Search Results (341)

Background: Chinese Americans, the largest Asian American subgroup in the U.S., face linguistic, cultural, and socio-economic barriers to dementia prevention. To promote brain health in this population, a culturally tailored community approach is essential. This study evaluates a culturally tailored community brain health education program to enhance brain health knowledge and motivate lifestyle changes to prevent the risk of dementia among Chinese Americans aged 50 or older. Methods: The program was developed and evaluated in four phases. First, we assessed participants’ interests in brain health topics, availability, and preferred delivery modes. Next, experts on the identified topics developed educational content and outcome assessments. The third phase focused on implementing a six-session program covering general knowledge about Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, diet, sleep, physical exercise, health checks, and mindfulness. Finally, we evaluated the program’s feasibility and effectiveness using pre–post surveys, feedback questionnaires, and focus groups. Results: Seventy-seven participants registered for the program, and sixty-nine (90%) attended at least four sessions. The quantitative results, based on paired t-tests, showed significant increases in brain health knowledge, sleep quality, and behavioral motivation for lifestyle changes, and a decrease in depressive symptoms, with two-tailed p-values lower than 0.05. The qualitative results further revealed promising feasibility and acceptability, as well as the perceived benefits of the program. Conclusions: The findings highlight the feasibility, acceptability, and potential effectiveness of a culturally tailored community education approach for promoting brain health and lifestyle changes. Sustained community outreach and education efforts among Chinese Americans are needed. Full article

The transition from Industry 4.0 to Industry 5.0 highlights recent European efforts to design intelligent devices, systems, and automation that can work alongside human intelligence and enhance human capabilities. In this vision, human–machine interaction (HMI) goes beyond simply deploying machines, such as autonomous robots, for economic advantage. It requires societal and educational shifts toward a human-centric research vision, revising how we perceive technological advancements to improve the benefits and convenience for individuals. Furthermore, it also requires determining which priority is given to user preferences and needs to feel safe while collaborating with autonomous intelligent systems. This proposed human-centric vision aims to enhance human creativity and problem-solving abilities by leveraging machine precision and data processing, all while protecting human agency. Aligned with this perspective, we conducted a systematic literature review focusing on trust and trustworthiness in relation to characteristics of humans and systems in human–robot interaction (HRI). Our research explores the aspects that impact the potential for designing and fostering machine trustworthiness from a human-centered standpoint. A systematic analysis was conducted to review 34 articles in recent HRI-related studies. Then, through a standardized screening, we identified and categorized factors influencing trust in automation that can act as trust barriers and facilitators when implementing autonomous intelligent systems. Our study comments on the application areas in which trust is considered, how it is conceptualized, and how it is evaluated within the field. Our analysis underscores the significance of examining users’ trust and the related factors impacting it as foundational elements for promoting secure and trustworthy HRI. Full article

This study explores the adoption of data-driven approaches to business process management (BPM) by micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), which are crucial for economic growth and job creation but often face challenges in adopting advanced technologies. The research aims to understand the perceived benefits and persistent barriers that MSMEs encounter when implementing data-driven BPM. A critical review of academic literature was conducted, focusing on factors influencing adoption, perceived benefits, and existing challenges. Literature consistently highlights benefits such as process optimization, informed decision making, customer personalization, operational efficiency, adaptability, risk mitigation, automation, organizational culture transformation, innovation, and transparency. However, the review also identifies significant challenges, including technological and infrastructural limitations, resource constraints, training and skill gaps, organizational and cultural resistance, data management and quality issues, difficulties in implementation and change management, and analytical and technical complexities. These findings emphasize that, while data-driven BPM offers substantial opportunities for MSMEs to improve competitiveness and efficiency, successful adoption requires careful consideration of these multifaceted challenges and the development of tailored strategies to overcome them. Full article

The term “added value” is frequently used by stakeholders in the forest wood sector. However, beyond its intuitive meaning, what does “added value” mean in economics, and what are the main ways of adding value to wood-based products? To answer these questions, a theoretical framework of the concept of “added value” and an overview of its main applications within wood supply chains are provided. Subsequently, the results of a systematic literature review are reported. A total of 1974 primary research articles published in English in the last decade were collected from the Scopus and Web of Science databases. The main objectives were to understand how the “added value” concept is addressed, determine which wood-based products are studied, identify how value is added, and ascertain the main consequences. The analysis of the 111 selected articles showed that the term “added value” is often used as a label rather than a clearly defined concept. Improved production processes and the valorisation of raw materials were found to be the main methods of adding value to wood-based products, while environmental benefits emerged as the most frequent objective. The findings may serve several purposes, such as identifying research needs, guiding industrial innovation, and informing policy makers, helping to implement measures that really benefit wood supply chains. Building on this study, future research could explore how added value is perceived and implemented by forest enterprises, wood industries, policymakers, and other stakeholders. This would provide a broader reference framework for applying the concept of added value. Full article

Sustainable development purposes require strong emphasis on green food promotion as an essential component. The decision-making process of Generation X members toward green food consumption creates important effects on both personal health and environmental sustainability and social programs and economic stability. This research examines environmental self-identity and environmental values as predictors of green food consumption intentions with analysis of attitude and relevant intermediate factors that include personal standards as well as perceived control over behavior. The researcher gathered data through convenience sampling from 480 Chinese Generation X participants. Statistical analysis followed the pretest to perform assessments for reliability and validity testing. Structural equation modeling (SEM) processed the data while validating confirmatory factor analysis and path analysis testing. Data analysis demonstrates that environmental values directly drive green food consumption intentions. These values operate through two key pathways: (1) shaping positive attitudes toward green food, and (2) reinforcing subjective norms and perceived behavioral control. These mechanisms collectively promote pro-environmental choices with measurable ecological and social benefits. The research shows self-identity as an environmental entity positively affects green food consumption because it strengthens users’ self-belief as eco-conscious consumers leading to intensified attitudes and subjective norms and perception of behavior control. The research enriches the TPB (theory of planned behavior) by proving that environmental attitudes respond to environmental factors including social environments along with economic capacity and living conditions to shape generation X consumers’ intentions to buy green food. The findings advance sustainable consumption theories by revealing generation-specific behavioral mechanisms, while providing actionable insights for designing targeted green marketing strategies and policy interventions. Full article

This study investigates the relationship between citizens’ perceptions of government socio-economic performance and support for democracy in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), examining the moderating effect of urbanization rates. A quantitative approach was employed, using Afrobarometer survey data from 32 SSA countries; the research applies a moderation analysis to test these relationships. According to our findings, there is a negative association between perceived socio-economic performance and democratic support in SSA, which is contrary to modernization theory. Furthermore, urbanization rates significantly moderate this relationship, with the negative impact intensifying at higher urbanization levels. These findings suggest growing disillusionment with democracy’s ability to deliver socio-economic benefits in SSA, particularly in rapidly urbanizing areas where expectations may be higher. The study highlights the need to reconsider democratization dynamics in developing regions and underscores the importance of context-specific factors in shaping democratic attitudes. The findings suggest a need for governments and international organizations to focus on improving governance quality and service delivery, especially in urban areas, to maintain democratic support. Full article

This study analyzed citizens’ subjective perceptions and attitudes toward housing development in Norwalk, Connecticut, employing structural equation modeling (SEM) and machine learning techniques. A survey of 580 residents was conducted to study the relationship between the willingness to buy or rent from housing projects in Norwalk and perceptions of risks, benefits, and sustainability beliefs. SEM identified latent variables influencing attitudes, including perceived risks (e.g., overcrowding and the loss of historical character), benefits (e.g., enhanced infrastructure, and job creation), and sustainability beliefs. The results revealed that perceived benefits have a stronger positive impact on citizens’ attitudes than risks, mediated by sustainability beliefs in this city. Machine learning via random forest highlighted key predictors of willingness to buy or rent, such as affordability, walkability, and public infrastructure improvements, with affordability being the most influential factor. These findings emphasize the importance of framing housing projects to align with citizens’ priorities, especially through campaigns emphasizing economic and environmental benefits. The integration of SEM and machine learning offers a robust approach to understanding citizen preferences, ensuring greater support and citizens’ acceptance for sustainable housing initiatives. These findings provide actionable insights for urban planners to understand the interrelations between concerns, perceived benefits, and beliefs to foster the social acceptance of sustainable urban policies. Full article

Within the context of global desertification trends in arid regions, advancing afforestation and sand stabilization efforts are not only vital for human survival but are also key considerations in addressing the challenges of climate change and achieving sustainable development. This study, set against the backdrop of China’s new round of Grain-for-Green compensation policies implemented in 2014, investigates farmers’ behavior in planting economically valuable forests and grasslands driven by compensation incentives. Grounded in the principles of behavioral economics and assuming farmers as rational “economic agents”, this study focuses on farmers residing on the northern and southern slopes of the Tianshan Mountains in Xinjiang. Employing the fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) approach, it examines the intricate causal mechanisms that shape farmers’ involvement or lack thereof in economic forest and grassland activities. These mechanisms are analyzed through the lenses of resource endowment, psychological perception, and external environmental factors. The results indicate that perceived benefits and neighbor imitation serve as essential conditions for non-participation in planting economic forests and grasslands. Three configurational pathways account for participation: farmers motivated by perceived benefits, those guided by the combined influence of “psychological perception and external environment”, and individuals driven by ecological aspirations alongside neighbor imitation. Additionally, four configurational pathways explain non-participation, with two types of farmers identified: those facing a dual deficiency of psychological perception and external environment, and non-high income traditional farmers dependent on agricultural irrigation water. Full article

China launched the National Desert Park (NDP) initiative over a decade ago, making this an opportune time to assess its effectiveness. This paper examined one of the pilot parks, the Inner Mongolia Ongniud Bolongke NDP, as a case study. Questionnaire surveys were completed by 190 residents and visitors in 2023 to assess whether park designation and development were achieving the desired improvements in human well-being. Respondents also provided feedback on management status and their attitudes toward NDP policy. Responses confirmed that the park generally contributed to diverse benefits, with intangible and environmental benefits rated more highly than socio-economic benefits. However, there were disparities among residents; for example, villagers living the closest to the park perceived lower benefits from the park. While widespread negative impacts were not observed, residents did have some concerns about indirect consequences from visitors. Respondents were positive about the NDP’s future, but responses revealed problems with park management, including the insufficient implementation of requirements for NDP designation and the lack of stakeholder engagement. It is hoped that this study will help improve decision-making for NDPs and thereby further support effective dryland management. Full article

The development of modern society puts a serious strain on the environment. To protect the future of our planet, it is necessary to develop smarter and more sustainable ways in all industrial sectors for humanity to grow while reducing its impact on nature. Graphic designers can also contribute to a smarter future by designing an environmentally friendly typography. The use of ecofonts is an innovative approach that could potentially have great economic and environmental benefits. However, it also leads to a reduction in the print quality of text compared to standard fonts. This research aims to investigate the efficiency of ecofonts by determining the level of toner savings in laser-printed documents, as well as evaluating the extent to which individuals perceive differences between text printed with ecofonts and their regular font counterparts. This research found that the application of ecofonts can lead to significant toner savings, while visual tests further revealed that the overall visual quality of text printed with ecofonts remains adequate. Full article

It is widely recognized that economies of scale enhance the competitiveness of large-scale nuclear reactors compared to light-water small modular reactors (SMRs). As such, choosing an appropriate strategy to enhance competitiveness is crucial for the future of SMRs. Their development is still in the early stages, and among the leading projects, two distinct approaches to technical innovation can be observed. In some projects, technical innovations are rejected because they are perceived as triggers for risky, costly, and long-term processes. In short, this means that the competitive advantage is based primarily on modular design and the benefits of long production runs, which might require at least a few successful implementations. Examples of this approach include the Westinghouse AP300 and Rolls-Royce SMR designs. In other projects, technical innovations are viewed as a means to achieve substantial cost reductions. Here, the initial challenge is to prove that the proposed solutions are safe. Next, it must be demonstrated that their implementation and operation meet the designers’ expectations. These goals can be achieved with the first implementation. Such an approach is exemplified, for instance, in the NuScale and GEH BWRX-300 projects. Currently, available economic analyses show that it is challenging not only to identify the most promising SMR projects but also to determine which approach to technical innovation will ultimately be more effective. Therefore, it is worth examining how leading SMR projects have improved their competitiveness. Additionally, it is important to remember that, even if light-water SMRs are not deployed, it is likely that some of their innovative solutions will be incorporated into other advanced nuclear power plant designs and potentially applied beyond the nuclear industry. Full article

This study examines the perceived health impacts of a mining company on residents of Libjo, Dinagat Islands, Philippines, addressing a critical research gap in understanding the perceived health impacts of mining activities in underrepresented regions. The perceived health impacts of mining operations were examined using a qualitative research approach, employing semi-structured interviews. The interview instrument was developed to investigate how mining company activities impact key health determinants, such as water quality, sanitation, income, employment, infrastructure, education, and women’s empowerment. The study was conducted across multiple sites at different distances from the mining area to further investigate the possible distance-based variations. The findings indicate that the mining company has positively impacted several areas, particularly income, employment, infrastructure, education, and women’s empowerment. However, there were mixed perceptions regarding water quality and sanitation. The majority of respondents, particularly those who are near the mining sites, perceived a significant positive impact on health service delivery, attributing it to the company’s support initiatives. Despite these positive impacts, the community expressed concerns about potential negative environmental consequences, such as air and water pollution, deforestation, land degradation, and noise pollution. This study reveals the complex relationship between mining operations and community health, emphasizing the importance of balancing economic benefits and environmental safety. The study further contributes to a deeper understanding of how mining operations affect the community’s health and well-being and their potential distance-based variations. Full article

This study investigates the effects of the mediations of economic utility and moderation of perceived risk on supply chain performance as determined by the organization factors (innovation, organizational culture, and employee motivation) in the Egyptian Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) Industry. Although previous research has identified an excess of factors affecting supply chain performance, limited were the studies trying to establish relationships among those factors, especially in emerging economies. Thus, a quantitative approach was adopted, using a structured questionnaire, which was distributed to 382 FMCG supply chain professionals in Egypt. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) to test relations between the hypothesized variables. The results provide evidence that innovation and employee motivation have a positive impact on supply chain performance; organizational culture, however, has no significant impact. Economic utility partially mediates this relationship, of which time utility is by far the strongest mediator. Furthermore, perceived risk moderates the effects of innovation and organizational culture on supply chain performance, thus creating a necessity for risk management. Such information will benefit supply chain managers through considering organizational agility, time-efficient utility drivers, and risk reduction strategies. This research adds to the literature by providing a broad framework integrating organizational factors, economic utility, and perceived risk within supply chain performance systems in developing markets. Full article

As the role of pets evolves, they are increasingly regarded as members of the family. Although incapable of making independent decisions, pets become unique consumer groups through the purchases of specific products and services made by their owners. In China, the pet economy has developed into a novel economic sector. With the growing concern for pet health, the demand for pet nutritional products continues to rise. This study aims to explore Chinese consumers’ attitudes and intentions towards pet nutritional products in this burgeoning market. A survey was carried out on 600 Chinese consumers who had purchased pet nutritional products in 2024. A two-stage analysis using structural equation modeling and artificial neural network examined the correlation within the research model across 506 samples. The results indicate that perceived benefits, perceived severity, perceived susceptibility, and health consciousness positively influence attitudes towards pet nutritional products, while perceived barriers, health risks, and economic risks negatively impact attitudes. The attitudes of consumers significantly enhance their continuous purchase intentions. This study lays an essential groundwork for advancing pet food products, refining marketing approaches, and conducting future research. Full article

With the escalating environmental issues, the imperatives to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and advance energy products through innovation, energy production, and consumption frequently result in environmental externalities. Conventional markets frequently struggle to address these external factors, resulting in market failures. Consumers are more aware of the environmental repercussions, regulatory mandates, and potential economic benefits of new energy vehicles (NEVs). Consequently, there has been a substantial surge in the demand for NEVs as alternatives to conventional vehicles. This study analyses the method by which innovative technology moves from the stage of purchase intention dissemination toward market adoption and explores strategies to expedite this process. Moreover, it examines how the intentions of customers to purchase ecologically friendly energy goods and their receptiveness to such products affect the expansion of the market. Further analysis indicates that the factors influencing consumers’ attitudes towards NEVs include the adoption of ecological innovation, awareness of environmental product knowledge, and perceived value of innovative, environmentally friendly energy products. The purpose of this study is to expand upon the existing literature on consumer demand, examining the influential factors that extend the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) to enhance consumer intention through internal mechanisms. It explicitly focuses on these aspects, as well as perceived risk (PR) and perceived value (PV), to identify gaps in the literature and contribute to intentions to purchase NEVs in China. This study presents a thorough research framework for efficiently examining customer demand for comparable eco-friendly energy products. It investigates the potential influence of attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, and environmental perceptions, specifically those concerning environmental knowledge and concerns. Moreover, personal factors such as attitude, normative beliefs, and perceived control beliefs were found to impact consumer attitudes towards NEVs. The key factor influencing purchasing intention was the attitude towards NEVs. Simultaneously, subjective norms did not have a direct effect on purchase intentions. However, social influence played a significant role in the decision-making process, with perceived behavioural control and subjective norms exerting considerable influence. Full article