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The development of ice and snow sports is a crucial aspect of building China into a leading sports nation. Enhancing adolescents’ willingness to participate in ice and snow sports reflects the essence of sustainable and high-quality development in this field. Using data from 23 provinces and municipalities in China in 2023, this study adopts an integrated theoretical framework combining the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the Norm Activation Model (NAM). Employing fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), the study identifies key influencing factors and explores the configuration paths affecting adolescents’ willingness to participate in ice and snow sports. The findings are as follows: (1) Although public participation in ice and snow sports among adolescents is being actively promoted in China, there remains a lack of comprehensive understanding of their participation intentions and demands. (2) Subjective norms and personal norms, as sufficient conditions, show strong explanatory power in shaping adolescents’ willingness to participate in ice and snow sports. This highlights the importance of exploring multiple condition-variable configurations to gain a more comprehensive and in-depth understanding of adolescents’ participation intentions. (3) Four primary paths to promoting adolescents’ willingness to participate in ice and snow sports were identified: the comprehensive driver path (C1), the emotional and normative resonance path (C2), the integrated participation path (C3), and the knowledge-behavior co-driven paths (C4 and C5). The study recommends a collaborative approach between government and schools to integrate ice and snow sports into adolescents’ quality education system, leveraging digital technologies to enrich and enhance their ice and snow sports experience. Additionally, fostering an ice and snow culture to strengthen adolescents’ emotional identity and cultural value perception of these sports is essential to attract more youth participation. By focusing on the integrated TPB-NAM theoretical framework and incorporating risk perception and prior knowledge for evaluating participation willingness, this study effectively overcomes the limitations of single-method approaches. This expansion provides new perspectives and proposes novel paths, such as emotional and normative resonance and knowledge-behavior co-driving, for understanding and promoting ice and snow sports. These findings offer targeted market insights and intervention strategies for policymakers and practitioners. The fsQCA method identifies key drivers and contextual combinations, assisting policymakers, educators, and learners in promoting participation. Overall, this study enriches theoretical understanding and proposes comprehensive and scenario-adaptive dynamic paths to foster high-quality development in ice and snow sports while providing practical guidance for policymakers and educators.

A stable multimodal system is developed by combining two common-path digital holographic microscopes (DHMs): coherent and incoherent, for simultaneous recording and retrieval of three-dimensional (3-D) phase and 3-D fluorescence imaging (FI), respectively, of a biological specimen. The 3-D FI is realized by a single-shot common-path off-axis fluorescent DHM developed recently by our group. In addition, we accomplish, the phase imaging by another single-shot, highly stable common-path off-axis DHM based on a beam splitter. In this DHM configuration, a beam splitter is used to divide the incoming object beam into two beams. One beam serves as the object beam carrying the useful information of the object under study, whereas another beam is spatially filtered at its Fourier plane by using a pinhole and it serves as a reference beam. This DHM setup, owing to a common-path geometry, is less vibration-sensitive and compact, having a similar field of view but with high temporal phase stability in comparison to a two-beam Mach–Zehnder-type DHM. The performance of the proposed common-path DHM and the multimodal system is verified by conducting various experiments on fluorescent microspheres and fluorescent protein-labeled living cells of the moss Physcomitrella patens. Moreover, the potential capability of the proposed multimodal system for 3-D live fluorescence and phase imaging of the fluorescent beads is also demonstrated. The obtained experimental results corroborate the feasibility of the proposed multimodal system and indicate its potential applications for the analysis of functional and structural behaviors of a biological specimen and enhancement of the understanding of physiological mechanisms and various biological diseases.

Urban green innovation (UGI) is seen as a powerful mechanism to address issues of global warming and environmental sustainability. In China, the experimental nature of UGI is evident, and it relies on intergovernmental relations such as central government leadership and policy transfer from local governments. However, studies on urban green innovation efficiency (UGIE) from the perspective of intergovernmental relationships remains insufficient. This paper uses the Super-EBM and DDF-SBM models to measure UGIE. Based on fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), necessary condition analysis (NCA) and robustness testing, it explores the complex relationships path of intergovernmental relationships on promoting the UGIE. The results of this paper show that intergovernmental relations, digital economy, urban business environment and industrial transfer are not necessary conditions for UGIE. Four configuration paths are derived from the complex configuration perspective: vertical intervention in the digital economy green transformation mode, vertical intervention to promote green efficiency improvement mode, local government business environment and digital economy synergy driving mode, and horizontal cooperation to promote green total factor efficiency conversion mode. This paper explores the “achievement of the same goal” allocation relationship between central government intervention and local government coordination on the UGIE, and the findings are novel for the studies of intergovernmental relations that are intertwined horizontally and vertically.

Firms are seeking effective ways to cultivate high-value patents to support the goals of their innovative development, which has raised a promising research issue on different paths to high-value patents. However, prior studies mainly focused on the individual impact of a single or multiple patent attribute(s) on patent value. This study aims to explore the interactions of different patent attributes and their joint effect on high-value patents in the emerging economy context using three-dimensional patent value as the research lens. Using data from patents that won China Patent Awards as high-value patent samples and the fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA), this study examines the relationships between three-dimensional patent attributes of technological, legal and economic value and high-value patents. The results demonstrate that the interactions of three-dimensional patent attributes are prerequisites for high-value patents, and four configuration paths contribute to China’s high-value patents. By interpreting multiple patent attribute interactions, this study further reveals the technological-economic complementary mechanism and the potential substitution mechanism within and among the three-dimensional patent attributes in high-value patents, and draws out implications for research, policy and practice. This study contributes to the patent value literature by adopting a configurational perspective to examine the causal complexity of patent attribute combinations, and providing a systematic understanding of the effective configuration paths to high-value patents in China as well as the complementary and substitution mechanisms between patent attributes. The findings also support better-informed patent policy and firm strategies aimed at gaining more high-value patents.

In the context of escalating environmental and climate concerns, it is imperative for enterprises to embark on carbon emission reduction initiatives. Exploring the driving pathways for corporate low-carbon transformation is crucial for the development of a green economy. In this paper, various configuration pathways that may drive heavily polluting industrial enterprises towards green and low-carbon transformation were investigated based on the Technology–Organization–Environment (TOE) theoretical framework and the fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) method. The results indicated the following: (1) the low-carbon transformation of heavily polluting enterprises is the result of the joint action of multiple factors; (2) there are eight pathways that can promote corporate low-carbon transformation, roughly divided into single-factor driving types (including MEA drive, DT drive, and GI drive), dual-factor driving types (DT–ER drive and DT–ESGR drive), and multi-factor driving types (including GI–DT–MEA–ER drive, GI–FS–ER drive, and GI–FS–ESGR drive). It can be concluded that there can be certain substitutions between green technology innovation and digital transformation, and environmental regulations and ESG ratings. (3) GI and DT are crucial to the low-carbon transformation of heavily polluting enterprises, and the latter has a more significant impact on promoting low-carbon transformation. MEA is also worthy of attention. The research conclusions not only provide theoretical support for the low-carbon transformation of heavily polluting industrial enterprises but also have valuable reference significance for other industry enterprises, and even the whole of society, to achieve green sustainable development.

This study addresses the construction of high-quality rural landscapes, crucial for China’s rural revitalization strategy, encompassing economic, social, cultural, and ecological dimensions. Focusing on 66 cold-region villages in Heilongjiang Province, it develops a dual-dimensional quality evaluation system that integrates both objective data and subjective perception indicators. It employs the entropy weight TOPSIS model to evaluate and grade the quality of rural landscapes and uses fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) to analyze the complex causal relationships influencing high-quality rural landscapes. The results show that (1) The TOPSIS model identifies four grades of rural landscape quality: “Excellent-Good-Average-Poor”, with “Excellent and Good” grades defined as high-quality rural landscape. (2) The fsQCA reveals eight configuration paths that influence high-quality rural landscapes, which are categorized into four models: natural ecology, efficient industry, cultural heritage, and comprehensive development. The main contribution of this study lies in its systematic analysis of the complex causal relationships affecting rural landscape quality, providing a theoretical and technological foundation for guiding the sustainable development of cold-region rural landscapes within the framework of rural revitalization strategy in China.

As China's urban digitalization strategy advances to a new stage, the urgent issue of promoting urban digitalization development by optimizing the business environment requires immediate attention. Scholars have illustrated the positive impact of urban digital development on both the environment and sustainable growth. In our study, we utilized the \"Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE)\" framework to analyze a series of exemplary urban digitalization cases in China from 2021 onward. This analysis was conducted using the fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) method. Our primary findings reveal that government policies, digital talents, and digital infrastructure are key drivers in advancing urban digitalization. Specifically, we identified four distinct pathways, all involving various combinations of government environment, digital talents, and digital infrastructure, leading to significant urban digitalization. These insights uncover the connection between the business environment and urban digital growth. This relationship not only offers valuable guidance for future urban digital initiatives but also supports the broader goals of urban environmental sustainability.

PurposeUnder the background of coexistence of information overload and information fragmentation, it is of great significance to identify influencing factors and reveal the evolution logic of public opinion for public opinion governance.Design/methodology/approachTaking 24 hot social events as research cases, firstly, the evolution process of public opinion was divided into initial stage and response stage. Secondly, eight antecedent variables were extracted for qualitative comparative analysis of fuzzy sets. Finally, the configuration path of public opinion evolution results was summarized.FindingsThe research showed that compared with the initial stage, the influencing factors in the reaction stage played a key role in the continuous evolution of public opinion. The influencing factors in the initial stage and response stage played an indispensable role in promoting the evolution of public opinion to calm down.Practical implicationsThis research can provide reference for regulators to timely grasp the initiative, discourse power and leadership of public opinion development.Originality/valueResearch on the two-stage configuration path of public opinion evolution is helpful to clarify the key factors affecting the evolution trend of online public opinion of hot events.

As an emerging marketing tool, virtual influencers (VIs) have attracted increasing scholarly attention. However, existing research predominantly adopts linear causal analysis models, which fail to capture the complex, nonlinear interaction between consumers and VIs. Grounded in the 5W communication model and utilizing a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), this study systematically explores how different configurational paths influence consumer engagement, drawing on empirical data from 205 participants. The findings reveal that (1) the synergy of entertainment, information, and credibility is a core prerequisite for achieving high engagement; (2) two equivalent paths—namely, the technology-driven path (media richness + content synergy) and the cognition-driven path (technology acceptance + content synergy)—lead to high engagement, both with a solution consistency of 0.98; and (3) the joint absence of content, media richness, and audience cognition results in low engagement. Theoretically, this study challenges traditional linear approaches by validating causal asymmetry and revealing configurational interdependencies among communication elements. It also extends the Media Richness Theory (MRT) and the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) into the context of virtual influencer (VI) marketing. Practically, the proposed dynamic configuration model offers marketers a novel framework for optimizing VI campaigns through resource-adaptive strategies.

[Purpose/Significance] Digital live streaming is an important way for enterprises to carry out online activities. Incorporating clear set qualitative comparative analysis into the research on improving the effectiveness of enterprise digital live streaming activities is an innovation in the application of configuration analysis methods and a new breakthrough in the field of improving activity effectiveness. By identifying elements or combinations of elements that can create greater value for enterprise digital live streaming activities, and adopting various ways to enhance these element combinations, the goal of improving the effectiveness of enterprise digital live streaming activities can be achieved, which has innovative guiding significance for enterprise development. [Method/Process] Based on the consideration of sample homogeneity, the background data of the digital live streaming activity of Guangxi Zhongyan Industry Co., Ltd. was used as the data source. Four influencing factors related to the digital live streaming activity were selected as conditional variables using literature induction and problem oriented methods, and some conditional variables were assigned values using linear discriminant dimensionality reduction. At the same time, the activity effect was used as the outcome variable, configuration analysis was conducted on digital live streaming activities in the tobacco industry through clear set qualitative comparative analysis, and combined with SOR model and the 4I theory, a configuration path for improving the effectiveness was generated. [Conclusions/Results] Research has found that a single factor does not constitute a necessary condition for improving the effectiveness of digital live streaming activities. There are two configuration paths: game assisted and topic supported, which can improve the effectiveness of digital live streaming activities. The mechanism of action can be summarized as follows: rich topic types are conducive to meeting users' curiosity psychology, topic popularity and game quantity can ensure users' participation in live streaming, and user interaction work is the basic guarantee for improving user retention. Meanwhile, these two paths can be applied to different forms of digital live streaming, and enterprises should choose according to their own needs and refine the paths in practice. In addition, although this article explores the key paths to improve the effectiveness of digital live streaming activities, due to limitations in research samples and industry fields, it has not fully revealed the various factors that affect the effectiveness of digital live streaming, and there is a certain degree of subjectivity in the criteria for assigning variables. Therefore, further revisions and improvements are needed in future research.