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This paper aims to examine the relationship between ownership type and the likelihood of publication of a corporate social responsibility (CSR) report.

Drawing on stakeholder salience theory, the probit model is used for a sample of 1,839 Chinese listed firms to study how different types of owners influence firm CSR engagement.

The analysis reveals that the Chinese stock exchanges exert a positive influence on the likelihood of a firm producing a CSR report, an effect which is more significant in state-owned enterprises (SOEs). Foreign investors lead to a greater likelihood of publication of a CSR report, though this effect is weaker in SOEs. In contrast, the holdings of state and domestic institutional investors are broadly neutral.

The study helps corporate managers to recognise how particular types of shareholders will value their efforts regarding CSR activities and disclosure and also assists policymakers in improving the level of CSR disclosure through the development of new policy.

Apposite CSR disclosure enhances trust and facilitates the shared values on which to build a more cohesive society.

The novelty of this study is that it addresses the effect of institutional investors on Chinese firm CSR engagement and thus provides an important insight for firms, investors and other stakeholders into the interplay of portfolio investment and CSR.

Based on the framework of Krylov subspace-based model order reduction (MOR), compact models of the piezoelectric energy harvester devices can be generated. However, the stability of reduced piezoelectric model often cannot be preserved. In previous research studies, “MOR after Schur,” “Schur after MOR” and “multiphysics structure preserving MOR” methods have proven successful in obtaining stable reduced piezoelectric energy harvester models. Though the stability preservation of “MOR after Schur” and “Schur after MOR” methods has already been mathematically proven, the “multiphysics structure preserving MOR” method was not. This paper aims to provide the missing mathematical proof of “multiphysics structure preserving MOR.”

Piezoelectric energy harvesters can be represented by system of differential-algebraic equations obtained by the finite element method. According to the block structure of its system matrices, “MOR after Schur” and “Schur after MOR” both perform Schur complement transformations either before or after the MOR process. For the “multiphysics structure preserving MOR” method, the original block structure of the system matrices is preserved during MOR. 

This contribution shows that, in comparison to “MOR after Schur” and “Schur after MOR” methods, “multiphysics structure preserving MOR” method performs the Schur complement transformation implicitly, and therefore, stabilizes the reduced piezoelectric model.

The stability preservation of the reduced piezoelectric energy harvester model obtained through “multiphysics structure preserving MOR” method is proven mathematically and further validated by numerical experiments on two different piezoelectric energy harvester devices.

Forestry carbon sink (FCS) is not only an important measure to deal with the current global climate change but also an effective way to build an ecological civilization. As an important form of implementation of FCS, the afforestation and reforestation projects under the clean development mechanism (CDM A/R) have important functions such as ecological protection and economic growth. This paper aims to evaluate the short-term and long-term impact of CDM on the county economy and its impact mechanism.

This paper first uses propensity score matching to match the county (treatment group). Second, this paper uses difference in difference to estimate the net effect of CDM A/R project on county economic development to reduce estimation error. Finally, the impact mechanism of implementing CDM A/R project on county economic development was tested.

The CDM A/R project has significantly promoted the development of real gross domestic product (GDP) and per capita real GDP in the region. Because of the long project cycle, this promotion is not immediate in the short term and has an obvious hysteresis effect. The longer the implementation time, the greater the promotion of the local economy will develop. The results are robust after the robustness test that uses the single-difference method. The CDM A/R project has promoted local economic growth by optimizing the local industrial structure, increasing the regional capital stock and raising the regional government’s fiscal revenue and expenditure.

This paper provides a critical overview of the relationship between clean development mechanism and local economic development.

Despite concerns about the effect of internet addiction, little is known about how psychological suzhi impacts the internet addiction of college students. This paper aims to investigate the relationship between psychological suzhi and internet addiction among college students.

Using the college student psychological suzhi scale and internet addiction test, 2,070 college students from 11 universities in North China, East China, South China and Southwest China were tested.

The detection rate of internet addiction in this college sample of students was 18.8%. There was a significant negative correlation between students’ psychological suzhi and internet addiction (r = −0.408, p < 0.01). Hierarchical regression analysis showed that adaptability and individuality in psychological suzhi significantly negatively predicted college students’ internet addiction tendency (p < 0.001).

This study is the first to show a relationship between psychological suzhi and internet addiction in college students. In detail, the adaptability and individuality of college students’ psychological suzhi are protective factors related to internet addiction. The results also suggested that the authors can prevent and intervene in internet addiction by modifying college students’ adaptability and individuality.

The investigations could guide the structural design and fatigue life prediction of air-conditioning compressor valve plates.

The High-Cycle Fatigue (HCF) and Very-High-Cycle Fatigue (VHCF) behaviors of stainless steel used for air-conditioning compressor valve plates were investigated. Monotonic and cyclic loading conditions were designed to explore the fatigue responses according to the load characteristics of the structure.

The crack initiation can be observed as the arc-shaped cracks at both sides of specimens and Y-shaped crack bifurcation in the specimens. Moreover, the middle section and the cracks at both ends are not connected to the surface of the specimen. The stress-life results of the materials under two directions (vertical and horizontal) were provided to examine the difference in fatigue strength.

Monotonic and cyclic loading conditions were designed to explore the fatigue responses according to the load characteristics of the structure. Based on the experimental data, the results indicate that specimens under cyclic loading conditions could demonstrate better mechanical performance than static loadings.

With the rapid development of China’s urbanisation and market economy, municipal solid waste (MSW) generation is increasing dramatically. In response to the threat of environmental pollution and the potential value of converting waste into energy, both the government and the public are now paying more attention to MSW treatment and disposal methods. In 2014, 178.6 million tonnes of MSW was collected at a safe treatment rate of 84.8%. However, the treatment methods and the composition of MSW are influenced by the collection area, its gross domestic product, population, rainfall and living conditions. This chapter analysed the MSW composition properties of Lhasa, Tibet, compared with other cities, such as Beijing, Guangzhou and so forth. The research showed that the moisture content of MSW in Lhasa approaches 31%, which is much lower than the other cities mentioned previously. The proportion of paper and plastics (rubbers) collected was 25.67% and 19.1%, respectively. This was 1.00–3.17 times and 0.75–2.44 times more than those found in Beijing and Guangzhou, respectively. Non-combustibles can reach up to 22.5%, which was 4.03–9.11 times that of Beijing and Guangzhou, respectively. The net heating values could reach up to 6,616 kilojoule/kilogram. The food residue was only half the proportion found in other cities. Moreover, the disposal method applied in each city has also been studied and compared.

Higher education has seen an unprecedented amount of change in recent decades, with technological advancements impacting on the very essence of teaching and learning. As there are an abundance of digital tools available to educators, it can be a challenge to select the most appropriate online platforms to incorporate into the classroom. This chapter discusses the topic of digital storyboarding by providing a case study of how the author adopted the online platform Storyboard That to enhance student engagement and co-creativity within a UK higher education institution. The chapter debates the benefits and challenges of technology-enhanced learning as part of a blended approach, and concludes with advice for educators wishing to adopt digital storyboarding within their own educational context.

This paper aims to build a scientific evaluation index system for regional low-carbon circular economic development. Taking Sichuan Province as the empirical research object, the paper evaluates its low-carbon circular economy (LCCE) development level and proposes policy recommendations for climate change improvement based on the evaluation results.

This paper, first, built an evaluation index system with 30 indicators within six subsystems, namely, economic development, social progress, energy consumption, low-carbon emissions, carbon sink capacity and environmental carrying capacity. Second, develop an “entropy weight-grey correlation” evaluation method. Finally, from a practical point of view, measure the development level of LCCE in Sichuan Province, China, from 2008 to 2018.

It was found that Sichuan LCCE development had a general downward trend from 2008 to 2012 and a steady upward trend from 2012 to 2018; however, the overall level was low. The main factors affecting the LCCE development are lagging energy consumption and environmental carrying capacity subsystem developments.

This paper puts forward relevant suggestions for improving the development of a low-carbon economy and climate change for the reference of policymakers.

This paper built an evaluation index system with 30 indicators for regional low carbon circular economic development. The evaluation method of “entropy weight-grey correlation” is used to measure the development level of regional LCCE in Sichuan Province, China.

Shanghai is currently faced with a rapid increase in the ageing population and demand for elderly homes. Continuing care retirement community (CCRC) has been emerging as a high-end alternative to offer specialised accommodation to the elderly in major cities. Since the first development in 2008, the industry is now still at the infancy stage. This study aims to examine the investment barriers hindering the supply and demand of CCRCs with an aim to recommend practical and senior housing policy measures to facilitate CCRC developments.

Multiple-case study method was used to confirm whether the literature findings on investment barriers apply to the context of Shanghai. Four representative CCRC development cases in Shanghai were examined, in which qualitative data were collected from interviews with experienced CCRC development managers and quantitative data from a questionnaire survey of the CCRC residents.

Operation management experience, financial risks and government support policy were found to be the main supply barriers. Chinese traditional family-oriented culture and affordability were not the main demand barriers of CCRCs in Shanghai. Poor quality of services and living environment were identified as the main barriers suppressing the demand for CCRC.

Although common trends and views can be drawn from the representative cases in Shanghai to provide valid results, further research should be conducted on other major cities in China so that the results can be widely applied.

Successful CCRC investment strategy should focus on partnering with experienced professional eldercare management companies, provisions of high-quality medical professionals and trained care personnel and delivery of flexible care service, along with intensive capital flows for land, construction and operating costs.

Additional senior housing policy support should be established to promote the CCRC supply to address the ageing needs, particularly granting lands for CCRC developments at Tiers 1 and 2 major cities where the land cost is high.

This research’s practical and policy measures can be applied to enable and promote CCRC developments in Shanghai, thus benefitting both housing investors and the government. The findings also form a baseline for CCRC developments in other major cities.