This study examines the influence of internal and external locus of control as mediators of financial literacy, financial attitudes, financial beliefs, and financial behavior of students in Timor-Leste. This study uses a quantitative approach with a survey method to collect sample data from students throughout Timor-Leste. Structural equation modeling (SEM) analyzes the relationship between financial literacy, financial attitudes, financial beliefs, internal and external locus of control, and financial behavior. The study’s results highlight the mediating role of internal and external locus of control in the relationship between financial literacy, financial attitudes, financial beliefs, and financial behavior of students in Timor-Leste. These findings can provide insight into the complex relationship between these factors in financial decision-making. Practical implications for educational institutions and policymakers in Timor-Leste, namely emphasizing the importance of considering internal and external locus control in financial literacy programs to improve students’ financial behavior. This study aims to fill the knowledge gap about student financial literacy by expanding the understanding of the relationship between these factors.

We studied the role of industry-academic collaboration (IAC) in the enhancement of educational opportunities and outcomes under the digital driven Industry 4.0 using research and development, the patenting of products/knowledge, curriculum development, and artificial intelligence as proxies for IAC. Relevant conceptual, theoretical, and empirical literature were reviewed to provide a background for this research. The investigator used mainly principal (primary) data from a sample of 230 respondents. The primary statistics were acquired through a questionnaire. The statistics were evaluated using the structural equation model (SEM) and Stata version 13.0 as the statistical software. The findings indicate that the direct total effect of Artificial intelligence (Aint) on educational opportunities (EduOp) is substantial (Coef. 0.2519916) and statistically significant (p < 0.05), implying that changes in Aint have a pronounced influence on EduOp. Additionally, considering the indirect effects through intermediate variables, Research and Development (Res_dev) and Product Patenting (Patenting) play crucial roles, exhibiting significant indirect effects on EduOp. Res_dev exhibits a negative indirect effect (Coef = −0.009969, p = 0.000) suggesting that increased research and development may dampen the impact of Aint on EduOp against a priori expectation while Patenting has a positive indirect effect (Coef = 0.146621, p = 0.000), indicating that innovation, as reflected by patenting, amplifies the effect of Aint on EduOp. Notably, Curriculum development (Curr_dev) demonstrates a remarkable positive indirect effect (Coef = 0.8079605, p = 0.000) underscoring the strong role of current development activities in enhancing the influence of Aint on EduOp. The study contributes to knowledge on the effective deployment of artificial intelligence, which has been shown to enhance educational opportunities and outcomes under the digital driven Industry 4.0 in the study area.

The activities and characteristics of heritage, cultural, and creative tourism are notably distinct despite the fact that they are frequently confused and misunderstood. Moreover, these types of tourism have been significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This review article aims to explore the characteristics of three types of tourism, both pre- and post-pandemic, and seeks to propose sustainable solutions with new opportunities for the tourism industry. The article adopts a PRISMA flow diagram and VOSviewer to perform a systematic literature review, ultimately selecting 179 articles from the Scopus, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar databases and grouping them into five clusters: 1) heritage, cultural, and creative tourism; 2) co-creation; 3) creative city; 4) sustainability; and 5) technology and innovation. Consequently, this review article proposes a final framework presenting five related clusters suggesting sustainable solutions for creative tourism. It may aid the tourism industries in their transition to creative tourism, which is more sustainable and broadly focused while ensuring safety and enhancing income for local communities in the post-pandemic period.

There are several factors that generate postharvest losses of Citrus sinensis, but none have been focused on the central jungle of the Junín region of Peru. The objective of this research was to evaluate postharvest losses of Citrus sinensis in the province of Satipo, Junín region of Peru, considering the stages of the production chain. The methodology was applied to descriptive and cross-sectional design. A sample of 10 orange trees, 3 transport intermediaries and 5 traders selected for compliance with minimum volume and quality requirements were used. The °Brix, pH and acidity characteristics of the fruit were determined. Subsequently, absolute and percentage losses were quantified through direct observation, surveys and interviews. The main postharvest losses of Citrus sinensis were 1.50% in harvesting and detaching, 1.75% in transport to the collection center, 2.23% in storage and transport by intermediaries, and 2.90% in storage and sale by retailers. The overall loss was 8.12% throughout the production chain and US$5.75 per MT of C. sinensis harvested. The main damages found were mechanical and biological, caused by poor harvesting and packaging techniques, precarious storage and careless transport of the merchandise.

  Polyurethane is a multipurpose polymer with valuable mechanical, thermal, and chemical stability, and countless other physical features. Polyurethanes can be processed as foam, elastomer, or fibers. This innovative overview is designed to uncover the present state and opportunities in the field of polyurethanes and their nanocomposite sponges. Special emphasis has been given to fundamentals of polyurethanes and foam materials, related nanocomposite categories, and associated properties and applications. According to literature so far, adding carbon nanoparticles such as graphene and carbon nanotube influenced cell structure, overall microstructure, electrical/thermal conductivity, mechanical/heat stability, of the resulting polyurethane nanocomposite foams. Such progressions enabled high tech applications in the fields such as electromagnetic interference shielding, shape memory, and biomedical materials, underscoring the need of integrating these macromolecular sponges on industrial level environmentally friendly designs. Future research must be intended to resolve key challenges related to manufacturing and applicability of polyurethane nanocomposite foams. In particular, material design optimization, invention of low price processing methods, appropriate choice of nanofiller type/contents, understanding and control of interfacial and structure-property interplay must be determined.