Abstract.Building on the production possibility frontier (PPF) theory from economics, this paper develops a theoretical framework to analyze how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the financial sector. The study proposes that AI systematically shifts the financial PPF outward through four key mechanisms: activating data as a production factor, improving technological efficiency, restructuring service models, and optimizing risk management. In practice, this shift leads to revolutionary improvements in supply efficiency, broader and more inclusive financial services, more precise risk control, … Read more →

Abstract.It is commonly known that developing countries typically develop their economy at the cost of the environment. However, it is evident that Yibin, a Chinese city, has been rapidly developing its economy while improving its environmental conditions in the past five years. This study aims to identify the factors contributing to Yibin's unique situation. Using a mixed-method approach-documentary analysis, Qualitative Comparitive Analysis Matrix, and process tracing-we identified three factors causing the dual-improvement for Yibin’s case. The three explanations are: Yibin is a less-developed … Read more →

Abstract.This study systematically investigated the mechanisms by which nitrate concentrations influence N₂O and N₂ fluxes in rivers of varying widths (20–800 m) within the Haihe River Basin, Luanhe River Basin, and independent rivers flowing into the sea in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. Through a combination of field sampling and laboratory analysis, nitrate concentrations and gas fluxes at the sediment-water interface were measured, while qPCR technology was employed to analyze the abundance of nitrogen-functioning microbial genes. Results indicate that nitrate concentration significantly … Read more →

Abstract.Against the backdrop of the “dual carbon” goals and global sustainable development, the synergistic transformation of digitalization and greenification has become a key factor for enterprises to break through development bottlenecks. This paper, based on strategic synergy theory, uses 1,659 Chinese A-share listed companies from 2011 to 2021 as a sample. It employs the entropy method and the coupling coordination degree model to measure the level of synergy in enterprises' digital and green transformation. Through a two-way fixed effects model, it empirically tests the influence mechanism and … Read more →