Since the Reform and Opening up, GDP of the cities on eastern bank of the Pearl River Estuary in Guangdong Province were higher than the eastern bank cities. Therefore, this article aims to modify the urban gravity model combines it with the entropy weight method to calculate urban quality and applies it to measure the degree of connectivity between cities over the past decades. The research aims to explore whether cities with higher economic output have a greater attraction for surrounding cities, and whether the eastern bank cities can also promote the development of the west. Through detailed data collection and analysis, this essay reveals the dynamic changes of the gravity among cities and its influence factors such as economic, transportation and urban development. The research results indicate that the strongest gravitational force between cities on the east and west banks is between Dongguan and Zhongshan, rather than between Shenzhen and cities on the west bank. This demonstrates that the connection between cities on the east and west banks is primarily constrained by geographical factors, and the geographical location of a city influences on surrounding cities significantly. In particular, Dongguan and Zhongshan play a key role in connecting the eastern and western bank of the Pearl River Estuary, rather than Shenzhen, which is traditionally considered to have the highest economic aggregate. In addition, the study also found that the COVID-19 epidemic has had a significant impact on inter-city communication, resulting in a decline in inter-city gravity in recent years.

Problem statement: An environmentally conscious consumer’s perspective can shift as they look for things that are gentler on the planet. Conversely, businesses engage in greenwashing when they try to cover up their lacklustre environmental initiatives. The current research was used the theory of rational choice behaviour to examine a model that connects corporate green washing and consumers’ green purchase intentions via the mediating roles of perceived risk, green trust and green confusion about food and beverage brands in Saudi Arabia. Research motivation: Sustainable business practices have been developed and adopted by corporations in response to the growing interest in environmentally friendly lifestyles and green products. However, green washing has become increasingly common as a means for businesses to give off the impression that they care about the environment when they really don’t. Research methodology: The online survey was used to obtain data directly from consumers about their views on green washing by corporations. Primary data was analysed using appropriate statistical tools and techniques in SPSS, AMOS and SmartPLS software, such as Correlation, Regression, Structural Equation Modelling (SEM), etc. Results: In terms of perceived greenness and confusion, the results showed that green wash mediates the relationship between green purchasing intention and greenness. There is a two-way correlation between consumers’ intentions to buy environmentally friendly products and their levels of green perception, and green confusion. The findings of this study were broadening our understanding of the consequences of green washing. Conclusions: All things considered, the study was encouraging more research on the subject and be a useful tool for academics, corporate managers, and students interested in environmental sustainability, product innovation, and green branding. According to the results, businesses can improve their green purchasing intentions by cutting down on green washing and focusing instead on building a positive reputation for their brand and encouraging customer loyalty. Corporate performance and social environment sustainability can both benefit greatly from this paper’s expansion of knowledge regarding the processes of individual customer psychological effects after perceptions of corporate greenwashing behaviour.

The use of porous media to simplify the thermohydraulic of a nuclear reactor is the topic of recent research. As a case study, the rector of 200 kW installed at Missouri University of Science and Technology is modeled in this paper. To help this objective, a fundamental CFD examination was completed to supplement the neutronics investigation on the present reactor. Characteristics of thermal energy removal from a typical research reactor are modeled by numerical thermal transport in porous media. The neutron flux is modeled by the nodal expansion method. For the thermo-hydraulic part, a three-dimensional governing equation is solved by an iterative method to find the steady-state solution of fluid flow and temperature in loss of coolant condition where the heat produced in the reactor core is removed by free convection. The profiles of heat flux for various power levels are benchmarked. Pressure, temperature, and velocity contours in the power passage were assessed at 300 kW and 500 kW power levels. To reduce the computational cost, a porous media approach for the whole geometry was utilized. The numerical results agree with the experimental results. The developed model can be used for safety and reliability analysis for various loss of coolant accidents.

Several studies have investigated Islamic endowment (Waqf), but less attention has been given to the application of legal principles of Islamic objectives in the regulation and management of Islamic endowments in Muslim communities. The primary focus of this study is to explore the legal implementation of Maqasidush-Shari’ah or otherwise known as the Objectives of Islamic Law, as evidenced in Islamic charitable endowments. This study employs an analytical research approach (ARA), systematic literature review (SLR) and content analysis (CA) to demonstrate and evaluate how the Waqf institution can be revitalized in contemporary times, drawing parallels with its effective implementation during the formative years of Islam, rooted in the principles of Maqasidush-Shari’ah. The results demonstrate that the efficacy of Waqf typically stems from the societal advantages it offers, derived from the safeguarding of faith, property, life, honour, and lineage, which are fundamental of Maqasidush-Shari’ah or objectives of Islamic law. The study further demonstrated that Islamic endowment has various benefits such as providing grant to the social development and interests to the public. However, various challenges such as knowledge deficit in the application of Shari‘ah principles in Waqf, lack of a developed framework for managing various types of Waqf among others are identified. Nonetheless, effective regulation and management of Waqf applications of Islamic objectives on Waqf. In conclusion, this study has underscored the significant contributions of the Islamic endowment system across various spheres, including social welfare, scientific advancements, economic prosperity, and healthcare, all of which align with the objectives of Islamic legal principles encapsulated in Maqasidush-Shari’ah. Hence, the research ultimately proposes several favourable elements that could bolster the resurgence of Waqf in contemporary times, reviving its significance and societal impact. It is therefore suggested that the stakeholders should enhance understanding of the policies, legal principles, and governance structures governing Waqf as an Islamic charitable foundation, substantiated by Islamic objectives (Maqasidush-Shari’ah).

This study offers a new perspective on measuring the impact of village funds (DD) on rural development. Using a mixed-method approach, the qualitative analysis reveals that, like previous rural development programs, the DD program struggles to implement inclusive methods for capturing community aspirations and evaluating outcomes. Despite rural infrastructure improvement, many villagers feel they have not fully benefited and do not view it as offering economic opportunities. The econometric model confirms the qualitative findings, indicating no significant DD influence on the village development index (IPD). Instead, effective governance factors like Musdes, regulations, and leadership are essential for the IPD improvement. Thus, enhancing village governments’ institutional capacity is crucial for increasing the DD effectiveness. The paper recommends several measures: training village officials in financial management and project planning, providing guidelines for the DD allocation and usage, creating robust monitoring-evaluation systems, developing communication strategies, and fostering partnerships with local NGOs and universities.

This study aims to use dialectical thinking to explore the impacts and responses of Artificial Intelligence (AI) empowerment on students’ personalized learning. The effect of AI empowerment on student personalization is dissected through a literature review and empirical cases. The study finds that AI plays a significant role in promoting personalized learning by enhancing students’ learning effectiveness through intelligent recommendation, automated feedback, improving students’ independent learning ability, and optimizing learning paths, however, the wide application of AI also brings problems such as technological dependence, cheating in exams, weakening of critical thinking ability, educational fairness, and data privacy protection to students. The study proposes recommendations to strengthen technology regulation, enhance the synergy between teachers and AI, and optimize the personalized learning model. AI-enabled personalized learning is expected to play a greater role in improving learning efficiency and educational fairness.