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Promotion or prevention? Does CEOs’ famine experience affect their digital transformation decisions?
No full textDigital transformation offers firms significant advantages, with CEOs playing a crucial role in shaping strategic initiatives. However, few studies have examined how CEOs’ formative experiences influence their decision-making. Drawing on imprinting theory and regulatory focus theory, this study investigates the impact of CEOs’ early-life exposure to the Great Chinese Famine on digital transformation decisions, and identifies boundary conditions that shape this relationship. Using a dataset of Chinese listed companies, we find that 1) CEOs’ famine experiences activate a prevention focus, leading to a significantly negative impact on firm’s digital transformation effects; 2) CEO compensation strengthens the negative imprinting effect, while the marketisation level weakens it; and 3) the moderating effect of insignificant. The findings provide empirical evidence on the impact of CEOs’ early-life traumatic events on companies’ adoption of digital technologies and highlight the critical role of managerial incentives and institutional environments in moderating imprint effects
Technology road map for Metaverse technologies: deliverable D1.2 of the shaping the Metaverse (phase II) project.
No full textThis roadmap report provides an Horizon Scan of development practices by four prominent Metaverse technology vendors. It probes early indicators of potentially significant changes that are currently barely visible or easily overlooked. Major players: Roblox, Nvidia, Meta, and Apple are producing many of these ‘weak signals’ through their marketing material, developer relations and shareholder communications. These companies were selected for analysis based on their position as current top holdings on Roundhill Investment’s Metaverse ETF tracker (June 2025). Researchers from a range of disciplines were recruited to analyse primary marketing materials – such as web articles, company blogs, quotes from news articles, and company roadmaps to give an indication of the emerging priorities of these companies, and their direction of travel
The role of climate and hydrology fluctuations in shaping Northern Alaska plant community over the last three millennia
No full textRising temperatures observed in recent decades are driving changes in the development of wetland ecosystems in Arctic regions. Therefore, there is a need to assess the current ecological state of peatlands in the Arctic zone to predict their development in the future. This study uses high-resolution multi-proxy palaeoecological analyses (plant macrofossils, pollen, testate amoebae, peat stoichiometry and stable isotopes), supported by radiocarbon (14C) and lead (210Pb and239+240Pu), from two peat profiles covering the last 3200 and 1350 years, respectively, located on the northern part of Alaska. We aim to (i) determine the timing of the peat initiation process; ii) identify predominant peat-forming plant species; iii) reconstruct local and regional vegetation changes; iv) reconstruct hydrological changes and v) explore the role of climate-induced hydrological changes on the development of Arctic peat-forming and shrubs plant communities. Our studies revealed that 1) peat initiation occurred at ca. 1200 BCE and 350 BCE through a paludification process; 2) plant communities dominated by sedges and brown mosses played a key role as a main peat-forming species and remained stable for centuries; 3) changes in the composition of dominant peat-forming plants, from sedges and brown mosses, common in wet habitats to Sphagnum and brown mosses typical of drier habitats, were linked to climate warming between 1940 CE and 1960 CE and 4) the drop of the water table depth level during warm climate phases facilitated the spread of shrub and dwarf shrubs in the Arctic plain. Our study shows that the recent surge in woody vegetation exceeds any recorded expansion in the past three millennia, documenting the rapid changes occurring in Arctic plant communities from Northern Alaska.</p
Accountability and AI: redundancy, overlaps and blind-Spots
No full textArtificial Intelligence (AI) increasingly reshapes public sector activities, raising critical questions about its impact on traditional democratic accountability. Despite recent achievements in unpacking the multiple forms and dimensions of accountability, limited attention has been given to how diverse AI forms - beyond their perception as a singular phenomenon - uniquely contribute to accountability challenges. This paper examines how different AI schools (like connectionist and symbolic) affect accountability in public governance, using the AI, Algorithmic and Automation Incidents and Controversies (AIAAIC) repository to analyze 115 real-world public sector AI incidents. Our methodology clusters cases by AI school to identify recurring accountability issues: redundancy (unnecessary accountability efforts), overlaps (competing accountability demands), and blind-spots (insufficient or no accountability appears evident). Our findings reveal that connectionist systems dominate public sector deployments, often linked to transparency issues. Less commonly deployed AI forms, such as symbolic or analogizer systems, may better align with public governance principles under certain conditions. This study highlights compatibility issues between AI forms and accountability dimensions, emphasizing how algorithmic design choices significantly shape governance outcomes. By addressing these challenges, the paper advances understanding of AI accountability in public administration and reinforces the need for strategic AI adoption to enhance democratic processes.<br/
Regulating data access in the Metaverse
No full textThis report explores the regulatory frameworks for facilitating regulated data access (RDA) within the metaverse, a rapidly evolving digital ecosystem of immersive virtual and augmented environments. Focusing on the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA)—particularly Article 40, the only comprehensive RDA framework so far enacted—the analysis evaluates its applicability to metaverse platforms as Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) or Very Large Online Search Engines (VLOSEs). The analysis extends to comparative discussions of data access provisions under the United Kingdom’s Online Safety Act and the proposed United States Platform Accountability and Transparency Act, offering insights into diverse regulatory approaches.Addressing the unique data governance challenges posed by the metaverse, the report categorizes data generated within the ecosystem into personal and non-personal types, highlighting the complexities of metaverse-native data such as eye-tracking, spatial mapping, and behavioural analytics. It identifies significant gaps in existing legal frameworks when applied to the metaverse, arguing that tailored adaptations are necessary to address the metaverse’s unique challenges. The report also evaluates the data access regimes of selected metaverse platforms, identifying disparities in approaches and the need for standardized practices that align with global best practices.By identifying key challenges in implementing RDA, this report underscores RDA’s dual role in advancing transparency and accountability—both as a tool for systemic risk research and as a mechanism for regulatory oversight and platform accountability. The analysis demonstrates how structured and standardized data access strengthens fundamental rights protection, supports evidence-based policymaking, and enables civil society organizations, independent watchdogs, and the general public to scrutinize digital services, ultimately serving a broader public-interest function. The analysis extends beyond mere applications to metaverse platforms, providing insights that can be applied to the online platform ecosystem in its entirety. These insights offer actionable guidance for policymakers, particularly in jurisdictions such as the UK, where current legislation lacks explicit data access provisions. Implementing the report’s recommendations—ranging from privacy-preserving technologies to interoperable standards—will enable regulators to balance innovation with accountability, foster trust in metaverse ecosystems, and ensure robust protections for users’ fundamental rights in an era of rapid digital transformation
Dimensional scaling laws for continuous fluid antenna systems
No full textConsider the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of a continuous fluid antenna system (CFAS) operating over a Rayleigh fading channel. In this paper, we extend traditional system assumptions and consider spatially coherent isotropic correlation, continuous positioning of the antenna rather than discrete, and the use of multi-dimensional space (1D, 2D and 3D). By focusing on the upper tail of the received SNR distribution (the high SNR probability (HSP)), we are able to derive asymptotically exact closed-form formulas for the HSP. Finally, these results lead to scaling laws which describe the increase in the HSP as we employ more dimensions and the optimal CFAS dimensions
Hydrodynamic cavitation mediated Spirulina valorisation with insights into phycocyanin extraction and biogas production
No full textCommercial phycocyanin extraction is energy-intensive and lacks scalability. Alternatively, this study reports the systematic investigation of hydrodynamic cavitation for intensified phycocyanin extraction from Spirulina. Additionally, biomethane potential of the residual biomass, obtained after phycocyanin extraction was also investigated. The biomethane generation rate decreased with an increasing number of passes while the biomethane potential remained unaffected. To reliably compare phycocyanin extraction across systems, dimensionless normalised yields were defined. A normalised phycocyanin yield of 4.3 (52 mg phycocyanin g−1) at an inlet pressure of 150 kPa and 90 passes was identified (optimum cavitation). Lowest specific energy input (0.06kWh kg−1) was calculated for processing 100 g L−1 Spirulina, which is one to two orders of magnitude lower than current state-of-the-art. Furthermore, a net energy gain of 600-2497kWh kg−1 obtained from biomethane generation showcased a viable Spirulina biorefinery, intensified via hydrodynamic cavitation. This work provides a route for phycocyanin extraction with significantly reduced energy input and potential for wider bioproduct extraction and biorefining from a range of biomasses via hydrodynamic cavitation.<br/
The dynamic identity formation of sexual minority adolescents: a constructivist grounded theory of adversity and resilience
No full textSexual Minority Adolescent’s (SMA’s) are more likely to experience mental health problems than heterosexual adolescents. This has been observed across geographical and socio-political contexts. Within the UK, minimal work has explored SMA’s experience of navigating their sexuality and experiences of adversity and resilience. A constructivist grounded theory approach was adopted. Data were gathered in 2021, from 17 semi-structured interviews with a gender diverse sample aged 16-25. The Dynamic Identity Formation Sexual Minority (DIFS) theory was generated via analysis of participant narrative and informed by existing sociopsychological models (e.g. ecological systems theory). DIFS is a sociopsychological theory, with three tiers (cultures, enactment, experience). The cultures of heteronormativity and gender binarism, and the culture of queerness sit atop. Each culture is enacted by behaviours i.e. othering and suppression. The final tier is individual experience, which can include internalised homonegativity and/or developing a commitment to supporting others. For Peer Review DIFS helps understand the discrete and interacting influence of sociological structures, interpersonal relationships and psychological experiences over developmental time. Thus, a more holistic and targeted intervention approach can be utilised by psychotherapists with this group. Extra inclusivity efforts towards non-heterosexual relationships are likejavascript:void(0);ly to be effective in variant settings e.g. the education system
microRNA biomarkers in paediatric infection diagnostics—bridging the gap between evidence and clinical application: a scoping review
No full textBackground: Distinguishing between bacterial and viral infections in children remains a significant challenge for clinicians. Traditional biomarkers have limited utility, often leading to antibiotic overprescription due to clinician uncertainty. With rising antimicrobial resistance, novel biomarkers are needed to improve diagnosis. This scoping review examines current host miRNA biomarkers for acute bacterial and viral infections in children (0-18), focusing on study methods, diagnostic metrics, and research gaps to support clinical translation. Results: Of the 1,147 articles identified, 36 studies were included. Notably, 72.2% of the studies originated from Asia, and the distribution across the paediatric age groups was relatively even. 17 miRNAs were validated in at least two independent studies. Three miRNAs, hsa-miR-182-5p, hsa-miR-363-3p and hsa-miR-206, were consistently associated with bacterial infection in children. Meanwhile, nine miRNAs: hsa-miR-155, hsa-miR-29a-3p, hsa-miR-155-5p, hsa-miR-150-5p, hsa-miR-140-3p, hsa-miR-142-3p, hsa-miR-149-3p, hsa-miR-210-3p, and hsa-miR-34a-5p were validated as being associated with viral infections. Across the 12 studies reporting diagnostic accuracy metrics, miRNA biomarkers exhibited a sensitivity ranging from 70% to 100%, and a specificity ranging from 72% to 100%. The area under the curve across the studies demonstrated a range from 0.62 to 0.99. Conclusion: This scoping review highlights the potential of miRNA targets for diagnosing paediatric infections when studied rigorously. However, clinical translation is limited by poor adherence to STARD guidelines, lack of robust diagnostic metrics, and study heterogeneity. Many studies were set up as case-control; a design that, while highlighting differences, is more likely to identify non-specific biomarkers rather than those useful for novel clinical diagnostics.<br/