bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Production of single doubly charged Higgs bosons at muon colliders
Authors: Jia Jie-Cheng , Han Zhi-Long , Huang Fei , Jin Yi , Li Honglei
Published: January 2025

In this paper, we study the single production of doubly charged Higgs H±± in the type-II seesaw at the high energy muon collider. Compared with the pair production channel μ+μ−→H++H−−, the single production channel μ+μ−→μ∓ℓ∓H±± in principle could probe the mass region above the threshold mH±±>s/2. The single production channel depends on the Yukawa coupling h, which is related to the neutrino oscillation parameters. We show that the Majorana phases ϕ1 and ϕ2 have great impact on the individual cross section of the single production. We find that the same sign dilepton signature from H±±→ℓ±ℓ± could probe mH±±≲2.6(7.1)  TeV at the 3 (10) TeV muon collider when the triplet VEV vΔ≲3  eV.

Published by the American Physical Society
2025
Detector design proposal for a cosmic magnetic monopole search experiment
Authors: Ye Changqing , Liu Beige , Cao Zhe , Han Lingzhi , Huang Xinming , Jiang Min , Liu Dong , Lin Qing , Wan Shitian , Wu Yusheng , Zhao Lei , Zhang Yue , Peng Xinhua , Zhao Zhengguo ,   SCEP Collaboration
Published: January 2025

A magnetic monopole is a well-motivated class of beyond-Standard-Model particles that could provide insights into the long-standing puzzle of the quantization of electric charge. These hypothetical particles are likely to be super heavy (∼1015  GeV) and may have been produced during the very early stages of the Universe’s evolution. We propose a novel detection scenario for the search for such cosmic magnetic monopoles, utilizing a hybrid approach that combines radio-frequency atomic magnetometers and plastic scintillators. Such a setup allows one to detect both the induction and scintillation signals of monopoles with velocities larger than about 10−6 light speed (assuming a signal-to-noise ratio of ∼4) and their masses larger than approximately 107  GeV (at β∼10−3). The proposed detector design has the potential to be scaled up to large areas, enabling the exploration of the parameter space of the cosmic magnetic monopoles beyond the current experimental and astrophysical constraints. It is estimated that such a detector can reach the current most stringent limits on the flux set by previous searches, with a signal-to-noise ratio of the induction signal larger than about 4.5, assuming an effective exposure being 20,000  year· m2 and at least three coil layers.

Published by the American Physical Society
2025
Aspects of particle production from bubble dynamics at a first order phase transition
Authors: Shakya Bibhushan
Published: January 2025

First order phase transitions (FOPTs) constitute an active area of contemporary research as a promising cosmological source of observable gravitational waves. The spacetime dynamics of the background scalar field undergoing the phase transition can also directly produce quanta of particles that couple to the scalar, which has not been studied as extensively in the literature. This paper provides the first careful examination of various aspects of this phenomenon, which is important for understanding the dynamics of the phase transition, the generation of gravitational waves, and various high energy and beyond the Standard Model phenomena. In particular, the contributions from various stages of FOPTs (bubble nucleation, expansion, collision, postcollision) are disentangled, and conceptual aspects of the associated underlying physics relevant for particle production are clarified. Subtleties related to nonuniversality of particle interactions and masses in different vacua are discussed, and the suppression of nonperturbative effects such as tachyonic instability and parametric resonance due to the inhomogeneous nature of the process is examined.

Published by the American Physical Society
2025
Complex harmonics reveal low-dimensional manifolds of critical brain dynamics
Authors: Deco Gustavo , Sanz Perl Yonatan , Kringelbach Morten L.
Published: January 2025

The brain needs to perform time-critical computations to ensure survival. A potential solution lies in the nonlocal, distributed computation at the whole-brain level made possible by criticality and amplified by the rare long-range connections found in the brain's unique anatomical structure. This nonlocality can be captured by the mathematical structure of Schrödinger's wave equation, which is at the heart of the complex harmonics decomposition (CHARM) framework that performs the necessary dimensional manifold reduction able to extract nonlocality in critical spacetime brain dynamics. Using a large neuroimaging dataset of over 1000 people, CHARM captured the critical, nonlocal and long-range nature of brain dynamics and the underlying mechanisms were established using a precise whole-brain model. Equally, CHARM revealed the significantly different critical dynamics of wakefulness and sleep. Overall, CHARM is a promising theoretical framework for capturing the low-dimensionality of the complex network dynamics observed in neuroscience and provides evidence that networks of brain regions rather than individual brain regions are the key computational engines of critical brain dynamics.

Published by the American Physical Society
2025
Nonreciprocal charge transport in polar Dirac metals with tunable spin-valley coupling
Authors: Kondo M. , Kimata M. , Ochi M. , Kaneko T. , Kuroki K. , Sudo K. , Sakaguchi S. , Murakawa H. , Hanasaki N. , Sakai H.
Published: January 2025

Nonreciprocal charge transport in solids, where resistance is different between rightward and leftward currents, is a key function of rectifying devices in modern electronics, as exemplified by p−n semiconductor junctions. Recently, this was also demonstrated in noncentrosymmetric materials in magnetic fields since their band structure exhibits spin polarization coupled to the position of momentum space due to antisymmetric spin-orbit coupling. To enhance the magnitude of the nonreciprocal effect, it is essential to tune such spin-momentum coupling, which has been hampered in conventional materials owing to the difficulty in controlling the broken inversion symmetry built into the lattice and interfacial structures. Here, we report large nonreciprocal resistivity in the layered polar metal BaMnX2 (X=Sb, Bi), where the spin-polarized Dirac dispersion depends on the in-plane polarization tunable by chemical substitution of the X site. For X=Sb with a pair of single-type valleys, the nonreciprocal resistivity increases monotonically with decreasing temperature, while for X=Bi with multiple types of valleys it is reduced by about an order of magnitude and exhibits a peak at a low temperature. Theoretical calculations indicate that the nonreciprocal resistivity is sensitive not only to the spin-momentum (spin-valley) coupling but also to the Fermi energy and the Dirac dispersion. The observed significant variation of nonreciprocal transport in the same series of materials might be of great use in the design of junction-free rectifying devices and circuits.

Published by the American Physical Society
2025
Single-shot X-ray imaging of two-dimensional strain fields in colloidal crystals
Authors: Diao Jiecheng , Gao Zichen , Fan Jiadong , Tong Yajun , Ren Hang , Nie Yonggan , Robinson Ian , Jiang Huaidong
Published: January 2025

We used a soft X-ray free-electron laser and the Bragg coherent diffraction imaging method to characterize the defect structure of colloidal crystals. The single-shot X-ray pulse allowed us to reach four powder rings and measured all six reflections of the hexagonal lattice. We reproduced the static shape of the 2D crystal and mapped out the 2D strain tensors inside the crystal. The observed defect structures agreed with electron microscope images of similar colloidal samples.
The impact of keyword characteristics on seller performance in e-commerce platforms: focusing on the moderating effect of product types
Authors: Lee Jungwon , Yu Jun , You Jae Hyun
Published: January 2025

Purpose

Drawing on the shopping goal theory, this study sets the following research questions. Research question 1: How do keyword characteristics of e-commerce platforms affect seller performance? Research question 2: Do these effects differ according to product type (utilitarian vs hedonic)?

Design/methodology/approach

Empirical analysis was conducted using a dataset of 24,907 keywords collected from 30 product categories on Amazon. Multi-level modeling was used to distinguish between product level and keyword level.

Findings

Regression analysis showed that keyword readability, customer characteristic keywords and brand characteristic keywords positively affect seller sales. The influence of these keyword characteristics on seller performance varied significantly across different product types.

Originality/value

The exploratory results of this study expanded existing studies by adding keyword characteristics to the factors that determine e-commerce platform seller performance and expanded the literature that mainly examines search engine keyword characteristics. In addition, by newly utilizing the LIWC (Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count) methodology, this study provided a novel contribution to the literature on keyword characteristics.
The concept of Finnish civil defence shelters
Authors: Koivukoski Janne
Published: January 2025

Purpose

The aim of this study was to describe the development of Finnish civil defence shelter construction from the 1920s to the present. The purpose of the article is primarily to share information about the birth and development history of the Finnish civil defence system.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is a literary study, including the stages of legislative preparation. The research data is analysed using path dependency theory. The study uses path dependency theory to analyse the development of civil defence shelter construction.

Findings

The paper provides empirical picture about how the development of construction of civil defence shelters was started by voluntary basis and then development was stipulated by legislation. Path dependency can be used to explain how previous investments in infrastructure or technology have affected decision-making. The technical system of shelters was preserved in terms of conventional pressure protection and developed through changes in the socio-economic system as well as by the threat of nuclear war.

Research limitations/implications

The study describes solely development of Finnish civil defence shelter concept. There is a need for a separate international comparative study of developments in different countries and international strategies for civil defence.

Practical implications

The paper reviews the step-by-step development of Finnish civil defence shelters over time, including legislation and technical standards, highlighting the importance of civil defence shelters.

Originality/value

Several Finnish-language studies have been published on the historical development of the construction of Finnish civil defence shelters, but the internationally published unified historical review has not previously been published. This study provides Finnish model and example for the development of civil defence.
An analysis of Guskey’s framework of teachers’ perceptions and experiences in integrating ICTs for lesson study
Authors: Govender Nadaraj , Juggernath Avashkumar
Published: January 2025

Purpose

This study explored high school teachers’ perceptions and collaborative learning experiences in integrating information and communication technologies (ICTs) in teaching using lesson study (LS) whilst engaging in teacher professional development (TPD). Earlier forms of TPD were often theoretical, and teachers had difficulty in applying ICT knowledge and skills for classroom applications. A comprehensive Guskeys’ framework was used to determine whether it was a suitable model for analysing teachers’ perceptions and experiences in integrating ICTs for LS.

Design/methodology/approach

Teachers were exposed to an LS intervention over seven months. About 12 teachers participated in an LS programme. An action-research approach was followed in two cycles with three workshops. During each phase in the cycle, teachers reflected on their lessons in subject groups and on how ICTs were to be integrated into their classrooms. A qualitative approach, case-study embedded in the interpretivist paradigm, was selected. The data were collected using documents in the form of written reflections and interviews. Data were coded, categorized and developed into themes. The analysis was conducted using a comprehensive Guskey’s five hierarchical levels.

Findings

Guskey’s comprehensive framework indicated from teachers’ perceptions and experiences, during an LS intervention, that they gained practical knowledge and skills in the use of ICT resources whilst planning lessons for classroom teaching. They also acquired collaborative skills during LS. However, they reported challenges like finding time for LS commitments, a high teaching workload and students’ unfamiliarity with the use of ICTs.

Research limitations/implications

The study was conducted as a Ph.D. project and hence was limited as students’ learning outcomes could not be explored deeply. Also, the sample selection was limited to only teachers who were engaging in some ICT practices.

Practical implications

Guskey’s 5 framework is useful for LS. The comprehensive Guskey’s framework analysis provides key concepts pinpointing teachers’ valuable experiences in integrating ICT for LS. It is recommended that teachers and school management should consider these valuable concepts in developing an LS programme especially for ICT enhancement.

Social implications

The study has social implications in that teachers can collaborate effectively to plan and present lessons in a LS programme guided by the comprehensive Guskey’s framework.

Originality/value

The study contributes towards an analysis of the usefulness of Guskey’s framework of five hierarchical levels with detailed themes in analysing teachers’ perceptions, collaborative experiences and reflections of integrating ICT into lesson plans for classroom teaching. The study concludes that the comprehensive Guskey’s framework does provide a useful structure for LS intervention in TPD.
How do talent and technology factors affect supply chain robustness and resilience? Evidence from Chinese manufacturers
Authors: Zheng Liqiao , Song Guang , Song Shaohua , Huang Ning , Cheng T.C.E.
Published: January 2025

Purpose

In the face of frequent supply chain disruptions, this study aims to identify the relationships between human capital (HC), digital supply chain practice (DSCP) and supply chain robustness and resilience (i.e. SCRO and SCRE).

Design/methodology/approach

To examine the proposed conceptual model based on the resource-based view and organizational information processing theory, an empirical study was conducted using a sample of Chinese manufacturers. Hierarchical regression is applied to understand the direct effect, mediating effect and moderating effect among HC, DSCP, SCRO, SCRE and digital culture.

Findings

The results reveal that HC positively influences digital maturity and supply chain resilience. DSCP positively affects both SCRO and SCRE. However, HC does not significantly influence the adoption of digital tools, and only employees’ capital has a positive relationship with SCRO. In addition, the moderating effect of digital culture on the relationship between HC and DSCP was examined.

Originality/value

As an early exploration of the relationships among HC, DSCP, SCRO and SCRE, this study enriches the literature by offering new insights and responding to the call for more empirical research and theoretical application. It emphasizes the importance of HC and DSCP as strategic resources and highlights the need for a digital culture to implement DSCP.
A Delphi study on digital maturity and digital competitiveness in the context of digital transformation
Authors: Touijer Mohamed Noureddine , Elabjani Abdelaziz
Published: January 2025

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to conceptualize and propose a framework for examining digital maturity (DM) and digital competitiveness (DC) in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It aims to provide an understanding on how DM can enhance organizational performance, innovation and sustainable growth in the context of DC and strategic change.

Design/methodology/approach

The Delphi method is used in this study to gather insights from 37 experts in digital transformation and change management in Morocco. Using a structured questionnaire and IRaMuTeQ software, the study analyzes responses to identify key themes related to DM and DC in SMEs, providing a comprehensive analytical framework.

Findings

The research highlighted the importance of a comprehensive framework that includes strategy, leadership, information and communication technology infrastructure and customer orientation to assess DM. The study found that SMEs face significant barriers such as digital skills shortages, financial constraints and infrastructural deficits. Despite these challenges, there is a strong recognition of the role of digital technologies in enhancing internal processes and strategic competitiveness. The study calls for customer-focused digital strategies and dematerialized processes to achieve operational efficiency and sustainability.

Practical implications

This study provides SMEs with practical steps to improve their DM. SMEs should focus on simplifying their internal processes by moving away from paper-based systems, adopting tools like cloud services and artificial intelligence (AI) to boost efficiency and developing customer-focused strategies to offer better value. Policymakers should support these businesses by offering financial aid for digital tools, creating programs to improve digital skills and building a stronger digital infrastructure. By doing so, SMEs can become more adaptable, efficient and competitive in today’s digital world.

Originality/value

This study stands out due to its localized focus on Moroccan SMEs, offering insights into DM in a context that has received little attention. By using the Delphi method, it draws on the perspectives of experts in DT to provide a deep understanding of the challenges faced by SMEs. The study also uses IRaMuTeQ software to analyze expert feedback, combining both qualitative and quantitative insights. This approach helps build a new framework linking DM with competitiveness, offering valuable contributions to both theory and practical application for improving DT in SMEs.
Digital transformation in SMEs: global maps and trends of research
Authors: Elsa Dina , Indrawati Henny , Caska Caska
Published: January 2025

Purpose

This paper reviews the literature on digital transformation in SMEs. The general purpose of the paper is to provide an overview of the evolution of digital transformation research in SMEs globally and propose possible future research directions to advance digital transformation research in SMEs.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used a systematic review of the literature by conducting bibliometric analysis and content analysis. The research protocol included 51 articles collected in the Scopus database in the bibliometric analysis. The Scopus database was searched using Publish or Perish, while Excel and Mendeley assistance were used for quantitative investigation of the sample and bibliographic management. A bibliometric analysis was conducted by combining two software applications, Biblioshiny R Studio and VOSviewer.

Findings

Digital transformation (DT) research on SMEs has increased significantly especially after 2015. Using bibliometric analysis and science mapping, seven main research themes were found, namely digital technologies, dynamic capability, digitalization, small and medium enterprises, big data, manufacturing sector and innovation. Seven future DT research trends were also found, namely digital technology adoption, dynamic capability, adaptive leadership, digital literacy, sustainable innovation, managerial readiness and external support.

Originality/value

Compared to existing reviews, we adopt a broader approach and one that does not focus on specific aspects of DT, but adopts an integrated and holistic approach that provides a comprehensive overview of the DT literature in SMEs. In addition to quantitative analysis through bibliometrics, this study also integrated content analysis to determine future research opportunities and directions.

Research limitations

This paper is based on imported bibliographic data from Scopus. The findings of bibliometric analysis may be affected by the use of certain databases. Therefore, the results depend on the selected databases which may lead to different results. Although the literature review procedure was applied, it is possible that there were missed articles related to the topic discussed. The use of different indicators and depiction methods will also lead to different results. Therefore, future researchers should optimize these aspects.
How the environmental friendliness of food delivery packages shapes sustainable customer behavior
Authors: Ting Liu , Ahn Jiseon
Published: January 2025

Purpose

Due to increasing interest in sustainability, consumers prioritize environmentally friendly consumption across various service sectors. This study aims to examine how environment-related attributes of food delivery services affect customer behavior. Specifically, the authors use the stimulus-organism-response framework to explore how environmentally friendly food packages correlate with customers’ environmental support and patronage behavior.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors collected data from US food delivery service customers. To test the hypotheses, the authors used partial least squares structural equation modeling.

Findings

The authors find that customers’ perceptions of the environmental friendliness of food packages influence their satisfaction and trust, which in turn affect their environmental support and patronage behaviors. Also, customers’ trust and satisfaction mediate the relationship between their food consumption experience and its outcomes. The authors further explore demographic factors that influence the proposed relationships.

Originality/value

Due to the popularity of food delivery services, this study has theoretical and practical implications for restaurant service providers and highlights the potential of environmentally friendly packaging to increase both environmental support and loyal behavior.
Hydrocarbon reservoir definition and delineation using log analysis, petrophysics and rock physics in Y-Field, offshore Nigerian Niger Delta
Authors: Ibrahim Abdulbariu , Raji Wasiu O.
Published: January 2025

Purpose

This study aims to characterize the reservoirs through well log analysis, intensive elastic log studies and cross-plotting (rock physics studies) of the Y-Field reservoirs to define the reservoirs hosting hydrocarbons in the basin with structural complexity. Poor evaluation of sand body has been part of the problem leading to wet wells and these above methods accounted for this gap.

Design/methodology/approach

The basic parameters needed for the characterization are P-wave (Vp), S-wave (Vs) and density (ρ) and understanding the relationship between these parameters with the pore-fluid and lithology is of utmost importance in the evaluation of sand body. This was achieved through elastic rock physics studies. Important among these elastic logs include P-impedance (Zp), S-impedance (Zs), Vp/Vs ratio, Poisson’s ratio, lambda-rho (λρ) and mu-rho (µρ), and are critical. Rock physics diagnosis involving elastic log generation and analysis accompanied by cross-plotting of the elastic logs color-coded with petrophysical properties were employed.

Findings

The findings from the elastic logs indicated that hydrocarbon-charged units are characterized by low Zp, Zs, Vp/Vs ratio, Poisson’s ratio, λρ and µρ resulting from a significant drop in P-wave and density because of hydrocarbon presence. The results also showed that some of the reservoirs with hydrocarbon accumulations exhibit high Vp/Vs and Poisson’s ratio as against their usual low values in hydrocarbon intervals which results from the presence of shale with high plasticity. The elastic logs cross-plots of Vp/Vs with Zp, Poisson’s ratio with Zp and λρ with µρ successfully distinguished between the hydrocarbon-charged zone and the brine-saturated units. All these outcomes are the benefits of this research.

Originality/value

It can be shown that the analysis/results have distinguished hydrocarbon-charged units from brine-saturated intervals and the originality lies in the integration of various sophisticated fluid identification templates.
The initial decade of conservation funding following the Aulacaspis yasumatsui (Diaspididae) invasion of Guam
Authors: Marler Thomas E. , Cruz Gil N.
Published: January 2025

Guam was invaded by Aulacaspis yasumatsui in 2003, and numerous funding agencies contributed to the attempts to mitigate the resulting biotic threats and conserve the host Cycas micronesica population. We discuss these initially funded projects, outline some lessons learned, and address the contemporary funding needs. The initial projects were successful in establishing the Rhyzobius lophanthae predator and securing crucial benchmark data on plant population density and demography prior to the commencement of plant mortality. After several years of conservation efforts that included unsuccessful attempts to establish fully effective biological control, a shift of major funds toward rescuing plants from military construction sites resulted in a loss of focus on the most needed conservation endeavors. The cycad species was listed under the United States Endangered Species Act in 2015 as a result of this invasion and the failure to establish effective biological control. This case study presents an example where the causes of the threats to species survival are clearly understood, but the copious amounts of funding that have been spent were not devoted to mitigating those threats. The lessons from Guam may inform emergency management decisions within other newly invaded cycad habitats in other countries.
POLYCRISIS AND ‘UNNATURAL RAIN’ IN URBAN NEIGHBOURHOODS OF BENGAL: The Twin Cities and Issues of Peripheral Centrality
Authors: Singh Rahul
Published: January 2025

Emerging urban studies scholarship has shown how cities are not fraught with one single crisis but are in a state of polycrisis, with the global South's experience of polycrisis differing significantly in how the crises originate and in the strategies employed to deal with them. Urban Bengal's polycrisis originates in imaginations of the urban in London in the eighteenth century, but has taken on a different shape as inhabitants find modes of survival. Today, in the broader context of the climate change crisis affecting the twin cities of Bengal, this article explores the Howrah–Kolkata relation and lack of peripheral centrality that has generated a sense of polycrisis in Bengal. I begin by contextualizing rain in the twin cities and its change to ‘unnatural’ for the periphery observed in recent years. I trace an aqueous history of the region and the growing socio‐economic inequalities between them. I take the Urban Howrah and Park Street neighbourhoods from Howrah and Kolkata respectively to locate the sense of the polycrisis that inhabitants have been experiencing and dealing with. Here, I use class and gender as two frames to map issues of mobility, insecurities, solidarities and the infrastructural access necessary for survival in the urban. I conclude by arguing for a reworking of the twin cities’ relations by centralizing peripheries like Howrah, both to lessen the polycrisis affecting both and the urban pressure on the core—Kolkata.
URBANIZING VOLATILITY: On Recurrent Crises and the Economic Rhythms of Latin American Urbanization
Authors: Magalhães Felipe N.C.
Published: January 2025

Debates on global South urbanization have been an important focus of recent urban studies scholarship. Looking at the urban South from the point of view of the Latin American context, this article highlights a missing piece of the economic viewpoint in such debates: the instability that shapes the peripheral economies with which Southern urban dynamics interact. The article argues that this higher level of economic volatility is an important factor in many urban/sociospatial dynamics in Latin America—hence indispensable for an accurate theoretical understanding of the specificities of its cities and urban processes. The applicability of the idea for other regions of the global South is a hypothesis in need of verification and may involve important implications for current urban research. Moreover, I propose that the geographical approaches to precarity may be enhanced with the dimension of economic volatility, which is usually more intense in precarious (urban) contexts.
A cross‐sectional study of differences in medication for opioid use disorder receipt among pregnant people enrolled in Medicaid in Oregon, United States
Authors: Cioffi Camille C. , Acevedo Ann Martinez , Cohen Deborah J. , Kaufman Menolly R. , Parker Kea , Terplan Mishka , Lindner Stephan R.
Published: January 2025

Background and Aims

Medication is the gold standard to support a healthy pregnancy for pregnant people with opioid use disorder (OUD). This study measured inequities and differences in OUD medication treatment among pregnant people in Oregon, USA.

Design, Setting, Participants and Measurements

Our study population consisted of Medicaid enrollees across the US state of Oregon who had at least one live hospital birth between 2012 and 2020 and one diagnosis of OUD prenatally (n = 4363). We measured differences in demographic characteristics (age, race, ethnicity, location) among those with and without medication for OUD in the prenatal through 3‐months postpartum period (any medication use, and by type), and compared exclusive methadone versus buprenorphine receipt. We report unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios.

Findings

Adjusted odds ratios for medication for OUD were lower among American Indian/Alaska Native pregnant people compared with White pregnant people [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 0.59 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.42, 0.83)], younger pregnant people compared with those aged 30–34 years [aOR, ages 15–19: 0.1 (95 CI = 0.06, 0.18); aOR, ages 20–24: 0.58 (95 CI = 0.49, 0.69)] and rural pregnant people compared with those in urban communities [aOR 0.58 (95 CI = 0.5–0.67)]. Rural pregnant people with OUD also had lower odds of methadone receipt [aOR 0.23 (95 CI = 0.17, 0.3)] and higher odds of buprenorphine receipt [aOR 3.99 (95 CI = 2.97, 5.35)] than other people in this study. Among those who received medication, Black pregnant people had increased odds of receiving methadone compared with buprenorphine [aOR 2.09 (95 CI = 1.1–3.97)].

Conclusions

In Oregon, USA, inequities in receipt of any medication for opioid use disorder were observed among pregnant people who identified as American Indian or Alaska Native, younger than 25, and living in rural communities. Black pregnant people in Oregon, USA, were more likely to receive methadone than buprenorphine.
The Association Between Maternal Preeclampsia and Risk for Offspring Infectious Diseases–A Sibling Matched Analysis
Authors: Marciano Dor , Sheiner Eyal , Sergienko Ruslan , Wainstock Tamar
Published: January 2025

Background

Preeclampsia is a severe, multisystem complication that affects 2%–5% of pregnancies, and is a leading cause of fetal and maternal morbidity and mortality worldwide. Preeclampsia may have devastating results on maternal health and may affect offspring's immediate and long‐term health. Previous studies have examined the impact of maternal preeclampsia on the long‐term health outcomes of offspring, many of these studies have been limited by confounding factors that could bias the results. The classic way of analyzing the relationship between maternal preeclampsia and long‐term infectious morbidity of the offspring, which typically involves comparing the rates of infectious disease hospitalization between the exposed and unexposed groups, may not be sufficient due to the potential influence of unmeasured confounding factors.

Objective

To study the association between maternal preeclampsia and long‐term offspring infectious morbidity, while employing sibling‐matched analysis to maximize confounder control.

Study design

A retrospective cohort was conducted, including parous women, who were diagnosed with preeclampsia in one pregnancy. A sibling‐matched analysis was performed, so that one sibling was, and the other was not, prenatally exposed to maternal preeclampsia. Incidence of the offspring hospitalization with infectious morbidities were compared between the siblings, as well as the time to first hospitalization with such a diagnosis. Multivariable survival analysis was performed to adjust for confounding variables.

Results

Offspring of mothers with preeclampsia (n = 4272) were significantly (p < 0.001) at a higher risk for long‐term infectious hospitalization compared to offspring of mothers without preeclampsia (n = 4272), with a hazard ratio of 1.324 (95% CI 1.168–1.503) after adjusting for maternal age, gestational age, and mode of delivery.

Conclusions

Offspring born following pregnancies complicated with preeclampsia are at increased risk for infectious morbidity, even while rigorously adjusting for confounders in a sibling analysis.
Clinical Characteristics and Laboratory Diagnoses of Pediatric Patients Hospitalized During an Outbreak of Mycoplasma pneumoniae
Authors: Meng Tao , Xu Yuanhong
Published: January 2025

This study prospectively collected the clinical data, information on respiratory pathogens, and laboratory findings of children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae (M. pneumonia) infection who were hospitalized at the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University during the M. pneumoniae outbreak in Hefei City, Anhui Province, China, between October 2023 and December 2023. We analyzed the prevalence of M. pneumoniae infection in hospitalized children during the M. pneumoniae outbreak, discrepancies in the detection of M. pneumoniae by multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and serological methods, and the differences in clinical characteristics and laboratory results of patients with co‐infections of M. pneumoniae and other pathogens with the aim of providing a reference for disease assessment and clinical treatment of M. pneumoniae. A total of 270 children, 146 males and 124 females, were enrolled in the study after screening with the inclusion criteria. The most common co‐infections were adenovirus (ADV) (48 cases) and influenza A virus (FLU A) (30 cases). The prevalence of infections was higher in children under the age of 7 years (54.1%). In addition, 167 of the PCR‐positive patients were infected with macrolide‐resistant Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MRMP), suggesting that MRMP infections are common in hospitalized children. Levels of procalcitonin (PCT) (OR 15.765 [95% CI, 1.651–150.533], p < 0.017) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (OR 1.006 [95% CI, 1.003–1.009], p < 0.001) were independently predictive of co‐infections in patients infected with M. pneumoniae.
The efficacy of toltrazuril for prevention of oriental theileriosis (Theileria orientalis Ikeda genotype) in Friesian calves
Authors: de Burgh SG , Emery DL
Published: January 2025

The aim of this non‐blinded, randomised, controlled study was to determine the efficacy of toltrazuril for the prevention of oriental theileriosis in calves. Thirty calves were infected with Theileria orientalis Ikeda genotype through the application and retention of infected female bush ticks (Haemaphysalis longicornis). 15 Group 1 calves were treated with a single, oral dose of toltrazuril at the dose registered in Australia for coccidiosis (15 mg/kg), concurrently with tick infection, and 15 Group 2 (control group) calves were untreated. There were no significant differences (P > 0.05) in mean parasitaemia, packed cell volume (PCV) or bodyweight between the toltrazuril treated and untreated groups at any timepoint up to Day 64 after infection, apart from a higher mean PCV for the toltrazuril treated group at Day 20. In this study, the calves treated with a single oral dose of toltrazuril (15 mg/kg) at the time of infection were not prevented from becoming infected with oriental theileriosis.
Common pitfalls in oncology drug applications aiming for conditional marketing authorization
Authors: Sarac Sinan B. , Kiely Peter , Stankeviciute Simona , Camarero Jorge , McKee Amy
Published: January 2025

Early approval mechanisms, such as conditional approval in the EU, have been used extensively to provide timely access to therapeutic innovations to cancer patients with unmet medical needs.

While based on promising early evidence, such approvals are challenging from many perspectives due to the lack of comprehensive data. The limitation typically relates to data that demonstrates clinical benefit via early endpoints and is only acceptable when the early evidence is particularly convincing to assume that the benefits of early access are greater than the potential harms.

This paper describes the requirements for conditional approval and presents common pitfalls in oncology, such as misunderstandings about the strength of evidence from exploratory trials and secondary analyses, lack of planning and opportunities to improve communication. Thereafter, we present a framework (‘EDGE’) on how to improve the submission and evaluation of drug applications for conditional approval in the EU.
Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells in Humans Exhibit Resistance to Suberoylanilide Hydroxamic Acid (SAHA) Owing to the Diminished Level of Hsa‐miR‐125a‐5p
Authors: Kao Shih‐Wen , Kuo Wei‐Wen , Tsai Bruce Chi‐Kang , Mwakalinga Ebro Chawesa , Mhone Thomas Gabriel , Chen Ming‐Cheng , Kuo Chia‐Hua , Liu Yi‐Sheng , Lin Shinn‐Zong , Huang Chih‐Yang
Published: January 2025

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) presents an escalating public health challenge globally. However, drug resistance has emerged as a major impediment to successful HCC treatment, limiting the efficacy of curative interventions. Despite numerous investigations into the diverse impacts of hsa‐miR‐125a‐5p on tumor growth across different cancer types, its specific involvement in chemotherapy resistance in HCC remains elusive. Our study aims to explore the potential involvement of hsa‐miR‐125a‐5p in HCC drug resistance using HA22T cell lines: HA22T and HA22T‐HDACi‐resistance cells. The HA22T‐HDACi‐resistance cell line is an established liver cancer cell line that is resistant to histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi), apicidin, and suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA). Utilizing qPCR, the levels of hsa‐miR‐125a‐5p showed a notable decrease in the HA22T‐HDACi‐resistance cell line compared with HA22T cells. Subsequently, we examined the influence of hsa‐miR‐125a‐5p expression on cell death in both cell lines. The findings demonstrated that alterations in hsa‐miR‐125a‐5p levels directly impacted apoptosis in both HA22T and HA22T‐HDACi‐resistance cell lines with SAHA treatment. Afterwards, we recognized TRAF6 as a target gene of hsa‐miR‐125a‐5p, shedding light on its potential role in modulating apoptosis via targeting TRAF6 in HCC. These findings underscore the potential significance of hsa‐miR‐125a‐5p in overcoming drug resistance in HCC, offering insights into its dual role in apoptosis modulation and TRAF6 targeting. The study suggests that hsa‐miR‐125a‐5p may inhibit expression of TRAF6 in HCC, presenting a promising avenue for gene therapy in HCC with HDACi resistance.
Dynamic Hydrogel‐Based Strategy for Traumatic Brain Injury Modeling and Therapy
Authors: He Xin , Lei Meng , Chen Xuewen , Xu Feng , Liu Heng , Wei Zhao
Published: January 2025

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the most traumatizing and poses serious health risks to people's bodies due to its unique pathophysiological characteristics. The investigations on the pathological mechanism and valid interventions of TBI have attracted widespread attention worldwide. With bio‐mimic mechanic cues, the dynamic hydrogels with dynamic stiffness changes or reversible crosslinking have been suggested to construct the in vitro disease models or novel therapeutic agents for TBI. However, there is a lack of clarification on the dynamic hydrogels currently reported and their biomedical applications on TBI. Our review starts with introducing the native mechanical characters and changes in TBI and then summarizes the common chemical strategies of the dynamic hydrogels with dynamically tunable stiffness and reversible networks for in vitro modeling and therapy. Finally, we prospect the future development of dynamic hydrogels in the mechanical modeling of TBI, providing new mechanical insights for TBI and guidance for tailored brain‐targeted biomaterials.
Beyond Ownership: The Role of Institutional Investors in International Corporate Governance
Authors: Drobetz Wolfgang , El Ghoul Sadok , Guedhami Omrane , Yu Xinya
Published: January 2025

Research Question/Issue

This paper reviews key theories on the governance role of institutional investors, examines institutional ownership trends globally, and highlights recent research on their evolving impact on corporate governance. The paper also incorporates insights from select Special Issue articles dedicated to understanding the role of institutional investors worldwide.

Research Findings/Insights

We show that while most existing research focuses on the United States, recent evidence highlights significant global growth in institutional ownership. However, research examining the role of institutional investors outside the United States remains limited, despite some recent progress.

Theoretical/Academic Implications

Institutional investors are increasingly shaping global capital markets and corporate governance through growing ownership, increased shareholder activism, and rising passive investment strategies. We provide recommendations for relevant topics to guide future research, including the governance preferences of institutional investors (i.e., voice vs. exit) across different investor types and international settings, as well as the collective influence of multiple institutional investors on corporate governance practices and outcomes.

Practitioner/Policy Implications

There is a meaningful need for future studies to address the influence and effectiveness of institutional investors on corporate governance practices around the world. A better understanding of their role in different settings should improve their impact on corporations and, more broadly, on society.

JEL Classification

G32, G34
Evaluating the effectiveness of fortified livestock enclosures as a human‐carnivore conflict mitigation tool in Tanzania's Ruaha landscape
Authors: Grau Ana , Salerno Jonathan , Hilton Tom , Lowasa Asanterabi , Cotterill Alayne , Dickman Amy J.
Published: January 2025

Conflict with humans, particularly over livestock predation, poses a severe and continuing threat to the conservation of large carnivores, particularly in reserve‐adjacent and unprotected areas. Such conflict also inflicts substantial costs on people living alongside large carnivores. Though conflict is complex, attacks upon livestock are one of the factors that drive immediate hostility toward carnivores, inflict economic damage upon livestock‐keepers, and can lead to retaliatory and preventative carnivore killing. Many conflict mitigation and livestock protection approaches exist, but it is crucial to examine their effectiveness. In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of fortified livestock enclosures in reducing predation of livestock in an area surrounding Ruaha National Park in southern Tanzania. These fortified enclosures are built with chain‐link fences and are aimed to replace the traditional enclosures built with acacia thorn branches. We implemented a before‐after‐control‐impact (BACI) design to test the short‐term impacts of the fortified enclosure intervention. We then conducted a cost–benefit analysis (CBA) based on costs of construction of fortified enclosures and benefits accruing as prevented livestock depredation. Finally, we tested the hypothesis that fortified enclosures would diminish in effectiveness over time as carnivores become habituated, the fortification deteriorates due to lack of maintenance, and/or predation risk would increase. For the long‐term analysis, we used monthly data from 758 livestock‐keeping households from 2010 to 2016. Across both short‐ and long‐term analyses, fortified enclosures were effective at reducing the odds of experiencing predation of livestock by carnivores by 94% and 60%, respectively. Based on mean predation rates (c. 0.10 livestock month) and observed reductions, the benefit/cost ratios over 5 years of construction of a fortified enclosure with metal or wooden poles are 3.36 and 7.89, respectively, when subsidized. Our study contributes actionable evidence on the impact of an intervention to inform conservation strategies supporting human–carnivore coexistence.
Conversing with the enemy: miraculous encounters between Christians and Muslims in the Italo‐Greek saints' Lives
Authors: Davis‐Secord Sarah
Published: January 2025

The Italo‐Greek saints’ Lives from early medieval southern Italy have been viewed as evidence for violent opposition between Christians and Muslims in the area. I argue instead that these texts demonstrate ambivalence toward the Muslim presence: while painting Muslims as frightening and violent outsiders, they also depict them as capable of engaging in extended and mutually beneficial conversations with Christians. Analysis of selected such episodes complicates our perspective on cross‐confessional encounters in early medieval southern Italy, showing that they could encompass both peace and violence and that mutual intelligibility was the presumed basis for interpersonal encounters. These hagiographical depictions of Muslim–Christian conversations also reveal the nature and process of mutual intelligibility, whether through speech, writing, or bodily gesture.
The Effect of Seeding Rate and Perennial Ryegrass Ploidy on Sward Botanical Composition and Herbage Production in Binary Mixtures Under Sheep Grazing
Authors: McGrane L. , Boland T. M. , McHugh N. , Creighton P.
Published: January 2025

There are numerous benefits to the inclusion of clover and non‐leguminous forb species in grassland swards for pasture‐based sheep production, however there is a notable lack of management advice available for the use of these diverse swards, representing a significant barrier to on farm uptake. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of seeding rate (SR) and perennial ryegrass ploidy on sward botanical composition, herbage production and herbage quality of binary sward mixtures under sheep grazing. The swards investigated were perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) plus white clover (Trifolium repens L.), perennial ryegrass plus red clover (Trifolium pratense L.), perennial ryegrass plus plantain (Plantago lanceolata L.) and perennial ryegrass plus chicory (Cichorium intybus L.). A set total SR of 25 kg ha−1 was used in all treatments, within which clover seed was included at rates of 2.5, 5.0 or 7.5 kg clover ha−1, and forb seed was included at rates of 2.0, 3.5 or 5.0 kg forb ha−1 for the Low SR, Med SR and High SR treatments, respectively. The binary swards were sown with a diploid or tetraploid perennial ryegrass. Results indicate that SR had a significant effect on sward botanical composition and that within the inclusion rates used in this study, SR treatments of 2.5, 3.5, 5.0 and 7.5 kg ha−1, were sufficient for the establishment of white clover, chicory, red clover and plantain, respectively, in a binary sward mixture. The tetraploid swards expressed a lower perennial ryegrass tiller density relative to diploid swards, which was beneficial for the establishment of white clover and plantain.