Densities and viscosities of salicyl amide, salicylic acid, and acetyl salicylic acid (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) in two aprotic solvents namely, dimethyl sulfoxide and acetonitrile at
T
...=
(293.15, 298.15, 303.15, 308.15, 310.15, and 313.15)
K have been determined in a molality range of (9.7
·
10
−3 to 33.3
·
10
−3)
mol
·
kg
−1. The data have been used to calculate apparent molar volumes (
V
ϕ
,), and viscosity
B-coefficients. The partial molar volumes and hydration numbers have been determined at different temperatures. The effect of temperature on the thermodynamic properties has been studied by determining partial molar expansibilities
∂
V
m
0
/
∂
T
and Hepler’s constant
∂
2
V
m
0
/
∂
T
2
. Free energies of activation for viscous flow of the solution were obtained by application of the transition state theory of solutions to the
B-coefficient data and the corresponding activation enthalpies are reported.
Measurements of density, viscosity, and refractive index of three pharmacologically significant drugs,
i.e. diclofenac sodium, cetrizine, and doxycycline have been carried in aqueous medium at
T
=
...(293.15 to 313.15)
K. An automated vibrating-tube densimeter, viscometer, and refractometer are used in a concentration range from (7.5)
·
10
−3 to 25
·
10
−3)
mol
·
kg
−1. The precise density results are used to evaluate the apparent molar volume, partial molar volume, thermal expansion coefficient, partial molar expansivity, and the Hepler’s constant. Viscosity results are used to calculate the Jones–Dole viscosity B-coefficient, free energy of activation of the solute and solvent, activation enthalpy, and activation entropy. The molar refractive indices of the drug solutions can be employed to calculate molar refraction. It is inferred from these results that the above mentioned drugs act as structure-making compounds due to hydrophobic hydration of the molecules in the drugs.
All over the world, humankind and nature are paying off economic development's opportunity cost through accelerated environmental degradation. Renewable energy is the best option to control and ...minimize environmental degradation for sustainable development. This study's primary motive is to examine the nonlinear relationship between renewable energy consumption, natural resource rent, and ecological footprint in the context of the world's top 15 renewable energy consumption economies to achieve sustainable development. Panel time-series data from 1996 to 2018 is focused on concluding the study. Panel Smooth Transition Model is used to explore the nonlinear relationship and transition between the low and high regimes because of the nonlinear behavior. The study's results suggest a negative association between renewable energy consumption and ecological footprint and a positive relationship between natural resource rent and ecological footprint in both low and high regimes in the case of these 15 economies. It is highly recommended that the nations must shift their energy consumption policies towards renewable energy sources by investing in renewable energy technology and research for a more sustainable development.
•World's top-15 renewable energy consumption (REC) economies have considered.•Nonlinear relationship b/w REC, natural resource rent, and ecological footprint.•Panel Smooth Transition Model is used to explore the nonlinear relationship.•Results suggest a negative association between REC and EFP.•Positive relationship b/w natural resource rent and ecological footprint is found.
Although crowdsourcing is ubiquitous, it is unclear what factors affect the quality of contributions by participants in crowdsourcing activities. This study attempts to understand the mechanism of ...how perceived intellectual property rights (IPR) protection influences participant's contribution effort in crowdsourcing contests by analyzing the mediating role of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and the moderating role of task complexity. For this purpose, data were collected through an online survey from members of a major crowdsourcing platform for seeking innovative solutions to problems across various industries. Partial least square based structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) is employed for analyzing the data. The results show the new findings that (1) both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation influence contribution effort and the effect of extrinsic motivation is stronger; (2) IPR protection does not influence the contribution efforts of participants directly but indirectly via extrinsic motivation rather than intrinsic motivation; (3) the importance of IPR protection holds irrespective of the gender of the participants and the complexity of the task. The results indicate that a one-time prize might be insufficient for the participants to exert their full efforts in crowdsourcing contests if the resulting IPRs are not protected.
•It is unclear what factors affect contributions effort in crowdsourcing activities.•Extrinsic motivation affects contribution effort more than intrinsic motivation.•IPR affects contribution effort indirectly via extrinsic motivation rather than intrinsic motivation.•Importance of IPR protection holds irrespective of participants'gender and task complexity.•A one-time prize is insufficient for motivating solvers if IPRs are not protected.
•Hotels’ green practices prevent environmental degradation.•Green HR practices result in motivation and proactive environmental management maturity.•Green motivation improves environmental ...performance.
The devastating effects on the environment have raised many questions on the environmental performance of an organization. As the environment is severely affected by the operations of giant businesses, i.e. ‘hotel industry.’ There is a need to explore the factors that influence employee environmental performance by incorporating green motivation and proactive environmental management maturity as mediators. The data are collected using the survey method. The statistical techniques applied to the dataset were confirmatory factor analysis and partial least square structural equation modeling. The findings reveal that green HR practices positively and significantly related to green intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and proactive environmental management maturity. Similarly, green motivation is significantly and positively linked with employee environmental performance. In contrast, proactive environmental management maturity is positively and insignificantly linked with employees’ environmental performance. In contrast, mediation analysis reveals that green motivation, i.e., intrinsic and extrinsic, partially mediates the association between green HR practices and employee environmental performance. However, no mediating effect of proactive environmental management maturity is found between the proposed associations. The paper contributes to the literature in many ways. Firstly, it explains the role of Green HR practices in forming green motivation among employees of the hotel industry, and previously no researchers studied this combination in the context of the hotel industry. Secondly, green motivation and proactive environmental management maturity are incorporated as mediators to have in-depth knowledge about the employees’ environmental performance.
Global warming is a life-threatening risk to mankind and its survival; to combat this risk, the considerable contribution of renewable energy cannot be overlooked for sustainable growth globally. The ...aim of this paper is to scrutinize the threshold level and asymmetric connection among renewable energy consumption, foreign direct investment, financial inclusion, and agricultural productivity in dissimilar regimes of the different income levels of 123 countries from 1995 to 2019 by applying an advance technique PSTR (panel smooth transition regression) model. The PSTR model results imply that the connection between renewable energy consumption and agricultural productivity at all the estimates is non-linear. Moreover, in all countries, there is a positive and significant connection among renewable energy consumption, foreign direct investment, financial inclusion, and agricultural productivity in both low and high regimes, except the carbon emission, which has a negative and significant impact on agricultural productivity. Based on the results of this study, the recommendations are as follows: (i) to increase renewable energy consumption, efficient-energy resources should be used by farmers for the agricultural process; (ii) the dependence on non-renewable energy resources should be minimized and shifted towards natural and renewable resources.
•The Matthew effect of whether or not to use blockchain is evident.•The platform without blockchain is not always a loser.•Blockchain and conversion benefits have different effects on different ...platforms.
Consumers who buy products from second-hand platforms are troubled because they cannot observe the real quality. Moreover, the absence of after-sales service and no-hassle return policies also lead to the moral hazard of platforms. We introduce blockchain as a quality disclosure technology. Consider two periods of price competition between two platforms with or without blockchain at different supply and demand levels. We find the Matthew effect of whether or not to use blockchain is evident, with the pros and cons accumulating over time. However, the platform without blockchain is not always a loser, even if it is just a follower or myopic decision-maker, related to critical factors such as supply and demand level, platform differentiation, the strength of network effects. In addition, blockchain benefits (quality disclosure perceived by consumers) and conversion benefits (platform options perceived by individual suppliers) contribute positively to the market equilibrium amounts of the blockchain platform in most supply and demand scenarios but are uncertain for the normal platform.
This article explores the influence of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and three green triggers of environment (awareness, concern, and knowledge) on employee well‐being and green behavior. The ...study engages the stimulus–organism–response model for testing the association between CSR and well‐being of employees that leads to employee green behavior. Furthermore, social exchange theory has been utilized to describe the association between well‐being and green behavior of employees. Data have been gathered through questionnaire from 509 employees working in guest‐service hotels of Pakistan. Structural equation modeling has been used to test the hypotheses. Findings show that CSR, environmental concern, and knowledge have positive effect on employee well‐being, whereas environmental awareness has positive but insignificant effect on employee well‐being. Furthermore, environmental concern, knowledge, and well‐being have a positive influence on green behavior, whereas CSR and environmental knowledge have a positive but insignificant effect. Moreover, well‐being fully mediates the relationship between CSR and green behavior and between environmental awareness and green behavior of employees. However, a partial mediation was observed between environmental concern and green behavior. The findings also indicate that no mediation was found between environmental knowledge and employee green behavior. The findings suggest that the hotel managers should invest to improve employee's awareness regarding green behavior by conducting environmental training for cultivating environmental knowledge and awareness. Moreover, CSR activities should be performed for attaining competitive edge and maintaining a balance between progress and sustainability of environment.
PurposeThe study aims to investigate students' attitudes toward using technology for micro-credential programs (MCPs) and their behavioral intention toward using MCPs for learning and enhancing their ...skills. The study also intends to investigate the moderating influence of labor market conditions (LMC).Design/methodology/approachA closed-ended questionnaire is employed to collect data from 474 participants through a convenience sample, from the university students in Karachi. Two theoretical frameworks are used in the study: technology acceptance model (TAM) and self-determination theory (SDT). The partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) technique is used to analyze data.FindingsFindings reveal significant and positive relationships between all variables, except controlled motivation (CM) and perceived challenges. Moreover, the moderation results ascertain that the labor market does not moderate the relationship between attitude toward using technology for MCPs and students' behavioral intention toward using MCPs for learning.Originality/valueThe study seeks to understand students' attitudes and behavioral intentions toward using technology for MCPs. Also, the moderating effect of LMC is highlighted in understanding the impact of the attitude to use technology (AT) for MCPs and behavioral intentions in higher educational institutions (HEIs) in Pakistan. The study highlights intuitive practical implications for students of HEIs, universities and digital credential program providers.