Search Results (14,479)

In the era of Artificial Intelligence-Generated Content (AIGC) transforming advertising production, existing research lacks comprehensive exploration of how AIGC advertisements shape consumer responses. This study integrates attention allocation theory and the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) to investigate dual cognitive processing mechanisms of relevant and divergent AI advertisements via eye-tracking experiments and questionnaires. Findings reveal that relevant AI advertisements enhance perceived usefulness (PU) through product area attention allocation, improving purchase intention; Divergent AI advertisements boost perceived entertainment (PE) via non-product creative cues, positively influencing ad attitudes; and product involvement (PI) moderates these paths as high PI strengthens PU’s role in central processing, while low PI amplifies PE’s effect in peripheral processing. By constructing a dual-path cognitive model, this research bridges gaps in understanding AI advertising’s implicit attention mechanisms and explicit perceptual outcomes. The findings provide theoretical guidance for advertisers to optimize AIGC strategies, balancing technological utility and creative appeal to achieve precise attention guidance and enhance smart marketing effectiveness. Full article

This study examines the combined impact of fintech and financial inclusion on achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Previous research has emphasized the role of financial inclusion in reducing poverty, strengthening resilience, and promoting economic stability; however, its interaction with fintech in advancing sustainability remains less examined. Using four composite indices incorporating updated variables, expanded country coverage, and a broader temporal scope, this analysis evaluates digital financial channels, including formal access, mobile money, digital credit, transfers, and rural finance, across SDGs 3, 4, 8, and 9. The findings indicate that formal access is associated with lower maternal mortality (SDG 3) and contributes positively to decent work and economic growth (SDG 8), as well as industry, innovation, and infrastructure (SDG 9). Digital credit and transfers help ease liquidity constraints in high-inequality regions, while mobile money enhances education outcomes (SDG 4) under robust governance, supporting informal labor markets. Rural finance strengthens innovation and infrastructure development in underserved areas, reinforcing SDG 9. A simultaneous equation model provides evidence of bidirectional relationships among financial inclusion, fintech adoption, and sustainable development, underscoring their mutual reinforcement rather than strict causality. Overall, the study highlights the systemic interconnection between finance and sustainability and emphasizes the importance of governance, infrastructure, and regulation in maximizing developmental benefits. Full article

In post-pandemic Peru, delivery platforms have become key market-access infrastructures for microenterprises, yet regional evidence remains limited. This study examines the extent to which—and under what conditions—the adoption of delivery services is associated with innovative business growth in La Libertad (2021–2025). A cross-sectional survey of 200 microentrepreneurs assessed delivery adoption, business model innovation (BMI), digital capabilities, and the institutional environment. Statistical analyses indicate that the use of delivery platforms is positively associated with business growth and that an indirect association operates through BMI. Likewise, higher levels of digital capabilities are associated with a steeper adoption–growth association, while more favorable institutional conditions are associated with higher odds of business formalization. These findings suggest that delivery platforms may function as catalysts for growth and formalization when adoption co-occurs with strategic redesign and digital skill development within supportive local ecosystems. The study contributes to sustainable entrepreneurship scholarship by providing regional-level evidence from a developing economy and underscoring that technological adoption alone is insufficient without complementary innovation and capability building. Although environmental metrics were not included, future research should incorporate verified indicators to assess the environmental dimension of delivery-based entrepreneurship comprehensively. Full article

Compared with single indicators such as total factor productivity and financial performance, enterprise competitiveness represents the pivotal factor for energy storage enterprises (ESEs) to survive, develop and maintain a leading position in the market. Government subsidies are crucial for guiding the development of the energy storage industry. As countries globally increase their financial backing for ESEs, efficiently utilizing these subsidies has become a major focus. In this study, we examine the impact and mechanisms of government subsidies on the competitiveness of ESEs, using panel data from 248 listed ESEs in China between 2014 and 2023. Employing a range of analytical methods, including two-way fixed effects regression, instrumental variable estimation, and propensity score matching (PSM) tests, the findings demonstrate that government subsidies significantly enhance the competitiveness of ESEs, particularly for non-state-owned ESEs, energy storage system integration enterprises, and ESEs in resource-rich provinces. Further analysis indicates that research and development (R&D) expenditure and financial constraints act as key channels through which subsidies influence competitiveness. Furthermore, electricity prices exert a positive effect on the competitiveness of ESEs, with government subsidies and electricity prices exhibiting a significant substitution relationship in this regard. These findings offer valuable insights for exploring the role of government subsidies in advancing the sustainable development of the energy storage industry and supporting the transition towards achieving dual-carbon goals, while also providing important references for the development of the energy storage industry in other emerging economies. Full article

The current rise in global energy demand and environmental degradation has highlighted the need to use renewable energy as an alternative to fossil fuels. Ricinus communis L. (castor bean oil) has emerged as a promising source for biofuels production due to high oil content (45–55%), ability to grow on marginal soils, and resistance to adverse conditions. This review analyzes 93 relevant studies from 2019 to 2025, selected by the PRISMA method (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses) from databases such as Google Scholar and Web of Science. There were identified that agronomic techniques such as optimized plant spacing, balanced fertilization, and elicitation can significantly increase productivity. Among the production methods used, heterogeneous catalysis (96.8%) and enzymatic processes (90%) stand up for their sustainability and efficiency. However, the main limitation remains the high viscosity of castor biodiesel (14–18 mm²/s at 40 °C), which exceeds international quality standards. Even so, castor biodiesel offers excellent lubricity (reduces injection wear by 20%), has standard oxidative stability, and has a relatively low cetane number (38–42), which poses challenges for ignition quality. Improvement strategies such as blending, enzymatic modification, and additive incorporation have shown potential to mitigate these limitations. The review also addresses environmental benefits, regulatory challenges, and market opportunities where the castor biodiesel offers competitive advantages. Enhancing research and innovation, supported by targeted public policies and technical standards, is essential to overcome current barriers and enable the commercial adoption of castor biodiesel as part of a more sustainable and diversified energy future. Full article

Many video platforms (e.g., TikTok and Bilibili) choose to provide bullet screens on their video content. With the different types of bullet screen features, platforms face the challenge of choosing an appropriate bullet screen strategy, especially when consumers have different preferences for bullet screens. To address this challenge, this paper constructs a game-theoretic model to analyze the optimal bullet screen strategy for video platforms with two-sided market characteristics. Although there are some arguments that bullet screens can be detrimental to the platform’s advertising business, our study shows that when the bullet screen feature can attract more consumers, it is beneficial for both the platform and the advertisers. Additionally, we found that as consumers’ attention levels toward bullet screens increase or the proportion of bullet screen preference consumers rises, the video platform will enhance the quality of bullet screens provided to consumers and raise advertising pricing for advertisers. However, the platform’s profits do not necessarily increase accordingly and are also influenced by the platform’s bullet screen cost coefficient. Our comparative analysis of the three bullet screen models reveals that when consumers in the market are ad-fatigued, the model that allows bullet screens to cover ads is the optimal choice for the platform, and when there are differences in the cross-side network effects of advertiser to consumers, the model that maximizes the platform’s profits depends on the size of the cross-side network effects of advertiser to consumers. Our study provides important managerial insights for video platforms, especially on how to provide bullet screens under two-sided market structures. In future research, we will strive to better integrate consumer attention theory with theoretical modeling. Full article

While extensive research has explored the determinants of foreign direct investment (FDI) and foreign portfolio investment (FPI) in BRICS nations, there remains a notable gap in understanding the influence of intangible factors, particularly soft power and nation branding. Historically, academic discourse has underemphasized the role of nation branding as a crucial emotional and perceptual component in investment decision-making processes. Consequently, governments in BRICS countries must enhance their national branding efforts to attract both capital and portfolio investment flows. The principal aim of this study was to jointly analyse the tangible and intangible determinants influencing FDI and FPI in BRICS from 1994 to 2024. Employing advanced econometric techniques, specifically the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) bounds testing approach for cointegration and Vector Error Correction Models (VECM) for estimation. This study makes a unique contribution to existing literature by examining the nexus between nation branding, FDI and FPI, thereby introducing a novel perspective on the factors driving investment in the BRICS context with an emphasis on non-tangible determinants. The findings indicate that nation branding, along with exchange rate stability, property rights, and financial market development, are significant positive determinants of FPI in these countries. Conversely, capital openness demonstrated a negative relationship with FPI. Moreover, the positive impact of nation branding on FDI within BRICS nations was reaffirmed. This study substantiates the critical role of nation branding as a pivotal driver for both FDI and FPI, emphasising its strategic importance in the economic landscape of BRICS countries. Full article

Wind power has become a strategic cornerstone of China’s renewable-energy transition and industrial upgrading, making it essential to understand how policy interventions shape the behaviour of its industry chain. This study examines how major wind power policies issued between 2015 and 2024 transmit shocks across nine upstream, midstream, and downstream sectors. Using four contagion tests based on higher-order co-moments, combined with a policy sensitivity index, the analysis identifies distinct transmission patterns across policy types. The results show that market-mechanism reforms induce the strongest and most systemic contagion effects, reflecting their ability to align financial incentives with renewable-integration objectives. Upstream sectors—particularly equipment and key material industries—exhibit the highest responsiveness, while midstream construction and downstream operation and maintenance display more moderate and delayed adjustments. Development and construction policies generate broader but less intensive contagion, whereas industry-support measures trigger selective, sector-specific responses. These findings offer practical guidance for improving policy coordination, investment planning, and industrial upgrading within China’s wind power value chain. Future research could extend the analysis by incorporating firm-level data, longer policy cycles, and interactions with other structural shocks such as electricity-market reforms and climate-related risks. Full article

Short-form video platforms such as TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts have become influential social commerce and interactive marketing tools, shaping consumer attitudes and behaviors beyond the digital environment. This study examines how short-form video content affects consumers’ intention to visit destination retail stores by integrating the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) with the constructs of perceived usefulness, curiosity, and envy. Data from 423 Gen Z and Millennial consumers were collected through an online survey and analyzed using structural equation modeling. The findings indicate that perceived usefulness, curiosity, and envy significantly influence attitudes toward short-form video content, which subsequently drive intentions to visit destination retailers. Social influence also emerged as a stronger predictor of behavioral intention than practical barriers such as cost or accessibility, underscoring the importance of peer validation in motivating digital-to-physical consumer behavior. This study advances electronic commerce research by extending TPB to short-form video marketing and identifying key emotional and cognitive triggers that facilitate consumer engagement. Practically, the results highlight strategies for retailers to develop video campaigns that spark curiosity, evoke aspirational emotions, and leverage social endorsement. More broadly, the study demonstrates how short-form video platforms operate as interactive ecosystems that merge emotional engagement, social validation, and technological affordances to shape hybrid consumer journeys from digital exposure to in-store action. Full article

University website research to date tends to focus on conformity with technical standards. It rarely analyses the systemic nature of digital noise and its cognitive impacts. The study measures the intensity of digital noise on public websites of Polish universities (n = 65) and identifies its most common sources. The author investigates five dimensions: Distraction Intensity, Content Overload, Readability, Visual Balance, and Signal-to-Noise Ratio. The results are aggregated into a synthetic Noise Level Score (NLS) and analysed statistically. Four categories of digital noise have emerged from the observations: obligatory, compensated, ornamental, and habitual. This categorisation indicates that digital noise is not always random. It can be a supervised or even intentionally designed phenomenon when specific elements (such as disclaimers, system alerts, or consent layers) are not only expected but required by the user or the law. The study reveals a highly homogeneous sample and strong convergence of the results, indicating a systemic problem. Over 47% of the websites exhibited high NLS, while only 9% scored low. This means that content, visual, and interaction overloads are not incidental. Instead, it follows from the institutional and technological constraints on Polish higher education. The results ought to be interpreted in the context of the institutional communication imperative, defined as a constant pressure from legal obligations, standards, PR, market, and organisational factors towards constant publishing for multiple audiences through multiple channels. Full article

Blue Finance has rapidly emerged as a strategic frontier for channeling capital toward sustainable and resilient ocean economies, connecting financial innovation with environmental governance and climate responsibility. However, its conceptual foundations remain fragmented, hindering theoretical integration and policy application. This study conducts a comprehensive bibliometric and science-mapping analysis of 217 Scopus-indexed publications (2007–2025), using Biblioshiny (Bibliometrix v4.2.2), VOSviewer v1.6.20, and Gephi v0.10.1 to trace the intellectual evolution, thematic configuration, and research agenda of Blue Finance. The analysis reveals a rapidly consolidating field that has evolved through three distinct phases, anchored in sustainability science but constrained by limited financial integration. The field’s cognitive structure is organized around three interlinked pillars: the climate–environmental interface, sustainability integration and governance, and innovative financial mechanisms enhancing economic resilience. Emerging research hotspots in blue bonds, sustainable finance, and blue justice signal a paradigm shift from normative ecological awareness to actionable, market-aligned resilience. The findings outline a forward-looking research agenda that strengthens theoretical consolidation, governance accountability, and sustainable investment frameworks. This study offers strategic guidance for researchers, investors, and policymakers, positioning Blue Finance as a transformative catalyst that unites innovation, resilience, and equity in shaping the future of sustainable finance. Full article

Our research aims to provide a comparative analysis of water governance components by presenting the complexity of water-covered land use by the extractive industry in terms of legal, economic, and environmental protection aspects in Poland and Malaysia, along with the corresponding regulations and their implications. This paper discusses the legal forms of land ownership and use, as well as the currently applied principles for calculating fees for using state-owned water covered land that contains mineral deposits. We also present a comparison of selected technologies for the extraction of sand and gravel aggregates under water with their environmental impact. This research highlights the need for specialized valuation frameworks tailored to the geological and regulatory landscape of Poland and Malaysia. We suggest that the market value of land located above a mineral deposit, calculated individually for each deposit-property, should serve as the basis for calculating the lease fee. This discussion should encompass not only the principles and methodology involved in estimating the magnitudes of lease rents on mining industry and its profitability, but also the identification and criteria for assessing the risks associated with ongoing or planned mining ventures and concerns about the protection of river ecosystems. Our research contributes in providing data to stakeholders on extractive industry that operates within flowing and standing inland waters. The key finding of our research is that, in our opinion, the water governance frameworks in Poland and Malaysia are inadequate for protecting public finances and for internalizing the environmental externalities inherent in the economics of mining. Full article

Citrus fruit cultivation and processing are constantly rising due to the increasing market demand and diverse utilization potentials. This generates large quantities of residues, predominantly composed of citrus peels. This study aimed to evaluate six different citrus peels using rapid and/or nondestructive instrumental analytical techniques such as ATR-FTIR spectroscopy, spectrophotometric assays, image textural analysis and physicochemical parameter determination. Image textural features managed to discriminate citrus peels based on their structure uniformity, which was found increased in lemon (C. limon) and yellow grapefruit (C. paradisi), whereas clementine (C. clementina) and red grapefruit (C. paradisi) images exhibited an increased non-uniformity of the structure. Physicochemical parameters provided insights into the quality characteristics of citrus peels, while their high ascorbic acid content seems to enhance their antioxidant activity. The obtained results from phenolic and flavonoid content determination indicated a high concentration of polyphenols in the peels, which is aligned with the ATR-FTIR spectra absorption bands. Furthermore, the spectrophotometric assays’ strong correlation suggests that the antioxidant activity of citrus peels is mainly attributed to polyphenols. Ultimately, a chemometric model was employed to provide a comprehensive understanding of the analytical methods’ interactions. Hence, citrus peels’ significant biochemical and, consequently, economic value can be highlighted, underscoring the importance of further research. Full article

As a core component in constructing a green manufacturing system, green product design has become an essential strategy for promoting enterprises’ green transformation. This study aims to investigate the causal impact of green product design implementation on corporate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance, addressing a critical gap in understanding how design-level interventions drive sustainable development. Based on panel data of China’s A-share listed firms from 2015 to 2022, this study employs the officially released list of green product design enterprises as a quasi-natural experiment and applies a multi-period difference-in-differences model to address this research objective. The empirical results show that, first, green product design significantly and robustly enhances corporate ESG performance. Second, mechanism analysis reveals that green product design promotes ESG performance mainly through three channels: driving green technological innovation, optimizing supply chain governance, and improving operational efficiency. Third, heterogeneity analysis shows that the positive impact is more pronounced in regions with a higher degree of marketization, in firms with lower financing constraints, and in firms receiving greater media attention. This research contributes novel insights by establishing a comprehensive analytical framework that integrates multiple transmission mechanisms and contextual moderators, thereby advancing the theoretical understanding of green design efficacy. This study not only provides micro-level empirical evidence for the effectiveness of the green manufacturing system but also offers important implications for policymakers and enterprises aiming to achieve sustainable development through green design practices. Full article

The rapid advancement of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) is reshaping the future of mobility by offering potential improvements in safety, efficiency, and driving experience, yet consumer acceptance remains uneven across regions. This study addresses the gap in knowledge and trust by examining how Hungarian drivers, as part of the Central and Eastern European context, perceive and adopt ADAS technologies. To achieve this, we conducted two expert in-depth interviews to refine the research instrument, followed by an online survey of 179 drivers. Using k-means cluster analysis, we identified three distinct consumer segments: Conservative Controllers, who demonstrate low levels of trust and willingness to adopt ADAS; Cautious Adopters, who weigh costs and benefits carefully; and Pragmatic Innovators, who are open to experimentation and display the highest acceptance and willingness to pay. The results reveal that awareness and familiarity strongly influence acceptance, highlighting the role of consumer education and transparent communication in shaping adoption. The findings suggest that manufacturers, driving schools, and policymakers can accelerate the diffusion of ADAS by developing targeted strategies tailored to different consumer groups. Strengthening knowledge and trust in these systems will not only support their market success but also contribute to safer, more sustainable transportation. Full article