Search Results (209)

This article examines the theological trajectories of Watchman Nee (1903–1972) and Witness Lee (1905–1997) on sanctification, union with Christ, and deification, situating their contributions within recent reappraisals of the doctrine of theosis in the academy. Though deification was universally affirmed by the early church and retained in various forms in medieval and early Protestant theology, post-Reformation Western Christianity marginalized this theme in favor of juridical and forensic soteriological categories. Against this backdrop, Nee and Lee offer a theologically rich, biblically grounded, and experientially oriented articulation of deification that warrants greater scholarly attention. Drawing from the Keswick Holiness tradition, patristic sources, and Christian mysticism, Nee developed a soteriology that integrates justification, sanctification, and glorification within an organic model of progressive union with God. Though he does not explicitly use the term “deification”, the language he employs regarding union and participation closely mirrors classical expressions of Christian theosis. For Nee, sanctification is not merely moral improvement but the transformative increase of the divine life, culminating in conformity to Christ’s image. Lee builds upon and expands Nee’s participatory soteriology into a comprehensive theology of deification, explicitly referring to it as “the high peak of the divine revelation” in the Holy Scriptures. For Lee, humans become God “in life and nature but not in the Godhead”. By employing the phrase “not in the Godhead”, Lee upholds the Creator–creature distinction—i.e., humans never participate in the ontological Trinity or God’s incommunicable attributes. Yet, in the first portion of his description, he affirms that human beings undergo an organic, transformative process by which they become God in deeply significant ways. His framework structures sanctification as a seven-stage process, culminating in the believer’s transformation and incorporation into the Body of Christ to become a constituent of a corporate God-man. This corporate dimension—often overlooked in Western accounts—lies at the heart of Lee’s ecclesiology, which he sees as being consummated in the eschatological New Jerusalem. Ultimately, this study argues that Nee and Lee provide a coherent, non-speculative model of deification that integrates biblical exegesis, theological tradition, and practical spirituality, and thus, present a compelling alternative to individualistic and forensic soteriologies while also highlighting the need for deeper engagement across global theological discourse on sanctification, union with Christ, and the Triune God. Full article

Emerging economies such as China have benefited from rapid growth but now face acute carbon risk amid worsening environmental conditions. Carbon-intensive firms—major emitters—face rising carbon risk that pervades operations and threatens efficient capital allocation. To advance global climate-change mitigation, help China meet its dual-carbon goals, and enhance corporate financial sustainability, we analyze panel data on 575 Chinese carbon-intensive companies from 2012 to 2022 and estimate OLS models to assess how carbon risk influences capital mismatch. Results show that higher carbon risk significantly widens capital mismatch, whereas higher media attention and better corporate governance each weaken this effect. These findings suggest that regulators and the media should monitor carbon-intensive firms more closely to improve information transparency and guide capital to its most productive uses, while firms themselves need to strengthen governance to limit the damage carbon risk inflicts on capital allocation. Full article

This study investigates voluntary compliance with the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) framework in 64 financial, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reports from six Spanish IBEX-35 energy firms (2020–2023) and explores the implications for intangible assets and corporate reputation, employing empirical quantitative text mining and Natural Language Processing (NLP) in Python. A validated scale-based taxonomy within the TCFD framework applies query-driven rules to extract relevant text. This enables an evaluation of aspects of the reports, facilitating the development of a compliance index measuring each company’s adherence to TCFD recommendations. All companies showed year-on-year improvements (2023 was the most comprehensive), yet none fully adhered due to information gaps. Disparities in the disclosures of Scope 1,2 and 3, persisted, suggesting reputational risks. A replicable methodological model generating a compliance index that assesses the ‘being’ (‘true performance’) versus ‘seeming’ (‘external perception’) dichotomy within sustainability reports and acts as a potential reputational barometer for stakeholders. By providing unprecedented evidence of TCFD reporting in the Spanish energy sector, this study closes a significant academic gap. Future research may analyze ESG reports using AI agents, study the impact of ESG on energy-intensive companies from AI data centers, supporting services like Copilot, ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and extend this methodology to other industrial sectors. Full article

This work presents the characterization of a large-scale pilot plant for nitric acid production that employs atmospheric-pressure plasma in a closed-loop configuration. The primary objective here is to evaluate the scientific and practical feasibility of using high-power Cerawave™ plasma torch technology, manufactured by Radom Corporation, to enhance the rate of nitric acid production of plasma-assisted nitrogen fixation systems, while achieving specific energy consumption (SEC) comparable to that of smaller-scale setups reported in the literature. We provide a comprehensive overview of the components of the pilot plant, its operational strategy, and the analytical models underlying its processes. Preliminary system optimization results are discussed alongside the outcomes from a controlled batch run. After 30.9 h of operation at 50 kW plasma power, the system produced 198.9 L of nitric acid with a concentration of 28.6% by weight, corresponding to overall SEC of approximately 5.3 MJ/mol. This SEC could be improved to 3.7 MJ/mol using absorption columns with greater than 90% absorption efficiency. Additionally, around 60% of the plasma power was recovered as usable process heat via a heat exchanger. These results demonstrate that plasma-based nitrogen fixation is scientifically and technically viable at higher production scales while maintaining competitive specific energy consumption using microwave plasma. Full article

Global value chain (GVC) restructuring has important implications for the transformation of corporate outward foreign direct investment (OFDI), a process that is closely linked to sustainable economic development. Based on panel data from 2007 to 2021, this paper comprehensively applies the fixed effects model, mediation effects analysis, heterogeneity test, and regression analysis to explore how global value chain restructuring promotes the sustainable transformation of corporate OFDI, and it examines the role mechanisms of factor endowment and market scale expansion in the process. The conclusions are as follows: (1) Global value chain restructuring can promote manufacturing enterprises’ OFDI transformation. (2) Global value chain restructuring promotes the transformation of manufacturing OFDI through two channels: factor endowments and market scale. (3) Against countries’ different backgrounds, there are significant differences in the impacts of global value chain restructuring on enterprises’ OFDI. The research results of this paper can provide important insights for relevant government departments and enterprises in formulating management policies. Full article

The reverse logistics of medical textiles has become a major concern in Morocco today, compelling authorities and professionals to develop a sustainable reverse logistics model. This study proposes a model for designing a sustainable closed-loop supply chain network in a fuzzy environment, using the medical textile life cycle as a case study. The model aims to generate economic gains, increase corporate social responsibility through job creation, and mitigate risks associated with the transportation of end-of-life products. In addition, the uncertainty of the model parameters is considered. The multi-objective model, formulated as a mixed-integer linear program, was solved using an exact approach, enabling strategic and tactical decision-making. Furthermore, the results demonstrate that accounting uncertainty can significantly impact strategic and tactical decisions in network design. Full article

In reality, there is often information asymmetry between upstream and downstream enterprises in a closed-loop supply chain (CLSC) system, which can have a profound impact on the decisions of member enterprises and the operation of the system. Under asymmetric market demand information, this study examines CSR input and recycling decision making in CLSC. Four decision-making models were developed for CLSC, and the effects of consumer sensitivity to CSR input and demand information asymmetry on CLSC optimization were studied. The results indicate that higher consumer sensitivity to CSR input enhances both CSR levels and recycling rates, benefiting both manufacturer and retailer by increasing profits. In terms of increasing CSR levels, the manufacturer achieves the best results when independently managing CSR input and recycling. However, for improving recycling rates and market demand, the retailer is more effective when responsible for CSR input, with the manufacturer handling recycling. Additionally, demand information asymmetry reduces the manufacturer’s profit but may not affect the retailer’s profit. The retailer–manufacturer cooperation model proves more beneficial for overall CLSC system performance compared to information symmetry. Full article

In the globalized economic system, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors have emerged as critical dimensions for assessing non-financial performance and ensuring the long-term sustainable development of businesses, influencing corporate behavior, investor expectations, and regulatory landscapes. This article applies the VAR-DY network analysis method to construct a large-scale financial volatility spillover network covering all Chinese stocks. It explores the risk transmission paths among different ESG-rated groups and analyzes the patterns and impacts of risk transmission during extreme market volatility. The study finds that as ESG ratings decrease from AAA to C, the network’s average shortest path length and average connectedness strength decreases, indicating that highly rated companies play a central role in the network and maintain their ESG ratings through close connections, positively affecting market stability. However, analyses of the 2015 Chinese stock market crash and the COVID-19 pandemic show a general increase in volatility spillover effects. Notably, the direction of risk spillover in relation to ESG ratings was opposite in these two events, reflecting differences in the underlying drivers of market volatility. This suggests that under extreme market conditions, traditional risk management tools need to be optimized by incorporating ESG factors to better address risk contagion. Full article

This study explores the effect of climate policy uncertainty on corporate working capital management efficiency. Investigating this problem may provide advice to mitigate the impact of climate policy uncertainty on firms. We used Chinese A-share listed companies’ data, spanning from 2007 to 2023, and discovered that climate policy uncertainty reduced companies’ working capital management efficiency. Mechanism research found that climate policy uncertainty reduced firms’ working capital management efficiency by increasing the transaction costs, lowering specific asset investment, and increasing inventory turnover days. Furthermore, our heterogeneity analysis indicated that the impact of climate policy uncertainty on working capital management efficiency was more pronounced in enterprises in the western and central regions, areas with lower marketization levels, and regions with lower highway density. By exploring the influence of climate policy uncertainty on working capital management efficiency, we have expanded the understanding of how climate policy uncertainty affects corporations and enriched research about corporate working capital management efficiency. We recommend that the government enhance the transparency of climate policies and reduce the frequency of policy changes. Furthermore, we advise enterprises to maintain close relationships with their customers and suppliers to mitigate the impact of climate policy uncertainty on working capital management efficiency. Full article

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the social support level among perimenopausal women and explore its key influencing factors. Methods: From November 2022 to March 2023, a stratified multistage random sampling method was used to recruit 647 perimenopausal women from three communities in Tianjin, China. The participants completed the Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS), the Kupperman Menopausal Index (KMI), and a sociodemographic questionnaire. Nonparametric tests, correlation analysis, and stepwise regression analysis were conducted to explore key factors influencing social support. Robustness checks were performed using hierarchical regression analysis. Results: The overall social support level of perimenopausal women was moderately low (34.190 ± 10.007), with the lowest scores observed in the 46–50 age group (33.000 ± 9.666). Stepwise regression analysis showed that, compared to married women, single women reported significantly lower social support levels (β = −0.242, p < 0.001). Using public sector employees as the reference group, women in all other occupational categories (including self-employed, corporate employees, farmers, freelancers, and other professions) had significantly lower social support scores (β range: −0.196 to −0.232, all p < 0.05). Compared to those with good family relationships, women with average (β = −0.420, p < 0.001) and poor (β = −0.349, p < 0.001) family relationships reported significantly lower social support levels. In terms of menopausal symptoms, greater severity of palpitations (β = −0.140, p < 0.05) and dyspareunia (β = −0.143, p < 0.05) was associated with lower social support, while higher levels of neuroticism (β = 0.102, p < 0.05) and joint/muscle pain (β = 0.158, p < 0.05) were linked to greater social support. Conclusions: Social support levels among perimenopausal women were generally low, particularly among those aged 46–50 years. Marital status, occupational type, and family relationships were key influencing factors, and certain menopausal symptoms were closely related to social support, especially those that are difficult to discuss, such as palpitations and dyspareunia. These findings highlight the necessity of strengthening social support networks for perimenopausal women and provide scientific evidence for the development of targeted interventions and public health policies to enhance their well-being and promote healthy aging. Full article

Quinoa, considered a superfood, is grown in the high Andean zones of Peru and Bolivia. The competitiveness, organizational capacity, and technological level of the producers limit their production. This research aimed to evaluate the influence of competitiveness on the performance of quinoa producer associations in the high Andes. The study was developed in the production period of 2022–2023 and considered associations of quinoa producers from different localities. The correlation between competitiveness (corporate identity, resources, and potential) and production performance (financial and non-financial) was studied. The data were collected through a questionnaire with closed questions and a Likert scale and presented normal distribution, and a one-factor ANOVA, Pearson′s correlation, and PCA at 5% significance were applied. Twenty-three quinoa producer associations were identified with 15 years of organic quinoa production of the varieties of Blanca de Junín, Choclito, Pasankalla, Negra, and Roja, with production ranging from 17 to 40.8 tons grown in a semi-mechanized way. It was observed that the general competitiveness of the associations was rated as moderately inadequate despite good performance; this behavior was more marked in the associations in urban areas such as Andahuaylas and San Jeronimo. Urban quinoa associations have higher quality than rural ones. Competitiveness is limited by a lack of human resources training, government commitment, and strategic alliances, which predicts low sustainability. Full article

As global awareness of sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) intensifies, container shipping lines (CSLs) face growing pressure to align their operations with stakeholder expectations. However, existing studies in maritime logistics often examine CSR and environmental performance separately, rely on qualitative methods, or focus on broader shipping contexts without targeting CSLs specifically. Moreover, few studies provide data-driven benchmarking tools to evaluate performance across multiple sustainability dimensions. This study addresses these gaps by developing a quantitative benchmarking model that integrates entropy weighting and the grey relational analysis (GRA) to assess the performance of ten major CSLs using real-world data from 2022. The model incorporates operational, environmental, and social indicators, with entropy weighting objectively capturing the relative importance of each criterion. The GRA method is applied to rank CSLs based on their closeness to an ideal performer. A sensitivity analysis is then conducted by varying the distinguishing coefficient to test the robustness of the results. The findings reveal that cost-related criteria, such as the number of employees, energy consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions, carry the most weight. CSLs that perform consistently across multiple indicators tend to outperform peers that show inconsistency or rely heavily on a narrow set of strengths. This study contributes to the literature by offering an integrated, replicable approach for efficiency, sustainability, and CSR performance benchmarking in maritime logistics and by providing practical insights for policymakers, industry managers, and researchers. Full article

Calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease (CPPD) has been shown to be associated with inflammatory arthritis such as rheumatoid arthritis. However, few studies have investigated the correlation between CPPD and psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Our study aimed to determine whether there were higher rates of PsA in patients with CPPD than controls. A retrospective cohort study was conducted using the Veterans Affairs’ Corporate Data Warehouse. Individuals with a CPPD ICD code were matched with controls and diagnoses of PsA and psoriasis were collected. A total of 41,084 CPPD patients were matched with 119,192 controls. The proportion of CPPD patients with PsA diagnosis was more than double that of controls (1.07% vs. 0.37%; p < 0.0001), and more CPPD patients were diagnosed with psoriasis (3.05% vs. 2.52%; p < 0.0001). Those with CPPD had higher odds of a PsA diagnosis (OR 3.550, 95% CI 2.602–4.844). A total of 61.59% of PsA diagnoses preceded the CPPD diagnoses by at least one year. This is the first case–control study demonstrating an association between CPPD and PsA, potentially related to the fact that both PsA and CPPD could be triggered by trauma, and are closely associated with osteoarthritis. It also is possible that inflammatory pathways contribute to CPP crystal deposition in joints. Full article

At present, the operation control modes of pressurized water reactor (PWR) nuclear power plants in service mainly include Mode-A, Mode-G, and MSHIM. Mode-A is mainly applicable to base load operation and cannot realize load tracking. In the process of Mode-G load tracking, it is necessary to adjust boron, and it cannot realize load tracking without boron regulation. Although MSHIM implements unregulated boron load tracking, a large number of control rods are inserted into the core during base load operation, which reduces the safety margin and causes certain economic losses. In recent years, China National Nuclear Corporation Limited proposed the Mode-C operation control mode, which attempts to concentrate the advantages of the above operation mode and avoid its disadvantages. When Mode-C is adopted, only one set of control rods is inserted into the reactor core to complete the nuclear power plant control task for the base load and other operations that do not require frequent reactor power regulation. For load tracking and other operations requiring frequent reactor power regulation, control rods are used instead of adjusting soluble boron to control core reactivity. Reactivity compensation and power distribution control in the load-tracking process are completed through control rods. When Mode-C mode is adopted, the reactivity control method under base load and load tracking conditions is different from other mature operating modes. It is impossible to directly adopt the ready-made reactor power control system scheme, which brings challenges to the practical engineering application of Mode-C. To solve the above problems, based on the idea of single-variable automatic control and bivariable automatic control in Mode-C under different load demand conditions, this paper carries out research on the strategy of the reactor power control system and puts forward two specific control schemes. Through the control simulation program based on the one-dimensional core model, the simulation model of the control object and control system is established, and the closed-loop simulation verification of the control strategy is completed. The simulation results show that the designed reactor power control system can realize automatic control of the full power operating range and non-adjustable boron load tracking, reduce the operator’s burden, and meet the expected operation effect of the Mode-C operating mode. Full article

Renal masses are uncommon during pregnancy; they represent the most frequently encountered urological cancer in pregnant patients and require careful surgical planning. The introduction of robotic surgical systems aims to address these challenges by simplifying intra-corporeal suturing and reducing technical complexity. Robot-assisted laparoscopic renal surgery offers potential benefits over both open surgery and conventional laparoscopy, providing greater precision and reduced invasiveness, particularly in tumor excision and suturing. Although urological tumors during pregnancy are rare, early detection significantly improves outcomes by enabling intervention before the tumor advances and while the uterus remains relatively small. The decision regarding the timing and necessity of surgery in pregnant patients requires a careful assessment of maternal health, fetal development, and the progression of the disease. Risks for adverse pregnancy outcomes should be explained, and the patient’s decision about pregnancy termination should be considered. Radical nephrectomy or nephron-sparing surgery are essential treatments for the management of renal tumors. Effective management demands close collaboration between a multidisciplinary team and the patient to ensure individualized care. The aim of this review was to evaluate the renal tumors during pregnancy in terms of epidemiology, risk factors, diagnosis and the safety of a robot-assisted laparoscopic approach in the management of these tumors. Full article