Search Results (924)

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative force in the global economy, yet its contribution to environmentally sustainable productivity growth remains insufficiently understood. Using 33,017 firm-year observations from 4079 Chinese A-share listed firms during 2015–2024, this study examines the relationship between AI adoption and corporate green total factor productivity (GTFP). We construct a text-based proxy for AI adoption by applying a machine learning-generated dictionary to the management discussion and analysis (MD&A) sections of annual reports. We construct the GTFP proxy using the slacks-based measure, the Malmquist–Luenberger (SBM-ML) index, which incorporates undesirable outputs. The results show a significant positive relationship between AI adoption and GTFP. This relationship remains robust across a series of robustness checks, including alternative specifications, PSM-matched sample analysis, instrumental variable estimation, and exogenous shock design. Further analysis identifies R&D intensity as an important transmission channel. The relationship is stronger among firms facing tighter financing constraints, non-polluting industries, and non-state-owned enterprises. The positive association between AI adoption and firm value further indicates that its economic relevance may extend beyond environmental efficiency in the long term. These findings highlight the potential of AI-enabled innovation to advance green productivity and sustainable corporate development in emerging economies. Full article

In the context of global digital transformation and the “dual carbon” goals, digital infrastructure and clean energy serve as pivotal drivers of regional economic development. However, whether their synergistic effect can promote high-quality regional economic growth remains unclear, and potential regional disparities warrant investigation. Therefore, based on panel data from 30 Chinese provinces spanning 2010 to 2023, this study measures the synergy level between digital infrastructure and clean energy development using a coupling coordination degree model. It empirically examines their impact on regional economic performance through fixed-effect and mediation effect models. The findings indicate that the synergistic effect of digital infrastructure and clean energy development significantly promotes regional economic growth, with its impact exceeding their individual contributions. Such influence manifests more evidently within China’s eastern provinces, where industrial structure upgrading and green technological innovation function as two underlying mediating channels. These conclusions offer theoretical and practical insights for optimizing regional development policies and fostering the synergistic integration of digitalization and green transformation. Full article

The global transition to antibiotic-free livestock production, accelerated by antimicrobial-resistance concerns, has intensified the search for alternatives to antibiotic growth promoters, and phytobiotics have emerged as key candidates. Cangzhu, the dried rhizome of Atractylodes lancea (Thunb.) DC, is a crude drug of traditional Chinese medicine that has attracted substantial attention as a multipurpose phytobiotic. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the phytochemistry, gut-protective mechanisms, and practical application of Cangzhu in sustainable livestock production. Its principal bioactive constituents are sesquiterpenoids (atractylone, β-eudesmol, hinesol, atractylenolides I–III), polyacetylenes (including atractylodin), polysaccharides, and flavonoids. Reported gut-protective mechanisms comprise upregulation of tight junction proteins (ZO-1, occludin, claudin-1); dual suppression of the NF-κB and MAPK-signaling pathways; activation of the Nrf2–Keap1 antioxidant axis; modulation of the gut microbiota; and TLR4-mediated stimulation of mucosal immunity. In swine, poultry, and ruminant studies, Atractylodes-based supplementation has been associated with improved growth performance, a lower incidence of diarrhea, favorable intestinal morphology, downregulated pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6), beneficial microbiota shifts, and inhibited pathogens. However, much of the mechanistic evidence derives from rodent and in vitro models, and much of the in vivo livestock evidence from the related species A. macrocephala (Baizhu) or multi-herb formulations; direct livestock trials with pure A. lancea remain limited for several endpoints, and the responses observed in these heterogeneous studies depend on the formulation, dose, and animal species used, as indicated by the explicit evidence-tier and source-species tags applied throughout the text, tables, and figures. The reported effective inclusion levels should be read as experimental study ranges and not as standardized dose recommendations. Framed within the One Health paradigm, Cangzhu is therefore best characterized as a mechanistically substantiated candidate alternative to antibiotic growth promoters whose adoption requires species-specific dose validation, quality standardization, and commercial-scale economic confirmation. Full article

The Min pig, a Chinese indigenous breed, is valued for its excellent meat quality and stress tolerance. Nevertheless, its growth rate falls considerably short of commercial pig breeds, a pattern typical of most unselected indigenous populations, and marked individual variation further undermines its economic viability. To explore the genetic basis of this variation, we evaluated a series of nonlinear fixed-effects and mixed-effects models based on the Gompertz, Logistic, and von Bertalanffy functions using body weight records from 92 Min pigs. Model selection was based on AIC, BIC, and leave-one-out cross-validation. The best-fitting model was a Logistic nonlinear mixed-effects model with individual-level random effects on all three growth parameters (Asymptotic weight, timing parameter, and be parameter), which clearly outperformed models with simpler random-effect structures and fixed-effects models. From this model, we identified three characteristic growth transition points: the early transition point (Growth Rate Index, GRI) at 94.83 days (22.32 kg), the single inflection point (Maximum Growth Rate, MGR) at 166.06 days (52.80 kg), and the late transition point (Late Growth Rate Index, LGRI) at 237.29 days (83.29 kg), with a maximum absolute growth rate of 488.2 g/day. These points partitioned growth into initial acceleration, rapid growth, deceleration, and Asymptotic growth phases. Using individual fitted growth curves, we selected five fast-growing and five slow-growing pigs that reached approximately 90 kg during the plateau phase, defined as a predicted body weight of at least 95% of the individual Asymptotic weight. The fast-growing group reached 90 kg at 240.5 ± 20.42 days, whereas the slow-growing group reached the same weight at 286.67 ± 19.20 days. At the 90 kg slaughter weight, we collected longissimus dorsi muscle samples from these pigs during the plateau phase and performed RNA-seq. Transcriptome analysis revealed 864 differentially expressed genes between the two groups, with 540 upregulated and 324 downregulated in the fast-growing group. Pathway enrichment implicated the PI3K-Akt and TGF-β signaling pathways in muscle development, and differential expression of IGFN1, DCN, COL3A1, MYOC, COL1A2, COL1A1, and IGF2 may explain the growth variation between the groups. In summary, the Logistic mixed-effects model with individual-level random effects on all growth parameters effectively captures the growth pattern of Min pigs, and the PI3K-Akt and TGF-β pathways likely mediate growth differences in this breed. Full article

The National E-Commerce Demonstration City (NEDC) program provides a quasi-natural experiment for assessing whether e-commerce-oriented place-based policies improve urban green productivity. Using a balanced panel of 298 Chinese cities from 2007 to 2023, this study measures green total factor productivity (GTFP) with a global frontier SBM-EFF-ML index and exploits the program’s staggered rollout in a difference-in-differences framework. NEDC designation increases GTFP by 0.0293 index units, equivalent to approximately 12.2% of the sample mean. The result is robust to event-study and placebo tests, an alternative GTFP measure, controls for concurrent national pilot policies, entropy balancing, and estimators that accommodate heterogeneous treatment effects. Channel tests provide evidence consistent with information service agglomeration and improved e-commerce logistics; the evidence for digital-payment facilitation is positive but weaker. Pooled interaction models further identify significant differences across comprehensive economic regions and city administrative levels, although the latter result is exploratory. These findings suggest that e-commerce demonstration policies can support greener urban growth when accompanied by specialized digital services, efficient circulation systems, and adequate local administrative capacity. Full article

In the context of the global implementation of the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), urban green development serves as a core practical pathway to advance SDG8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and SDG15 (Life on Land). This study constructed a three-dimensional evaluation framework encompassing the green economy, green ecology, and green society, and utilized panel data from 282 Chinese prefecture-level cities from 2009 to 2021. By integrating the CRITIC weighting method, spatial autocorrelation, the Standard Deviational Ellipse (SDE) approach, and the Dagum Gini decomposition, we systematically quantified multi-scale spatiotemporal evolution and disparity patterns at the national scale, as well as across four major economic zones and five core urban agglomerations. Nationwide, the composite green development index rose from 0.422 to 0.522 (+23.70%), while the overall Dagum Gini coefficient declined from 0.072 to 0.053 (−26.39%), with the spatial center of gravity gradually shifting toward the southwest. Eastern China persistently maintained the highest development level; Western China achieved the fastest cumulative growth (26.43%), and Northeastern China lagged behind with the lowest growth rate (20.10%). Among five major urban agglomerations, the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) and Pearl River Delta (PRD) shared an identical average score of 0.582, whereas the Chengdu–Chongqing (CC) agglomeration recorded the highest growth of 33.07%. This research contributes multi-scale empirical evidence for localized SDG implementation in China and provides differentiated policy insights for cross-regional green transition governance. Full article

This study addresses the research gap concerning how rural cultural–tourism integration contributes to regional economic resilience, a relationship that remains underexplored despite growing policy interest in rural revitalization. Using cross-sectional data for 285 Chinese prefecture-level cities in 2020, the study constructs a multidimensional ACT (agriculture–culture–tourism) indicator system and employs XGBoost regression with SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations) analysis to examine the nonlinear associations between ACT factors and economic resilience. Spatial analysis reveals significant positive spatial autocorrelation (Moran’s I = 0.412) and pronounced regional disparities. Machine learning results indicate that traditional village numbers and primary industry value-addedness are the most important predictors, with SHAP dependence analysis revealing threshold effects and diminishing marginal returns. An illustrative micro-level case study of 140 social media posts from Guangzhou provides interpretive evidence on how low-intensity, leisure-oriented tourism experiences mediate the translation of ACT resources into economic outcomes. The findings suggest that ACT integration is associated with stability-oriented resilience buffering rather than transformative growth, highlighting the importance of functional integration, product diversification, and institutional capacity for enhancing regional economic resilience. Full article

Climate risks drive dynamic adjustments to global climate policies, creating significant climate policy uncertainty (CPU). This uncertainty profoundly affects enterprises’ survival and sustainable development. A key question emerges: how do enterprises’ perception of CPU influence their resilience? To answer this, this study adopts a capability perspective and empirically examines the impact of climate policy uncertainty perception (CPUP) on enterprise resilience (RESI) and the underlying mechanism. Using panel data on Chinese A-share listed companies on the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges from 2009 to 2023, the study defines CPUP as the interaction between a news-based provincial CPU index and the frequency of climate risk words in annual report texts, and measures RESI with the entropy weight method across four dimensions (business volatility, long-term growth, short-term performance, and enterprise survival). Panel regression with fixed effects indicates that CPUP significantly enhances RESI. A one-standard-deviation increase in CPUP raises RESI by approximately 0.0019 index units, equivalent to about 2.2% of the standard deviation of RESI. This effect is more pronounced for enterprises in the eastern and central regions and in high-carbon industries. Mechanism tests confirm that CPUP boosts RESI by optimizing management capabilities and strengthening development capabilities, revealing a capability-driven path between CPUP and RESI. This study enriches the theoretical understanding of CPU’s economic consequences and RESI antecedents from a capability perspective. It also provides empirical references for enterprises to build resilience amid policy fluctuations and for policymakers to formulate regionally differentiated climate policies. Full article

The rapid growth of rural e-commerce is reshaping rural development, yet its implications for territorial sustainability remain unclear. Using panel data from 1503 Chinese counties from 2014 to 2022, the effects of Taobao Village development and the mechanism of territorial sustainability are examined through causal, spatial, and mechanism analyses. The results show the following: (1) Taobao Village development significantly improves territorial sustainability, with stronger effects observed in central and northeastern China, while the impacts vary considerably across regions due to differences in economic foundations, digital infrastructure, and land-use conditions. (2) Spatial analysis reveals that the sustainability-enhancing effects of Taobao Villages are mainly localized, with no significant spillover effects to neighboring counties, indicating the constraints of existing administrative and spatial governance systems. (3) The ecological land-use change induced by Taobao Village development is characterized by quantity reduction with potential quality upgrading. The development of Taobao Village has reduced the ecological land area, but it does not mean a decline in ecological functions. The converted land may be composed of low-quality ecological plots, and the fiscal benefits driven by e-commerce and China’s land use compensation policy may maintain or enhance the overall ecological function. These findings highlight the importance of integrating digital rural development with ecological sustainability and territorial spatial governance. The study provides policy implications for promoting resilient and sustainable rural transformation through differentiated land-use strategies. Full article

Cryptomeria japonica var. sinensis Miquel (Chinese cedar) is an ecologically and economically vital evergreen conifer endemic to China. Renowned for its rapid growth and superior timber quality, the species has evolved from a traditional forestry resource into a multifaceted model species for phytochemistry and biotechnology. This review synthesizes recent advancements in its biology, chemical profiling, industrial utilization, and molecular breeding. Taxonomically and morphologically distinct from the Japanese variety, Chinese cedar exhibits robust physiological plasticity and complex transcriptomic responses to abiotic stresses. Phytochemically, the tree is a prolific reservoir of volatile essential oils, complex terpenoids, and flavonoids. These bioactive secondary metabolites demonstrate potent antimicrobial, antioxidant, and neuroprotective properties, driving broad applications in modern pharmacology and sustainable agrochemicals. Industrially, the timber is increasingly utilized in the fabrication of advanced engineered structural composites and circular bioenergy production. Concurrently, breakthrough biotechnological platforms including a chromosome-level reference genome assembly, multi-omics, somatic embryogenesis, and CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing have advanced molecular breeding, accelerating the targeted development of climate-resilient and non-pollen-producing (hypoallergenic) elite cultivars. However, as global climate change and historical habitat fragmentation severely threaten ancient wild populations, this review advocates for integrated in situ and ex situ conservation strategies. By identifying critical research gaps in translational pharmacology, precision gene editing, and comparative genomics, this review provides a comprehensive foundation for understanding the biology, phytochemistry, biotechnology, and utilization of this invaluable botanical resource, offering a strategic roadmap for its sustainable management and commercial valorization. Full article

The logistics industry remains a critical bottleneck for decarbonization due to its extensive physical networks and high-carbon path dependencies. To address the spatial heterogeneity and transition constraints in the logistics industry of China, this study proposes a Performance–Topology–Mechanism (PTM) framework. Analyzing panel data from 30 Chinese provinces, we integrate a Super-SBM model with the Global Malmquist–Luenberger (GML) index, Dagum Gini decomposition, and a panel Tobit model to decode the spatiotemporal dynamics of green innovation performance (GIP) and its underlying spatial lock-in mechanisms. The results reveal a steady but spatially uneven increase in the national GIP (from 0.4526 to 0.5724), characterized by a leading East and a lagging West/Northeast. GML decomposition indicates this growth is predominantly driven by outward shifts in the technological frontier rather than efficiency improvements, highlighting the weak spatial conversion of green technologies into transport optimization. Topological tracing demonstrates that inter-regional disparities have become the dominant source of spatial inequality, with their contribution rising from 60% to 75%. Spatial autocorrelation further exposes a deepening core–periphery polarization and persistent low-performance spatial lock-in. Crucially, the mechanism analysis identifies a pronounced infrastructure-based carbon lock-in. While economic capacity and green patents stimulate GIP, road network density exerts a significant negative effect, reflecting a systemic path dependence on high-carbon road freight. The findings suggest that decarbonizing transport logistics requires shifting from singular technological investments toward multimodal transport restructuring, overcoming physical network dependencies, and promoting the regional diffusion of green innovations. These findings provide an empirical basis for differentiated green-logistics policies, coordinated low-carbon transport infrastructure planning, and cross-regional diffusion of green technologies. Full article

Sustainable Digital Infrastructure plays an increasingly important role in strengthening regional economic resilience and promoting inclusive growth. However, its dynamic effects on nascent entrepreneurship remain underexplored. Treating China’s smart city pilot policy as a quasi-natural experiment, this study uses data on newly registered enterprises in 288 Chinese cities from 2005 to 2019 and a multi-period difference-in-differences (DID) model to examine this relationship. The results show that Sustainable Digital Infrastructure significantly promotes new venture creation. Owing to environmental dynamism—manifested in creative destruction, strategic wait-and-see behavior, and learning-curve effects—its entrepreneurial impact is initially volatile before becoming significantly and persistently positive. The industry-level analysis reveals heterogeneous effects across sectors: the largest estimated effect occurs in wholesale and retail trade, while the estimated effect in scientific research and technical services strengthens over time. Mechanism analyses provide suggestive evidence for three channels: technological innovation, human capital development, and digital finance. The effects are also more pronounced in eastern China and smaller cities. This study provides empirical evidence and practical guidance for emerging economies seeking to promote new venture creation through digital infrastructure. It conceptualizes “sustainability” in the SDI context as the capacity of digital infrastructure to support enduring and inclusive economic development, rather than as a property of the infrastructure’s environmental performance. Full article

Agricultural modernization in China requires reconciling productivity growth with environmental sustainability, but it remains uncertain whether market-based quality institutions can also support this environmental agenda. This study examines whether and how Geographical Indication (GI) certification—a market-based quality institution primarily designed to protect product quality—affects Agricultural Green Total Factor Productivity (AGTFP), by assessing its direct effect, its interaction with agricultural industrial agglomeration, and the regional development conditions under which this effect materializes. Based on panel data from 31 Chinese provinces from 2012 to 2023, this study employs a two-way fixed-effects model to estimate the baseline effect, a moderating-effect model to examine the role of agricultural industrial agglomeration, and a panel threshold regression model to capture potential non-linearities. Results show that: (1) GI certification significantly increases AGTFP, raising it by approximately 0.001 units per certification at the 1% significance level, a result that remains robust to instrumental variable estimation; (2) agricultural industrial agglomeration positively moderates this relationship, with GI certification’s effect significant only in high-agglomeration regions; and (3) the effect of GI certification follows a threshold-dependent pattern, turning from a significant negative effect of 0.0023 below an agricultural development level of 0.048 to a significant positive effect of 0.0015 above it. This study offers the first systematic evidence on the green institutional efficacy of GI certification and its boundary conditions. Consequently, agricultural policy should shift its focus from simply issuing certifications to maintaining ongoing performance oversight, with strategies tailored to regional industrial agglomeration and levels of economic development. Full article

Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) is an important medicinal crop with high economic value in the world. Due to its growth patterns and environmental requirements, Chinese enterprises employ two-stage cultivation for saffron. However, the relationship between corm size and flowering characteristics in this cultivation remains understudied. This study investigated the correlation between corm size and flowering characteristics, including flower count, stigma yield, and mass concentration percentage of crocin and picrocrocin, as well as physiological differences in corm of different sizes indoors. Results indicated that there was a significantly positive correlation with corm size and flower number (r = 0.98) and stigma yield (r = 0.98). Additionally, a positive correlation was observed between corm size and mass concentration percentage of crocin (r = 0.54), whereas no correlation existed between corm size and mass concentration percentage of picrocrocin (r = 0.19). Significant variations in soluble protein, soluble sugar, starch, and hormone (ZR, IAA, GA₃, ABA) contents were noted in this study. Larger corm sizes had higher contents of soluble protein, soluble sugar, and starch. Meanwhile, starch content mostly had a decreasing trend indoors, which provides sufficient energy and nutrients for flower bud differentiation. ZR and IAA showed greater responsiveness, and increased levels of ZR and IAA potentially promote flower bud differentiation. This study provides theoretical guidance for field management optimization, yield improvement, and quality control of saffron in Chinese two-stage cultivation. Full article

Global warming-induced temperature increases adversely affect plant growth, exacerbating agricultural risks and threatening global food security. These challenges are particularly acute for important crops like non-heading Chinese cabbage (NHCC; Brassica campestris L. syn. B. rapa), a nutritionally and economically significant leafy vegetable cultivated worldwide. While breeding for thermotolerance has been explored to stabilize summer supplies, these efforts remain insufficient under complex field conditions, necessitating cost-effective and practical alternatives. Here, we demonstrate that biochar derived from enoki mushroom (Flammulina velutipes) spent mushroom substrate (SMS-BC) significantly alleviates heat-induced growth suppression in greenhouse-cultivated NHCC. SMS-BC alters the soil nutrient profile and enhances available phosphorus and potassium through its unique feedstock properties, including its filamentous architecture and surface functional groups. Furthermore, SMS-BC may reshape microbial community composition of NHCC under heat stress. Our findings establish SMS-derived biochar as an effective soil amendment for alleviating heat stress-induced growth suppression in NHCC. Full article