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Mobile instant messaging (MIM) apps could provide rich and instant information in employees’ communication. However, how media richness impacts MIM user loyalty is unknown. The purpose of this paper is to adopt media richness and social presence theories as theoretical foundations to address this insufficiency.

Collecting 247 responses from an online survey, the authors use structural equation modelling for data analysis and hypothesis testing.

The authors found that immediate feedback and personal focus are the main aspects of media richness that are positively related to social presence, relatedness need satisfaction and user loyalty to MIM.

This is the first study using two pertinent theories to explain how aspects of media richness affect user loyalty to MIM. The present findings suggest that firms developing MIM apps focus on immediate feedback and personal focus as effective means to encourage user loyalty.

This study examines the temporal dynamics of consumer attitudes, perceived value and purchase intentions toward green agricultural foods, addressing critical gaps in the literature on sustainable consumption behaviours. It emphasises the mediating role of perceived value and its evolution over time, offering insights into consumer decision-making processes.

A longitudinal design was adopted, collecting data through structured questionnaires from primary household food purchasers in northern Taiwan at baseline, three months and six months. Analytical techniques, including multiple regression, mediation analysis and repeated measures ANOVA, were employed to examine relationships and track changes over time.

The results reveal that consumer attitudes positively influence perceived value, which fully mediates the relationship with purchase intentions. Temporal analysis indicates significant increases in perceived value and purchase intentions over six months, demonstrating that sustained exposure to green agricultural foods reinforces consumer commitment and pro-environmental behaviours. Attitudes alone do not directly predict purchase intentions without the mediation of perceived value, highlighting the critical role of perceived benefits in driving long-term sustainable consumption.

This study provides actionable insights for enhancing the perceived value of green agricultural foods. Businesses should prioritise health and environmental benefits, while policymakers can design campaigns and incentives to promote sustainable dietary habits, aligning with Sustainable Development Goal 12.

By exploring the mediating role of perceived value in transforming positive consumer attitudes into purchase intentions, this study highlights how perceived value, shaped by health and environmental benefits, drives consumer behaviour. These findings contribute valuable insights for enhancing market appeal and supporting sustainable food marketing strategies.

This paper aims to report a stretchable piezoresistive strain sensor array that can detect various static and dynamic stimuli, including bending, normal force, shear stress and certain range of temperature variation, through sandwiching an array of conductive blocks, made of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) composite. The strain sensor array induces localized resistance changes at different external mechanical forces, which can be potentially implemented as electronic skin.

The working principle is the piezoresistivity of the strain sensor array is based on the tunnelling resistance connection between the fillers and reformation of the percolating path when the PDMS and MWCNT composite deforms. When an external compression stimulus is exerted, the MWCNT inter-filler distance at the conductive block array reduces, resulting in the reduction of the resistance. The resistance between the conductive blocks in the array, on the other hand, increases when the strain sensor is exposed to an external stretching force. The methodology was as follows: Numerical simulation has been performed to study the pressure distribution across the sensor. This method applies two thin layers of conductive elastomer composite across a 2 × 3 conductive block array, where the former is to detect the stretchable force, whereas the latter is to detect the compression force. The fabrication of the strain sensor consists of two main stages: fabricating the conducting block array (detect compression force) and depositing two thin conductive layers (detect stretchable force).

Characterizations have been performed at the sensor pressure response: static and dynamic configuration, strain sensing and temperature sensing. Both pressure and strain sensing are studied in terms of the temporal response. The temporal response shows rapid resistance changes and returns to its original value after the external load is removed. The electrical conductivity of the prototype correlates to the temperature by showing negative temperature coefficient material behaviour with the sensitivity of −0.105 MΩ/°C.

The conductive sensor array can potentially be implemented as electronic skin due to its reaction with mechanical stimuli: compression and stretchable pressure force, strain sensing and temperature sensing.

This prototype enables various static and dynamic stimulus detections, including bending, normal force, shear stress and certain range of temperature variation, through sandwiching an array of conductive blocks, made of MWCNT and PDMS composite. Conventional design might need to integrate different microfeatures to perform the similar task, especially for dynamic force sensing.

Numerous smog events have occurred in recent years in China. Their hazards in mining and industrial cities are more serious than clear days. The samples were collected in the mining and industrial city of Handan. During the smog episode, PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 concentrations reach up to 980 μg/m³ and 660 μg/m³, respectively. Under SEM (scanning electron microscope) analysis, the particles consist of soot, fly ash and minerals, which could be from coal mines, power plants, steel mills and auto exhausts. Compared with the samples collected on a clear day, the increased PM₁₀ particles are mainly composed of organic matter, especially aromatic compounds. The Pb content in PM₁₀ of the smog day reaches 507.4 ng/m³ and could be caused by vehicle emissions.

A total of 283 coal and parting samples were taken from the Pingshuo mine district, Ningwu coalfield, China. The contents, distribution and enrichment mechanism of 12 hazardous trace elements were studied. The results indicate that Co, Ni, Zn, Cu, Ag and Cr have the chalcophile affinity; Ba, Cd, U are related with clay mineral; Mn is mainly related with carbonate minerals; Pb and Be may be related with sulfide, clay mineral and organic matter. Most of trace elements were associated with terrigenous clastic and clay. The elements (Cr, Pb, Be, Ag, Cu, U, Cd) were enriched in the wet forest and low swamps.