Search Results (184)

Promoting pesticide reduction is a key step toward green vegetable production and ecological safety. Based on survey data collected from 356 leek growers in Weifang City—the largest facility-based vegetable production base in Shandong Province—this study empirically estimates the ecological compensation standard associated with pesticide-reduction behavior. The estimation employs a contingent valuation method (CVM) using non-parametric kernel density estimation for conditional value assessment, combined with the Heckman two-step model to address potential sample selection bias. The results show that 79.3% of respondents are willing to participate in an eco-compensation program for pesticide reduction; the main reason for refusal is “the higher reduction costs and lower profits”. The expected compensation level ranges from 614.94 to 620.57 yuan per mu (1 mu is approximately 0.165 acres) per year. Gender, share of Chinese chives (Allium tuberosum) income, trust in extension agents, and government penalties for excessive spraying significantly raise the required compensation, whereas age and knowledge of eco-compensation significantly lower it. Therefore, a sustainable compensation scheme co-driven by government and market should be established, combining cash, technical and in-kind support, and adopting tiered compensation schemes that reflect different reduction intensities. Full article

In a network invaded by a mutant according to the birth–death updating rule and uniform initialization, in order to minimize the amplifying effect of any directed network, the adjacency matrix is modified at each time step up to a given time horizon, subject to resource constraints. The fixation probability of an invasive mutant is deduced from the first eigenvector of the resulting modified Markov transition matrix. Large-scale minimization is solved numerically for a representative sample of directed graphs of dimensions 6 to 8. The effects of the determinants of the optimal reduction of the fixation probability are estimated using a Heckman selection model. The number of neighbors, the heterogeneity of the incoming edge weights, and the homogeneity of the outgoing edge weights of the initial network increase the likelihood that the graphs are amendable. Among the amended networks, the reduction in the fixation probability is greater when the outgoing edge weights of the initial network are heterogeneous, those of its incoming edges are homogeneous, and the sequence of modifications increases the variance of the outgoing edge weights and decreases that of the incoming edge weights, thereby creating a trade-off, which is estimated numerically. Full article

The service quality of land trusteeship is often subpar due to farmers’ ineffective supervision of service providers’ opportunistic behaviors. However, the existing literature has not given much attention to this agency issue from the principal–agent theory. Accordingly, this paper analyzes the mechanism of supervision failure leading to the quality risk of land trusteeship services, then applies the IV-Heckman model to empirically test the impact with follow-up survey data of 1138 farmers in China. The study found that: (1) supervision failure has a positive impact on the quality risk of land trusteeship services. The OLS model overestimated the main effect of supervision failure by 23%, while the Heckman model effectively corrected the sample selectivity bias. (2) The results of heterogeneity analysis showed that the effect of supervision failure on the quality risk of different crop types is in the order of cash crops, corn, and wheat. The impact of supervision failure on quality risk in different links is single-link, multi-link, and full-link in that order. (3) The quantile regression shows that the higher the level of quality risk is, the deeper the impact of supervision failure on the quality risk of land trusteeship services is. Accordingly, this paper proposes the following policy insights. First, a sound regulatory mechanism for land trusteeship services should be established. Second, increase the punishment for land trusteeship services violations. Third, establish a digital supervision platform to supervise and evaluate the service process and quality. Full article

Multiple myeloma (MM) is characterised by the clonal expansion of plasma cells in the bone marrow followed by end-organ damage. Despite a significant increase in the five-year survival rate in recent years, MM is still considered an incurable disease as patients will repeatedly relapse and develop resistance to standard-of-care therapies. A central theme for the personalization of MM therapy is understanding the biological mechanisms of drug resistance and identifying clinically relevant biomarkers of therapeutic response. Highly effective protocols for the enrichment of phosphorylated peptides followed by high-resolution mass spectrometry makes possible the quantitation of thousands of site-specific phosphorylation events, principally on serine, threonine or tyrosine residues. In this study, phosphoproteomic analysis of 20 MM patient cell lysates was performed, stratified based on their ex vivo drug response profiles to Bortezomib and Lenalidomide, two of the most foundational therapeutic agents in the management of MM. In this study, patients who are highly sensitive to these drugs show increased phosphorylation of proteins concerned with translation and RNA processing including the spliceosome, RNA transport and RNA binding pathways, while highly resistant patients demonstrated an increased phosphorylation of proteins involved with tight junctions, the Rap1 signalling pathway and the phosphatidylinositol signalling system. This study has established a phosphoproteomic dataset displaying unique phosphorylation signatures associated with drug sensitivity in MM patient plasma cells. The identification of phosphorylation signatures associated with drug resistance provides the foundation for further exploration of these mechanisms and associated signalling pathways to further characterise drug resistance mechanisms in MM and identify promising biomarkers of therapeutic response and targets for drug re-sensitization in MM. Full article

Independent directors play a critical role in overseeing company management, safeguarding the interests of both the company and its shareholders, and ensuring that decisions made by the board are scientific, rational, and fair. Directors with industry expertise bring greater experience and knowledge to their roles, enabling them to prevent short-sighted decision-making while preserving their professional reputations. This research empirically examines whether the industry expertise trait of independent directors can inhibit the irregularities of the companies they serve, using a fixed-effects model that controls for industry, company, and year, with Chinese A-share-listed companies from 2003 to 2023 as the observational sample. Endogeneity issues are addressed by using the Heckman two-stage model and the propensity score matching (PSM) model. The findings reveal that (1) independent directors with industry expertise significantly mitigate corporate violations; and (2) their influence primarily stems from improvements in the quality of information disclosure, enhancements to internal control systems, and the resolution of principal–agent conflicts. Further analysis indicates that the restraining effect of independent directors with industry expertise is particularly pronounced in environments characterized by low institutional ownership and fewer analysts, highlighting their stronger supervisory role in such contexts. Full article

Environmental regulations serve as a critical determinant of industrial competitiveness in the global market. Recent policy shifts have driven a gradual convergence of rural environmental standards with urban norms, fostering a dynamic landscape of “top-down competition” between urban and rural regulatory frameworks. While the economic consequences of regional regulatory disparities are well-documented, the specific impacts of this regulatory convergence remain insufficiently explored. To address this gap, this study constructs a novel index to measure the convergence of environmental regulations between urban districts and rural counties at the prefecture level. Utilizing an unbalanced panel dataset of 5600 county-level timber processing enterprises, the Heckman two-stage model is employed for empirical analysis. The results demonstrate that the convergence of urban and rural environmental regulations significantly enhances both the export probability and export intensity of county-level firms, with these effects exhibiting persistence and cumulative growth over time. These findings remain robust across a series of validation tests, including instrumental variable estimation, double machine learning, and alternative model specifications. Mechanism analysis reveals that regulatory convergence promotes exports primarily by improving access to green credit and enhancing peer quality within the industry. Furthermore, heterogeneity tests indicate that the positive effects are most pronounced for start-ups and firms in the decline stage, as well as for enterprises located in eastern China, those outside the Yangtze River Economic Belt, and those subject to minimal government intervention. This study provides critical micro-level evidence that helps enterprises navigate the evolving policy landscape and supports the formulation of strategies to boost export trade amidst the integration of environmental regulations. Full article

This study examines the determinants of goodwill impairment recognition under IFRS 3 in the context of Moroccan listed firms. Using an unbalanced panel covering the period of 2006–2024 and comprising 862 firm-year observations, we employ a three-stage empirical strategy that integrates a Probit model to estimate the likelihood of impairment, a Tobit model to assess the magnitude of the loss, and a Heckman two-step procedure to correct for potential self-selection. The results show that goodwill impairment reflects key economic and financial fundamentals, including revenue growth, book-to-market ratios, and operating performance. However, both real and accrual-based earnings management significantly influence the probability and intensity of impairment, particularly through abnormal cash flows and income-smoothing behavior. Discretionary accruals become significant only after correcting for selection bias, indicating that they do not drive the recognition decision but contribute to determining the size of the impairment once it has been recorded. The findings are robust across multiple specifications and contribute to the broader literature on financial reporting quality under IAS/IFRS, while enriching empirical evidence on managerial discretion and earnings management in emerging-market environments. Full article

Supply chains play a crucial role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through the improvement of ESG performance. From the perspective of synergy between national auditing and corporate governance, this study integrates the SDGs into the supply chain ESG strategy and evaluates the spillover effects of national auditing on supply chain ESG performance, drawing on the quasi-natural experiment of China’s National Audit Office (NAO) auditing state-owned enterprises (SOEs). The findings illustrate that national auditing has a significant positive spillover effect on the ESG performance of supply chains. These findings remain robust after addressing potential endogeneity via placebo tests, PSM-DID, and Heckman two-step method. Heterogeneity analysis highlights that supply chains with strong cooperation stability, high concentration, and presence in the same industry have more pronounced ESG spillover effects. Mechanism analysis further demonstrates that national auditing enhances the ESG performance of supply chains by exerting imitative, mandatory, and normative pressures. Moreover, audit regulatory agencies should establish a mechanism for sharing audit results to exert mandatory institutional pressure, thereby ensuring this mechanism enables audits to fully fulfill their role in improving supply chain ESG performance. Full article

This study examines how digital transformation enhances supply chain resilience among Chinese firms, with a focus on the underlying mechanisms and contextual conditions. Grounded in dynamic capabilities theory, we conceptualize supply chain resilience along two dimensions: proactive capability and reactive capability. Using data from A-share listed companies between 2007 and 2022, we construct firm-level resilience measures through entropy weighting. Digital transformation is measured by textual analysis of corporate annual reports, supplemented with policy documents and academic literature to enrich the keyword dictionary. Empirical results, validated through instrumental variable estimation, Heckman two-stage models, and multiple robustness checks, show that digital transformation significantly improves overall supply chain resilience, with a stronger effect on reactive capability. Further analysis identifies three mediating channels: improved information sharing across the supply chain, enhanced firm-level innovation, and reduced exposure to environmental uncertainty. Heterogeneity tests reveal that the positive impact of digital transformation is more pronounced in non-state-owned enterprises, high-tech firms, and firms in technology-intensive or labor-intensive industries. The effect is also stronger for firms operating under high environmental uncertainty or located in regions with lower levels of marketization. These findings offer practical guidance for managers and policymakers aiming to strengthen supply chains through digitalization, particularly in an era marked by growing global disruptions and sustainability challenges. Full article

E-commerce for agricultural products serves as a critical link connecting smallholders with markets; however, technological barriers and market uncertainties during its transitional phase have led to low participation rates among farmers, creating a key bottleneck for industrial upgrading. The social learning mechanisms inherent in rural communities may influence farmers’ decisions by reshaping risk attitudes—a pathway that has not been sufficiently empirically examined. This study examines how rural social learning affects farmers’ participation in agricultural e-commerce through the channel of risk attitude. Using survey data from 327 peach growers in Qingdao, Shandong, we construct an analytical framework of “social learning–risk attitude–e-commerce participation” and identify the mechanisms with a Heckman two-step model, IV-Probit, and mediation analysis. The results show that both observational and reinforcement learning significantly increase farmers’ probability and intensity of participation; risk attitude partially mediates this relationship, and contextual factors such as logistics accessibility also matter. The contribution lies in embedding social learning and risk attitude in a single empirical framework and providing evidence from a highly digitized yet agricultural Chinese context for tiered rural e-commerce training and risk education. Full article

This study aimed to examine the potential influence of backyard poultry farming, which can be readily established in urban and peri-urban environments, on the production capacity of backyard poultry and its potential contribution to food security among low-income households. Publicly accessible secondary microdata from the 2022 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey were used. To account for the non-random nature of backyard poultry-keeping decisions, the Heckman selection model was applied to estimate both the probability of engaging in poultry farming and the number of birds raised. The study revealed that over 20% of urban households and more than 30% of the poorest 11% households engaged in poultry farming. Although the number of birds raised is generally lower, the proportion of households raising poultry is higher among poorer households than among wealthier households. Among the poorest 11% households, the estimated per capita production of meat and eggs from backyard poultry farming was expected to be 5.4 g and 6.8 g per day, respectively. Due to data constraints, we compare production estimates with stratum-level consumption averages, providing an indication of potential contribution rather than household-level self-sufficiency. This comparison suggests that backyard poultry could serve as an important supplementary source, potentially contributing to approximately 15% of meat consumption and 47% of egg consumption for participating households from the lowest income strata. Full article

This paper examines the impact and mechanism of digital transformation on green innovation in state-owned enterprises. The study uses Chinese A-share listed state-owned enterprises from 2012 to 2023 as the sample, with the perspective of mixed ownership reform. The research sample is 4468 panel data in total. The study uses fixed effect regression analysis, Heckman two-stage test, and instrumental variable test methods, etc. The findings indicate that digital transformation positively influences the degree of green innovation within state-owned enterprises. Furthermore, the mixed ownership reform positively moderates this influence impact. Mechanism test results indicate that digital transformation fosters green innovation by enhancing the level of information disclosure and reducing management shortsightedness. The heterogeneity analysis reveals a more pronounced effect on the relationship among enterprises in the eastern region and those operating within the high-tech industry. The study not only contributes to theoretical implication of digital transformation but also provides empirical guidance for policy formulation. Full article

Institutions hold a crucial influence over human behavior and economic development. Using 3791 agricultural land transfer-out households from the 2021 Chinese Social Survey (CSS) data as the research sample, this study employs Logit, IV-Probit, and Heckman models to explore the influence of social morality—a crucial informal institution—on farmers’ land transfer behavior from a cognitive perspective, examining the moderating factors and underlying mechanisms between the two. The findings indicate the following: (1) The perception of social morality level significantly influences land transfer behavior; when farmers perceive lower social morality, their land transfer behavior is inhibited. (2) The perception of the level of rule of law significantly negatively moderates the relationship between perception of social morality level and agricultural land transfer behavior. That is, the negative impact of the perception of social morality level on agricultural land transfer is effectively mitigated as the perceived level of rule of law increases. (3) The suppression of land transfer by perceptions of social morality stems primarily from the significant weakening of social trust, which is a crucial mechanism driving land transfer. By focusing on social morality and adopting a cognitive perspective, this study explores the impact of this informal institution on agricultural land transfer behavior. It holds significant theoretical value for deepening the understanding of informal institutional changes and enhancing the development of agricultural land markets in rural China. Full article

With the rapid growth of social media platforms, short video advertisements (SVAs) have been a dominant channel for product sales. However, how to design SVAs that effectively drive product sales, especially in relation to previous SVAs and the related product information, remains underexplored. This study investigates how SVA title congruence influences sales performance through the mediating role of sociability. Specifically, we conceptualized video-video title congruence and video-product title congruence as two forms of content congruence and investigated their effects using data collected from Douyin, the leading short video platform. The empirical results with two-way fixed effects show that high video-video title congruence and low video-product title congruence are both associated with higher product sales. Sociability mediates the relationship between title congruence and sales performance. This study also finds that the creation frequency and product brand significantly moderate these relationships. Furthermore, this study develops several checks to ensure the robustness of the research model and findings, including the Heckman two-stage test. These findings provide theoretical insights into content creation strategies and offer practical implications for both creators and platform managers. Full article

Background/Goal: Parkinson’s disease (PD) disrupts dopaminergic transmission, leading to motor deficits and altered activity in the primary motor cortex (M1). While M1 modulation is critical for motor control, its response to dopaminergic degeneration and treatment remains unclear. This study aimed to characterize M1 neuronal activity and motor behavior in hemiparkinsonian rats using in vivo calcium imaging across naïve, lesioned, and levodopa-treated states. Methods: Thirteen Sprague Dawley rats were injected with GCaMP6f in the M1 and implanted with a GRIN lens and guide cannula targeting the medial forebrain bundle. Calcium imaging and motor behavior were assessed longitudinally using a single pellet reaching test (SPRT) before and after unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesioning and subsequent levodopa/carbidopa treatment. Dopaminergic lesion severity was quantified via tyrosine hydroxylase immunohistochemistry. Calcium event frequency and influx were analyzed with CNMF-E and statistical modeling. Results: Levodopa treatment improved fine motor performance as shown by a significant reduction in grasp errors (mean difference: −8.91, 95% CI: −16.66 to −1.16, p = 0.031) and increased reaching duration (mean difference: 4.13, 95% CI: 0.94 to 7.32, p = 0.019) compared to the lesioned state. M1 calcium activity showed modulation dependent on lesion severity: low-lesion rats exhibited reduced event frequency (mean difference: 0.04 Hz, 95% CI: 0.001 to 0.08, p = 0.045) and increased influx post-lesion (mean difference: −0.20 z·s, 95% CI: −0.38 to −0.02, p = 0.038), while high-lesion rats showed increased influx only after levodopa treatment (mean difference: −0.34 z·s, 95% CI: −0.52 to −0.16, p = 0.003). Correlation analyses revealed that calcium influx, but not frequency, was negatively correlated with lesion severity during levodopa treatment (Spearman r = −0.857, p = 0.024). Conclusion: M1 neuronal activity appears to be differentially modulated by dopaminergic degeneration and levodopa treatment in a lesion-dependent manner. These preliminary findings suggest dynamic cortical responses in PD and support the utility of calcium imaging for monitoring circuit-level changes in disease and therapy. Further research with larger cohorts and complementary methodologies will be necessary to validate and extend these observations. Full article