As mobile apps proliferate, app icon design has become central to shaping consumer perceptions and choices. While prior research has emphasized isolated color attributes such as hue, saturation, and luminance, limited attention has been given to figure-ground color contrast. Drawing on Gestalt theory, this study reports four experiments examining how background color (non-white vs. white) influences consumer responses. Results show that non-white backgrounds enhance perceived safety, which in turn improves brand attitudes and download intentions. Importantly, these effects are contingent on consumer characteristics and app contexts: they emerge among holistic thinkers and utilitarian apps, but not among analytical thinkers or hedonic apps. This research extends Gestalt theory to app icon design and advances understanding of how subtle visual cues shape digital branding outcomes and the findings also offer actionable guidance for developers and marketers seeking to optimize icon aesthetics in highly competitive app markets.

Lunar construction is advancing rapidly, yet its environmental implications on Earth remain largely overlooked. Emissions, material scarcity, and supply chain impacts associated with lunar development indicate the need for early evaluation within the frameworks of Earth’s planetary boundaries.

China's rapid urban expansion and population migration have led to a substantial increase in building material stocks (MS). Understanding these stocks is crucial for effective planning and managing the built environment. This study analyzed in-use building MS in China from 2000 to 2020 at different spatial scales and resolutions and employed typological data as a bridge addressing information gaps in non-residential buildings and the spatial scale discontinuity issue in MS analysis. At the macro scale, MS in China increased from 70 gigatons (Gt) in 2000 to 133 Gt in 2020. Non-residential and non-urban MS played substantial roles, constituting 41.8 % and 47.9 % in 2020, respectively. In highly urbanized regions, the proportion of residential building MS decreased due to the prevalence of more functional buildings. Some southern provinces had MS from rural areas even exceeding 50 %, emphasizing the importance of considering rural areas in construction resource management. At a high-resolution scale using GIS data, differences emerged between the analysis and statistical data. These differences, especially in estimating residential and commercial building MS, may be attributed to the mixed-use of building types in Chinese cities or unclear delineations of land use types. We advocate for further research to explore these variations, establishing consistent MS methods across different spatial scales and providing decision-makers with effective data support and analytical tools.

The escalating concerns surrounding the growing amount of combustion ash derived from biomass residues have been further intensified by the rapid global population growth and the ever-increasing demands for energy. Among various industries, the construction sector stands out as a significant contributor to carbon emissions due to its energy-intensive nature. However, the incorporation of biomass combustion ash as supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) and aggregates in cementitious materials presents a win-win strategy for both biomass waste management and the optimization of cement composite strength. Furthermore, the utilization of carbon-negative biochar, which is produced from biobased residues under controlled conditions, holds promise as fillers or aggregates in building materials. Despite the potential benefits, research on the application of biowaste ash and biochar as admixtures in construction materials has been scattered and fragmentary. Consequently, this chapter places significant emphasis on the selection of raw feedstocks and production conditions for biomass ash and biochar. Furthermore, this chapter provides a comprehensive overview of their impact on the fresh-state, hardened, and durability properties of cement-based composites. By recycling biomass combustion ash into SCMs and aggregates, not only can the strength of cement composites be augmented, but also valuable contributions can be made toward the mitigation of resource depletion and climate change.

PurposeThe use of brand slogans that represent brand concepts on app launch pages can improve user brand impressions. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of using animated or static spokes-characters with brand slogans on app launch pages.Design/methodology/approachUsing the theory of attention selection, the authors conducted two experiments to study the boundary and mediation path of the influence of the motion attributes of spokes-characters (static vs animated) on brand memory based on app launch time (3 s vs 5 s), user engagement with spokes-characters and the level of attention to brand slogans.FindingsStudy 1 explores the effect of the interaction between launch time and the motion attributes of spokes-characters on brand memory. The results show that when the launch time of the app is 3 s, the advertisement memory effect of using a static spokes-character is better than that of using an animated spokes-character; when the launch time of the app is 5 s, the advertisement memory effect of using an animated spokes-character is better than that of using a static spokes-character. Study 2 shows that user engagement with spokes-characters and the level of attention given to brand slogans play a continuous mediating role in the effect of the interaction between launch time and the motion attributes of spokes-characters on brand memory.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the marketing literature by expanding the knowledge of spokes-characters and animated visual images, providing new insights for future research.

Users of mobile phone applications (apps) often have to wait for the pages of apps to load, a process that substantially affects user experience. Based on the Attentional Gate Model and Emotional Contagion Theory, this paper explores the effects of the urgency expressed by a spokes-character's movement in the loading page of a social app the app type on users' switching intention through two studies. In Study 1 (N = 173), the results demonstrated that for a hedonic-orientated app, a high-urgency (vs. low-urgency) spokes-character resulted in a lower switching intention, whereas the opposite occurred for a utilitarian-orientated app. We adopted a similar methodology in Study 2 (N = 182) and the results showed that perceived waiting time mediated the interaction effect demonstrated in Study 1. Specifically, for the hedonic-orientated (vs. utilitarian-orientated) social app, the high-urgency (vs. low-urgency) spokes-character made participants estimate a shorter perceived waiting time, which induces a lower user switching intention. This paper contributes to the literature on emotion, spokes-characters, and human-computer interaction, which extends an enhanced understanding of users' perception during loading process and informs the design of spokes-characters for the loading pages of apps.

Carbonation is one of the utmost serious issues affecting the long-term durability of reinforced concrete. When H2O is present, a reaction between CO2 gas and Ca(OH)2 occurs, forming powdered CaCO3, which affects the microstructure of the concrete by lowering the pH level and causing corrosion, shortening the structure's service life. The complexity of the interaction between important parameters is difficult to capture for conventional carbonation prediction models. As a result, implementing powerful machine learning (ML) algorithms to overcome a lack of understanding of the consequences of such governing input parameters is critical. ML-based carbonation prediction models that blend four metaheuristic algorithms with Support Vector Regression (SVR) were developed to increase the accuracy and methodology of the prediction. 300 datasets from previous researches were used to develop, train, and test the SVR model. For the estimate of carbonation depth using experimental data, the possible hybrid SVR, which is made up of a Chicken Swarm Optimization (CSO), Grey Wolf Optimization (GWO), Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), and Seagull Optimization Algorithm (SOA), was used. The modelling accuracy was verified using four distinct performance indexes: Coefficient of determination (R2), Mean Square Error (MSE), Mean Absolute Error (MAE), and Variance Accounted For (VAF). The training and test sets of AI models (CSO-SVR, GWO-SVR, PSO-SVR, and SOA-SVR) exhibit a strong correlation (R2 > 0.95) between the actual and predicted carbonation depth values. The application of this model for numerical research on the parameters affecting the carbonation depth in fly-ash concrete is successful, according to this study, and it gives scientific direction for durability design.

Air quality impacts human health from multiple perspectives. Ambient air pollution (AAP) exposure poses a great contribution to the global burden of disease (BoD). The United Nations launched the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to evaluate sustainability levels and improve human living environments. In particular, the two indicators 3.9.1 and 11.6.2, i.e. fine particulate matters (PM2.5 and PM10) and relative disease mortality are listed to illustrate the development goals for the air environment. At present, countries around the world have adopted measures to mitigate AAP, and a quantitative evaluation of the effectiveness is necessary. Thus, statistics for AAP and BoD across the global 183 countries were analyzed to help assess the gap between the status quo and SDGs in this study. We offer a new perspective on BoD estimation research - proportional data (AAP-caused disease burden / total environment-caused disease burden) in grouped global countries (according to their geographical and economic conditions) were adopted to substitute the absolute value in this study, which is more reasonable for comparative analysis. The overlap of economic and geographic distribution shows that the heaviest BoD is concentrated in high-income and Middle Eastern regions. Concerning the type of disease burden, acute lower respiratory infections (ALRI) and ischemic heart disease (IHD) are two major contributors to BoD, and the worldwide deaths and Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) caused by them need to be taken seriously. Generally, this study provides novel evidence for the formulation of air pollution control and management measures to reduce the related disease burden in global regions. To reduce the future BoD, different strategies should be designed depending on the order of driving factors in regions. Even though the triggers of BoD are quite different across the globe, the correlation analysis results inform that reducing emissions along with CO2 from social operations at the source is the most direct and effective path in areas with a high density of susceptible populations.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the interaction effects of spokes-character dynamism (high vs low) and brand personality (sincere vs competent) on consumers’ evaluation and the mediating role of processing fluency. Design/methodology/approach Two experiments were conducted to test the hypotheses. Study 1 establishes the interaction effect between evoked spokes-character dynamism and brand personality on brand trust and examines the mediating role of processing fluency. By introducing a control group and using purchase intention as the dependent variable, Study 2 further extends the results of Study 1. Findings The results of Studies 1 and 2 show that for sincere brands, spokes-characters with high dynamic imagery contribute to significantly higher consumer evaluation than the control group and the group of spokes-characters with low dynamic imagery. However, for competent brands, spokes-characters with low dynamic imagery contribute to significantly higher consumer evaluation than the control group and the group of spokes-characters with high dynamic imagery. In addition, processing fluency mediates the interaction effect between evoked spokes-character dynamism and brand personality on consumers’ evaluation. Research limitations/implications The studies considered only one method, “frozen motion,” to evoke perceived movement. Further studies using other methods are needed to allow for generalization. Practical implications The discerning use of dynamic imagery in spokes-character design involving advertisements may aid marketers in maximizing spokes-characters’ effect on consumers’ evaluation. Originality/value The perceived movement of spokes-characters is integrated into the cognition of brand personality. Marketers should take into account how the match between spokes-character dynamism and brand personality may influence consumers’ evaluation of the brand.

Although online communities with a supportive climate encourage members to participate and exchange their information openly and freely, participants may perceive the community to be unsafe without proper control. Do controlling climates also contribute to the accumulation of social capital in online brand communities (OBCs)? The purpose of our study was to investigate how controlling and supportive climates jointly influence community identification, and to examine the mediating effects of social capital and the moderating effects of community age. A conceptual framework was proposed and tested with data collected from an online survey of 481 online brand community members. We found that both controlling and supportive climates had positive effects on social capital (trust and norms of reciprocity), which exerted a partial mediation between community climate and community identification in the OBCs examined. Developing a community climate was particularly effective in generating trust in older communities. This research contributes to the community literature and has important implications for community climate management. We identified the boundary conditions of the community climate-trust association.

The surge of medical waste (MW) generated during the COVID-19 pandemic has exceeded the disposal capacity of existing facilities. The timely, safe, and efficient emergency disposal of MW is critical to prevent the epidemic spread. Therefore, this review presents the current status of MW generation and disposal in China and analyzes the characteristics and applicability of emergency disposal technologies. The results show that movable disposal facilities can dispose of infectious MW on site, even though most of their disposal capacity is at a low level (<5 t/day). Co-disposal facilities need to be reformed completely for emergency MW disposal, in which separate feeding systems should be taken seriously. Specifically, municipal solid waste (MSW) incineration facilities have great potential to improve emergency MW disposal capacities. For hazardous waste incineration facilities, compatibility of the wastes must be matched to the composition and calorific value of the waste. As for cement kiln, MW can only be used as an alternative fuel instead of a raw material for cement. Based on the environmental risk and technical adaptability, the six emergency MW disposal technologies are recommended to be prioritized as follows: movable microwave sterilization, movable steam sterilization, movable incineration, co-incineration with hazardous waste, co-incineration with MSW and co-disposal in cement kilns. Infectious MW, especially COVID-19 MW, should be prioritized for disposal by centralized and movable disposal facilities, while non-infectious MW can be disposed of using co-disposal facilities. All stakeholders should strengthen the delicacy management of the end-of-life stage of MW, including collection, classification, packaging identification, transportation, and disposal. Currently, it is necessary for centralized disposal enterprises to follow the emergency disposal operation flowchart. From a long-term strategic perspective, making full use of regional movable and co-disposal facilities in the megacities can effectively enhance the emergency MW disposal capacity.

In this article, we explore how incomplete spokes-character faces (versus complete spokes-character faces in application icon designs) make a positive impression on users, and we outline the boundary conditions. Across three studies, we find incomplete spokes-character faces to be an effective image icon tool. In study 1, we find that spokes-characters with incomplete faces improve users’ brand evaluations. In study 2, we find that incomplete spokes-character faces create perceptions of anthropomorphism, which lead to more favorable brand evaluations by enhancing the interpersonal closeness between the user and the brand. The results of study 3, however, show that the type of social exclusion (control vs. ignored vs. rejected) moderates the relationship between incomplete spokes-character faces in mobile application icons and brand evaluations.

We explored the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and employee creativity (EC), and investigated how employees' perceptions of CSR and EC interact with perceived organizational support. Data from 278 bank employees in Malawi were analyzed using partial least squares regression. We found that employees' perceptions of CSR were positively related to EC, and that this relationship was mediated by employee engagement. In addition, the moderating effect results showed that when perceived organizational support was high, employees' perceptions of CSR strengthened their work engagement, which then improved EC. These findings indicate that CSR is an important strategic tool in shaping EC. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Once consumers identified a brand community, will they be loyal to the brand or recommend it to others? To answer the question, our study investigated the relationship between brand community identity and consumer behaviors (brand loyalty and brand recommendation); also, we examined the mediation role of brand identity. Results showed that brand identity can fully mediate the relationship between brand community identity and brand loyalty. However, as for the impact of brand community identity on brand recommendation, it can only play a partial mediation role. Specifically, when consumers identified with a brand, they are certainly loyal to it instead of recommending it to others. These conclusions complement brand community theory and provide significant guidance to corporate marketing activities when building brand community.

With the aid of information technology, consumers have increasingly engaged in social interaction in online brand communities. How can these strangers make friends online? Drawing on embeddedness theory and media richness theory, we examine the antecedents and intermediate mechanisms of online friendship. We theorize that online brand community interactivity aided by instant messaging technology is the main driving force of online friendship, whereas social presence and a sense of yuan (a Chinese concept describing predetermined relations) mediate online friendship development. Online friendship in turn enhances consumer online brand community commitment. We test our conceptual model with a sample of consumers from Chinese online sporting goods forums. The results support our hypotheses and inform online brand community research and practice.

With the aid of information technology, consumers have increasingly engaged in social interaction in online brand communities. How can these strangers make friends online? Drawing on embeddedness t...

Although previous research indicates that participation in a brand community may foster consumer loyalty to the brand in question, research has seldom examined the mediating effect of community commitment on brand commitment. Drawing from the typologies of organizational commitment, we divide community commitment into three components: continuance community commitment (continuance CC), affective community commitment (affective CC), and normative community commitment (normative CC). We then assess the mediating role of brand attachment in the relationship between these three components and brand commitment. We test the hypotheses using a sample of online mobile phone brand communities in China. The empirical results reveal that brand attachment exerts an indirect (but not mediated) effect on the relationship between continuance CC and brand commitment and on the relationship between normative CC and brand commitment. We also find that it exerts a partial mediating effect on the relationship between affective CC and brand commitment. The findings contribute to the branding literature and have important implications for brand community management.