bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Platform enterprises’ corporate social responsibility announcements and stock market value: evidence from China
Authors: Liu Weihua , Hou Jiahe , Wang Yujie , Tang Ou
Published: February 2025

Purpose

Drawing on the stakeholder theory, this study aims to empirically analyse the impact of platform enterprises’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) announcements on corporate stock market value. This study also estimates the moderating effect of stakeholder orientation and responsibility categories of CSR announcements, the platform enterprise type and the degree of CSR disclosure.

Design/methodology/approach

The event study method is used to analyse the change in stock market value of 191 CSR announcements from 137 Chinese platform enterprises. In addition, a case analysis is presented for two platform enterprises with the best practices to validate and complement study findings.

Findings

CSR announcements improve platform enterprises’ stock market value. Specifically, CSR announcements responding to platform enterprises’ external stakeholders, and CSR announcements with economic responsibility, have obvious positive impacts on stock market value. Furthermore, the maker platform’s CSR announcement has a more positive impact on stock market value than the exchange platform.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first attempt to identify the link between platform enterprises’ CSR announcements and stock market performance by empirical evidence, and it contributes to new knowledge of operating and evaluating platform enterprises’ CSR.
Attention-based object pose estimation with feature fusion and geometry enhancement
Authors: Yang Shuai , Wang Bin , Tao Junyuan , Ruan Zhe , Liu Hong
Published: February 2025

Purpose

The 6D pose estimation is a crucial branch of robot vision. However, the authors find that due to the failure to make full use of the complementarity of the appearance and geometry information of the object, the failure to deeply explore the contributions of the features from different regions to the pose estimation, and the failure to take advantage of the invariance of the geometric structure of keypoints, the performances of the most existing methods are not satisfactory. This paper aims to design a high-precision 6D pose estimation method based on above insights.

Design/methodology/approach

First, a multi-scale cross-attention-based feature fusion module (MCFF) is designed to aggregate the appearance and geometry information by exploring the correlations between appearance features and geometry features in the various regions. Second, the authors build a multi-query regional-attention-based feature differentiation module (MRFD) to learn the contribution of each region to each keypoint. Finally, a geometric enhancement mechanism (GEM) is designed to use structure information to predict keypoints and optimize both pose and keypoints in the inference phase.

Findings

Experiments on several benchmarks and real robot show that the proposed method performs better than existing methods. Ablation studies illustrate the effectiveness of each module of the authors’ method.

Originality/value

A high-precision 6D pose estimation method is proposed by studying the relationship between the appearance and geometry from different object parts and the geometric invariance of the keypoints, which is of great significance for various robot applications.
Does technology adoption matter for SMEs? A literature review
Authors: Prasetyani Dwi , Cahyadin Malik , Indriawati Ratna Malisa , Santosa Awan
Published: February 2025

Purpose

This study aims to introduce a better knowledge mapping of the technology adoption for small-medium enterprises by referring to the literature reviews from the Scopus Database during 2009–2023.

Design/methodology/approach

This study employs a Bibliometric approach to reveal the causality’s direction between (1) digital and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and (2) technology adoption and SMEs. This causality direction has a far-reaching impact on public policy, entrepreneurship and economic development. The Bibliometric approach provides analysis overviews of time, journal, co-authorship, keyword, citation, country and institution.

Findings

The findings have a substantial impact on the field. From 2009 to 2017, there was a lack of literature on technology adoption (digitalization) and SMEs, while from 2018 to 2023, the literature increased rapidly. The journal analysis shows that sustainability (Switzerland) contributes the most to the literature. In addition, journals that focus on business, management and accounting have published the most literature on technology adoption and SMEs. The significance is often judged by how the research could change current understanding, lead to practical applications or open new avenues for further research. Therefore, this study presents new perspectives that developed countries, in the case is Germany, still dominate technology adoption in SMEs and the relationship between business, management and accounting.

Research limitations/implications

This study suggests that collaboration among countries can stimulate research and publication on technology adoption (digitalization) and SMEs.

Practical implications

This study suggests that collaboration among countries can stimulate research and publication on technology adoption (digitalization) and SMEs. Besides, this study leads future studies to develop empirical studies on technology adoption (digital business/entrepreneurship) and SMEs at both country and cross-country levels. The author’s findings can be recommendations for public policy and economic development through digital adoption in entrepreneurship.

Originality/value

This study provides a better understanding and mapping about the technology adoption for SMEs. The literature of technology adoption for SMEs has grown rapidly during the last five years. However, there is a lack of technology adoption mapping for SMEs in the current literature.
Developing generic skills for future health professionals: student and faculty perceptions of a recovery college curriculum and courses
Authors: Zouaoui Inès , Drolet Marie-Josée , Briand Catherine
Published: February 2025

Purpose

As health-care systems worldwide grapple with complex challenges such as limited resources, qualified personnel shortages and rapid technological advancements, there is an urgent need for educational transformation in health-care professions. This urgency arises from the necessity for health-care professionals to evolve beyond traditional roles and acquire essential generic skills such as adaptative, epistemic, relational, ethical and citizenship skills – areas identified as gaps in conventional university curricula. This study aims to investigate the potential of the recovery college (RC) model, integrated into a Canadian university’s health-care curriculum, to address these gaps.

Design/methodology/approach

Through qualitative group interviews with eight students and three faculty members and subsequent descriptive content analysis, the authors explored the perceived outcomes of this model.

Findings

The authors discerned 15 themes within the five core categories of generic skills (epistemic, ethical, relational, adaptative and citizenship skills), with “experiential knowledge acquisition” central to the training input and other significant themes including “ethical sensitivity,” “collaborative communication,” “self-care” and “open-mindedness to diversity.” The findings highlight the RC model’s potential in fostering these crucial skills among future health-care professionals and challenging prevailing epistemic injustices in health care.

Research limitations/implications

Further investigations are needed to understand the long-term effects of this model on health-care practice and to explore its potential integration into wider health-care education programs.

Originality/value

This study enriches understanding of the RC model’s role in health-care education, thereby proposing a significant shift toward more inclusive and effective health-care professional training.
Library Discovery Hour: a case study leveraging the Penn State Libraries Alumni Donor Board expertise to catalyze donor engagement
Authors: Tate Robin Havens , Tinik Leigh , Borrelli Steve , Munip Lana , Carey Sarah
Published: February 2025

Purpose

This case study presents the results of a collaborative effort of Library Assessment, Libraries Development and Alumni Relations and their Alumni Donor Board to increase donor engagement by utilizing board member professional expertise and tacit knowledge in refining “Donor Community Meetings.”

Design/methodology/approach

This study employed focus groups to solicit input from Development and Alumni Relations personnel, members of the Alumni Donor Board, library personnel and donors. Researchers leveraged a values-driven participatory design methodology and employed a data analytic guided by appreciative inquiry.

Findings

Focus group discussions identified strengths of the Donor Community Meetings including the ability to connect with experts and learn new things in addition to areas for improvement including selling the event and sharpening the process. Based on the findings, recommendations were proposed to improve and sustain interest in four key areas: Communications and Planning, Meeting Structure, Content and Sustainability.

Originality/value

This study adds to the limited body of evidence supporting donor engagement collaborations between academic libraries, their development offices and alumni development boards illustrating the value of leveraging the expertise and tacit knowledge of Alumni Donor Board members.
An original medical logistics robot system design for the complex environment of hospitals with dynamic obstacles
Authors: Wang Zhaofei , Weng Zihao , Wang Jing , Wang Qiuping
Published: February 2025

Purpose

COVID-19 has aggregated the need for a non-contact medical logistic system. A non-contact robot with self-navigation ability has greatly enhanced the efficiency of the medical logistic system. This paper aims to design a new medical logistics robot system for the complex environment of hospitals with dynamic obstacles.

Design/methodology/approach

Targeting a medical logistics robot system for a large-scale hospital environment, this study proposed a dynamic obstacle avoidance system to reduce the robot’s delay time as well as frequent route switching. In the algorithm, this study proposed a new loop closure detection with an artificial correction factor. Moreover, this study presented enhanced 3D object detection, improving detection accuracy in hospital environments.

Findings

Experimental results confirm that the robot can move along its global path and reach its destination without colliding with stationary or moving obstacles.

Originality/value

The medical logistics robot system has safe and stable performance in real hospital scenarios. The implementation verifies that the robot has effectiveness and reliability in both hardware and software design.
Dual design for additive manufacturing in engineering design: a systematic literature review
Authors: Dash Satabdee , Nordin Axel , Johansson Glenn
Published: February 2025

Purpose

Dual design for additive manufacturing (DfAM) takes into account both the opportunities and constraints of AM simultaneously, which research shows is more effective than considering them separately. Unlike existing reviews, this paper aims to map DfAM research within the engineering design process, focusing solely on studies adopting dual DfAM. Additionally, it aims to suggest future research directions by analysing prominent research themes and their inter-relationships. Special emphasis is on theme inter-relationships concerning the conceptual, embodiment and detail design phases.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is based on a systematic literature review of 148 publications from January 2000 to February 2024. After screening, prominent research themes were identified and systematically analysed. Theme inter-relationships were explored using quantitative analysis and chord diagrams.

Findings

The findings reveal that studies either span the entire design process, the early design phases or the later design phases. Most research focuses on the later design phases, particularly within themes of design optimisation, design evaluation and AM-specific manufacturing constraints. The most frequent theme inter-relationship occurs between design optimisation and AM-specific manufacturing constraints. Overall, the findings suggest future research directions to advance dual DfAM research, such as development of design rules and guidelines for cellular structures.

Originality/value

This review proposes a model by mapping prominent themes of dual DfAM research in relation to the engineering design process. Another original contribution lies in analysing theme inter-relationships and visualising them using chord diagrams – a novel approach that did not exist before.
Analyst Coverage and Corporate Innovation: Evidence from Exogenous Changes in Analyst Coverage
Authors: Wang Kun Tracy , Liu Simeng , Luo Guqiang
Published: February 2025

Using a stacked difference‐in‐differences design, we examine how exogenous reductions in analyst coverage arising from brokerage mergers and closures affect firm innovation in China. We find that firms affected by brokerage mergers or closures experience a reduction in innovation quantity, quality, investment, and efficiency. A content analysis of analyst reports reveals that exogenous analyst losses lead to reduced analyst coverage of firm innovation, and that a loss of analysts who issue innovation‐related reports drives the negative effect of analyst losses on firm innovation. In addition, we show that analyst losses have a negative effect on firms’ information environments and access to external financing, which we confirm are important determinants of firm innovation. Furthermore, these negative effects are driven by firms with weaker information environments and more severe agency conflicts, which experience a greater deterioration of their information environment and access to external financing following the analyst losses. Finally, we show that analyst losses do indeed lead to negative economic consequences, as evidenced by reduced sales growth, market share growth, and firm value, suggesting that innovation outputs are economically valuable in China. Overall, our evidence suggests that in the context of emerging markets, analysts can play a crucial role in shaping firm innovation by covering firms’ innovation activities and thereby reducing information asymmetry and mitigating agency conflicts with respect to innovation.
Childhood obesity in the first 2000 days: A focus on primary health care in regional and rural Australia
Authors: Betts Juliana M. , Gooey Michelle , Chung Alex , Craig Heather , Bergmeier Heidi , Amirtharajah Caroline , Peacock Bernie , Ping Sophie , Rix Kylie , Veal Stephanie , Skouteris Helen
Published: February 2025

Introduction

Rates of childhood obesity have increased in regional and rural areas in Australia over the past two decades.

Objective

To review the current literature to gain an understanding of (i) ways to improve access to primary health care in the first 2000 days, (ii) models of care for delivering healthy lifestyle advice in the first 2000 days and (iii) the development of partnerships between health and social care services in the first 2000 days in rural and regional settings.

Design

Three literature reviews were undertaken. Results were limited to published, peer‐reviewed literature from the past 5 years (2017–2022).

Findings

Access to care could be improved through the expansion of telemedicine, nurse roles and community health worker models. A range of organisational and leadership factors facilitated the integration of health and social care services in the first 2000 days in rural areas with evidence of resultant positive health impacts.

Discussion

Telemedicine, the expansion of nursing roles and the implementation of a formalised community health worker model, may serve to improve access to primary health care for families in the first 2000 days; however, further research on particular models of care for delivering healthy lifestyle advice to rural and regional families is required.

Conclusion

Policy‐makers should consider the interdependent nature of increasing access to care, establishing best practice models of care and strengthening local partnerships to prevent and manage childhood obesity in the first 2000 days in rural and regional areas.
Outcomes of type A aortic dissection in Australia
Authors: Knox Abbey , Gimpel Damian , Lance David , Rice Gregory D. , Crouch Gareth , Newland Richard F. , Baker Robert A. , Bennetts Jayme S.
Published: February 2025

Introduction

Without surgical intervention, type A aortic dissection (TAAD) carries a high risk of life‐threatening complications and mortality. Due to the low incidence of aortic dissection, case numbers vary significantly between institutions. This study reports outcomes for patients undergoing surgical TAAD repair in Australia between 2001 and 2021, and the impact of institution case numbers on mortality.

Methods

Retrospective multicentre cohort study using the Australian and New Zealand Society of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgeons (ANZSCTS) data, including consecutive adult patients undergoing surgery for TAAD. Patients were divided into groups based on 30‐day mortality. Secondary morbidity outcomes are reported.

Results

Between 2001 and 2021, 2604 patients (median age 65; 67% male) underwent operative intervention for TAAD. Over this period, the number of aortic dissections recorded in the database annually increased (from <50 to >200 cases per year), consistent with the increasing number of contributing institutions. Thirty‐day mortality rates varied by unit from 0% to 100%, with an average over the period of 18%. Despite unit case numbers ranging from 1 or 2 to over 200 cases, funnel plot analysis demonstrated no units fell outside the accepted 99.7% control level for 30‐day mortality. Individual surgeons showed decreased mortality with increased caseload. Non‐survivors were more likely to have prior respiratory or cerebrovascular disease, previous myocardial infarction, or severe left ventricular dysfunction. Post‐operative stroke, return to theatre for bleeding, renal failure and atrial fibrillation were more common in the non‐survivors (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Mortality outcomes for TAAD in Australia have improved over time, stabilizing at 18% over the last 5 years. Units performing fewer operations for TAAD showed equivalent mortality outcomes to high volume units, while surgeons performing fewer procedures displayed a higher mortality.
The role of impulsivity in the association between rumination and cannabis‐related problems among trauma‐exposed cannabis users
Authors: Le Jennifer U. , Deguzman Regine M. , Schmidt Norman B. , Short Nicole A.
Published: February 2025

Objectives

The Emotional Cascade Model posits that rumination is associated with impulsivity and risky behaviours such as substance use. Although trauma‐exposed individuals often engage in rumination and problematic cannabis use, this model has not been tested on trauma‐exposed cannabis users. Therefore, our study examines the direct and indirect effects between rumination and its subtypes with problematic cannabis use among trauma‐exposed cannabis users. We also examine how these associations occur through impulsivity.

Methods

A cross‐sectional sample of 56 trauma‐exposed young adult cannabis users (Mage = 21 years, 59% female, 73% white) self‐reported rumination, impulsivity, and cannabis‐related problems. All participants provided written informed consent, and procedures were approved by the university's Institutional Review Board and pre‐registered.

Results

Regression analyses indicated total and brooding rumination were related to greater cannabis‐related problems, after covarying for number of traumas and cannabis use frequency. Rumination, specifically brooding, was incrementally associated with greater cannabis‐related problems and had an indirect effect on cannabis‐related problems through impulsivity. Consistent with hypothesis, rumination and impulsivity were incrementally associated with greater problematic cannabis use among trauma‐exposed cannabis users.

Conclusion

The current study expands work on the Emotional Cascade Model by supporting the indirect effect of impulsivity in the association between rumination and problematic cannabis use.
The Influence of Litter Diversity on Leaf Breakdown and the Colonization of Decomposer Communities in Subtropical Highland Grassland Streams
Authors: de Souza Rezende Renan , da Silva Moretti Marcelo , Cararo Emanuel Rampanelli , Pandolpho Kiffer Walace , da Costa Larissa Corteletti , Tonin Alan M. , Gonçalves Junior José Francisco
Published: February 2025

Litter diversity can enhance leaf breakdown through selective effects when driven by a particular species or specific leaf chemical characteristics. We analyzed the influence of leaf mixtures on leaf breakdown and associated decomposers in a highland grassland stream that receives low‐diversity leaf inputs. We incubated leaves of Ocotea diospyrifolia, Nectandra megapotamica, Myrcia eugenioides, and Miconia flammea in coarse mesh litter bags containing a leaf mixture of the four species, as well as leaves of each species in single treatments (6 streams × 3 replicates × 5 treatments = 90 sampling units). We found that leaves in single treatments had higher breakdown rates than the mixed treatment, suggesting that increased litter diversity did not positively influence leaf breakdown in highland grassland streams. Adaptations of decomposer assemblages to poorly structured riparian vegetation may have outweighed the potential effects of litter diversity. We found higher importance of leaf quality, measured by nutrient content, in driving leaf breakdown, with the effect of litter diversity on leaf breakdown rates depending on individual leaf chemical characteristics. Despite the lack of litter diversity positive effects on breakdown rates, the mixture treatment showed higher diversity of fungi and invertebrate decomposers. The leaf mixture may have increased habitat structure but reduced the number of individuals due to increased resource heterogeneity, favoring specialists. Functional feeding groups exhibited the expected patterns for their feeding strategies, with shredders benefiting from litter diversity and scrapers preferring single leaf treatments. Overall, riparian vegetation diversity was not crucial for organic matter processing but positively influenced decomposer diversity.
Disaster, appropriation, and displacement in the Indian Sundarbans
Authors: Roy Dayabati
Published: February 2025

How do we understand a disaster? How do we interpret the aftermath of a disaster, anyway? This article draws on my ethnographic fieldwork to understand what constitutes a disaster and how preexisting social conditions shaped events in the wake of Cyclone Aila in South Asia in May 2009. The people who received relief following this disaster engaged in discrimination, something that has become palpable through the frame of disaster. At the same instant, multiple forms of power at different levels materialised; aware of the dynamics of the crisis, actors have strategically used the disaster to strengthen their positions in the name of ‘building back better’. I show how these phenomena are linked with the consequences of disaster. The paper explains how people's attitudes towards the state and vice versa shape patterns of land use and forms of resource extraction, thereby intensifying resource‐related hazards in the hinterlands of the Indian Sundarbans.
Boolean trust in levels of government: the case of household emergency preparedness
Authors: Robinson Scott , Choi Junghwa , McNair Clinton
Published: February 2025

Unexpected and often severe weather has taxed community capacities. Convincing households to prepare by developing emergency plans, keeping necessary supplies, and investing in home upgrades, to name a few, has been a focus of many public campaigns related to extreme weather. Essentially, these programmes are exercises in persuasion. What, then, characterises such a campaign that is likely to be successful in this act of persuasion? Recent work has found that household preparedness may be related to trust in government, as a key emergency information provider, although the evidence is mixed. In this article, we argue that the mixed evidence scholars have found may come from the measurement of trust in government. Our statistical analysis shows that increases in minimum trust in levels of government decreases household preparedness for tornadoes. The finding highlights the importance of augmenting and restoring social trust (in addition to trust in government) to produce better emergency management outcomes in the United States.
MiniMed 780G system performance in older users with type 1 diabetes: Real‐world evidence and the case for stricter glycaemic targets
Authors: Smaniotto Vittorino , Heller Simon , O'Neal David , Jendle Johan , Cukierman‐Yaffe Tali , Arrieta Arcelia , Thijs Isabeau , Castañeda Javier , van den Heuvel Tim , Cohen Ohad
Published: February 2025

Aims

Large‐scale studies on the effectiveness of automated insulin delivery (AID) systems in older people with type 1 diabetes are still limited. A multinational, retrospective, real‐world study was conducted to examine the performance of the MiniMed™ 780G advanced hybrid closed‐loop system in users with type 1 diabetes aged ≥56 years compared with those aged 16–55 years.

Materials and Methods

Data from 35 366 MiniMed™ 780G system users aged 16–55 years and 7415 users aged ≥56 years were included. The main outcome was time in range 70–180 mg/dL (TIR); other continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) metrics were also assessed.

Results

Across all users, mean TIR was 77.1% for users aged ≥56 years and 73.1% for those aged 16–55 years (Δ4.0, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.8–4.2, p <0.0001). In users employing the optimal system settings (i.e., Glucose Target: 100 mg/dL; active insulin time: 2 h), mean TIR was 81.9% in older and 79.7% in younger users (Δ2.2, 95% CI: 1.5–2.9, p <0.0001). Across all users, mean time below range <70 mg/dL (TBR70) was 1.5% in older and 2.1% in younger users. In older users, TIR and TBR70 remained consistent over 12 months.

Conclusions

This real‐world analysis demonstrated that older MiniMed™ 780G system users with type 1 diabetes can achieve a TIR >70% without increasing hypoglycaemia risk. Users employing optimal settings showed the best outcomes. The system performed as well as or better than in younger users. These findings support the case that more stringent TIR targets can be achieved safely.
Zoonotic Host Richness in the Global Wildland–Urban Interface
Authors: Simkin Rohan D. , Han Barbara A. , Radeloff Volker C. , LaDeau Shannon , Schug Franz , Seto Karen C.
Published: February 2025

Where human settlements abut or intermix with wildlands, people may encounter animals that host zoonotic pathogens which can spillover to cause human disease. Known as the wildland–urban interface (WUI), this zone occupies around 5% of the Earth's surface and is home to 3.5 billion people. The rapid spread of SARS‐CoV‐2 has demonstrated the importance of understanding risk factors for disease among an increasingly urbanized population. However, the contribution of the WUI to zoonotic disease risk is poorly understood. Here, we show that low‐level host richness occurs throughout most of the global WUI, and 20% of the human WUI population live in zones of particularly high zoonotic potential, where more than 20 host species could occur. Zones of high zoonotic potential are concentrated in low–middle‐income countries (LMICs) across equatorial Africa, Brazil, Central America, and Southeast Asia where vulnerability is further elevated by widespread poverty, inadequate housing, and lack of easily accessible healthcare. Three of four people living in WUIs with high host richness (520 million people) are in LMICs. Of this population, 35% (183 million) live in and around cities in West, East, and South Africa. This means that WUI‐based populations of LMICs may face the double threat of high zoonotic potential and vulnerability to disease. Our results identify global priorities for monitoring exposure to zoonotic diseases in the rapidly expanding WUI.
Reducing Fire Severity and Extent Bolsters Subalpine Forest Resilience to Global Change Through Key Demographic Pathways
Authors: Perret Daniel L. , Bell David M. , Zald Harold S. J.
Published: February 2025

High‐elevation subalpine forests are experiencing rapid changes in climatic conditions, biological disturbances, and wildfire regimes. Despite this, evidence is mixed as to whether they will undergo major ecological transformation or be resilient to a confluence of global change drivers. Here we use subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa) and Englemann spruce (Picea engelmannii), which form co‐dominant forests through much of the western United States, to investigate how species' demographic responses to global change influence forest community‐wide resilience. We do this by adapting and building on an existing framework for post‐disturbance ecological reorganization. With forest inventory data from the United States Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program, we quantify population trends for subalpine fir and Engelmann spruce across their joint distribution and organize them in a new conceptual framework for categorizing forest community trajectories. We then build hierarchical Bayesian demographic models of subalpine fir and Engelmann spruce mortality, regeneration, and recruitment as functions of climate, disturbance extent and severity, and forest structural predictors. We bring demographic predictions together in a multinomial classification model to quantify how combinations of demographic rates influence overall forest community trajectories. Finally, we apply future climate and disturbance scenarios to our demographic models to explore how subalpine forest resilience may change in the future. We found strong negative relationships between the demography of both species and disturbance extent and severity, and climatic responses in line with an energy‐limited forest system. Future scenario model predictions indicate that reducing wildfire extent and severity can greatly bolster overall subalpine forest resilience; the preferred way to do this will vary according to fire history, forest type, biophysical setting, and land tenure. Opportunities for high‐impact management interventions are concentrated in the northern Rocky Mountains, with centers of ongoing resilience in parts of the Oregon and Washington Cascades.
An Attention‐Based Deep Neural Network Model to Detect Cis‐Regulatory Elements at the Single‐Cell Level From Multi‐Omics Data
Authors: Murakami Ken , Iida Keita , Okada Mariko
Published: February 2025

Cis‐regulatory elements (cREs) play a crucial role in regulating gene expression and determining cell differentiation and state transitions. To capture the heterogeneous transitions of cell states associated with these processes, detecting cRE activity at the single‐cell level is essential. However, current analytical methods can only capture the average behavior of cREs in cell populations, thereby obscuring cell‐specific variations. To address this limitation, we proposed an attention‐based deep neural network framework that integrates DNA sequences, genomic distances, and single‐cell multi‐omics data to detect cREs and their activities in individual cells. Our model shows higher accuracy in identifying cREs within single‐cell multi‐omics data from healthy human peripheral blood mononuclear cells than other existing methods. Furthermore, it clusters cells more precisely based on predicted cRE activities, enabling a finer differentiation of cell states. When applied to publicly available single‐cell data from patients with glioma, the model successfully identified tumor‐specific SOX2 activity. Additionally, it revealed the heterogeneous activation of the ZEB1 transcription factor, a regulator of epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition‐related genes, which conventional methods struggle to detect. Overall, our model is a powerful tool for detecting cRE regulation at the single‐cell level, which may contribute to revealing drug resistance mechanisms in cell sub‐populations.
Task Shifting, eHealth and Shared Decision‐Making—Preference Heterogeneity in the Adult Population for Developments in Outpatient Primary Healthcare
Authors: Föhn Zora
Published: February 2025

Introduction

Considerable changes in primary outpatient healthcare can be expected in the coming years due to various trends observed in Western countries, such as an ageing population, an increasing number of patients with chronic illnesses, GP shortages, a trend towards patient‐centred care and the digitalization of healthcare. Knowing the population's preferences and subgroup preferences in these developments helps policymakers make healthcare delivery more responsive to patients' needs.

Methods

Primary data were collected using a representative sample of the adult Swiss population in the fall of 2020. Discrete Choice Experiments (DCEs) were conducted, where one of the DCEs included an acute health problem and another a routine examination. In the survey, respondents were shown five different choice tasks, each containing two hypothetical alternatives for primary outpatient healthcare models. They were asked to choose their preferred alternative for each choice task. The DCEs enabled the measurement of the population's preferences for nine attributes of primary outpatient healthcare that are currently under discussion (e.g., task shifting, new technology in healthcare and shared decision‐making). The data were analysed using panel latent class logit models (LCA) to determine preference heterogeneity and relative importance scores for the attributes.

Results

Data from 4745 respondents were included in the analysis. The LCA indicated two classes for acute health problem and three classes for routine examination, with varying latent preference structures. Both DCEs showed similar preference patterns: for one class with younger and more educated respondents, health insurance premium development was most important, followed by participation in decision‐making, whereas having a doctor as the health professional was less important. Another class with older and less educated people attached more importance to personal continuity of care and the health professionals being a medical doctor.

Conclusion

Younger and more highly educated people are more open to current developments in outpatient primary healthcare, such as task shifting, than older and less educated people, especially if this reduces their health insurance premiums in return.

Patient or Public Contribution

The public was involved in the design of the DCE and as the respondents of the survey used in this article.
Locating the Professional Cook: An Historical and Anthropological Perspective
Authors: Hilton Jed
Published: February 2025

Historical scholarship on the topics of food, cooking, and eating has flourished in recent years. Within this growing body of literature, chefs have recently been introduced as a legitimate subject of historical investigation. However, to date, no clear theoretical or methodological model has been developed to study this underutilised and under‐theorised historical subject. Drawing upon anthropological readings of history, this article aims to provide a theoretical framework for the historical analysis of professional cooks. It suggests that, when examined from a cultural perspective, professional cooks are unique subjects of historical investigation that act as a window onto broader cultural and social transformations of the specific contexts in which they are embedded. The intention of this article is to bring thematic and methodological clarity to the category of professional cooks and reflect on the analytical utility that they can bring for cultural historians.
Initial public offering over‐issuance and a firm's acquisition behavior: Evidence from China
Authors: Huyghebaert Nancy , Liu Ting , Wang Lihong
Published: February 2025

We analyze the relation between initial public offering (IPO) over‐issuance and a firm's subsequent acquisition decisions. We find that newly listed firms are more likely to engage in merge & acquisitions (M&As) and initiate more and larger‐sized M&As after raising more excess cash in their IPO. Additionally, this IPO over‐issuance is negatively associated with the newly listed firm's post‐acquisition stock performance. Moreover, Type I (principal‐agent) and Type II (principal‐principal) agency problems explain those relations. The negative relation between IPO over‐issuance and stock performance is exacerbated for companies that have made large and industry‐diversifying M&As. Further analyses reveal that acquirers who raised more excess cash in their IPO prefer to pay for their M&As entirely in cash.
Temporal Dynamics of Immune Response Signalling in Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides) Infected With Largemouth Bass Virus
Authors: Chu Xin , Chen Jing , Lin Lingyun , Yao Jiayun , Huang Lei , Gao Mingyue , Shen Jinyu , Pan Xiaoyi
Published: February 2025

The largemouth bass virus (LMBV) significantly impacts Chinese largemouth bass aquaculture. The molecular mechanisms regulating LMBV virulence and the gene responses stimulated in the host during infection remain unclear. This study investigates the transcriptional dynamics and signalling pathways activated during the immune response to LMBV by analysing the transcriptome of head kidney tissues at 1, 4, 7, and 28 days post‐infection (dpi) using RNA sequencing. Histopathological and viral load analyses indicated early tissue disruption, followed by extensive recovery by 28 dpi. Analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and weighted gene co‐expression network analysis (WGCNA), combined with Venn analysis of samples at 1, 4, and 7 dpi, identified significant and common genes. Early infection triggered robust innate immunity through activation of the RIG‐I like receptor and cGAS‐STING signalling pathways, which activated type I interferons (IFNs) and interferon‐stimulated genes (ISGs). Later stages indicated activation of adaptive immune responses. Validation of randomly selected genes via RT‐qPCR confirmed the RNA‐seq results, showing consistent expression patterns. This comprehensive study offers new insights into the sustained innate and adaptive immune responses to LMBV.
Use and Discontinuation Rates of Long‐Acting Injectable Antipsychotics Between Race/Ethnicity in Older Adults Using Medicaid Databases
Authors: Cassara Christopher M. , Xu Jianing , Hall Daniel B. , Chen Xianyan , Young Henry N. , Caballero Joshua
Published: February 2025

Objective

The primary objective of this study was to assess the prescribing patterns of long acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics in an older adult population. Secondary objectives were to determine if there were differences in treatment discontinuation rates between different LAI agents and race/ethnicity.

Methods

Merative MarketScan Multi‐State Medicaid Databases (2017–2021) were used to identify patients 65 years or older who were prescribed a LAI antipsychotic. Pharmacy claims for LAI antipsychotics were referenced via National Drug Code (NDC) by brand/generic name and dose. International Classification of Diseases, 10th edition (ICD‐10) codes were used to identify older adults diagnosed with schizophrenia, schizotypal or schizoaffective disorders. Those with dementia or related disorders were censored. Conditional associations between race/ethnicity and generation of LAI antipsychotics were investigated using logistic regression controlling for age, sex, and health plan. Cox proportional hazard regression was used to compare the distribution of time until treatment discontinuation among older adults across LAI antipsychotics.

Results

A total of 526 older adults (59% female) with an average age of 70.4 ± 5.5 years met inclusion for analysis. The most commonly used LAI antipsychotics included paliperidone palmitate‐1 month formulation (~35%), haloperidol decanoate (~24%), and risperidone microspheres (~15%). Overall, approximately 32% received LAI first‐generation antipsychotics and 68% received LAI second generation antipsychotics. Blacks (n = 204) received LAI first‐generation antipsychotics more often than Whites (n = 283); (OR: 1.74, 95% [1.18, 2.56], p < 0.01). When controlling for age, sex, and race/ethnicity, LAI first‐generation antipsychotics showed earlier discontinuation rates compared to LAI second‐generation antipsychotics (HR: 2.12, 95% CI [1.45, 3.10], p < 0.001).

Conclusions

LAI first‐generation antipsychotics showed treatment discontinuation significantly earlier compared to LAI second‐generation antipsychotics. Furthermore, Blacks were prescribed LAI first‐generation antipsychotics at a higher rate than Whites, which may contribute to poorer health outcomes. Futures studies are needed to establish a causal relationship.
Partners' health and silver splits in Europe: A gendered pattern?
Authors: Vignoli Daniele , Alderotti Giammarco , Tomassini Cecilia
Published: February 2025

Objective

Building on the Theory of Dyadic Illness Management, this paper addresses the correlates of silver splits—voluntary union dissolutions after age 50—among mixed‐gender couples in Europe focusing on the role of partners' health status.

Background

Family diversity at older ages is growing in wealthy countries, with late union dissolutions increasingly occurring through separation and divorce rather than widowhood. Nonetheless, the correlates of silver splits in Europe, particularly regarding health within couples, remain underexplored.

Method

We utilized data from the European Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement (SHARE), spanning Waves 1 (2004–2005) to 9 (2021–2022), and employed discrete‐time event‐history analysis to model the risk of silver splits, separately among couples aged 50–64 and 65+ (N = 31,915 and 48,361 couple‐years, respectively). We inspected three health dimensions: self‐rated health, Global Activity Limitations Index, depression.

Results

We found a non‐negligible and gendered association between health and union dissolution among couples aged 50–64. Couples in which the woman reported poor self‐rated health or faced severe activity limitations, whereas the man maintained good health, exhibited a higher risk of silver splits compared to couples in good health. Conversely, the risk of silver splits did not change significantly when the man experienced poor self‐rated health or activity limitations compared to couples in good health. Results among older couples suggested that the health/silver split link weakens with age.

Conclusion

Gendered health‐related selection effects appear among older European couples, as men struggle more than women with a partner's declining health, potentially jeopardizing the couple's stability.
Impact of COVID‐19 on Hospital Admissions for Children With Developmental Disadvantages: A Western Sydney Metropolitan Hospital Experience on Health Inequity
Authors: Li Lanxin , Bhurawala Habib , Liu Anthony
Published: February 2025

Aims

To investigate the impact of Sydney's COVID‐19 lockdown on children with developmental disadvantages and reflect on current clinical practice.

Methods

Retrospective data was collected from a western Sydney metropolitan hospital's electronic database and patients. We reviewed all children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Cerebral Palsy (CP) or Intellectual Disability (ID) admitted 36 months prior to and after lockdown policy being implemented.

Results

The prevalence of hospital presentation was reduced during the lockdown period. The average length of stay (LoS) increased by approximately 1.5 folds. Comparatively, the average LoS of the general paediatric population increased minimally. Seizures, asthma, and upper respiratory tract infections were the three commonest issues for hospital admissions in both periods. COVID‐19 infection accounted for 4% of admissions in the lockdown period. Around 20.8% of patients with disadvantages were admitted with more than two major issues. None of these patients had concurrent COVID‐19 infection.

Conclusions

Children with developmental disabilities experience greater disadvantages during lockdown. The likely reasons include inequity caused by increased barriers to healthcare service. The indirect benefit of reducing infection transmission during lockdown was not reflected in our patient group, contributing to the disease burden. Chronic diseases remain the most common causes of admissions in all periods, suggesting the essentiality of improving chronic disease management in future clinical practice.
A Novel HLA‐B*08:331 Allele Identified by Next‐Generation Sequencing
Authors: Rakhmanov Mirzokhid , Bernheiden Martin , Verboom Murielle , Hallensleben Michael , Emmerich Florian
Published: February 2025

HLA‐B*08:331 differs from HLA‐B*08:01:01:01 by a single nucleotide substitution in codon ‐3 in exon 1.
A Framework for Exploring “Transfer‐Out” Land Parcels for Urban Development Under the Ecological Control Line (ECL) Policy in China
Authors: Zhai Yaqian , Pan Yongting , Guan Qingfeng , Yao Yao , Liang Xun
Published: February 2025

How to explore land spaces for future urban expansion under the ECL policy in China has been an essential issue. Previous methods or models just consider the land parcel's current land‐use condition, while ignoring its future urbanization trend. This study proposes a framework for identifying the suitable “transfer‐out” land parcels within the ECL by integrating the future urbanization probability and ecosystem services value. First, a vector‐based cellular automata is adopted to determine urbanization probabilities of land parcels, and the ecosystem services values are evaluated based on the calculated equivalent table. Then, a “two‐way screening” method is proposed to identify “transfer‐out” land parcels by prioritizing the minimization of ecological value losses and the maximization of urban development benefits. The identified land parcels are evaluated at the suitability level by parcel connectivity analysis. The proposed framework was applied in Shenzhen, China. The results indicated that several “transfer‐out” land clusters more suitable for planning as residential or public‐service lands. This framework can provide global city planners with valuable policy guidance for dealing with similar ecological pressures.
On Torelli groups and Dehn twists of smooth 4‐manifolds
Authors: Krannich Manuel , Kupers Alexander
Published: February 2025

This note has two related but independent parts. Firstly, we prove a generalisation of a recent result of Gay on the smooth mapping class group of . Secondly, we give an alternative proof of a consequence of work of Saeki, namely that the Dehn twist along the boundary sphere of a simply connected closed smooth 4‐manifold with is trivial after taking connected sums with enough copies of .