This study presents the synthesis, characterization, and utilization of marine macroalgae-derived bio-carbon catalysts (BC and KOH-AC) for the efficient conversion of waste cooking oil (WCO) into biodiesel. The biochar (BC) was produced through slow pyrolysis of macroalgal biomass, which was subsequently activated with potassium hydroxide (KOH) to produce a KOH-modified activated carbon (KOH-AC) catalyst. Advanced characterization techniques, including SEM, EDX, XRD, FTIR, and TGA, were used to examine the physicochemical characteristics of the catalysts. The synthesized catalysts were utilized to produce biodiesel from WCO, and the results revealed that the highest biodiesel yields, 98.96%, and 47.54%, were obtained using KOH-AC and BC catalysts, respectively, under optimal reaction conditions of 66 °C temperature, 12.3 M/O molar ratio, 130 min time, and 3.08 wt.% catalyst loading via RSM optimization. The kinetic and thermodynamic parameters, such as k, Ea, ΔH, ΔS, and ΔG, were determined to be 0.0346 min− 1, 43.31 kJ mol− 1, 38.98 kJ mol− 1, − 158.38 J K− 1 mol− 1, and 92.58 kJ mol− 1, respectively. The KOH-AC catalyst was recycled up to five times, with a significant biodiesel yield of 80.37%. The fuel properties of the biodiesel met ASTM (D6751) specifications, ensuring that it has excellent fuel characteristics and can be used as an alternative fuel.

Decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE209) is a persistent aromatic compound widely associated with environmental pollutants. Given its persistence and possible bioaccumulation, exploring a feasible technique to eradicate BDE209 efficiently is critical for today’s environmentally sustainable societies. Herein, an advanced nanocomposite is elaborately constructed, in which a large number of titanium dioxide ( TiO2) nanoparticles are anchored uniformly on two-dimensional graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets ( TiO2/GO) via a modified Hummer’s method and subsequent solvothermal treatment to achieve efficient photocatalytic degradation BDE209. The obtained TiO2/ GO photocatalyst has excellent photocatalytic due to the intense coupling between conductive GO nanosheets and TiO2 nanoparticles. Under the optimal photocatalytic degradation test conditions, the degradation efficiency of BDE209 is more than 90%. In addition, this study also provides an efficient route for designing highly active catalytic materials.

This study investigated the key factors that explain the continuous usage intention of mobile payment users in the post COVID-19 pandemic era. Based on the health belief model (HBM) and communication privacy management (CPM) theory, this study examined how the five constructs of HBM influence mobile payments continuous usage intention through perceived privacy risk and perceived security. It also investigated the moderating role of perceived privacy awareness on the relationship between perceived privacy risk and continuous usage intention as well as the moderating role of information sensitivity on the relationship between perceived security and continuous usage intention.

Graphite felt is a felt-like porous material made of high-temperature carbonized polymers. It is widely used in electrode materials because of its good temperature resistance, corrosion resistance, large surface area and excellent electrical conductivity. In this paper, the surface functional group modification is of graphite felt electrodes (mainly nitrogen doping modification, nitrogen–sulfur or nitrogen–boron co-doping modification) and surface catalytic modification (metal/ion surface modification and metal oxide surface modification as Main). There are two main methods and research progresses to improve the performance of graphite felt electrodes, and the comprehensive performance of surface functional group-modified graphite felt electrodes and surface catalytically modified graphite felt electrodes are compared respectively. The results show that both surface functional group modification and surface catalytic modification can improve the comprehensive performance of graphite felt electrodes. In this paper, the future development direction of graphite felt activation modification is also prospected.

As Europe is a weaker actor mainly due to her digital underdevelopment, the EU is settling on the regulatory side of digital sovereignty. The article is to comparatively analyze the European and Chinese AI ethical guidelines considering the strategic and normative scope of the guidelines as well as their implications on the legal frameworks of AI both in Europe and China. In this field, the most important initiative in the EU was carried on by the High-Level Expert Group on Artificial Intelligence, which, in 2019, released the “Ethics Guidelines for Trustworthy AI,” a catalogue of principles as well as operative measures to achieve Trustworthy AI. In China, instead, the most important initiative was the “Beijing AI Principles” released in 2019 by the Beijing Academy of Artificial Intelligence, and the “Principles to Develop Responsible AI for the New Generation Artificial Intelligence: Developing Responsible Artificial Intelligence” released in 2019 by the New Generation AI Governance Expert Committee.

Counterfeit luxury is big business in China (Chen et al. 2018). The U.S. Chamber of Commerce estimates China to be the source of 86% of the world’s counterfeit luxury goods worth about $397bn (USCC 2016). Counterfeit luxury encompasses not only low quality replicas (Lai and Zaichkowsky 1999), but also high quality products that are appear almost identical to original brands. However, the price of high quality counterfeits amounts in many cases to only 10% of that of the originals (Geiger-Oneto et al. 2013). This makes high quality counterfeit luxury brands a major threat to established luxury brands. Luxury brand marketers, therefore, require a better understanding of what motivates target consumers to purchase either original or counterfeit luxury brands.

Inspired by the success of the Dove real beauty campaign, companies such as Amazon Fashion, Nike and Walmart have started to adopt authentic branding strategies, i.e., strategies based on the use of ordinary looking models to reflect real consumers in brand communications (e.g., Zombeck, 2015). Authentic branding is an alternative to the strategy of aspirational branding, where companies use “attractive” models to communicate that consuming their brands will bring consumers closer to an idealized view of themselves (e.g., being an attractive person like the models in the ads; D'Alessandro and Chitty, 2011). However, the body of evidence on their superiority over aspirational strategies is inconclusive. We expand knowledge on aspirational vs. authentic branding strategies by focusing on a new context of major economic importance for brand marketers, China, as well as by testing the moderating effect of a to date not considered contingency: local vs. foreign brand origin perceptions (i.e., low vs. high perceived brand foreignness). Data was gathered through an online survey of non-student consumers based in China recruited through Qualtrics online survey panels (n=623). Tests of reliability, convergent and discriminant validity of the measurement models deliver overall satisfactory results. R2 and Q2 values demonstrate that the tested models show good explanatory power and predictive relevance of emotional brand attachment (R2 = 0.699 to 0.759; Q2 = 0.527 to 0.696). Results support H1, as authentic branding has a positive effect on emotional brand attachment (β = 0. 293, p < 0.001), thus adding support to the efficacy of authentic branding strategies across West and East. Results also support H2, as aspirational branding has a positive effect on emotional brand attachment (β =0.598, p < 0.001). These findings support recent evidence from the UK and USA (e.g., Japutra et al., 2017) yet are out of line with recent studies in Switzerland and India, which fail to support this link (e.g., Malär et al., 2011). Results support H3, as aspirational branding has as stronger effect on EBA than authentic branding (t = 4.603, p < 0.001). Our findings question recent evidence suggesting a generic superiority of authentic over aspirational branding (e.g., Japutra et al., 2017). Results support H4, as for brands perceived as local, the effect of aspirational branding on EBA is significantly stronger than that of authentic branding (t= 4.125, p < 0.001). Thus, results support the notion that brands low on social signalling value, i.e., those perceived as local, can develop stronger attachment with consumers when they employ aspirational strategies. Finally, results do not support H5, as the data shows that for brands perceived as foreign, aspirational branding (β = 0.536, p < 0.001) still has a significantly stronger effect (t= 2.123, p < 0.05) on EBA than authentic branding (β =0.339, p < 0.001). In other words, brands perceived as foreign can still benefit from conveying aspiration over authenticity.

Expensive handbags, in particular, luxury designer handbags are incredibly popular among fashionable women. This is why many fashion houses such as Chanel and Hermes offer handbags as another product line as part of their accessories category (Juggessur, 2011). Some retailers claim that owning a luxury designer handbag worth more than £1,000 can make financial sense to middle-class women, who may not spend as much on clothing, but view an expensive luxury designer handbag as an investment piece which can be used every day, adding a touch of glamour (Juggessur, 2011). The global handbag market encompasses exceedingly dynamic players and an expanding consumer base, which is expected to flourish due to increasing demand from emerging markets and strong performances by the international luxury brands (Digital Luxury Group, 2013). The top 10 markets for luxury handbags, collectively gathered over 120 million online searches, demonstrating substantial global demand for the world’s most covetable luxury items (Digital Luxury Group, 2013) (see Figure 1) . Figure 1: demand of luxury handbag globally (Digital Luxury Group, 2013) The country subjects are UK and Indonesia. Despite the fact that both of Indonesia and UK are reflected as positive luxury market (Digital Luxury Group, 2013; Euromonitor, 2014), both of the countries have differences which may lead to different motivation of luxury purchase. Indonesia is emerging market, while UK is a mature market. The rise of emerging market makes difference. Back then, individualist country is more refer to western developed countries, while collectivistic country is refer to eastern developing countries (Hofstede, 2011; Shukla, 2012). Nowadays, emerging countries are catching up with developed countries (Nielsen, 2013). Increasing exposure to global media and the depiction of western lifestyles in local media seem to have increased the desire for high-quality goods and services among consumers in emerging markets (Belk, 1999). With regards to luxury products and services, studying the consumption patterns in emerging markets is particularly important due to the phenomenal growth of luxury consumption among consumers in these markets (Shukla, 2012). For example, according to Bain and Company (2012), 85 per cent of all luxury stores will be opening in emerging markets over the coming decade. Moreover, recent studies highlight the significantly strong influence of the materialism trait with luxury consumption in emerging markets (Lertwannawit and Mandhachitara, 2011; Podoshen et al., 2011). As predicted by BCG (2010), in 2015, emerging-market cities will account for around 20 per cent which is $2.6 trillion of the total global consumption of clothing and house as a priority of future expenditures. The key consumer base for luxury goods has long since left Europe, moving West to the United States, but also East to the Gulf States and Asia, and South to Latin America, particularly Brazil (Business of Fashion, 2014). Luxury companies are no longer focusing for mature market. However, luxury goods enable consumers to satisfy their material as well as socio-psychological needs to a greater degree than regular goods (Vigneron and Johnson, 2004; Wiedmann et al., 2009). Luxury brands are one of the most profitable and fastest-growing brand segments, yet at the same time, the social influences associated with luxury brands are poorly understood and under investigated (Shukla, 2010; Wiedmann et al., 2009; Tynan et al., 2010). Increasing exposure to global media and the depiction of western lifestyles in local media seem to have increased the desire for high-quality goods and services among consumers in emerging markets (Belk, 1999). With regards to luxury products and services, studying the consumption patterns in emerging markets is particularly important due to the phenomenal growth of luxury consumption among consumers in these markets (Shukla, 2012). From those passages, it can be inferred that emerging market countries are the targets of luxury brand companies to invest in the market. Culture is changing: The rise of Emerging Market As previously discussed in the second chapter, when the political, societal, and economic environments change, people's cultural values also change. Thus, many cultural theories should be updated and re-evaluated periodically. Hence, Wu (2006) said that Individualistic vs. Collectivistic Dimension theory is no longer applicable. Additionally Saiq et al. (2014) said that Hofstede’s Individualistic Dimension work is too old and can’t be effectively implemented in the era of rapidly changing environment, convergence and globalization. The arguments by Wu (2006) and Saiq et al. (2013) is supporting Bian and Forsythe (2012) which argue that culture is changing as a consequence of the increasingly global economy especially in emerging market, converging in the direction of greater individualism. As a result, collectivist societies might adopt some individualistic elements, but this would not change their societal identity or their social label as a collective society (Bian and Forsythe, 2012). The contrasts between few contemporary studies of luxury value perception in Individualistic vs. Collectivistic Country (Bian Forsythe; 2012, Li et al, 2012; Shukla and Purani, 2012) (see Table 1) are leading to confusion in understanding value perception on luxury purchase between individualistic country vs. collectivistic country. For an instance, according to Li et al. (2012), a collectivistic country (China) has high consideration of functional value dimension for luxury purchase, but according to Shukla and Purani (2012), a collectivistic country (India) has low consideration of functional value perception for luxury purchase. Another example, according to Bian and Forsythe (2012), an individualistic county (US) consider high personal and social value dimension for luxury purchase, but according to Shukla and Purani (2012), individualistic country (UK) consider low personal and social value dimension on the luxury purchase. The study results were supporting a statement of Shukla (2012) that culture is not static and it keeps changing Table 1: The contrast between study results about value perception across culture Impact on the Future Brand Strategy Consumer value plays as critical role at the heart of all marketing movement and hence undoubtedly deserves attention of every consumer scholars (Holbrook, 1999) especially, in the next decade, customer is predicted as the key orientation of luxury business (BCG Report, 2014) (see Figure 2). The current crisis in luxury marketing area is encouraging companies to look more deeply into the links between consumers and luxury brands (Godey et al., 2013). Consumption of luxury products is based on two main reasons: the purchase for one’s self, for pleasure and purchase as a symbol of success (Godey et al., 2013). Nevertheless, whatever the perspective chosen, the brand remains the main vehicle for connecting with the consumer (Godey et al., 2013).To understand the right brand strategy, the purpose of this study is to identify the constructs of perceived peer communication in social media activities of luxury fashion brands, and to evaluate the influence of those activities on purchase intention in the UK and Indonesia. This research will propose a strategy to enhance brands' performance by defining specific factors relating to purchase intention. Moreover, the findings will enable luxury brands to forecast customer purchasing behaviour. The full conceptual model of this study can be found on Figure 2. Figure 2: The conceptual model of the study Methodology Steenkamp and Baumgartner (1998) suggest using a structural equation modelling approach for cross-culture study. SEM analysis has been successfully applied by many scholars to measure luxury value perception (Bian & Forysthe, 2012; Shukla, 2012; Casidy, 2012; Monkhouse et al., 2013; Hennigs et al., 2013). The structural equation design of this study is illustrated on Figure 3. The method of self-completion questionnaire allows for a greater geographical coverage than face-to-face interviews without incurring the additional costs of time and travel and they are particularly useful when carrying out research with geographically dispersed populations (Seale, 2012). Self-completed questionnaires were distributed to thirty students with snowball sampling by online survey to each country (UK and Indonesia) and twenty valid samples were utilised from each country. Criterion sampling strategy reviews all cases that meet predetermined criteria (Patton, 2002). Both criterion and snowball sampling techniques were components of a purposeful sampling strategy designed to identify participants with this criteria: A. Originally from and live in Indonesia or originally from and live in the UK. B. Having experience in purchasing at least one of luxury handbag. Figure 3: The structural equation design of the study Result There are significant differences of value perception on luxury handbag between Indonesian consumers and UK consumers. Indonesian consumers are highly influenced by Social Value Perception while British consumers are less influenced by Social Value Perception when buying luxury handbags. British luxury handbag consumers are more focusing on the Functional Value Perception which is not much considered by Indonesian consumers. However, consumers from both countries are highly influenced by Personal Value Perception.

Baculoviral anti-apoptotic genes, p35 and iap (inhibitor of apoptosis), play important roles in the initiation stage of viral infection. However, some iap genes are not involved in the anti-apoptotic activity. To investigate the anti-apoptotic activity of the iap genes of Lymantria xylina multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (LyxyMNPV), two ly-iap genes (ly-iap2 and ly-iap3) were cloned from LyxyMNPV. From a 5′ RACE analysis, a late promoter motif (TAAG) was found in the upstream (-15 bp) of ly-iap2, but ly-iap3 only posited an enhancer-like element (CGTGC) in the upstream (-22 bp) of 5′ UTR. Gene expression were detected by RT-PCR; the ly-iap2 and ly-iap3 genes began to express in the host cells (IPLB-LD652Y cell line) infected with LyxyMNPV 6 hours post-infection (p.i.) and reached the peak 72 hours p.i., followed by decline 3 to 5 days p.i. Functional assay of the iap genes were performed by an over-expression method in Sf9 cells. Full-length domains of LY-IAP2, LY-IAP3 and LY-IAP2-BIR could differently inhibit the apoptosis which induced by Drosophila RPR protein (DRPR). Interestingly, LY-IAP2-RZF domain was important for LY-IAP2 to rescue apoptosis, but it might be also involved in the ubiquitin activity leading to the degradation of LY-IAP2 protein. LY-IAP3-RZF might be working as a “helper domain” to inhibit DRPR-induced apoptosis. These results can be used to figure out the roles of the ly-iap genes in the apoptosis of host cells.

The toxicity of materials derived from dried fruit of Cnidium monnieri against early third instar larvae of Culex pipiens pallens was examined using direct contact mortality bioassay. Results were compared with those of currently used mosquito larvicide, temephos. The bioactive principle was identified as xanthotoxol by spectroscopic analysis. As judged by 24 h LD50 value, xanthotoxol was highly effective (4.40 ppm), although this compound was less toxic than temephos (0.16 ppm). C. monnieri fruit-derived materials, particularly xanthotoxol, merit further study as potential mosquito larvicides for protection from humans and domestic animals from vector-borne diseases and nuisance caused by mosquitoes.

From 146 B.C. to A.D. 1760, 363 sets of cometary observations have been recorded in Chinese Ancient Records of Celestial Phenomena. The positions of all recorded comets, or their paths, on the sky are compared. Taking into account the perturbations of all nine planets and using the numerical method of N-body problem, the orbits of well-recorded comets are calculated. Identification of a periodic comet is presented.

This research aimed at studying the role of self-enhancing imagery and self goal-achievement emotion in the effect of characteristics perceived at advertisements using multisensory cues on purchase intention. Sports shoes advertisement was selected as an empirical research object. Questionnaire survey method was used to collect data. ‘WenJuanXing’ site was used to make the questionnaire in Chinese, and it was loaded on WeChat and QQ. 260 participants from different regions of China participated in online questionnaire survey. The results of testing the hypotheses by structural equation model in Amos 21.0 program are summarized as followings. The congruency between multisensory cues and self-discrepancy awareness positively evoked the self-enhancing imagery and the self goal-achievement emotion. The object relevance between the consumer and the product advertised did not induce the emotion, but evoked the self-enhancing imagery. Both of the self-enhancing imagery and the self goal-achievement emotion had positive effects on the product purchase intention. When developing advertisement, marketers should focus on multisensory cues’ characteristics to enhance the self-enhancing imageries as well as to help feel the goal-achievement emotion. They should pay attention to the ways by which the multisensory cues’ characteristics used to develop advertisement can be perceived to be congruent with each other by consumers.

Along with the economic globalization and network generalization, this provides a good opportunity to the development of cross-border ecommerce trade. Based on this background, this paper sets ASEAN countries as an example to exploit the determinants of cross-border ecommerce trade including the export and the import, respectively. The panel data from the year of 1998 to 2016 will be employed to estimate the relationship between cross-border e-commerce trade and relevant variables under the dynamic ordinary least squares and the error correction model. The findings of this paper show that there is a long-run relationship between cross-border e-commerce trade and relevant variables. Generally speaking, the GDP(+) and real exchange rate(-export & +import) have an effect on cross-border e-commerce trade. However, the population (+) and the terms of trade (-) only have an effect on cross-border e-commerce import. The empirical evidences show that the GDP and the real exchange rate always affect the development of cross-border e-commerce trade. Therefore, all ASEAN countries should try their best to develop the economic growth and focus on the exchange rate regime so as to meet the need of crossborder e-commerce trade development.

Shipping containers promote rapid development of the transport industry, and generate economic and social value. However, problems often occur due to imbalance in dynamics between exports and imports, container relocation, traffic congestion, and general shipping network designs. So, efficient and cost-effective cargo management has become crucial for the Jeju Island – Mokpo container route (JMCR) in South Korea. Dozens of recent studies reveal that collapsible or foldable containers, may become an innovative solution to problematic issues within the shipping industry. The major purpose of this study is to discuss conditions required for successful commercial application of foldable containers, based on a cost-benefit analysis precisely for the JMCR. Findings reveal usage of foldable containers can be cost-effective, if containers make a “FULL<->EMPTY” route. To the contrary, a “FULL<->FULL” route can drastically increase expenditure. However, economic analysis of actual figures for 2010-2015 indicate that benefits for Mokpo – Jeju direction are significant to cover losses on the Jeju – Mokpo line. Seasonal patterns and mixing percentages of foldable and standard containers on the route, may also produce cost-effective solutions. Sensitivity analysis reveals that benefits from using foldable containers, depend mostly on empty container shares in addition to various extra costs.