Innovation has always been a key driver of economic development, particularly in the context of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Despite their significant contributions, many of these enterprises currently lack strong research and development capabilities, face challenges in innovation investment, and struggle to produce high-quality innovative results. To address these issues and overcome funding obstacles, many SMEs are turning to supply chain finance (SCF) as a supplementary financing method. This study utilizes stata16 and fixed effects models to analyze the impact and mechanism of SCF on enterprise innovation performance (EIP), focusing on companies listed on the SME Board and GEM in Shenzhen, China from 2011 to 2020. The findings reveal that SCF can effectively enhance enterprise innovation output, facilitating the conversion of resources into high-quality innovation results. Additionally, the study demonstrates that supply chain concentration acts as a mediator between SCF and EIP. Moreover, SCF is found to significantly boost EIP with low supplier concentrations and high customer concentrations. This suggests that SMEs encounter obstacles to innovation from suppliers and customers, and SCF may not fully address the challenges posed by these relationships. Overall, this research offers new empirical insights into the economic implications of companies adopting SCF, providing valuable guidance for enterprises in optimizing innovation decisions and for the government in enhancing supplier and customer information disclosure systems.
Common prosperity of spiritual life is a value pursuit of human beings for a better life and a better society. Promoting common prosperity in people's spiritual life has become the internal driving force for the innovation and development of ideological and political education in the new era. In terms of value implication, ideological and political education to lead the common prosperity of spiritual life mainly provides ideological guidance, establishes value coordinates and cultivates mental tone. Its core meaning is to enrich the connotation of common prosperity of spiritual life with scientific theory, standardize the pursuit of common prosperity of spiritual life with value concepts, and clarify the realm of common prosperity of spiritual life with aesthetic consciousness. Its realization path is mainly theoretical education, cultural edification and practice.
E-cigarettes pose a significant public health concern, particularly for youth and young adults. Policymaking in this area is complicated by changing consumption patterns, diverse user demographics, and dynamic online and offline communities. This study uses social network analytics to examine the social dynamics and communication patterns related to e-cigarette use. We analyzed data from various social media platforms, forums, and online communities, which included both advocacy for e-cigarettes as a safer smoking alternative and opposition due to health risks. Our findings inform targeted healthcare policy interventions, such as educational campaigns tailored to specific network clusters, regulations based on user interaction and influence patterns, and collaborations with key influencers to spread accurate health information.
Background: Simulation-based medical education is a complex learning methodology in different fields. Exposing children to this teaching method is uncommon as it is designed for adult learning. This study aimed to develop and implement simulation-based education in first aid training of children and investigate the emotions of children in post-simulation scenarios that replicate emergency situations. Methods: This was a phenomenological qualitative research study. The participants attended the modified “Little Doctor” course that aims to train children in first aid and, subsequently, completed simulation scenarios. The children attended focus groups and were asked about their experiences of the course and how they felt during the simulation scenarios. Results: 12 children (Age 8–11 years old) attended the course, and 10 completed the simulation scenarios and focus groups. The major theme derived from was the simulation experience’s effect, which was divided into two subthemes: the emotion caused by—and the behavioral response to—the simulation. The analysis revealed shock and surprise toward the environment of the simulation event and the victim. The behaviors expressed during the simulation scenarios ranged from skill application and empathy to recall and teamwork. Conclusions: Simulation scenarios were successfully implemented during the first-aid training course. Although participants reported mixed feelings regarding the experience, they expressed confidence in their ability to perform real-life skills.
The utilization of digital tools in agricultural extension has facilitated information delivery through non-face-to-face interactions. Therefore, this study aimed to map the variation in digital tools used by agricultural extension workers to access and deliver information and analyse the outcomes of farmers’ adoption. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with agricultural extension workers at 11 Agricultural Extension Centers. The data were processed using the N-Vivo qualitative data analysis software. The results showed that extension workers combined various digital tools as sources of extension materials and channels for delivering information to farmers. Although social interaction between agricultural extension workers and farmers occurred non-face-to-face, messages could be adopted by farmers and yield tangible outcomes. This was reflected in the asynchronous communication, allowing extension workers sufficient time to improve the quality of the delivered messages. Farmers also had sufficient time to review the received information content in this context repeatedly. These results implied that although extension content is delivered through non-face-to-face interaction, it can still drive adoption with significant outcomes.
This research was conducted using a survey research method to investigate the influence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on Nigerian students' academic performances in tertiary institutions. Nigerian tertiary institutions have an estimated population of about 2.5 million students across the universities, polytechnics, monotechnics, and colleges of education. A sample size of 509 was used. The researchers adopted an online questionnaire (Google Form) to administer questions to respondents across Nigeria to elicit responses from the respondents bordering on their awareness and the use of AI and its attendant impacts on their academic performance. Five research objectives were raised for the proper investigation of this study. From the findings of the study, the researchers found that the majority of Nigerian students use AI and that AI has positive impacts on the educational performance of Nigerian students. It was also found that Nigerian students have training on the use of AI for educational purposes and that they are more familiar with Snapchat AI and ChatGPT. Conclusively, AI is useful to students in the sense that it enhances their knowledge of their courses, improves their learning and speaking skills, and helps them to have a quick understanding of their course by way of simplifying technical aspects of their courses. The researchers therefore recommend as follows: Nigerian tertiary institutions should formally train students as well as teachers on the use of AI for academic purposes so that they can understand the ethical implications of the use of AI. Using AI for writing could be interpreted to mean examination malpractice, and this should not be condoned in the educational sector; however, at the moment, a small number of students used AI for examinations. Albeit, the appropriate use of AI should be fully integrated into Nigerian tertiary institutions' curricula.
Copyright © by EnPress Publisher. All rights reserved.