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Autistic traits modulate neural and behavioral responses to social vs nonsocial rewards
No full textAbstract
Social rewards (e.g. smiles) powerfully shape human behavior, starting from early childhood. Yet, the neural architecture that enables differential processing of social and nonsocial rewards remains largely unknown. Few previous studies that directly compared social vs nonsocial stimuli have used stimuli that have low ecological validity or are not matched on low-level stimulus parameters – limiting the scope of inference. To address this gap in knowledge, social and nonsocial reward images taken from the real world were matched on valence, arousal, and key low-level stimulus properties and presented to 37 adults in a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study. Individual self-reported preference for social images was associated with the functional connectivity between the left anterior insula (LAI) and medial orbitofrontal cortex (mOFC), as well as that between the left Fusiform Gyrus (LFG) and the Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC). Autistic traits negatively modulated LAI – mOFC connectivity and LFG – ACC connectivity. Reduced functional connectivity between these regions may contribute to the lower social reward responsivity in individuals with high autistic traits, as also noted from their lower valence ratings to social rewards. This study provides evidence for a new experimental paradigm to test social reward processing at a behavioral and neural level, which can contribute to potential transdiagnostic biomarkers for social cognitive processes
Strategic informality inglobal value chains: evidence from Nigeria’s agro-food smallholders
Get PDFThe persistence of widespread informality among agro-food smallholders in developing
countries like Nigeria presents a significant barrier to economic upgrading and effective
integration into Global Value Chains (GVCs). This study investigates the complex linkages
between strategic informality, institutional quality, GVC participation, and value capture in
Nigeria's agricultural sector, using Kaduna State as an in-depth case study. Employing an
explanatory sequential mixed-methods (QUAN → qual) design, the research integrates
quantitative survey data from 206 smallholders with rich qualitative insights from focus group
discussions and key informant interviews. A central contribution of this thesis is the
development and empirical validation of a multi-dimensional “Formality-Informality
Continuum.” This framework challenges binary classifications by demonstrating that
smallholders strategically position themselves along this spectrum based on a rational, albeit
bounded, assessment of institutional incentives, regulatory costs, and the efficacy of the
Informal Support Ecosystem (ISE). The analysis empirically identifies four distinct actor
profiles—Highly Informal, Moderately Informal, Moderately Formal, and Highly Formal—
and introduces two key conceptual dynamics. The “Informality Trap” is a self-reinforcing
cycle where high perceived costs of formalization and deep reliance on the ISE deter formal
engagement, limiting upgrading potential. Conversely, the “Experience Effect” describes how
positive, repeated engagement with reliable formal institutions fosters trust and incentivizes
sustained participation. Key findings reveal that Formal Exchange Arrangements (FEA),
such as contractual farming, are significantly stronger drivers of formal market participation
than regulatory compliance alone. The ISE is shown to play a crucial dual role: acting as a
vital “lifeline” by providing accessible informal credit and risk mitigation, yet also functioning
as an “anchor” that can constrain transitions to higher-value markets. Furthermore, while
GVC participation offers upgrading potential, the study demonstrates that its translation into
tangible value capture for smallholders is significantly mediated by their access to formal
credit. This study challenges conventional top-down formalization policies, advocating instead
for an incentive-based approach. It calls for differentiated strategies tailored to actors'
positions on the continuum, prioritizing the strengthening of market-based enablers,
developing hybrid financial models, and strategically leveraging the strengths of the ISE. Such
an approach is crucial for creating viable pathways towards sustainable economic upgrading
for Nigeria's agro-food smallholders within domestic and global value chains
Cloud and snow segmentation via transformer-guided multi-stream feature integration
Get PDFCloud and snow often share comparable visual and structural patterns in satellite observations, making their accurate discrimination and segmentation particularly challenging. To overcome this, we design an innovative Transformer-guided architecture with complementary feature-extraction capabilities. The encoder adopts a dual-path structure, integrating a Transformer Encoder Module (TEM) for capturing long-range semantic dependencies and a ResNet18-based convolutional branch for detailed spatial representation. A Feature-Enhancement Module (FEM) is introduced to promote bidirectional interaction and adaptive feature integration between the two pathways. To improve delineation of object boundaries, especially in visually complex areas, we embed a Deep Feature-Extraction Module (DFEM) at the deepest layer of the convolutional stream. This component refines channel-level information to highlight critical features and enhance edge clarity. Additionally, to address noise from intricate backgrounds and ambiguous cloud-snow transitions, we incorporate both a Transformer Fusion Module (TFM) and a Strip Pooling Auxiliary Module (SPAM) in the decoding phase. These modules collaboratively enhance structural recovery and improve robustness in segmentation. Extensive experiments on the CSWV and SPARCS datasets show that our method consistently outperforms state-of-the-art baselines, demonstrating its strong effectiveness and applicability in real-world cloud and snow-detection scenarios
Knowledge spillovers and public investment in innovation: empirical evidence from the United Kingdom
No full textSpillovers constitute the fundamental rationale for public investment in innovation. Unfortunately, it is difficult to directly measure and evaluate spillovers, so we can determine how to most effectively target public investment in innovation in the private sector. This study provides new empirical evidence on spillovers, simultaneously examining the role of geography, internationalization and collaborative R&D. Collaborative R&D is an important mechanism for the transmission of such spillovers. Based on comprehensive longitudinal firm-level UK data, including detailed information on different types of collaborative R&D, we find that access to public finance is a key determinant of a firm’s ability to innovate and generate sales. Another key finding is that a firm’s returns to international collaborative R&D are conditional on its productivity and access to public funding. It also appears that high-productivity firms benefit more from public funding than low-productivity firms, in terms of stimulating innovation. Should they secure public funding, firms also benefit more from regional and international collaboration than they do without such funding. In general, our findings are consistent with the view that the social returns to public investment in private sector R&D are high
What is “good” co-production in the context of planetary health research, and how is it enabled?
Get PDFInvolvement of non-academic stakeholders in research is essential when seeking to address global challenges, yet there appears to be considerable uncertainty on how to do this well given the complexity. This paper sets out to define more clearly what ‘good’ co-production looks like in the context of urban-planetary health research and how to operationalise it in research design, drawing on existing literature alongside case study experience from operationalising a major research programme in this area. The first sections of the paper set out the rationale, and analyses key issues identified relating to co-production: language, power, stakeholder analysis, imperfection, and impact planning. The case study analysis is based on six headline themes: clarity of mission, language, societal impact, complexity, new approaches and limitations. Eight principles are presented on what enables ‘good’ co-production alongside associated questions that research teams can use to review their own plans. Logic model development and co-production activities are plotted along the core team’s research trajectory over a ten-year period, which reveals six key decision points and potential opportunities for optimising mission-oriented co-production in research design
Developer sentiment, developer’s strategy and housing supply: evidence from Hong Kong
Get PDFThe increasingly important role of sentiment in the housing market has complicated the challenges facing developers
during boom-and-bust cycles. This study investigates how developer sentiment affects developers’ decision-making
and the housing supply at the project level. As the standard evaluation usually overlooks sentiment resulting in
suboptimal inferences, we develop a new theoretical model that analyses both sentiment and developers’ optimal
strategies. Our findings suggest a ‘U’-shape relationship between developer sentiment and the expected waiting time
to develop. Second, the optimal development density declines when developer sentiment intensifies. The Hong Kong
housing market is used as a case for empirical analysis
Airspace restrictions due to conflicts increased global aviation’s carbon dioxide emissions in 2023
Get PDFAs air traffic rebounds from its large drop during the Covid-19 crisis, civil aviation needs to continue addressing its climate impact. Knowledge of aircraft trajectories is essential for an accurate assessment of the CO2 (and non-CO2) climate impact of aviation. Here we combine an aircraft trajectory optimization algorithm and a global database of
aircraft movements to quantify the impact of airspace restrictions due to conflict zones on CO2 emissions. Among
current restrictions, we show that the Russian ban of its airspace to Western airlines following the invasion of Ukraine has the largest impact. Our analysis reveals an initial reduction of flights to and from East Asia that would have crossed the Russian territory. Routes then gradually reopened by making a detour, which led to an average increase in fuel consumption of 13% on the affected routes, with a greater impact for flights to and from Europe (14.8%) compared to flights to and from North America (9.8%). Although these flights represent only a small fraction of the daily flights, the large detours have increased global aviation CO2 emissions by 1% in 2023, equivalent to a quarter of the yet-to-be-achieved efficiency gain potential from improved air traffic management
How does small-scale mining stabilize rural livelihoods in Sub-Saharan Africa? the case of Mozambique
Get PDFThis paper examines the linkages between subsistence farming and artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) – lowtech, labor-intensive mineral extraction and processing – in sub-Saharan Africa, focusing on the case of Mozambique. While the body of literature on this subject is burgeoning, it is comprised mostly of conceptual pieces and country case studies that rely heavily on qualitative data. Focusing on Manica Province, long an epicentre of small-scale gold mining activity in Mozambique, the paper showcases the value of including complementary quantitative data in analyses of ASM-farming linkages in rural sub-Saharan Africa. In particular, quantitative data that provide detail on the demographical composition of communities engaged in both ASM and agriculture, and which shed light on the spending patterns of households involved, could go a long way toward enriching dialogues on this subject, and, in the process, yield more effective (and, indeed, representative) rural development and poverty alleviation strategies in the region. The data gathered in Manica Province provide a more nuanced picture of how the ages and educational levels of household heads, and the sizes of their families, shape views on ASM and agriculture in gold-rich sections of Mozambique. Studies exploring the linkages between ASM and agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa that feature both qualitative and quantitative data provide greater clarity on the role each activity could play in tackling some of the region’s broader development challenges, including food insecurity and (building) community resilience
Property not required for its trust purpose—and the concept of ‘general charitable intent’
Get PDFThis article compares the treatment of various types of trust where the settlor stipulates that trust property is to be used to pursue a particular purpose, but that purpose proves abortive, leaving the relevant property not now needed for the purpose and not otherwise disposed of. It argues that charitable trusts, and in particular the doctrine of ‘general charitable intent’ leading to cy-près application, could perhaps draw a lesson from beneficiary trusts