ABSTRACT As a major institutional innovation designed to improve the timeliness of patent-right confirmation, the patent fast-track examination system plays an important role in shaping firms’ innovation incentives. Using panel data on Chinese A-share listed companies, this study examines whether exposure to the patent fast-track examination system affects firms’ innovation boundaries and investigates the underlying mechanisms. The results show that exposure to the system significantly expands firms’ innovation boundaries, and this finding remains robust after a series of checks, including alternative variable definitions, controls for contemporaneous policy shocks, and corrections for potential selection issues. The effect is more pronounced for firms with stronger external knowledge infrastructure, greater innovation subsidies, higher human capital, and stronger innovation aspirations. Additional channel analyses suggest that policy exposure enhances firms’ innovation focus and strengthens their iterative innovation capability. In addition, the induced expansion of innovation boundaries is not associated with a rise in patent invalidation, but is accompanied by higher patent value and greater firm productivity, suggesting positive real economic consequences. These findings provide useful policy implications for improving patent examination institutions and fostering more exploratory innovation.

Age and Sex in Breast Cancer: Moving Beyond a One-Size-Fits-All Approach.

Understanding the effects of glycolipid biosurfactants produced through the solid-state fermentation of organic waste on the anaerobic digestion of biowaste.

Noncancerous Monogenic Mimics of Noninfectious Posterior Uveitis.

This article examines the persistence of impunity in shellfish poaching in Galicia (northwest Spain), focusing on the limitations of the formal sanctioning system. Based on an analysis of official infraction records from 2012 to 2020, the study identifies a recurrent group of offenders who manage to avoid punishment through the strategic use of economic insolvency, thereby achieving legal impunity. Despite receiving multiple sanctions, these individuals remain largely unaffected by the deterrent effects of monetary fines, which weakens the coercive capacity of the current enforcement model. The findings highlight the inadequacy of purely punitive approaches to addressing repeat offenses, as well as systemic failures that enable the continued reproduction of illegal practices without real consequences. From a theoretical standpoint, the study advocates for a dual strategy: combining effective coercive measures, such as the introduction of criminal penalties for repeat offenders, with public policies aimed at reducing social exclusion and creating viable economic alternatives. By exposing governance failures linked to the formal sanctioning system, this research contributes to broader debates on compliance and institutional legitimacy in small-scale fisheries (SSF), and underscores the need for integrated strategies that take into account the social and economic realities of local coastal communities.

ABSTRACT Despite the prevalence of revocation policies for various awards, their effects are rarely measured. This paper examines the impact of award revocation on local economic performance by exploiting the revocation of China’s National Civilized City Awards (NCCA). Using a difference-in-differences design, we compare changes in GDP per capita between cities whose NCCA was revoked and those that retained the award. The results show that award revocation leads to a significant deterioration in economic outcomes for prefecture-level cities. Importantly, these effects arise only when the revocation is publicly disclosed, highlighting the central role of information disclosure in transmitting the reputational shock. Our findings provide clear evidence that symbolic sanctions can generate real economic consequences. From a policy perspective, the results suggest that award programmes should incorporate clear and publicly disclosed revocation mechanisms to preserve their credibility and incentive effects.

Effort discounting refers to the decrease in the subjective value of a reward as the required effort to obtain it increases. This study examined the effects of effort sequence and consequence type on effort discounting in human participants. In Experiment 1, all participants completed an effort-based task-pedaling a stationary bicycle-with potentially real consequences, under both increasing and decreasing effort sequences. Shallower effort discounting and more nonsystematic data were observed in the decreasing sequence condition. In Experiment 2, participants experienced increasing, decreasing, and random effort sequences as well as hypothetical and potentially real consequences. Participants exhibited steeper effort discounting under potentially real consequences, but there was no effect of the sequence of effort presentation. We discuss the importance of assessing nonsystematic data points for conclusions regarding the effects of other variables. Additionally, we discuss the results in relation to prior studies on delay and effort discounting, particularly concerning the role of consequence type.

Abstract Background Studies of pro‐environmental spillover tend to use paradigms that examine either positive or negative spillover. By neglecting to provide for examination of all possible directions of spillover, such approaches are inherently limited. Further, the roles of decision sequencing and difficulty have received limited attention. Aims The present work investigates the influences of behavioural valence, decision sequencing and difficulty on spillover. Methods In two pre‐registered studies (total N = 3, 260) focused on dining contexts, choice alternatives across three decision points encompassed sustainable and unsustainable options to allow for detection of all possible directions of spillover. Results Both studies yielded evidence of positive spillover. Additionally, in Study 2, an experiment in which participants believed their choices carried real consequences, many individuals engaged in ‘adverse spillover,’ choosing consistently unsustainable options and illuminating an overlooked spillover variant. We also find that the first choice in a sequence is generally the least sustainable, regardless of difficulty. Discussion and Conclusion This work advances spillover research by revealing that in addition to positive spillover, consistency can manifest as several unsustainable choices. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

ABSTRACT We examine how audit firms changed their policies regarding audit partner performance measurement, career development, and compensation during a period of heightened public scrutiny of audit quality (2007 to 2017). We theorize how implementing policy changes requires a delicate transition in the organizational design and internal processes of the firms and may not effectively translate into their day-to-day practices. Our access to proprietary performance management policies and individual partner performance and compensation data from the eight largest Dutch audit firms allows us to gain an in-depth understanding of the evolution of performance management for audit partners. We find that most of the policy changes have real consequences. For example, audit quality becomes more consequential to career development, whereas profit sharing becomes better linked to quality and long-term performance. We conclude that audit firms appear effectively responsive to public scrutiny, increasingly aligning partner incentives with societal expectations of audit quality.

Safeguarding Cannabis for Medical Use: Clinical Risks, Regulatory Gaps, and the Path Toward Equitable Standards.

The article examines the issues of strategic management of sustainable tourism development in the context of increasing turbulence in the global and national socio-economic environment, increasing environmental and social challenges, as well as transformation processes associated with the restoration and long-term development of territories. It is substantiated that sustainable tourism development should be considered not as a set of isolated environmental or social initiatives, but as a holistic management concept integrated into the system of strategic planning, implementation and control of the development of tourist destinations. The paper focuses on the need to transition from a declarative interpretation of the principles of sustainable development to their practical operationalization in strategic tourism management. It is shown that the effectiveness of sustainable tourism development is determined by the ability of management systems to combine long-term orientation, integration of economic, social and environmental goals, adaptability to changes in the external environment and stakeholder orientation. Particular importance is attached to the coordination of strategic goals of tourism development with the interests of local communities, business, authorities and the requirements for the preservation of natural and cultural heritage. Special attention is paid to the problem of measurability of sustainable tourism development as a key prerequisite for increasing the transparency of management, strategic control and the validity of management decisions. The feasibility of forming a system of tourism-specific performance indicators that allow for a comprehensive assessment of the economic efficiency of tourism activities, the level of tourist load, environmental impact, quality of tourist experience and socio-economic benefits for local communities is substantiated. It is emphasized that the use of universal business metrics does not provide an adequate reflection of the real consequences of tourism development and requires adaptation to industry specifics. The article emphasizes that in conditions of crises, security risks and post-war recovery, strategic management of sustainable tourism development acquires particular importance as a tool for increasing the resilience of territories, restoring trust, activating investment processes and harmonizing local strategies with European and global development priorities. It is concluded that strategic management of sustainable tourism development forms a methodological basis for ensuring the long-term competitiveness of destinations, strengthening social cohesion, and achieving balanced development in the context of structural transformations.

The paper examines the complex of legal and quasi-legal instruments through which the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) and its associated institutions (the Venice Commission, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), the Committee of Ministers) influence the content and procedure of the legislative process in Ukraine. The purpose of the paper is the systematization of these mechanisms, a critical analysis of their legal nature (especially within the context of the soft law doctrine), and an assessment of their actual effectiveness in conditions of national implementation. The paper employs a system-structural method for classifying mechanisms; a comparative legal method for analyzing the status of Council of Europe acts and their integration into the national legal system; and a case-study method for assessing the real consequences of reforms initiated under international monitoring (in particular, judicial and prosecutorial reforms). Scientific novelty lies in the doctrinal substantiation of the quasi-obligatory nature of the Venice Commission's conclusions, transforming political monitoring by PACE into a legal imperative to avoid the unconstitutionality of laws. It is established that PACE influence functions through a two-channel system: preventive expert influence (Venice Commission) and imperative binding influence (implementation of ECtHR judgments). Although PACE resolutions are soft law, the conclusions of the Venice Commission acquire the status of an authoritative source for constitutional jurisdiction. The actual effectiveness of these mechanisms is significantly undermined by internal factors, including institutional instability (cyclical changes in the High Council of Justice (HCJ)/High Qualification Commission of Judges (HQCJ)) and administrative misconduct (failures in prosecutor certification). Practical significance and conclusions. The results of the work are of practical significance for improving the quality of legislative drafting in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and harmonizing national legislation with European standards. It is determined that achieving the goals of European monitoring requires Ukraine to focus on ensuring the consistency of changes and the effective enforcement of existing laws, as well as guaranteeing the conscientious implementation of decisions.

The modern language of bloggers is updated as a unique phenomenon formed under the influence of digital communication. The features of the language of bloggers, its main functions, as well as the impact on language culture and communication in society are analyzed.The research material is the original Russian-language content of blogs posted on the platforms VKontakte, Yandex Zen, Pikabu, selected using the continuous sampling method.The aim of the study is to understand the dynamics of blogger language in the context of digital communication, which allows recording new ways of expression and interaction.Achieving the set goal is possible with a consistent solution to the following tasks: consideration of the key concepts of “multi-layered language”, “polylogos”; comparative characteristics of several popular platforms in Russia where blog communication is carried out; identifying the specifics of digital messages; analysis of the multi-layered language of bloggers and establishment of the linguistic function of polycode units in the process of forming a new language of digital communication.Research methods: comparative-contrastive, communicative-pragmatic analysis with elements of sociolinguistic analysis.A dual structure of the bloggers' language has been identified, consisting of vertical and horizontal components, the combination of which enhances the impact on the audience.Conclusions are made that the multi-layered language in the blogosphere is permanently updated, generating not only new hybrid forms of language, but also shifting its norms.An analysis of the multi-layered nature of their linguistic means of expression will allow us to better understand the transformation of communication norms in the digital environment and identify trends in the change of modern language from the point of view of linguistic, cultural and technological development. It is important to continue research in this area in order to better understand the role of bloggers in shaping the linguistic picture of modernity and to comprehend the real and potential consequences of socio-cultural transformations.

Collegiate sport policy and practice reflect dominant capitalist and patriarchal values. Within these larger economic and social systems, sport has evolved primarily as a hegemonic, male space. The result is a narrow scope of athletic success determined in large part by athlete marketability. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), Title IX, and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) all serve normative social interests and exclude athletes with intersectional identities under the guise of inclusive progress. There is a need for critical engagement with sports media and policy to seek true inclusion in sport and challenge the narrative of the “ideal” athlete. In our analysis of NCAA women’s collegiate basketball, we examine the integration of sport within capitalist, patriarchal systems, and the real consequences of those influences on female collegiate athletes with marginalized identities.

Every veterinary professional knows the feeling of an overflowing inbox. Between client messages, supplier updates, CPD invitations, lab reports, internal communications and marketing emails you never asked for, your inbox can feel less like a tool and more like a tyrant. Yet communication is central to practice life. An overlooked lab result, a missed client query or a forgotten invoice has real consequences – for patients, clients, colleagues and the practice itself. The good news is that inbox overwhelm isn't inevitable. By adopting a few simple habits, you can take control of your email (and other stuff that lands on your desk) and turn it into a useful support rather than a drain on your energy. Imagine the joy of an empty inbox – it is possible! This article explores why inbox overload happens, the psychology behind it and suggests some practical approaches to regain control. While the focus is on email, the same strategies can be applied to practice management system task lists, WhatsApp groups and other channels competing for your attention.

The Fractured Covenant: Treaty Violations, Historical Grievance, and the Erosion of Trust in International Law

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In the evolving global landscape of higher education, national quality assurance agencies are increasingly required to move beyond conceptual mandates toward establishing robust, transparent mechanisms for addressing academic misconduct. In Ukraine, this transition is exemplified by the operational journey of the National Agency for Higher Education Quality Assurance (NAQA) and its Ethics Committee. This study addresses the critical absence of standardized quantitative frameworks for measuring the effectiveness of integrity-related governance. It aims to identify the systemic bottlenecks and behavioral dynamics, particularly judicial resistance, that impede the processing of academic integrity complaints. The research develops an original “arithmetic” model, utilizing a Markov graph to map the transition probabilities of a complaint from its initial public appearance to a final ministerial order. The derivation of integrated meta-indices complements this methodology to evaluate system-wide resilience across “fast” and “slow” scenarios. The findings reveal that the “slow” scenario, characterized by significant “procedural sabotage”, fundamentally alters the state-transition dynamics of the model, lowering the probability of reaching a final decision. These meta-indices quantitatively demonstrate how judicial pressure and procedural vulnerabilities create a “filtering” effect that separates public resonance from real administrative consequences. Furthermore, the analysis identifies 33 specific legal strategies that act as “irritating factors”, significantly increasing the institutional friction measured by the resistance indices. The integration of Markov modeling and meta-indices provides a high-level diagnostic tool for policymakers to identify regulatory gaps and enhance the legal resilience of integrity systems. By “technologizing” these procedures and closing identified loopholes, national agencies can more effectively transition toward evidence-based governance that secures public trust in academic qualifications.

Professional credibility in francophone workplaces is shaped by innovative language use in context, not by memorizing isolated expressions. However, many Français des Affaires materials remain linear and text centred, offering limited opportunities to practise interactional moves, pragmatic positioning, and register control with feedback that mirrors real consequences. This study therefore introduces an innovation in applied linguistics informed digital pedagogy by developing “L’Entreprise”, a web based Global Simulation platform that combines branching decision pathways with intrinsic feedback so learners experience how discourse choices affect professional outcomes. The needs analysis confirmed strong workplace alignment (mean relevance 4.55 out of 5) alongside high perceived difficulty (mean 4.18), and identified the main barriers as limited business vocabulary (91%), complex sentence processing (64%), speaking difficulty (55%), and business text comprehension (45%). Using an educational research and development approach guided by ADDIE, the website was iteratively prototyped, validated by experts, and field tested with Business French students (n = 12) using questionnaires and a scenario aligned post-test. Results show promising learning outcomes (post-test mean 78.83, range 68 to 86) and high mastery (91.6%, 11 of 12 meeting the minimum standard), alongside strong perceived quality (overall mean 4.53 out of 5; scenario relevance 4.7; content 4.5; ease of use 4.4). The study’s contribution is an innovation oriented, replicable design model for feedback rich, pragmatics driven FOS learning, with broader implications for scalable employability focused language curricula and digitally mediated workplace discourse training

The rapid development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has created new challenges in criminal law, particularly when autonomous systems perform actions that cause harm and potentially fulfil the elements of a criminal offence. Indonesia’s criminal law framework, which remains anthropocentric and limits legal subjects to humans and corporations, does not yet provide an adequate mechanism to determine criminal liability for acts committed by AI. This study aims to analyze the possibility of applying criminal liability to AI as a perpetrator and to identify the parties who may be held accountable when AI acts independently beyond direct human control. This research employs a normative juridical method by examining statutory regulations, criminal law theories, legal doctrines, and international regulatory developments concerning AI. Data were collected through literature studies on digital criminal law, modern liability concepts, and global frameworks such as the European Union Artificial Intelligence Act. The findings indicate that AI cannot fulfil the mens rea requirement under classical criminal liability theory, and therefore cannot be considered a criminal legal subject in the traditional sense. However, AI-generated actions may produce real and significant legal consequences, necessitating alternative models of liability. Three approaches are relevant: vicarious liability, which attributes responsibility to developers or operators; strict liability for high-risk AI systems; and shared liability, which distributes accountability proportionally among involved parties. The concept of electronic legal personhood may also be considered to ensure functional accountability. This study concludes that Indonesia must reform its criminal law by reconstructing the concept of legal subjects, the notion of fault, and the structure of liability in order to effectively and fairly respond to the evolving challenges posed by AI technologies. Keywords: Artificial Intelligence, criminal liability, legal subject