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This systematic review, following preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis guidelines, rigorously investigates the emergent role of virtual reality (VR) technology in human movement training. The purpose of this study is to explore the effectiveness and evolution of VR in enhancing movement training experiences.

Acknowledging its pivotal role in diverse applications, such as sports and rehabilitation, human movement training is currently experiencing accelerated evolution, facilitated by the proliferation of wearable devices and mobile applications. This review conducted an exhaustive search across five different electronic databases, such as Web of Science, PubMed and ProQuest, resulting in the selection of 69 eligible articles published within the past five years. It also integrates 40 studies into a narrative summary, categorized based on the level of immersion offered by respective VR systems.

Enhanced immersion in VR potentially augments the effectiveness of movement training by engendering more realistic and captivating experiences for users. The immersive and interactive environments provided by VR technology enable tailored training experiences accompanied by precise, objective feedback. This review highlights the benefits of VR in human movement training and its potential to revolutionize the way training is conducted.

This systematic review contributes significantly to the existing literature by providing a comprehensive examination of the efficacy and evolution of VR in human movement training. By organizing the findings based on the level of immersion offered by VR systems, it provides valuable insights into the importance of immersion in enhancing training outcomes. In addition, this study identifies the need for future research focusing on the impacts of VR on learning and performance, as well as strategies to optimize its effectiveness and improve accessibility.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the optimal competition or cooperation decision between technology service platforms and governments in the context of fierce competition within urban agglomerations.

Based on the cooperation and competition game model, this study builds a two-level model for government and technology service platforms considering three cases: perfect competition, platform cooperation and government-led cooperation.

By analyzing the optimal strategies of the government and a platform in three cases, the research shows that choosing appropriate cooperation in a competitive situation is beneficial to both the government and the platform. Government-led cooperation is conducive to increasing social welfare. From the perspective of the platforms, if they actively seek cooperation, they can obtain higher subsidies and profits. The more intense the competition is, the higher the profits and social welfare generated from the platforms' active cooperation.

The contribution of this study relates to the development of technology service platforms in urban agglomerations. As local governments and platforms continuously undertake decision-making processes, this study constructs quantitative models to analyze the advantages and disadvantages of competition and cooperation. It is worth noting that relying on government subsidies to maintain the sustainable development of technology service platforms is not a long-term solution. Government subsidies play a vital role in the initial development of technology service platforms. The analysis results are in line with Guo et al. (2016), Jung and Feng (2020) and Li (2021) conclusions. Furthermore, long-term government subsidies will make platforms dependent on these subsidies. These are the contributions to the scientific literature.

Instead of focusing on vertical relationships, this study emphasizes the horizontal cooperation and competition relationship between platforms and local governments in an urban agglomeration. Thus, the vertical effects of government subsidies on platforms can be investigated. Another innovation is the social welfare policy goal, which is an important index for the development of urban agglomerations.

With the development of intelligent technology, deep learning has made significant progress and has been widely used in various fields. Deep learning is data-driven, and its training process requires a large amount of data to improve model performance. However, labeled data is expensive and not readily available.

To address the above problem, researchers have integrated semi-supervised and deep learning, using a limited number of labeled data and many unlabeled data to train models. In this paper, Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) are analyzed as an entry point. Firstly, we discuss the current research on GANs in image super-resolution applications, including supervised, unsupervised, and semi-supervised learning approaches. Secondly, based on semi-supervised learning, different optimization methods are introduced as an example of image classification. Eventually, experimental comparisons and analyses of existing semi-supervised optimization methods based on GANs will be performed.

Following the analysis of the selected studies, we summarize the problems that existed during the research process and propose future research directions.

This paper reviews and analyzes research on generative adversarial networks for image super-resolution and classification from various learning approaches. The comparative analysis of experimental results on current semi-supervised GAN optimizations is performed to provide a reference for further research.

This study aims to investigate the cross-sectional differences on the association between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and future bankruptcy along the dimensions of political connection and corporate governance strength. This study intends to provide evidence on the tangible benefits for firms to invest in social capital of CSR activities and offer insights on what firms may benefit more from CSR expenditure.

Running a logistic regression on the determinants of bankruptcy model after controlling for financial stress factors based on prior literature, this study examines the moderating effect of political connection and corporate governance on the association between corporate social responsibility and future bankruptcy.

Current study documents that the negative association between corporate social responsibility and future bankruptcy is only significant for politically connected firms, but insignificant for non-politically connected firms. Specifically, the authors find that one standard deviation increase of CSR expenditure significantly reduces the propensity of future bankruptcy by 53.20% for politically-connected firms. Conversely, the negative relation between CSR only exits for firms with weak corporate governance but do not exit for firms with strong corporate governance.

Current study provides evidence on the tangible benefits for firms to invest in social capital of CSR activities and offers additional insights on what firms may benefit more from CSR expenditure.

Current study extends the research to examine the cross-sectional variations in the negative association between CSR performance and the propensity of bankruptcy. The positive moderating effect of political connection on CSR and bankruptcy suggests that political connection and CSR are complements in reducing the propensity of future bankruptcy. A more pronounced negative association between CSR and bankruptcy for firms with weaker governance suggests that firms with weak corporate governance benefits more in engaging CSR activities than firms with strong corporate governance.

This study empirically investigates the impact of directors' and officers' liability insurance on corporate environmental investment.

This paper takes A-share listed firms in the most polluting industries from 2013 to 2019 as the research sample. The authors perform multiple regression analysis to examine the research question, and other approaches such as PSM and Heckman two-stage model are applied to test the robustness of the main results.

The authors find that D&O insurance insured firms significantly decrease the level of corporate environmental investment. The results keep consistent after alleviating potential endogenous concerns. Further analysis shows that the negative association between D&O insurance and environmental investment is more pronounced in firms facing greater environmental pressure and stronger market supervision, and firms located in regions with a rich legal environment.

This research extends the literature on the antecedents of corporate environmental investment and the consequences of D&O insurance.

The study may deepen people's understanding of D&O insurance and inform them of its negative effects. This research sheds light on the potential factor resulting in a relatively low level of corporate environmental investment in China, which has an important policy implication for government to carry out some regulations to make a difference.

Against the backdrop that more importance has been attached to environmental protection globally, this paper is the first study to examine the impact of D&O insurance on corporate environmental investment in the context of the transitional and emerging market-China.

This study aims to investigate the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and financial distress and the moderating effect of firm characteristics, auditor characteristics and the Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) in China.

The research question is empirically examined on the basis of a data set of 1,257 Chinese-listed firms from 2011 to 2021. The dependent variable is financial distress risk, which is measured mainly by Z-score. CSR score is used as a proxy for CSR. Propensity score matching, two-stage least square and generalized method of moments are adopted to mitigate the potential endogeneity issue.

This study reveals that CSR can reduce financial distress. Specifically, results show an inverse relationship between CSR and financial distress, more significantly in non-state-owned enterprises, firms with non-BigN auditor and during Covid-19. The results are consistent and robust to endogeneity tests and sensitivity analyses.

This study enriches the literature on CSR and financial distress, resulting in a more attractive corporate environment, improved financial stability and more crisis-resistant economies in China.

Research into older adults' use of social media remains limited. Driven by increasing digitalisation in China, the authors focus on Chinese older adults (aged 60–75)’ use of WeChat.

This study used a qualitative interpretive approach and interviewed Chinese older adults to uncover their social practices of WeChat use in everyday life.

By using social practice theory (SPT), the paper unfolds Chinese older adults' social practices of WeChat use in everyday life and reveals how they adopt and resist the drastic changes in Chinese society.

The study contributes to new understandings of SPT from technology use by emphasising the dynamic characteristics of its three elements. The authors synthesise both adoptions and resistance in SPT and highlight the importance of understanding three elements interdependently within specific contexts, which are conditioned by structure and agency.

Sectoral brands are umbrella brands created to represent all companies’ products belonging to a country’s economic industry abroad to enhance their export performance. This study aims to explore the development of a sectoral brand model through the optic of the social constructionist perspective. Besides, this study also proposes to apply the model to a sectoral brand case in the business-to-business market.

The authors have developed a systematic qualitative literature review to provide a theoretical basis for the attributes chosen to compose the social constructionist sectoral brand management (SCSBM) model. To apply the model, the authors have conducted a series of 17 in-depth semi-structured interviews with the association’s managers that constitute the sectoral brand development, the director of the branding consultancy firm and specialists on place branding.

The authors present the SCSBM model, highlighting that sectoral branding should be seen as a dynamic and continuous process with the integrated participation of all industry stakeholders. Moreover, the authors have applied the model to the Brazil Fashion System brand.

The main contribution to theory is the link between sectoral brand management and the social constructionist approach, being the first study, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, to propose this connection. SCSBM model extends previous work on sectoral brands by adopting a social constructionist view.

The SCSBM model might contribute to marketing professionals willing to develop sectoral brands across multiple economic sectors and geographies.

The study’s originality lies in developing the first model, which adopts a social constructionist approach to sectoral brands.

This paper aims to propose a robust kinematic controller based on sliding mode theory designed to solve the trajectory tracking problem and also the formation control using the leader–follower strategy for nonholonomic differential-drive wheeled mobile robots with a PD dynamic controller.

To deal with classical sliding mode control shortcomings, such as the chattering and the requirement of a priori knowledge of the limits of the effects of disturbances, an immune regulation mechanism-inspired approach is proposed to adjust the control effort magnitude adaptively. A simple fuzzy boundary layer method and an adaptation law for the immune portion gain online adjustment are also considered. An obstacle avoidance reactive strategy is proposed for the leader robot, given the importance of the leader in the formation control structure.

To verify the adaptability of the controller, obstacles are distributed along the reference trajectory, and the simulation and experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed controller, which was capable of generating control signals avoiding chattering, compensating for disturbances and avoiding the obstacles.

The proposed design stands out for the ability to adapt in a case involving obstacle avoidance, trajectory tracking and leader–follower formation control by nonholonomic robots under the incidence of uncertainties and disturbances and also considering that the immune-based control provided chattering mitigation by adjusting the magnitude of the control effort, with adaptability improved by a simple integral-type adaptive law derived by Lyapunov stability analysis.

This research investigates the impact of strategic research and development (R&D) (one led by a firm’s innovation orientation) on stock market performance during the economic disruption caused by the 2016 demonetization of high-value currency notes in India. It shows how firms’ strategic focus on innovation and integrated R&D initiatives can help mitigate shareholders’ losses and protect market value during negative macroeconomic shocks.

We analyzed financial and administrative data from firms listed in the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) 500 index and used the Fama French market model with appropriate instruments accounting for possible endogeneity to identify the impact. To ensure the reliability of our findings, we conducted robustness checks with alternate event windows, estimation methods, and variable measurements.

Strategic R&D plays a crucial role in building resilience against macroeconomic shocks. It effectively mitigated shareholders’ losses in the immediate aftermath of the shock, with an elasticity of abnormal returns of 7.65% on day zero, 13.1% during the first five days and 10.5% after the first fortnight. We also find that firms that are business-to-business (B2B), as well as those that are older and less leveraged, are better able to combat such a shock.

The study looked at one shock, namely demonetization. Future research is needed to demonstrate the generalizability of results during other macroeconomic shocks, like the COVID-19 pandemic. The study focuses on relatively near-term impacts, leaving the long-term value-creation effects of strategic R&D unexplored.

Innovation orientation acts as a structural enabler, allowing firms to make strategic R&D investments that mitigate losses during macroeconomic shocks. It explains that managers should avoid myopically managing R&D investments and align them with the firm’s innovation focus to enhance value creation.

While the currency demonetization was widely considered to be detrimental for firms as an unannounced negative monetary shock, our research shows that firms with high levels of strategic R&D were successfully able to counteract such a shock.

This is the first study to examine the short-term loss mitigation impact of firms’ focus on innovation and strategic R&D. It emphasizes the role of innovation-focused strategies during economic crises.