Influential individuals can promote prosocial practices in heterogeneous societies: a mathematical and agent-based model.

In this paper, we examine how different governance types impact prosocial behaviors in a heterogenous society. We construct a general theoretical framework to examine a game-theoretic model to assess the ease of achieving a cooperative outcome. We then build a dynamic agent-based model to examine three distinct governance types in a heterogenous population: monitoring one's neighbors, despotic leadership, and influencing one's neighbors to adapt strategies that lead to better fitness. In our research, we find that while despotic leadership may lead towards high prosociality and high returns it does not exceed the effects of a local individual who can exert positive influence in the community. This may suggest that greater individual gains can be had by cooperating and that global hierarchical leadership may not be essential as long as influential individuals exert their influence for public good and not for public ill.

Taxation and Incentives in Private Health Services Delivery in Nigeria: Opinion of Private Health Practitioners.

Background: Tax relief and incentives are utilized to encourage the private health sector to provide services that are advantageous to community health. The aim of this study was to explore the issues related to taxes paid, incentives provided, returns on investment, satisfaction with practice, and plans of private health practitioners who were conference attendees in Port Harcourt in 2021. Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out at two national events in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria in October, and December 2021, among conference attendees using self-administered questionnaires. Data obtained was analyzed using the IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0 and presented in tables. Results: A total of one hundred and sixty-six (166) respondents were involved in the study. One hundred and four (62.7%) respondents believed they experienced multiple taxation from agencies of government. Most respondents paid at least fifty thousand and above as taxes to various levels of government. One hundred and forty-two (85.5%) respondents believed they did not receive any incentive from governments for their private health businesses. Fifty-three (31.9%) were not satisfied, while55 (33.1%) respondents were managing to survive in the business environment. Conclusion: Private healthcare practitioners in Nigeria experience multiple taxation and a lack of incentives from governments. Dissatisfaction with the return on investment is prevalent. Inclusive health sector reform that will partly reduce the potential for brain drain is therefore needed.

Dataset on global trade networks of COVID-19 medical products.

This paper presents a comprehensive dataset on the global trade dynamics of COVID-19-related medical products for the years 2019 and 2020. The dataset, derived from the BACI database, focuses on eight distinct product categories identified by six-digit codes. The trade flow data for 224 countries is structured as a multilevel network, with countries as nodes and product categories as layers. Directed edges represent trading activities, and edge weights are determined by the difference in exported values between 2019 and 2020. The dataset is provided in an edges-and-nodes format. Additionally, the associated R script transforms the data into the MuxViz R package format, facilitating further analysis and visualization of the dataset. The dataset is valuable for researchers in the field of foreign trade or medical products, and for decision-makers in these fields, whether at company or national level.

Theoretical analyses for the evolution of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOC) emission strategy.

Plants emit biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) as signaling molecules, playing a crucial role in inducing resistance against herbivores. Neighboring plants that eavesdrop on BVOC signals can also increase defenses against herbivores or alter growth patterns to respond to potential risks of herbivore damage. Despite the significance of BVOC emissions, the evolutionary rationales behind their release and the factors contributing to the diversity in such emissions remain poorly understood. To unravel the conditions for the evolution of BVOC emission, we developed a spatially explicit model that formalizes the evolutionary dynamics of BVOC emission and non-emission strategies. Our model considered two effects of BVOC signaling that impact the fitness of plants: intra-individual communication, which mitigates herbivore damage through the plant's own BVOC signaling incurring emission costs, and inter-individual communication, which alters the influence of herbivory based on BVOC signals from other individuals without incurring emission costs. Employing two mathematical models-the lattice model and the random distribution model-we investigated how intra-individual communication, inter-individual communication, and spatial structure influenced the evolution of BVOC emission strategies. Our analysis revealed that the increase in intra-individual communication promotes the evolution of the BVOC emission strategy. In contrast, the increase in inter-individual communication effect favors cheaters who benefit from the BVOCs released from neighboring plants without bearing the costs associated with BVOC emission. Our analysis also demonstrated that the narrower the spatial scale of BVOC signaling, the higher the likelihood of BVOC evolution. This research sheds light on the intricate dynamics governing the evolution of BVOC emissions and their implications for plant-plant communication.

Analyzing reciprocity dynamics in supply chains of public goods: a stochastic evolutionary game approach.

To start with an infinitely repeated game of supply chains of public goods, a stout reciprocity mechanism is introduced into income games to build a matric dynamic equation. The conventional evolutionary game method is employed to propose a model called the evolutionary game for the cooperative strategy of both the manufacturer and the seller groups in the supply chain of public goods. Also, white Gaussian noise (WGN) is added to reflect random interference in the evolution process. Then, a stochastic dynamic system is established, and Ito's differential equation is used to analyze both sides' strategy evolution in a game, interpret changes in system stability when random disturbance is added, and finally test the influence of different situations on the system stability by running a numerical simulation. The research shows that the stronger the reciprocity coefficient is, and the system is subjected to random interference, the greater the strategy choice change in players' decision-making procedures when the repeated game of public goods is conducted.

The "Belt and Road" Initiative and China's sporting goods exports: Basic characteristics and policy evaluation.

The paper analyzes the basic characteristics of China's sporting goods exports using data from the CEPII BACI database from 2007 to 2019, combined with the social network analysis method, and evaluates the policy effect of the "Belt and Road" initiative implementation on the impact of China's sporting goods exports using the difference-in-differences method. The research findings are as follows: 1) The overall scale of China's sporting goods exports has consistently expanded, marked by a rapid increase in the total export volume. The exported goods exhibit a comprehensive range of product categories, indicating an ongoing evolution in the structural composition of products. Geographically, the export destinations are widespread, covering a diverse range of countries. However, there is a noticeable concentration trend in sporting goods exports, with gymnastics and track and field equipment being the primary export commodities. These sporting goods predominantly penetrate markets in Southeast Asia, West Asia, and Eastern Europe. In the sporting goods trade network associated with the "Belt and Road" initiative, China holds a central role, with Thailand, Turkey, and Poland progressively advancing toward central positions. 2) The implementation of the "Belt and Road" initiative has had a positive impact on China's sporting goods exports, and the policy's influence is particularly significant on the countries and regions along the "Belt and Road". The implementation of the policy does not favor the breathing growth of sporting goods exports, but it does promote the deepening of the export product. Based on these perspectives, it is imperative for China to establish a robust and sustainable trade network, proactively foster sporting diplomacy, maintain strategic focus, and enhance product quality to effectively propel the development of a sporting powerhouse.

Challenging Pandemic Law: From Vaccine Mandates to Judicial Review of Vaccine Approvals.

Over recent years, dozens of legal challenges have been instituted in response to government action during the COVID-19 pandemic. While public health orders have been challenged on several grounds, few cases have succeeded. Fewer cases still have called into question decisions made by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) to approve the COVID-19 vaccines. This section provides a brief update on one recent, partially successful COVID-19 health directions case before examining two applications in the Federal Court of Australia seeking judicial review of the TGA's approval of the COVID-19 vaccines. The section argues that, while both TGA applications were dismissed for lack of standing, they illustrate how and why third parties will ordinarily not be entitled to challenge administrative decisions about therapeutic goods.

Considerations for the development of iPSC-derived cell therapies: a review of key challenges by the JSRM-ISCT iPSC Committee.

Since their first production in 2007, human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have provided a novel platform for the development of various cell therapies targeting a spectrum of diseases, ranging from rare genetic eye disorders to cancer treatment. However, several challenges must be tackled for iPSC-based cell therapy to enter the market and achieve broader global adoption. This white paper, authored by the Japanese Society for Regenerative Medicine (JSRM) - International Society for Cell Therapy (ISCT) iPSC Committee delves into the hurdles encountered in the pursuit of safe and economically viable iPSC-based therapies, particularly from the standpoint of the cell therapy industry. It discusses differences in global guidelines and regulatory frameworks, outlines a series of quality control tests required to ensure the safety of the cell therapy, and provides details and important considerations around cost of goods (COGs), including the impact of automated advanced manufacturing.

Spatio-temporal investigation of economic growth and environmental quality nexus in EU countries: New guidelines regarding green goods and eco-tax.

The issue of environmental degradation has become pertinent and the call for carbon neutrality has intensified in recent years. Achieving this target will require countries to meet the conditions of the sustainable development goals. To do this, the study applied spatiotemporal modelling and the generalized method of moments (GMM) to examine the nexus between economic growth (EG) and the load capacity factor (LCF) through environmental goods (ENG) and environmental tax (ENT) among European Union (EU) nations from 1995 to 2018. The findings demonstrate that spatial dependence leads to a change in EG and LCF that impacts the EG and LCF of the neighbouring countries. The study also found that there is a significant positive and bidirectional relationship between economic growth and load capacity factor. Moreover, the study revealed that a positive effect of ENG, ENT, REN and Human Capital Index (HCI) on EG, with a reducing effect from natural resource rents (NRR). Finally, HCI improves environmental quality, while ENG, ENT, REN and NRR degrade the environment. Our findings justify the need for EU countries and other developed nations to implement policies that will help achieve a green economic transformation.

The history and potential future of monoclonal antibody therapeutics development and manufacturing in four eras.

Therapeutic monoclonal antibody (mAb) development and the processes for manufacturing drug substance have evolved since the first approval of the mAb in 1986. As the past is often the prologue to the future, the history of these technologies has been classified here into three eras, leading to speculation about what the next era may hold with regard to development and manufacturing strategies, as well as the potential impacts to patients. The substantial increase in production culture titers and bioreactor production volumes and the availability of large-scale contract manufacturing facilities could translate into improved global access for these therapies and an expansion of indications for therapeutic antibodies.

Innovations in nondestructive assessment of baked products: Current trends and future prospects.

Rising consumer awareness, coupled with advances in sensor technology, is propelling the food manufacturing industry to innovate and employ tools that ensure the production of safe, nutritious, and environmentally sustainable products. Amidst a plethora of nondestructive techniques available for evaluating the quality attributes of both raw and processed foods, the challenge lies in determining the most fitting solution for diverse products, given that each method possesses its unique strengths and limitations. This comprehensive review focuses on baked goods, wherein we delve into recently published literature on cutting-edge nondestructive methods to assess their feasibility for Industry 4.0 implementation. Emphasizing the need for quality control modalities that align with consumer expectations regarding sensory traits such as texture, flavor, appearance, and nutritional content, the review explores an array of advanced methodologies, including hyperspectral imaging, magnetic resonance imaging, terahertz, acoustics, ultrasound, X-ray systems, and infrared spectroscopy. By elucidating the principles, applications, and impacts of these techniques on the quality of baked goods, the review provides a thorough synthesis of the most current published studies and industry practices. It highlights how these methodologies enable defect detection, nutritional content prediction, texture evaluation, shelf-life forecasting, and real-time monitoring of baking processes. Additionally, the review addresses the inherent challenges these nondestructive techniques face, ranging from cost considerations to calibration, standardization, and the industry's overreliance on big data.

The Impact of Seller Trust in a C2C Platform on Golf Club Purchase Intention and the Interaction Effect of Regulatory Focus.

(1) Background: This study aimed to investigate the influence of seller trust on the purchase intention of consumers of used golf clubs in the context of increasing C2C transactions and further explore the interaction effect of regulatory focus. (2) Methods: Data were collected from 200 participants who had experience purchasing golf clubs through the Carrot Market platform, employing a 2 × 2 experimental design. An independent samples t-test was utilized to examine the effect of seller trust on purchase intention, followed by a two-way analysis of variance to assess the interaction effect of regulatory focus. (3) Results: The results revealed a significant difference in purchase intention based on seller trust, with higher purchase intentions observed when seller trust was high compared to when it was low. Additionally, the interaction effect of regulatory focus was found to be significant in the impact of seller trust on golf club purchase intention. Specifically, when seller trust was high, no significant differences were observed among control focus groups. However, when seller trust was low, promotion-focused consumers exhibited higher purchase intentions than prevention-focused consumers. (4) Conclusions: These findings underscore the importance of seller trust in the context of an expanding market for online second-hand trading platforms.

Preliminary study on mitochondrial DNA analysis from different sports items.

Criminals often attempt to conceal blood-stained weapons used in violent crimes, making forensic evidence crucial in solving cases. This study explores the recovery and extraction of trace DNA from sports equipment, including cricket bats, table tennis racquets, and hockey sticks, which are frequently implicated in such incidents. Our research evaluates various double swab collection methods for retrieving trace DNA from these sports items, emphasizing those associated with blunt force trauma. We also compare presumptive and confirmatory tests to establish a direct correlation. This research consistently demonstrated robust DNA recovery, surpassing a 50 % threshold across all tests. Specifically, DNA recovery from buried samples reached an impressive 87 %, while washed samples still yielded a substantial 80 % efficiency. We conducted a comparative analysis between presumptive and confirmatory testing methods, establishing a direct correlation between the two. Variability in DNA recovery efficiency was observed and attributed to factors like the type of surface the items contacted, and ambient humidity levels. In addition to presenting robust DNA recovery rates, statistical analyses were employed to compare methods, establishing correlations and highlighting the influence of environmental factors on DNA recovery efficiency. These findings have significant implications for forensic investigations involving silent weapons crafted from sports equipment, emphasizing the need for standardized protocols and consideration of environmental factors in DNA analysis.

Influence of social mindfulness and Zhongyong thinking style on cooperative financial decision making in a Western sample.

Social mindfulness and Zhongyong thinking style are of high importance when evaluating relevant co-actors in the social world. The current study investigates the influence of social mindfulness and Zhongyong thinking style on cooperative financial decision making in a public goods game among a Canadian sample. We hypothesize that higher perceived social mindfulness and higher perceived Zhongyong thinking style will increase the amount of money contributed to a joint project in a public goods game. The sample was a prolific-based online recruited sample of n = 125 Canadians. We observed a significant main effect of Zhongyong thinking style on the amount of contributed money in the public goods game. Social mindfulness did not reach significance. The influence of Zhongyong thinking style was qualified by a significant Zhongyong by gender interaction, indicating that females but not males reduced their contributions if the Zhongyong thinking style of the co-actor was manipulated as being low. It is shown that Zhongyong thinking style is also relevant in a Western cultural setting. Future research is needed, however, to investigate further the reasons for the differences between females and males.

TRYing to evaluate production costs in microbial biotechnology.

Microbial fermentations offer the opportunity to produce a wide range of chemicals in a sustainable fashion, but it is important to carefully evaluate the production costs. This can be done on the basis of evaluation of the titer, rate, and yield (TRY) of the fermentation process. Here we describe how the three TRY metrics impact the technoeconomics of a microbial fermentation process, and we illustrate the use of these for evaluation of different processes in the production of two commodity chemicals, 1,3-propanediol (PDO) and ethanol, as well as for the fine chemical penicillin. On the basis of our discussions, we provide some recommendations on how the TRY metrics should be reported when new processes are described.

Carbon border adjustment mechanism challenges and implications: The case of Visegrád countries.

Stricter climate policies across the European Union are enhancing the phenomenon of free riding by nonacting countries, which translates into carbon leakage and loss of competitiveness. This paper investigates the trade, economic and environmental implications of the future implementation of a carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) in Visegrád countries as EU member states. We exploit trade data to estimate price and income elasticities for emission-intensive trade-exposed (EITE) goods imported from non-EU trading partners to Visegrád countries. Based on these estimates, which are combined with the average carbon intensity of the EU's proposed list of EITE goods, we simulate the implications of six different configurations of restrictiveness of the CBAM imposed on imports from non-EU countries. We find that a high price elasticity and carbon intensity tend to significantly decrease import demand for EITE goods under the CBAM. Moreover, future CBAM implementation will yield a relatively small adverse impact on economic growth in Visegrád countries and a small decrease in total carbon emissions in non-EU countries.

Separating individual and group-level cooperation in the Public Goods Game.

Cooperation in the Public Goods Game (PGG) is determined by a mixture of individual differences (e.g. personality, social preferences) and group dynamics (e.g. reciprocation, social norms). However, to our knowledge, no thorough attempt has been made to separate individual and group levels of cooperation and to quantify the variance in cooperation that can be attributed to the group level. In an analysis of 10 open datasets (total N = 4,556, 1,003 groups, 7-50 rounds), we chart the trajectory of individual and group-level variance across rounds of repeated PGGs. We find that the portion of group-level variance increases initially and plateaus around the fifth round, typically at a level between 20 and 50%. In addition, we identify four factors that increase the portion of group-level variance: (i) punishment opportunities; (ii) detailed feedback including all group members' decisions; (iii) small groups (≤4 players); and (iv) groups with homogenous social preferences.

Effect of the storage process on quality characteristics of hemp-enriched "tsoureki" a rich-dough baked Greek product.

The effects of the storage process on the quality characteristics of a hemp-enriched "tsoureki" (a rich-dough baked Greek product, rich-dough baked product [RDBP]) were investigated. The wheat flour was substituted with defatted hemp flour at selected ratios (0%-50% hemp:wheat flour). The baked products were stored at 25°C and at specific time intervals (0, 1, 4, 7, 10, and 14 days), and their properties were determined, including moisture content, water activity, structure, texture, color, total phenolic content (TPC), and antioxidant activity. Moreover, analyses of phenolic compounds were performed using quadrupole time of flight liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy, identifying 14 compounds. Both the first-order kinetic model and modified Avrami equation, including the hemp-to-wheat ratio effect in the rate constant, well described the changes in the quality characteristics. The results showed that storage time and hemp incorporation significantly affected the quality of the product. Water activity decreased from 0.901 to 0.859, whereas moisture content decreased from 30.52%-32.33% (0 days) to 26.97%-27.02% w.b. (14 days) with storage time for all hemp additions. Hardness was greatly affected by hemp flour addition and approached 14.72 and 17.85 N after 14 days of storage for 30% and 50% substitutions, respectively. Springiness and cohesiveness decreased with hemp addition and storage time. The color difference of the hemp-enriched products compared to the control sample increased during storage. TPC increased due to the addition of hemp flour, whereas 14 compounds were identified. Based on property correlation, the hemp-enriched RDBP-tsoureki held its high-quality characteristics for 7 days of storage and contained a significant amount of bioactive compounds. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Industrially produced, defatted hemp is a promising byproduct that can be used to nutritionally enhance baked goods. Modeling results can be used for the prediction of the properties that define product storage ability and also that the hemp-enriched, rich dough-baked Greek "tsoureki" could be produced while maintaining total phenolic content and antioxidant activity during 7 days of storage. These findings are expected to be used in the future in baked goods industry applications to produce goods with an improved nutritional profile.

A dataset of logistics sites in England and Wales: Location, size, type and loading bays.

Data on the location and size of logistics sites is essential for the accurate system-level modelling of transport and logistics operations. This is becoming increasingly important to support governments and industry transition to a net zero future which will feature new operating models and vehicle technologies, particularly for electric vehicle operations. In this work we present a dataset of logistics sites across England and Wales categorised into warehouses, retail sites, and factories. There are 47,683 rows of data in total, comprising 27,691 warehouse sites, 6,441 retail sites, and 13,551 factory sites. Each row contains the site's category, location (latitude and longitude), size (in square meters), and modelled number of heavy goods vehicle loading bays. Raw data on non-domestic properties in England and Wales were sourced from the UK's Valuation Agency Office database. Addresses were geocoded to determine the coordinates of each site, floor area was determined for each site via a web crawler script, and the type of site was derived using a keyword-based categorisation process. The size of the site gives an indication of the expected transport activity (i.e. volume of goods handled) and is a useful proxy to estimate the number of loading bays which, in turn, is a useful proxy for the number of electric heavy goods vehicle charging points the site may have to accommodate to support electric vehicle operations. Models relating the floor area to the number of loading bays were developed using satellite imagery of a sample of data from each category. Uncertainty in the geolocation, category and floor area data is deemed to be very low<1%), while the models to predict loading bay data are based on a sample of the overall dataset and subject to higher uncertainty (<20 %). Larger sample datasets and alternative models may be explored in future work to suit other applications.