Olive production is threatened by a fungal pathogen, Armillaria mellea (Vahl. Fr.) P. Kumm.,causing decline in trees worldwide. Effectiveness of once and twice applications of fungicides hexaconazole, propicoconazole and thiophanate-methyl and application of biological agent (Trichoderma harzianum) to control A. mellea was studied at orchard scale during four years. T. harzianum inhibited the pathogen growth on agar media. This antagonistic fungus provided a 25% control efficiency of A. mellea on olive trees younger than 15 years which was the same as control efficiency of once application of hexaconazole. Control efficiencies as perfect as 100% were determined on younger (<15 years old) diseased olive trees treated with once applications of thiophanate-methyl and hexaconazole, and twice applications of thiophanate-methyl. Moreover, olive tree age was significantly effective on fungicidal control efficiency. Hence, this four-year research advanced our understanding of sustainable olive production in study region and other geographical areas with similar agro-ecological characteristics.

The global increase in organic food consumption underscores the need for in-depth research to understand the determinants of consumer purchase intentions towards organic products. Hence, this study aims to investigate the factors influencing the consumer purchase intentions towards organic food through an analysis involving 274 participants. Additionally, it also explores the mediating and moderating effects of attitudes and environmental concerns on the purchasing intentions towards organic food, providing insights in how these psychological and environmental factors influence consumer behavior. Using a quantitative method, data was gathered from the South Korean cities of Jinju and Changwon. However, analysis was performed through Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling. The research findings illustrate that subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and ethical consciousness significantly influence attitudes towards purchase intentions of organic foods. Moreover, the results indicate that attitude positively influenced consumer purchase intention towards organic food. Results reveal that attitude serves as a mediator in the relationship between subjective norms and consumer purchase intentions for organic food. Similarly, Likewise, attitude mediates the connection between perceived behavioral control and consumer purchase intention towards organic food. Additionally, the results indicate that attitude mediates the relationship between ethical consciousness and consumer purchase intention towards organic food. Furthermore, environmental concerns are found to significantly moderate the association between attitude and consumer purchase intention towards organic foods. The insights garnered from this study shed light on consumer intentions to purchase organic foods, equipping stakeholders such as marketers, retailers, and producers with valuable insights for creating effective marketing strategies aiming at promotion of these products. This research serves as a pivotal resource for developing targeted approaches to enhance the market share and consumption of organic foods.

Reusable bags have been introduced as an alternative to single-use plastic bags (SUPB). While beneficial, this alternative is economically and environmentally viable only if utilized multiple times. This study aims to identify the determinants influencing the use of reusable bags (RB) over single-use plastic bags (SUPB) within the framework of ecological impact reduction, employing the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). The focus is on understanding how attitudes (AT), subjective norms (SN), and perceived behavioral control (PBC) collectively guide consumers towards adopting reusable bags as a pro-environmental choice. The focus is on understanding how attitudes (AT), subjective norms (SN), and perceived behavioral control (PBC) collectively guide consumers towards the adoption of reusable bags as a pro-environmental choice. Data were collected through a survey administered to 814 consumers in Lahore, employing both regression analysis and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to assess the impact of AT, SN, and PBC on reusable bag consumption (RBC). The TPB framework underpins the hypothesis that these three psychological factors significantly influence the decision to use RBs. Both regression and SEM analyses demonstrated that AT, SN, and PBC positively affect RBC, with significant estimates indicating the strength of each predictor. Specifically, PBC emerged as the strongest predictor of RBC (PBC2, β = 0.533, p < 0.001), highlighting the paramount importance of control perceptions in influencing bag use. This was followed by AT (β = 0.211, p < 0.001) and SN (β = 0.173, p < 0.001), confirming the hypothesized positive relationships. The congruence of findings from both analytical approaches underlines the robustness of these techniques in validating the TPB within the context of sustainable consumer behaviors. The investigation corroborates the TPB’s applicability in predicting RBC, with a clear hierarchy of influence among the model’s constructs. PBC’s prominence underscores the necessity of enhancing consumers’ control over using RBs to foster sustainable consumption patterns. Practical implications include the development of policies and marketing strategies that target the identified determinants, especially emphasizing the critical role of PBC, to promote broader adoption of RBs and contribute to significant reductions in plastic waste.

This study examines the impact of structured cultural educational activities on various dimensions of student well-being in primary education. Using a randomized controlled trial design, 120 third- and fourth-grade students from Arad County, Romania, were assigned to either an experimental group, which participated in cultural educational activities, or a control group, which received no intervention. Well-being and social behavior were assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and the EPOCH Measure of Adolescent Well-Being, administered before and after the intervention. The SDQ evaluated emotional symptoms, hyperactivity, conduct problems, peer relationship issues, and prosocial behavior, while the EPOCH scale measured engagement, perseverance, optimism, connectedness, and happiness. Analysis revealed statistically significant improvements (p < 0.05) in the experimental group compared to the control group. Students in the experimental group exhibited reduced hyperactivity and peer relationship problems, alongside notable increases in engagement, perseverance, optimism, connectedness, and happiness. These findings highlight the efficacy of integrating cultural educational activities into the primary school curriculum as a strategy for enhancing emotional and social development. The study underscores the importance of such interventions in fostering positive developmental outcomes and offers a foundation for further research into their long-term effects and adaptability across diverse educational contexts.

This study focuses on the problems of imperfect internal control effectiveness, insufficient information transparency, and plummeting stock prices. The study selects the data of non-financial main board listed companies in China’s Shanghai and Shenzhen A-shares from 2012 to 2021 as a sample, and adopts an empirical research methodology, which reveals that the effectiveness of internal control is negatively related to the trend of share price crash, and efficient internal control is positively related to the transparency of corporate information environment. The findings suggest the impact of internal control on the risk of stock price crash at the individual stock level and provide empirical support for listed companies to manage their risks. This study has practical value in guiding listed companies to strengthen internal control, improve information transparency, mitigate the risk of stock price crashes, and provide a decision-making basis for the healthy and stable development of the capital market.