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The purpose of this paper is to analyze whether and how intergovernmental fiscal transfers (IFTs) affect technological innovation.

China’s provincial panel data from 2007 to 2019 are used in an empirical study to examine the effect of IFTs on technological innovation and the role of fiscal spending policy in the relationship between the two by using the spatial Durbin model.

Results show an evident spatial correlation for the effect of IFTs on technological innovation, indicating that IFTs have a significant negative influence on technological innovation in local and surrounding regions. IFTs also inhibit technological innovation by negatively affecting science and technology spending and education spending.

These findings can aid policymakers in advancing technological innovation by improving the system of fiscal transfers and optimizing the structure of fiscal spending.

Although the determinants of technological innovation have been analyzed, no studies have investigated the effect of IFTs on technological innovation. Thus, this paper aims to address this gap.

This paper aims to examine the alternative financing available for sustainable infrastructure development in Nigeria’s sub-nations. Specifically, the study question is: what financial vehicles do sub-nations seek most, and what are the underlying reasons for their preferences?

The study used a two-round Delphi method, using a questionnaire to gather data from high-ranking government officials in states that have localised sustainable development projects in Nigeria.

Results show that fundamental to sub-national sustainable infrastructure projects are federal allocations, pension funds, private equity, bonds and concessionary grants. Sub-nationals prefer these options, especially the emphasis on private equity, and the concessional funding through catalytic or blended finance because of their relatively lower or below-market interest rates.

The practical significance of this study is that the state’s policymakers can now identify appropriate strategies that enhance the shift towards these sustainable financing options, which will serve as a key catalyst in their 2030 and beyond vision to accelerate their state's infrastructure climate complaint. Equally, investors possessing funds with such attributes will gain an understanding of a prospective market within Nigeria’s sub-nation.

This study aims to improve the development of sustainable infrastructure in Nigeria’s sub-nations, which would have a beneficial effect on society by mitigating the effects of climate change.

The recommendations of this study can contribute to the development of innovative financial models for sub-national infrastructure development, thereby reducing reliance on revenue generated from fossil fuels.

This work aims to analyse the relationship between public health efficiency and well-being considering a panel of 102 Italian provinces from 2000 to 2016 and evaluates if there are omitted variable biases and endogeneity biases and also evaluates if there are heterogeneous effects among provinces with different income levels.

We use a multi-input and output bootstrap data envelopment analysis to assess public health efficiency. Then, we measure well-being indices using the min-max linear scaling transformation technique. A two-stage least squares model is used to identify the causal effect of improving public health efficiency on well-being to account for time-invariant heterogeneity, omitted variable bias and endogeneity bias.

After controlling for important economic factors, the results show a significant effect of an accountable and efficient public health system on well-being. Those effects are concentrated in the North, the most economically, geographically and environmentally advantageous areas.

The use of the sample mean, probably the oldest and most used method for aggregating the indicators, could be affected by variable compensation, with consequent misleading results in the process of constructing the well-being index. Another limitation is the use of lagged values of the main predictor as an instrument in the instrumental variables setting because it could lead to information loss. Finally, the availability of data over a long period of time.

The findings could help policymakers adopt measures to strengthen the public health system, encourage private providers and inspire countries worldwide.

These results draw the attention of local authorities, who play an important role in designing and implementing policies to stimulate local public health efficiency, which puts individuals in the conditions of achieving overall well-being in their communities.

For the first time in Italy, a panel of well-being indices was constructed by developing new methodologies based on microeconomic theory. Furthermore, for the first time, the assessment of the relationship between public health efficiency and well-being is carried out using a panel of 102 Italian provinces.

The management of inter-regional basins in the Spanish case is a clear example of the complexity of water policy. The entry into force of the Water Framework Directive changed the objective and design process of public policy, prioritizing the conservation of river ecosystems and establishing the mandate for participation and inter-administrative coordination. This expanded the number of participants, creating a network of public and private actors with different interests and perceptions, bringing the water issue closer to what is often referred to in public policy as a wicked problem. In this chapter, we highlight how the Spanish political sphere has approached water policy in this new context, paying special attention to the role played by river basin organizations. To this end, we deal with two conflicts: the first concerning the Ebro Delta and the second on the water transfer between the Tajo and Segura rivers. Both cases show the inability of the central bodies of the State, the autonomous communities, and private agents to reach a consensus on water policy, which ends up shaping a decision-making system in which, although the legislative resources of the stakeholders are key, and the policy capacity of the basin organizations is reduced.

This study asks whether external auditors enable the transfer of policies to the United Nations organizations that they audit and, if so, what types of policies are transferred.

The empirical research is based on a content analysis of 512 external auditor recommendations from 28 pre- and post-accrual reports of 14 UN bodies.

We find that external auditors do enable policy transfer and that such involvements may, at times, veer into non-neutral policy spaces.

We did not analyze all UN organizations with accruals-based accounting. We also did not engage in a longer longitudinal study.

Our findings raise new questions about international organization accountability, the technocratic and policy-specific influences of external auditors, and open a debate about whether attempted policy transfers can be neutral.

The world’s largest group of international organizations is affiliated with the UN. External auditors help ensure that member-state monies are appropriately utilized. Our study is the first to compare pre- and post-accrual external auditor recommendations for 14 UN bodies. It is also the first to notate and study the attempted policy transfers from external auditors to the audited UN bodies.

Using political corporate social responsibility (PCSR) as a theoretical framework, this study aims to examine how multinational corporations (MNCs) can function as nonstate actors in public diplomacy efforts during the Russia–Ukraine war.

A thematic analysis using qualitative content analysis was conducted on 98 new releases from the websites of the top 50 MNCs listed in the Fortune Global 500.

The findings indicate that MNCs elucidate their initiatives aimed at providing a secure environment for war victims through their news releases, with notable variations in responses based on the companies' geographical location. MNCs also mentioned strengthening the power of public authorities by rebalancing power dynamics between governments and intergovernmental initiatives under war conditions.

This study is one of the first empirical investigations to research corporate diplomacy and explore the theoretical implications of PCSR for corporate diplomacy.

The residential buildings sector has a high priority in the climate change adaptation process due to significant CO₂ emissions, high energy consumption and negative environmental impacts. The article investigates how, conversely speaking, the residential buildings will be affected by climate change, and how to improve existing structures and support long-term decisions.

The climate dataset was created using the scenarios determined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and this was used in the study. Different building envelope and Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems scenarios have been developed and simulated. Then, the best scenario was determined with comparative results, and recommendations were developed.

The findings reveal that future temperature-increase will significantly impact buildings' cooling and heating energy use. As the outdoor air temperatures increase due to climate change, the heating loads of the buildings decrease, and the cooling loads increase significantly. While the heating energy consumption of the house was calculated at 170.85 kWh/m² in 2020, this value shall decrease significantly to 115.01 kWh/m² in 2080. On the other hand, the cooling energy doubled between 2020 and 2080 and reached 106.95 kWh/m² from 53.14 kWh/m² measured in 2020.

Single-family houses constitute a significant proportion of the building stock. An in-depth analysis of such a building type is necessary to cope with the devastating consequences of climate change. The study developed and scrutinised energy performance improvement scenarios to define the climate change adaptation process' impact and proper procedure. The study is trying to create a strategy to increase the climate resistance capabilities of buildings and fill the gaps in this regard.

Recent advancements in technology have led to the exploration of solar-based thermal radiation and nanotechnology in the field of fluid dynamics. Solar energy is captured through sunlight absorption, acting as the primary source of heat. Various solar technologies, such as solar water heating and photovoltaic cells, rely on solar energy for heat generation. This study focuses on investigating heat transfer mechanisms by utilizing a hybrid nanofluid within a parabolic trough solar collector (PTSC) to advance research in solar ship technology. The model incorporates multiple effects that are detailed in the formulation.

The mathematical model is transformed using suitable similarity transformations into a system of higher-order nonlinear differential equations. The model was solved by implementing a numerical procedure based on the Wavelets and Chebyshev wavelet method for simulating the outcome.

The velocity profile is reduced by Deborah's number and velocity slip parameter. The Ag-EG nanoparticles mixture demonstrates less smooth fluid flow compared to the significantly smoother fluid flow of the Ag-Fe3O4/EG hybrid nanofluids (HNFs). Additionally, the Ag-Ethylene Glycol nanofluids (NFs) exhibit higher radiative performance compared to the Ag-Fe3O4/Ethylene Glycol hybrid nanofluids (HNFs).

Additionally, the Oldroyd-B hybrid nanofluid demonstrates improved thermal conductivity compared to traditional fluids, making it suitable for use in cooling systems and energy applications in the maritime industry.

The originality of the study lies in the exploration of the thermal transport enhancement in sun-powered energy ships through the incorporation of silver-magnetite hybrid nanoparticles within the heat transfer fluid circulating in parabolic trough solar collectors. This particular aspect has not been thoroughly researched previously. The findings have been validated and provide a highly positive comparison with the research papers.

Logistics and supply chain management (L&SCM) scholars and practitioners have devoted extensive efforts to advancing green logistics practices (GLPs), yet the intersection between the two domains in relation to the topic remains underexplored. To accelerate GLPs’ development amid the escalating climate crisis, this research examines this intersection by comparing the responsiveness of academia and practice to the call for green logistics over time.

To compare between academia and practice, we combined a systematic literature review on the development of GLPs in L&SCM journals (N = 122) with a content analysis of annual and sustainability reports published by the four major global logistics service providers (LSPs: DHL, DB Schenker, UPS and FedEx; N = 156) over the past three decades.

This research reveals that all the GLPs covered in the L&SCM literature have already been applied and reported by practitioners, both consistently and over a significant period of time. Academic progress, in turn, is delayed by slow-paced empirical methods, elevated research quality standards, prolonged funding and recruitment processes, and extended peer-review intervals. Further, a tendency toward reactive knowledge creation rather than proactive knowledge transfer is evident, obscuring the role of L&SCM scholars in steering the industry’s green advancement.

Recommendations are offered to L&SCM authors, editors, reviewers and university departments to advance pracademic endeavors in green logistics research and increase its responsiveness to global events.

This is one of the first studies to scrutinize the intersection between academia and practice on the evolution of GLPs. The revealed gaps prompted us to suggest a transformative paradigm for academia-practice collaborations targeting the L&SCM discipline at large, combining a bold proactive research stream aimed at knowledge transfer with a more traditional reactive stream aimed at knowledge creation.