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The impact of digital transformation on firm's financial performance: Evidence from China
No full textPurpose – This study aims to investigate the influence of digital transformation on the overall financial performance of firms, with a specific focus on Chinese listed companies from 2010 to 2021. It seeks to understand the impacts on various accounting and financial indicators in emerging economies such as China.
Design/methodology/approach – This study employs a text-mining approach to construct a digital transformation index based on the data sample of 11,814 firm-year observations from China’s A-share listed companies. This index serves as a proxy to measure the extent of digital transformation and its impact on financial performance and health.
Findings – The findings indicate that digital transformation significantly enhances overall financial performance and health, as evidenced by increased profitability, reduced operational costs, and lowered financial risks. The study reveals a time-lagged effect, where the benefits of digital transformation become more apparent after about one year. Further analysis shows that the value of digital transformation is more evident in a firm’s asset items. This raises the possibility of recognising the by-product, such as data resources, in the digital transformation process.
Originality/value – This research offers a unique contribution by linking digital transformation to financial performance using a large dataset from China’s A share listed firms. Doing so enhances our understanding of the tangible effects of digital transformation on corporate performance. Furthermore, this research provides valuable insights for the advancement of future accounting practices and the development of standards
Blood flow restriction
No full textIn this talk I will cover the history and basic physiology of using blood flow restriction training particularly for muscle growth and strength improvement. I will present research from our research group and that of others on the effects of blood flow restriction training. I will go over the current guidelines for using blood flow restriction with athletes wanting to increase muscle mass, strength and power. I will also cover how clinicians may use blood flow restriction training in the rehabilitation of patients
Teaching English for specific purposes
No full textWhile the area of EAP has become the target of publishers, the more focused area of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) continues to develop. To those unfamiliar with ESP just think of focusing your teaching on particular groups of students who have a joint goal. For instance, academic purposes but for law students, professional purposes for medical doctors and finally occupational purposes for airline pilots
Protecting rural large old trees with multi-scale strategies: Integrating spatial analysis and the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) for socio-cultural value assessment
No full textGovernments are faced with the unique challenge of implementing large-scale and targeted protection against the global decline of large old trees. Incorporating socio-cultural values and encouraging public involvement are important parts of conservation policy. However, current studies on the socio-cultural valuation of large old trees are still limited, and how rural residents perceive the human-related value of large old trees remains largely unknown. Using a quantitative, spatial analysis and the contingent valuation method (CVM), we tried to explore a multi-scale socio-cultural valuation and protection framework based on a case study of Baoding City and Xiongan New Area in North China. The results showed that (1) the scattered large old trees in the study area were generally at a relatively younger stage, showing normal growth performance but having poor living environments. Some 96.99% of the trees resided in the countryside. Their distribution showed an agglomerative pattern with several clusters. (2) The species richness was relatively lower than that reported in urban areas. The species diversity had an obvious high–low gradient from the mountain to plain areas. Most endemic species were found in habitats of the village fringe (VF) and government/community/institutional ground (GC). (3) The mean willingness to pay (WTP) for the socio-cultural value of scattered large old trees was CNY 132.48 per year per person (1 US dollar equals about 7.2 CNY) of all the respondents, and CNY 84.30 per year per person with regard to farmers, which is relatively higher than that reported in large cities. (4) Economic income, gender, age, education level, place of residence, diameter at breast height, and tree habitat were factors that significantly influenced the WTP, among which economic income was the most significant. (5) The importance ranking of socio-cultural value connotations perceived by rural residents was as follows: spiritual attachment and homesickness > fengshui > social bond > witnessing history > education > creative inspiration. (6) The annual gross value was estimated to be CNY 349 million in the study area, and CNY 169,500 for a single tree on average. Based on the case study, a conceptual framework for socio-cultural value assessment and multi-scale protection of large old trees was proposed, which can provide references for the improvement of current conservation policies from both quantitative and qualitative perspectives, and give insights into rural revitalization strategies in China
2023 Michèle Whitecliffe Art Writing Prize runner-up – Rock, fire, salt, ice, rain: Tragic tales of art and climate change
No full textThis essay was selected as one of two runner-ups in the 2023 Michèle Whitecliffe Art Writing Prize.
Each year entrants into the Michèle Whitecliffe Art Writing Prize respond to a theme and in 2023 the theme was ‘Art in the Time of Climate Crisis'. Writers were invited to reflect on the role art might play in addressing and combating this pressing emergency.
This year's judge was Tristen Harwood, an Indigenous writer and editor, and a lecturer in Critical and Theoretical Studies at the Victorian College of the Arts. His writing on art, architecture and literature has been published in The Saturday Paper, MeMo, The New York Times T Magazine, Artlink, Art + Australia, Art Guide, Art Almanac, The Monthly, Overland, unMagazine, ArtReview, among others. He is a member of the Plumwood Committee, a contributing editor at MeMo Review, he recently co-edited Artlink, and he is currently a PhD student at RMIT University.
Commenting on Jacky Bowring's entry, 'Rock, Fire, Salt, Ice, Rain', Harwood commented that:
'Rock, Fire, Salt, Ice, Rain' is an engaging text, which draws attention to pressing issues in art and ecological crisis. For the author, art isn’t simply a means to comprehend climate disaster but is threated by climate change.
Looking at rock art sites in the region, the author tells of how climate change, in particular bush fire, has wreaked havoc on this culturally and historically significant work. But it isn’t simply outdoor works that are under threat, the author also documents recent flooding at Auckland Art Gallery. In these instances, as the author writes, ‘art is a gauge of climate change'
Wine tourism, innovation, and sustainable winegrowing in cool climate regions: A longitudinal international comparative analysis
No full textThis study examines wineries’ perceptions towards innovation within the context of wine tourism and sustainable winegrowing practices in New Zealand. In order to investigate and contextualise the current situation in New Zealand, the National Wineries’ Survey was revisited and extended to provide a longitudinal time series of data from the New Zealand wine industry. This data was also used to provide a comparison of the New Zealand perceptions of innovation with that of the Australian cool climate regions of Tasmania and Western Australia. The findings indicated that there were substantial concerns with the perceived value provided by wine tourism and sustainable winegrowing practices. The issue of mandatory versus voluntary membership of sustainable winegrowing programmes was shown to be a key reason why New Zealand winegrowers exhibited animosity towards the Sustainable Winegrowers New Zealand [SWNZ] scheme. This difference in attitudes between the two countries was further highlighted through the examination of the voluntary sustainable winegrowing programmes which currently exist within Australia. In particular, the study highlighted the potentially contested nature of sustainability initiatives throughout different levels of organisational governance. While sustainability initiatives may be promoted at one level, other levels may have substantial misgivings as to the appropriateness of such innovations
Urban comfort and adaptive capacity: An exploratory study of urban life and climate responses in Aachen, Germany
No full textIn outdoor spaces, people can adapt to urban microclimates even if they are outside comfortable standards. This adaptation needs to be triggered by external motivators – enjoying the city, seeing people, meeting friends, and so forth – and these motivators are culture and place dependent. Relationships between socio-cultural values and adaptation to urban microclimate can inform design to promote adaptive capacity, enhance liveability, and improve climate change adaptation. We use the urban comfort concept, which considers human comfort in open spaces as a result of regional identity and local culture; lifestyle, liveability, and urbanity; and adaptation to microclimate. This study adds to the body of emerging case studies by exploring the local meaning of urban comfort in Aachen (Germany), a multi-cultural city. A mixed-method interpretive research design enhances the understanding of meaning and context. Results suggest that urban comfort is associated with (1) regional identity related to local physical and social landscapes; (2) urban lifestyles, liveability and urbanity concepts associated with compact urban living, public green areas, building design and diversity; (3) adaptive strategies associated with mobility, clothing, and company. We argue that the role these preferences play in place-based adaptation is fundamental for urban sustainability and climate change
Call for papers on e-commerce for rural and agricultural development
No full textE-commerce (electronic commerce) refers to online sales or purchases of goods and services via electronic platforms (e.g., Amazon, eBay, and Taobao). Supported by the global digital revolution, e-commerce has accelerated in recent years. The occurrence of COVID 19 has further boosted e-commerce development, especially in rural areas. The fast development of e-commerce prioritizes rural and agricultural development by reshaping people’s production and consumption patterns and daily lives. Previous studies have shown that rural e-commerce development can improve farm production and farmers’ access to domestic and international markets, alleviate poverty, narrow rural–urban income gaps, foster agricultural entrepreneurship, and create rural employment. Nevertheless, e-commerce’s potential to foster rural development is far from being fully concluded and exploited. Thus, more research is warranted to clarify the relationship between e-commerce development and rural development
Synthesis of β-cyclodextrin@gold nanoparticles and its application on colorimetric assays for ascorbic acid and salmonella based on peroxidase-like activities
No full textThe peroxidase-like behaviors of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have the potential to the development of rapid and sensitive colorimetric assays for specific food ingredients and contaminants. Here, using NaBH₄ as a reducing agent, AuNPs with a supramolecular macrocyclic compound β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) capped were synthesized under alkaline conditions. Monodispersal of β-CD@AuNPs possessed a reduction in diameter size and performed great peroxidase-like activities toward both substrates, H₂O₂ and TMB. In the presence of H₂O₂, the color change of TMB oxidization to oxTMB was well-achieved using β-CD@AuNPs as the catalyst, which was further employed to develop colorimetric assays for ascorbic acid, with a limit of detection as low as 0.2 μM in ddH₂O. With the help of the host-guest interaction between β-CD and adamantane, AuNPs conjugated with nanobodies to exhibit peroxidase-like activities and specific recognition against Salmonella Typhimurium simultaneously. Based on this bifunctional bioprobe, a selective and sensitive one-step colorimetric assay for S. Typhimurium was developed with a linear detection from 8.3 × 10⁴ to 2.6 × 10⁸ CFU/mL and can be provided to spiked lettuce with acceptable recoveries of 97.31% to 103.29%. The results demonstrated that the excellent peroxidase-like behaviors of β-CD@AuNPs can be applied to develop a colorimetric sensing platform in the food industry
Bait preferences in rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and non-target species in rabbit-prone areas of New Zealand’s South Island : A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science at Lincoln University
No full textRabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) are an introduced pest species that plagues New Zealand’s dryland and semi-arid environments. They are particularly abundant in areas of the South Island, including the Mackenzie Basin and Central Otago region. The current best practice for rabbit control is aerial distribution of carrot and cereal baits laced with pindone or 1080. Carrot tends to be the most preferred bait type; however, it poses issues in terms of its quick deterioration in field settings, as well as being costly and time-consuming to produce. With pest control in New Zealand focusing on eliminating predator-free species, there are large gaps in knowledge surrounding the development of more effective rabbit control tools, as well as the monitoring of non-target species present in rabbit settings.
I conducted bait palatability trials, testing several novel and current baits to determine preferences in both rabbits and non-target species. An initial trial was run at Mt. Grand Station (Lake Hawea) in August 2023, testing four different bait types (fresh carrot, carrot jam, carrot oil mayonnaise (mayo) and RS5 non-toxic cereal pellets). Bait types were rotated through covered and uncovered bait stations. A further trial was run at Lilybank Station (Lake Tekapo) in October 2023, testing four bait types (fresh carrot, carrot jam, and two new cereal pellets A & B (formulated by Kiwicare), without using the covered bait stations. Interactions with all bait types were low. The bait types most interacted with by rabbits were fresh carrot and carrot jam. Visits were much more abundant than interactions. Rabbits visited carrot the most at Mt. Grand and cereal pellets B at Lilybank. Despite little consumption of bait types, they were still successful at luring individual rabbits to a site. Many non-target species were present in these rabbit environments. At Mt. Grand, blackbirds were the species that had the most interactions overall, mostly with carrot jam. At Lilybank, possums were the non-target that showed the most interactions, with the preferred bait type also being carrot jam. There was some neophobia toward covered bait stations, with visits at Mt. Grand decreasing as time went on, and interaction levels staying consistently low until the bait was placed outside the covered bait stations. At Lilybank (where covered bait stations were not used), there was a small increase in both visits and interactions over time. Activity data suggested that rabbits are most active around the sunset period and during the night.
Further testing of novel bait without covered bait stations is required to better understand bait preferences without the effects of neophobia. The results produced by this study suggest that carrot jam or a bait type with high carrot content, should be successful at initiating pest rabbit interactions. However, further development and refinement is required to mitigate the risk associated with non-target species