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New test of modified gravity with gravitational wave experiments
Full text linkWe propose a new strategy to probe nontensorial polarizations in the stochastic gravitational wave (GW) background. Averaging over polarization angles, we find that three-point correlations of the GW signal vanish for tensor and vector modes, while scalar modes generically leave a nonzero imprint. This property makes the GW bispectrum a distinctive and robust diagnostic of scalar polarizations predicted in theories beyond general relativity. We derive the corresponding response functions for ground-based interferometers, pulsar timing arrays, and astrometric observables, and we construct an optimal estimator together with simple Fisher forecasts for pulsar timing sensitivity. As a proof of principle, we show that second-order GWs sourced by primordial magnetogenesis can be characterized by large three-point functions. Our results demonstrate that GW three-point correlations provide a novel observational window on physics beyond general relativity
Global value chain participation and firm-level carbon emissions: Evidence from China
No full textThis study investigates the impact of firm-level participation in global value chains (GVCs) on carbon emissions, using panel data on Chinese A-share listed firms from 2009 to 2023. We construct firm-level measures of GVCs participation based on overseas revenue and export intensity, and combine them with manually collected carbon emission data. Employing several robustness checks, we find evidence that deeper GVC participation significantly increases firms’ carbon emission intensity, supporting the pollution haven hypothesis. Mechanism analyses show that firms with higher expansion capacity experience a stronger emission-increasing effect, consistent with a scale-expansion channel. In contrast, technological innovation does not significantly attenuate the emission effects of GVC participation, suggesting that the environmental benefits of technology upgrading through GVCs have not yet been fully realized. Overall, the findings highlight the dominance of scale effects in shaping firms’ environmental outcomes and point to the importance of enhancing green technology diffusion and value-chain upgrading
Addressing Human Rights Violations by Extractive Business in Nigeria: The Limitations of Transnational Mechanisms and International Recourses as Alternatives
No full textAntecedents and outcomes of a later attention–deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosis in females
No full textBackground: Females are less likely than males to be diagnosed with attention–deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). When diagnosed, females are older than males. Aims: In this study, we examined the childhood antecedents of later ADHD diagnosis and its impact on adolescent/emerging adult outcomes, with a focus on females. Method: In this cohort study, we used data from a Welsh nation-wide electronic cohort of 13 593 individuals (n = 2680 (19.7%) females) diagnosed with ADHD and 578 793 individuals (n = 286 734 (49.5%) females) without ADHD. We compared females with later diagnoses (ages 12–25) to those with earlier, timely diagnoses (ages 5–11) and no diagnosis, in terms of childhood (ages 5–11) antecedents and adolescent/adult (ages 12–25) outcomes. We also tested for sex differences. Results: Although females with earlier ADHD diagnosis showed more health and educational difficulties in childhood than those with later diagnosed ADHD (odds ratios ranged from 0.18 to 0.92), there was clear evidence of these difficulties in females with later diagnosed ADHD, compared with females without ADHD (odds ratios: 1.07–9.02). In adolescence/early adulthood, females with later diagnosed ADHD used more healthcare services and had worse mental health, educational and socioeconomic outcomes than females diagnosed earlier (odds ratios: 1.39–4.96) and those without ADHD (odds ratios: 1.54–23.98). Many of these outcomes were exacerbated in females compared with males. Conclusions: The results demonstrate that later ADHD diagnosis is associated with significant negative outcomes by adolescence and disproportionately disadvantages females. Despite later diagnosis, there was clear evidence of childhood mental health and educational difficulties when compared with females without ADHD. Therefore, timely childhood ADHD diagnosis may help to mitigate later risks, especially for females
A Three-Layered Framework for Estimating Human Trust in Robots During Repeated Interactions
Full text linkAdapting the TOURQUAL scale for accessible tourism: Assessing service quality for people with physical disabilities
Full text linkTraditional service-quality frameworks often fail to adequately capture the experiences of people with disabilities in tourism contexts. Although accessibility has been increasingly discussed in tourism research, limited guidance exists on how existing service-quality models can be meaningfully adapted from the perspective of tourists with physical disabilities. This study explores how the TOURQUAL scale can be adapted to better reflect accessibility-related quality perceptions among tourists with physical disabilities in the Brazilian context. Using a qualitative approach, a focus group was conducted with six participants presenting different types of physical disability, enabling an in-depth examination of lived tourism experiences. Data were analysed using Bardin’s content analysis and organised using the hierarchical model proposed by Philip and Hazlett, which classifies indicators into pivotal, core, and peripheral attributes. The findings highlight that accessibility-related service quality extends beyond physical infrastructure, encompassing attitudinal, communicational, technical, emotional, and relational dimensions, including indicators related to staff sensitivity and training, accuracy of accessibility information, autonomy-supportive service delivery, maintenance of accessible infrastructure, and trust in service provision. The hierarchical organisation of indicators provides a structured way to prioritise accessibility-related attributes based on their perceived relevance to autonomy, safety, and dignity in tourism experiences. Rather than proposing a universal protocol, this study offers a user-informed and context-sensitive framework that illustrates how service-quality models such as TOURQUAL can be adapted to incorporate accessibility considerations. The results contribute conceptually and methodologically to the literature on accessible tourism, as well as providing practical insights for tourism managers seeking to improve inclusive service quality
The intergenerational health, social care, and justice system contacts associated with household substance misuse in Wales
Full text linkBackgroundHousehold substance misuse (SM) is associated with child deprivation and worse physical and mental health. This study utilised linked healthcare, justice, and children's social care data in Wales for the first time, to create a reusable cohort of households that experience substance misuse (SMHH).MethodsUsing the SAIL Databank, a population-scale retrospective electronic cohort (e-cohort) was created to perform a cross-sectional analysis of SM-related health and criminal justice events during 2011-2019 for adults and children in SMHH, which were compared with the rest of the population using period prevalence ratios (PR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Other variables included demographics, children's social care, healthcare, and SM-related criminal court cases.ResultsThere were 776,366 children and 1,032,088 adults, where 83,558 children (11%) lived in SMHH, and 48,398 (5%) of adults who lived with a child had a SM event. Children in SMHH had a 133% higher prevalence of referral to SM treatment (PR = 2.33, CI: 2.23-2.43), and a SM-related criminal case was 42% more prevalent (PR = 1.42, CI: 1.30-1.55) during the period. Notably, the prevalence of SMHH children receiving care and support was 300% higher (PR = 4.00, CI: 3.92-4.08), and self-harm was 78% more prevalent (PR = 1.78, CI: 1.71-1.86).ConclusionSMHH children experience significant disparities, including higher deprivation, adverse birth outcomes, mental health issues, social care involvement, and SM-related criminal justice prosecutions. Evidence-based interventions and policy are needed to support adults and children in SMHH to mitigate the intergenerational impact
Global shocks and the debt‐growth nexus
Full text linkThis paper re-examines the relationship between debt and growth with and without the influence of global shocks for a panel of 22 economies. The analysis introduces an approach that accounts for the complexity of global factors and estimates the debt-to-growth and growth-to-debt nexus for household, corporate, and public debt from a purely idiosyncratic perspective. The results reveal a multifactor structure: global shocks drive variation in household and public debt, whereas corporate debt exhibits predominantly idiosyncratic dynamics. These global shocks alter the magnitude and statistical significance of the idiosyncratic debt-growth nexus, demonstrating their critical role in identifying the underlying relationship
Experiences of early parenthood in and beyond the coronavirus pandemic: a qualitative study with expectant and new mothers
Full text linkThe term ‘Perinatal’ incorporates pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period. The perinatal period is of significance in both the individual and familial life cycle, an experience shared by the wider social network and community. Yet, it can be a time where the impact of pre-existing and emerging mental health problems could necessitate specialist Perinatal Mental Health Services (PMHS) support via the National Health Service (NHS). The COVID-19 pandemic is considered to have added adverse impacts on Perinatal Mental Health (PMH), with questions on the lived experience remaining largely unanswered. The current study focussed on the experiences of a unique user group, women who were currently in receipt of perinatal mental health support during the pandemic and considered the context in which this service was received via the NHS within Wales. Semi-structured interviews with 21 expectant and new mothers were analysed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis (RTA) establishing four main themes of: 1. Disrupted Perinatal Medical Care during the COVID-19 pandemic; 2. Becoming a Parent in Social Isolation; 3. Managing Perinatal Health Through PMHS; 4. Parenthood beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings indicated that the COVID-19 pandemic caused concerns and worries amongst pregnant, birthing, and post-partum women and that diminished opportunities for social support during that time created an adverse mental health impact upon them. Overall, COVID-19 appears to have a ripple effect on women and their families experiencing the perinatal period during pandemic. Participants largely attributed the causes of their poorer experiences to the pandemic by identifying it as a contributor to their heightened perinatal mental distress and at times as sole cause for their referral to Perinatal Mental Health Services. The research generates information and knowledge that highlights the unique needs of the perinatal population in future pandemics and crises, with both short and long-term implications for parents, babies and families
A complex network analysis of risk spillover and linkage effects between green bonds and commodities under the characteristics of the Chinese market
No full textThis study focuses on the distinctive characteristics of the Chinese market environment and constructs a composite analytical framework integrating EGARCH, wavelet coherence, QVAR-DY. The unique advantage of this framework lies in its ability to simultaneously deconstruct the risk transmission pathways between green bonds and commodities across multiple dimensions, including "time domain-frequency domain," "mean-tail," and "static-dynamic." Systematic examination reveals significant time-frequency heterogeneity and state dependence in the risk linkage between the two markets: in the short term, it manifests as synchronous responses to high-frequency information; in the medium term, it is driven by economic events and policy factors; and in the long term, it is associated with macroeconomic cycles and the trend of green transformation. During extreme downside periods, green bonds predominantly act as net risk recipients, exhibiting pronounced sensitivity to shocks from energy and non-ferrous metals; under normal conditions, they demonstrate greater independence; whereas in extreme upside periods, risk inflows intensify, and from a long-term perspective, green bonds may transition into net risk transmitters, underscoring the reshaping effect of green transformation on demand expectations for commodities. The findings provide multidimensional evidence for understanding the risk transmission mechanisms between green finance and the real economy, offering valuable insights for risk management and policy formulation
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