Does fintech lead to better accounting practices? Empirical evidence

Purpose Innovation in fintech presents great opportunities and huge challenges for accounting practices around the world. This paper aims to examine the impact of Fintech on accounting practices including financial reporting, performance management, budgeting, auditing, risk and fraud management. Fintech is proxied by the adoption of AI and big data analysis in accounting practices. Design/methodology/approach We chose African countries as our focus countries and surveyed chartered and qualified accountants in both Ghana and Nigeria. With 201 questionnaires qualified for our final analyses, we adopted the structural equation modelling to analyse the impact of Fintech on accounting practices. Findings The empirical results show that the impact of AI and big data on accounting practices is positive and significant, indicating that fintech could potentially mitigate the agency problem in accounting practices and lead to better accounting practices. Interestingly, we find that, in general, the impact of AI is larger than that of big data. Originality/value Our results provide significant insights to regulators, policymakers and managers about the future development of adopting fintech in the regulation and governance framework at both macro and micro levels for accounting practice

Does fintech lead to better accounting practices? Empirical evidence

Purpose Innovation in fintech presents great opportunities and huge challenges for accounting practices around the world. This paper aims to examine the impact of Fintech on accounting practices including financial reporting, performance management, budgeting, auditing, risk and fraud management. Fintech is proxied by the adoption of AI and big data analysis in accounting practices. Design/methodology/approach We chose African countries as our focus countries and surveyed chartered and qualified accountants in both Ghana and Nigeria. With 201 questionnaires qualified for our final analyses, we adopted the structural equation modelling to analyse the impact of Fintech on accounting practices. Findings The empirical results show that the impact of AI and big data on accounting practices is positive and significant, indicating that fintech could potentially mitigate the agency problem in accounting practices and lead to better accounting practices. Interestingly, we find that, in general, the impact of AI is larger than that of big data. Originality/value Our results provide significant insights to regulators, policymakers and managers about the future development of adopting fintech in the regulation and governance framework at both macro and micro levels for accounting practice

Density and Viscosity of Ternary Mixture of Cyclopentanol + <i>exo</i>-Tetrahydrodicyclopentadiene + 1,3-Dimethyladamantane

Oxygenated additives have been proved to improve the property of an aviation fuel, such as reducing pernicious emissions and adjusting physical properties, and an appropriate alcohol is usually a typical candidate. To understand the properties of high-energy-density hydrocarbon fuels with alcohol, densities (ρ) and viscosities (η) of ternary system, cyclopentanol + exo-tetrahydrodicyclopentadiene (JP-10) + 1,3-dimethyladamantane (1,3-DMA), and their corresponding binary systems, have been determined over the whole composition range at different temperatures, T = (293.15–333.15) K, and atmospheric pressure, p = 0.1 MPa. The excess molar volumes (VmE) and the viscosity deviations (Δη) of the binary systems mixtures were calculated and fitted to the Redlich–Kister equation, while those of the ternary systems were calculated and fitted to four different semiempirical equations. The results show that the addition of cyclopentanol can lead to a little higher density and a lower viscosity, which are beneficial to the design and performance of hydrocarbon fuels

Does Fintech lead to enhanced environmental sustainability? The mediating role of green innovation in China and India

Fintech and green innovations are increasingly recognized as potential solutions for enhanced environmental sustainability. In this paper, we investigate the impact of Fintech on environmental sustainability through the lens of green innovation in manufacturing. Using questionnaire data from 477 manufacturing firms in China and India between February and June 2024, the study employs Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modelling to analyze the dynamic relationships. We find that both Fintech and green innovation significantly contribute to improving the environmental sustainability of manufacturing firms. Results further show that Fintech positively supports manufacturing firms' green innovation developments. Moreover, green innovations partially mediate Fintech's effect on environmental sustainability. Our results also highlight regional differences: the impact of Fintech and green innovation on environmental sustainability is stronger in China than in India. Additionally, Fintech's role in supporting green innovations is more pronounced in Chinese firms than in India. The paper highlights the importance of investments in Fintech and green innovation by manufacturing firms, particularly in emerging markets, to address environmental issues for sustainability.</p

Densities and Viscosities for the Ternary System of 1,2,3,4-Tetrahydronaphthalene + Isopropylcyclohexane + Cyclopropanemethanol and Corresponding Binaries at <i>T</i> = (293.15 to 343.15) K

Measurements on density and viscosity at atmospheric pressure for the ternary system 1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene (1) + isopropylcyclohexane (2) + cyclopropanemethanol (3) and three corresponding binary systems from (293.15 to 343.15) K have been carried out over the whole composition range. The excess molar volumes (VmE) and viscosity deviations (Δη) of the ternary system have been derived from the experimental data and then fitted to the Cibulka, Singh, Redlich–Kister, and Nagata–Tamura equations, respectively. The binary subsystems were correlated by Redlich–Kister equation. For the system of 1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene + isopropylcyclohexane, the curve of the VmE reveals a wing shape. The VmE values are positive for the other two binary systems of 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro­naphthalene + cyclopropane­methanol and isopropyl­cyclohexane + cyclopropane­methanol. While the value of Δη for all three binary systems is negative over the entire composition range. The results are interpreted with molecular interactions and structural effects

New Strategy for High-Performance Integrated Catalysts for Cracking Hydrocarbon Fuels

In this study, we described the synthesis, characterization, and application of hyperbranched polymer-encapsulated metal nanoparticles (HEMNs) as integrated catalysts for the supercritical cracking of hydrocarbon fuels. The metal precursor was extracted into the organic phase using a hydrocarbon-soluble hyperbranched poly­(amidoamine) (CPAMAM) and then reduced in situ by NaBH4 to produce HEMNs with virtually a single-size distribution. The monitoring of the preparation process by UV–vis demonstrated the feasibility of this encapsulation approach, and the successful synthesis of three different types of HEMNs, metal (Pd, Pt, Au)@CPAMAM, reflected the universality of this method. Compared with the existing catalyst octadecylamine-stabilized Pd nanoparticle, Pd@18N, HEMNs were superior in every aspect. The new encapsulation method allowed metal NPs to have a smaller particle size beneficial to their overall specific surface area and a higher proportion of active surface atoms for a better catalytic activity. Moreover, the space-limiting effect of the polymer allowed the three HEMNs to be highly dispersed in decalin and exhibited admirable stability under storage tests for up to 12 months and high-temperature stability tests at 180 °C. During the supercritical cracking of decalin, Pd@CPAMAM possessed a much better catalytic performance than Pd@18N and CPAMAM (which can also be used as a macroinitiator). To obtain the same heat sink of 3.02 MJ/kg, the temperature could be lowered from 725 to 701, 693, and 699 °C for Pd, Pt, and Au HEMNs, respectively. Pt HEMN turned out to be the best due to its excellent catalytic dehydrogenation/cracking performance, with the conversion of decalin increasing from 22.3 to 50.7% and the heat sink rising from 2.18 to 2.62 MJ/kg with the existence of 50 ppm Pt@CPAMAM, at 675 °C. The significant enhancements were ascribed to the synergistic catalysis through the remarkable abilities of nanometals to catalyze dehydrogenation/cracking of fuel, the supercritical stabilization effects from CPAMAM, and the initiation effects of the hyperbranched polymer CPAMAM

Density and Viscosity for Binary Mixtures of the Ionic Liquid 2,2-Diethyl-1,1,3,3-Tetramethylguanidinium Ethyl Sulfate with Water, Methanol, or Ethanol

The ionic liquid (IL), 2,2-diethyl-1,1,3,3-tetramethylguanidinium ethyl sulfate ([(C₂)₂²(C₁)₂(C₁)₂³gu]­[C₂OSO₃]), was synthesized and characterized. The density and viscosity data were determined for the binary mixtures of [(C₂)₂²(C₁)₂(C₁)₂³gu]­[C₂OSO₃] with water, methanol, or ethanol over the whole concentration range at different temperatures <i>T</i> = 293.15–323.15 K and atmospheric pressure <i>p</i> = 0.1 MPa. The excess molar volume, <i>V</i>_m^E, and viscosity deviation, Δη, for the binary mixtures are calculated and fitted with the Redlich–Kister type polynomial equation. The values of <i>V</i>_m^E for [(C₂)₂²(C₁)₂(C₁)₂³gu]­[C₂OSO₃] + water system are observed to be negative, and those for [(C₂)₂²(C₁)₂(C₁)₂³gu]­[C₂OSO₃] + methanol/ethanol system change from negative to positive against the mole fraction (<i>x</i>₁) of the IL, which exhibit the minimum values around <i>x</i>₁ = 0.2 and the maximum values near <i>x</i>₁ = 0.8. The Δη values for all of the three binary systems are negative, and the minimum values occur near <i>x</i>₁ = 0.6. The temperature dependence of viscosity for pure [(C₂)₂²(C₁)₂(C₁)₂³gu]­[C₂OSO₃] and its binary mixtures can be well correlated with the Vogel–Fucher–Tammann equation. These fundamental physicochemical properties of the binary mixtures make for a better comprehension of the guanidinium-based ILs and the potential applications