Search Results (648)

Northeast China’s rust-belt cities have faced persistent concerns about stagnating labor productivity amid structural change. This paper examines how the productivity payoff to urban density depends on local economic structure and ownership composition using an annual panel of prefecture-level cities. We estimate two-way fixed-effects models with city and year effects and city-clustered standard errors, complemented by dynamic specifications and additional robustness checks. The results show a robust positive within-city association between population density and labor productivity. This density premium is structure-conditioned: the productivity payoff to density is significantly larger in city-years that are more industry-oriented. Information-theoretic measures further show that sectoral and ownership composition matter in distinct ways. A normalized entropy measure based on 19 all-city sectoral employment categories is positively associated with labor productivity, while its interaction with density is negative and significant, indicating that the density premium is weaker in more sectorally balanced city-years. A normalized four-category ownership entropy measure, constructed from SOE, private/self-employed, collective, and other employment shares, is positively associated with labor productivity and interacts positively with density, indicating a stronger density–productivity association in city-years with a more balanced ownership composition. Collectively, the findings suggest that urban density is not a uniform engine of productivity: its payoff depends on whether dense city economies are organized around productive sectoral linkages and a sufficiently balanced ownership environment. Overall, the evidence supports a conditional agglomeration view in which productivity dynamics in Northeast China reflect the interaction of density, structural orientation, sectoral dispersion, and ownership mixing. Full article

Corporate carbon reduction is essential for sustainable development, yet little is known about whether equity linkages within supply chains facilitate firms’ low-carbon transition. Using data on Chinese A-share listed firms from 2008 to 2022, this study examines the effect of supply chain shareholding, defined as equity ownership by suppliers and customers in a focal firm, on corporate carbon emission intensity. We find that supply chain shareholding significantly reduces corporate carbon emission intensity, and this result remains robust after a series of robustness and endogeneity tests. Mechanism analyses show that supply chain shareholding lowers carbon emission intensity by strengthening corporate green governance, promoting green innovation, and facilitating cleaner production. Further analyses indicate that this effect is more pronounced under stricter air quality requirements, in regions with stronger environmental regulation, and among heavily polluting industries. These findings highlight the role of supply chain governance in corporate carbon reduction and suggest that equity linkages within supply chains can support firms’ low-carbon transition. Full article

The rapid growth of the digital economy has transformed the tourism industry, yet the industrial linkages and environmental impacts of this integration remain underexplored. This study employs an input–output framework to examine the interactions between the digital economy and tourism and their carbon footprint effects in China. Multi-year digital economy–tourism input–output tables for 2017, 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2023 are constructed using sectoral disaggregation and the RAS updating method. Results indicate increasing integration, with tourism more dependent on the digital economy sectors and both industries exerting the strongest influence on the secondary sector. The digital economy shows a gradual shift from hardware manufacturing to information services. Structural decomposition analysis and structural path analysis reveal that technological progress significantly reduces emissions, whereas population growth drives increases. These findings offer empirical evidence for guiding digital–tourism integration and supporting low-carbon strategies in the tourism sector. Full article

Whether and how digital financial inclusion (DFI) is associated with ecological efficiency (EE) is a critical issue for the sustainable development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB). Based on panel data from 2011 to 2023, this study measures EE using the PCA-Super SBM model, and employs panel fixed-effects models and mediation models to systematically examine the association, mechanisms, and regional patterns of DFI with EE in the YREB. The findings are as follows: (1) DFI and EE exhibit notable spatiotemporal co-evolution characteristics, with the DFI index increasing nearly 14-fold and the EE level rising by approximately 21.5% over the study period. (2) DFI shows a statistically significant positive association with EE improvement; this finding remains robust after various robustness checks. (3) The association between DFI and EE is partially mediated through four pathways: capital allocation optimization, green technological innovation, industrial structure upgrading, and environmental regulation strengthening, among which green technological innovation is the most prominent mediating pathway. (4) Numerically, the association strength varies across functional zones, being higher in the ecological barrier zone (EBZ) and the coordinated development zone (CDZ) than in the high-quality development zone (HQDZ); however, differences in coefficients across zones are not statistically significant and should be interpreted cautiously. Based on these findings, this study proposes policy recommendations including establishing a DFI-EE linkage platform, implementing differentiated functional-zone strategies, and strengthening cross-basin collaborative governance, thereby providing a reference for the green transformation of the YREB. Full article

The integration of electric mobility and energy systems has emerged as a key research domain in the transition toward sustainable energy and decarbonized transport, yet the literature is lacking systematic quantitative overviews of its scientific development. This study addresses this gap by conducting a bibliometric analysis of research activities across five domains central to electric vehicle–energy system integration: central energy management systems; renewable energy, hydrogen production, and large-scale storage; industrial applications; smart energy communities, virtual power plants, and vehicle-to-X; and urban high-power charging parks with local storage. Using publication data from Web of Science and Scopus, performance analysis and science mapping techniques were applied to examine publication dynamics, thematic structures, and intellectual linkages. Results indicate strong growth and consolidation around smart grids and decentralized flexibility solutions, particularly within energy management, renewable integration, and community-based energy systems, while industrial applications and high-power charging infrastructures remain comparatively underrepresented. The findings suggest a maturing interdisciplinary field characterized by expanding connections between mobility and energy research, alongside emerging opportunities related to industrial integration, charging infrastructure, and vehicle-to-grid deployment. The study provides a structured, multi-domain perspective on the convergence of electric mobility and energy systems, enabling a differentiated understanding of research dynamics. The study provides a structured, multi-domain perspective on the convergence of electric mobility and energy systems. The findings highlight priority areas for future research, particularly industrial integration and scalable charging infrastructure, and offer insights for policymakers and industry stakeholders. Full article

Flexible automated assembly lines (FAALs) in Industry 4.0 require robust quality management that integrates operational data with systematic risk analysis. However, Process Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (PFMEA) documents are often developed during the design phase and not systematically updated with actual production data, leading to a gap between formal risk assessment and operational reality. This study addresses this gap by developing and validating an integrated data-driven framework that combines classical quality tools (process flow charts, check sheets, cause-and-effect diagrams, and Pareto analysis) with data-driven PFMEA, creating traceable links from operational logs to risk ratings. While individual quality tools are well-established, the core contribution of this work is a structured data transformation pipeline that creates traceable, auditable linkages from raw operational event logs to calibrated PFMEA ratings with quantified uncertainty—a combination not previously demonstrated for flexible assembly systems. The framework was applied to FMS-200, a modular FAAL for bearing units, consisting of eight stations and a common transfer system. Analysis of 186 failure events across 2743 assembly cycles, including 18 product configurations, identified 40 distinct failure modes with risk priority number (RPN) values ranging from 60 to 378, revealing that approximately 90% of the aggregated risk is associated with pneumatic systems. Monte Carlo uncertainty analysis (10,000 iterations) demonstrated robust rank stability, with the top five failure modes maintaining their relative ordering in over 90% of simulations. The framework provides production and quality managers with a systematic methodology to maintain PFMEA relevance through continuous data integration, enabling evidence-based prioritization of improvement actions. Full article

Critical minerals are central to industrial strategies in the Global South, but evidence on how such policies reshape domestic production is limited. This paper maps Indonesia’s nickel ecosystem before and after the 2014 export ban using input–output multipliers and labor intensity from the 2010, 2016, and 2020 input–output tables. We provide a descriptive account of nickel’s evolving economic trajectory during the downstreaming push. Three patterns stand out. Forward linkages declined from 16 to 8 and backward linkages moved from 75 to 73, suggesting a narrower structure with greater specialization in higher value, more capital-intensive activities. Output multipliers rose most in sectors that support the electric vehicle supply chain, including professional and technical services, machinery, fabricated metals, transport equipment, energy, and finance. In contrast, the labor multiplier fell from about 6514 to 3366 jobs per IDR 1 trillion of final demand, implying a higher value added alongside lower employment intensity. Overall, downstreaming appears to work through structural concentration and growth in complementary sectors rather than broad-based diversification. Complementary policies in skills, regional development, and energy infrastructure are therefore critical for inclusive industrial transformation. Full article

The paper analyzes the structural transformations in tourism using the network input–output (IO) model. The study is based on IO tables for two years (2013 and 2023). This allows a comparative analysis of changes in the structure of technical coefficients and in multipliers associated with production and tax revenues. The approach enables the identification of changes in tourism’s position within the economic network. Tourism is also analyzed in terms of the degree of integration, dependence on intermediate inputs, and the capacity to spread the economic effects. The results show few upstream linkages for tourism. There is a low level of spillovers. To make it more resilient and generate more spillovers, it is important to build relationships with sectors such as agriculture, creative industries, and business services. The reliance on outsourced services could affect relationships with productive industries. Full article

The global landscape of sustainability challenges has become increasingly complex, characterized by varying regulatory frameworks and market maturity across different nations. The financial significance of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors is influenced by industry and firm-specific attributes. Therefore, this study employs an integrated decision support framework that combines grey relational analysis (GRA) models including Deng’s GRA, absolute GRA, and a second synthetic grey relational analysis (SSGRA) with firm-level panel regressions to compare ESG and financial performance linkages across 11 Middle East and Africa (MEA) countries and industrial sectors. Furthermore, the study utilized a sensitivity analysis to check the robustness of SSGRG. Results indicate considerable variability in the relationships between ESG and financial performance across the region. The economies of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) showed the most robust positive relationship between ESG factors and financial performance based on SSGRG, with Kuwait (0.82), Qatar (0.81), and Saudi Arabia (0.80) predominantly influenced by the social and governance dimensions. Conversely, a weak correlation was demonstrated in Egypt (0.54), Nigeria (0.53), and Kenya (0.56). Moreover, financials, communication services, and materials sectors exhibit the greatest integration of ESG factors into financial performance, with composite SSGRG values ranging from 0.75 to 0.78. In contrast, the information technology and energy sectors demonstrate weak association, with composite SSGRG values falling below 0.60. Furthermore, a conservative maximin analysis reveals that corporate governance in Kenya and environmental performance in Oman are identified as the weakest relationship at the country level, while governance in the information technology and energy sectors, environmental management in real estate, and social performance in consumer discretionary sectors are highlighted as weak connections. This study addresses a gap in the literature by developing a novel decision-support framework, providing fresh empirical evidence from emerging markets, and offering theoretical insights into the into influence of stakeholder and institutional factors on ESG value creation. This study provides implications for investors, corporate managers, and policymakers on sustainable finance in emerging markets and presents a decision-making framework that emphasizes ESG initiatives to enhance financial performance. Full article

Smallholder poultry farming contributes enormously to rural livelihoods, food security, and nutrition in South Africa, yet the poultry industry remains constrained by limited participation and low ICT utilisation. This study investigated the socioeconomic and demographic factors influencing decisions and choices of smallholder poultry farmers towards the adoption of ICT and market engagement in Jozini Local Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal. A cross-sectional research design was used to collect primary data from respondents. Data were collected through face-to-face surveys from 162 participants, who were randomly selected. Descriptive statistics were employed to profile the use and extent of ICT, while the multivariate probit model was used to analyse the determinants of ICT adoption and market engagement. The findings revealed that most farmers own ICT tools such as mobile phones (98.15%), which they mainly use for communication purposes (98.77%) rather than for accessing production and market related information. Smallholder characteristics like age, faming experience, marital status, and household size significantly influenced farmers decisions and choices to adopt ICT and participate in markets. The study recommends improving the traditional extension through digital integration and farmer support by means of training on ICT and formal market linkages. These interventions can significantly market participation and profitability in smallholder poultry farming, stabilising rural economic development. Full article

Under China’s carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals, its photovoltaic (PV) sector is transitioning from scale expansion to quality-oriented growth, where intelligent upgrading is essential to improve efficiency, safety, and O&M digitalization. However, its upgrade process in China is severely hampered by a wide range of complex influencing elements. The purpose of this study is to pinpoint and examine the main obstacles to the PV upgrading process as well as clarify their cause–effect relationships to support targeted interventions. Using a mixed-methods approach, we first analyzed interview data from thirty stakeholders using grounded theory to derive barrier categories and factors. The cause-and-effect linkages among these factors were then quantified using the gray-DEMATEL approach. The findings show that funding cost constraints and the lack of incentive mechanisms are the primary and secondary causal factors, respectively, while insufficient R&D capabilities are the most significant resultant factor. The lack of cooperation mechanisms and funding cost constraints were identified as the most comprehensive influencing factors. These findings provide a systematic decision-making framework for policymakers and industry stakeholders to formulate targeted strategies for accelerating PV intelligent upgrading in China. Full article

Reducing the energy consumption of industrial robots performing pick-and-place tasks is required to increase profitability while reducing carbon footprint. Natural motion stands out as a mixed-energy-reduction strategy, especially useful for cyclical tasks. An optimization approach is proposed for calculating the elastic parameters, namely the stiffness and equilibrium position, of constant-stiffness springs parallel to the actuators of parallel robots. Three typical trajectory-dependent methods for calculating these parameters are presented: free-vibration response, optimized, and predefined trajectory. As the set of springs and the task specification are strongly coupled, deviations from the nominal task would require replacing or removing the springs. Therefore, two adjustment strategies, one based on trajectory optimization and the other on equilibrium position update, are proposed to further exploit the natural motion. All optimization problems are solved and compared in a case study of a five-bar linkage performing a nominal pick-and-place task. Then, a palletizing pick-and-place scenario is introduced to perform the proposed trajectory and equilibrium adjustments. It is shown that using nominal springs reduces energy consumption near the nominal task, and implementing the proposed adjustments reduces energy over a wider region. Full article

The large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea) is a key mariculture species in China, however, its industry is threatened by visceral white nodules disease (VWND) caused by the bacterium Pseudomonas plecoglossicida. A significant challenge in breeding is the potential genetic trade-off between growth and disease resistance. To investigate their genetic relationship, we constructed a high-density SNP-based genetic linkage map for L. crocea using a F1 full-sib family (n = 150). The map comprised 24 linkage groups with 32,429 bin markers and an average interval of 0.051 cM. Based on this map, we conducted QTL mapping for one yield trait (body weight), eight morphological traits, and three VWND-resistance traits (survival time, AT; spleen and liver pathogen loads). Phenotypic analysis revealed strong integration among growth traits and a moderate positive correlation between growth traits and AT. QTL mapping identified 53 QTLs for growth (PVE = 0.14–5.83%) and 20 for resistance (PVE = 0.78–8.93%). Notably, only two genomic intervals exhibited co-localization between a morphological trait (AL or BL) and AT, each explaining a modest phenotypic variance (0.66–5.99%). The largest-effect QTLs for growth and resistance were mapped to distinct linkage groups, and candidate genes within the co-localized intervals (Unc5d, SCN5A, HUS1) are involved in fundamental cellular processes rather than core growth or immune pathways. These results suggest that yield, morphological, and VWND-resistance traits in L. crocea are largely under independent genetic control within the studied family, indicating that simultaneous improvement of growth and disease resistance is feasible. This study provides a molecular basis for breeding strategies aimed at overcoming the trait trade-off bottleneck in this economically vital species. Full article

Water scarcity is increasingly shaped by interactions between environmental constraints and interconnected economic systems, evolving from a localized supply–demand issue into a systemic risk embedded in economic networks. This study develops an integrated framework that conceptualizes water scarcity as a multidimensional risk by jointly accounting for water quantity, water quality, and environmental flow requirements, and embeds it within a multiregional input–output (MRIO) model to examine its formation and transmission across China. Results show that multidimensional constraints substantially amplify water scarcity risk and reshape its spatial distribution, extending risk beyond traditionally water-stressed regions to major agricultural provinces and key ecological function zones. Water-intensive, pollution-intensive, and basic industries form the core of risk accumulation, while virtual water linkages drive cross-regional risk propagation, with developed coastal provinces acting as major receivers. Network analysis identifies a small number of provinces—particularly Henan and Jiangsu—as critical hubs for risk transmission and systemic amplification. These findings highlight the need for integrated, multidimensional, and network-oriented water governance to enhance water system resilience. Full article

This study focuses on the role and mechanism of college students’ social practice in the process of technological innovation driving the integration of culture and tourism. Through diverse data sources and qualitative coding analysis strategies, it deeply explores the application level of technological innovation in cultural tourism practices, as well as the integration of culture and tourism and the educational outcomes. The study finds that technological innovation significantly promotes the activation and dissemination of cultural tourism resources, and social practice effectively realizes the tripartite integration of “technological innovation- cultural tourism-education”. A four-dimensional linkage mechanism model of “technology-resources-subjects-value” has been constructed, including the mechanisms of technology embedding, resource reconfiguration, subject linkage, and value realization. This study provides practical insights and suggestions for universities, industries, and governments in the development of cultural tourism integration while also pointing out the limitations and future prospects of the research. Full article