Theoretical Mechanism Research Articles

Digital transformation, human capital upgrading, and enterprise ESG performance: Evidence from Chinese listed enterprises

Research background: With the rapid development of digital technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), big data, cloud computing, and blockchain, the deep integration of digital technology and traditional industries offers unprecedented opportunities and has become an important technological force driving the development of enterprise environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance. Digital transformation increases the complementarity between the production and operation processes of enterprises and highly skilled labour, specifically manifested in the adaptive change of the human capital structure of enterprises in labour relations. Meanwhile, transforming enterprises’ human capital structure also affects ESG performance. Purpose of the article: This study investigates the effects of digital transformation on enterprise ESG performance and its underlying mechanisms of human capital upgrading. First, it combines cutting-edge literature to analyse the theoretical mechanism between digital transformation, human capital upgrading, and enterprise ESG performance, revealing the internal driving factors and implementation paths for improving enterprise ESG performance. Second, we use the data of 3928 listed enterprises in the Shanghai and Shenzhen A-share markets from 2009–2022 to analyse the impact of digital transformation on enterprise ESG performance from the perspective of human capital upgrading as well as the mechanism by which digital transformation affects enterprise ESG performance through human capital upgrading. Third, we provide policy recommendations for optimising the labour structure and enhancing enterprise ESG performance from the perspective of optimising human capital and digital technology applications. Methods: Based on data from 3928 listed enterprises in Chinese A-share markets from 2009-2022, we investigate the effects of digital transformation on enterprise ESG performance and the mechanisms of human capital upgrading. The panel mediation effect model tests the relationships between digital transformation, human capital upgrading, and enterprise ESG performance. Findings & value added: In theory, digital transformation is beneficial for optimising human capital structure, accelerating green technological innovation, and improving management efficiency, thus improving enterprise ESG performance. Mechanism testing shows that digital transformation enhances enterprise ESG performance through human capital upgrading. Heterogeneity analysis shows that the impact of digital transformation on ESG performance is more significant in enterprises that are capital- and technical-intensive, and located in the eastern and central regions. This study examines the microeconomic consequences of digital transformation, contributing to a deeper understanding of the theoretical logic inherent in enterprises’ optimisation of their labour structure. It also provides empirical evidence and decision support for developing industrial talent policies.

Study on the Difference of Endurance Performance between Polarization Intensity and other Intensity Distribution Endurance Training

The purpose of this study is to explore the difference in the effect of endurance training with different intensity distribution on improving athletes ' endurance performance. Through systematic review and empirical analysis, the effects of polarization intensity training and other intensity distribution training in endurance exercise were compared. In this study, literature review, experimental design and data analysis were used to elaborate the theoretical basis, implementation strategy and influence mechanism of polarization intensity training on endurance performance. At the same time, other intensity distribution trainings were classified and described, and the potential effects of these training methods on endurance improvement were analyzed. Further, this study revealed the significant differences in endurance performance between the two training modes through comparative analysis, and discussed possible physiological explanations. Finally, this study puts forward training suggestions for different sports groups, and puts forward the prospect of future research direction. The results of this study show that polarization intensity training has obvious advantages in improving the performance of professional endurance athletes, but other intensity distribution training also shows good applicability and effect among amateur sports enthusiasts.

The impact of urban soccer events on carbon emissions: Panel threshold analysis for Chinese cities

The holding of soccer events has an important impact on modern urban activities, which is conducive to the economic development, social harmony, cultural integration and regional integration of cities. However, massive energy is consumed during the event preparation and infrastructure construction, resulting in an increase in the city’s carbon emissions. For the sustainable development of cities, it is important to explore the theoretical mechanism and practical effectiveness of the relationship between soccer events and urban carbon emissions, and to adopt appropriate policy management measures to control carbon emissions of soccer events. With the development of green technology, digitalization, and public transportation, the preparation and management methods of soccer events are diversified, and the possibility of carbon reduction of the event is further increased. This paper selects 17 cities in China from 2011 to 2019 and explores the complex impact of soccer events on urban carbon emissions by using green technology innovation, digitalization level and public transportation as threshold variables. The results show that: (1) Hosting soccer events increases carbon emissions with an impact coefficient of 0.021; (2) There is a negative single-threshold effect of green innovation technology, digitalization level and public transportation on the impact of soccer events on carbon emissions, with the impact coefficients of soccer events decreasing by 0.008, 0.01 and 0.06, respectively, when the threshold variable crosses the threshold. These findings will enhance the attention of city managers to the management of carbon emissions from soccer events and provide guidance for reducing carbon emissions from soccer events through green technology innovation, digital means and optimization of public transportation.

Enhancement of atmospheric nucleation precursors on formic sulfuric anhydride induced nucleation: Theoretical mechanism

As an intermediate formed by H2SO4 (SA), formic sulfate anhydride (FSA) has been hypothesized to play a role in the nucleation of atmospheric aerosols. It is the first time that the clusters (SA)x(A)y(W)n and (FSA)x(A)y(W)n (x = 1–2; y = 1–2; n = 0–4) were systematically studied in theory on the structures, thermodynamics, intermolecular interactions, humidity dependence, atmospheric dependence and optical properties. FSA is predicted to be more stronger to promote the clustering with ammonia (A) than SA, suggesting that substituent group enhances nucleation capability of FSA. Whereas, the substituent group does not influence the humidity sensitivity of hydrated clusters. The clusters trend to form small hydrated clusters (nwater≦3). The study on atmospheric dependence indicates that the stability of the clusters depends more on temperature other than pressure. Moreover, FSA shows a stronger ability on reducing atmospheric visibility than A, SA and water molecules. This finding aims to draw attention to FSA about atmospheric nucleation.

Game theoretical analysis and mechanism design to find effective environmental policies for greening Iran’s automotive industry

Game theoretical analysis and mechanism design to find effective environmental policies for greening Iran’s automotive industry

Do impoverished regions benefit from climate change mitigation measures? Evidence from the Forest Carbon Sink Project in China

ABSTRACT Forests play a crucial role in achieving global climate change mitigation goals. The Forest Carbon Sink Project (FCSP) was initially proposed by the Clean Development Mechanism under the Kyoto Protocol, aiming to address externalities in climate governance through ecological compensation mechanisms. For impoverished regions, the FCSP is more attractive than the mandatory administrative approaches to forest protection. This Currently, due to the lack of empirical research, there is still debate in the academic community about whether the FCSP can produce overall positive economic benefits in poor areas. Based on panel data from 634 impoverished counties in China from 2002 to 2019, this study attempts to address this issue using a multi-period Difference-in-Differences (DID) model. The results demonstrate that, compared to non project counties, the implementation of the FCSP led to an increase in actual GDP and per capita GDP of 8.40% and 11.10% in project counties, respectively. That is, the FCSP can expand the economic scale while also promoting economic growth of project counties. The results of the dynamic model show that the economic benefits generated by the FCSP in these counties are long-term and sustainable. Based on the results of theoretical analysis and mechanism testing models, this study concludes that the FCSP generates short-term economic benefits through capital investment. It generates long-term economic benefits by improving the productivity of the primary industry labour force, increasing the level of fixed asset construction, and optimizing the industrial structure in poverty-stricken counties. Additionally, this study also conducted a heterogeneity analysis. In summary, this study concludes that the FCSP is a climate change mitigation measure worthy of promotion in impoverished regions.

Are you happy with your work? Side effects of workloads and work–family conflict in higher education

PurposeLacking lecturers in higher education is an international issue where society faces insufficient educational services to enlighten one’s future, and lecturer work satisfaction also merits higher attention. Work satisfaction is closely associated with turnover rates, lecturer retention, overall university cohesion, lecturers’ well-being, professional teaching improvement and research and publication performances. This study aims to explore how causes of actions (work–family conflict [WFC] and workload) influence consequences (stress and burnout) which affect the overall attitude (lecturer work satisfaction).Design/methodology/approachResearchers collected data from 450 Thai lecturers from different universities via survey questionnaires. Furthermore, a structural equation model method was used to analyze the data.FindingsResults showed that lecturer stress was significantly influenced by WFC and workload. Next, stress, workload and WFC were the main predictors of lecturer burnout. Then, lecturer work satisfaction was significantly influenced by burnout, except stress. Finally, a relationship between lecturer stress and work satisfaction was mediated by burnout.Originality/valueThis research proposes a theoretical mechanism to analyze how causes of actions (WFC and workload) influence consequences (stress and burnout) which lead to a development of lecturer attitude (work satisfaction) in higher education.

Exploring the Impact of Digital Literacy and Policy Cognition on Rural Residents' Eco-friendly Behaviors.

The active participation of rural residents in ecological protection is crucial for preserving the rural environment and advancing ecological civilization. However, existing literature often neglects the impact of rural residents' digital literacy and policy cognition on their adoption of eco-friendly behaviors. In the digital age, rural residents can efficiently access and utilize ecological information, deepen their policy cognition, and consequently, become more actively involved in ecological protection through enhancing their digital literacy. This enhancement is crucial for ensuring the smooth implementation of rural ecological policies at the grassroots level, thereby providing a strong impetus for the further development of rural ecological protection. Therefore, based on survey data from 851 respondents in four counties and cities in Hainan Province, this paper uses the Ordered Probit model to analyze the impact of digital literacy on rural residents' adoption of eco-friendly behaviors, supported by theoretical mechanism analysis. The results indicate that: (1) Digital literacy enhances the adoption of eco-friendly behaviors among rural residents; (2) The mechanism analysis shows that digital literacy promotes such adoption through improved policy cognition. Consequently, the government should actively promote digital technology education and training to improve rural residents' digital literacy. Therefore, targeted digital skills training policies should be developed according to the individual characteristics of rural residents. Additionally, promoting digital literacy to improve policy cognition will likely lead to greater engagement in eco-friendly behaviors.

How does interregional capital misallocation affect technological innovation in China? Theoretical mechanism and empirical evidence

ABSTRACT Capital allocation plays a pivotal role in production factor inputs and technology selection within the production process, exerting a profound influence on technological innovation. Leveraging panel data encompassing 284 prefecture-level cities in China from 2001 to 2019, this paper delves into the impact and underlying mechanisms of interregional capital misallocation on technological innovation. The findings are as follows: (1) The astern coastal regions are experiencing capital overallocation, whereas inland developing areas are prone to undercapitalised. This uneven distribution uncovers a notable ‘Lucas Paradox’ within China's regional capital allocation. (2) Interregional capital misallocation hampers technological innovation. This discernible inhibitory effect persists even after a series of robustness checks. From 2001 to 2019, interregional capital misallocation resulted in an average loss of 2.35 patents per 10,000 people in China. (3) In cities with excessive capital allocation, lower administrative level, insufficient financial development, and non-innovative pilots, this inhibitory effect is more pronounced. (4) Institutional environment destruction, fiscal expenditure bias and enterprise innovation inertia are the main channels through which interregional capital misallocation hindering technological innovation.

A review of ordered PtCo3 catalyst with higher oxygen reduction reaction activity in proton exchange membrane fuel cells

This review is devoted to the potential advantages of ordered alloy catalysts in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), specifically focusing on the development of the low Pt content, high activity, and durability ordered PtCo3 catalyst. Due to the sluggish oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) kinetics and poor durability, the overall performance of the fuel cell is affected, and its application and promotion are limited. To address this issue, researchers have explored various synthetic strategies, such as element doping, morphology adjusting, structure controlling, ordering and support/metal interaction enhancement. This article extensively discussed the Pt related ORR catalysts and follows an in-depth analysis of ordered PtCo3. The introduction briefly discusses the direction of development of fuel cell catalysts and frontier progress, including theoretical mechanism, practical preparation, and Pt-containing electrode structures, etc. The subsequent chapter focuses on the Pt-Co catalyst, the evolution process of Pt alloy to Pt-Co alloy and the improvement scheme are introduced. The next chapter describes the properties of PtCo3. Although the ordered PtCo3 catalyst has a wide range of applicability due to low cost and high activity catalyst. However, besides the common agglomeration and sintering problems of Pt-Co alloy, its commercial application still faces unique problems of oversized crystal size, phase segregation, ordering transformation and transition metal dissolution. Therefore, in Chapter 4, this overview provides some possible improvement methods for three specific functions: crystal refinement, enhancing the effect of support and active substances, and anti-dissolution.

Study on Regional Economic Effect of "West-East Power Transmission"

There is a certain mismatch between China's energy distribution and economic development. In this regard, the "West-East Power Transmission" project has optimized the allocation of China's power resources by exploiting the energy potential of the west. Based on the relevant economic data of 31 provincial administrative units in China from 1995 to 2018, combined with theoretical mechanism analysis, this paper hopes to explore the regional economic effect of "west point to East transmission" by designing a dynamic two-way fixed effect DID model divided into input and output areas. It is found that the policy of "power transmission from west to East" has no significant promoting effect on the whole, but has significant promoting effect on the economy of the import area in the medium and long term. In the input area, it mainly improves the output value of the tertiary industry and promotes the optimization of industrial structure. In addition, the heterogeneity robust estimators of de Chaisemartin and D 'Haultfoeuille were also used to estimate the policy effect at the input site, and the results were similar to those of dynamic TWFE.

Does the impact of credit rating downgrade on bond returns vary by region: Empirical evidence from China

Utilizing trading data from corporate and enterprise bonds that experienced credit rating downgrades between 2012 and 2022, this study employs event study methodology and regression analysis to examine the regional differences in the impact of credit rating downgrades on bond pricing and the mechanisms behind these effects. The study found that, during the window period when the bond credit rating is downgraded, there is a significant difference in the cumulative abnormal return of bonds between the eastern and non-eastern regions. Heterogeneity analysis indicates that bonds with higher credit ratings and those issued by non-state-owned enterprises are more significantly affected by credit rating downgrades. This study provides empirical evidence of regional disparities in the impact of credit rating downgrades, and proposes a theoretical mechanism whereby differences in the degree of marketization influence these effects through varying expectations of government implicit guarantees. The findings offer a theoretical foundation for optimizing decision-making by participants in the Chinese bond market.

Is industrial structure determined on water endowment in China? An empirical study of 31 provinces between 2011 and 2021

The interaction between water resources and industrial development remains inadequately comprehended in China. This study aims to explore the influence of water resources on industrial structure and its underlying mechanisms. The study establishes a theoretical mechanism framework based on the resource curse and blessing theory, examines the influence of water endowment on industrial structure, and investigates its influencing mechanism by using panel data from 31 provinces in China between 2011 and 2021. The study finds that, between 2011 and 2021, the national water-industry coordination gradually increased and remained uncoordinated. Water endowment and industrial structure exhibit a U-shaped relationship with spatial spillover effects. Water endowment reverses the industrial structure in water-scarce regions, while it promotes it in water-abundant regions. Both the curse and blessing of water resources are identified in China, and 30 provinces are “cursed”. The water-industry coordination plays a moderating role in the influence of water endowment on industrial structure, mitigating the effects of both the water resource curse and blessing. It expands the range of influence of the reverse effect and can shift the water resource curse to the water resource blessing. It is therefore proposed to employ water resources as an effective instrument to facilitate regional industrial upgrading, reinforce advanced agglomeration industry system, promote industrial structure adaptation to water resources, and strengthen the implementation of “Determining Industry on Water”. The paper illustrates the different water-industry interactions in water-scarce and water-abundant regions and the role of water-industry coordination in transforming the resource curse into the resource blessing.

Final E5 to E8 Steps in the Nitrogenase Mechanism for Nitrogen Fixation.

Nitrogenase converts nitrogen in the air to ammonia. It is often regarded as the second most important enzyme in nature after photosystem II. The mechanism for how nitrogenase is able to perform the difficult task of cleaving the strong bond in N2 is debated. It is known that for every electron that is donated to N2, two ATP are hydrolyzed. In the experimentally suggested mechanism, the activation occurs after four reductions of the ground state, but there is no suggestion for how the enzyme uses the hydrolysis energy to perform catalysis. In the theoretical mechanism, it is suggested that hydrolysis is used to reduce the electron donor. In previous papers, the steps leading to the activation of N2 in the so-called E4 state has been investigated, using both the experimental and theoretical mechanism, showing that only the theoretical one leads to agreement with EPR observations for E4. In the present paper, the four steps following E4, leading to the release of two ammonia molecules, are described using the same methodology as used in the previous studies.

Theoretical Mechanism and Practical Application Research of Metaverse Empowering Digital Economy Development

Theoretical Mechanism and Practical Application Research of Metaverse Empowering Digital Economy Development

The impact of digital technology on entrepreneurship--Evidence from China General Social Survey.

In light of the rapid development of digital technology, it is imperative to study the impact of digital technology on the labour force's entrepreneurial choices with the utmost urgency. This paper first constructs a theoretical mechanism for how digital technology affects individual entrepreneurship. It then empirically examines data from the China General Social Survey (CGSS) to test the theory. The results show that digital technology significantly increases individual entrepreneurial choices. Furthermore, the conclusions of the study are robust even when the estimation method and variable measurement are changed. Finally, the study finds that digital technology has the greatest impact on entrepreneurship among individuals with low education, the second-largest impact on those with medium education, and the third-largest impact on those with high education. Individuals with higher education levels have the second largest impact on the entrepreneurship of individuals with higher education levels, while the smallest impact is observed in this group. Digital technology development has a stronger role in promoting entrepreneurship of individuals with urban household registration than those with rural household registration. In terms of sub-region, digital technology has a larger role in individual entrepreneurship in the eastern and central regions, and has a less significant role in the western region. The findings of this study suggest that there is a need to implement measures to accelerate the pace of digital technology development, enhance the training of entrepreneurial skills and attitudes among highly educated individuals, and direct efforts towards enhancing digital technology development in rural and western China.

Tourism and intergenerational social mobility

ABSTRACT This study examines the influence of regional tourism growth on intergenerational social mobility using a comprehensive cross-sectional data set that includes six survey waves from the Chinese General Social Survey. Our findings show that tourism significantly encourages upward intergenerational social mobility. These baseline results remain consistent even when we apply instrumental variables, employ a hierarchical linear model, and conduct other robustness tests. Based on theories related to intergenerational mobility, promoting industrial structure upgrading and addressing regional inequality to ease the financial burden of family education are ways in which tourism promotes upward intergenerational social mobility. Moreover, our analysis of different groups shows that tourism growth mainly improves intergenerational social mobility for male offspring from low-education or rural backgrounds. Consequently, while tourism may reduce urban-rural disparities to a degree, it could intensify gender inequality in rural areas. These findings reveal the theoretical mechanism through which tourism influences intergenerational mobility, providing a more comprehensive examination of tourism’s role in promoting regional sustainability.

Scoping Review on the Use of Music for Emotion Regulation.

With increasing interest in the emotional responses to music, some studies are specifically looking into music's regulatory function on emotion, known as "music emotion regulation (MER)". The purpose of this study was to examine the concepts on the regulatory impact of music on emotion using a scoping review procedure. Through an electronic database and manual searches based on the guidelines suggested by the JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis, a total of 47 studies were identified and included for analysis. The results showed that there were some definitional challenges in each component of music emotion regulation. Most studies treated music as a single variable without exploring the regulatory mechanism of the intra-musical elements that constitute music. When examining the regulatory impact of music on emotion, emotion was inclusive of other terms ranging from feeling to mood. Most of the MER studies employed the terms used in the emotion regulation strategies; however, there were some regulatory processes that pertained solely to music's cathartic effect. Overall, the results showed that music emotion regulation (MER) was not clearly distinguished from music emotion (ME) studies. Future research should allocate more attention to the theoretical mechanism behind music's intrinsic regulatory effect in emotion regulation (MER) studies.

The role of green finance in the construction of new energy system: Evidence from China

Under the rapid development of energy transition and new energy technologies, it is of practical significance to construct a new energy system and explore the empowerment mechanism of green finance on the new energy system. This study conducted empirical research, analyzing the specific theoretical mechanism and transmission path of green finance in constructing a new energy system. The research results indicate that green finance directly promotes the construction of a new energy system, further driving the improvement of technical innovation levels, and facilitating the establishment of more environmental protection institutions, thereby indirectly promoting the construction of a new energy system. Additionally, green finance has a stronger promotion effect under conditions of lower openness levels, economic development levels, urbanization rates, and proportions of the tertiary industry. Moreover, under higher government fiscal expenditure conditions, green finance also generates a greater promotion effect. As the development level of the new energy system increases, the marginal impact of green finance first rises, then stabilizes, and ultimately decreases. Within the empirical analysis framework, this paper provides a novel perspective on the empowerment of green finance, contributing to the construction of a new energy system under new development conditions.

Unveiling Generally-ignored Co-substrate Effect of Catalase-inherent Peroxidase Mimic for Self-verifiable Detection of High-concentration Hydrogen Peroxide.

One nanoparticle possessing both peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT) activities is a prevalent co-substrate nanozyme system, distinct from the extensively researched cascade nanozyme system. During the sensing of hydrogen peroxide by POD, the impact of CAT is actually ignored in most studies. In this study, the CAT effect on hydrogen peroxide detection is thoroughly investigated based on POD catalysis by finely tuning the relative activity of POD and CAT. It is discovered that the CAT effect can be changed by delaying the injection of chromogenic substrate after adding hydrogen peroxide and that the linear range grows with the delayed time. Then, a theoretical mechanism showed that the time-delay mediated CAT effect magnification does not change the Vmax, but it causes Km to linearly increase with delayed time, consistent with the experiment results. Furthermore, the detection of high concentrations of hydrogen peroxide is successfully realized in contact lens care solutions by utilizing time-delay-mediated POD/CAT nanozyme. On the other hand, its linear range-tunable characteristic is used to produce multiple standard curves, then enabled self-verifying hydrogen peroxide detection. Overall, this work investigates the role of CAT in CAT-inherent POD nanozymes both theoretically and experimentally, and confirms POD/CAT nanozyme's priority in developing high-performance sensors.