Abstract We thus conduct this study to investigate the contribution of both internal control systems and technological capabilities on bank-wide risk management and its effect on institutional transparency, and towards SDG 16 (Sustainable Development Goal). Based on data from 448 senior managers of 26 commercial banks in Vietnam, this study utilizes Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling to analyse the relationships among various internal control elements, technological integration, risk management, and institutional outcomes. We found that all five elements of the internal control mechanism help enhance risk management. For monitoring, it has the strongest effect, followed in the order of information and communication, control activities, control environment, and risk assessment. The big data capability has little effect on the application of artificial intelligence, but the application of artificial intelligence does have a real impact on risk management. The research also suggests that risk management contributes to the SDG directly and to institutional transparency. Institutional transparency, in addition, contributes positively to SDG as well as being a partial mediator between risk management and SDG. These results indicate that enhancements in internal control mechanisms and adoption of technology enhance risk governance, resulting in more institutional transparency and advancement towards SDG. The study adds to the literature by explaining how risk management and transparency link and contribute towards sustainable development in banking. It also has implications for policymakers and banking executives who wish to enhance institutional integrity and resilience in emerging economies.

This study examines sustainable growth among Thai listed firms using an AI-enhanced Structural Equation Modeling (AI-SEM) framework that integrates financial and ESG perspectives within contingency theory and stakeholder value maximization. The framework extends conventional SEM by incorporating anomaly detection, feature selection, and dimensionality reduction prior to estimation, followed by post-SEM time-series interpretability analysis to address multicollinearity, data noise, and firm-level heterogeneity. Using panel data from 147 firms listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand during 2018–2022, fourteen hypotheses are tested across five financial and governance constructs: performance, internal control, economic profit, dividend policy, and market value added, with sustainable growth proxied by ESG outcomes. The results indicate that performance and internal control are key drivers of sustainable growth, both directly and indirectly through market value added. In contrast, economic profit exhibits a negative association with sustainability outcomes, while dividend policy is insignificant, reflecting Thailand’s cyclical dividend behaviour. These findings underscore the context-dependent nature of sustainable growth and reinforce contingency theory by demonstrating how firm characteristics and market conditions jointly shape financial sustainability. The study further shows that integrating AI-enabled analytics into ESG–finance evaluation enhances decision precision and organisational adaptability, offering actionable insights for policymakers and regulators seeking to align data-driven financial strategies with long-term sustainability objectives and advance Sustainable Development Goals 8 and 9.

This study aims to analyze the impact of organizational culture, individual morality, and whistleblowing systems on fraud prevention, with internal control serving as a moderating variable within the Regional Apparatus Organizations (OPD) of the Riau Provincial Government. Employing a quantitative methodology, the research gathers primary data through the administration of questionnaires. The population under consideration comprises 34 OPDs within the Riau Provincial Government, utilizing purposive sampling as the selection technique. A total of 102 respondents were chosen based on specified characteristics. Data analysis was conducted using SmartPLS version 4 software. The findings indicate that both organizational culture and the whistleblowing system exert a significant influence on fraud prevention, whereas individual morality does not demonstrate a statistically significant effect. Additionally, internal control is shown to enhance the impact of individual morality and the whistleblowing system on fraud prevention, while it does not strengthen the effect of organizational culture in this regard. These results offer practical implications for local governments aiming to fortify ethical and moral standards, as well as implement robust internal controls, thereby minimizing the risk of fraud. The implementation of these strategies is anticipated to reduce the underlying causes of fraudulent behavior in the public sector.

Assessing precision, bias, and sigma metrics of 22 measurands using Ricos and EFLM specifications and implementation of internal quality control procedure in clinical chemistry laboratory.

Confucian culture, artificial intelligence, and executive financial misconduct: Internal control and information disclosure as governance channels

This study examines the differentiated impacts of the Government Internal Control System (SPIP) and the Regional Government Internal Supervisory Apparatus (APIP) on local government financial sustainability in Indonesia. Using secondary data from 2,690 observations of provincial, city, and regency governments during 2018–2022, this study employs multiple regression analysis. The findings show that APIP has a significant positive effect on efficiency and effectiveness, but a significant negative effect on equity in financial management. In contrast, SPIP is found to significantly influence only the efficiency dimension. This study contributes novel empirical evidence that internal control mechanisms do not affect financial sustainability uniformly, but instead play differentiated roles across efficiency, effectiveness, and equity dimensions. By integrating Agency Theory and Legitimacy Theory, this study provides a clearer theoretical explanation of how APIP and SPIP address agency problems and legitimacy pressures in local government financial management. The results suggest that while APIP enhances resource optimization, it faces challenges in ensuring equitable fund distribution. Therefore, local government financial sustainability can be strengthened through targeted optimization of SPIP and reinforcement of APIP’s supervisory role, particularly in promoting distributive justice.

ABSTRACT In the last decade, accountants have begun to play an important role in the measurement, reporting, and assurance of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) data. This introductory-level case introduces students to the process of calculating a carbon footprint by inventorying greenhouse gas emissions for an organization. It also helps students appreciate how voluntary disclosure of emissions data provides stakeholders with material information and motivates decarbonization efforts. The case further encourages students to think critically about how internal controls and assurance can improve the credibility of these disclosures. Students also gain experience with the process of evaluating and benchmarking sustainability performance across organizations. The case engages students in these learning activities by situating them in an organizational context that students can easily relate to—higher education. In a post-case learning assessment, students reported significant improvement in their comprehension and application of these learning objectives. JEL Classifications: M14.

This paper investigates the challenges of grid strength and stability arising from the large-scale integration of renewable energy, with a focus on the dynamic response characteristics of grid-following (GFL) and grid-forming (GFM) converters. Utilizing an electromagnetic transient model and equilibrium point linearization, voltage response equations at the point of interconnection under grid voltage disturbances are derived, highlighting the distinct behaviors of the two converter types during voltage sags. This paper analyzes the relationship between internal impedance and controller parameters, and proposes an extended equivalent model for multi-converter parallel integration scenarios. The short-circuit ratio (SCR) is adopted as a quantitative metric to assess grid strength, and an optimal converter configuration strategy is proposed to satisfy critical short-circuit ratio (CSCR) requirements. Finally, single-converter and multi-converter simulation models are constructed in Simulink to compare the voltage response characteristics of both converter types, and to validate the effectiveness of the proposed strategy in enhancing grid strength.

Multi-decadal Dynamics of Regime Shifts in Dianchi Lake: Drivers and Restoration Implications for Plateau Shallow Lakes

• IMC-based LFC is proposed for a two-area interconnected power system • Achieved up to 80.74% reduction in its peak frequency deviations • Reduced oscillatory stress and improved damping in system dynamics • Improved tie-line power response and inter-area power exchange • Time and frequency analysis with FFT and PSD are validated Abstract This work provides a comprehensive examination of load frequency control (LFC) in a two-area type interconnected power system using a proposed Internal Model Control (IMC) technique and compares its respective performance with an existing cascade type system of PI–(1+FOPID) controller with a step load disturbance. The design of the two-area power system and the respective controller are simulated in MATLAB, whereas for the time-domain and frequency domain analyses, the Python-based tools and Google Colab are utilized. The study provides system dynamics in terms of various frequency deviations, tie-line power, controller behavior and mechanical responses. The proposed IMC type controller enhances the disturbance rejection behavior based on the time-domain analysis obtained, which is around 64.79% and 80.74% reduced in its frequency deviations in its peak in the power system areas 1 and 2 respectively. Also, the damping characteristics are improved due to the reduction in its RMS values. The regulation is improved and the inter area power exchange is beneficial as per the response of the tie-line power. The oscillatory stress is lesser with an efficient control action and the governor and turbine dynamics analysis provides the smoother mechanical behavior. The proposed controller effectively suppresses the oscillatory modes with low frequency and the respective spectral energy has been reduced which indicates that the system has a significant improvement in its stability and robustness, this is verified based on the frequency domain analysis utilizing FFT and power spectral density. Hence, in overall, the proposed IMC has a reliable and effective frequency regulation and represents an efficient control approach for the modern interconnected type power systems based on the obtained results.

Although randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are the gold standard for evaluating the efficacy and safety of treatments, they are challenged by cost, duration, enrollment, or ethical concerns. A possible solution is to incorporate external control data as a hybrid control group, for which various statistical methods are available. However, only a few of them account for confounding bias due to unknown/unmeasured covariates between the internal and external control data. Moreover, the amount of this potential bias cannot be measured using most existing methods without extensive simulations. Here, we propose a novel method for estimating the confounding effects of unmeasured covariates based on model-based regression standardization, inverse probability weighting, and augmented inverse probability weighting for continuous or binary outcomes. We also propose an estimator that dynamically borrows external data and uses a weighted mean, adjusting weights according to the estimated confounding effect of unmeasured covariates. In the proposed method, the expected amount of bias can be controlled within a prespecified "bias-tolerance cap," which may facilitate a better discussion among stakeholders about whether an effect estimate has unacceptable bias by utilizing external control data in a planning phase. Simulations showed that the proposed method regulates bias within the tolerance cap, regardless of the magnitude of confounding by unmeasured covariates, while greatly improving power and efficiency when confounding is absent. Finally, we illustrate an applicational example of our proposed method to an actual RCT and the external control datasets for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.

Sustainable innovation for the clear waters of Hangzhou West Lake, China: Achievements and insights

Laboratories (labs) play a fundamental role in screening, diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of diseases. For a laboratory result to be useful, it must have guaranteed quality. In this context, there is no informative data on the best practices adopted by labs in Portuguese-speaking countries (PSC). This information is essential for formulating policies and educational strategies intended for this target audience. To identify and assess adherence to laboratory best practices by clinical analysis labs in Portuguese-speaking countries. A digital questionnaire consisting of 47 questions on laboratory best practices and quality management was sent to participants in the National Program for External Quality Assessment of Portugal and other labs involved in the Laboratory Quality Improvement Project for PSC-ProMeQuaLab, except from Brazil. Data were collected anonymously between July 7 and September 30, 2024 and analysed with descriptive statistics. 59 labs (ambulatory and hospital) participated in the study, but 5 institutions did not consent to the disclosure of their data, even if anonymously. Of the 54 included labs, most were from Portugal (39; 72%), followed by Cabo Verde (9; 16%), Guinea-Bissau (4; 7%), São Tomé and Príncipe (1; 2%), and 1 lab did not specify its country of origin. 57% of the labs have an implemented management system, and half of them are certified. Most labs belong to public services (63%), have a professional responsible for the management system (85%), conduct an annual training plan (85%), use quality indicators for the pre-analytical (87%) and post-analytical (83%) phases, and perform internal (70%) and external (89%) quality control. Opportunities for improvement were identified, as only 59% of labs record the causes of rejection of control sample results, 65% develop a competency matrix, 66% construct control charts, and 72% use quality specifications to assess analytical performance. Portuguese labs contributed the most to these results. Laboratory best practices are implemented, but there are opportunities for improvement. Conducting training and involving more labs from PSC will contribute to the implementation and harmonization of laboratory best practices, which can contribute to ensuring the quality of results and patient safety.

This study evaluated the performance of antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) for anaerobic bacteria among 35 clinical microbiology laboratories in Germany and Austria through an interlaboratory comparison (ILC) challenge. A panel of five anaerobic bacterial strains (two Bacteroides fragilis, and one each of Phocaeicola vulgatus, Clostridium perfringens and Fusobacterium necrophorum) was tested by the participating laboratories against a panel of antibiotics (piperacillin-tazobactam, meropenem, metronidazole, clindamycin and/or benzylpenicillin) using the EUCAST disc diffusion methodology. This method was evaluated in comparison with the standard reference method, and categorical agreement with expected results was high (≥90%), with notable exceptions for piperacillin-tazobactam (88.6% and 80.0% in two of the five strains, respectively). The observed discrepancies underscore that the method requires local technical expertise in combination not only with continuous internal quality control but also with external quality assurance.

Ethical substitutes or institutional frictions? Confucian culture, marketization, and internal control effectiveness

This study examines the effects of operational complexity, management replacement, and firm size on audit report lag among consumer non-cyclical companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange during 2021–2023, following the implementation of Financial Services Authority Regulation (POJK) No. 14/POJK.04/2022, which introduced tighter reporting deadlines. Using a quantitative approach and 65 purposively selected firms, the results indicate that higher operational complexity and management replacement significantly increase audit report lag. Contrary to expectations, firm size shows a positive effect, suggesting that larger firms experience longer audit delays. This study contributes to the audit report lag literature by explaining the underlying audit mechanisms, including increased verification risk, coordination complexity, and information asymmetry under regulatory tightening. By focusing on the consumer non-cyclical sector—characterized by large operational scale, regulatory exposure, and stable public demand—the study extends Agency Theory by demonstrating that regulatory pressure may intensify, rather than reduce, agency conflicts. Practically, the findings highlight the importance of strengthening internal controls during managerial transitions, improving audit planning for complex clients, and adopting more context-sensitive regulatory enforcement to enhance reporting timeliness without exacerbating audit delays.

Copyright© 2026 The Author(s). This article is distributed under the terms of the license CC-BY 4.0., which permits any further distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.Article’s History: Received 15th of November, 2025; Revised 29th of December, 2025; Accepted 24th of February, 2026; Available online: 15th of March, 2026. Published as article in the Volume XXI, Special Issue 1(91), 2026.

Existing research has overwhelmingly emphasized the positive effects of generative artificial intelligence (AI) on corporate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance, while largely neglecting the risk of dimensional imbalance in ESG resource allocation and its potential contagion across supply chains. Drawing on utilitarian theory, this study introduces the novel concept of ESG opportunism and empirically examines the impact of generative AI adoption on its emergence and intensity. Results show that generative AI significantly heightens firms' opportunistic ESG behavior by increasing agency costs and weakening internal controls. This relationship is further amplified by stringent government environmental regulations and strong green investor preferences yet attenuated by greater analyst attention and higher-quality information disclosure. Moreover, a clear supply chain spillover effect is identified: generative AI adoption by focal firms transmits and intensifies ESG opportunism among both upstream suppliers and downstream customers. By challenging the dominant optimistic narrative surrounding generative AI's ESG implications, this study offers timely and critical insights for establishing responsible generative AI governance throughout global supply chains. • We define ESG opportunism as firms strong in environment but weak in social/governance, showing ESG isn't uniform. • Our data shows a strong positive connection between using generative AI and ESG opportunism. • Generative AI increases agency problems and weakens company controls, leading to more ESG opportunism. • We find supply chain spillover: a firm's generative AI use boosts ESG opportunism in suppliers and customers. • Government rules and green investors can unintentionally increase ESG opportunism; analysts and disclosure reduce it.

Introduction Colorectal carcinoma (CRC) is a major health problem worldwide and is one of the top causes of cancer deaths. Defects in DNA mismatch repair (MMR) are responsible for a few cases of CRC, and the defect mainly involves MLH1 and MSH2, which leads to microsatellite instability (MSI).Finding MMR deficiency is important for predicting outcomes, screening for hereditary conditions like Lynch syndrome, and choosing treatments such as immune checkpoint inhibitors. However, there is limited data on MMR protein expression and its clinical associations in Indian patients. The objective of this study was to evaluate the immunohistochemical expression of mismatch proteins MLH1 and MSH2 in colorectal carcinoma, and to correlate MLH1 and MSH2 expression with clinicopathological parameters such as age, gender, tumor site, histological type of tumor, and histological grade. Materials and methods Thisretrospective cross-sectional study included 45 histologically confirmed cases of CRC. Immunohistochemical staining for MLH1 and MSH2 was performed on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections. Complete absence of nuclear staining in tumor cells, with intact internal controls, was interpreted as loss of expression, indicating MMR deficiency and MSI. Retained expression of both proteins was interpreted as MMR-proficient based on MLH1 and MSH2 expression, although complete assessment of microsatellite instability ideally requires evaluation of all four mismatch repair proteins (MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, and PMS2). Statistical analysis was performed to determine correlations with clinicopathological variables such as age, gender, tumor site, histological type, and histological grade. Results The mean patient age was 56 ± 14 years. The majority of patients (n=27, 60%) were female. The colon was the most common tumor site (n=25, 55.6%), and conventionaladenocarcinoma was the main type (n=44, 97.8%). Most tumors were moderately differentiated adenocarcinomas, comprising 35 (77.8%) patients. Overall, 21 patients (46.7%) were classified as MSI (MMR-deficient), while 24 (53.3%) were MSS (MMR-proficient). MLH1 loss occurred in 19 (42.2%) patients, and MSH2 loss in nine (20%). MLH1 loss was significantly linked to patients under 50 years of age (p = 0.009). MSH2 expression did not show a significant correlation with clinical or pathological factors. Conclusion Many CRC cases in this study showed loss of MLH1 and/or MSH2, which suggests MMR deficiency and MSI. MLH1 loss was closely linked to early-onset CRC and may point to a hereditary risk. Regular testing for MMR proteins can help with diagnosis, screening for Lynch syndrome, and choosing the best treatment.

Financial-judicial specialization and corporate long-term investment: Evidence from the establishment of financial courts in China