the current research found that workplace romance types - hierarchical/lateral and licit/illicit (extramarital) moderate the indirect relationship between workplace romance and employees' work effort. This study offers important implications for managers and policymakers of business organizations in China and elsewhere., Author(s): Muhammad Aamir Shafique Khan [sup.1] [sup.2] , Jianguo Du [sup.1] , Farooq Anwar [sup.2] , Sikandar Ali Qalati [sup.1] , Muhammad Waqas [sup.2] , Shuja Iqbal [sup.1] Author Affiliations: [...]

Abstract The spatio-temporal variations of soil gas in the seismic fault zone produced by the 12 May 2008 Wenchuan Ms 8.0 earthquake were investigated based on the field measurements of soil gas concentrations after the main shock. Concentrations of He, H2, CO2, CH4, O2, N2, Rn, and Hg in soil gas were measured in the field at eight short profiles across the seismic rupture zone in June and December 2008 and July 2009. Soil-gas concentrations of more than 800 sampling sites were obtained. The data showed that the magnitudes of the He and H2 anomalies of three surveys declined significantly with decreasing strength of the aftershocks with time. The maximum concentrations of He and H2 (40 and 279.4 ppm, respectively) were found in three replicates at the south part of the rupture zone close to the epicenter. The spatio-temporal variations of CO2, Rn, and Hg concentrations differed obviously between the north and south parts of the fault zone. The maximum He and H2 concentrations in Jun 2008 occurred near the parts of the rupture zone where vertical displacements were larger. The anomalies of He, H2, CO2, Rn, and Hg concentrations could be related to the variation in the regional stress field and the aftershock activity.

Abstract Background The zebrafish intestine is a simple tapered tube that is folded into three sections. However, whether the intestine is functionally similar along its length remains unknown. Thus, a systematic structural and functional characterization of the zebrafish intestine is desirable for future studies of the digestive tract and the intestinal biology and development. Results To characterize the structure and function of the adult zebrafish intestine, we divided the intestine into seven roughly equal-length segments, S1-S7, and systematically examined the morphology of the mucosal lining, histology of the epithelium, and molecular signatures from transcriptome analysis. Prominent morphological features are circumferentially-oriented villar ridges in segments S1-S6 and the absence of crypts. Molecular characterization of the transcriptome from each segment shows that segments S1-S5 are very similar while S6 and S7 unique. Gene ontology analyses reveal that S1-S5 express genes whose functions involve metabolism of carbohydrates, transport of lipids and energy generation, while the last two segments display relatively limited function. Based on comparative Gene Set Enrichment Analysis, the first five segments share strong similarity with human and mouse small intestine while S6 shows similarity with human cecum and rectum, and S7 with human rectum. The intestinal tract does not display the anatomical, morphological, and molecular signatures of a stomach and thus we conclude that this organ is absent from the zebrafish digestive system. Conclusions Our genome-wide gene expression data indicate that, despite the lack of crypts, the rostral, mid, and caudal portions of the zebrafish intestine have distinct functions analogous to the mammalian small and large intestine, respectively. Organization of ridge structures represents a unique feature of zebrafish intestine, though they produce similar cross sections to mammalian intestines. Evolutionary lack of stomach, crypts, Paneth cells and submucosal glands has shaped the zebrafish intestine into a simpler but unique organ in vertebrate intestinal biology.

Simple Summary: The Internet of Things (IoT) can improve small-scale aquaponics, a sustainable farming method that combines fish farming with plant growing in water without soil, by making the process more efficient and profitable by optimizing resource use, closely monitoring water quality, and ensuring the best conditions for both fish and plants to thrive. Aquaponics is beneficial for the environment and can help ensure a steady food supply but presents challenges for small-scale farmers due to a lack of expertise in water chemistry and system upkeep, as well as high operational costs. Identified challenges in aquaponics operation include high water and energy costs, maintaining the right balance of fish and plants, and the risk of mosquitoes breeding in the water. This systematic review offers a comprehensive guide to setting up and maintaining an aquaponics system, including choosing the right fish and plants, designing the system, monitoring water quality, and feeding the fish. The importance of knowledge sharing among farmers is also highlighted to improve aquaponics practices. The integration of IoT into these systems can reduce the need for manual work and improve the availability of information related to system control, which could facilitate further adoption and optimization of aquaponics farming practices. Aquaponics combines aquaculture and hydroponics to offer a sustainable approach to agriculture, addressing food security issues with minimal environmental harm. However, small-scale practitioners face challenges due to a lack of professional knowledge in water chemistry and system maintenance. Economic hurdles, such as operational costs and energy-intensive components, hinder the viability of small-scale aquaponics. Selecting suitable fish and plant species, along with appropriate stocking densities, is crucial. Media Bed (MB), Deep Water Culture (DWC), and the Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) are commonly used hydroponic techniques. This study outlines optimal conditions, including water quality, temperature, pH, and nutrient concentrations, essential for symbiotic fish and plant cultivation. Integrating IoT technology enhances efficiency and profitability by optimizing resource utilization, monitoring water quality, and ensuring optimal growth conditions. Knowledge sharing among practitioners fosters innovation and sustainability through collaborative learning and best practices exchange. Establishing a community for knowledge sharing is vital for continuous improvement, advancing small-scale aquaponics towards a more efficient and sustainable future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractTo succeed in the global market, firms must prioritize quality over individual goals and preferences. One of the two primary approaches for ensuring quality is acceptance sampling, which is employed in statistical process control to inspect attributes of the product for acceptance. In acceptance sampling, the lot is either accepted or not-accepted based on predetermined acceptance criteria for inspection. This paper presents a proposed Bayesian double group sampling plan (BDGSP) for estimating quality regions. The binomial distribution is used to construct the likelihood function for both nonconforming and conforming products based on acceptance criteria. To calculate the average probability of acceptance, the beta distribution is used as a suitable prior distribution of the binomial distribution. Four distinct quality regions are predicted for various indicated producer’s and consumer’s risk levels. Based on various combinations of values for design parameters, the suggested plan generates variation point values. Risks for producers and consumers are related to acceptable quality level and limiting quality level. To track the effects of changes in the values of the specified parameters, operating characteristic curves are utilized. The applicability of the proposed plan for current industrial strategies is demonstrated using a real dataset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]