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The biosphere in the Anthropocene
No full textEarth’s biosphere is in a period of rapid change, resulting from anthropogenic pressures such as climate change, habitat loss and species translocation and extinction. The extraordinary pace of change has led to the suggestion that we live in a new geological epoch of time called the Anthropocene. In this theme issue, we explore the major changes to the terrestrial and marine biospheres, from the deep oceans to the agricultural landscapes of the Anthropocene. We take a deliberately pluralistic approach that represents different viewpoints from the sciences and social sciences, examining our negative and sometimes calamitous impacts on species and ecosystems and our potential for positive interactions with the biosphere, and exploring change over millennia. This article is part of the theme issue ‘The biosphere in the Anthropocene’.</p
Explicit strategy articulation and entrepreneurial orientation in dynamic and hostile environments
No full textThe resource-based view sees entrepreneurial orientation (EO) as channeling strategic resources that are valuable, rare, and difficult to imitate or substitute to achieve superior firm performance. However, scholars argue that, on its own, EO struggles to sustain performance amid today’s hostile and dynamic environments. Turning to the attention-based view, which emphasizes the focus and structuring of attention in a demanding environment, we argue that explicit strategy (ES) positively moderates the effect of EO on firm performance, contingent on the environment (ENV). Testing our theoretical framework on 167 large companies in the Netherlands, we find that a high level of ES positively regulates the focus of EO on certain opportunities, stimuli, and decisions, improving firm performance in highly dynamic and hostile environmental contexts. Less regulation due to lower ES nullifies the effectiveness of EO for large firms in both environmental contexts.</p
Shaping Work-Life Balance in An Emerging Economy: A Signalling Theory
No full textNo description supplied</p
The Communicative Relationship between Patient Advocacy Groups and Pharmaceutical Manufacturers during the Opioid Crisis
No full textSeeking an in-depth understanding of corporate and interest group interventions in the digitally networked neopluralistic landscape, this study embraces netnography and thematic analysis to examine the communication and relationship between the patient advocacy groups (PAGs) and pharmaceutical manufacturers during the third wave of the US opioid crisis. Although numerous normative perspectives portray their relationships reflecting an institutional conflict of interest framework, fewer studies examine the engagements empirically using a qualitative approach. The study serves two primary objectives. First, investigates the opioids-led interaction pattern and persuasion between PAGs and their stakeholders on Twitter. Second, the study examines how pharmaceutical manufacturers use patient advocacy groups as healthcare ‘interest groups’ to promote their agendas and lobby opioid regulations and policies. Methodologically, the research follows a case study strategy and engages netnography and thematic analysis in three phases. In phase one, the study held online participant observation of PAG’s Twitter accounts and, in the second phase, initiated semi-structured mediated interviews with cross-sector respondents that included the representatives of PAGs, opioid policy experts, journalists and activists. The final phase analysed the US newspaper articles covering the opioid crisis. The study embraced theories of elaboration likelihood model (ELM), cyberconflict framework and the logic of connective action, forming a framework to analyse the relationships and interactions between the entities. Consequently, the study finds that PAGs use persuasion strategies to influence their target groups to support the corporate interests of pharmaceutical manufacturers. On the other hand, PAGs employ communication tactics online through organised networking, coalition, and mobilisation to engage in direct policy lobbying in favour of pharmaceutical manufacturers. Besides that, the study affirms that constructing collective identity becomes a key strategy in corporate lobbying using interest groups and their alliance favours the self-regulation of corporate entities.</p
Maternal Cardiovascular Changes in Pregnancies Complicated by Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: A Longitudinal Cohort Study
No full textBackground Pregnancy is associated with significant cardiovascular change. Gestational Diabetes (GDM) is one of the most commonly encountered medical disorders in pregnancy and carries an increased risk of gestational hypertensive disorders, but the pattern of cardiovascular adaptation associated with it is poorly understood. The aim of this longitudinal study was to investigate longitudinal changes in maternal haemodynamics in pregnancies complicated by GDM.MethodsThis is a longitudinal observational study of maternal cardiac output (CO), heart rate (HR), stroke volume (SV), total peripheral resistance (TPR), mean arterial pressure (MAP), brachial (BrAIx) and aortic (AoAIx) augmentation index and pulse wave velocity (PWV), amongst women with GDM compared to healthy controls. Women with GDM were considered both as a combined group, and as separate subgroups by treatment modality.ResultsAmongst healthy pregnancies, and the participants with GDM, maternal HR increased with advancing gestation, SV decreased, and CO showed no significant change. TPR, BrAIx, AoAIX and PWV increased, and MAP did not significantly change, with advancing gestation.Third trimester BrAIx and AoAIx were increased, and CO was lower, among women with GDM compared to low-risk women. No causal relationships between maternal haemodynamics and the need for treatment requirement of GDM were identified. Compared to the healthy women, BrAIx and AoAIx were increased in all the GDM subgroups, but CO was decreased only among women treated with metformin, and not the women treated with diet or metformin with insulin.We also observed a trend towards an altered longitudinal pattern of BrAIx, AoAIx, CO, SV, and TPR amongst the women with GDM taking metformin, compared to the women treated with dietary management, which did not meet statistical significance.ConclusionsWomen with GDM demonstrate altered haemodynamics compared to women with healthy pregnancies. Our findings may explain the association between GDM and placental medicated disease, and a role for metformin in the prevention of these complications.</p
Imposter participants and artificial intelligence: growing concerns in online surveys.
No full textEmergency care research often uses online surveys to explore patient experiences or staffattitudes. Electronic data collection is cost-effective and allows broader, diverse participation,especially from those unable to participate in in-person research (e.g., due to limited mobilityor irregular rotas).We conducted an online survey to explore UK hospital healthcare staff’s beliefs, attitudes,and behavioural barriers around blood culture sampling for suspected severe infection. Thesurvey (Likert-scale questions and free-text responses) was shared via professional networksand promoted via professional social media accounts on X, Bluesky, and LinkedIn. As areward, participants could enter a £50 voucher prize draw.Data quality checks found more than 30% of survey submissions (70 in total) had suspiciousdata patterns:(1)Start and finish times indicated that questionnaires were completed sequentially, with eachone starting immediately after the previous (typically within 5 minutes of completing theprevious submission). In some instances, there were up to 10 sequential submissions.(2) Free-text comments appeared either nonsensical or copied from generic online contentabout blood culture sampling, possibly generated by AI.(3)Prize draw email addresses comprised random, unpronounceable strings of letters andnumbers, unlikely to be professional or personal email addresses.Fraudulent responses to online questionnaires have received increasing recognition within thesocial sciences over the last decade (1), but remain largely overlooked in emergency care research. Motivations vary—from influencing results or spamming to seek financial gain.Given our survey’s non-political nature, we suspect the prize draw was the main incentive.Surprisingly, we encountered a high volume of fraudulent entries despite offering only amodest, probabilistic reward and recruiting through professional social media accounts withsmall and narrow demographic following.Social media platforms allow public content to be browsed, scraped and searched bykeywords, making it easy for automated ‘bots’ to access and complete advertised surveys.Blocking bot responses or differentiating human from software interaction is challenging, andvarious strategies have been explored across different stages of the research process(2).</p
Transformer Optimization Algorithm for selecting Tokens based on genetic Algorithm
No full textIn recent years, Transformer are widely recognized in the field of artificial intelligence for its excellent performance. However, the tokens number is increased exponentially in Transformer, "How to select token?" and "How to evaluate the importance of each token ?" are key focus areas in current research. To solve the above problems, this paper proposes a global token selection model GAFormer based on Genetic Algorithm. Firstly, Aiming to "How to select token?", binary encoding strategy, whole-part coupled fitness function, elitism strategy-roulette selection, two-point crossover, and one-point mutation are used to realize genetic evolution; Secondly, Aiming to "How to evaluate the token importance?", a whole-part coupled fitness function is constructed, using whole gene selection to obtain "probability vector", using part gene selection to obtain "selection result vector", and using the scoring strategy of whole-part coupled to obtain the fitness value of each chromosome; Finally, the model is verified on 2 public lung X-ray datasets. On dataset 1, its accuracy, precision, recall, F1, and specificity are reached 96.17 %, 92.33 %, 92.35 %, 92.50 %, and 97.45 % respectively, on dataset 2, the corresponding results are 95.84 %, 93.23 %, 93.41 %, 93.26 %, and 96.30 % respectively. This model provides a new idea for token selection in Transformer, which has positive significance for the further development of the large medical model based on Transformer.</p
Reconstruction of rural cultural spaces driven by tourism development: A comparative study of two Chinese Traditional Villages in Shanxi Province
No full textThe rapid development of rural tourism in China is reflected in many of the so-called ‘Chinese Traditional Villages’, which are villages that have been officially designated as having rich rural culture and cultural heritage. The rurality of Chinese Traditional Villages, as carriers of rural cultural spaces, is often seen to be transformed or even undermined as a result of various forms of tourist development. This research draws on a theorisation of rural space derived from the work of the British Geographer Keith Halfacree and eleven months of ethnographic fieldwork in two Chinese Traditional Villages: Zhangbi Ancient Fortress and Hougou Ancient Village, which were both designated in 2012 as part of the first batch of these villages in Shanxi Province. Based on participant observation, 66 interviews with local government officials, local village leaders and residents, folklorists, and leaders from the tourism corporations, along with secondary data analysis, this research aims to explore how rural cultural spaces are transformed through tourism development focusing on three dimensions of space, namely, material cultural spaces, symbolic cultural spaces, and lived cultural spaces. By analysing and comparing the contrasting reconstruction processes of rural cultural spaces between the two selected villages, it is found that these processes involve constant negotiation and resistance among different groups of actors to achieve their own ends, as well as complex interactions between state political power, external capital forces, and the agency of village residents, continuously forming, mediating, and shaping the construction and reconstruction of rural cultural spaces in tourism development. The research contributes to not only developing a conceptual framework around the multi-dimensionality of rural cultural space but also providing a more active and holistic understanding of the emergence of the hybrid rurality of Chinese Traditional Villages amid rapid rural tourism development.</p
Impact of bariatric surgery on monthly earnings and employment: a national linked data study in England, 2014-2022.
No full textBACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: There is evidence that living with obesity can affect an individual's pay and employment, but there is little evidence on the impact of weight-management interventions in improving labour market outcomes of individuals. We evaluate the impact of bariatric surgery on monthly earnings and employee status among working-age adults, and examine variations across sociodemographic characteristics. METHODS: This population-based, retrospective longitudinal cohort study for England included 40,662 individuals who had a bariatric surgery procedure and obesity diagnosis between 1 April 2014 and 31 December 2022, with no bariatric surgery history in the previous 5 years, and were 25 to 64 years old at the date of surgery. 49,921 individuals sampled from the general population who had not had bariatric surgery were also included, matched by age and sex. The main outcome measures were monthly employee pay-for all months and only months where the individual was in paid employment-expressed in 2023 prices and paid employee status. RESULTS: Among people living with obesity who had bariatric surgery, there was a sustained increase in monthly employee pay from 6 months after surgery with a mean increase of £84 per month (95% confidence interval [Cl]: 63-106) 5 years after surgery compared with the 6 months before surgery. There was a sustained increase in the probability of being a paid employee from 4 months after bariatric surgery, with a mean increase of 4.3 percentage points (95% Cl: 3.7-4.9) 5 years after surgery. CONCLUSION: Bariatric surgery is associated with an increased probability of being employed, resulting in increased earnings. This suggests that living with obesity negatively impacts labour market outcomes and that obesity management interventions are likely to generate economic benefits both to individuals and on a macroeconomic level by increasing the likelihood of employment of people living with obesity.</p
Association Between Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Pregnancy Outcomes in GDM: A Secondary Analysis of the DiGest Trial.
No full textCONTEXT: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a risk factor for gestational diabetes (GDM) due to shared pathophysiological associations with insulin resistance and adiposity, and may increase the risk of suboptimal perinatal outcomes in GDM. It is unclear if this excess risk upon outcomes is attributable to PCOS, more severe hyperglycaemia, higher maternal BMI or reduced efficacy of dietary interventions. OBJECTIVE: To assess associations of PCOS, dietary intervention and gestational weight loss with maternal and neonatal outcomes in women with GDM. DESIGN/SETTING: A secondary analysis from the DiGest double-blind randomized controlled trial. PARTICIPANTS: Pregnant women with GDM and BMI ≥25 kg/m² from eight UK centres (N =425; 50 with PCOS and 375 without PCOS). INTERVENTION: Reduced-energy intervention diet (1,200 kcal/day) or standard-energy control diet (2,000 kcal/day) from enrolment (29wks) until delivery. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Pregnancy outcomes, including maternal weight and continuous glucose metrics, physical and dietary data and infant birthweight and jaundice, were compared between women with and without PCOS using univariate tests, and multivariable regression models were applied for adjusted analysis. RESULTS: Women with GDM and PCOS had similar baseline characteristics, glycaemia, BMI and pregnancy outcomes compared to women with GDM alone, but their infants had higher rates of neonatal jaundice (24.4% vs. 8.9%, p=0.002). Outcomes across the dietary interventions were similar in women with and without PCOS. CONCLUSIONS: In women with GDM, PCOS was not associated with increased risks for most suboptimal pregnancy outcomes or reduced efficacy of a dietary intervention in this cohort where BMI and glycaemia were comparable.</p