Group Of Early Adopters Research Articles

One-size fits all? Evaluating group differences in an integrated social cognition model to understand COVID-19 vaccine intention and uptake

Vaccine programs significantly reduce disease burden within a population. The COVID-19 vaccine facilitated a return to “normal”; however, vaccine coverage remains below target levels. Identifying predictors of vaccine uptake is vital for individual and community health. The present study used the Reasoned Action Approach and integrated hazard-specific risk perception, to predict COVID-19 vaccine intention and uptake behavior. Informed by the diffusion of innovations theory, differences in associations and model effects were tested by early adopter status of the seasonal influenza vaccine. We recruited participants online within the United States for a longitudinal survey study. The integrated social cognition model provided an acceptable to ideal fit for both groups but performed better among the not early adopter group with better fit statistics, mostly stronger effect sizes, and greater variance accounted for in intention to vaccinate against COVID-19. Instrumental attitudes toward the COVID-19 vaccine predicted intention for both groups, and uptake among the non-early adopters. Capacity predicted intention among early adopters, and behavior among non-early adopters. Among non-early adopters, subjective norms had a direct effect on intention and an indirect effect on vaccine uptake behavior. Intervention research to support COVID-19 vaccine uptake focusing on the utility of vaccines, fostering self-efficacy, and providing normative information is warranted.

A framework for the clinical implementation of optical genome mapping in hematologic malignancies.

Optical Genome Mapping (OGM) is rapidly emerging as an exciting cytogenomic technology both for research and clinical purposes. In the last 2 years alone, multiple studies have demonstrated that OGM not only matches the diagnostic scope of conventional standard of care cytogenomic clinical testing but it also adds significant new information in certain cases. Since OGM consolidates the diagnostic benefits of multiple costly and laborious tests (e.g., karyotyping, fluorescence in situ hybridization, and chromosomal microarrays) in a single cost-effective assay, many clinical laboratories have started to consider utilizing OGM. In 2021, an international working group of early adopters of OGM who are experienced with routine clinical cytogenomic testing in patients with hematological neoplasms formed a consortium (International Consortium for OGM in Hematologic Malignancies, henceforth "the Consortium") to create a consensus framework for implementation of OGM in a clinical setting. The focus of the Consortium is to provide guidance for laboratories implementing OGM in three specific areas: validation, quality control and analysis and interpretation of variants. Since OGM is a complex technology with many variables, we felt that by consolidating our collective experience, we could provide a practical and useful tool for uniform implementation of OGM in hematologic malignancies with the ultimate goal of achieving globally accepted standards.

The rise of preprints in earth sciences.

The rate of science information's spread has accelerated in recent years. In this context, it appears that many scientific disciplines are beginning to recognize the value and possibility of sharing open access (OA) online manuscripts in their preprint form. Preprints are academic papers that are published but have not yet been evaluated by peers. They have existed in research at least since the 1960s and the creation of ArXiv in physics and mathematics. Since then, preprint platforms-which can be publisher- or community-driven, profit or not for profit, and based on proprietary or free and open source software-have gained popularity in many fields (for example, bioRxiv for the biological sciences). Today, there are many platforms that are either disciplinary-specific or cross-domain, with exponential development over the past ten years. Preprints as a whole still make up a very small portion of scholarly publishing, but a large group of early adopters are testing out these value-adding tools across a much wider range of disciplines than in the past. In this opinion article, we provide perspective on the three main options available for earth scientists, namely EarthArXiv, ESSOAr/ESS Open Archive and EGUsphere.

The rise of preprints in earth sciences

The rate of science information's spread has accelerated in recent years. In this context, it appears that many scientific disciplines are beginning to recognize the value and possibility of sharing open access (OA) online manuscripts in their preprint form. Preprints are academic papers that are published but have not yet been evaluated by peers. They have existed in research at least since the 1960s and the creation of ArXiv in physics and mathematics. Since then, preprint platforms—which can be publisher- or community-driven, profit or not for profit, and based on proprietary or free and open source software—have gained popularity in many fields (for example, bioRxiv for the biological sciences). Today, there are many platforms that are either disciplinary-specific or cross-domain, with exponential development over the past ten years. Preprints as a whole still make up a very small portion of scholarly publishing, but a large group of early adopters are testing out these value-adding tools across a much wider range of disciplines than in the past. In this opinion article, we provide perspective on the three main options available for earth scientists, namely EarthArXiv, ESSOAr/ESS Open Archive and EGUsphere.

개화기~일제강점기 서울의 자전거 교통

The time-space convergence of the modern era led to the coming of mobile society. It was the neotechnics of bicycles, streetcars, and automobiles that drove modernizing Seoul to witness a wide-ranging transformation in both urban structure and cityscape. Unlike tram cars, which accommodated commuting Seoulites, the bicycle as a private means of transportation was entwined tightly with their daily lives. Analysis of contemporary documents identified F. Borioni and P. Lansdale as the earliest carriers of the wheels in Incheon and Seoul, respectively. Along with diplomats, missionaries, medical practitioners, and educators, the Progressive joined the group of early adopters of bicycles. Aided by mass production in Japan in the early 20th century, bicycles diffused over the webs of outlets of selling agents. The data show that the boulevard heading north from the South Gate through Honmachi to Jongro was the most crowded in terms of bicycle traffic. The colonial modernity of bicycles embraces the modernizing projects of commodity fetishism, the postal system, the cycle race, and urban tourism in justifying the cultural hegemony of Imperial Japan. It helped, however, to put gender politics on the right track and institute modern ways of seeing the landscape as phantasmagoria.

User preferences and willingness to share autonomous passenger cars within a population of current users of car-sharing services

Research on attitudes and preferences towards autonomous vehicles (AVs) among the general population reports a low interest in shared forms of AV transport. Interest in sharing is often positively related to sustainable travel habits and experience with current forms of on-demand transport. Current users of car-sharing services are brought forward as a potential group of early adopters. Therefore, this paper investigates perceptions and preferences for car-sharing and ride-sharing with AVs among current users of car-sharing services in Belgium. A survey was composed using constructs from the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology. Regression analysis shows that performance expectancy, effort expectancy and hedonic motivation are significant predictors for shared use of autonomous passenger cars. Preference indicators show a varied interest in use for ride-sharing with AVs.

Regional uptake of direct reduction iron production using hydrogen under climate policy

The need to reduce CO2 emissions to zero by 2050 has meant an increasing focus on high emitting industrial sectors such as steel. However, significant uncertainties remain as to the rate of technology diffusion across steel production pathways in different regions, and how this might impact on climate ambition. Informed by empirical analysis of historical transitions, this paper presents modelling on the regional deployment of Direction Reduction Iron using hydrogen (DRI-H2). We find that DRI-H2 can play a leading role in the decarbonisation of the sector, leading to near-zero emissions by 2070. Regional spillovers from early to late adopting regions can speed up the rate of deployment of DRI-H2, leading to lower cumulative emissions and system costs. Without such effects, cumulative emissions are 13% higher than if spillovers are assumed and approximately 15% and 20% higher in China and India respectively. Given the estimates of DRI-H2 cost-effectiveness relative to other primary production technologies, we also find that costs increase in the absence of regional spillovers. However, other factors can also have impacts on deployment, emission reductions, and costs, including the composition of the early adopter group, material efficiency improvements and scrap recycling rates. For the sector to achieve decarbonisation, key regions will need to continue to invest in low carbon steel projects, recognising their broader global benefit, and look to develop and strengthen policy coordination on technologies such as DRI-H2.

Assessing the impact of novelty and conformity on hesitancy towards COVID-19 vaccines using mRNA technology

BackgroundPublic hesitancy towards Covid-19 vaccines remains a major hurdle for mass vaccination programs today. While mRNA vaccines are more efficacious than conventional vaccines, it is unknown how much the novelty of this technology increases hesitancy.MethodsWe quantify this “novelty penalty” in a large online experiment with 35,173 adults in nine countries. Subjects were randomly selected and assigned to one of two vaccine groups (conventional or mRNA), and one of five hypothetical inoculation rate groups (0%, 20%, 40%, 60%, or 80%). Subjects reported their willingness to accept the Covid-19 vaccine on a five-point Likert scale.ResultsThe novelty of the mRNA vaccine technology reduces the odds of a higher level of vaccine acceptance by 14.2% (odds ratio 0.858; p < 0.001). On the other hand, we find that social conformity reduces vaccine hesitancy. At a 0% inoculation rate, 31.7% report that they are “very likely” to get a mRNA vaccine while at a 20% inoculation rate, willingness jumps to 49.6%.ConclusionsThe novelty of the mRNA vaccine increases hesitancy, but social conformity reduces it. A small group of early adopters can provide momentum for vaccination.

Plug-in electric vehicle diffusion in California: Role of exposure to new technology at home and work

• Neighborhood effect plays an important role in plug-in electric vehicle diffusion. • Peer effect at the workplace has an important impact on the diffusion process. • Positive effect of charging infrastructure on PEV sales. • Targeted policies like Clean Car 4All can encourage PEV adoption. The market for plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) --including both battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs)--has been rapidly growing in California for the past few years. Given the targets for PEV penetration in the state, it is important to have a better understanding of the pattern of technology diffusion and the factors that are driving the process. Using spatial analysis and Poisson count models we identify the importance of a neighborhood effect (at home locations) and a workplace effect (at commute destinations) in supporting the diffusion of PEV technology in California between 2014 and 2016. In the case of new BEV sales, we find that exposure to one additional BEV or PHEV within a 1-mile radius of a census block group centroid is associated with a 0.2% increase in BEV sales in the block group. Interestingly, for new PHEV sales- the neighborhood effect of BEV sales is negative, suggesting that enhanced exposure to this type of technology (which is differentiated in distinctive ways from PHEVs) may impact new PHEV sales through a substitution effect. Specifically, higher BEV concentration in an area can have an overall negative effect on new PHEV sales. While the neighborhood effect at residential locations is important, a workplace effect also has a notably important influence on new PEV sales. Both effects work in combination with socioeconomic, demographic, policy, and built environment factors in encouraging PEV adoption. These results, insightful not just for California but other regions in early phases of the PEV market, suggest that policymakers should consider targeted programs and investments that can attract a wider group of early adopters (in terms of sociodemographic characteristics and spatial location) to boost the impact of neighborhood and workplace effects on PEV sales.

Characterizing the Danish energy prosumer: Who buys solar PV systems and why do they buy them?

Lower costs and stop-go policy around 2012 created two distinct groups of households with solar photovoltaics (PVs) in Denmark – a large group of early adopters (annually metered), and a smaller group of later adopters (hourly/real-time metered).This paper analyses these groups to characterize Danish PVs prosumer households and identify why they bought PVs.A comparison of a full population of 73,974 Danish household PVs owners (registered as of 2015) with other households shows that adopters tended to have higher incomes, be older, live in rural areas, have newer houses, and use individual heating (e.g. heat pumps). Moreover, the registered owners of PVs tended to be technically educated men.A 2018 survey of 2505 PVs owners indicates that later adopters were slightly more inspired by peers, whereas early adopters were more inspired by news articles and sales drives. Moreover, independence, financial gains, and displaying proenvironmental action are identified as motivations to adopt PVs.This paper concludes that technically educated men seem to dominate the decisionmaking process and that Danish energy prosumers seem to share (more or less) the same characteristics and motivations as PVs adopters in other contexts despite the distinct diffusion pattern in Denmark.

Insects as a sustainable food ingredient: Identifying and classifying early adopters of edible insects based on eating behavior, familiarity, and hesitation

AbstractThis study identifies early adopters of insects as a food ingredient. An online questionnaire was created using Red Jade software, and distributed through social media (Facebook, Instagram, and Reddit), email, and personal communication. Participants (n = 462) were segmented based on responses to six questions about willingness to consume insects. Responses were standardized within participants to account for differences in scale usage and participants were segmented using a partitioning around medoids (PAM) clustering algorithm in R Studio. Segmentation identified four clusters of participants: No‐thank‐you's (n = 130), Hideaways (n = 169), Daredevils (n = 59), and Peekaboo's (n = 104). For products containing whole insects (roasted or in a dish), Daredevils and Peekaboo's are early adopters. For products containing nonvisible insects, Daredevils, Peekaboo's, and Hideaways are early adopters. No trends were observed between traditional demographics (age and gender) and willingness to try insects, but willingness to try insects appeared to be related to familiarity with insect consumption, and lack of dietary restrictions.Practical ApplicationsDespite the sustainability benefits of insects as a food source, they have yet to achieve widespread adoption in developed countries. This may be due to the lack of exposure in developed cultures, and the hesitation to try foods that are new and unfamiliar. Identifying early adopters of insects as a food source will allow for product development and marketing opportunities toward groups willing to try insects. Increasing familiarity and exposure to insects will allow for easier penetration of insects into the market. The current study identified potential marketing strategies based on the target early adopter group. Daredevils are experience seekers who enjoy trying new things. Thus, marketing a product as a novel experience may be successful for this group. Peekaboo's and Hideaways are more health and sustainability conscious, so product development and marketing of insect products as sustainable meat alternatives may be successful in targeting these groups.

Impact of product subsidies on R&amp;D investment for new energy vehicle firms: Considering quality preference of the early adopter group

Different consumer groups accept new energy vehicles sequentially from the perspective of innovation diffusion theory, and the early adopter group has recently been identified. By assuming that the density of early adopters is increasing at minimum acceptable quality thresholds, this paper proposes a vertical quality differentiation model of product R&D with product subsidies. The impact of product subsidies on the R&D investment of new energy vehicle firms is discussed. We show that the early adopters’ characteristics may affect the stagnant marginal R&D investment of new energy vehicle firms by increasing sales, which determines the impact mechanism of product subsidies. For firms with decreasing marginal R&D investments, insufficient R&D investments result from financial constraints. If insufficient R&D resources deter firms from conducting R&D, substantial unit subsidies invariably incentivize firms to spend their entire R&D budget. Firms with increasing marginal R&D investments, insufficient R&D profits, or financial constraints are prevented from increasing R&D investment. Product subsidies generally have a crowding-in effect on firms not subject to financial constraints, and this effect increases with the unit subsidy. However, the existence of a crowding-in effect may require sufficiently large unit subsidies. In both situations, product subsidies cannot modulate financial constraints if the firm has spent its entire R&D budget. In the first situation, we also show that product subsidies should be replaced by a funding support policy. In contrast, the second situation shows that a funding support policy should be coordinated with product subsidies.

Bi-directional drones to strengthen healthcare provision: experiences and lessons from Madagascar, Malawi and Senegal

Drones are increasingly being used globally for the support of healthcare programmes. Madagascar, Malawi and Senegal are among a group of early adopters piloting the use of bi-directional transport drones...

Current Practices in Central Venous Catheter Position Confirmation by Point of Care Ultrasound: A Survey of Early Adopters.

Although routine chest radiographs (CXR) to verify correct central venous catheter (CVC) position and exclude pneumothorax are commonly performed, emerging evidence suggests that this practice can be replaced by point of care ultrasound (POCUS). POCUS is advantageous over CXR because it avoids radiation while verifying correct placement and lack of pneumothorax without delay. We hypothesize that a knowledge translation gap exists in this area. We aim to describe the current clinical practice regarding POCUS alone for CVC position confirmation and pneumothorax exclusion as compared with chest radiography. We used a modified Dillman technique to conduct a brief web-based survey to Critical Care Medicine and Emergency Medicine physicians (targeted group of early adopters) evaluating the current practice related to CVC position confirmation and PTX exclusion via CXR or POCUS. Of 200 post-training clinicians contacted, 136 (68%) responded to the survey. For routine CVC confirmation and PTX evaluation, 50.7% of Critical Care Medicine physicians and 65.4% of Emergency Medicine physicians reported using CXR alone while 49.3% and 33.1% respectively reported using CXR and ultrasound together. Though 84.6% of clinicians use ultrasound for CVC insertion "most of the time" or "always," none use ultrasound alone for CVC position confirmation, and only 1% has used ultrasound alone for PTX exclusion. Though data support its utility and advantages for POCUS as a sole modality for CVC position confirmation and PTX evaluation, POCUS is rarely used for this indication. We identified several perceived barriers toward widespread utilization suggesting areas for dissemination and implementation strategy development that will benefit patient care practices.

Functional perceptions, barriers, and demographics concerning e-cargo bike sharing in Switzerland

To reduce greenhouse gas emissions low-carbon transportation innovations are needed. One recent innovation is e-cargo bike sharing, which links established elements: a cargo bike, an electric motor, and sharing infrastructure. Existing research on mode sharing suggests that sharing schemes face difficulties to move beyond a specific group of early adopters. To gain insights into the characteristics of and perceived barriers for those who adopt e-cargo bike sharing and those who do not, we investigated four groups: active members, inactive members, potential members, and uninterested non-members. We analyzed survey data (n = 301) from members and non-members of an e-cargo bike sharing scheme in the city of Basel, Switzerland, to explore differences in current transportation patterns and sociodemographic characteristics among the four groups. Using a mixed-methods approach, we employed a multilevel regression model to analyze quantitative data. We also applied a qualitative coding system to investigate open-ended survey questions. We found that the present scheme is more likely to attract men, cyclists, and young people; however, other groups were interested. Factors that inhibit wider adoption include safety concerns and the configuration of the sharing procedure. More effort that considers the links among infrastructure, road safety, and cycling competences is required to support the adoption of e-cargo bike sharing as a low-carbon transportation innovation.

Attitudes and concerns on automated vehicles

People’s mindset and attitudes exert a strong influence on how quickly a new technology is adopted, thus also affecting how well the benefits resulting from automated vehicles can be realised. In previous studies on people’s attitudes towards automated vehicles, the number of respondents surveyed has been small, or alternatively survey’s sample has not been representative. By describing the results of a large citizen survey (N = 2036), this study aims to fill this identified research gap and to reveal, whether people are ready for automated vehicles and what concerns people have that hinder the adoption of these vehicles. The study’s results indicate that people’s attitudes towards automated vehicles reflect the general adoption of technology well. We can assume that those who currently view automated vehicles positively are most likely to belong in the group of early adopters. We found that men, highly educated individuals, people living in densely populated area and those living in households without a car had a more positive attitude to automated vehicles than the other respondents did. The results indicate that traffic safety and ethical perspectives have a key role in the acceptance of automated vehicles. Developers of automated vehicles should also take into account the finding that currently most people consider that all automated vehicles must have the option of manual drive.

Load Shifting Potentials of Plug-In Electric Vehicles—A Case Study for Germany

Plug-in electric vehicles are the currently favoured option to decarbonize the passenger car sector. However, a decarbonisation is only possible with electricity from renewable energies and plug-in electric vehicles might cause peak loads if they started to charge at the same time. Both of these issues could be solved with coordinated load shifting (demand response). Previous studies analysed this research question by focusing on private vehicles with domestic and work charging infrastructure. This study additionally includes the important early adopter group of commercial fleet vehicles and reflects the impact of domestic, commercial, work, and public charging. For this purpose, two models are combined that capture the market diffusion of electric vehicles and their charging behaviour (ALADIN), as well as the load shifting potential of several new energy technologies (eLOAD). In a comparison of three different scenarios, we find that the charging of commercial vehicles does not inflict evening load peaks in the same magnitude as purely domestic charging of private cars does. Also, for private cars, charging at work occurs during the day and may reduce the necessity of load shifting while public charging plays a less important role in total charging demand as well as load shifting potential. Nonetheless, demand response reduces the system load by about 2.2 GW or 2.8% when domestic and work charging are considered when compared to a scenario with only domestic charging where a new peak might be created in the winter hours due to load shifting into the night.

The load shift potential of plug-in electric vehicles with different amounts of charging infrastructure

Plug-in electric vehicles are the currently favoured option to decarbonize the passenger car sector. However, a decarbonisation is only possible with electricity from renewable energies and plug-in electric vehicles might cause peak loads if they started to charge at the same time. Both these issues could be solved with coordinated load shifting (demand response). Previous studies analyzed this research question by focusing on private vehicles with domestic and work charging infrastructure. This study additionally includes the important early adopter group of commercial fleet vehicles and reflects the impact of domestic, commercial, work and public charging. For this purpose, two models are combined. In a comparison of three scenarios, we find that charging of commercial vehicles does not inflict evening load peaks in the same magnitude as purely domestic charging of private cars does. Also for private cars, charging at work occurs during the day and may reduce the necessity of load shifting while public charging plays a less important role in total charging demand as well as load shifting potential. Nonetheless, demand response reduces the system load by about 2.2 GW or 2.8% when domestic and work charging are considered compared to a scenario with only domestic charging.

IT Diffusion, Implementation and Assimilation in Micro-Businesses – an Exploratory Study Based on a Process Approach

An important limitation of the management information systems (MIS) literature concerns the lack of a process model to understand how a system is assimilated by the organization. We seek to contribute to this topic through studying ERP adoption in two Chilean restaurants. In this paper is proposed that adoption occurs as a process composed of four stages and, therefore, it is presented findings from three of them. We used action-research (AR) as a methodological framework. Two AR cycles were performed in each case. Qualitative data was collected from the field through video recording, interviews, observation and social network analysis. Analysis data was analyzed by comparing results within-cases and between-cases. Three conclusions were reached: (1) during the implementation, a user-system negotiation cycle occurs; (2) after assimilating, the system must be constantly confirmed, otherwise can be abandoned; (3) speed of assimilation by group users depends of degree of influence in the social group of early adopters. Interestingly, an innovative micro-business owner could become a barrier to successful assimilation of a system. Findings introduce a dissenting view to most studies that have found that involvement of management is always beneficial to the success of a technology project. Our findings show involvement of owner impacts a successful adoption, but this impact is not because that person is the owner, but because of their degree of influence on the social group. Conclusions of this study will be of interest to micro, small and medium-business owners because it shows the value of social structure of the organization as a determinant of the success of a technological project.

Framing the conversation: use of PRECIS-2 ratings to advance understanding of pragmatic trial design domains

BackgroundThere continues to be debate about what constitutes a pragmatic trial and how it is distinguished from more traditional explanatory trials. The NIH Pragmatic Trials Collaborative Project, which includes five trials and a coordinating unit, has adopted the Pragmatic-Explanatory Continuum Indicator Summary (PRECIS-2) instrument. The purpose of the study was to collect PRECIS-2 ratings at two points in time to assess whether the tool was sensitive to change in trial design, and to explore with investigators the rationale for rating shifts.MethodsA mixed-methods design included sequential collection and analysis of quantitative data (PRECIS-2 ratings) and qualitative data. Ratings were collected at two annual, in-person project meetings, and subsequent interviews conducted with investigators were recorded, transcribed, and coded using NVivo 11 Pro for Windows. Rating shifts were coded as either (1) actual change (reflects a change in procedure or protocol), (2) primarily a rating shift reflecting rater variability, or (3) themes that reflect important concepts about the tool and/or pragmatic trial design.ResultsBased on PRECIS-2 ratings, each trial was highly pragmatic at the planning phase and remained so 1 year later in the early phases of trial implementation. Over half of the 45 paired ratings for the nine PRECIS-2 domains indicated a rating change from Time 1 to Time 2 (N = 24, 53%). Of the 24 rating changes, only three represented a true change in the design of the trial. Analysis of rationales for rating shifts identified critical themes associated with the tool or pragmatic trial design more generally. Each trial contributed one or more relevant comments, with Eligibility, Flexibility of Adherence, and Follow-up each accounting for more than one.ConclusionsPRECIS-2 has proved useful for “framing the conversation” about trial design among members of the Pragmatic Trials Collaborative Project. Our findings suggest that design elements assessed by the PRECIS-2 tool may represent mostly stable decisions. Overall, there has been a positive response to using PRECIS-2 to guide conversations around trial design, and the project’s focus on the use of the tool by this group of early adopters has provided valuable feedback to inform future trainings on the tool.